Brexit: 9 Geography Facts You Should Know About the Referendum and Britain's EU Membership

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By Evan Centanni 

The European Union. Click for full map and list of members.

Today the UK is voting on whether to leave the European Union. If you've been paying attention to the news, you've probably heard about the intense debate over whether Brits should vote "Leave" or "Remain". But if you're like me and mainly in this for the geography trivia, here are some fun facts you might not know about the so-called "Brexit":

On the Ground: Gibraltar and the "Brexit" Referendum

This is the first installment of PolGeoNow's On the Ground, a new series of exclusive photo essays on what political geography looks like in the real world. Whether it's borders, nationalism, or other geopolitical phenomena, we'll bring the on-the-ground situations to your screen in vivid detail.

Update 2016-06-24: Gibraltar on Thursday voted in favor of the UK staying in the European Union, by an incredible margin of  96% to 4%. However, the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU, meaning that Gibraltar can expect to get pulled out with it, against the wishes of the Gibraltarians.
 

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Right: Map of Gibraltar by Eric Gaba (source; CC BY-SA)
Left: Gibraltar's location in Europe (based on this Wikimedia Commons map by TUBS; CC BY-SA)

Gibraltar prepares to vote on whether UK should leave European Union
Last month, PolGeoNow's Evan Centanni and Meihsing Kuo visited the small British territory of Gibraltar (pronounced "jih-BRALL-ter"), one month ahead of the UK's referendum on whether to leave or remain in the European Union (EU).

Gibraltar, a tiny peninsula connected to Spain - and claimed by the Spanish government - is the only British overseas territory that's part of the EU. It's also the only external territory whose residents are eligible to vote in the so-called "Brexit" referendum without living in the UK proper. ("Brexit" is an abbreviation for "British exit" from the EU.)

Ukraine War Control Map & Report: June 2016

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Map by Evan Centanni (all rights reserved)

Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Summary of Developments
PolGeoNow's previous Ukraine control map report was published in March of last year, just a month after a ceasefire was implemented under the Minsk II agreement, a hard-won deal between the Kiev government and representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (established by rebels with extensive support from the other side of the Russian border). Since then, the ceasefire has broadly held, which explains why the war in eastern Ukraine has largely dropped out of world newspaper front pages. However, fighting has continued off and on at a reduced level, and the ceasefire agreement is still on shaky ground. This map and timeline report describe what has happened over the past year, including some small changes to territorial control.

Iraq Control Map & Report: May 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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The past month has seen several small victories of Iraqi government forces against the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), as well as a handful of other notable territorial events.
 
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional map of control in Iraq's civil war, including a timeline of changes since our previous Iraq map report of April 2016.

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• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Rutbah, Doulab, Tuz Khurmatu, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since mid-April, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources

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Syrian Civil War Control Map & Report: May 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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The so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) has lost control of several towns in Syria over the past month and a half, but has also scored some victories. Meanwhile, a partial breakdown in the UN-brokered ceasefire has resulted in resumed fighting between government and rebel forces in the Aleppo area.
 
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report at the end of March.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish/SDF forces. 
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) and by multi-ethnic anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Qaryatain, Al-Rai, Shaer gas field, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since March 31, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Yemen Control Map & Report: May 2016 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic. Map by Louis Martin-Vézian, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

In the months since our previous Yemen control map report, Al Qaeda has lost some of its most important territory in Yemen, including a major city it's held for the past year. Fighting has also continued between the Hadi government and the Houthi alliance, despite attempts at a ceasefire. 

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report in February.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the pro-Hadi coalition, Houthi/Saleh forces, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL).
• Color scheme recently updated for consistency with Syria, Iraq, and Libya map series
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for recent areas of fighting, including Taiz, Mukalla, Harib, Ghayl Ba Wazir, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since February 19, 2016, with links to sources

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What Ever Happened with New Zealand's Flag Referendum?

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The proposed new flag: "Silver Fern (Black, White, and Blue)" by Kyle Lockwood (CC BY 3.0 nz)

Referendum Complete
PolGeoNow readers might remember that New Zealand's vote on whether to change its national flag was scheduled to continue until late March 24. So how did it turn out?

Preliminary results were released on March 24, with detailed final results coming out six days later. The answer: New Zealanders voted "NO" on changing their country's flag to the proposed "Silver Fern" design, by a margin of 57% to 43%.

Current flags of New Zealand (top) and Australia (bottom)

The result is that New Zealand will keep the same flag it's been using since 1902. Even though this design is confusingly similar to the Australian flag, and even though many New Zealanders liked the idea of a flag change, the government didn't suggest any designs that were popular enough to get a majority of voters behind them.

If you're curious how each part of New Zealand voted, you can see a color-coded summary and map of the results on Wikipedia. Be be aware that the blue just represents regions that voted just over 50% in favor of changing the flag: No area had more than 52% of voters supporting the Silver Fern, and some of the red-coded areas also had almost 50% support for the change.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About New Zealand's Flag Referendum

Current flags of New Zealand (source) and Australia (source) are in the public domain.

Iraq Control Map & Report: April 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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New: Improved map now includes terrain and major roads!

The past four months have seen two significant victories for Iraqi government forces over the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), despite floundering attempts to retake the city of Mosul.
 
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional map of control in Iraq's civil war, including a timeline of changes since our previous Iraq map report in December 2015.

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• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Ramadi, Hit, Bashir, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since December, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources 

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Syrian Civil War Control Map: April 2016

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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. All rights reserved.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic

Recapture of Palmyra
Since our previous Syria control map report in early March, the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad has recaptured the historic city of Palmyra (known in modern Arabic as Tadmur) from the so-called "Islamic State" (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL). The military has also pushed back against IS in Qaryatain, one of the group's westernmost outposts, even as IS is showing an increasingly prominent presence in the southwestern corner of Syria near the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, fighting between government and anti-Assad rebel forces has continued, though at a relatively low level, since the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire.

Libya Control Map & Report: March 2016 (Subscription)

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Map by onestopmap.com and Evan Centanni

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Despite hopes that a UN-backed unity deal might bring Libya's two rival governments back together, fighting in continues against the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) and other religious hardline groups. Though most of the major cities have stayed in the same hands since last summer, there have still been several important changes to territorial control.
 
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Libyan Civil War control map, which comes with a timeline of changes since our previous Libya map report last August.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the internationally-recognized Tobruk government (supported by General Haftar's Operation Dignity), the rival Tripoli-based GNC government (supported by the Libya Dawn militias), "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and other religious hardline groups. 
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Janzur, Bin Jawad, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since August 21, 2015, with all sources cited.
• New in this edition: Major roads are marked on the map for reference

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Syrian Civil War Control Map: March 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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New: Improved map now includes terrain and major roads!

With Syria's UN-brokered truce partially holding, government, Kurdish, and rebel forces alike have turned their attention to carving away territory from the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL). However, the rebels also sustained some losses to government forces prior to the ceasefire taking effect.
 
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report in early February.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• New since last year: Terrain shading and major highways included on map for geographic context!
• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish/SDF forces. 
• Special symbols indicate towns dominated by rebels of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) and by multi-ethnic anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Daraa, Khanaser, Tell Rifaat, Shadadi, the Aleppo Power Plant, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since February 10, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Map of Temporary Border Controls in the Schengen Area, March 2016

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In the companion to this article, we explain in plain English what the Schengen Area is, and which countries are part of it. Here, we present a map of the area's current crisis, showing where border checks have been reintroduced. Details and explanation in the article below.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

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Article by Evan Centanni

Borders Re-emerging Inside the Schengen Area

Over the past months, concern has been rising that Europe's border-free travel zone, known as the Schengen Area, is falling apart. As unprecedented numbers of refugees and other migrants enter the Schengen Area, individual member countries have begun to re-start border checks in the places where they abolished them decades ago. Read on to learn the why, how, and where of the Schengen Area's new border controls!

Map of the Schengen Area in March 2016

This is an older version of PolGeoNow's Schengen Area map, preserved for historical reference. To see the latest version, visit our updated Schengen Area explainer article.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Map of Control in Yemen's Civil War: February 2016 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

Though it's been less than three weeks since our last Yemen control map update, there have already been several changes to territorial control. Most notably, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has rapidly expanded its territory, recapturing most of the towns it held from 2011 to 2012.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition supporting President Hadi has also made progress against the Houthi rebels over the past weeks.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report at the end of January.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the pro-Hadi coalition, Houthi/Saleh forces, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL).
• Color scheme recently updated for consistency with Syria, Iraq, and Libya map series
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for recent areas of Al Qaeda takeovers and locations of other fighting, such as Shuqrah, Azzan, Habban, Ahwar, Misrakh, Fardat Nahm, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since January 31 2016, with links to sources

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Map: Which Countries Recognize Palestine as Independent in 2016?

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Click to enlarge. Palestine in magenta (circled). Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).

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Syrian Civil War Control Map: February 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com and Evan Centanni.

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New: Improved map now includes terrain and major roads!

As a UN-brokered truce approached, tables were beginning to turn in Syria, with the government's Russian-backed offensive making major breakthroughs against rebel forces in Aleppo, Latakia, and elsewhere. 

Meanwhile, the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS) continued to hold vast tracts of the country, while Kurdish-led forces gradually expanded their control in victories against ISIS and rebel fighters alike.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report in mid-December.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• New in this edition: Terrain shading and major highways included on map for geographic context!
• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish YPG forces. 
• Special symbols indicate towns dominated by rebels of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) and by multi-ethnic anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Menagh airbase, Aleppo, Salma, Rabia, Nubl, Baghaliya, Tishrin Dam, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since December 9, 2015, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Yemen Civil War Control Map: January 2016 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

In the two months since our previous Yemen control map update, the Saudi-led coalition supporting President Hadi has opened new fronts against both the rival Houthis and Al Qaeda, using its naval forces to capture islands and seaports along Yemen's coast while also advancing across the border from Saudi Arabia for the first time. 

Meanwhile, the so-called "Islamic State" organization (formerly ISIS/ISIL), based in Iraq and Syria, has for the first time been alleged to control territory in Yemen.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report in November.

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• Color scheme newly updated for consistency with Syria, Iraq, and Libya map series
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Aden, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Dhubab, Hanish Island, Harad, Maydee, Mukallah, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since November 2015, with links to sources

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2015: The Year in Political Geography Changes

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Rival government and "Islamic State" (ISIS) control in Libya, August 2015 (click for free full-size map and article)

Inside this Review of 2015:

• New countries, breakaway states, and micronations
• Country name, capital, and flag changes
• Border changes and disputed territories
• Countries joining international organizations
• Recognition of disputed countries
• Rebel control in conflict zones
• Sea borders and seabed claims
• New states and provinces
• Currency changes
• World time zone changes

It's PolGeoNow's mission to track changes to the world's countries, borders, and territories, whether it's happening formally on the books or unofficially on the ground. When new countries appear, borders change, and territorial disputes arise or are settled, you'll hear about it here. With 2015 now concluded, here's our look back at the events of the year!

(For extra coverage of political geography events in 2016, follow us on Twitter!)

How Many Countries Are There in the World in January 2016?

There are newer editions of this article available. To find the most recent, view all "How Many Countries in the World" updates!

This article was first published in 2011, and the version below was last updated in January 2016 for South Sudan's admission as an Olympic Nation. 

A world political map published by the U.S. government (public domain)

One of the most basic questions for map-lovers is, "How many countries are there in the world?" But anyone who replies with a simple number is leaving out part of the story. The fact is, the answer depends heavily on how you define "country".

Here are six of the most common answers, each correct in its own way:

War in Iraq: Map of "Islamic State" Control in December 2015 (Subscription)

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Research and timeline by Djordje Djukic; map and additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Though Iraq's current war has been proceeding at a less-intense pace than Syria's, there have been several important changes to territorial control in the past half a year, all involving the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS) losing ground to the Iraqi government and Kurdistan's Peshmerga force.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional-quality Iraq control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Iraq map report in July.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Iraq, color-coded for the Iraqi government, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdistan's Peshmerga forces
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Ramadi, Baiji, Sinjar, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since July, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources 

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Map: Kazakhstan Joins WTO

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Member and observer states of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Map by Evan Centanni, starting from public domain blank map (license: CC BY-NC-SA).

Syrian Civil War Control Map: December 2015 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

The Syrian government's newly Russian-backed offensive against rebels and the so-called "Islamic State" (IS, formerly ISIS) is beginning to pick up momentum. Meanwhile, Western European countries are increasingly becoming involved in the war on IS as well, with a new Western-backed, multi-ethnic ground coalition making significant gains of its own against the group.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional-quality Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report near the end of October.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish YPG forces. Special symbol indicates rebel-held towns dominated by Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front).
• New in this edition: Special symbol indicates towns held by multi-ethnic anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Kweires airbase, Hader, Kafrah, Delha, Deir Hanna, Sheikh Meskin, Hawl, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since October 30, 2015, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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