What is Wallonia? Belgium's Unusual Federal System

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Maps by Evan Centanni, from base map by Vascer
(CC BY-SA)

By Bryn Jansson
 

Wallonia vs. the European Union

Belgium often seems like an afterthought in European politics. It doesn’t have the economic clout of a Germany, the political influence of a France, or the military power of a Britain. It’s a small country tucked into the northwest corner of Europe, and known mostly for its chocolate and beer (though the acclaim both have earned is well-deserved). It’s home to the European Union headquarters in Brussels, but otherwise holds no special political power in the for-now 28-nation bloc.

Yet there it was this October, caught in the middle of a European political drama, the lone holdout of the EU-28 against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a large scale free-trade deal with Canada. Even more amazingly, it wasn’t even the whole of Belgium blocking the trade deal, but only the sub-region of Wallonia, home to 32 percent of Belgians (known as “Walloons”) and less than 1 percent of EU citizens.

Syria Control Map & Timeline: Assad Retakes Aleppo - December 2016 (Subscription)

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

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There have been big and important changes to territorial control in Syria in the past month. The Assad government has retaken most of Syria's second biggest city, as well as several other areas of the country, even as the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) has recaptured the historic desert town of Palmyra.
 
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 November, with sources cited.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and Kurdish/SDF forces. Colorblind accessible.
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the former Nusra Front (now Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and other important events, including Aleppo, Palmyra, Khan al-Shih, Mayda'ani, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since November 23, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Libya's "Islamic State" Loses Last City: Dec. 2016 Control Map & Timeline (Subscription)

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

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In the past three months, a lot has changed in Libya, including the expulsion of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) from its last territory in North Africa. Meanwhile, Libya now has three competing governments, and key oil ports have changed hands.
 
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 September 2016 Libya map report.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament (supported by General Haftar's Libyan National Army), religious hardline groups, and other actors such as the revived "National Salvation Government" and unaligned local councils.
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Sirte, Sidra, Ras Lanuf, Brega, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since September 6, 2016, with all sources cited.
• New since last year: Major roads are marked on the map for reference

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Syrian Civil War Control Map & Report: November 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, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Situation Summary
In the past month since our previous Syrian Civil War map update, fighting has focused largely on the ongoing battle for the city of Aleppo, where rebels control a large enclave in the east, as well as a three-way fight for control of Al-Bab, the largest town in the countryside east of Aleppo (at least, according to pre-war census figures). Held for nearly three years by the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL), Al-Bab is now the target of both the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition led by Kurdish militias. The SDF has also made progress toward the IS capital of Raqqah in the east, while the Syrian Army of President Bashar al-Assad is making slow progress against rebels in the west of the country.

The Czech Republic is Now Officially "Czechia" For Short

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Czech Republic Changes Official Name

Location of "Czechia" within the European Union
Map by David Liuzzo (CC BY-SA)

Last month, we wrote about a formal name change for the Gambia, a small country in Africa. But the Gambia wasn't the only country to modify its official name this year: Europe's Czech Republic also filed a name change with the UN, of a slightly different kind.

Rather than changing the details of its full name, as the Gambia did when it switched out "Republic of the Gambia" for "Islamic Republic of the Gambia", the Czech Republic actually only changed its foreign language short name.

Long known for not really having a good short name in English, the Czech Republic now wants you to call it "Czechia" (pronounced "CHECK-ee-ah") in all casual contexts. (The complete formal name is still "Czech Republic".)

Iraq Control Map & Timeline: The Siege of Mosul - November 2016 (Subscription)

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The battle is now on for Mosul, the so-called Islamic State's (ISIS/ISIL) biggest city. A grand coalition of Iraqi military, Shiite and Sunni militias, and Kurdistan's Peshmerga forces - with controversial help from the Turkish military - have now entered and mostly surrounded the city.
 
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 September 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 Mosul, Bashiqa, Sharqat, and Bartella
• Timeline of changes to the situation since early September, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources

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The Gambia's Name Change

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US government map of the Gambia (source)

The Gambia Changes Official Name
If you read our review of world political geography changes in 2015, you might remember a brief note on the official name of the Gambia, a tiny country located along the banks of a river in West Africa. Last December, the Gambia's maverick dictator decided to declare the country an "Islamic republic", a designation that can have various meanings and is used by four other countries in the world.

At the time, at least one regional news source claimed that the country's official name had indeed been changed from "Republic of The Gambia" to "Islamic Republic of The Gambia". But for a country's name to be formally changed, its government normally has to pass a law or at least issue some kind of proclamation, and at the time it wasn't clear whether that had actually  happened.

Syrian Civil War Control Map & Report: October 23, 2016 (Subscription)

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Since earlier this month, rebels in Syria have scored an important victory against the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), even while losing ground to the government - and fighting amongst themselves - in other areas.
 
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 October, with sources cited.

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• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the former Nusra Front (now Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and other important events, including Dabiq, Tell Rifaat, Moadamiya, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since October 2, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Syrian Civil War Control Map & Report: October 2, 2016 (Subscription)

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

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During the past month, a continued Turkish military incursion into Syria completely cut off the so-called "Islamic State" from the self-proclaimed caliphate's last international border in the region (other than its boundaries with Syrian and Iraqi territory).

Meanwhile, the Assad government and rebel groups have continued to take territory from each other despite a brief attempt at a country-wide ceasefire.
 
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 late August, with sources cited.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and Kurdish/SDF forces. Colorblind accessible.
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the former Nusra Front (now Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Dabiq, Halfaya, Suran, Jarabulus, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since August 27, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Yemen Control Map & Report: September 2016 (Subscription)

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

Since our last Yemen control map update almost two months ago, Al Qaeda has lost a large part of its territory in Yemen, even as fighting continues between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Hadi government.

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 early August.

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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 now consistent 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, Jaar, Zinjibar, Ahwar, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since August 2, 2016, with links to sources

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The Fall of Libya's "Islamic State": Sept. 2016 Control Map & Timeline (Subscription)

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This is the second of a pair of Libya map reports, the first one chronicling the major political realignment that occurred in Libya between March and May of 2016. 

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

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The past four months have seen a drastic reduction in "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) control in Libya, with the group now barely holding any territory in the country. Meanwhile, the struggle continues between Libya's two rival governments, as well as other religious hardline militias.
 
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 May 2016 Libya map report.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Libya, color-coded for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), the rival Tobruk parliament (supported by General Haftar's Libyan National Army), "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and other religious hardline groups. 
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Sirte, Ajdabiya, Abu Grain, Bin Jawad, Harawa, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since May 10, 2016, with all sources cited.
• New since last year: Major roads are marked on the map for reference

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Libya's Political Realignment: May 2016 Control Map & Timeline

This is the first of a pair of Libya map reports, with the second spotlighting the retreat of "Islamic State" forces from May to September. The second report, with a more up-to-date map, is available to members of our conflict map subscription service. 

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

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Drastic Political Shift
Starting soon after our last Libya control map report in March, the structure of Libya's divided control and rival governments underwent a massive realignment, with international recognition essentially switching from one side of the country to the other, and some key fighting forces switching sides as well.

Iraq Control Map & Report: September 2016

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

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Research and timeline by Djordje Djukic

Summary of Recent Events
After recapturing Ramadi from the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL), the Iraqi government and allies have set their sights on Mosul, the largest IS-controlled city, and until a few years ago the second largest city in Iraq (some sources say half or more of its population fled after the IS takeover in 2014). Since our last Iraq control map report at the end of June, the main change to territorial control has been the government capture of Qaiyarah, a town south of Mosul that's still more or less surrounded by IS and Kurdish controlled ground.

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

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

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Syria's war has seen several major territorial changes in the past month, with a Turkish military intervention bringing IS defeats even as the rival, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have captured key territory from both IS and the Assad government. Meanwhile, the government has scored some major victories of its own against rebel forces.
 
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 late July, with sources cited.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and Kurdish/SDF forces. Color blind accessible.
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the Nusra Front (now Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Jarabulus, Manbij, Daraya, Hasakah, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since July 25, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Map of Border Controls Inside Europe's Schengen Area: August 2016

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Last March, we explained Europe's Schengen free travel area in plain English, then published a map of which European countries had temporarily reintroduced border controls. We now present an updated and improved version of the border control map, reflecting several changes from the past five months.

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

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Article by Evan Centanni

Changes to Schengen Border Controls Since March

As anyone who's visited Europe in recent decades knows, much of the continent is linked together as part of the "Schengen Area", a collection of countries that don't make travelers show any ID to cross back and forth across their borders (though this system is overseen by the European Union, the Schengen Area and the EU are not the same thing). But the system does allow countries to temporarily reintroduce border controls under certain circumstances.

With last year's spike in numbers of refugees and other immigrants arriving in Europe, many Schengen countries have rushed to control the flow of people by using these special temporary border controls. When we published our previous map of temporary Schengen border controls back in March, there were seven countries policing their borders with fellow Schengen members. Today there are only six, and there have been major changes to which borders are controlled:

Parade of Nations: Which Countries Are (and Aren't) in the Olympics? (Rio 2016)

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This is an updated version of an article first published in 2012. You can also read the London 2012 and Sochi 2014 versions.

Map of all countries in the Olympics and their regional associations. Two newest Olympic Nations labeled.
(By Evan Centanni, starting from public domain blank map and modeled after this Wikipedia map)

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil officially open tonight, Friday, August 5th! They'll be the first Olympics ever to be held in South America, and also the first in any Portuguese-speaking country. If that wasn't enough, they're also the first Summer Olympics to be held entirely in the winter!

Of course, it wouldn't be an Olympic opening ceremony without the Parade of Nations. But how many countries are there in the games, and is everyone included? Read on for an exclusive updated guide to the roster of Olympic Nations...

Yemen Control Map & Report: August 2016 (Subscription)

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

In the three months since our previous Yemen map update, Houthi and pro-Hadi forces have continued to trade blows in the south and east, as well as along the border with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) have launched attacks in southern cities.

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 now consistent 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, Bayhan, Harad, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since May 1, 2016, with links to sources

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How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2016?

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This article, originally from 2011, has been revised and updated to August 2016. (Latest update: Gibraltar and Kosovo are now FIFA members.)

A world political map published by the US 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. It actually depends a lot on how you define a "country".

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

Map: Liberia and Afghanistan Join WTO

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Map by Evan Centanni, from public domain blank map.

Syrian Civil War Control Map & Report: July 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 territorial gains both for Syria's Assad government and for rebel forces, while the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) has mostly held its ground.
 
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 late June, with sources cited.

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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) fighters, and Kurdish/SDF forces (color blind accessible).
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) and US-backed 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 Manbij, Abu Kamal (Al Bukamal), Daraya, Kinsabba, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since June 26, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Iraq Control Map & Report: July 2016 (Subscription)

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

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The Iraqi army and allies have driven the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) out of Fallujah, its last stronghold in central Iraq, even as it continues to lose ground on other fronts.
 
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 May 2016.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• 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 Fallujah, Karma, Saqlawiyah, and Akashat
• Timeline of changes to the situation since mid-May, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources 
• New since last year: Terrain shading and major highways included on map for geographic context

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Map of European Union Member Countries Before Brexit (2014-2020)

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The UK is still part of the EU for now, since the vote to leave hasn't been implemented yet.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

EU Member Countries Pre-Brexit

This is an archived version of our map of European Union (EU) member and candidate countries, from before the UK's departure (known as "Brexit"). It's accurate for the period from June 2014, when Albania was recognized as an EU candidate country, to January 31, 2020, when the United Kingdom (UK) officially left the organization. The most recent country to join as a full member was Croatia in 2013.

For the current edition of this map, check out our updated feature article: Which Countries are in the European Union, Which Aren't, and Which Want to Join?

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

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

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A lot has happened in Syria in the past month, with major SDF and Syrian Army advances against the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL), as well as various smaller changes to rebel control.
 
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 mid-May.

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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 US-backed 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 Manbij, Thawra (Tabqa), Mare, Tanf border crossing, Arak, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since May 13, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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UK Votes to Quit EU: Map of How Britain Voted in the Brexit Referendum

By Evan Centanni

Map of election results in the UK's "Brexit" referendum. Modified by Evan Centanni from Wikimedia map by Mirrorme22, Nilfanion, TUBS, and Sting (CC BY-SA).

Brexit by Constituency

The results are in for yesterday's referendum on UK membership in the European Union, and the winner is "Leave". Brits voted by a margin of 52% to 48% in favor of exiting the European Union, making a "Brexit" (British exit from the EU) more or less guaranteed in the coming years. Britain will become the first member country ever to leave the EU, and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar is expected to get pulled out with it.

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

Who Voted to Stay

Voter tendencies varied a lot from place to place. Support for the "Remain" side was strong across Scotland, culturally Irish parts of Northern Ireland, the London area, and a handful of other cities in England (led by Cambridge, Oxford, and Brighton).

By far the greatest show of support for Remain was a win by 96% in Gibraltar - which isn't even in the UK proper, but got to vote because of its unique status as a British external territory that's in the EU.