Morocco Joins African Union; CAR Un-suspended (Map)

Map by Evan Centanni, from this blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

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Article by Evan Centanni

Morocco Rejoins AU after Long Absence

The North African country of Morocco became the 55th member of the African Union (AU) this week, after member countries voted to let it back into the organization after 33 years on its own. Morocco withdrew from the Organisation for African Unity (OAU), an earlier version of the AU, in 1984. The AU now includes every independent country in Africa, not counting the unrecognized breakaway state of Somaliland. The last country to join was South Sudan, which became a member three weeks after declaring independence in July 2011.

Syria Control Map & Timeline: January 2017 (Subscription)

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

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In the past month, Syria's Assad government has continued to consolidate its power after a major victory over the rebels in the city of Aleppo. Meanwhile, forces of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) have lost ground to Kurdish-led militias even while holding their own against the Syrian Army.
 
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 December, with sources cited.

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Exclusive 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. 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 the Barada Valley, Hazrama, Thawra, the T4 airbase, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since December 18, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Iraq Control Map & Timeline: The Battle for Mosul - January 2017 (Subscription)

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

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Over the past two months, a battle has raged for control of Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq and the largest controlled by the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL). Government and allied forces have made slow but steady progress in the city and nearby areas, even while advancing in western Iraq's Anbar province at the same time.
 
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 November 2016.

This map and report are premium professional content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Iraq map report!

Exclusive 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. Colorblind accessible.
• 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, Tal Afar, Al-Sagra, and Hamam al-Alil
• Timeline of changes to the situation since early November, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources

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This map and report are not available for automated purchase to non-subscribers. If you need access or republication rights for only this map report, contact service@polgeonow.com for options.

Yemen Control Map & Report: December 2016

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This is part of a series of Yemen maps and infographics created in collaboration between PolGeoNow and CIGeography.

Click to enlarge. Map by Louis Martin-Vézian, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic. All rights reserved.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic

Situation Summary
In the past three months since our previous Yemen control map report, fighting has continued between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government of President Hadi, with small changes to territorial control on the eastern and northern fringes of Houthi territory, including along Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has remained entrenched in parts of the east, while allegedly capturing an area near its one-time stronghold of Rada in the country's west.

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.