Why Brexit Matters: 5 Things That Might Change When Britain Leaves the EU

By Bryn Jansson

Map of current and future EU member countries

Brexit Process Finally Begins

The United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) began formal divorce negotiations in Brussels last Monday, June 19, starting a 21-month sprint to the March 2019 Brexit deadline. ("Brexit" is short for "British Exit" from the EU, since "Britain" is another name for the UK.)

UK voters’ surprise choice to leave the EU happened exactly a year ago, on June 23, 2016 - but it didn’t automatically trigger the two-year countdown clock on exit negotiations necessary for departure under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty.

Syrian Civil War Map & Timeline: Kurds Enter "Islamic State" Capital - June 2017

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

Syria: Where Things Stand Now

In the four weeks since our previous Syrian Civil War map report, the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have advanced all the way into Raqqah, capital city of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL). Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have also been pushing hard against IS, nearing Raqqah themselves, while making even more major advances in the southern desert. Clashes between rebels and government forces have also continued across Syria's south, even as the US enforces a rebel safe zone around its base in Tanf.

Iraq Control Map & Timeline - June 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 three months, Iraqi government forces have made slow but steady progress against the so-called "Islamic State" in the city of Mosul, while pro-government militias have pushed westward from the city all the way to the Syrian border.

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 March 2017.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Iraq, color-coded for the Iraqi government, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and Kurdistan's Peshmerga forces. Colorblind accessible.
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including all major cities and many smaller ones, as well as major roads and provincial boundaries
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Baaj, Al-Hadar, Qayrawan, and the Safouk and Jayar Ghalfas border crossings
• Timeline of changes to the situation since mid-March, compiled by our Iraq-Syria specialist, with links to sources

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Panama Recognizes China, Stops Recognizing Taiwan (Map)

There are newer versions of this map available. You can always find the latest version, and a list of all related articles, on our Which Countries Recognize Taiwan? page.

Click to enlarge. By Evan Centanni, modified from public domain blank world map.

How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2017?

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This article, originally from 2011, has been revised and updated to June 2017.

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 just a 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: