PolGeoNow
@polgeonow.com
Political Geography Now reports on changes to the world political map and control of conflict zones. Visit www.polgeonow.com for high-quality original maps and articles.
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PolGeoNow
@polgeonow.com
· Jun 27
June 2024 Somalia Control Map & Timeline: Height of ISIS Control, Al Shabaab Stalemate
Half a year of gains against Al Shabaab collapsed at the end of August 2023, ushering in a year of stalemate, while ISIS grew in power in the north.
www.polgeonow.com
Last week we published a set of three in-depth #map reports covering territorial control across #Somalia's claimed territories from 2023 to present. The June 2024 report is free for all readers: www.polgeonow.com/2025/06/soma...
#HornOfAfrica #cartography #maps #geography #Somaliland #humanitarian
#HornOfAfrica #cartography #maps #geography #Somaliland #humanitarian
Dear @washingtonpost.com: Three of the US's aircraft carriers have their home port within 12 miles of the border with #Mexico (in #SanDiego). Entering "waters near #LatinAmerica" is not the story here. Did you mean #SouthAmerica?
#geography #geographyfail #factcheck #Venezuela
#geography #geographyfail #factcheck #Venezuela
November 12, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Dear @washingtonpost.com: Three of the US's aircraft carriers have their home port within 12 miles of the border with #Mexico (in #SanDiego). Entering "waters near #LatinAmerica" is not the story here. Did you mean #SouthAmerica?
#geography #geographyfail #factcheck #Venezuela
#geography #geographyfail #factcheck #Venezuela
#Egypt's New Administrative Capital has rebranded itself as "The New Capital". Officially, #Cairo is no longer the country's capital, though some government bodies still operate from there. egyptianstreets.com/2025/11/09/e... #geography #toponymy #worldmap #rename #MiddleEast #Africa
Egypt’s New Administrative Capital Officially Renamed ‘The New Capital’
Egypt’s Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) has announced that the New Administrative Capital will now be officially referred to as The New Capital in all formal correspondence and g
egyptianstreets.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:31 AM
#Egypt's New Administrative Capital has rebranded itself as "The New Capital". Officially, #Cairo is no longer the country's capital, though some government bodies still operate from there. egyptianstreets.com/2025/11/09/e... #geography #toponymy #worldmap #rename #MiddleEast #Africa
Can't wait to read this one!
En route from APSA to CRS and very excited that @reyhuang.bsky.social and my joint work on 'functional sovereignty' is out open-access at @isq-jrnl.bsky.social: academic.oup.com/isq/article/...
Functional Sovereignty in Contested Territories
Abstract. Scholarship on international sovereignty generally adopts a binary conception: territories either have international recognition, or they lack it
academic.oup.com
September 28, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Can't wait to read this one!
Honored for our #Somalia control #map to have been featured in the second installment of @newhumanitarian.bsky.social's "rebel rule" series on #rebelgovernance in areas outside control of official govts. #geography #defactostates #AlShabaab #HornOfAfrica
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
Al-Shabab’s shadow state: Why Somalia’s militants are winning legitimacy
The jihadist group's administrative successes pose uncomfortable questions for the international community.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
September 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Honored for our #Somalia control #map to have been featured in the second installment of @newhumanitarian.bsky.social's "rebel rule" series on #rebelgovernance in areas outside control of official govts. #geography #defactostates #AlShabaab #HornOfAfrica
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
NOW (as of yesterday) #Canada really does say it's planning to recognize #Palestine as an independent country (in Sept., like #France).
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
#geography #independence #Gaza #WestBank #GazaStrip #Israel #geopolitics #PalestinianAuthority #diplomacy #MiddleEast #GazaWar
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
#geography #independence #Gaza #WestBank #GazaStrip #Israel #geopolitics #PalestinianAuthority #diplomacy #MiddleEast #GazaWar
Canada plans to recognize Palestinian state, raising allies' pressure on Israel
The comment came a day after Britain said it would recognise a Palestinian state in September.
www.reuters.com
August 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
NOW (as of yesterday) #Canada really does say it's planning to recognize #Palestine as an independent country (in Sept., like #France).
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
#geography #independence #Gaza #WestBank #GazaStrip #Israel #geopolitics #PalestinianAuthority #diplomacy #MiddleEast #GazaWar
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
#geography #independence #Gaza #WestBank #GazaStrip #Israel #geopolitics #PalestinianAuthority #diplomacy #MiddleEast #GazaWar
#UK plans to recognize #Palestine as independent country if no #Gaza ceasefire by Sept. If #France also follows through, this would leave #USA as last UN Security Council veto-holder that doesn't consider Palestine a country. www.nbcnews.com/world/united...
#geography #Israel #MiddleEast #Menasky
#geography #Israel #MiddleEast #Menasky
Britain to recognize Palestine as a state unless Israel agrees to an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza
In a statement from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office, the government also called for the release of the remaining hostages held in the Palestinian enclave.
www.nbcnews.com
July 29, 2025 at 6:39 PM
#UK plans to recognize #Palestine as independent country if no #Gaza ceasefire by Sept. If #France also follows through, this would leave #USA as last UN Security Council veto-holder that doesn't consider Palestine a country. www.nbcnews.com/world/united...
#geography #Israel #MiddleEast #Menasky
#geography #Israel #MiddleEast #Menasky
#FactCheck: #Canada has apparently NOT so far followed #France in announcing plans to recognize #Palestine as independent country, despite today's Middle East Monitor headline claiming that. More recent source: www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
#geography #Israel #independence #MiddleEast #WestBank #Gaza
#geography #Israel #independence #MiddleEast #WestBank #Gaza
France plans to recognize Palestinian statehood. Will Canada do the same? | CBC News
French President Emmanuel Macron has committed to formally recognizing Palestinian statehood at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. Will Canada follow in France’s footsteps any ...
www.cbc.ca
July 26, 2025 at 1:09 AM
#FactCheck: #Canada has apparently NOT so far followed #France in announcing plans to recognize #Palestine as independent country, despite today's Middle East Monitor headline claiming that. More recent source: www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
#geography #Israel #independence #MiddleEast #WestBank #Gaza
#geography #Israel #independence #MiddleEast #WestBank #Gaza
And here's our article covering what's changed for the #SchengenArea #map over the last five years, with the addition of #Croatia, #Bulgaria, and #Romania creating an uninterrupted land bridge to #Greece for the first time: www.polgeonow.com/2025/07/sche...
#geography #Schengen #maps #EU #Europe
#geography #Schengen #maps #EU #Europe
2020-2025 Expansion of Europe's Free-travel "Schengen Area" (And What's Next)
Cyprus, Romania, and Bulgaria have joined the Schengen Area since 2020, and expansion isn't stopping there...
www.polgeonow.com
July 25, 2025 at 3:39 AM
And here's our article covering what's changed for the #SchengenArea #map over the last five years, with the addition of #Croatia, #Bulgaria, and #Romania creating an uninterrupted land bridge to #Greece for the first time: www.polgeonow.com/2025/07/sche...
#geography #Schengen #maps #EU #Europe
#geography #Schengen #maps #EU #Europe
Besides the #EU one, we've also updated our popular #SchengenArea #map and explainer - this one for the first time since 2020! Which means THREE new member countries have been added. www.polgeonow.com/2020/03/what...
#geography #EuropeanUnion #Europe #Schengen #maps #cartography #mapping #travel
#geography #EuropeanUnion #Europe #Schengen #maps #cartography #mapping #travel
2025 Map of the Schengen Area, Europe's Border-free Travel Zone
The European Union's free-travel Schengen Area explained in plain English, plus a list and high-quality map showing which countries are part of it.
www.polgeonow.com
July 25, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Besides the #EU one, we've also updated our popular #SchengenArea #map and explainer - this one for the first time since 2020! Which means THREE new member countries have been added. www.polgeonow.com/2020/03/what...
#geography #EuropeanUnion #Europe #Schengen #maps #cartography #mapping #travel
#geography #EuropeanUnion #Europe #Schengen #maps #cartography #mapping #travel
We've just revised and updated our popular #EuropeanUnion #map and explainer for the first time since 2023. The biggest change is the addition of #Georgia as an official membership candidate. www.polgeonow.com/2016/06/map-...
#maps #cartography #EU #Europe #geography #geopolitics #mapping
#maps #cartography #EU #Europe #geography #geopolitics #mapping
Map: Which Countries are in the European Union in 2025, Which Aren't, and Which Want to Join?
A plain English explanation of what the EU is, which countries are part of it, and which countries are trying to get in, plus a high-quality map.
www.polgeonow.com
July 25, 2025 at 2:03 AM
We've just revised and updated our popular #EuropeanUnion #map and explainer for the first time since 2023. The biggest change is the addition of #Georgia as an official membership candidate. www.polgeonow.com/2016/06/map-...
#maps #cartography #EU #Europe #geography #geopolitics #mapping
#maps #cartography #EU #Europe #geography #geopolitics #mapping
#France says it plans to recognize #Palestine as an independent country in Sept. About 3/4 of world's countries already recognize it, but France would be the most powerful Western-aligned government do so yet.
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
#geography #defacto #independence #Israel #geopolitics
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
#geography #defacto #independence #Israel #geopolitics
French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize Palestine as a state, citing the urgent need to end the war in Gaza and alleviate the humanitarian crisis. The move, to…
www.france24.com
July 24, 2025 at 8:46 PM
#France says it plans to recognize #Palestine as an independent country in Sept. About 3/4 of world's countries already recognize it, but France would be the most powerful Western-aligned government do so yet.
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
#geography #defacto #independence #Israel #geopolitics
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
#geography #defacto #independence #Israel #geopolitics
UPDATE: #Seborga did release a statement yesterday on man arrested in #India for alleged scams including fraudulent claims of diplomatic privileges in the name of it and other #micronations:
www.principatodiseborga.com/wp-content/u...
#micronation #geography #independence #borders
www.principatodiseborga.com/wp-content/u...
#micronation #geography #independence #borders
www.principatodiseborga.com
July 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
UPDATE: #Seborga did release a statement yesterday on man arrested in #India for alleged scams including fraudulent claims of diplomatic privileges in the name of it and other #micronations:
www.principatodiseborga.com/wp-content/u...
#micronation #geography #independence #borders
www.principatodiseborga.com/wp-content/u...
#micronation #geography #independence #borders
(1/4) Police in #India arrest alleged scammer running "fake embassy" claiming to represent several high-profile #micronations
(timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/g...) (www.ndtv.com/india-news/g...)
#micronation #independence #geography @defactoborders.bsky.social #diplomacy
(timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/g...) (www.ndtv.com/india-news/g...)
#micronation #independence #geography @defactoborders.bsky.social #diplomacy
Ghaziabad 'micronation' scam: Man sets up fake embassies of fictional nations, claims ties with ‘Seborga’, ‘West Arctica’ & 'Lodonia'; luxury watches, diplomatic number plates, forged IDs seized | Del...
In a significant crackdown, Uttar Pradesh STF busted a fake embassy operating from Ghaziabad, arresting Harsh Vardhan Jain. He allegedly posed as a di
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
(1/4) Police in #India arrest alleged scammer running "fake embassy" claiming to represent several high-profile #micronations
(timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/g...) (www.ndtv.com/india-news/g...)
#micronation #independence #geography @defactoborders.bsky.social #diplomacy
(timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/g...) (www.ndtv.com/india-news/g...)
#micronation #independence #geography @defactoborders.bsky.social #diplomacy
It seems misleading that news media is leading stories about #ICJ (World Court) ruling on #ClimateChange responsibility with description "non-binding". Court wasn't asked to make any orders, but actually judged that past climate treaties *are* binding in requiring action.
#climate #geopolitics
#climate #geopolitics
July 23, 2025 at 8:08 PM
It seems misleading that news media is leading stories about #ICJ (World Court) ruling on #ClimateChange responsibility with description "non-binding". Court wasn't asked to make any orders, but actually judged that past climate treaties *are* binding in requiring action.
#climate #geopolitics
#climate #geopolitics
#ISO just updated its "country codes" list to spell "The Bahamas" with a capital T. www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:...
The change comes at request of country's govt, made to #UnitedNations in April 2025: unterm.un.org/unterm2/en/v...
#TheBahamas #Bahamas #toponymy #the #geography #spelling #names
The change comes at request of country's govt, made to #UnitedNations in April 2025: unterm.un.org/unterm2/en/v...
#TheBahamas #Bahamas #toponymy #the #geography #spelling #names
www.iso.org
July 23, 2025 at 4:40 AM
#ISO just updated its "country codes" list to spell "The Bahamas" with a capital T. www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:...
The change comes at request of country's govt, made to #UnitedNations in April 2025: unterm.un.org/unterm2/en/v...
#TheBahamas #Bahamas #toponymy #the #geography #spelling #names
The change comes at request of country's govt, made to #UnitedNations in April 2025: unterm.un.org/unterm2/en/v...
#TheBahamas #Bahamas #toponymy #the #geography #spelling #names
Deal reached to give #NewCaledonia new ambiguous status as "state within #France" that will be treated in some ways like an independent country - if it passes French parliament and 2026 #referendum.
islandsbusiness.com/news-break/d...
#Kanaky #independence #geography #Melanesia #int-rel IntLaw
islandsbusiness.com/news-break/d...
#Kanaky #independence #geography #Melanesia #int-rel IntLaw
Devil in the detail of New Caledonia's "historic" agreement
Meeting in France, New Caledonian political leaders have signed an agreement on the political and economic future of the French dependency.
islandsbusiness.com
July 15, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Deal reached to give #NewCaledonia new ambiguous status as "state within #France" that will be treated in some ways like an independent country - if it passes French parliament and 2026 #referendum.
islandsbusiness.com/news-break/d...
#Kanaky #independence #geography #Melanesia #int-rel IntLaw
islandsbusiness.com/news-break/d...
#Kanaky #independence #geography #Melanesia #int-rel IntLaw
Reposted by PolGeoNow
To begin, yes there is a significantly higher proportion of people in the former East voting for the AfD. In some districts it is over 40%. In sheer numbers, however, the West simply has a much larger population and more people vote for the AfD there overall. Depopulated spaces don't vote.
February 25, 2025 at 7:38 AM
To begin, yes there is a significantly higher proportion of people in the former East voting for the AfD. In some districts it is over 40%. In sheer numbers, however, the West simply has a much larger population and more people vote for the AfD there overall. Depopulated spaces don't vote.
Very interesting thread with some serious geographic analysis of different voting trends in what used to be West and East Germany - including some points that you may find surprising.
Once again, the rise of the AfD and its relatively greater popularity in the East has led to yet another round of discussion around the legacy of the GDR and contemporary German politics. A short thread:
July 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Very interesting thread with some serious geographic analysis of different voting trends in what used to be West and East Germany - including some points that you may find surprising.
When @theipaper.com blatantly plagiarized our #Israel/#Palestine control map (they apparently redrew it, but directly copied and pasted the notes and legend from ours).
It's been almost a year without any response from them regarding our complaints. #plagiarism #journalism #graphics #cartography
It's been almost a year without any response from them regarding our complaints. #plagiarism #journalism #graphics #cartography
June 28, 2025 at 12:48 AM
When @theipaper.com blatantly plagiarized our #Israel/#Palestine control map (they apparently redrew it, but directly copied and pasted the notes and legend from ours).
It's been almost a year without any response from them regarding our complaints. #plagiarism #journalism #graphics #cartography
It's been almost a year without any response from them regarding our complaints. #plagiarism #journalism #graphics #cartography
Last week we published a set of three in-depth #map reports covering territorial control across #Somalia's claimed territories from 2023 to present. The June 2024 report is free for all readers: www.polgeonow.com/2025/06/soma...
#HornOfAfrica #cartography #maps #geography #Somaliland #humanitarian
#HornOfAfrica #cartography #maps #geography #Somaliland #humanitarian
June 2024 Somalia Control Map & Timeline: Height of ISIS Control, Al Shabaab Stalemate
Half a year of gains against Al Shabaab collapsed at the end of August 2023, ushering in a year of stalemate, while ISIS grew in power in the north.
www.polgeonow.com
June 27, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Last week we published a set of three in-depth #map reports covering territorial control across #Somalia's claimed territories from 2023 to present. The June 2024 report is free for all readers: www.polgeonow.com/2025/06/soma...
#HornOfAfrica #cartography #maps #geography #Somaliland #humanitarian
#HornOfAfrica #cartography #maps #geography #Somaliland #humanitarian
New example of water systems as weapon of war: #Flooding that drove #AfricanUnion's #AUSSOM forces from base in #Somalia this week allegedly engineered deliberately by #AlQaeda-affiliated #AlShabaab rebels garoweonline.com/en/news/soma... #waterconflict #hydrology @pacificinstitute.bsky.social
Al-Shabaab dislodge Burundian troops from strategic town in Somalia
garoweonline.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
New example of water systems as weapon of war: #Flooding that drove #AfricanUnion's #AUSSOM forces from base in #Somalia this week allegedly engineered deliberately by #AlQaeda-affiliated #AlShabaab rebels garoweonline.com/en/news/soma... #waterconflict #hydrology @pacificinstitute.bsky.social
UN's #WorldCourt ( #ICJ) rules that #Gabon has to give 3 tiny #islands it seized in 1972 back to #EquatorialGuinea. Having the islands implies rights to surrounding #oil rich seabed, though actual sea #borders are unsettled.
www.bbc.com/news/article... #geography #sovereignty #Africa #WestAfrica
www.bbc.com/news/article... #geography #sovereignty #Africa #WestAfrica
International Court of Justice sides with Equatorial Guinea in Gabon island dispute
Equatorial Guinea has been rowing with Gabon for decades over three islands in potentially oil-rich waters.
www.bbc.com
May 21, 2025 at 2:01 AM
UN's #WorldCourt ( #ICJ) rules that #Gabon has to give 3 tiny #islands it seized in 1972 back to #EquatorialGuinea. Having the islands implies rights to surrounding #oil rich seabed, though actual sea #borders are unsettled.
www.bbc.com/news/article... #geography #sovereignty #Africa #WestAfrica
www.bbc.com/news/article... #geography #sovereignty #Africa #WestAfrica
Reports on #Somalia's new entry ban for #Taiwan passports fails to explain Taiwan's advice against citizens visiting #defacto independent #Somaliland too. Missing piece: Per #ICAO, Somaliland #airspace (but not airports, land borders) falls under #Mogadishu air traffic control.
#geography #Africa
#geography #Africa
May 1, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reports on #Somalia's new entry ban for #Taiwan passports fails to explain Taiwan's advice against citizens visiting #defacto independent #Somaliland too. Missing piece: Per #ICAO, Somaliland #airspace (but not airports, land borders) falls under #Mogadishu air traffic control.
#geography #Africa
#geography #Africa
PolGeoNow uses this tool a lot - it's valuable to make sure that sources we link to in our articles can still be accessed in the future even after the original websites take them down or move them (something that especially happens a lot with small news websites from war-torn countries).
🔗 Websites vanish. Links break. But knowledge can live on with your help. Use the Wayback Machine’s Save Page Now tool to archive webpages that are important to you. 🕰️ 💾
📌 Try it now: web.archive.org/save
📌 Try it now: web.archive.org/save
March 26, 2025 at 11:47 PM
PolGeoNow uses this tool a lot - it's valuable to make sure that sources we link to in our articles can still be accessed in the future even after the original websites take them down or move them (something that especially happens a lot with small news websites from war-torn countries).