The #CorrectTheMap campaign thinks #Africa is the center of the world? 😆 #cartography #geography #GIS #Mercator #map #worldmap #maps #mapping

Some news for cartographers, from the highly-sensationalized #CorrectTheMap campaign (Their mission to get rid of #Mercator-projection illustrative world maps is a good fight, but a lot of their rhetoric is very ill-informed/misleading.) #cartography #geography #GIS #worldmap #Africa #maps

Subscribers: New, current #Syria map is out now, with in-depth report on #SDF integration/dissolution, situation in #Israel occupied areas, status of #Sweida #Druze paramilitary zone, " #ISIS" trends, and much more: www.polgeonow.com/2026/08/map-... #mapping #map #Kurds #MiddleEast Menasky #ISIL

Syria Control Map & Timeline: The End of the SDF - August 2026 (Subscription)

Integration of the Kurdish-led SDF into the Syrian government has been misleadingly declared complete. Druze forces, Israel, and ISIS remain defiant.

polgeonow.com

Always interesting to be reminded that UN peacekeepers are soldiers from specific, faraway countries. Here's a recent UN map of the (former) #GolanHeights buffer zone in #Syria, now mostly held by #Israel, with #UNDOF peacekeepers mostly relegated to observation and liaising. #MENAsky #geography

From @newlinesmag.bsky.social, an impressively moving and incisive reflection on the meaning of borders and countries, with implications for much more than just India and Pakistan. newlinesmag.com/essays/the-s... #borders #borderstudies #geography #geopolitics #sovereignty #independence

The Sacred Convictions That Preserve the Profane Red Lines of Partition

On its 79th anniversary, the tragedy is not only that India and Pakistan’s borders were drawn badly, but that they were defended well

newlinesmag.com

Great piece of reporting on the events in #Ceuta from the perspective of asylum seekers as well as the residents of the city (for once). newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th... #geography #geopolitics #Spain #Morocco #migration #Mediterranean #FortressEurope #borderlands #borders #borderexternalization

They Swam to Europe but Are Still Stuck on North African Shores

For thousands who crossed into Ceuta, Spain, the reality of Europe’s external borders has hit hard

newlinesmag.com

PolGeoNow fans: If you've ever thought, "I hope these guys are getting paid enough for all this work", this would be a great time to buy us a coffee or two through our new Ko-fi page (ko-fi.com/polgeonow). Struggling to cover living expenses right now.

Posts claiming Trump is "bombing Somalia" in a new war are EXTREMELY misleading. He's only ramped up a program Obama and Biden already had, and importantly, the strikes are in COOPERATION with the country's intl-recognized govt, not against it. Campaign is against Al Qaeda-affiliate rebels.

Brian Finucane@bcfinucane.bsky.social · 3mo ago

U.S. presidents come and go, but U.S. military action in Somalia continues. (Every U.S. president since George H.W. Bush has used military force in Somalia.)

Our full 2026 control map report for #Somalia is still a ways out, but subscribers can now see an April 15 version of the map: www.polgeonow.com/2026/07/soma... #HornOfAfrica #conflicttracking #geopolitics #map #mapping #cartography #Somaliland #Puntland #AlShabaab #AlQaeda #Africa #geography

Map Only: Somalia in April 2026 (Subscription)

SSC-Khatumo is now North East state. See what areas it controls in the northern zone disputed with Somaliland.

polgeonow.com

(1/6) Republic of #Nauru govt announces that change of country name to #Naoero is complete, after deciding no #referendum necessary after May 2026 constitutional amendment. www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific... #geography #geopolitics #oceania #toponymy #namechange #microstates #micronesia #islands

Nauru officially changes name to Naoero 'after thoughtful deliberation', bypassing referendum

Nauru has officially changed its name to 'Naoero', the Micronesian Island nation's governments announced in a statement on Wednesday night.

rnz.co.nz

#Football/#soccer: Every country in #Europe says it will boycott future #WorldCup tournaments if part of #FIFA is sold to private investors. (Women's #FIFAWorldCup is coming next year) www.reuters.com/sports/socce... #geography #UEFA #sportsgeography

UEFA to boycott World Cup and FIFA tournaments over stake sale plans

European soccer's governing body UEFA and its 55 member nations on Thursday voted to boycott all FIFA tournaments in what could be a knockout blow to the global soccer organisation's proposal to sell ...

reuters.com

Whoops! #AImaps (News article says it was made with ChatGPT or a related product from the same company) #AI #mapping #geography #cartography #maps

Phil Lewis@phillewis.bsky.social · last mo.

A U.S. government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a state department presentation at a ⁠global conference www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Hearing a lot about the #Houthis in #Yemen and wondering what parts of the country they currently control? Very little has changed since we published our February map: www.polgeonow.com/2026/02/yeme... #IranWar #geopolitics #GulfOfAden #MiddleEast #chokepoints #RedSea #geography #maps MENAsky

Yemen Control Map & Report: Collapse of Separatist Control - Feb. 8, 2026 (Subscription)

Just weeks after appearing victorious, Yemen's southern separatists lost almost all their territory, including what they'd controlled for years prior.

polgeonow.com

#Kyrgyzstan and #Uzbekistan swap bits of territory along their border, including two villages transferred from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan. en.orda.kz/kyrgyzstan-r... #geography #borders #CentralAsia #maps #geographyteacher #borderlands #geopolitics #diplomacy

Kyrgyzstan Receives Two Villages From Uzbekistan And Proposes Land Swap With Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have completed the next stage of demarcating their state border. Two border villages that previously belonged to Uzbekistan have become part of Kyrgyzstan’s Batken Region, Or...

en.orda.kz

This is your periodic reminder that "soccer" isn't a silly word made up by the US. It was coined (and once popular) in England (the origin place of the modern sport), and is still used in several different countries with histories of British colonization.

Now that #CaboVerde's #WorldCup run is complete, it's time you figured out why some people call it that and others call it "Cape Verde": www.polgeonow.com/2014/01/icym... (article from 2014) #CapeVerde #Fıfaworldcup #geography #geopolitics #namechange #Portuguese #FIFA #sports #soccer #football

ICYMI: Cape Verde's Name Change

The country of Cape Verde has changed its official English name at the U.N. Read our in-depth report on the new name, how to pronounce it, and what it all means.

polgeonow.com

Many of us know people who celebrate getting US or European #citizenship as a life milestone. Now meet the people who are excited to become official citizens of #Syria: syriadirect.org/denied-for-d... #geography #Kurds #diplomacy #travel #passport #passports

Denied for decades, Syria’s stateless Kurds edge towards recognition

As stateless Syrian Kurds begin applying for citizenship under a recent presidential decree, hopes of restoring long-denied rights are tempered by bureaucratic hurdles and past disappointments.

syriadirect.org

If you're interested in which countries aren't allowed in #WorldCup tournaments - and which non-countries are - make sure to check out our updated explainer on #FIFA's membership roster: www.polgeonow.com/2026/06/worl... #worldcup2026 #geography #geographyteacher #soccer #independence #sports

#WorldCup2026: For those who have been waiting, we present: Our updated and heavily-revised explainer on which countries are and aren't in #FIFA! www.polgeonow.com/2026/06/worl... #geography #football #soccer #independence #geographyteacher #WorldCup #FIFAWorldCup #sports

World Cup 2026: Which Countries Are (and Aren't) Members of FIFA?

Your guide to which countries and territories can try out for the World Cup, and which are shut out from the start.

polgeonow.com

Pretty nifty interactive map of conflict, control, and mining in #CentralAfricanRepublic from Global Initiative and ISS Africa. Territorial control as of Sep 2025, sources unclear. centralafrica.globalinitiative.net/conflict-and... #conflictmapping #geography #geopolitics #borderlands

CAR mining violence mapping - GITOC | Central Africa - Observatory

Countering organized crime and violence in Central Africa

centralafrica.globalinitiative.net

Eye-catching report from @hrw.org shines new light on an interesting corner of current #geopolitics: #UAE-employed mercenaries from #Colombia fighting alongside #Sudan's rogue #RSF forces (and implicated in likely #warcrimes and #genocide): www.hrw.org/news/2026/05... #geography #LatinAmerica

Sudan: Colombians Linked to Atrocities Trained in UAE Bases

Colombian private military contractors apparently hired by a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company transited through UAE military bases before being deployed to Sudan to support the abusive Rapid S...

hrw.org

Excellent from Claire Wilmot on the 'Gold Rush' in Tigray, connections to the war economy and effects on civilians www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4... Complements well and expands our understanding from a couple of recent analyses: 1/3

Claire Wilmot · Gold Rush

Across Tigray, the remains of razed towns are marked with mounds of earth piled over the dead – impressions of war...

lrb.co.uk

For people studying political geography or the history of South Asia, this looks pretty cool. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio... #PrincelyStates #geography #sovereignty #geopolitics #borders #SouthAsia #independence

Princely states of India

A Flourish data visualization by Shivakumar Jolad

public.flourish.studio

This October, #Alberta province plans to hold a vote on whether to have a vote for #independence from #Canada. Likely to result in "no". #Secession leaders no longer want to join the #USA. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/w... #geography #separatism #geopolitics #Americas #nationalism

Alberta Will Vote on Staying in Canada in October. Here’s What to Know.

nytimes.com

Interesting introduction to a growing grassroots geopolitical movement in some parts of the world. #geopolitics #indigeneity

Johnnie Jae@johnniejae.bsky.social · 4mo ago

You've probably seen the word #Landback somewhere and instantly had some feelings. It sounds blunt, which is part of why a lot of people tend to have an instant reaction or jump to some very problematic misconceptions about what it means. So, let's talk Landback, from my POV and work.

#Ahmadinejad's journey from brash enemy of #Israel to barely-concealed Israeli asset is yet another reminder that reporting shouldn't repeat people's declared beliefs/intentions as facts (maybe he really changed his mind, maybe not). www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u... #Iran #journalism #espionage

Early War Goal Was to Install Hard Line Former President as Iran’s Leader

nytimes.com

Report in @newhumanitarian.bsky.social says #M23 rebel govt in east #DRCongo charges US$50-500 for "entry visas" (very steep by world standards!), and at first wanted to also stamp #passports. www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2026/05... #travel @defactoborders.bsky.social #geography #geopolitics

M23 tax drive in DR Congo puts squeeze on aid groups

The Rwanda-backed rebels have imposed entry visas and demanded taxes on staff salaries and rented properties.

thenewhumanitarian.org

Perhaps useful to #Myanmar researchers?

National Library of Scotland@natlibscot.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We've just added #MoreMaps to our website 🗺️ Newly online maps provide detailed coverage of large parts of India as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar and Pakistan in the first half of the 20th century. Explore the maps > maps.nls.uk/additions/#201 #India #MapMonday

This headline is probably an exaggeration and definitely missing context - notice how it's specifically a version of #Palestine that includes all areas currently part of #Israel - but still an interesting example of how map-based shapes of countries play a big role as political symbols in society.

The New Arab@thenewarab.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Germany’s intelligence agency BfV also classified the slogan “from the river to the sea” as extremist

The UK has received its first fleet of 20 uncrewed vessels under Project Beehive, with the First Sea Lord confirming a wargame showed missile capacity tripling and mission success rising markedly. https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/royal-navy-receives-first-sizable-uncrewed-vessel-fleet/

Royal Navy receives first sizable uncrewed vessel fleet

The UK has received its first fleet of 20 uncrewed vessels under Project Beehive, with the First Sea Lord confirming a wargame showed missile capacity tripling and mission success rising markedly.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk