Showing posts with label unrecognized. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unrecognized. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

All About Nagorno-Karabakh's 2017 Name Change

Map of the self declared Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) in relation to Armenia and Azerbaijan. Includes capital cities Yerevan, Baku, and Stepanakert.
Map by Evan Centanni, modified from this map by Bourrichon and Lesqual. License: CC BY-SA

Nagorno-Karabakh is Now "Artsakh"

Most country name changes are just modifications to the country's official long name, or a switch in the name's preferred English translation. But last year, one self-proclaimed country changed its title completely.

In February 2017, the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic officially became the "Republic of Artsakh". The name switch was part of a new constitution, approved in an internationally-controversial Feb. 20 referendum. According to the breakaway government's official figures, the referendum passed by 88%, with a voter turnout of 76%.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2018?

There are newer editions of this article available. To find the most recent, view all "How Many Countries in the World" updates!

How many countries: map of the world
A world political map published by the US government. South Sudan is the most recent addition to the UN-based list of the world's countries.
One of the most basic questions for map-lovers is, "How many countries are there in the world?" But anyone who just gives you a number isn't telling the whole truth. 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:

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Catalonia Declares Independence from Spain: What Now?

This report is part of our Referendum 2017 coverage, spotlighting disputed independence votes for Kurdistan in Iraq and Catalonia in Spain, plus less-controversial self-rule referendums in three areas of Italy.

Catalonia and Spain: Map of Catalonia's location within Spain and relative to neighboring countries, including Spanish capital Madrid and Catalan capital Barcelona.
Map by Evan Centanni, based on this map by Mutxamel. License: CC BY-SA
By Evan Centanni

Declaration of Catalan Independence

Catalonia, a self-governed region within Spain, has declared an independent "Catalan Republic" nearly a month after holding a controversial independence vote, despite powerful opposition from the Spanish government.

The declaration was made on Friday, October 27, after the region's parliament - elected legally under the Spanish constitution but now defying it - voted 70-10 in favor of independence. Anti-independence parties boycotted the vote, but 70 votes is enough that the motion would have passed either way, since the body has a total of 135 members.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

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.

Map of who recognizes Taiwan (what countries recognize the Republic of China) in June 2017. Marks countries that have cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan (withdrawn recognition) in the last ten years: Panama, Sao Tome and Principe, and the Gambia. Also answers question: Where is Republic of China located? (Colorblind accessible)
Click to enlarge. By Evan Centanni, modified from public domain blank world map.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2017?

There are newer editions of this article available. To find the most recent, view all "How Many Countries in the World" updates!

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

How many countries in the world?
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:

Monday, August 1, 2016

How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2016?

There are newer editions of this article available. To find the most recent, view all "How Many Countries in the World" updates!

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

How many countries in the world?
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:

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Map: Which Countries Recognize Palestine as Independent in 2016?

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Map of countries that recognize the State of Palestine as an independent country, updated for February 2016 with recent addition Saint Lucia highlighted
Click to enlarge. Palestine in magenta (circled). Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).
Subscribers click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Learn about PolGeoNow subscriptions!

Sunday, January 10, 2016

How Many Countries Are There in the World in January 2016?

There are newer editions of this article available. To find the most recent, view all "How Many Countries in the World" updates!

This article was first published in 2011, and the version below was last updated in January 2016 for South Sudan's admission as an Olympic Nation

How many countries in the world?
A world political map published by the U.S. 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. The fact is, the answer depends heavily on how you define "country".

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

Friday, June 5, 2015

Vatican City Administration Recognizes Palestine as a Country (map)

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Map of countries that recognize the State of Palestine as an independent country, updated for June 2015 with recent addition Vatican City (Holy See) highlighted
Click to enlarge: Countries recognizing the State of Palestine in green, with most recent addition highlighted. Palestine in magenta (circled). Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).
Subscribers click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Kosovo Becomes an Olympic Nation

Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!


Map of Serbia, Kosovo, and North Kosovo
Kosovo controversially claims independence from Serbia (Northern Kosovo is under partial pro-Serbian control). Map by Evan Centanni, based on these two blank maps by Nord-NordWest. License: CC BY-SA
By Evan Centanni

Next Stop: Rio 2016
Disputed country Kosovo has become the 205th member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), making it an official Olympic Nation and allowing it to field a team at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Its full acceptance came at an IOC meeting in Monaco on December 9, after being granted "provisional recognition" in October.

Kosovo's admission process has been ongoing for five years, and the self-proclaimed country was denied the chance to participate in the London Olympics of 2012. However, one Kosovan athlete attended the games with the team from Albania, a neighboring country with close cultural ties to Kosovo.

Disputed Status
Located in southeastern Europe, Kosovo controversially declared independence from Serbia in 2008, while under the control of UN peacekeepers. Since then, it has been recognized as independent by over half of the world's countries, including the US and most of the European Union. However, Russia, China and many other countries still consider it to be rightfully part of Serbia.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Map: Which Countries Recognize Palestine in 2014?

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Map of countries that recognize the State of Palestine as an independent country, updated for December 2014 with recent addition Sweden highlighted
Countries recognizing the State of Palestine in green, with most recent addition highlighted. Palestine in magenta (circled). Click to enlarge. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).
Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

Friday, October 24, 2014

Map Update: Kosovo Now Recognized by Every Country in Oceania (107/193 UN members)

Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!
Map of countries that recognize the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state, updated for October 2014, with the most recent addition (Solomon Islands) and disputed recognitions highlighted
Countries recognizing the Republic of Kosovo in green, highlighting recent additions. Disputed recognitions in yellow. Kosovo in magenta. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Map: "Eurasian Union" Gets New Member

Map of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), also known as the Eurasian Union. Includes new member Armenia, as well as prior members Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and disputed territories Crimea and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Eurasian Economic Union's four member countries, plus disputed territories that might be officially or unofficially included. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this map by Keverich2. License: CC BY-SA
Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Map Update: Kosovo Recognized by 3 More Countries in 2014 (106/193)

Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!
Map of countries that recognize the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state, updated for July 2014, with most recent additions (Togo, Tonga, Lesotho) and disputed recognitions highlighted
Countries recognizing the Republic of Kosovo in green, highlighting recent additions. Disputed recognitions in yellow. Kosovo in magenta. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Palestine: West Bank and Gaza Reunited Under Transitional Government

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Map of the State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including both its claimed borders (the Green Line) and zones of actual control (Areas A, B, and C from the Oslo Accords)
Control zones based on the Oslo Accords. Area A: Palestinian control; Area B: mixed Israeli-Palestinian control; Area C: full Israeli control. Map by Evan Centanni (sources: Natural Earth, B'Tselem, U.N. OCHA oPt).
Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

By Evan Centanni

Unity Government
The partially-unrecognized State of Palestine is not only divided between Palestinian and Israel control - even the Palestinian-administered areas have been governed separately for several years now. However, this month rival parties Hamas and Fatah have finally come together to reunite the West Bank and Gaza Strip under a single Palestinian government.

Divided Country
The rift in control opened up in 2007, after religious militant group Hamas won a majority of seats in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. Hamas and Fatah, the current ruling party at the time, failed to form a stable unity government then, and the conflict between them escalated into a short civil war in the Gaza Strip. 

See Also: Is Palestine Really a Country?

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Crimea Joins Russia, Gives Up Independence, Becomes Disputed Territory

Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

Map of the claimed Republic of Crimea, which briefly declared independence from Ukraine on Mar. 17 before being annexed by Russia
The claimed Republic of Crimea which has now joined Russia (click to see full-sized map). By Evan Centanni, based on this blank map.
By Evan Centanni

Russia Annexes Crimea
The Crimean peninsula, which declared independence from Ukraine ten days ago as the Republic of Crimea, has now been absorbed into Russia. This was part of the plan all along - the claimed Republic of Crimea had requested to join Russia at the same time that it declared independence.

Related: Complete Map of Locations Seized by Russia in Crimea (Premium)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Crimea Declares Independence: Is It Really a Country?

On Monday, two regional governments on the Crimean Peninsula controversially declared their independence from Ukraine as the new Republic of Crimea. While the declaration has been rejected by most of the world community, and Crimea hopes to swiftly unite with Russia, for now it might be considered a de facto sovereign state. Read on for details.

Map of the newly declared independent Republic of Crimea, seceding from Ukraine to join Russia (colorblind accessible).
The Republic of Crimea. Map by Evan Centanni, based on this blank map.
Premium members click here to view this article in the ad-free members area. Not a member yet? Subscribe now!

By Evan Centanni

Declaration of Independence
Following Ukraine's revolution, the explosion of pro-Russian protests in the east, and the subsequent occupation of the Crimean peninsula by Russian forces (see our premium report, Ukraine Map: Occupations, Autonomy, & Invasion), a new independent country has been declared on the coast of the Black Sea.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Map: Palestine Recognized by Two More Countries (134/193)

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Map of countries that recognize the State of Palestine as an independent country, updated for November 2013 with recent additions Haiti and South Sudan highlighted
Countries recognizing the State of Palestine in green, with most recent additions highlighted. Palestine in magenta (circled). Click to enlarge. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).