Updates on the world's countries and borders
This map and explainer article, originally from 2016, have been updated to June 2023 to cover the recent addition of Croatia to the Eurozone. You can see previous versions of the map by viewing all Eurozone articles on PolGeoNow.
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| Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA |
Russia and its allies have completed their control of Bakhmut in Donetsk province after ten months of bloody battles for the small city. Fighting continues at many other places along the frontlines, including advances for both sides, though more of them in favor of Russia than Ukraine.
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| Donbas close-up map |
In recent weeks Russia has continued to slowly advance within the town of Bakhmut, with both sides making small gains in other parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. We've also made some small corrections to the map in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia provinces based on new information.
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| Donbas close-up map |
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| Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA |
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Graphic modified by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Addicted04 (CC BY-SA). |
The northern European country of Finland has been admitted as a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Its membership officially went into effect on Tuesday, April 4 after the final paperwork and exchange of documents was completed. Finland is the 31st country to join NATO.
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 March 2023. You can view older versions of the article in our archives. The main update from last year is the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics no longer claiming to be independent countries.
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| A world political map published by the US government. |
Most of our readers will already have heard of this story last year, but because PolGeoNow is committed to providing a record of all changes to the world's list of countries, and because this aspect of the story hasn't been much discussed, we're still publishing an article about it now. Parts of this article are adapted from our story on Recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics from one year ago.
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| Actual military/administrative control within the DPR and LPR's claimed borders just before their governments' agreed merger into Russia. This was also roughly their greatest extent of control during the period they claimed to be independent countries, if including territory held by their close ally the Russian military. This map was originally published as part of our subscriber-exclusive September 2022 Ukraine control map report. |
Partial Recognition
For eight years, from 2014 to 2022, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) said they were independent countries, despite most of the world considering them to be parts of Ukraine. Then late last year, they stopped claiming independence, instead saying they had now become part of Russia, after Russia controversially agreed to take them in. Read on for the full story, explained in plain English...
In the past month almost all territorial changes in Ukraine have been in favor of Russia, and mostly all within the Donetsk region. Though most of Russia's advances have been too small to show up on our maps, it's made major progress towards capturing the small city of Bakhmut.
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| Donbas close-up map |
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Map by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. Contact us for permission to use this map.
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| Map showing what parts of the claimed territory of the self-declared Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics - now claimed as part of Russia - are controlled by Russian forces and allies, compared to the Ukrainian government. Click to enlarge. |
In the month following our previous Ukraine war control map report, the advantage has remained with Russia, though not by much.
While Ukraine has made some very small advances, Russian forces have achieved still-small but more-significant gains, nearly cutting off Ukrainian supply lines to the small city of Bakhmut in Donetsk.
Russia has also made small advances in the contested area west of Donetsk city, and in the northeastern corner of mostly-Ukraine-controlled Kharkiv province - the only remaining area of Russian control that it doesn't officially claim as part of Russia.
Meanwhile, Snake Island in the Black Sea is now known to be held by Ukraine, after reports following Russia's mid-2022 withdrawal had left the situation unclear.
This report describes the situation as of one week ago, on February 21, 2023.
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Somalia control map, which includes a timeline of territorial changes and key events since our previous Somalia map report of December 2021, with sources cited.
This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
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Russia is again on the offensive in Ukraine, having captured a strategic town in Donetsk and entered a small city nearby - but only after weeks of grueling, bloody ground warfare. Small Ukrainian advances have taken place elsewhere, but are outnumbered by various small Russian ones.
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| Donbas close-up map |
In the biggest-yet reversal of fortunes for Russia in its invasion of
Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have re-assumed control of Kherson city, while Russia and allies have made much smaller advances along other parts of the frontline.
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| Donbas close-up map |
This is an updated edition of our FIFA member countries article, revised for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. You can also view past versions of the article from 2014 and 2018.
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| The six continental confederations of national football teams associated with FIFA. Most, but not all, confederation members are individually members of FIFA as well. Map by Evan Centanni, based on work by EOZyo (source). |
Around the world, fans of association football - also known in many countries as "soccer" - are tuned in for the ongoing, month-long men's FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Not all the world's countries can advance to the cup, but did they all get a shot at it? Which countries were eligible to
enter the tournament, and which are excluded? Read on for PolGeoNow's exclusive
guide to the roster of FIFA national football teams...
(Note: This edition of our Ukraine control map captures the situation in the days prior to Russia's Kherson retreat, while our next report, coming soon, will document the results of the withdrawal itself.)
Despite small gains in Donetsk, Russia and allied forces were already losing major ground in Ukraine prior to this week's Kherson withdrawal. In the month or so leading up to the retreat, Ukraine had already captured significant parts Kherson and Kharkiv provinces, plus bits of Luhansk and other parts of Donetsk.
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| Donbas close-up map |
Since the breakdown of Ethiopia's April ceasefire, and with intensified Eritrean involvement, many of the northern state's major towns have come back under the control of the Ethiopian government and its allies. Now, a new truce claims it will bring an end to the Tigray war.
However, the wide-ranging insurgency in Oromia state, and a smaller one in Benishangul Gumuz state, continue elsewhere in the country.
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional northern Ethiopia control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Ethiopia map report of April 22, with sources cited.
This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
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This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.
Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Nagorno-Karabakh map!
Exclusive map report includes:
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