Nigeria Map Update: War on Boko Haram Continues After Decline in Rebel Control

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Two months ago, Political Geography Now published a map of Boko Haram rebel control in Nigeria as the government declared a state of emergency and began a large-scale military intervention. We now present an updated map of the continued fighting and attacks following the rebels' apparent loss of any significant territorial control.

Map of fighting and attacks in Nigeria's war against the rebels of Boko Haram. Map by Evan Centanni.

Egypt Suspended from African Union

The African Union. Map by Evan Centanni, from this blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

Croatia Joins EU, leaves CEFTA

The European Union. Map by Evan Centanni, from this blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Syria Civil War Map: June 2013 (#10)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Syria updates.

Since March, large-scale violence has continued in Syria. Despite this, no major cities have changed hands - yet there have been important changes to control of smaller towns in two different regions. Here's the updated conflict map, plus a summary of recent territorial changes.

Activity and cities held by rebels and other groups in Syria, updated for June 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this blank map by German Wikipedia user NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA

Disputed Territory: The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands

You may have heard the news about China and Japan's ongoing territorial dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea. But what are the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, and why are they so fiercely contested? Read on for all these answers and more!

Map of the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands (by Evan Centanni).

Article by Omar Alkhalili

About the Islands
The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands are a collection of five small islets and three rocks in the East China Sea, all of which are uninhabited. The largest of the islands has an area of 4.32 km² and the smallest is only 0.45 km². They are located about 140 km from the nearest inhabited Japanese islands, 300 km from mainland China and 170 km from Taiwan. They are administered by Japan but claimed by both the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan, whose government is known officially as the Republic of China (ROC).