War in Iraq: Map of "Islamic State" Control in July 2015 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic; map and additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Since May, fighting in Iraq has seen small but potentially important advances by all sides, including the Baghdad government (with Iranian support), the "Islamic State" extremists, and Kurdistan's peshmerga.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Iraq territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Iraq map report in May.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Iraq, color-coded for the Iraqi government, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish peshmerga forces
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Baiji, Ramadi, Husaybah, Walid border crossing, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since May, compiled by our Iraq specialist, with links to sources

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Paraguay's Subtle Flag Change

Sometimes geopolitical changes make headlines, but other times they slip quietly under the radar. In particular, small modifications to national flags often fail to make the news. To make sure you don't miss anything, here's a report on one such flag change that even we discovered only recently.

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Flag of Paraguay, 2013-present (front) Flag of Paraguay, 2013-present (back) The Coat of Arms of Paraguay (CC BY-SA; source graphics)

By Olga Rodriguez-Walmisley

2013 Flag Change
On July 15, 2013, Federico Franco, at that time the President of Paraguay, announced that the official seals on both sides of the Paraguayan flag would undergo changes in order to better represent the symbols first chosen for it in 1842. These two seals together make up the national coat of arms of Paraguay.

Franco said the modifications were the result of a long debate and “a consensus that is not often achieved among historians”. There had already been several changes to the seals in the past, especially after the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870, which pitted the country against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Changes made to the National Seal
One of the biggest of the 2013 changes was to the ring around the star, where it says “República del Paraguay”. This ring has been red since about 1988, when it was changed under the rule dictator Alfredo Stroessner, whose political party was represented by that color. It is now white. The blue background behind the yellow star has also disappeared, and the text of the phrase “República del Paraguay” has changed from yellow to black.

Changes made to the Seal of the Treasury
On the reverse side of the flag, the roaring lion is now a light ochre (golden) color instead of yellow, the spear behind the lion is brown, while the cap on top of the spear, which according to tradition symbolizes liberty, continues to be red. The inscription “Paz y Justicia” (Peace and Justice) is now black instead of yellow, and the banner behind the inscription has gone from red to white.

Syrian Civil War Control Map: June 2015 (Subscription)

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Research by T.H., with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Since late May, rebels have consolidated their power in Syria's northwest, Kurdish forces have extended their control across most of the border with Turkey, and the Islamic State continues advancing in the direction of Damascus.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's popular Syria control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report in May.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish YPG forces. Special symbol indicates rebel-held towns dominated by Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations relevant to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Tel Abyad, Ayn Issa, Hasakah, Kobani, Palmyra, Ariha, Suwayda, and more.
• Timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since May 24, 2015, with links to sources.

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Yemen's Civil War: Map of Control in June 2015

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

This is part of a series of Yemen maps and infographics created in collaboration between PolGeoNow and CIGeography. Part 1 was the Map & Infographic of Foreign Military Deployments in Yemen, and Part 2 was War in Yemen: Map of Territorial Control (April 2015).

Map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni (click to enlarge). All rights reserved.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Houthi Control Spreading Despite Saudi Airstrikes
Since our previous Yemen control map update in early April, Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners have continued their air and sea campaign in support of the ousted Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, supported by parts of the Yemeni military and allied local and southern forces. But two months into the intervention, their opponents, the northern Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have continued to expand eastward. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda fighters have consolidated their control in parts of eastern Yemen, and the port city of Aden is still divided by frequent battles.

Map of Rebel Control in Mali: June 2015

(To see other maps in this series, view all Mali articles.)

Map by Evan Centanni, modified from this map by Orionist, Carport, and NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA.

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Article by Evan Centanni

Separatist Return to Power
At the time of our last Mali rebel control map report, separatist rebels had just allowed the Malian government to resume control of the north as part of a ceasefire agreement ahead of elections. The rebels had for a time resumed control of the region after a French-led military intervention pushed out the religiously-oriented rebel groups who had usurped the initial separatist rebellion. In July 2013, Mali's territory was again united for the first time in over a year.