Map: Which Schengen Borders are Closed to Passport-Free Travel in August 2017?

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Last year, we explained Europe's Schengen free travel area in plain English, then published maps of which European countries had temporarily reintroduced border controls as of March 2016, August 2016, and February 2017. Here's an update and summary for August of 2017.

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

Article by Evan Centanni

Current Border Controls Between Schengen Countries

As anyone who's visited Europe in recent decades knows, much of the continent is linked together as part of the "Schengen Area", a collection of countries that don't make travelers show any ID to cross back and forth across their borders (though this system is overseen by the European Union, the Schengen Area and the EU aren't the same thing). But the system does allow countries to temporarily reintroduce border controls under certain circumstances.

Iraq Control Map & Timeline: "Islamic State" Loses Mosul - July 2017 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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In the past month, Iraqi government forces and allies have completed their recapture of Mosul, the third biggest city in Iraq and the largest urban center ever controlled by the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) in any country.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional map of control in Iraq's civil war, including a timeline of changes since our previous Iraq map report of June 2017.

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Exclusive report includes:

• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Iraq, color-coded for the Iraqi government, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and Kurdistan's Peshmerga forces. Colorblind accessible.
• New: Separate color for Yezidi militias of the "Sinjar Alliance", who control their own territory near the Syrian border.
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including all major cities and many smaller ones, as well as terrain, major roads, and provincial boundaries
• Timeline of changes to the situation since mid-June, compiled by our Iraq-Syria specialist, with links to sources

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Syrian Civil War Map & Timeline: "Islamic State" Capital Surrounded - July 2017 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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In the past month, the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) has continued losing ground, with its capital city of Raqqah now completely surrounded by US-backed fighters. Meanwhile, southern Syria has seen rebel defeats at the hands of government forces, but also a ceasefire backed by both the US and Russia.

See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report in June, with sources cited.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) fighters, and Kurdish/SDF forces. Colorblind accessible.
• Markers showing the approximate locations of Russian-Turkish-Iranian "de-escalation zones" and the one known US "deconfliction zone".
• Special symbols indicating towns dominated by rebels of the former Nusra Front (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and other important events, including Raqqah, Resafa, Ithriya, al-Hamima, Qasr, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since June 21, 2017, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Why Brexit Matters: 5 Things That Might Change When Britain Leaves the EU

By Bryn Jansson

Map of current and future EU member countries

Brexit Process Finally Begins

The United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) began formal divorce negotiations in Brussels last Monday, June 19, starting a 21-month sprint to the March 2019 Brexit deadline. ("Brexit" is short for "British Exit" from the EU, since "Britain" is another name for the UK.)

UK voters’ surprise choice to leave the EU happened exactly a year ago, on June 23, 2016 - but it didn’t automatically trigger the two-year countdown clock on exit negotiations necessary for departure under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty.

Syrian Civil War Map & Timeline: Kurds Enter "Islamic State" Capital - June 2017

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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic.
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Timeline by Djordje Djukic

Syria: Where Things Stand Now

In the four weeks since our previous Syrian Civil War map report, the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have advanced all the way into Raqqah, capital city of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL). Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have also been pushing hard against IS, nearing Raqqah themselves, while making even more major advances in the southern desert. Clashes between rebels and government forces have also continued across Syria's south, even as the US enforces a rebel safe zone around its base in Tanf.