Political Geography Now

Keep up with the world's ever-changing borders. New countries, disputed territories, breakaway states, rebel-control zones and more. Original maps and full articles at www.polgeonow.com!

[polgeonow]

Syria One Year On: Conflict Timeline & Map of Control after Kurdish Retreat - March 2026 (Subscription)

Current map and detailed timeline of military events, civilian mass casualty incidents, and changes to territorial control over the past 14

From a couple months ago, but still mostly accurate

[polgeonow]

Yemen Supplement: Who controls Socotra after UAE Pullout?

Yemen's far-flung island province has been spared the violence of the last few months, but that doesn't mean nothing has changed there.

Free Article: Recent gains and losses by South Yemen separatists in Yemen's mainland are well documented - but what about the island province of Socotra, which had the most at stake with the UAE's withdrawal from the country? We did a deep dive into online sources to puzzle out the complicated situation on the archipelago.

[polgeonow]

Yemen Control Map & Report: Collapse of Separatist Control - Feb. 8, 2026 (Subscription)

Just weeks after appearing victorious, Yemen's southern separatists lost almost all their territory, including what they'd controlled for ye

And here's the second installment in our renewed Yemen control map series for subscribers, bringing our coverage up to February 2026, with southern separatists having badly lost their gambit for independence (article published Feb. 8, with map certified accurate up to Feb. 18).

[polgeonow]

Yemen Control Map & Report: Height of Southern Separatist Control - Dec. 30, 2025 (Subscription)

For some weeks, Yemen's STC controlled almost all of the former South Yemen, sweeping across the east after years of mostly-unchanged contro

As you may know, territorial control in Yemen has become a hot topic again over the past couple months, after a few years of essentially no changes to control lines. Here's the link for the first of PolGeoNow's two new Yemen control map reports for subscribers, showing the situation at the height of South Yemen separatist control at the end of 2025.

[polgeonow]

How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2026?

Websites that give you a simple number of countries in the world aren't being honest. Here's the real answer.

Our popular "How many countries are there in the world?" explainer has been updated for 2026!

[polgeonow]

Syria: Map of Control After the Fall of Assad - Dec. 14, 2024 (Subscription)

The fall of Assad has left much (not all) of Syria under rebel control, while both Israel and "ISIS" have entered the fray.

As promised! Here's our new subscriber map of control in Syria AFTER the fall of Assad, including territory newly under Israel and so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL). Plus handy timeline of events amid this seismic shift in Syrian geopolitics.

[polgeonow]

Mapping control in Syria at this exact moment of disarray is unrealistic, and any attempts are likely misleading. But here's our new map showing the last day of resistance before Assad's govt collapsed.

Concise summary of events and detailed timeline included.

Syrian Civil War Reignites: Map of Control Amid Rebel Advance

After four years of frozen conflict in Syria, a surprise rebel offensive brought the government to the brink of collapse in just ten days.

[polgeonow]

Ukraine: Map of Russian Control in February 2024 (Subscription)

Late 2023 and early 2024 saw small but significant net gains for Russia across various battlefields.

We've published a new update to our Ukraine war control map series for paid subscribers, showing what parts of Ukraine were controlled by Russia in February 2024, plus timeline of events since the previous October.

[polgeonow]

Parade of Nations: Which Countries Are (and Aren't) in the Olympics? (Paris 2024)

Explainer: How many "nations" are in the Olympics, which ones aren't independent countries, and which ones are aren't allowed in?

We've updated and majorly revised our classic explainer on the geography of "Olympic Nations"! Learn which countries are in the Olympics, which are shut out, and which "Nations" aren't independent countries!

[polgeonow]

Israel / Palestine: Map of Control Amid Rafah Offensive - June 27, 2024 (Subscription)

Israel has begun a scaled-down version of its long-promised "Rafah offensive", while chaos reigns across the Gaza Strip.

Last month's subscriber update to our map-illustrated Israel/Palestine territorial control report.

[polgeonow]

Sudan Control Map & Timeline: Former Rebels Join Fight - June 2023

Sudan: Who controls what in June 2024? The best Sudan war map online, thoroughly researched to accurately show both RSF and rebel control.

And here's the current update to our Sudan control map, which is free for all readers!

[polgeonow]

Sudan Control Map & Timeline: RSF Takes Eastern City - Jan. 2024 (Subscription)

In December 2023, the RSF shocked Sudan by capturing the major eastern city of Wad Medani in Gezira state.

For our subscribers: Detailed map and report on territorial control in Sudan's civil war in December 2023 and January 2024.

[polgeonow]

About a Bird? Your Complete Guide to Turkey's 2021-2022 Name Change

"Turkey" says it's now "Türkiye" in English, Spanish, and French. We take an in-depth look at how and why it changed.

New free article! Since two years ago, Turkey's government wants you to call it "Türkiye". Check out our plain English guide to what happened and why, how it started, and how it's going.

[polgeonow]

Map Update: Sweden Joins NATO

NATO recently got its 32nd member country, formerly-neutral Sweden. Plus: What is NATO exactly?

[polgeonow]

Israel / Palestine: Map of Control on March 4, 2024 (Subscription)

Israel's counter-invasion of the Gaza Strip has shifted focus from the north to the south, as related conflicts threaten other parts of the

Two weeks ago we published a subscriber update to our overview map of territorial administration in Israel/Palestine, with a detailed timeline of events since December.

The map is still basically correct today, pending the possible Israeli offensive on Rafah.

[polgeonow]

Ukraine: Map & Timeline of Russian Control in October 2023

Ukraine secured control of a few significant towns between mid-August and early October 2023.

Free sample of our Ukraine map report series, which we'll be bringing back up to date soon.

[polgeonow]

Sudan War Control Map & Timeline - October 2023

All new map and timeline: Seven months into Sudan's new civil war, the RSF controlled much of Khartoum and part of every state capital in Da