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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 22/09/2026

Maybe you also heard that only the US voted "no" on the UN's #maps resolution, and #Ukraine abstained. But we doubt you got the whole truth about why. And what about the other 5 abstainers? It's all here: www.polgeonow.com/2026/09/un-n... #Crimea #geopolitics #Africa #UnitedNations

polgeonow.com

US, Ukraine, and More: Which Countries Criticized the UN’s World Map Vote, and the Truth About Why

It's not exactly what you think. Learn the truth about the US and Ukrainian objections, and which other countries were skeptical too.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 06/09/2026

Some news for cartographers, from the highly-sensationalized #CorrectTheMap campaign (Their mission to get rid of #Mercator-projection illustrative world maps is a good fight, but a lot of their rhetoric is very ill-informed/misleading.) #cartography #geography #GIS #worldmap #Africa #maps

Screenshot of text:

5. What should we look for in a good world map?

There are two key rules:

Preserve area: Countries should appear in their correct size relative to one another.
Roundedness: The map should still look like a globe flattened gently—no wild stretching.

No map is perfect, but some are fairer. The Equal Earth, Gall-Peters, and other equal-area projections do a better job at showing the world truthfully.
6. How can I spot a misleading map?

Look out for these clues:

Does Greenland look as big as Africa? That’s a red flag.
Is Africa near the center of the map, or pushed to the side?
Are countries near the equator unusually small?

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 30/08/2026

Subscribers: New, current #Syria map is out now, with in-depth report on #SDF integration/dissolution, situation in #Israel occupied areas, status of #Sweida #Druze paramilitary zone, " #ISIS" trends, and much more: www.polgeonow.com/2026/08/map-... #mapping #map #Kurds #MiddleEast Menasky #ISIL

polgeonow.com

Syria Control Map & Timeline: The End of the SDF - August 2026 (Subscription)

Integration of the Kurdish-led SDF into the Syrian government has been misleadingly declared complete. Druze forces, Israel, and ISIS remain defiant.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 24/08/2026

Always interesting to be reminded that UN peacekeepers are soldiers from specific, faraway countries. Here's a recent UN map of the (former) #GolanHeights buffer zone in #Syria, now mostly held by #Israel, with #UNDOF peacekeepers mostly relegated to observation and liaising. #MENAsky #geography

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 10/08/2026

PolGeoNow fans: If you've ever thought, "I hope these guys are getting paid enough for all this work", this would be a great time to buy us a coffee or two through our new Ko-fi page (ko-fi.com/polgeonow). Struggling to cover living expenses right now.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 07/08/2026

Posts claiming Trump is "bombing Somalia" in a new war are EXTREMELY misleading. He's only ramped up a program Obama and Biden already had, and importantly, the strikes are in COOPERATION with the country's intl-recognized govt, not against it. Campaign is against Al Qaeda-affiliate rebels.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 30/07/2026

Whoops! #AImaps (News article says it was made with ChatGPT or a related product from the same company) #AI #mapping #geography #cartography #maps

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 19/07/2026

This is your periodic reminder that "soccer" isn't a silly word made up by the US. It was coined (and once popular) in England (the origin place of the modern sport), and is still used in several different countries with histories of British colonization.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 24/06/2026

If you're interested in which countries aren't allowed in #WorldCup tournaments - and which non-countries are - make sure to check out our updated explainer on #FIFA's membership roster: www.polgeonow.com/2026/06/worl... #worldcup2026 #geography #geographyteacher #soccer #independence #sports

Screenshot of a web page showing a partial list of dependent territories that are members of FIFA. The full list is at the link in the post.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 11/06/2026

Pretty nifty interactive map of conflict, control, and mining in #CentralAfricanRepublic from Global Initiative and ISS Africa. Territorial control as of Sep 2025, sources unclear. centralafrica.globalinitiative.net/conflict-and... #conflictmapping #geography #geopolitics #borderlands

centralafrica.globalinitiative.net

CAR mining violence mapping - GITOC | Central Africa - Observatory

Countering organized crime and violence in Central Africa

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Jason Mosley @jasonmosley.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Excellent from Claire Wilmot on the 'Gold Rush' in Tigray, connections to the war economy and effects on civilians www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4... Complements well and expands our understanding from a couple of recent analyses: 1/3

lrb.co.uk

Claire Wilmot · Gold Rush

Across Tigray, the remains of razed towns are marked with mounds of earth piled over the dead – impressions of war...

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 29/05/2026

For people studying political geography or the history of South Asia, this looks pretty cool. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio... #PrincelyStates #geography #sovereignty #geopolitics #borders #SouthAsia #independence

public.flourish.studio

Princely states of India

A Flourish data visualization by Shivakumar Jolad

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 22/05/2026

This October, #Alberta province plans to hold a vote on whether to have a vote for #independence from #Canada. Likely to result in "no". #Secession leaders no longer want to join the #USA. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/w... #geography #separatism #geopolitics #Americas #nationalism

nytimes.com

Alberta Will Vote on Staying in Canada in October. Here’s What to Know.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 20/05/2026

Interesting introduction to a growing grassroots geopolitical movement in some parts of the world. #geopolitics #indigeneity

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 20/05/2026

#Ahmadinejad's journey from brash enemy of #Israel to barely-concealed Israeli asset is yet another reminder that reporting shouldn't repeat people's declared beliefs/intentions as facts (maybe he really changed his mind, maybe not). www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u... #Iran #journalism #espionage

nytimes.com

Early War Goal Was to Install Hard Line Former President as Iran’s Leader

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 13/05/2026

Perhaps useful to #Myanmar researchers?

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 13/05/2026

This headline is probably an exaggeration and definitely missing context - notice how it's specifically a version of #Palestine that includes all areas currently part of #Israel - but still an interesting example of how map-based shapes of countries play a big role as political symbols in society.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 29/04/2026

Nice photo essay from @crisisgroup.org showing on-the-ground reality of separation between Republic of #Cyprus and internationally-unrecognized Turkish Republic of #NorthernCyprus. #geography #defacto #independence #Mediterranean #Europe #geopolitics #islands

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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 26/04/2026

The attacks in #Mali "represent a major escalation in the conflict, a new stage reached by armed groups," @jhjezequel.bsky.social @sahel.crisisgroup.org tells @ruthmaclean.bsky.social @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/04/25/w...

nytimes.com

Al Qaeda-Linked Militants Launch Major Attacks on Cities Across Mali

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Nick Brumfield @nickjbrumfield.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

A fun thing to do whenever a news organization posts a story depicting forlorn, seemingly isolated ancient ruins is to find them on Google Maps and then zoom out

A satellite image of the Pyramids of Meroe West amid a sandy desert

The same site zoomed out somewhat, with roads, buildings, and some green fields visible, even half of an H for a hospital

An even more zoomed out satellite image of the same site, showing it surrounded by roads and at the edge of a great green expanse

An even more zoomed out image, showing the site on the edge of a great green expanse of development enveloping both sides of the Nile River

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 29/04/2026

A new island was just discovered in Antarctica. And it definitely isn't an iceberg. The 'dirty iceberg' spotted by RV Polarstern in the Weddell Sea turned out to be a rocky island 130 metres long & 50 metres wide. The naming process is underway.

awi.de

Uncharted island soon to appear on nautical charts

A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since 8 February 2026. In this ...

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ACLED @acleddata.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

A coordinated offensive across #Mali on 25 April targeted key locations, including Bamako, Kati, Gao, & Kidal. The spread of attacks across these strategic locations points to a coordinated attempt to challenge state authority across Mali. Latest insights: acleddata.com/expert-comme...

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 16/04/2026

News broke today that US forces have finished withdrawing from Qasrak, their last major base in #Syria. The base is labeled on our Syria control map from last month, which is otherwise still up-to-date: www.polgeonow.com/2026/03/syri... #MiddleEast #MENAsky #geopolitics #geography #military

polgeonow.com

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 months.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 12/04/2026

Cool blog post on using this new NASA photo to think about geography. #geography #geographyteacher #cartography

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 25/03/2026

Quillette magazine article stealing our Sudan control map. It's credited to avoid plagiarism, but using it without our permission is still (illegal) copyright violation, and a well-known publication should really know better. #Sudan #geopolitics #geography #copyright #iplaw #maps #mapping

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 25/03/2026

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 04/03/2026

Check out this recent report from @newhumanitarian.bsky.social on one year of life under rebel rule in a city of 2 million people - #Goma, DR #Congo. Local reporter doesn't exotify the place at all - could be my hometown or yours (maybe it is). www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/firs... #geography

thenewhumanitarian.org

Fear and survival: Reflections on a year under M23 rule in Goma

A journalist reflects on the occupation of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest city.

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Stephen Snyder @stephenproducer.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

#Yemen's large island, #Socotra, was an ecotourism destination. Now its peaceful reputation is marred by infighting fueled by Saudi and Emirati influencers. This detailed report brings things up to date. www.polgeonow.com/2026/02/who-...

polgeonow.com

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.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 27/02/2026

Nice piece from @newhumanitarian.bsky.social summarizing what's happened in #Tigray since 2022 ceasefire and what scenarios look likely in the near future among fears of renewed #Ethiopia-#Eritrea war. www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202... #HornOfAfrica #geopolitics #geography #conflict

thenewhumanitarian.org

The growing threat of conflict in the Horn of Africa

With no sign yet of a diplomatic off-ramp, this analysis explores the conflict dynamics that could lead to war.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 31/01/2026

Interesting article (with map) about US law-designated "border zone" for immigration enforcement purposes, which includes most of the country's major cities and some whole states.

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PolGeoNow @polgeonow.com · 24/01/2026

United States membership in the UN's World Health Organization officially ended a few days ago, at the end of the legally-required one-year waiting period from country's withdrawal announcement last year. #intergovernmental #geopolitics #geography #UnitedNation

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