Caucasus Emirate: A Self-Proclaimed Virtual State Entity
In the global hierarchy of polities, a “self-proclaimed virtual state entity” occupies a lowly position, being little more than a dream. But such dreams must be taken seriously if they are accompanied...
View ArticleGeopolitical Complexities in the Twin Insurgencies of Balochistan
Balochistan, spanning the border between Pakistan and Iran, is a deeply troubled region, beset with rebellion and split by a barrier. Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been in rebellion as often as...
View ArticleBorder Delineation and Geopolitical Wrangling between India and Bangladesh
Progress on the India-Bangladesh border barrier has been slower than expected, due in part to difficulties in determining precisely where the border runs. Such problems might seem surprising. In the...
View ArticleLozi (Barotse) Nationalism in Western Zambia
The deeper roots of dissatisfaction in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip (discussed in the previous post) extend to the colonial dissolution of the Lozi Kingdom of Barotseland. Centered in what is now western...
View ArticleRussian Envelopment? Ukraine’s Geopolitical Complexities
The current issue of Time magazine features an article by Robert Kaplan that emphasizes the geographical aspects of what he refers to as “endless chaos and old-school conflicts,” especially in regard...
View ArticleCyprus: Between East and West?
(Note: This is the second of two articles by Stanford student Claire Negiar that together contrast the situations of two geopolitically divided islands: Saint Martin and Cyprus) Cyprus and Saint Martin...
View ArticleThe Islamic State’s Aspirational Map?
The geopolitical entity that calls itself the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has generated some interesting maps. Today’s post examines a map that ostensibly shows the area designated for...
View ArticleFuture Islamic State Mapping and Computer-Game Cartography
As mentioned in the previous post, several maps purporting to show plans for an enlarged caliphate by the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL) have been circulating on the Internet. The oddest of such maps has...
View ArticleNo New State for the Beleaguered Garo People of India
India’s Economic Times recently noted that the demand by the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) for the creation a new Indian state for the Garo people was not going to be met, dashing hopes that a...
View ArticleStalled Negotiations in Western Sahara
Yet again, talks on Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara collapsed without agreement. Representatives from Morocco, the independence-seeking Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania recently met in for...
View ArticleThe Ethnic Diversity of the Self-Declared State of Azawad
On April 6, 2012, the Tuareg rebels declared the independence of the territory under their control in northern Mali, deeming the country “Azawad.” Within hours, the Wikipedia had posted an article on...
View ArticleTransnistria Open to Freight Traffic
In early May, the European Union welcomed the resumption of railroad freight traffic through the break-away state of Transnistria*, sandwiched between Ukraine and Moldova. Catherine Ashton, EU High...
View ArticleLecture Slides on ISIS
Dear Readers, For the next 10 weeks I will be teaching a lecture course on the history and geography of current events, which is offered in two versions, one for Stanford students and the other for the...
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