#defactostates — Public Fediverse posts

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: https://www.polgeonow.com/2026/06/world-cup-2026-countries-not-participating-in-fifa.html

#worldcup2026 #geography #geographyteacher #soccer #independence #sports @geography @geopolitics #geopolitics #defactostates #FIFA2026 #FIFA26 #worldcup26 #2026worldcup

This article receives PolGeoNow's periodic tip of the hat for avoiding the news media standard of calling #Puntland state "semi-autonomous". Puntland as about as autonomous you can get, not even cooperating with #Somalia govt except when it feels like it.

#geography #defacto #defactostates #autonomy

@humanitarian @geography @geopolitics @politicalscience

Honored for our #Somalia control #map to have been featured in the second installment of The New Humanitarian's "rebel rule" series on #rebelgovernance in areas outside control of official govts.

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2025/09/25/al-shabab-why-somalia-militants-winning-legitimacy

#geography #defacto #defactostates #AlShabaab #HornOfAfrica #maps #conflicttracking #controlmap #controlmaps #Africa #politics #security #cartography #AlQaeda #humanitarian @humanitarian @geography @geopolitics @politicalscience

#Gaza Strip has been largely ungoverned for past year+, with #Hamas driven underground and #Israel's ground forces coming and going. Now Hamas has returned to role as Strip's government.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/23/world/middleeast/hamas-gaza-israel-cease-fire.html

#Palestine #defacto #geography #defactostates @geography @geopolitics #GazaStrip

Some recent reporting on the "Kingdom of #Papaala", enigmatic realm of a notorious financial scammer that's become something between a #micronation and a #defacto state. https://harpers.org/archive/2024/11/the-island-king-sean-williams-bougainville/

#Bougainville #PNG #Melanesia #defactostates #micronations #geography #independence #oceania @geography @geopolitics #nationalism #scams

Photojournalist visits "#Chinland": rebel-controlled areas of #Myanmar's #Chin State near #India border, including contested town of #Thantlang

https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-east-asia/myanmar/inside-chinland-picturing-struggle-free-chin-state

#geography #defacto #defactostates #burma #SoutheastAsia #geographyteacher #civilwar @geography @geopolitics

Did you know that three "Olympic Nations" claim to be independent countries, but haven't been allowed membership in the United Nations? More in our #Olympics #geography explainer: https://www.polgeonow.com/2012/07/olympics-parade-of-nations.html

#Paris2024 #geopolitics #defactostates #geographyteacher #independence #politics #sports

#Norway, #Spain & #Ireland say that on May 28 they'll join nearly 3/4 of the world's countries in officially recognizing #Palestine as an independent country. #Slovenia and #Malta say they might soon too. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4nn78r3w3ko

#independence #defacto #defactostates #geography #geopolitics #MiddleEast #diplomacy #Mediterranean #Israel #IsraelPalestineWar @geography @geopolitics

The #Bahamas also recently joined most of the world in individually recognizing #Palestine as an independent country. https://mofa.gov.bs/the-commonwealth-of-the-bahamas-formally-recognizes-palestine-as-a-state/

#geography #diplomacy #defacto #defactostates #MENA #Caribbean #islandcountries #Israel @geography @geopolitics

Has #Ethiopia become first country ever to recognize self-proclaimed Republic of #Somaliland as independent from #Somalia? Somaliland govt says yes, but Ethiopia govt is giving mixed signals.
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/1/4/ambiguous-ethiopia-port-deal-fuels-uncertainty-over-somaliland-statehood

One Ethiopian statement says it's only promised to seriously consider recognizing Somaliland: https://addisstandard.com/news-in-depth-assessment-of-somalilands-recognition-bid-by-ethiopia-part-of-mou/

#independence #defacto #defactostates #geographyteacher #geography #HornOfAfrica #AfricaNews #Africa #GulfOfAden #geopolitics @geography @geopolitics

How do #deFactoStates manage their economic endurance in #EasternEurope? Lena Pieber, Julia Langbein and Sabine von Loewis chair a workshop
at ZOiS to discuss this and related questions in the framework of our #konkoop research network (http://konkoop.de).

Self-declared, #Armenia-backed Republic of #Artsakh (#NagornoKarabakh) says it will formally dissolve by end of this year, 22 years after declaring #independence from #Azerbaijan. Its military has already surrendered. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/09/28/nagorno-karabakh-separatist-government-says-it-will-dissolve-itself-by-january-2024_6140487_4.html

#defacto #defactostates #geography #parastates #statehood #separatism #Caucasus #SouthCaucasus #geographyteacher #geopolitics @geography @geopolitics

Self-proclaimed, #Armenia-backed #Artsakh Republic in disputed #NagornoKarabakh region appears to have surrendered to #Azerbaijan, likely signaling the end of its 30-year run as a "de facto state" (unrecognized country). https://www.reuters.com/world/us-calls-azerbaijan-halt-karabakh-attack-russia-urges-return-ceasefire-2023-09-20/

#defacto #defactostates #geography #geopolitics #politicalgeography #statehood #Nagorno #Karabakh #world #Caucasus @geography @geopolitics

#Israel this week said it considers #WesternSahara part of #Morocco, fully taking Morocco's side against #Polisario/#SADR #independence movement. This is an unusual move, but follows same move from #USA in 2020. https://www.reuters.com/world/morocco-says-israel-recognises-its-sovereignty-over-western-sahara-2023-07-17/

#defacto #defactostates #geography @geography @geopolitics #diplomacy

Wonder what's been going in #WesternSahara the past few years? The International Crisis Group recently published a good detailed summary (PolGeoNow takes no position on their policy recommendations): https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/north-africa/western-sahara/paving-way-talks-western-sahara

#Morocco #Polisario #SADR #defacto #defactostates #diplomacy #geography @geopolitics @geography

Self-proclaimed #Donetsk and #Lugansk People's Republics said they were independent for eight years, until October 2022. Retrospective article explaining beginning, peak, and end of their #independence claims in plain English: https://polgeonow.com/2023/03/lugansk-donetsk-give-up-independence.html

#defacto #defactostates #geography #geographyteacher #separatism #Luhansk #Donbas #Ukraine #Russia #parastates #protostates #statehood @geography @geopolitics @PIL @politicalscience [email protected]