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In Spain and Italy, the answer is clear – a mixture of austerity and central government failures has prompted regional dissatisfaction. Elsewhere, the reasons are more complicated, but they’re not going away Via Andy Dorn 
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"After four-plus years of fighting, Syria's war has killed at least hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. And, though it started as a civil war, it's become much more than that. It's a proxy war that has divided much of the Middle East, and has drawn in both Russia and the United States. To understand how Syria got to this place, it helps to start at the beginning and watch it unfold."
Stevie-Rae Wood's curator insight,
October 28, 2018 9:37 PM
The war in Syria has been devastating to Syrian's inhabitants. After six years of this conflict it has become a mess and is divided into four sections or groups, all backed different foreign backers. The backers have know become so confused on who there fighting for and what there fighting for, that is how messy this war has gotten. The use of chemical warfare has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. As to why there is a major Syrian refugee crisis. The conflict started as an internal war against Assad and rebels. This small civil war has know turned into a global conflict. I wish I could say what foreign countries are backing who and why but the lines are very blurred and there has been many back stabbing. All these foreign powers entering this war has established Syria as a great power dispute. The Assad and rebels conflict also brew the other two sections that are fighting in this region the Kurds who want their own nation. The Kurds are the largest cultural and ethnic group without a country. The entrance of the Kurds in the fighting brought in more foreign countries to either support their efforts or squash the Kurds hopes of obtaining a nation of there own. Then you have ISIS who formed as a branch out of the original rebels because there was an internal dispute. Overall this war is bloody and will never end if all these four sections cant come to an agreement. If there is no determination for peace there will never be peace.
David Stiger's curator insight,
October 31, 2018 6:59 PM
Hearing about the news in Syria is usually tragic and frustrating. It is also equally confusing and this video helped to sort out its causes and important transformations over time. Even with the video's succinct explanation, the conflict is still a quagmire to understand. The fighting began during the 2011 Arab Spring when peaceful Syrian protesters were gunned down by Assad's military forces. Instead of backing down and caving into the violent repression, the Syrian civilians retaliated with small arms fire and were joined by Syrian army defectors. The now belligerent protesters formed their own rebel army, causing Syria to erupt into a civil war. Then Islamic extremists, including a terrorist groups, joined the rebels. Countries like Turkey and Jordan began funding and arming the rebels while Iran - a Shiite country - provided support to Assad. Appalled by the out-of-control death toll, the United States began training and arming the rebels - some of whom were from Al Qaeda! Assad's chemical weapons attack escalated U.S. involvement while Russia came to the side of Assad. Putin most likely supports Assad to maintain its lease of a key geographic asset - a warm-water naval base -while also discouraging internal rebellion. At some point a group of ethnic Kurds in northern Syria succeeded (Putin's fear) and began attacking Assad. But, Turkey started attacking the Kurds! Then in 2014 ISIS broke away from Al Qaeda and started attacking the Kurds and the rebels prompting the U.S. to redirect its focus away from the Assad regime. This has to be the messiest conflict in modern history and is entirely defined by proxy wars. Because the war is so convoluted and complicated, there is no end in sight. The relentless destruction over years has caused millions of refugees to flee to Europe because it is the closest stable place to Syria. This unprecedented wave of migrations will surely transform Europe and cripple Syria in the long run.
Corey Rogers's curator insight,
December 15, 2018 12:18 AM
Syria's war has gotten crazier and crazier and doesn't seem like there is a end in sight. The insane cross fighting between outside countries and the inner working of independence inside Syria itself is still an issue. A local protest has turned into an international fight against top countries of US and Russia.
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"The [importance of this study is that it] examines the dynamic between geography and area studies through their distinct understandings of space. As I argue, the dominance of the regional concept in geography, which took the multiple ways of bounding space as its central problematic, was reduced in area studies rendering of global space. This study assesses the transformation of geography during the two decades before and after the Second World War. This era was one of contrasts. On the one hand, geography was central to the war effort and in the creation of post-war programs, most notably area studies. On the other, this era also marked the relative marginalization of geography as a discipline in higher education."
Tags: education, geography, geography education, geopolitics, historical.
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This week, soldiers from Germany and Belgium are settling into a new posting in Lithuania as part of the latest NATO troop deployment. Will their hosts—and the region—feel more secure as a result of their presence? Via Rebecca Cofield
James Piccolino's curator insight,
March 24, 2018 9:07 AM
This is one of the many cases where it may be easy to understand each side but harder to understand a solution. Imagine being in the position the Baltic states are currently in? Russia will always put the pressure on them, or at least it seems Putin will.
brielle blais's curator insight,
April 1, 2018 1:02 PM
This post showcases how geopolitical relationships can really cause tension, fear, or even bring positivity between many countries. Russia has been on the offense, testing NATO and the Baltic states. The states feel the need to prepare for anything that could happen, one even calling in more troops and for conscription to bring back the feeling of safety in their country. However, this post also showcases how geopolitical relationships can be positive, as President Trump showed his admiration for Russia. This new bond one may call it, scares the Baltic states even more.
tyrone perry's curator insight,
April 9, 2018 4:48 PM
The Baltic states seem to be rattled because Putin has been flexing his muscle lately. Because Trump has vocally been threatening to leave NATO it seems as if Putin is trying to take advantage of a weak support of NATO. Considering the Baltic states were at one point part of the USSR before they broke away it seems that now would be the right time to for a take over.
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The United States is already taking some steps to roll back the Islamic State (ISIS) and restrict its resources and recruits, including airstrikes, armin Via Michael Miller
Richard Aitchison's curator insight,
March 7, 2018 9:47 AM
Since this video was made we have already had a Presidential election and policy made to deal with some of these key issues. Within the past year US policy (some continuation from the Obama Era) under President Trump has been to destroy ISIS and for the most part it has be done. ISIS has been displaced from the region, however that does not mean that the fighting in Syria has stopped. There are still many issues in the area and one that will not simply be rectified within a few years, this is a battle that we will see repeat over and over again. Much like Afghanistan, this area is one with much upheaval and when one power goes away another one rises and new problems can arise. It is an area in which, like the video states a major conundrum. How can we support one place and not make a country like Turkey angry (the Kurd's example from the video)? So one could say well just stay out of the whole area, while that can make sense it is to important as a world leader (especially America) to not be involved in both a key geographical area for Russia and human rights area. While there is no doubt there has been improvements in the last year, it is the same story in the Middle East, what is the end game? How do we get to the finish line and does anyone have the right answers.
Matt Manish's curator insight,
May 4, 2018 1:15 AM
The video was published before the last presidential election, but some of the information in it is still accurate regarding the crisis in Syria. For example this video talks about how Syrian refugees are fleeing from ISIS to other nations in order to escape them. There are many refugees being displaced because of the violence ISIS is causing in the middle east. Refugees that need a place to escape to flee to neighboring countries to get away from ISIS. There is still some debate in America about whether or not Syrian refugees should be allowed to enter the U.S. as well. Ultimately something needs to be done about the terror havoc ISIS is reeking in the middle east.
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"Without trying to defend or absolve U.S. policy, then, it is worth stepping back to ask what shared historical experiences might have left these four countries — Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen — particularly at risk of violent collapse. The following maps help highlight how, at various points over the past century, historical circumstances conspired, in an often self-reinforcing way, to bolster the stability of some states in the region while undermining that of others."
Kelly Bellar's curator insight,
October 22, 2016 9:30 AM
These maps are not cartographically inspiring, but the it's the historical and political insight that makes them valuable. The goal of this set of maps is to find some underlying causal reasons for political stability(or more importantly instability) in the Middle East. These four maps focus on these key issues: 1. Century-old states are more stable today 2. Colonial rule led to fragile states 3. Instability and regime change 4. The shadow of the Cold War
Tags: MiddleEast, war, conflict, political, geopolitics, historical. 
Katie Kershaw's curator insight,
March 28, 2018 1:49 PM
From the western perspective, it's easier just to assume the Middle East is constantly in conflict purely out of their own fault. However, the story is more complicated than that and much of the conflict in the area is due to involvement from the west. These four maps show the different factors that impact the countries in the Middle East. The first one shows that countries that were fully formed states for longer, tend to be more stable. This makes sense because they haven't had outside influence for longer and have had more time to create stronger governments. Looking at just this map, it seems like Iran and Egypt should be more stable than Saudi Arabia today. However, this map doesn't tell the whole story. The second map shows the types of colonial rule that each country was under in recent history. Turkey was the only country in the region that was able to stay fully independent. Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Israel are some of the countries that were under full colonization. Not surprisingly, the struggles they had to gain their independence still effects the stability of these countries today. This shows that the involvement from outsiders has had negative, long-term effects on the area and that the west is not free from blame of what is happening in the Middle East. The third map differentiates between the countries that changed regimes after World War II and those that did not. There is a correlation between which countries experienced the change and the countries that are the least stable today. The final map shows which countries were pro-western, pro-Soviet, or shifted alignments during the Cold War. Once again the outside influence of both the west and in this case the Soviet Union, lead to further divide in the region. The history and shifting geography of the Middle East in just the last hundred years helps to give insight to how the region has become as conflicted in some countries, yet stable in others.
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The West is now stealing fish crucial to local livelihoods in Africa to feed pigs on farms in Europe
"We don’t have gold, or petrol or diamonds, the sea is the only resource that our country has," says Mariane Tening Ndiaye, a fish trader and head of the women’s fish smoking association, as she takes me around her domain behind the market. Low-strung platforms covered in flayed fish and blackened ovens stretch away into the distance, the air thick with the stench of rotting fish guts. Via Andy Dorn
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Conventional wisdom in the West blames the Ukraine crisis on Russian aggression. But this account is wrong: Washington and its European allies actually share most of the responsibility, having spent decades pushing east into Russia’s natural sphere of interest.
Matt Danielson's curator insight,
October 10, 2018 7:42 PM
This brings up some good points about a commonly opposed view in Europe and America. Often times we simply put Russia as the bad guy and Putin as its evil leader, but there is more to it then this. It is tough to say Russia's involvement in Ukraine is completely unjustified. To Russia the eastern nations of Europe are their buffer zone to NATO, and would like for them to stay aligned with Russia. When the Pro Russian Ukrainian president was ousted in a popular revolution (or a coup) many in the west simply deemed this as ok because the coup was pro NATO, to Russia this was seen as a threat. Then when Russia got involved the pro Russian "uprising" in Crimea seemed like Russia meddling in other nations internal affairs. Dont forget that their are many Russians who live in Ukraine, and Russia sees these as their people who they need to protect. Either way this is a complicated situation that gets ignored all too often.
David Stiger's curator insight,
October 20, 2018 11:28 PM
A good deal of Ukraine's crisis with Russia is centered around geopolitics. Russia annexed Crimea because of its seaport - a port that NATO had its eye on as a strategic position for keeping Russia in check. The territory of Ukraine as a whole serves as a buffer between Western Europe and Russia. If NATO were to incorporate and pro-Western Ukraine, Russia would feel threatened. As a major power with a history of pride, Russia would never tolerate a direct threat on its border. Making Ukraine into such a threat is not worth the potential political, economic, and military consequences from Russia. Since it is a thin place between two differing ideological powerhouses - Russia and the West - Ukraine might want to consider remaining neutral; even receiving help and assistance from the EU, the United States, and Russia. This route has not been taken because the West, specifically the U.S., has misunderstood Russia as an aging and weak country that would ultimately embrace the good-guy America as a benevolent friend. The U.S. needs to rethink its ideas about Russia and do the sensible thing of giving it a buffer zone and a little deference, just as the U.S. expects other major powers to keep away from Mexico and Central America.
Matt Danielson's curator insight,
October 22, 2018 5:41 PM
This hows a different perspective than the normal western one on the crisis in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Ukraine is more culturally and traditionally connected to Russia than the rest of Europe( historically Kiev was a capital of Russian empires, specifically the "Kieven Rus"). To Russia NATO is a threat, and constantly pushing east towards Russia. Russia wants some kind of friendly buffer Zone out of fears of influence from the west, and possible invasions. Historically Ukraine has been a buffer zone, but with the overthrow of the Russian friendly Ukrainian president and his replacement by a staunch Nato and western supporter Russia feals threaten. Though they denied any involvement at first, in the very least they have been supplying material and training to Crimean and other pro Russian separatist rebels whop are fighting the Ukrainian government in hopes of maintaining some sort of buffer zone.
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West fears China will reject ruling and retaliate by expanding construction activity in islands and reefs in busy trade route Via Andy Dorn
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The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes comes across Chinese fishermen smashing coral reefs near a Philippine-controlled island and leaving behind a scene of complete devastation. Via Andy Dorn
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Russian warplane crashes in Latakia province in Syria and two pilots seen ejecting from the aircraft.
Benjamin Jackson's curator insight,
December 13, 2015 4:48 PM
it is truly insane that turkey would shoot down a Russian jet engaging anyone in Syria, especially when the Turks are shooting at the Kurds, who are fighting the people that the Turks claim to hate. this is especially troubling, as Turkey is a part of NATO and may drag the rest of the NATO nations into any war they start.
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At least a dozen countries have had attacks since the Islamic State, or ISIS, began to pursue a global strategy in the summer of 2014. Via Mike Busarello's Digital Storybooks
John Puchein's curator insight,
November 16, 2015 8:50 AM
This explain how ISIS operates spatially, which is a component of APHG. It also shows how ISIS has expanded and threatens more countries in the region. 
Chelsea Martines's curator insight,
November 21, 2015 3:41 PM
The Paris attacks from ISIS are now being discovered as linked to other attacks that ISIS has planned out. They have up until now according to the article, done 'lone wolf' attacks and now are changing to bigger and city kind of attacks across the globe. They are taking over much of the Middle East and Africa, in hopes to make that area chaotic enough to start more global conflict and another world war, accoring to the article. There have been studies and research in tracking ISIS and they have found that attacks in many other cities in the world have been inspired by ISIS as well.
Matthew Richmond's curator insight,
December 2, 2015 12:23 PM
These maps were very helpful in understanding the spread and threat of ISIS. It also helps the understanding of just what a wide range of places they have attacked is. They are capable of striking much of the world in the name of fundamentalism. However, the video of Muslim's chanting is one of those things that can kind of turn down the fear, especially of admitting refugees, that has gripped much of the world. We are as safe as we can be, but idea's are bulletproof and there's no end in sight to the elimination of Islamic Fundamentalism.
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Want to understand why Putin does what he does? Look at a map.
As things stand, Putin, like Russian leaders before him, likely feels he has no choice but to at least try to control the flatlands to Russia’s west. So it is with landscapes around the world—their physical features imprison political leaders, constraining their choices and room for maneuver. These rules of geography are especially clear in Russia, where power is hard to defend, and where for centuries leaders have compensated by pushing outward. Via CT Blake
brielle blais's curator insight,
March 25, 2018 10:24 PM
This article connects to geography because it shows the importance of the physical geography of a country when it comes to natural defense from invaders. Russia, from at least the south and southeast, are very hard to invade. This is thanks to Ivan the Terrible, who expanded the territory of Russia and gained better natural barriers such as to the east to the Ural Mountains, south to the Caspian Sea, and north toward the Arctic Circle. Now, Russia needs to figure out how to control the flatlands to the west, which is why Putin wishes there were mountains east to the Ukraine.
David Stiger's curator insight,
October 21, 2018 12:02 PM
Russia's geographic situation appears to greatly influence, perhaps even determine, the Russian state's political behavior. The world's largest territorial country has a number of geographic disadvantages that have caused Russia to act aggressively in securing its territory. Firstly, it lacks warm-water sea ports as the ones it has access to in the Arctic Ocean freeze for long periods of time. The area of their Pacific Ocean seaport has been commercially dominated by Japan. Secondly, Russia extends across an open European plain which is largely unguarded to the south and southeast of Eurasia. Similar to its southeast region, Russia's western front has few if any natural defenses leaving it wide open to European encroachment. The only natural barriers Russia has going for it are the Ural Mountains cutting down the middle of Russia, the Arctic to the north, and its territorial vastness along with a harsh, cold climate that makes foreign invasion challenging - but not impossible. Geographically then, Russia is highly insecure. Seeing itself as a major world power, Russia struggles to access the sea for trade and is unnerved by its massive open border. This explains why Moscow was very pleased with a pro-Russian government in Kiev but became extremely nervous when Ukraine toppled its government selecting a pro-Western, NATO-loving administration. Even if NATO and the EU did not intent to directly confront Russia, the two organizations certainly planned to transform Ukraine and influence the region - leaving Russia feeling exposed. Despite its aggressive nature, Russia went on the "defensive" and annexed Crimea in order to secure its coveted seaport while also locking down a buffer zone between itself and the West who could march through Ukraine. It was surely brazen and unethical, but the geography explains the logic behind Putin's move.
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Was the catalyst for the current conflict in Syria a drought caused by anthropogenic climate change? Via Andy Dorn
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This week, soldiers from Germany and Belgium are settling into a new posting in Lithuania as part of the latest NATO troop deployment. Will their hosts—and the region—feel more secure as a result of their presence? Via Ben Salve
James Piccolino's curator insight,
March 24, 2018 9:07 AM
This is one of the many cases where it may be easy to understand each side but harder to understand a solution. Imagine being in the position the Baltic states are currently in? Russia will always put the pressure on them, or at least it seems Putin will.
brielle blais's curator insight,
April 1, 2018 1:02 PM
This post showcases how geopolitical relationships can really cause tension, fear, or even bring positivity between many countries. Russia has been on the offense, testing NATO and the Baltic states. The states feel the need to prepare for anything that could happen, one even calling in more troops and for conscription to bring back the feeling of safety in their country. However, this post also showcases how geopolitical relationships can be positive, as President Trump showed his admiration for Russia. This new bond one may call it, scares the Baltic states even more.
tyrone perry's curator insight,
April 9, 2018 4:48 PM
The Baltic states seem to be rattled because Putin has been flexing his muscle lately. Because Trump has vocally been threatening to leave NATO it seems as if Putin is trying to take advantage of a weak support of NATO. Considering the Baltic states were at one point part of the USSR before they broke away it seems that now would be the right time to for a take over.
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So Donald Trump is going to f**k them all. No excuses for such filthy words today. I’m only quoting the man whose Pentagon offices he just used to disgrace himself – and America. Via Andy Dorn
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Erdogan’s aggressive nationalism is now spilling over Turkey’s borders, grabbing land in Greece and Iraq.
In the past few weeks, a conflict between Ankara and Baghdad over Turkey’s role in the liberation of Mosul has precipitated an alarming burst of Turkish irredentism. President Erdogan criticized the Treaty of Lausanne, which created the borders of modern Turkey, for leaving the country too small. Turkey won’t be annexing part of Iraq anytime soon, but this combination of irredentist cartography and rhetoric nonetheless offers some insight into Turkey’s current foreign and domestic policies and Ankara’s self-image. The military interventions and confrontational rhetoric this nationalism inspires may worsen Turkey’s security and regional standing.
Tags: political, irredentism, culture, Turkey, historical, borders, empire, geopolitics. Via CT Blake
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"The invasion of Iraq was supposed to turn the country into a democracy that posed no threat to the United States, or the rest of the world. Thirteen years later, Iraq has collapsed into three warring states. A third of the country is controlled by ISIS, who have also taken huge amounts of territory in Syria. VICE correspondent Ben Anderson gains exclusive access to the three front lines in Iraq, where Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish forces are fighting for their lives. Anderson visits with the Russian military forces in Syria, meets captured ISIS fighters in Kurdistan, and interviews US policymakers about how the situation in Iraq spun out of control."
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With the Danes rebuffing Russia, and Canada laying further claim to the Northwest Passage, rising access to north pole reserves risks flashpoints Via Andy Dorn
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How Syria Ruined the Arab Spring « | Foreign Policy | the Global Magazine of News and Ideas
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Tensions in the region could rise after satellite images showed two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system on Woody Island Via Andy Dorn
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Myth Article #1: Western pundits and nostalgic Muslim thinkers alike have built up a narrative of the caliphate as an enduring institution, central to Islam and Islamic thought between the seventh and twentieth centuries. In fact, the caliphate is a political or religious idea whose relevance has waxed and waned according to circumstances.
Myth Article #2: ISIS may use terrorism as a tactic, but it is not a terrorist organization. Rather, it is a pseudo-state led by a conventional army. So the counterterrorism strategies that were useful against al Qaeda won’t work in the fight against ISIS. Myth Video #1: This video points to the reasons that recruits are attracted to extremism (not just poverty and ignorance).
Tags: political, governance, religion, Islam, historical, terrorism, geopolitics, ISIS. Via Mike Busarello's Digital Storybooks
Benjamin Jackson's curator insight,
November 30, 2015 2:32 PM
The idea of the Caliphate seems to be more of what all the groups which called themselves Caliphates seem to be pursuing. It seems to me that the fact of the matter is less important than the idea, as what happened one hundred years ago is far less important than what is believed to have happened. That ISIS is a state can be argued, but the fact that they are fighting a conventional war is indisputable. Yes, the tactics we use must be shifted, but this means that support from aircraft or by indirect means are even more viable than they were during the Second Gulf War.
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In this lesson, students will: Explore the role of ISIS in the Middle EastInterpret political cartoons on the U.S. response to ISISIdentify the techniques used by cartoonists to express political opinionMonitor the news media coverage of ISIS over time Via Mike Busarello's Digital Storybooks
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"The attacks suggest that ISIS is being forced into 'mainstream' terrorism long before it had planned to and a terrible meeting of the minds between Al Qaeda and ISIS."
IRENE's curator insight,
November 15, 2015 8:09 AM
Los ataques que sufrió París ya han sido reivindicados por el ISIS. |
