The world is a lot less stable than the clean, unchanging lines on a world map would suggest. All over the planet there are borders countries cannot agree upon and territories that more than one nation claims. Max Galka at Metrocosm has created an interactive map that shows all 102 disputed territories on the planet.
Galka's bio states that he is "fascinated by data," and has worked on a tool for designing interactive maps called Blueshift. "A World of Disputed Territories" allows a user to click around, Wikipedia-style, until they get the urge to investigate some conflict with greater depth. Using data from CIA World Factbook, Natural Earth, and Wikipedia, Galka presents clear and concise descriptions of conflicts around the globe.
He uses a liberal definition of the word "conflict," including non-military disputes that have remained sore points in world diplomacy for decades. He points a few of these out in a blog post, including the Belizean-Guatemalan territorial dispute that has plagued both countries since 1821. While it might not grab headlines like the latest power grab in the Middle East or the nuclear border between India and Pakistan, it's a conflict that has maintained for centuries despite several international attempts to resolve it.
Galka's map points to a confusing and entangled world, but at least with it you can see each individual conflict clearly.
Source: Boing Boing
David Grossman is a staff writer for PopularMechanics.com. He's previously written for The Verge, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and several other publications. He's based out of Brooklyn.
