20 records
Africa
- BDIPolitics & Power
Succession to Ndayishimiye
Nkurunziza declines to run; Évariste Ndayishimiye wins the May 2020 election. Nkurunziza dies on 8 June and Ndayishimiye is sworn in on 18 June 2020.
Modern Burundi
Sources: Évariste Ndayishimiye (Wikipedia) · Pierre Nkurunziza (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- CAFWar & Rupture
Central African Republic · 2020–2021
CPC offensive and Wagner
A rebel coalition (the CPC) attacked around the December 2020 elections; the government, increasingly backed by Russian Wagner Group mercenaries deployed from 2018, pushed it back with MINUSCA's help.
Séléka, Anti-balaka and a Fragile Peace
Sources: Central African Republic Civil War (Wikipedia) · Central African Republic — Country Profile (CIA World Factbook)
- ETHWar & Rupture
Ethiopia · 2020–2022
The Tigray War
War erupts between federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, killing an estimated 380,000–600,000 people through combat, starvation and lack of medical care before the Pretoria agreement of November 2022 halts hostilities.
Haile Selassie, the Derg, Civil War and Modern Ethiopia
Sources: Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement (Wikipedia) · Conflict in Ethiopia (Global Conflict Tracker) (Council on Foreign Relations)
- MWIPolitics & Power
Court-ordered election re-run
After the Constitutional Court annulled the 2019 presidential election for irregularities, Lazarus Chakwera won the court-ordered re-run, a rare judicial reversal of a presidential result on the continent.
The Banda regime and the democratic transition
Sources: 2020 Malawian presidential election (Wikipedia) · Lazarus Chakwera (Wikipedia)
- MLIPolitics & Power
Mali · 18 August 2020
Coup ousts President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta
Amid mass protests and a worsening insurgency, military officers arrest President Keïta, who resigns; a transitional government is formed.
Dictatorship, Democracy and Crisis
Sources: 2020 Malian coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Mali, a Coup within a Coup (International Crisis Group) · Timeline: How Mali went from democracy beacon to instability (Al Jazeera)
- SDSPolitics & Power
South Sudan · 22 Feb 2020
Unity government formed
A Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity is sworn in, with Riek Machar again first vice-president under President Salva Kiir, though the peace remains fragile.
A Young Nation at War
Sources: The Formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity in South Sudan (ACCORD)
- ZMBEconomy & Trade
Zambia · November 2020
Sovereign debt default
Burdened by debt and falling revenues, Zambia became the first African country of the COVID-19 era to default on its Eurobonds after missing a coupon payment.
The republic: Humanism, multiparty politics and modern Zambia
Sources: The Road to Zambia's 2020 Sovereign Debt Default (Finance for Development Lab) · Zambia defaults, economically and politically (Institute for Security Studies)
Asia
- ARMWar & Rupture
Armenia · Sept–Nov 2020
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
In a 44-day war Azerbaijan retook much of the territory around Nagorno-Karabakh; a Russian-brokered ceasefire on 9 November 2020 ended the fighting, with heavy casualties on both sides (estimates).
Independent Armenia
Sources: Nagorno-Karabakh (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- AZEWar & Rupture
Azerbaijan · Sept–Nov 2020
Second Nagorno-Karabakh war
In a 44-day war Azerbaijani forces retook much of Nagorno-Karabakh, capturing Shusha before a ceasefire on 9 November 2020; casualty figures are estimates.
Independence, the Aliyev era and Karabakh
Sources: Nagorno-Karabakh: conflicts, map and people (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- OMNPolitics & Power
Oman · 10-11 January 2020
Death of Qaboos and accession of Haitham
Sultan Qaboos died after nearly fifty years on the throne, and his cousin Haitham bin Tariq was sworn in as sultan the following day in a smooth succession.
The Renaissance of Qaboos and Modern Oman
Sources: Haitham bin Tariq, sultan of Oman (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Qaboos bin Said: Biography and Facts (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Europe
- BLRPolitics & Power
Belarus · Aug-Sep 2020
Disputed election and mass protests
Lukashenka's claimed landslide re-election sparked the largest protests in Belarusian history; the EU declared the vote neither free nor fair and refused to recognise his mandate, while he held on with Russian support.
Chernobyl, Independence and the Lukashenka Era
Sources: Belarus: Declaration by the High Representative on the so-called 'inauguration' of Lukashenko (Council of the European Union) · Alexander Lukashenko (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- NLDPolitics & Power
Netherlands · 1 Jan 2020
The Netherlands drops 'Holland' from its international branding
Following a 2019 decision, the Dutch government and the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions present the country abroad as 'the Netherlands', not 'Holland', which names only two of its twelve provinces; the new mark is an NL tulip.
The World Wars, Decolonisation and the Modern Netherlands
Sources: Rebranding the Netherlands: goodbye Holland (DutchReview)
- MKDPolitics & Power
Bulgaria blocks EU accession talks
Bulgaria vetoed the opening of EU accession negotiations over disputes about history, language and identity, including claims that Macedonian derives from Bulgarian.
The Ohrid Framework, NATO and the Road to Europe
Sources: How to advance a European solution to Bulgaria's and North Macedonia's dispute (European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)) · Bulgaria to Maintain Block on North Macedonia's Path to EU (Balkan Insight (BIRN))
- MKDPolitics & Power
North Macedonia · 27 Mar 2020
North Macedonia joins NATO
After the Prespa Agreement lifted Greece's objection, North Macedonia deposited its instrument of accession and became NATO's thirtieth member on 27 March 2020.
The Ohrid Framework, NATO and the Road to Europe
Sources: North Macedonia joins NATO as 30th Ally, 27 March 2020 (North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)) · A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition: North Macedonia (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- CHEPolitics & Power
Switzerland · present
A neutral federal republic in the heart of Europe
Switzerland remains a federal republic of twenty-six cantons and four languages, neutral and outside the EU yet enclosing the foreign enclaves of Büsingen and Campione d'Italia, with Geneva a global hub of diplomacy and humanitarian law.
Neutral Switzerland: World Wars, Sovereignty and the Modern Confederation
Sources: The story of Switzerland's federal borders (Swiss National Museum (blog.nationalmuseum.ch)) · Neutrality (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch))
- GBRPolitics & Power
United Kingdom · 31 January 2020
The United Kingdom leaves the European Union
Following the 2016 referendum, the UK formally withdrew from the European Union, ending nearly half a century of membership in the European project.
World wars, decolonisation, and the modern UK
Sources: Brexit (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- BLZPolitics & Power
Belize · 2020 onward
Pleadings before the World Court
Guatemala and Belize filed written pleadings before the International Court of Justice in the case "Guatemala's Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim (Guatemala/Belize)", moving toward a final, binding judgment on the century-old dispute.
Independent Belize and the Guatemalan question
Sources: Guatemala's Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim (Guatemala/Belize), Case No. 177 (International Court of Justice)
- DOMPolitics & Power
Dominican Republic · 2020 CE
Abinader and a new political era
Luis Abinader of the Modern Revolutionary Party wins the presidency, continuing the peaceful alternation of power in a consolidated democracy.
The Modern Tourism Republic
Sources: History of the Dominican Republic (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
South America
- BOLPolitics & Power
Oceania
- NCLIndependence
New Caledonia · 4 October 2020
Second independence referendum
Independence was again rejected, but by a narrower margin of about 53.3% to 46.7%, a closing gap that sharpened the political contest.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs) · New Caledonia — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
26 records
Africa
- BENCulture & Ideas
Benin · November 2021
France returns the Abomey treasures
France formally returned 26 royal artworks looted from the palaces of Abomey during the 1892 conquest, a landmark act of cultural restitution to be displayed in Benin.
The National Conference and modern Benin
Sources: France formally returns looted Benin artworks at Élysée ceremony (France 24) · 129-Year Journey Nears End as France Returns Benin Treasures (Voice of America)
- TCDPolitics & Power
Chad · April 2021
Death of Idriss Déby; son takes power
Déby died of wounds from fighting on the front line; a military council named his son, General Mahamat Idriss Déby, transitional president, widely seen as an unconstitutional succession.
The Déby era and its legacy
Sources: Mahamat Idriss Déby, son of slain president, emerges as Chad's new strongman (France 24) · Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SWZPolitics & Power
Eswatini · June–July 2021
Pro-democracy protests
Pro-democracy protests sweep Eswatini and are met by a deadly crackdown, the most serious challenge yet to one of the world's last absolute monarchies.
Rule by Decree and the Birth of Eswatini
Sources: Pro-democracy protests in Eswatini (UK Parliament, House of Commons Library) · Africa's last absolute monarchy is shaken as protestors defy Eswatini's king (National Geographic)
- GINPolitics & Power
Guinea · 5 September 2021
Doumbouya's coup ousts Condé
Special-forces commander Mamady Doumbouya overthrows President Alpha Condé, dissolves the constitution and installs himself as transitional leader.
Coups, Civilian Rule and Bauxite
Sources: 2021 Guinean coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Mamady Doumbouya (Wikipedia)
- MDGCatastrophe
Drought and famine in the Grand Sud
The worst drought in four decades leaves over 1.14 million people food insecure and some 14,000 in IPC Phase 5 — catastrophe — in the island's far south.
Independence & the Republics
Sources: Madagascar's hungry 'holding on for dear life', WFP chief warns (UN News)
- MLIPolitics & Power
Mali · May 2021
Second coup brings Assimi Goïta to power
Colonel Assimi Goïta removes the transitional civilian president and prime minister and takes the presidency himself.
Dictatorship, Democracy and Crisis
Sources: Mali, a Coup within a Coup (International Crisis Group) · Timeline: How Mali went from democracy beacon to instability (Al Jazeera)
- NAMPolitics & Power
Germany acknowledges the genocide
Germany formally recognised the 1904–1908 killings of the Herero and Nama as genocide and pledged development funding, though many descendants rejected the terms as inadequate.
Independent Namibia since 1990
Sources: Commemorating the Genocide of the Herero and Nama (Federal Government of Germany) · Herero and Nama genocide (Wikipedia)
- STPPolitics & Power
Carlos Vila Nova elected president
Carlos Vila Nova won the presidency, continuing a record of peaceful, contested elections that has made São Tomé and Príncipe one of the region's more stable democracies.
One-party state, democracy and the modern republic
Sources: São Tomé and Príncipe (Wikipedia)
- TZAPolitics & Power
Tanzania · March 2021
Samia Suluhu Hassan becomes president
On the death of President John Magufuli, Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan is sworn in as the first female president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Modern Tanzania
Sources: Samia Suluhu Hassan (Wikipedia) · President of Tanzania (Wikipedia)
- ZMBPolitics & Power
Zambia · August 2021
Hichilema elected president
Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema won the presidency in a decisive, peaceful election, taking office with a mandate to restructure the national debt and revive the copper-dependent economy.
The republic: Humanism, multiparty politics and modern Zambia
Sources: The Road to Zambia's 2020 Sovereign Debt Default (Finance for Development Lab) · Zambia defaults, economically and politically (Institute for Security Studies)
Asia
- AFGPolitics & Power
Afghanistan · 15 Aug 2021
Taliban return to power
Following the 2020 Doha agreement and the withdrawal of foreign forces, the Afghan government collapses and the Taliban retake Kabul on 15 August 2021, re-establishing the Islamic Emirate.
The Taliban, Intervention and Return
Sources: Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan (Doha Agreement, 29 Feb 2020) (U.S. Department of State) · NATO and Afghanistan (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
- KGZPolitics & Power
Japarov and the return to presidential rule
After 2020 protests over disputed elections, Sadyr Japarov rose from prison to the presidency, winning election in January 2021; constitutional referendums then restored a strong presidential system.
A Turbulent Republic: Revolution, Violence and Competitive Politics
Sources: Sadyr Japarov (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kyrgyzstan: In Brief (Sadyr Japarov and the 2021 constitutional changes) (U.S. Congressional Research Service)
- LAOEconomy & Trade
Laos · December 2021
Laos-China Railway opens
The 1,000-km railway linking Vientiane to Kunming begins operating, aiming to turn landlocked Laos into a land-linked hub of regional trade while deepening its debt to China.
The Lao People's Democratic Republic
Sources: Lao PDR Overview (World Bank Group)
- MMRPolitics & Power
Myanmar · 1 February 2021
Military coup
The army seizes power, detains Aung San Suu Kyi and the elected leadership, and installs a junta under Min Aung Hlaing, triggering mass protests and civil war.
Opening, the Rohingya Crisis, and the 2021 Coup
Sources: 2021 Myanmar coup d'etat (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Myanmar Civil War (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- OMNPolitics & Power
Oman · 11-12 January 2021
New Basic Statute and Vision 2040
Sultan Haitham issued a new Basic Statute establishing a formal crown prince and primogeniture succession, advancing Oman Vision 2040 and economic diversification.
The Renaissance of Qaboos and Modern Oman
Sources: Haitham bin Tariq, sultan of Oman (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · About Oman: The State - History (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sultanate of Oman)
- QATPolitics & Power
Qatar · 5 January 2021
Al Ula declaration ends the blockade
At the GCC summit in Al Ula, the parties signed a solidarity and stability agreement restoring relations and reopening routes, ending the nearly four-year dispute.
Qatar Under Tamim: Blockade and World Stage
Sources: Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- ARECulture & Ideas
United Arab Emirates · February 2021
The Hope probe reaches Mars
The UAE's Hope spacecraft entered orbit around Mars, making the country the first Arab nation and the fifth worldwide to reach the planet.
Oil Wealth and the Global Federation
Sources: History (The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)) · Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- YEMCatastrophe
Yemen · November 2021
UN estimates 377,000 war-related deaths
A United Nations Development Programme report projected that the war would have caused roughly 377,000 deaths by the end of 2021, most from indirect causes such as hunger and disease.
Uprising, War and Humanitarian Crisis
Sources: Assessing the Impact of War in Yemen: Pathways for Recovery (United Nations Development Programme) · Yemen: Recovery possible if war stops now, says UNDP report (United Nations News)
North America
- BHSPolitics & Power
Bahamas · September 2021
Philip Davis and the PLP return to power
Philip Davis led the Progressive Liberal Party to victory in the 2021 general election, becoming prime minister, in another peaceful transfer of power.
Tourism, finance and the age of hurricanes
Sources: The Hon. Philip Davis, KC — Prime Minister of The Bahamas (Government of The Bahamas)
- SLVEconomy & Trade
El Salvador · September 2021
Bitcoin made legal tender
El Salvador becomes the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender alongside the US dollar.
Postwar El Salvador and the Bukele Era
Sources: Nayib Bukele (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- GRLPolitics & Power
Greenland · 23 Apr 2021
Múte B. Egede becomes premier
After elections in 2021, Múte Bourup Egede of Inuit Ataqatigiit became premier, the youngest in Greenland's history, advocating independence as a long-term aim grounded in economic self-reliance.
Self-Government, Resources and the Question of Independence
Sources: Prime Minister Múte B. Egede (Wilson Center) · About Greenland / Politics in Greenland (Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland))
- HTICatastrophe
Haiti · 14 Aug 2021
A second great earthquake
Five weeks after the assassination, a magnitude 7.2 quake in the south-west kills some 2,200 people.
Democracy, Disaster, and Collapse
Sources: Haiti country profile (BBC News)
- HTIPolitics & Power
Haiti · 7 Jul 2021
Assassination of President Moise
President Jovenel Moise is assassinated at his home, accelerating Haiti's slide into gang rule and state collapse.
Democracy, Disaster, and Collapse
Sources: UN Security Council approves new force for Haiti amid gang violence (United Nations News)
- NICPolitics & Power
Nicaragua · Nov 2021
Contested re-election
Ortega wins a further term after leading opposition candidates are detained, in an election widely criticised internationally.
Democratic Interlude and Ortega's Return
Sources: Daniel Ortega (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Nicaragua: Ortega's return to power (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Oceania
- NCLIndependence
New Caledonia · 12 December 2021
Third referendum and Kanak boycott
The final referendum rejected independence by about 96% to 4%, but turnout was only ~44%: pro-independence parties and most Kanak voters boycotted after France declined to postpone the vote, and the two sides drew opposite conclusions about its legitimacy.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs) · New Caledonia — History (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SLBCatastrophe
Solomon Islands · November 2021
Honiara riots
Protests over the China switch and provincial grievances turn into deadly riots in Honiara; Australia and Pacific partners send security forces.
Tensions, Recovery and Great-Power Attention
Sources: The Deep Roots of the Solomon Islands' Ongoing Political Crisis (Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)) · Taiwan Says Solomon Islands Switches Recognition to China (Voice of America)
35 records
Africa
- BFAPolitics & Power
Burkina Faso · January 2022
Coup ousts President Kaboré
Citing the government's failure to halt the insurgency, the military under Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba removes elected president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.
Compaoré, Uprising and the Sahel Insurgency
Sources: Islamist insurgency in Burkina Faso (Wikipedia) · Military Coups, Jihadism and Insecurity in the Central Sahel (OECD / Sahel and West Africa Club)
- BFAPolitics & Power
Burkina Faso · 30 September 2022
Second 2022 coup brings Ibrahim Traoré to power
Captain Ibrahim Traoré overthrows Damiba in a second coup, becoming transitional leader as jihadist violence continues to spread.
Compaoré, Uprising and the Sahel Insurgency
Sources: Islamist insurgency in Burkina Faso (Wikipedia) · Military Coups, Jihadism and Insecurity in the Central Sahel (OECD / Sahel and West Africa Club)
- BFAPolitics & Power
Burkina Faso · 6 April 2022
Verdict in the Sankara trial
A military tribunal in Ouagadougou sentences Blaise Compaoré (in absentia), Gilbert Diendéré and Hyacinthe Kafando to life imprisonment for the 1987 killing. Fourteen are tried; eight receive three to twenty years; three are acquitted.
Compaoré, Uprising and the Sahel Insurgency
Sources: Life sentence for Burkinabe ex-leader Compaoré for Sankara murder (Al Jazeera, 6 April 2022)
- SENPolitics & Power
Casamance peace agreement
A peace deal between the government and MFDC factions proves more durable than earlier ceasefires; violence drops sharply.
A Democratic Republic and the Casamance Question
Sources: Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Wikipedia) · Casamance: Between war and peace (The New Humanitarian)
- SOMCatastrophe
Somalia · 2021–2022
Drought, famine risk and renewed offensive
A severe multi-season drought pushes parts of Somalia toward famine while the Federal Government, backed by local clan militias and international forces, mounts a renewed offensive against Al-Shabaab.
State Collapse, Civil War and the Federal Republic
Sources: Somalia (CRS In Focus) (U.S. Library of Congress / Congressional Research Service) · Al Shabaab (CRS In Focus) (U.S. Library of Congress / Congressional Research Service)
Asia
- KHMPolitics & Power
Cambodia · 2018-2022
Khmer Rouge tribunal concludes
The UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia convicts senior Khmer Rouge leaders of crimes against humanity and genocide before concluding its work.
Modern Cambodia: Hun Sen and Hun Manet
Sources: Cambodian genocide (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KAZPolitics & Power
Kazakhstan · January 2022
'Bloody January' unrest
Protests over fuel prices spread nationwide and turn violent; Tokayev declares a state of emergency, summons CSTO troops, and authorises lethal force, with about 227 deaths reported, then sidelines Nazarbayev's allies to consolidate power.
Independent Kazakhstan
Sources: Kazakhstan: Independent Kazakhstan (Encyclopædia Britannica) · A regime transition in action: Bloody January in Kazakhstan (Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki)
- MYSPolitics & Power
Malaysia · 24 Nov 2022
Anwar Ibrahim becomes prime minister
After years of imprisonment and opposition and a period of post-2020 instability, Anwar Ibrahim is appointed Malaysia's tenth prime minister following an inconclusive general election.
The New Economic Policy, Mahathir and Modern Malaysia
Sources: Timeline: Anwar Ibrahim's long road to Malaysian prime minister (Al Jazeera)
- PHLPolitics & Power
Return of the Marcos name to power
Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator, wins the presidency, returning his family to the highest office 36 years after People Power.
People Power and the Modern Republic
Sources: Ferdinand Marcos (biography; martial law; People Power) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- QATCulture & Ideas
Qatar · 20 November - 18 December 2022
Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup
Qatar staged the FIFA World Cup, the first in an Arab and Muslim country, after a decade of major infrastructure investment, drawing both global celebration and scrutiny.
Qatar Under Tamim: Blockade and World Stage
Sources: 2022 FIFA World Cup (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- LKAEconomy & Trade
Economic crisis and sovereign default
A foreign-exchange crisis forces Sri Lanka's first sovereign default; shortages and protests topple President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, leading to an IMF bailout and, in 2024, the election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Republic, Civil War and the Modern Nation
Sources: Sri Lanka: Reconstruction and the modern nation (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- SYRCatastrophe
Syria · 2011–2021 estimate
Human cost of the war
The UN human rights office estimates about 306,887 civilians killed over the war's first decade, while the UN refugee agency reports more than 13 million people displaced — figures cited as estimates from authoritative bodies.
The Assad Era, the Civil War and the Fall of 2024
Sources: UN Human Rights Office estimates more than 306,000 civilians killed over 10 years in Syria conflict (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)) · Syrian Arab Republic — country page (UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR))
- TURPolitics & Power
Türkiye · June 2022
Registered at the UN as 'Türkiye'
At the government's request, the United Nations registered the country's official name as 'Türkiye' in June 2022, replacing 'Turkey' in international usage.
The Republic and Modern Türkiye
Sources: Türkiye — Member States (United Nations) · Turkey (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- TKMPolitics & Power
Turkmenistan · March 2022
Serdar Berdimuhamedow succeeds his father
In an early election, Serdar Berdimuhamedow won the presidency over 70 percent of the vote, succeeding his father in a managed dynastic transfer of power, with the elder Berdimuhamedow remaining head of the People's Council.
Independence and the Neutral Republic
Sources: Serdar Berdymukhammedov (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- AREPolitics & Power
United Arab Emirates · May 2022
Mohamed bin Zayed elected president
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was elected president of the United Arab Emirates, succeeding his late brother Khalifa and continuing the Al Nahyan leadership of the federation.
Oil Wealth and the Global Federation
Sources: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- UZBEconomy & Trade
Uzbekistan · by 2022
End of systemic forced labour in cotton
After sustained reforms and international monitoring, civil-society groups conclude that Uzbekistan has dismantled the systemic state-imposed forced labour in its cotton harvest.
Independent Uzbekistan
Sources: Uzbekistan Ends Systemic Forced Labor, Civil Society Says (Human Rights Watch)
- YEMPolitics & Power
Yemen · April 2022
UN-mediated nationwide truce
A two-month UN-brokered truce took effect on 2 April 2022, easing fighting, allowing fuel ships into Hodeidah and flights from Sanaa; it was extended and, though it later lapsed, largely held.
Uprising, War and Humanitarian Crisis
Sources: Truce Agreement – April 2022 (Office of the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY))
Europe
- BIHPolitics & Power
Bosnia and Herzegovina · 15 Dec 2022
EU candidate status granted
The European Council granted Bosnia and Herzegovina the status of EU candidate country, conditional on reforms to the rule of law and the constitutional and electoral system.
The Dayton State and the European Path
Sources: Granting EU Candidate Status to Bosnia and Herzegovina (15 December 2022) (eucrim (Max Planck Institute))
- DNKPolitics & Power
Denmark · 14 Jun 2022
Hans Island agreement with Canada
Denmark and Canada settled the 'Whisky War' by dividing Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel, ending a dispute dating to 1973 and creating Denmark's only land border with North America.
Occupation, the Welfare State and the Modern Realm
Sources: Canada, Denmark end 50-year 'Whiskey War' over Hans Island (Canadian Geographic (Royal Canadian Geographical Society)) · Greenland and The Faroe Islands (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (um.dk))
- FINPolitics & Power
Finland · May 2022
Finland applies to join NATO
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 reversed Finnish opinion on military alignment; together with Sweden, Finland applied to join NATO, abandoning its long-standing non-alignment.
Neutrality, the European Union and NATO
Sources: Finland joins NATO as 31st Ally (North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)) · History of Finland (InfoFinland (Finnish public authorities))
- IRLPolitics & Power
Ireland · 22 Sep 2022
Census: more of Catholic than Protestant background
Northern Ireland's 2021 census, published in 2022, counted 45.7 per cent of residents as Catholic by current religion or upbringing and 43.5 per cent as Protestant or other Christian, against 45.1 and 48.4 per cent in 2011; 9.3 per cent had no religion either way.
The Republic, Europe and the Northern Question
Sources: Census 2021 Main Statistics for Northern Ireland: Religion (statistical bulletin) (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) · Northern Ireland: a century of change in statistics (Census 1926) (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency)
- MDAPolitics & Power
Moldova · 23 Jun 2022
EU candidate status
After applying for membership on 3 March 2022, Moldova was granted European Union candidate status by the European Council on 23 June 2022, opening accession negotiations in 2024.
Independence, the Transnistria Conflict and the Road to Europe
Sources: Moldova: Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (European Commission) · Statement on the decision of the European Council of 23 June 2022 on granting EU candidate status to Moldova (European Parliament)
- MKDPolitics & Power
North Macedonia · 19 Jul 2022
EU accession negotiations open
Following a French-brokered compromise, North Macedonia formally opened European Union accession negotiations, though Bulgaria's conditions continued to complicate the process.
The Ohrid Framework, NATO and the Road to Europe
Sources: Republic of North Macedonia (EU enlargement policy) (Council of the European Union) · How to advance a European solution to Bulgaria's and North Macedonia's dispute (European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR))
- RUSWar & Rupture
Russia · February 2022
Full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest war in Europe since 1945, prompting sweeping Western sanctions, international isolation, and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Putin.
Post-Soviet Russia
Sources: Russia (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation (Wikipedia)
- UKRWar & Rupture
Ukraine · 24 Feb 2022
Full-scale invasion; UN Resolution ES-11/1
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine; the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution ES-11/1 deploring the aggression and demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces.
Independent Ukraine, Revolutions and the Defence of Sovereignty
Sources: Russia-Ukraine War (2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine) (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1, Aggression against Ukraine (2 March 2022) (United Nations General Assembly)
- UKRWar & Rupture
Ukraine · Sep–Oct 2022
Purported annexation of four oblasts; UN Resolution ES-11/4
Russia proclaimed the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson; the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution ES-11/4, condemning the attempted annexation as invalid and calling for non-recognition.
Independent Ukraine, Revolutions and the Defence of Sovereignty
Sources: General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4, Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations (12 October 2022) (United Nations News) · Russia-Ukraine War (2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
North America
- SLVPolitics & Power
El Salvador · March 2022
State of exception and gang crackdown
After a surge of gang killings, the government imposes a state of exception suspending constitutional protections and launches mass arrests; homicides fall sharply amid human-rights concerns over tens of thousands detained.
Postwar El Salvador and the Bukele Era
Sources: Nayib Bukele (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- HNDPolitics & Power
Honduras · 2022 CE
Extradition of Juan Orlando Hernández
Former president Juan Orlando Hernández is extradited to the United States to face drug-trafficking charges, later resulting in conviction.
Crisis, Migration, and a New Century
Sources: Juan Orlando Hernández (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- HNDPolitics & Power
Honduras · 27 Jan 2022
Xiomara Castro inaugurated
Xiomara Castro takes office as Honduras's first woman president, ending years of National Party rule.
Crisis, Migration, and a New Century
Sources: Xiomara Castro (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Honduras: The 21st century (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
South America
- CHLPolitics & Power
Chile · September 2022
New constitution rejected
After a 2020 vote to rewrite the charter, Chileans reject a sweeping progressive draft 62 to 38 percent, a major blow to President Gabriel Boric; a later attempt also fails.
Return to Democracy and Modern Chile
Sources: Gabriel Boric (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · History of Chile (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- COLPolitics & Power
Colombia · 2022 CE
Election of Gustavo Petro
Colombia elects Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla, as its first leftist president, pledging a policy of total peace with remaining armed groups.
Armed Conflict and the Search for Peace
Sources: History of Colombia (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- COLWar & Rupture
Colombia · 2022 CE
Truth Commission report
The official Truth Commission estimates about 450,000 killed in 1985-2018 and millions displaced, the great majority of the dead civilians.
Armed Conflict and the Search for Peace
Sources: Final Report of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition (Comision de la Verdad (Colombia))
- PERPolitics & Power
Peru · 7 Dec 2022
Impeachment of Pedro Castillo
President Pedro Castillo is impeached and detained after attempting to dissolve Congress; Vice President Dina Boluarte succeeds him amid deadly protests.
Reform, the Shining Path, and Modern Peru
Sources: Peru: History (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Peru: Government and society (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Oceania
- FJIPolitics & Power
Fiji · December 2022
Peaceful change of government
Bainimarama's party loses its majority; a coalition led by Sitiveni Rabuka takes power through the ballot box, ending 16 years of his rule.
New Constitution, Democracy & the Climate Frontline
Sources: Fiji — Countries (A Guide to the History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations) (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- SLBPolitics & Power
The security agreement with China
A security pact signed with Beijing sharpens Western concern about the Pacific, three years after the switch in recognition.
Tensions, Recovery and Great-Power Attention
Sources: The Deep Roots of the Solomon Islands' Ongoing Political Crisis (Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)) · Unpacking Solomon Islands 2024 Elections (Asia Society Policy Institute)
21 records
Africa
- GABPolitics & Power
Gabon · 30 August 2023
Military coup ends Bongo rule
After a disputed 26 August 2023 election, officers led by General Brice Oligui Nguema seized power on 30 August 2023, annulling the result and detaining Ali Bongo — ending the Bongo family's 56-year hold on the presidency.
Independence, oil, and the Bongo era
Sources: 2023 Gabonese coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Gabon (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- LBRPolitics & Power
Boakai defeats Weah
Joseph Boakai defeated the incumbent George Weah in the 2023 election and took office in 2024, marking another orderly transfer of power in post-war Liberia.
Peace, Sirleaf, and the Ebola epidemic
Sources: Liberia — History (Colonialism, Civil War, Reconstruction) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- MDGPolitics & Power
Madagascar · November 2023
Rajoelina wins a third term
An election boycotted by ten rivals, preceded by six weeks of protest, returns Rajoelina on the lowest turnout in the country's history.
Independence & the Republics
Sources: Madagascar country profile (BBC News)
- NERPolitics & Power
Niger · 26 July 2023
Coup against President Bazoum
The presidential guard detained elected president Mohamed Bazoum and General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed a military junta — Niger's fifth coup since independence — drawing condemnation from ECOWAS and the West.
Democracy, Tuareg rebellions and the cycle of coups
Sources: 2023 Nigerien coup d'état (Wikipedia) · Niger: Two Years On, Ex-President Still Arbitrarily Detained (Human Rights Watch)
- SOLWar & Rupture
Somaliland · 2007 and 2023
Dispute over Sool and Sanaag
Somaliland's claim to its eastern regions, contested with Puntland on clan grounds, produced fighting over Las Anod in 2007 and again in 2023, when local forces expelled Somaliland's troops and the area's control fell into question.
Non-Recognition, Disputed Borders and a Changing Horn
Sources: Conflict in disputed Las Anod dims Somaliland's diplomatic dreams (Al Jazeera) · The various layers to the Somaliland-Puntland discord (Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa))
- SDNWar & Rupture
Sudan · 15 April 2023
War between SAF and RSF
Fighting erupts between the army under al-Burhan and the RSF under "Hemedti", spreading nationwide and causing mass death, displacement and famine.
Darfur, Secession and the War of the Generals
Sources: Sudan (Wikipedia) · War in Darfur (Wikipedia)
Asia
- ARMPeoples & Migration
Armenia · September 2023
Azerbaijani offensive and the Karabakh exodus
An Azerbaijani offensive brought Nagorno-Karabakh fully under its control; within about a week well over 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled to Armenia, and the enclave's authorities were dissolved by 1 January 2024.
Independent Armenia
Sources: Nagorno-Karabakh (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- AZEWar & Rupture
Azerbaijan · September 2023
Azerbaijan takes full control of Nagorno-Karabakh
A September 2023 offensive brought all of Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijani control and dissolved the self-declared republic; by estimates over 100,000 of about 120,000 ethnic Armenians fled.
Independence, the Aliyev era and Karabakh
Sources: Nagorno-Karabakh: conflicts, map and people (Encyclopædia Britannica) · Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- KHMPolitics & Power
Cambodia · 22 August 2023
Hun Manet succeeds his father
After 38 years in power, Hun Sen hands the premiership to his son Hun Manet, who is sworn in on 22 August 2023 in a dynastic succession.
Modern Cambodia: Hun Sen and Hun Manet
Sources: Hun Manet (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Hun Sen (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- KWTPolitics & Power
Kuwait · December 2023
Sheikh Mishal accedes as emir
After the deaths of Sheikh Sabah in 2020 and Sheikh Nawaf in 2023, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah became ruler of Kuwait.
Reconstruction and Modern Kuwait
Sources: Will Kuwait's Parliamentary Democracy Be Restored, Reformed, or Repudiated? (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
- PSEWar & Rupture
Palestine · from 7 October 2023
The Gaza war
After a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, Israel launched a massive campaign in Gaza; by Gaza Health Ministry figures cited by the UN, tens of thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed.
Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Gaza war (2023-present) (Wikipedia) · Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds (United Nations (OHCHR))
Europe
- FINPolitics & Power
Finland · 4 Apr 2023
Finland becomes NATO's 31st member
Finland deposited its instrument of accession and joined NATO as its 31st member on 4 April 2023, ending generations of neutrality and more than doubling the Alliance's land border with Russia.
Neutrality, the European Union and NATO
Sources: Finland joins NATO as 31st Ally (North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO))
- GRCPolitics & Power
Greece · 7 December 2023
The Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness
Erdoğan and Mitsotakis signed a non-binding declaration committing both governments to a positive agenda, confidence-building measures and calm in the Aegean, without prejudice to each other's legal positions.
The Modern Greek State
Sources: Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, 7 December 2023 (Hellenic Republic / Republic of Türkiye)
- KOSPolitics & Power
Ohrid agreement on normalisation
At Ohrid the parties reached an EU-facilitated Agreement on the Path to Normalisation, committing to good-neighbourly relations and mutual recognition of documents and symbols, though Serbia did not recognise Kosovo's statehood.
Independence and the Contested Present
Sources: Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: Implementation Annex to the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation (Ohrid, 18 March 2023) (European External Action Service (EU)) · Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the Ohrid meeting (European External Action Service (EU))
- SRBPolitics & Power
Serbia · Feb–Mar 2023
Agreement on the Path to Normalisation (Ohrid)
Serbia and Kosovo agreed to develop normal relations and recognise each other's documents and symbols, with an implementation annex agreed at Ohrid, while leaving the question of status unresolved.
Modern Serbia and the Kosovo Dispute
Sources: Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue: Agreement on the path to normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia (European External Action Service (EU))
- GBRPolitics & Power
United Kingdom · 27 February 2023
The Windsor Framework
Northern Ireland, which voted 55.8 per cent to remain in the 2016 referendum, was kept aligned with EU goods rules after Brexit; the UK and EU's Windsor Framework added a 'green lane' for goods staying in the UK and a 'Stormont brake' requiring 30 Assembly members from at least two parties.
World wars, decolonisation, and the modern UK
Sources: Windsor Framework unveiled to fix problems of the Northern Ireland Protocol (GOV.UK) · EU Referendum 2016 (Northern Ireland) (ARK, Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University)
North America
- GTMPolitics & Power
Guatemala · 2023-2024
Election of Bernardo Arevalo
Anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arevalo wins the presidency and, despite attempts to block him, is inaugurated in January 2024.
Guatemala Since the Peace
Sources: Ambassadorial Level Meeting on Peacebuilding in Guatemala — Concept Note (United Nations Peacebuilding Commission)
South America
- BRAPolitics & Power
Brazil · 8 Jan 2023
Brasilia attacked, democracy holds
Supporters of the defeated president storm the Congress, presidential palace, and Supreme Court; the institutions withstand the assault.
Modern Democratic Brazil
Sources: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Brazil (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- SURPolitics & Power
Suriname · December 2023
Bouterse conviction upheld
A Surinamese court upholds a twenty-year sentence against former president Desi Bouterse for the 1982 December murders.
Democracy, Diversity, and Oil
Sources: Case Against Desi Bouterse (December Murders Case) (Nuhanovic Foundation) · Suriname: Background and U.S. Relations (Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress)
Oceania
- AUSPolitics & Power
Australia · 14 October 2023
Voice to Parliament referendum
Australians voted against a constitutional amendment to recognise First Peoples and establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament, leaving questions of recognition and reconciliation unresolved.
Modern Australia: multiculturalism, reconciliation, and the apology
Sources: Australia (country) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- VUTPolitics & Power
Vanuatu · 29 March 2023
UN asks the ICJ on climate obligations
A Vanuatu-led campaign, begun by Pacific law students, won a UN General Assembly resolution requesting an ICJ advisory opinion on states' climate-change obligations.
Kastom, Cyclones and Climate Diplomacy
Sources: Vanuatu ICJ Initiative — Resolution (Government of Vanuatu (Vanuatu ICJ Initiative)) · UN Member States request advice of the ICJ in supporting Vanuatu against climate change threats (ReliefWeb (UN))
26 records
Africa
- GHAPolitics & Power
Ghana · December 2024
Mahama returns in a peaceful handover
John Dramani Mahama won the December 2024 election with about 56.5 percent of the vote; his opponent Mahamudu Bawumia conceded swiftly, marking another orderly transfer of power.
Coups, republics, and modern democracy
Sources: Ghana — December 2024: Opposition secures decisive victory in presidential and parliamentary elections (International IDEA) · Consolidating Democracy in Ghana: An Overview (Kujenga Amani (Social Science Research Council))
- NAMPolitics & Power
- SENPolitics & Power
Faye wins after democratic crisis
After Macky Sall's attempt to delay the election is overturned, Bassirou Diomaye Faye wins; power passes peacefully again.
A Democratic Republic and the Casamance Question
Sources: Senegal — The Global State of Democracy (International IDEA) · Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Wikipedia)
- SOLPolitics & Power
Somaliland · 1 January 2024
Memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia
Somaliland and Ethiopia announced an MoU giving landlocked Ethiopia coastal access, reportedly in exchange for moves toward recognition; Somalia condemned it as a violation of its sovereignty, heightening tensions in the Horn of Africa.
Non-Recognition, Disputed Borders and a Changing Horn
Sources: The Stakes in the Ethiopia-Somaliland Deal (International Crisis Group) · Ethiopia signs agreement to use Somaliland's Red Sea port (Al Jazeera)
- ZAFPolitics & Power
ANC loses its majority
In the 2024 general election the ANC lost the outright parliamentary majority it had held since 1994, leading to a multiparty government of national unity and a new phase of coalition politics.
Democratic South Africa since 1994
Sources: South Africa (country, history and government) (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- BGDPolitics & Power
Bangladesh · 5 Aug 2024
The 2024 uprising and Hasina's fall
A student-led mass uprising over a civil-service job-quota system forces Sheikh Hasina to resign after fifteen years and flee to India; the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is appointed to head an interim government.
Liberation War and Modern Bangladesh
Sources: Sheikh Hasina Wazed (Encyclopædia Britannica)
- KWTPolitics & Power
Kuwait · May 2024
Parliament dissolved and constitution suspended
Emir Mishal dissolved the National Assembly and suspended several constitutional articles for up to four years, pausing the Gulf's oldest elected legislature.
Reconstruction and Modern Kuwait
Sources: Will Kuwait's Parliamentary Democracy Be Restored, Reformed, or Repudiated? (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
- PRKPolitics & Power
North Korea · January 2024
South Korea declared principal enemy
Kim Jong Un renounces the goal of peaceful reunification, declaring South Korea a hostile separate state and the North's principal enemy and calling for constitutional revision.
The Kim Jong Un Era
Sources: North Korea's Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs (U.S. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress) · Kim Jong-Un (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- PSECatastrophe
Palestine · December 2024
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch findings
Amnesty International (5 December) concluded Israel was committing genocide; Human Rights Watch (19 December) found acts of genocide and the crime against humanity of extermination.
Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Amnesty International concludes Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza (Amnesty International) · Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water (Human Rights Watch)
- PSECatastrophe
Palestine · 26 January 2024
ICJ provisional-measures order in South Africa v. Israel
The International Court of Justice found at least some rights under the Genocide Convention plausible and a real and imminent risk to them, ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts; the case remains under adjudication.
Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Summary of the Order of 26 January 2024 (South Africa v. Israel) (International Court of Justice) · Application of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) - case overview (International Court of Justice)
- PSECatastrophe
Palestine · March 2024
UN Special Rapporteur's 'Anatomy of a Genocide'
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese reported reasonable grounds to believe genocide was being committed against Palestinians in Gaza (A/HRC/55/73).
Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Anatomy of a Genocide - Report of the Special Rapporteur (A/HRC/55/73) (United Nations (Question of Palestine)) · Anatomy of a Genocide (A/HRC/55/73) (United Nations Human Rights Council)
- SYRPolitics & Power
Syria · 8 Dec 2024
The Assad government falls
A rebel offensive led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham takes Damascus on 8 December 2024; Bashar al-Assad flees the country, ending over five decades of Assad family rule, and an interim government is formed.
The Assad Era, the Civil War and the Fall of 2024
Sources: Bashar al-Assad (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- TJKEconomy & Trade
Tajikistan · 2020s
A remittance-dependent economy
Remittances from Tajik labour migrants, mostly working in Russia, reach close to half of GDP — among the highest shares in the world — leaving the economy heavily exposed to external shocks.
The Rahmon Era and the Mountain Republic
Sources: Tajikistan Economic Update 2025 (The World Bank) · Labour Migration — IOM Tajikistan, UN Migration (International Organization for Migration (IOM))
Europe
- ANDEconomy & Trade
Andorra · 2023–2024
Association agreement with the EU
After concluding negotiations in 2023, the European Commission in 2024 proposed an association agreement to give Andorra (with San Marino) deep access to the EU single market, comparable to the European Economic Area.
A Sovereign Democracy in the Heart of Europe
Sources: Proposal for the EU–Andorra Association Agreement (COM 2024/189) (EUR-Lex (European Commission)) · EU association agreement with Andorra and San Marino (briefing) (European Parliament)
- IRLPolitics & Power
Ireland · 3 Feb 2024
First nationalist First Minister
Power-sharing was restored two years after the DUP left the Executive over post-Brexit trade arrangements, and Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill became the first nationalist First Minister of Northern Ireland, alongside the DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly as deputy First Minister.
The Republic, Europe and the Northern Question
Sources: Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill elected first ever nationalist First Minister of Northern Ireland (The Irish Times)
- KOSPolitics & Power
Kosovo · Present
An unresolved status
Recognised by around a hundred states but not by Serbia, Russia, China or several EU members, Kosovo remains outside the UN, with the Serb-majority north around Mitrovica its most contested question.
Independence and the Contested Present
Sources: Kosovo: Self-declared independence (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Kosovo (US recognition, 18 February 2008; diplomatic history) (US Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- SWEPolitics & Power
Sweden · 7 Mar 2024
Sweden joins NATO
Prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden abandoned over two centuries of non-alignment and became NATO's 32nd member on 7 March 2024, gaining the protection of Article 5.
Neutrality, the People's Home and the Road to NATO
Sources: Sweden officially joins NATO (NATO) · Swedish flag raised at NATO Headquarters (NATO)
North America
- DOMEconomy & Trade
Dominican Republic · 2024 CE
Among the region's top economies
The Dominican Republic ranks among the fastest-growing economies in Latin America and the Caribbean, driven by tourism, manufacturing, mining, and remittances.
The Modern Tourism Republic
Sources: Dominican Republic Overview (The World Bank)
- SLVPolitics & Power
El Salvador · February 2024
Bukele re-elected
Despite a constitutional ban on consecutive terms, cleared by a loyal court, Bukele is re-elected by a landslide of about 85 percent of the vote.
Postwar El Salvador and the Bukele Era
Sources: Nayib Bukele (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- HTIPolitics & Power
Haiti · 2024-2026
Transitional council and security mission
A transitional presidential council and a Kenyan-led security mission seek to restore order as gangs control most of the capital and a strengthened UN-authorised force is approved.
Democracy, Disaster, and Collapse
Sources: UN Security Council approves new force for Haiti amid gang violence (United Nations News)
South America
- ECUWar & Rupture
Ecuador · Jan 2024
Internal armed conflict declared
President Daniel Noboa declares an internal armed conflict and deploys the military against drug-trafficking gangs after a gang leader's prison escape and televised attacks.
Oil, Dollar and the Modern Crisis
Sources: Security Alert: Nationwide State of Emergency in Ecuador (January 2024) (U.S. Embassy in Ecuador)
- SUREconomy & Trade
GranMorgu oil decision
TotalEnergies and APA take a final investment decision to develop the offshore GranMorgu field on Block 58, with first oil expected toward 2028.
Democracy, Diversity, and Oil
Sources: Suriname: Final Investment Decision for the GranMorgu development on Block 58 (TotalEnergies)
- VENPolitics & Power
Venezuela · 28 July 2024
Disputed presidential election
The electoral authority declares Maduro re-elected; the opposition rejects the result and the United States and many governments dispute it.
The Bolivarian Revolution and the Crisis
Sources: Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations (CRS Report R44841) (Congressional Research Service, U.S. Library of Congress) · A Guide to the History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations: Venezuela (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
Oceania
- NCLPolitics & Power
New Caledonia · May 2024
Deadly unrest over electoral reform
A French move to widen the provincial electorate — feared to dilute the Kanak vote — triggered the worst violence in decades from 13 May: fourteen dead, some €2 billion in damage and a state of emergency.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs) · New Caledonia riots one year on: 'Like the country was at war' (RNZ Pacific)
- NCLEconomy & Trade
New Caledonia · 2024–2025
Nickel, still the ground everyone stands on
Through the unrest and its aftermath the territory mined 116,000 tonnes of nickel in 2024 and an estimated 140,000 in 2025 — one of the largest outputs on earth, and the revenue any future status has to be paid for out of.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Nickel (U.S. Geological Survey)
- SLBPolitics & Power
Solomon Islands · May 2024
Jeremiah Manele becomes prime minister
After general elections, parliament selects Jeremiah Manele as prime minister, signalling continuity in relations with China and Australia.
Tensions, Recovery and Great-Power Attention
Sources: Solomon Islands Chooses Jeremiah Manele as New Prime Minister (Voice of America) · Unpacking Solomon Islands 2024 Elections (Asia Society Policy Institute)
18 records
Africa
- CMRPolitics & Power
Cameroon · October 2025
Biya re-elected at 92
Paul Biya won a further presidential term, extending a tenure begun in 1982; opposition figures disputed the official results.
The Biya era and the Anglophone crisis
Sources: Paul Biya (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Cameroon (country analysis and Anglophone crisis) (International Crisis Group)
- CODWar & Rupture
M23 retakes Goma
After re-emerging in 2021, M23 — with Rwandan backing — captures Goma again in early 2025, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Africa's World War & After
Sources: The M23 Offensive: Elusive Peace in the Great Lakes (International Crisis Group)
- MWIPolitics & Power
Malawi · September 2025
Peaceful alternation of power
Peter Mutharika won the 2025 general election, defeating the incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, who conceded — marking another peaceful transfer of power in multiparty Malawi.
The Banda regime and the democratic transition
Sources: 2025 Malawian general election (Wikipedia)
- MUSPolitics & Power
Mauritius · 22 May 2025
UK–Mauritius Chagos agreement
The two states sign a treaty recognising Mauritian sovereignty over the archipelago while leasing the Diego Garcia base to the UK for an initial 99 years.
Republic & African Success Story
Sources: 2025 treaty on the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago (House of Commons Library) · Mauritius No. 1 (2025): Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
- SOLPolitics & Power
Somaliland · 26 December 2025
Israel recognises Somaliland
Israel announced formal recognition of Somaliland — the first UN member state to do so. Somalia condemned the step as unlawful, and a broad range of states at the UN reaffirmed that they regard Somaliland as part of Somalia.
Non-Recognition, Disputed Borders and a Changing Horn
Sources: Israel becomes first country to recognise Somaliland (Al Jazeera) · Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Triggers Sharp Divides at the Security Council (United Nations (Security Council press release)) · Who recognizes Somaliland? (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Asia
- PSECatastrophe
Palestine · 16 September 2025
UN Commission of Inquiry finds genocide
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that Israel had committed genocide in the Gaza Strip; Israel rejected the findings.
Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds (United Nations (OHCHR))
- TLSPolitics & Power
Timor-Leste · 26 October 2025
ASEAN membership
Timor-Leste is admitted as the 11th member of ASEAN at the bloc's summit in Kuala Lumpur, its first enlargement in over two decades and the culmination of a years-long bid.
Asia's Youngest Nation
Sources: Timor-Leste's Accession to ASEAN (U.S. Department of State) · History Is Made: Timor-Leste Becomes ASEAN's 11th Member (The Diplomat)
Europe
- MDAEconomy & Trade
Moldova · 1 Jan 2025
Gas to Transnistria stops
After the Russian-Ukrainian transit deal expired, Gazprom halted gas supplies to Moldova, citing a debt of 709 million dollars that Chisinau disputed. The Tiraspol-administered left bank lost heating and had rolling power cuts for weeks, while the rest of Moldova relied on other supplies.
Independence, the Transnistria Conflict and the Road to Europe
Sources: Russian gas cutoff leaves thousands without heat and power in Moldova's Transnistria region (Meduza) · Moldova's Transnistria region hit by blackouts and industrial shutdowns after gas cut-off (bne IntelliNews)
North America
- GRLPolitics & Power
Greenland · 7 Apr 2025
Jens-Frederik Nielsen becomes premier
Jens-Frederik Nielsen of Demokraatit took office as premier on 7 April 2025, supporting independence pursued pragmatically and insisting Greenland's future is for Greenlanders to decide.
Self-Government, Resources and the Question of Independence
Sources: Greenland: Home rule, new international relations and US interest (House of Commons Library (UK Parliament)) · About Greenland / Politics in Greenland (Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland))
- GRLPolitics & Power
Greenland · 11 Mar 2025
The 2025 election under world attention
Amid intense U.S. interest in the island, Greenlanders voted on 11 March 2025; the centre-right, gradualist Demokraatit party won the largest share, and most Greenlanders rejected becoming part of the United States.
Self-Government, Resources and the Question of Independence
Sources: Greenland: Home rule, new international relations and US interest (House of Commons Library (UK Parliament)) · About Greenland / Politics in Greenland (Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland))
- TTOPolitics & Power
Persad-Bissessar returns as prime minister
In the April 2025 general election the United National Congress defeated the PNM and Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in as prime minister, another peaceful transfer of power in the republic.
A modern energy nation
Sources: Review of the Economy 2025 (Ministry of Finance, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)
South America
- BOLPolitics & Power
- FLKPolitics & Power
UN reiterates call for negotiations
The UN Special Committee on Decolonisation again adopted a resolution asking Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume talks toward resolving the sovereignty dispute.
Referendum, Fisheries and Oil to the Present
Sources: Special Decolonization Committee Adopts Resolution Asking Argentina, United Kingdom to Resume Talks over Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases) · Falkland Islands (Malvinas) — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs)
- SURPolitics & Power
Suriname · July 2025
First woman president
The National Assembly elects Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as Suriname's first woman president amid an economic crisis and the promise of oil.
Democracy, Diversity, and Oil
Sources: Jennifer Geerlings-Simons (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Suriname: Democracy Tracker, July 2025 (International IDEA)
Oceania
- NCLPolitics & Power
New Caledonia · 12 July 2025
Bougival agreement
France and most local parties signed the Bougival agreement proposing a "State of New Caledonia" within the Republic with a Caledonian nationality; the pro-independence FLNKS rejected it and the ratifying referendum was delayed, leaving the territory's status unresolved into 2026.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: New Caledonia — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs) · New Caledonia — Visits by Foreign Leaders / Department History (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
- NCLPeoples & Migration
New Caledonia · 22 April – 22 May 2025
The census counts a shrinking territory
The first census since the unrest finds the population down by 6,811 since 2019 — a fall of about 4 per cent, roughly 1,200 people a year.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: Recensement de la population de la Nouvelle-Caledonie (Institut de la statistique et des etudes economiques Nouvelle-Caledonie (ISEE))
- NCLPolitics & Power
New Caledonia · 21 November 2025
The FLNKS loses its moderates
PALIKA and then the UPM quit the coalition that had carried the independence cause since 1984, and five FLNKS members resign from the eleven-member executive.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: New Caledonia's pro-independence split widens, another party quits FLNKS (RNZ Pacific)
- VUTPolitics & Power
Vanuatu · 23 July 2025
ICJ delivers landmark climate opinion
The International Court of Justice found that states have binding legal duties to protect the climate and that failure to act may be an internationally wrongful act.
Kastom, Cyclones and Climate Diplomacy
Sources: Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (Advisory Opinion) (International Court of Justice) · A Comprehensive Analysis of the ICJ Climate Advisory Opinion (Earth.org)
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Africa
- COMCulture & Ideas
The medinas of the sultanates inscribed
The Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros become the archipelago's first World Heritage site — the stone towns of the pre-colonial sultanates recognised on criteria (iii) and (iv).
The Union and the Mayotte Question
Sources: The Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros (World Heritage List) (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
- SOLPolitics & Power
Somaliland · as of mid-2026
Status still disputed and unresolved
Somaliland continues to govern itself de facto and claims sovereignty, yet it is recognised by only one UN member state; the African Union and the great majority of governments still regard it as part of Somalia, leaving its status unsettled.
Non-Recognition, Disputed Borders and a Changing Horn
Sources: International recognition of Somaliland (Wikipedia) · Who recognizes Somaliland? (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Triggers Sharp Divides at the Security Council (United Nations (Security Council press release))
Asia
- IRNWar & Rupture
Iran · 2 March 2026
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz collapses
After strikes on Iran on 28 February, the Revolutionary Guards announced restrictions on the strait. According to Al Jazeera's shipping analysis, daily transits fell from over a hundred vessels to about five.
The Islamic Republic
Sources: How a 95 percent drop in Hormuz traffic changed global shipping (Al Jazeera)
- OMNPolitics & Power
Oman · 24 June 2026
Oman opens temporary corridors in the Strait of Hormuz
Oman declared the existing traffic separation scheme in the strait unsafe, opened two temporary corridors either side of it, and said no tolls would be charged.
The Renaissance of Qaboos and Modern Oman
Sources: Oman opens temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping routes, says no tolls will be charged (The Standard (Hong Kong))
- TWNPolitics & Power
Taiwan · to 2026
Ongoing cross-strait dispute
Into 2026 the dispute remains unresolved: the ROC governs Taiwan while the PRC claims it as a province without controlling it, and no peace treaty has settled the question.
Democratisation and the Cross-Strait Dispute
Sources: Taiwan (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · China Policy (Normalization of Relations, 1979) (U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian)
North America
- BLZEconomy & Trade
Belize · July 2026
A nation of 419,000
The Statistical Institute of Belize puts the mid-year population at 418,982 — a country the size of Wales with fewer people than a mid-sized city, holding the Atlantic's largest reef and some of the Maya world's greatest cities.
Independent Belize and the Guatemalan question
Sources: Belize population and economic statistics (Statistical Institute of Belize)
- HNDPolitics & Power
Honduras · 27 Jan 2026
Asfura succeeds Castro
After a narrow, contested 2025 election, Nasry Asfura of the National Party is inaugurated president, succeeding Xiomara Castro.
Crisis, Migration, and a New Century
Sources: Xiomara Castro (Encyclopaedia Britannica) · One month in: Honduras's new president Nasry Asfura (Atlantic Council)
South America
- FLKEconomy & Trade
Falkland Islands · present
Contested status and an oil prospect
The islands remain a British Overseas Territory claimed by Argentina, with an economy led by fisheries and the prospect of Sea Lion offshore oil development.
Referendum, Fisheries and Oil to the Present
Sources: Falkland Islands (Malvinas) — The United Nations and Decolonization (United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs) · Sea Lion — North Falkland Basin (project overview) (Rockhopper Exploration plc)
- GUYPolitics & Power
Guyana · May 2026
ICJ hearings on the merits
Public hearings on the merits of Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela) are held at the International Court of Justice, a decisive stage in the long-running Essequibo controversy.
Oil, the Essequibo Controversy and the Present
Sources: Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela) (International Court of Justice)
Oceania
- NCLPolitics & Power
New Caledonia · 19 January 2026
The Elysée-Oudinot agreement
A further accord is signed in Paris in Macron's presence by the parties represented in the Congress, including the moderate pro-independence PALIKA and UPM who have split from the FLNKS; the FLNKS itself stayed away and rejected it.
Three Referendums and an Unsettled Future
Sources: Pro-independence FLNKS 'unequivocally' reject latest agreement for New Caledonia (RNZ Pacific) · New Caledonia's political parties commit to 'historic' deal in France (RNZ Pacific)