Opinion of this map?

[Crumpets]

Foreign Affairs Magazine just posted this "real" map of Africa, showing only the portions of states which are under the complete control of the recognized government. Gray areas may be de jure claimed by a government, but are de facto outside of their control. What do you think? Overly simplistic? Helpful? Flawed? Racist? Awesome? I think it's a pretty useful exercise, even if it's not 100%.

[bagelman]

Very though provoking, although it's the type of thing that's apt to become obsolete soon as situations change. FM.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

The Libyan rump government does control Tobruk and other areas, for a starter.

[Yeahsayyeah]

That the Egyptian government doesn't control the Sinai is a bit overly simplistic, isn't it? Also, what's the matter with the stripe between Egypt and Sudan?

[Gunnar Larsson]

That the Egyptian government doesn't control the Sinai is a bit overly simplistic, isn't it? Also, what's the matter with the stripe between Egypt and Sudan?

It looks like they have gone mildly sensationalist by maximizing the uncontrolled area. The idea is good though.

Also, I would imagine that quite large chunks of Sahara is basically not controllable per their definition as they lack people.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Is that much of the DRC under governmental control? Not that I'm an expert on the region, but it seems to contradict my conceptions of the place.

also is anyone else confused that Western Sahara is listed as a legit government while Somaliland isn't?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Notice that almost all of the chaos is confined to former French colonies? That is rather telling.

[ingemann]

Notice that almost all of the chaos is confined to former French colonies? That is rather telling.

Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Notice that almost all of the chaos is confined to former French colonies? That is rather telling.

Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia.

Egypt, Uganda, and Tanzania all seem to be in at least 95% control of their land. The others are the outliers. The former French colonies are in complete anarchy, due to the absolutely dreadful administration of the French.

[ingemann]

Notice that almost all of the chaos is confined to former French colonies? That is rather telling.

Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia.

Egypt, Uganda, and Tanzania all seem to be in at least 95% control of their land. The others are the outliers. The former French colonies are in complete anarchy, due to the absolutely dreadful administration of the French.

Bullsh**t the French colonies lack control over Saharan desert territories, CAR is the only non-Saharan former French colony which lack control over its territory. The reason the former British colonies keep better control over their territory is the fact that UK controlled little territory in Sahara, which is trouble neighbourhood for several reason.

A funny fact if we look at population of the former French and British colonies, far more former British subjects on the map live without official state control than former French subjects.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

AFAIK,  the Somali government  controls a lot of the de jure Somalia

[The Free North]

The aggregation perhaps gives the impression of a stronger rebel presence than really exists given the large majority of the territory outside of de facto state control is in the wastelands of the Sahara and other sparsely inhabited desert/jungle regions.

[The Free North]

Also: shoutout to Chad for keeping sh**t on lock while the world is blowing up around it.

[YaBoyNY]

Also: shoutout to Chad for keeping sh**t on lock while the world is blowing up around it.

Based Chad.

[MaxQue]

Also: shoutout to Chad for keeping sh**t on lock while the world is blowing up around it.

Not really, it's extremely corrupt even by standards of Africa. It's just than the government buys rebel groups with positions and jobs in the army and use Europe to destroy the other ones.

It's also considered as the 4th poorest country of the world by United Nations.

[Crumpets]

Just to clarify, in the article associated with this map, they say they use a pretty loose definition of what it means to be "not under government control." Basically, if there are regular attacks, or pockets of anti-government control anywhere in a subnational region, they count the whole region as grey in the map. So, for example, even though the Somali government pretty much has control over 2/3 of the country, it's pretty soft control, and other groups still have a strong presence even in "government controlled" areas. Thus, all of Somalia is grey on the map.