If you enjoy looking at a map and wondering what life is like in the places you’ve never heard of, here are ten names to look up. Some are island nations, others are territories with their own identities, and one is a mountain region whose recent history has reshaped life there.
We start with the freshwater pools of Vanuatu, cross the English Channel and the Irish Sea, and finish in the South Caucasus. How many of these places could you find on a map without searching for them?
1Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region in the South Caucasus, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. It was at the centre of a decades-long conflict, which is why older articles may describe a situation that no longer exists.
Azerbaijan regained control of the region in September 2023. According to UNHCR, more than 100,000 refugees arrived in Armenia from Karabakh in about a week. The name stayed in the same place on the map, but for many of the people who lived there, home changed overnight.
How many of these places did you already know? Tell us in the comments which one surprised you most. For a closer look at our own corner of the map, explore our Corfu map and island guide.
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