Foreign Policy: The List: Six Reasons You May Need a New Atlas Soon

Foreign Policy: The List: Six Reasons You May Need a New Atlas Soon

Without a doubt, this is a great bit of geography!

Devolution and Failed States, these are the topics. What can make a new state successful, and what can kill a state in its infancy.

Kosovo - yes, I foresee Kosovo as standing on its own, one day. For how long is another matter ...

South Sudan - geez, this is a hard one. The southern part of Sudan is the oil-producing region, and, like the article states, the government in Khartoum is not likely to see this division as a positive. A Velvet Divorce this will not be. I would imagine that as soon as South Sudan decrees independence, North Sudan will invade. Korea, anyone?

Somaliland - This needs to happen sooner than later, so that some people can begin living better lives, and so that the region can experience some semblance of normalcy.

Kurdistan - See South Sudan above, except it won't be the Sunni attacking, well, at least not the Iraqi Sunni. The Turkish Sunnis have other ideas. Turkey may have no choice but to accept a Kurdish homeland if it wants to become more enmeshed in the European Union.

Palestine - Inevitable. Israel needs to grow beyond the opposition. Secondly, The Palestinians themselves need to hold each other accountable for their actions and learn to govern themselves in rational ways.

Taiwan - Not likely. China wants to bring Taiwan into the fold and they have time and patience on their side. Eventually, as China institutes democratic reforms and as its economic prowess expands, the Taiwanese leadership will eventually soften. The United States and Japan would be the only Taiwan supporters. The United States doesn't recognize Taiwan currently, anyway, so why would that change? Finally, no one would want to upset the global applecart buy slugging it out over Taiwan. That would be a no-win, everyone loses, confrontation.