Zour, which remains divided between Syria's new government and a Kurdish-backed militia, is a hostage to competing ambitions.

For many years, the Syrian desert was an incredibly dangerous place. Experts believe the last remnants of Islamic State are still there. But are they really?

In Hirri, a tiny village nestled between the Euphrates River and the border with Iraq ... The U.S. has a 2,000-strong troop presence in the area, which it says is solely to counter a possible ...

This is not exclusive to the Middle East – “map wars” are underway across the globe. Some of the more well-known examples ...

It was the second blast in three days in the area, after four civilians were ... of the Turkish border and to the west of the Euphrates river.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Christine Leuenberger, Cornell University (THE CONVERSATION) Maps are ubiquitous ...