Category 13 · International Relations & Places in News

Places in the News – Conflict Zones and Geopolitical Hotspots

18 micro topics in International Relations & Places in News for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Russia-Ukraine Conflict; Israel-Palestine Conflict and the Gaza Strip; and 16 more.

13.1

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the war that began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, after eight years of conflict that followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the war…
13.2

Israel-Palestine Conflict and the Gaza Strip

The Israel-Palestine conflict is the long-running dispute between Israel and the Palestinians over land, statehood, borders, Jerusalem, refugees and security. It dates to the UN Partition Plan of 1947, the creation of Israel in 1948 and…
13.3

Israel-Hamas and Regional West Asia Tensions

The Israel-Hamas war widened into a regional confrontation involving Iran and the groups it backs, often called the axis of resistance, which include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq and Syria.…
13.4

Syria Civil War

The Syrian civil war began in 2011 as protests against President Bashar al-Assad during the Arab Spring turned into armed conflict involving the government, rebel groups, jihadist groups such as the Islamic State and foreign powers…
13.5

Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule

Afghanistan under Taliban rule refers to the period since the Taliban captured Kabul on 15 August 2021, as US-led forces completed their withdrawal after 20 years, and re-established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The group had…
13.6

Myanmar Political Crisis and Rohingya Refugee Issue

The Myanmar political crisis began on 1 February 2021 when the military, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, NLD, and declared…
13.7

Taiwan Strait Tensions

The Taiwan Strait is a roughly 180-kilometre-wide stretch of water between mainland China and the island of Taiwan, and the tensions are about Taiwan's political status. The People's Republic of China regards Taiwan as part of…
13.8

North Korea Nuclear Issue and the Korean Peninsula

The North Korea nuclear issue is the problem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programmes, which threaten South Korea, Japan and the region, within the larger dispute on the Korean Peninsula…
13.9

Yemen Civil War

The Yemen civil war is a conflict in the south of the Arabian Peninsula that began in 2014 when the Houthi movement, also called Ansar Allah, took control of the capital Sanaa and forced out the…
13.10

Sudan Conflict

The Sudan conflict is a war that began on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known…
13.11

Sahel Region Instability (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso)

The Sahel is the semi-arid belt south of the Sahara that stretches across Africa from Mauritania and Senegal in the west to Sudan and Eritrea in the east. The central Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso…
13.12

Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea

The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are a campaign of missile, drone and boat attacks on commercial ships by the Yemeni Houthi movement that began in November 2023, which the group said was in support…
13.13

Golan Heights Dispute (Israel-Syria)

The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in southwestern Syria, about 1,800 square kilometres in all, of which roughly 1,200 square kilometres have been held by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel annexed the…
13.14

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict (Armenia-Azerbaijan)

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region in the South Caucasus that is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but was populated mainly by ethnic Armenians and governed by a self-declared Republic of Artsakh. The conflict began in…
13.15

Diego Garcia and the Chagos Archipelago Dispute

The Chagos Archipelago is a group of about 60 small islands in the central Indian Ocean, of which Diego Garcia is the largest and hosts a joint US-UK military base. The United Kingdom separated the islands…
13.16

Falkland Islands Dispute (UK-Argentina)

The Falkland Islands dispute is a sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina over a group of islands in the South Atlantic, about 500 kilometres east of Argentina's coast, which Argentina calls the Islas Malvinas.…
13.17

Western Sahara Dispute

The Western Sahara dispute is a conflict over a sparsely populated desert territory on the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa, about 266,000 square kilometres, between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which seeks independence as the Sahrawi…
13.18

Kashmir Issue in International Fora

The Kashmir issue in international fora refers to how the dispute between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir has been raised at the United Nations and other bodies. Pakistan first took it to the UN…

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Frequently asked questions

Which topics are in Places in the News – Conflict Zones and Geopolitical Hotspots?

Places in the News – Conflict Zones and Geopolitical Hotspots has 18 micro topics in International Relations & Places in News: Russia-Ukraine Conflict; Israel-Palestine Conflict and the Gaza Strip; Israel-Hamas and Regional West Asia Tensions; Syria Civil War; Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule; Myanmar Political Crisis and Rohingya Refugee Issue; Taiwan Strait Tensions; North Korea Nuclear Issue and the Korean Peninsula; Yemen Civil War; Sudan Conflict; Sahel Region Instability (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso); Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea; Golan Heights Dispute (Israel-Syria); Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict (Armenia-Azerbaijan); Diego Garcia and the Chagos Archipelago Dispute; Falkland Islands Dispute (UK-Argentina); Western Sahara Dispute; Kashmir Issue in International Fora.

Is Places in the News – Conflict Zones and Geopolitical Hotspots important for UPSC Prelims?

Places in the News – Conflict Zones and Geopolitical Hotspots is a part of the UPSC Prelims International Relations & Places in News syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 18 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.