Hidden Places
Locations that exist just outside the edge of the map. Off-limits, forgotten, or simply unknown.
13 articlesLatest Hidden Places
Afghanistan is Now So Much Worse Than You Think.
Five years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan faces economic collapse, mass hunger, women's rights erasure, ISIS attacks, and rising tensions with Pakistan. Here's how the country descended into its worst crisis yet.
This is the Most Dangerous Border in the World
Explore the India-China border, where nuclear-armed nations clash with medieval weapons in the Himalayas. From the 1962 war to the brutal 2020 Galwan Valley brawl, discover why this contested frontier remains the world's most dangerous.
The Islands Where World War 3 Will Start
Just kilometers from mainland China, Taiwan's Kinmen islands sit on a geopolitical tripwire. Discover why these tiny islands could spark World War Three.
Russia Has Dozens of Cities It Doesn't Want You to See
Discover Russia's 38 ZATO closed cities—secret settlements hidden since Soviet times that house nuclear weapons programs, submarine fleets, space launch facilities, and military operations most Russians can't access.
Burkina Faso: The West African Dictatorship That Loves Russia.
How Burkina Faso fell from a stable West African state to a military dictatorship allied with Russia, torn apart by jihadist insurgency and led by a young captain evoking the revolutionary legacy of Thomas Sankara.
The Region at War for 70 Years.
Explore the Korean Demilitarised Zone, the world's most fortified border, where North and South Korea remain technically at war after 70 years of tension, abductions, and near-nuclear conflict.
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West Papua: The 60-Year Insurgency You've Never Heard Of
Discover the hidden conflict in West Papua, where a decades-long independence struggle against Indonesian rule has involved human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and a fight for self-determination that most of the world has never heard about.
The Central Asian Region Where People Can't Stop Fighting...
Explore the Fergana Valley, Central Asia's most volatile region, where Soviet-drawn borders, ethnic diversity, and resource competition have fueled decades of brutal conflict between Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, and Tajiks.
The Ocean Rock That 4 Countries are Fighting Over...
Discover why four nations have spent decades battling over Rockall Bank, a tiny uninhabited rock in the North Atlantic, and why it might never be resolved.
The Golden Triangle's "Special Economic Zone" (For Crime)
How a Chinese casino tycoon became sovereign dictator of a lawless 3,000-hectare zone in Laos, where drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, and wildlife crime operate with near-total impunity.
Wa State: The Communist Drug Empire Inside Myanmar
Deep in the jungles of Myanmar lies Wa State, a semi-autonomous communist region that thrives as the world's crystal meth capital, backed by China and shielded by geography and neutrality from the nation's civil war.
Waziristan: The Terrorist Training Ground
Explore the turbulent history of Waziristan, from British colonial struggles to the modern war on terror, and discover why this mountainous border region became a global hub for terrorist training and extremist militancy.