2000 world map

Border history

The interactive map lets you inspect named territories in 2000 and compare them to earlier or later snapshots on the timeline.

Biographical context

This page highlights figures close to 2000 so readers can move from geography to biography without leaving the Historiqly ecosystem.

Era-based reading

The related chronicles below surface long-form reading connected to the contemporary period.

2000 – 2005

Second Intifada

Israel vs Palestinian militant groups and factions

The al-Aqsa Intifada turned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into years of suicide bombings, urban raids, targeted killings and heavy fighting across the West Bank and Gaza.

Key battles: Battle of Jenin (2002); Siege of Ramallah (2002)

1999 – 2009

Second Chechen War

Russian Federation vs Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

Launched by Vladimir Putin after apartment bombings in Moscow, the war levelled Grozny and killed 50,000–80,000 people, mostly civilians. The conflict cemented Putin's grip on power and installed the Kadyrov dynasty to rule Chechnya.

Key battles: Battle of Dagestan (1999); Siege of Grozny (1999–2000)

1998 – 2000

Eritrean-Ethiopian Border War (Badme)

Eritrea vs Ethiopia

A border dispute over the town of Badme erupted into full-scale trench warfare reminiscent of WWI, killing 70,000-100,000 people in one of Africa's deadliest interstate conflicts.

Key battles: Battle of Badme (1998-1999); Operation Sunset (2000)

1998 – 2000

Eritrean–Ethiopian War

Eritrea vs Ethiopia

A devastating border war between two of Africa's poorest nations over the town of Badme. The conflict featured WWI-style trench warfare and killed 70,000-100,000 soldiers. Ethiopia's final offensive broke through Eritrean lines, though the underlying border dispute remained unresolved until 2018.

Key battles: Battle of Badme (1998-1999); Operation Sunset (2000)

1998 – 2003

Second Congo War

DR Congo, Angola, Namibia & Zimbabwe vs Rwanda, Uganda, RCD & MLC rebels

Known as 'Africa's World War,' the conflict drew in nine nations and 25 armed groups. An estimated 3.8 million people died, mostly from disease and starvation, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II.

Key battles: Battle of Kinshasa (August 1998); Battle of Kisangani (1999–2000)

1996 – 2006

Nepalese Civil War

Government of Nepal vs Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)

Maoist insurgents launched a 'People's War' against Nepal's monarchy, eventually controlling much of the countryside. The conflict ended when the Maoists joined mainstream politics, leading to the abolition of the monarchy and creation of a republic.

Key battles: Battle of Dunai (2001); Battle of Beni (2004)

1993 – 2005

Burundi Civil War

Burundian Government (Tutsi-led military) vs Hutu rebel groups (CNDD-FDD, FNL)

An ethnic civil war between the Tutsi-dominated military and Hutu rebel groups, paralleling the Rwandan genocide next door. An estimated 300,000 people died before a power-sharing agreement ended the conflict.

Key battles: October 1993 massacres; Battle of Bujumbura (1994)

1992 – 2002

Algerian Civil War

Algerian government vs Islamist insurgent groups

A brutal civil war that erupted after the cancellation of Algeria's elections, pitting the state against Islamist insurgents in a conflict marked by massacres and disappearances.

Key battles: Battle of Algiers (1997); Bentalha massacre (1997)

Ghana / New York

Kofi Annan

1938 – 2018

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, global advocate for human rights and development

United Kingdom

Margaret Thatcher

1925 – 2013

“The lady's not for turning.”

First female British Prime Minister, Falklands War, economic transformation of Britain

South Africa

Nelson Mandela

1918 – 2013

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Anti-apartheid revolutionary, political prisoner for 27 years, first Black president of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

United States

Ronald Reagan

1911 – 2004

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

40th President of the United States, Cold War leadership, Reaganomics, transforming the conservative movement

California

Steve Jobs

1955 – 2011

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Co-founder of Apple, personal computer revolution, iPhone, Pixar, design-driven innovation

Kenya

Wangari Maathai

1940 – 2011

“It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.”

Green Belt Movement, Nobel Peace Prize, environmental and democratic activism

Built 1996 · Asia

Cristo Rei of Dili

27-meter bronze statue of Christ atop Cape Fatucama in Dili, Timor-Leste, symbol of the nation's Catholic identity following independence

Built 1986 · Asia

Faisal Mosque

Islamabad's landmark mosque with a striking tent-shaped design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, one of the largest mosques in the world

Built 1986 · Africa

Hassan II Mosque

Mosque with the world's tallest minaret, partially built over the Atlantic Ocean in Casablanca

Built 1985 · Africa

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

World's largest church by area, modelled on St. Peter's Basilica, in Yamoussoukro

Natural wonder · Asia

Darvaza Gas Crater

Burning natural gas crater in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert, alight continuously since 1971

Built 1963 · Africa

Great Mosque of Touba

Holy city and largest mosque in sub-Saharan Africa, centre of the Mouride brotherhood in Senegal

Ghana / New York · Leader

Kofi Annan

The Conscience of the World

The story of a quiet boy from Kumasi who became the moral voice of a fractured world — from the Gold Coast to the glass towers of the United Nations, from Rwanda’s killing fields to the Nobel stage in Oslo.

South Africa · Revolutionary

Nelson Mandela

The Long Walk to Freedom

The story of a Xhosa chief’s son who became the world’s most famous prisoner, endured twenty-seven years behind bars, and emerged to dismantle apartheid and lead a nation back from the brink of civil war.

United States · Leader

Ronald Reagan

The Great Communicator

The story of a small-town boy from Dixon, Illinois, who went from Hollywood B-movies to the White House and helped bring down the Iron Curtain — the Great Communicator who reshaped American conservatism.

California · Revolutionary

Steve Jobs

The Man Who Thought Different

The story of an adopted kid from Mountain View who built the most valuable company on earth, was fired from his own creation, and returned to reinvent the personal computer, the phone, and the way the world listens to music.