2010 world map

Border history

The interactive map lets you inspect named territories in 2010 and compare them to earlier or later snapshots on the timeline.

Biographical context

This page highlights figures close to 2010 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.

2009 – 2026

Boko Haram Insurgency

Nigeria & Multinational Joint Task Force vs Boko Haram & ISWAP

A jihadist insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin led by Boko Haram and its rival faction ISWAP. In 2025-2026, ISWAP launched coordinated multi-axis attacks on Nigerian military bases, demonstrating rebuilt command-and-control capability.

Key battles: Chibok Schoolgirl Kidnapping (2014); Battle of Baga (2015)

2009 – 2017

Chechen Guerrilla Resistance

Russian Federation & Kadyrov forces vs Caucasus Emirate insurgents

The low-level insurgency that followed the Second Chechen War, as remnants of Chechen separatist and Islamist fighters waged guerrilla attacks across the North Caucasus before being largely suppressed.

Key battles: Grozny bombing (2009); Nalchik raid (2011)

2009 – 2010

Houthi-Saudi Border Conflict

Saudi Arabia vs Houthi movement (Yemen)

Saudi Arabia's first direct military intervention against the Houthis foreshadowed the much larger Saudi-led coalition war that would begin in 2015.

Key battles: Operation Scorched Earth (2009); Jebel Dukhan battles (2010)

2006 – 2026

Mexican Drug War

Mexican Government vs Drug Cartels (Sinaloa, CJNG, others)

A devastating conflict between the Mexican government and powerful drug cartels that has killed over 460,000 people since 2006. In 2026, the killing of CJNG leader 'El Mencho' triggered coordinated cartel retaliation across major cities.

Key battles: Battle of Culiacán (2019); Sinaloa Cartel Faction War (2024-present)

2006 – 2026

Somalia–Al-Shabaab War

Somali Federal Government & African Union vs Al-Shabaab

Al-Shabaab launched its most ambitious offensive in years in 2025, reversing government gains and advancing to within 50 km of Mogadishu.

Key battles: Al-Shabaab 2025 offensive; Battle for south-central Somalia (2025)

2004 – 2026

Insurgency in Balochistan

Pakistani Military vs BLA, BLF & Baloch Separatists

A separatist insurgency in Pakistan's Balochistan province that escalated sharply in 2025, with 1,534 killed — nearly double the previous year. In 2026, the BLA launched coordinated attacks on schools, hospitals, and military installations across the province.

Key battles: Jaffar Express Hijacking (2025); 2026 Balochistan Coordinated Attacks

2003 – 2011

Iraq War

United States & coalition vs Iraqi insurgents

The US invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, but the occupation triggered a devastating insurgency and sectarian civil war that killed hundreds of thousands.

Key battles: Fall of Baghdad (2003); First Battle of Fallujah (2004)

2003 – 2020

War in Darfur

Sudan Government & Janjaweed militias vs Sudan Liberation Movement, JEM

The Sudanese government's response to a rebel insurgency in Darfur escalated into what the U.S. called genocide. Government-backed Janjaweed militias conducted systematic campaigns of murder, rape, and village destruction, displacing over 2.5 million people and killing an estimated 300,000.

Key battles: Janjaweed campaigns (2003-2004); Battle of El Fasher (2003)

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

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

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

Built 2007 · Asia

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Abu Dhabi's grand white marble mosque accommodating over 40,000 worshippers, featuring the world's largest hand-knotted carpet and crystal chandeliers

Built 2001 · Asia

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Oman's principal mosque in Muscat, blending Islamic architectural traditions from across the Muslim world with locally quarried sandstone

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

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.

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.

Kenya · Revolutionary

Wangari Maathai

The Woman Who Planted a Forest

How a Kenyan biologist planted fifty-one million trees, toppled a dictatorship, and became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.