Who uses the Global Armed Conflicts Map?
The Global Armed Conflicts Map is built for anyone who needs to understand the world's active wars quickly and without a paywall: journalists, researchers and students, humanitarian and NGO staff, OSINT and security analysts, educators, and informed members of the public. Below is what each group gets from it.
Journalists and newsrooms
Reporters use the map for fast orientation on a breaking story and for context that situates one conflict among the other 28. Each theater page gives a neutral, citable summary of actors and stakes, a timeline, and links straight to primary sources (ACLED, UCDP, CFR, Google News) for verification — useful when filing quickly against a deadline.
Researchers, students and educators
For coursework, literature reviews and classroom use, the map turns scattered academic datasets into a comparable, plain-language overview. The methodology page and the ACLED vs UCDP vs CFR comparison explain exactly how the underlying data differs — a common point of confusion for students new to conflict studies.
Humanitarian and NGO staff
Aid workers and analysts use the map for situational awareness across multiple operational contexts at once. The auto-updated "Latest developments" headlines come directly from Google News, which aggregates reporting from thousands of global news outlets, so the freshest items surface automatically.
OSINT and security analysts
Open-source intelligence practitioners use the map as a fast index into 29 theaters and a launchpad to deeper tooling. Our guide to conflict-tracking tools covers how the map complements live event feeds, geolocation workflows and the primary datasets for monitoring escalation.
Informed general readers
For readers who simply want to understand "what wars are happening right now and why," the map answers that in one screen, with a jargon-free briefing behind every marker and a consistent structure that makes conflicts easy to compare.
What makes it different
- Free and open — no paywall, no login.
- Comparable — every conflict uses the same profile structure.
- Sourced — each page links to ACLED, UCDP, CFR and Google News.
- Neutral — plain, non-partisan summaries.
- Current — humanitarian headlines refresh automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Global Armed Conflicts Map free to use?
Yes. The map and all 29 theater briefings are free and open, with no paywall or login required.
Can I use it for journalism or research?
Yes. The pages are neutral and source-attributed, with links to ACLED, UCDP, CFR and Google News so you can verify figures against primary sources. Please cite the underlying sources for specific numbers.
Is it suitable for students and classrooms?
Yes. It is designed to turn dense academic conflict data into a comparable, plain-language overview, and the methodology page explains how the underlying datasets differ.
How is it different from other conflict maps?
It is free, organized around comparable conflict 'theaters' with a consistent profile for each, neutral in tone, fully source-attributed, and kept current with automatic news headlines from Google News.