ABSTRACT
All states have a place on the world political map that is defined by themselves and others. That place becomes significant when there are political and economic changes within states themselves and in the region. Power shifts, new democracies, the ebbs and flows of conflict are examples of the nature of intrastate and interstate dynamics that also lead to defining and redefining a state’s place in the world. The past decade provides ample evidence of new states having sought to identify where they fit and belong on regional and world political maps, and also of old states having redefined their roles. 1
