Visuals: International affairs and defence

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Maps

Arctic States

The map illustrates countries and territories in the Arctic circumpolar region, as well as selected population centres located within the Arctic Circle with more than 1,000 inhabitants. The North Water Polynya and Hans Island are both shown. There are significantly more larger population centres located within the Arctic Circle in Russia than in any other country or territory.
Read the HillStudy: The Arctic: Organizations Involved in Circumpolar Cooperation (2026)

 

Map of the Korean Peninsula

Map illustrating North Korea with its capital city of Pyongyang, and South Korea with its capital city of Seoul, as well as the city of Busan in the South East. The demilitarized zone is identified along the border between the two countries. The city of Panmunjom is situated within the demilitarized zone at its western end.
Read the HillNote: Security on the Korean Peninsula: Canada’s Role (2021)

 

Infographics

Main Categories of Anti-Personnel Mines

The image shows two types of anti-personnel mines: blast mines and fragmentation mines. A blast mine is detonated when pressure is applied by stepping on it. The explosion causes severe lower-limb injuries. A fragmentation mine is armed and waits to be triggered by trip wire, for example. The explosion causes metal fragments to scatter, injuring multiple people.

 Read the HillStudy: The Future of the Ottawa Treaty (2026)

 

Recognizing Genocide: Canada’s Approach

The infographic illustrates Canada’s approach to the recognition of genocide. It first recognizes the jurisdiction of international and national courts. However, it may also make political designations. Canada takes any allegations of genocide very seriously and collaborates, if necessary, with the international community to conduct investigations. The genocides officially recognized by Canada show that recognition is not systematically based on legal decisions, and that a decision by a competent court does not necessarily guarantee political recognition.

Read the HillNote: State Recognition of Genocide (2025)

 

Projected Increase in Global Average Temperature by 2100

This figure presents a thermometer that uses a colour gradient to depict the increasing severity of climate change impacts with each increment of warming above pre-industrial levels. The projected increase in global average temperature if all countries honour their emissions reduction pledges is 1.7 °C to 2.6 °C. The projected increase under current policies and actions is higher, at 2.0 °C to 3.6 °C.
Read the HillNote: COP26: Negotiating for 1.5 Degrees Celsius (2021)

 

The Importance of Space to Canada

This visual element shows some of the ways that Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces rely on satellites. For Canadians, these include: navigating with the Global Positioning System; conducting financial transactions using an automated teller machine; making an emergency phone call; and checking the weather. For the Canadian Armed Forces, satellites contribute to search and rescue operations; the monitoring of an international crisis; and the identification of aircraft entering Canada’s airspace.
Read the HillStudy: The Growing Complexity of Space: Implications for Security and Stability (2022)

 

Member Countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Some Non‑Member Bordering Countries, as of 20 May 2022

This map illustrates each of the 30 member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The 12 founding countries of NATO, which are members since its creation in 1949 are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the United States, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The other member countries are: Greece and Turkey (since 1952); Czechia, Hungary and Poland (since 1999); Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (since 2004); Albania and Croatia (since 2009); Montenegro (since 2017); and North Macedonia (since 2020). The map also shows the countries that are not NATO members but that border some member countries.

Read the HillStudy: The NATO 2030 Initiative: Overview and Implications for Canada (2022)

 

Graphs and charts

Top 10 Assessed Contributions to the United Nations Regular Budget and Their Assessed Contributions, 2020

This table shows the top ten assessed contributors to the UN’s 2020 regular budget and their assessed contributions as a percentage of the overall budget. They are, in order, from highest to lowest: the United States (22.0%), China (12.0%), Japan (8.6%), Germany (6.1%), United Kingdom (4.6%), France (4.4%), Italy (3.3%), Brazil (2.9%), Canada (2.7%), Russia (2.4%), followed by the rest of membership (31.0%). The bottom of the table notes that the total estimated gross contributions to the UN regular budget in 2020 are US$3.1 billion.

Read the HillNote: The United Nations at 75: “Imperfect but indispensable”? (2020)