Many areas of the world have faced regional conflicts since the end of World War II. Fighting broke out in several areas of Africa as colonies gained independence, and in some African regions internal conflicts continue today. Ethnic and political conflicts have affected Ireland, the Balkans, Chechnya and Sri Lanka. In the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli conflict has come to define relations between nations in the region.
Political, religious, and ethnic unrest has disrupted lives in many regions of the globe.
As many African nations won independence in the 1950s and 1960s, they held great hopes and faced great challenges.
The Middle East has been the focus of conflicts that have had an impact far beyond the region.