A visual guide to the world’s diplomatic relationships.

What we do

We're mapping the 18,000+ bilateral relationships in the world.

SPHERE is a research initiative that maps the evolving landscape of global diplomacy. Our contributors, including experts and student volunteers, research and categorize the world’s bilateral relationships, helping track who’s aligned, who’s at odds, and how international dynamics are shifting. Their work builds a living, public resource for tracking global affairs — while giving the students real-world experience in the kind of research and reasoning used in diplomacy, journalism, and international policy.

Why we do it

Gain a snapshot of the current state of a country or region’s diplomatic relationships.

SPHERE provides a high-level view of how countries relate to one another — whether their relationship is aligned, strained, or hostile — drawing on credible sourcing and often with expert input. Our data is based on vetted research, journalism, and country expertise.

Track patterns in global alliances and tensions.

By maintaining an active, continuously updated record of global bilateral relationships, SPHERE enables users to spot emerging trends in international diplomacy — from growing alignment to rising tensions. By capturing shifts in state-to-state dynamics, SPHERE informs research, policy, and public understanding.

Spot diplomatic blocs and alignments.

SPHERE enables users to observe clusters of alignment and hostility, offering a bird’s-eye view of the emerging and enduring blocs that define today’s world order. It provides a valuable lens into how diplomacy is unfolding and how the international landscape is organizing in real time.

Aligned

Countries that share broadly cooperative relations. These ties may be anchored in formal alliances, strategic partnerships, or shaped by a shared history, similar values, or pragmatic collaboration. Aligned countries can operate with strong, mutual commitments or retain strategic autonomy. Even if they diverge on certain issues, the tone remains friendly, the ties resilient, and the stakes often too high to risk real rupture. Their overall posture is one of trust, mutual respect, and diplomatic goodwill.

Formal AlliesStrategic PartnersFriendly AutonomyDiplomatic AlignmentFriendly RelationsCultural or Historical Ties

Strained

Countries whose relations are neither close nor openly hostile but shaped by mistrust, strategic divergence, or unresolved tensions. While cooperation may occur where interests align, the relationship remains constrained by caution, inconsistency, or lingering grievances. The overall posture is functional but fragile, reflecting wariness and a lack of trust.

Mutual FrustrationStrategic CompetitorsCautious EngagementDiscrete EngagementDiplomatic VolatilityDiplomatic StrainHigh-Stakes Tension

Adversarial

Countries whose relations are rooted in deep mistrust, entrenched rivalry, or outright hostility. They may be locked in open conflict, have severed diplomatic ties, or pursue diametrically opposed aims across military, economic, or ideological spheres. Even where formal ties remain, communication is limited, cooperation rare, and strategic outlooks fundamentally opposed. While the intensity of hostility may vary, the overall posture is one of enduring antagonism and persistent risk of escalation.

Strategic ThreatsSeverely Restricted TiesDiplomatic SeveranceNon-RecognitionGeopolitical RivalsActive Conflict

No Formal Ties

The two states have no established diplomatic relationship, lacking embassies, formal agreements, or consistent communication. This reflects a neutral absence of engagement, often due to limited strategic interest or geographic and political distance.

Aligned

Strained

Adversarial

No Formal Ties

How we do

Open source research conducted by student volunteers

We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders in international affairs. Volunteers — including motivated students as early as high school — join our community to conduct open-source research and help map and maintain an active database of thousands of bilateral relationships.

Guided review and support from experienced analysts.

All submissions are reviewed by seasoned professionals in the field of foreign policy and international relations. This process not only ensures accuracy and rigor but also gives contributors valuable feedback — deepening their skills and preparing them for future roles in the field of international relations.

Community input for real-time accuracy.

SPHERE tracks over 18,000 bilateral relationships to offer a comprehensive, evolving picture of global diplomacy. To keep the data dynamic and reflective of real-world developments, users are invited to contribute their informed insights on the categorization of the relationships. This crowdsourced input helps validate and expand the dataset and, like all submissions, is carefully vetted before going live.

Usage and Copyrights

This product is publicly available for use with attribution to The Sage Institute for Foreign Affairs.

FAQ

How often is the data updated?

Update frequency varies by country, but we’re actively expanding. Our goal is to eventually assign a trained student researcher to monitor each country in the world.

You can help accelerate this process. By visiting a bilateral relationship page and submitting your input, you directly support the growth and accuracy of the platform.

What are your sources?

Each bilateral relationship is categorized through informed assessment, drawing on research from think tanks, expert analysis, reputable news reporting, and other credible sources. In some cases, experts have directly reviewed and affirmed our classifications.

We do not use AI systems for the categorizations because AI systems are language models, not knowledge models; instead, we rely on well-sourced reporting and expert judgment to classify the relationships between countries.

Can I use your data in my research and reporting?

Yes! We encourage educators, researchers, journalists, policymakers, and others to use our data and visualizations provided that The Sage Institute for Foreign Affairs is clearly credited as the source. Proper attribution must include the name of the Institute and, if known, the name of the actual author and may take the form of a visible watermark, citation, or a link back to our website. Modifying the content is not permitted.

Failure to provide appropriate credit may violate our intellectual property rights or others. Read our full Terms of Use.

Can I contribute or suggest updates to the platform?

Yes! We would love your help in building the world’s most accessible map of diplomacy. You can contribute by choosing how a diplomatic relationship should be categorized on any bilateral relationship page. Your input helps us refine and maintain the accuracy of the platform.

If you notice an error or discrepancy, please use the Report a Problem feature to let us know. We rely on engaged users like you to keep SPHERE reliable and up to date.

Are submissions from the public reviewed for accuracy?

Yes - everything you contribute is reviewed by our country leads and the seasoned professionals who oversee them. Your participation not only improves the platform but also helps train the next generation of foreign policy analysts.

Does SPHERE map historical bilateral relationships?

Soon! It is part of our roadmap. We plan to expand SPHERE to include historical data, offering users a deeper understanding of how diplomatic relationships have evolved over time. If you’d like to support the development of this feature and other long-term improvements, consider making a donation. Every contribution helps us grow this resource for global understanding.

Support a more informed world, one relationship at a time.

Contributors

Thank you to our student volunteers who have contributed their time and knowledge to create SPHERE.

Alice Johnson

Bob Smith

Charlie Brown

Diana Miller

Ethan Davis

Fiona Wilson

George Clark

Hannah Moore

Ian Taylor

Julia Anderson

Kevin Thomas

Laura White

Michael Harris

Natalie Martin

Oliver Lewis

Paula Walker

Quinn Hall

Rachel Young

Samuel King

Tina Scott

Uma Adams

Victor Baker

Wendy Carter

Xander Evans

Yvonne Green

Zachary Hill

Amber Hughes

Brian Lopez

Catherine Perez

Daniel Reed

Ella Stewart

Frank Turner

Grace Ward

Henry Wright

Isla Bennett

Jack Foster

Kylie Gray

Liam Howard

Mia Hughes

Noah Jenkins

Olivia Kelly

Peter Long

Quincy Morgan

Ruby Nelson

Sophia Owens

Thomas Phillips

Ursula Ramirez

Violet Sanders

William Torres