More often than not, military and political analysts refer to the current ground situation in Syria by referencing maps that are visually descriptive, but lack the depth to convey what is really going on inside the country.
Coloring provinces and cities can be productive if you are attempting to kill time while waiting for your dentist to perform a root canal procedure; however, in this war, it is a façade that has hyperbolized the gains of a radical group like the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s (ISIS), who are often depicted as having control of half of the country.