Report: Political instability on the rise

People walk with their belongings in the area around Sinujiif as they evacuate on November 14, 2013 after a ferocious storm and days of heavy floods in Somalia's northeastern Puntland region. Somalia has ranked in the top 10 in Maplecroft's political risk index for the past six years.

A rebel fighter from the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo, on December 1, 2013. Syria experienced the largest increase in short-term political risk over the last year, according to Maplecroft. The country changed from 44th place in 2010 to 2nd place this year.