In 1951, the United Nations set out to define who a refugee is, signing the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. At that time, it initially sought to protect millions of European refugees after World War Two. Later, it would amend the treaty to apply to refugees "without any geographic limitation." Today, civil strife, ethnic conflicts, political repression, dire economic conditions, and climate change have pushed global refugee populations higher than ever previously recorded. VOA looks at where refugees come from, the challenges they face, and the paths they travel to seek asylum.