diff --git a/components/observatory/map-component.tsx b/components/observatory/map-component.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b3b377f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/observatory/map-component.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import L from "leaflet";
+import { MapContainer, TileLayer, Marker, Popup, ZoomControl } from "react-leaflet";
+
+// Import leaflet CSS
+import "leaflet/dist/leaflet.css";
+
+// Add declaration for Leaflet's Icon.Default
+declare module 'leaflet' {
+  namespace Icon {
+    interface Default {
+      _getIconUrl?: string;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+interface CountryData {
+  name: string;
+  count: number;
+  position: [number, number]; // latitude, longitude
+}
+
+interface MapComponentProps {
+  countries: CountryData[];
+  onCountrySelect: (country: string) => void;
+  selectedCountry: string | null;
+}
+
+// Fix Leaflet default icon path issues
+function fixLeafletIcons() {
+  // Delete to prevent duplicate icon definitions
+  delete L.Icon.Default.prototype._getIconUrl;
+  
+  // Set paths to the images
+  L.Icon.Default.mergeOptions({
+    iconRetinaUrl: "https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/images/marker-icon-2x.png",
+    iconUrl: "https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/images/marker-icon.png",
+    shadowUrl: "https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/images/marker-shadow.png",
+  });
+}
+
+export function MapComponent({ countries, onCountrySelect, selectedCountry }: MapComponentProps) {
+  const [isClient, setIsClient] = useState(false);
+  
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // Fix Leaflet icons on client side
+    fixLeafletIcons();
+    setIsClient(true);
+  }, []);
+  
+  // Get custom icon based on count
+  const getMarkerIcon = (count: number, isSelected: boolean) => {
+    const size = Math.min(Math.max(20, count * 5), 40);
+    
+    return L.divIcon({
+      html: `<div style="
+        background-color: ${isSelected ? '#3b82f6' : '#ef4444'};
+        color: white;
+        border-radius: 50%;
+        width: ${size}px;
+        height: ${size}px;
+        display: flex;
+        justify-content: center;
+        align-items: center;
+        font-weight: bold;
+        font-size: ${size > 30 ? 14 : 12}px;
+        box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px white;
+      ">${count}</div>`,
+      className: '',
+      iconSize: [size, size],
+      iconAnchor: [size/2, size/2]
+    });
+  };
+  
+  if (!isClient) {
+    return (
+      <div className="w-full h-full bg-gray-100 flex items-center justify-center">
+        <p className="text-gray-500">Loading map...</p>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+  
+  return (
+    <MapContainer
+      center={[20, 0]} // Center of the world
+      zoom={2}
+      style={{ height: '100%', width: '100%' }}
+      zoomControl={false}
+      key="world-map" // Static key to help with React identity
+    >
+      <TileLayer
+        attribution='&copy; <a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright">OpenStreetMap</a> contributors'
+        url="https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png"
+      />
+      <ZoomControl position="bottomright" />
+      
+      {countries.map((country) => (
+        <Marker
+          key={country.name}
+          position={country.position}
+          icon={getMarkerIcon(country.count, country.name === selectedCountry)}
+          eventHandlers={{
+            click: () => onCountrySelect(country.name)
+          }}
+        >
+          <Popup>
+            <div className="text-center">
+              <strong>{country.name}</strong>
+              <div>{country.count} news articles</div>
+            </div>
+          </Popup>
+        </Marker>
+      ))}
+    </MapContainer>
+  );
+} 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/components/observatory/observatory-map.tsx b/components/observatory/observatory-map.tsx
index d73a5e46..d89ed88e 100644
--- a/components/observatory/observatory-map.tsx
+++ b/components/observatory/observatory-map.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import dynamic from "next/dynamic";
 
 interface CountryData {
@@ -90,27 +90,17 @@ const COUNTRY_COORDINATES: Record<string, [number, number]> = {
   'United Nations': [40.7, -74.0], // UN HQ in New York
 };
 
-// Dynamic imports for Leaflet components to avoid SSR issues
-// We use "any" type here to avoid TypeScript errors with dynamic imports
-const MapContainer: any = dynamic(
-  () => import('react-leaflet').then(mod => mod.MapContainer),
-  { ssr: false }
-);
-const TileLayer: any = dynamic(
-  () => import('react-leaflet').then(mod => mod.TileLayer),
-  { ssr: false }
-);
-const Marker: any = dynamic(
-  () => import('react-leaflet').then(mod => mod.Marker),
-  { ssr: false }
-);
-const Popup: any = dynamic(
-  () => import('react-leaflet').then(mod => mod.Popup),
-  { ssr: false }
-);
-const ZoomControl: any = dynamic(
-  () => import('react-leaflet').then(mod => mod.ZoomControl),
-  { ssr: false }
+// Create a client-only map component to avoid SSR issues
+const MapComponent = dynamic(
+  () => import('./map-component').then((mod) => mod.MapComponent),
+  {
+    ssr: false,
+    loading: () => (
+      <div className="w-full h-full bg-gray-100 flex items-center justify-center">
+        <p className="text-gray-500">Loading map...</p>
+      </div>
+    ),
+  }
 );
 
 export function ObservatoryMap({
@@ -118,51 +108,6 @@ export function ObservatoryMap({
   onCountrySelect,
   selectedCountry
 }: ObservatoryMapProps) {
-  const [isMounted, setIsMounted] = useState(false);
-  const [mapKey, setMapKey] = useState(Date.now()); // Unique key for map container
-  
-  // We'll need the Leaflet CSS
-  useEffect(() => {
-    // Import Leaflet CSS only on the client
-    const loadLeafletStyles = async () => {
-      try {
-        await import('leaflet/dist/leaflet.css');
-      } catch (e) {
-        console.error('Failed to load Leaflet CSS', e);
-      }
-    };
-    
-    loadLeafletStyles();
-    
-    // Add marker icons to prevent missing icons issue
-    if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
-      // Fix Leaflet's icon paths
-      delete window._leaflet_L;
-      
-      try {
-        const L = require('leaflet');
-        
-        // Set default icon paths
-        delete L.Icon.Default.prototype._getIconUrl;
-        L.Icon.Default.mergeOptions({
-          iconRetinaUrl: 'https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/images/marker-icon-2x.png',
-          iconUrl: 'https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/images/marker-icon.png',
-          shadowUrl: 'https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/images/marker-shadow.png',
-        });
-      } catch (e) {
-        console.error('Failed to load Leaflet', e);
-      }
-    }
-    
-    setIsMounted(true);
-    
-    // Return cleanup function
-    return () => {
-      // Generate a new key if the component is unmounted and remounted
-      setMapKey(Date.now());
-    };
-  }, []);
-  
   // Prepare countries with coordinates
   const countriesWithCoordinates = countries.filter(country => {
     return COUNTRY_COORDINATES[country.name] !== undefined;
@@ -174,79 +119,13 @@ export function ObservatoryMap({
   // Sort countries by count (higher count = shows on top)
   const sortedCountries = [...countriesWithCoordinates].sort((a, b) => b.count - a.count);
   
-  // Get custom icon based on count
-  const getMarkerIcon = (count: number, isSelected: boolean) => {
-    if (typeof window === 'undefined') return null;
-    
-    try {
-      const L = require('leaflet');
-      const size = Math.min(Math.max(20, count * 5), 40);
-      
-      return L.divIcon({
-        html: `<div style="
-          background-color: ${isSelected ? '#3b82f6' : '#ef4444'};
-          color: white;
-          border-radius: 50%;
-          width: ${size}px;
-          height: ${size}px;
-          display: flex;
-          justify-content: center;
-          align-items: center;
-          font-weight: bold;
-          font-size: ${size > 30 ? 14 : 12}px;
-          box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px white;
-        ">${count}</div>`,
-        className: '',
-        iconSize: [size, size],
-        iconAnchor: [size/2, size/2]
-      });
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error('Failed to create icon', e);
-      return null;
-    }
-  };
-  
-  if (!isMounted) {
-    return (
-      <div className="w-full h-full bg-gray-100 flex items-center justify-center">
-        <p className="text-gray-500">Loading map...</p>
-      </div>
-    );
-  }
-  
   return (
     <div className="w-full h-full">
-      <MapContainer
-        key={mapKey} // Add a unique key to ensure the map is only initialized once
-        center={[20, 0]} // Center of the world
-        zoom={2}
-        style={{ height: '100%', width: '100%' }}
-        zoomControl={false}
-      >
-        <TileLayer
-          attribution='&copy; <a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright">OpenStreetMap</a> contributors'
-          url="https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png"
-        />
-        <ZoomControl position="bottomright" />
-        
-        {sortedCountries.map((country) => (
-          <Marker
-            key={country.name}
-            position={country.position!}
-            icon={getMarkerIcon(country.count, country.name === selectedCountry)}
-            eventHandlers={{
-              click: () => onCountrySelect(country.name)
-            }}
-          >
-            <Popup>
-              <div className="text-center">
-                <strong>{country.name}</strong>
-                <div>{country.count} news articles</div>
-              </div>
-            </Popup>
-          </Marker>
-        ))}
-      </MapContainer>
+      <MapComponent
+        countries={sortedCountries}
+        onCountrySelect={onCountrySelect}
+        selectedCountry={selectedCountry}
+      />
     </div>
   );
 } 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/components/observatory/observatory-view.tsx b/components/observatory/observatory-view.tsx
index 333b52b5..8f82a777 100644
--- a/components/observatory/observatory-view.tsx
+++ b/components/observatory/observatory-view.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ export function ObservatoryView() {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [selectedCountry, setSelectedCountry] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [isBrowser, setIsBrowser] = useState(false);
+
+  // Check if we're in the browser
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setIsBrowser(true);
+  }, []);
 
   // Fetch news data
   const fetchNews = async () => {
@@ -186,7 +192,7 @@ export function ObservatoryView() {
               </div>
             </div>
             <div className="flex-grow">
-              {!loading && (
+              {!loading && isBrowser && (
                 <ObservatoryMap 
                   key="observatory-map"
                   countries={Object.entries(countriesMap).map(([name, items]) => ({