While the fate of all of the Americans involved in a deadly hostage situation in Algeria remains uncertain, they, along with their international colleagues, have already been initiated into the troubled brotherhood of those who have been held against their will abroad.

According to terrorism trackers at the private contracting group IntelCenter, there are dozens of hostages currently being held by various groups around the globe, some of whom have now endured captivity for years.

Ben Venske, CEO of IntelCenter, told ABC News that his company made an interactive map of ongoing hostage situations both to identify trends and patterns in the violent incidents as well as to make sure those being held are not forgotten.

"A kidnapping occurs in a blink but can last for years without any end in sight," Venske said.

Check out IntelCenter's interactive map below and click on the icons to learn more about specific hostage situations. Double-click on the map to zoom in.