1.   It has a storied history punctuated by violence that dates back to the founding of the country.

2.   The uneasy truce that has followed is partial, marked by the averted gazes of divided communities, and punctuated by violence.

3.   The vote was punctuated by violence.

4.   A two-month truce between rival Kurdish factions in northern Iraq has enabled thousands of children to take exams and finish a school year punctuated by violence.