The Geopolitics of Now, in Four Maps

A picture is worth a thousand words. Especially when it comes to China, the Middle East, Europe, and Russia.

by George Friedman and Jacob L. Shapiro
January 24, 2017

International relations and geopolitics are not synonymous. “International relations” is a descriptive phrase that encompasses all the ways countries behave toward one another. “Geopolitics” is the supposition that all international relationships are based on the interaction between geography and power.

We take this a step further and assert that a deep understanding of geography and power enables you to do two things. First, it helps you comprehend the forces that will shape international politics and how they will do so. Second, it allows you to identify what is important and what isn’t.

This makes maps an extremely important part of our work. Writing can be an ideal medium for explaining power, but even the best writer is limited by language when it comes to describing geography. So this week, we have decided to showcase some of the best maps our graphics team (TJ Lensing and Jay Dowd) made in 2016… not just because these four ma…