The study of how geography, territory, and natural resources influence international politics, power, and conflict between nations.
From geo- (earth) + politics, coined in German as 'Geopolitik' in early 1900s. The term combines geographic analysis with political science to explain why countries compete over certain regions.
Geopolitics explains why your smartphone probably contains cobalt from Congo, why ports matter more than armies in modern strategy, and why controlling resources is often the invisible hand pushing nations toward conflict.
Discipline formalized in early 20th century with gendered exclusions: women analysts largely excluded from institutional authority in Cold War security discourse; still male-dominated in policy circles.
Term itself is neutral; ensure citations and case studies include women theorists and gender-conscious analysis in geopolitical scholarship.
Feminist geopolitics (Joanne Sharp, Doreen Massey, others) interrogates how gender structures territorial claims, military strategy, and state power—foundational insights often marginalised in realist traditions.
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