What is Geopolitics?

Geopolitics is the study of how human and physical geographical features affect politics and international relations. (Wiki article)

Spheres of Influence - World Systems Theory

Spheres of Influence Today - Wiki

Cold War - 1959 - Wiki

World Systems Theory
Core and Periphery Countries (Wiki)

World Systems Theory

World-Systems Theory, Dependency Theory and Global Inequality (Then&Now 14:22)

Political Systems, Governance and Democracy

Systems of Government
ChartsBin | Wiki List

Political Regimes, 2020
(from Our World in Data)

Electoral Democracy, 2021 (from Our World in Data)

Democracy Index
(Economist Intelligence Unit)

Corruption Perception Index (Transparency.org)

Freedom House - Index of Freedom

World Press Freedom
Reporters Without Borders

Economic Freedom (Fraser Institute)

Power, Politics and Alliances

China's Geography Problem
(Wendover Productions 10:49)

How Geography Gave the US Power
(Wendover Productions 10:19)

Russia's Geography Problem (Wendover Productions 11:53)

What is NATO?
(NATO 7:02; More videos here)

Top 14 maps and charts that explain NATO (GeoAwesomeness)

Every Military Alliance Explained: All Of The World's Alliances (TLDR News 11:18)

Why are Some Countries Allowed Nuclear Weapons and Not Others? (TLDR News 11:01)

Superpowers

VOX: How America became a Superpower (8:55)

Global Index: Which country will be the next Superpower? (9:42)

Cooper Academy: China Is Quietly Becoming The New Superpower (10:35)

DW: The New Silk Road (42:25) | Part 2

Military Spending ($value and %GDP) VisualCapitalist

Superpowers
(Wiki)

Potential Superpowers
(Wiki)

Global Superpower Rankings
(US News)

International Organizations

UN member state admissions, 1945-2018
(Espace mondiale SciencesPo)

World Trading Blocs

Visit World Trade for more

World101: What is the Liberal World Order? (7:55)

from the Council on Foreign Relations

WonderWhy: Geopolitical Tour of the world in 2020 (18:16)

Global Shift: The consequences of globalization, free trade and outsourcing (4:23)

VOX: China's trillion dollar plan to dominate global trade (5:58)

World101: Sovereignty Explained (4:40)

WonderWhy: The Most Complex International Borders in the World Part 1 - 2013 (11:53)

Part 2 - 2014 (9:11)
Part 3 - 2017 (12:05)

Geopolitical Hotspots around the Globe

Egypt's Dam Problem - Geopolitics of the Nile (Wendover 17:05)

VOX: The Middle East's Cold War Explained (10:18)

WonderWhy: The Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier - Cyprus Dispute Explained (11:46)

WonderWhy: The Break-up of Yugoslavia (16:49)

Understanding Canada's legal claim to the Northwest Passage (CBC News 7:59)

Canada's New Shipping Shortcut (Wendover Productions 11:16)

Could the Ilisu Dam Reignite Old Disputes between Turkey and Iraq? (Strait Talk 14:40)

Why China is building islands in the South China Sea (Vox 7:25)

Ukraine & Russia

A simple guide to the Ukraine-Russia crisis: 5 things to know
(Al Jazeera 9:45)

Disputed Borders: Russia v Ukraine
(The Economist 8:05)

Why Ukraine is trapped in endless conflict (Vox 4:05)

10 Maps that explain Ukraine's struggle for independence Conflict (Brookings)

Why is Russia invading Ukraine and what does Putin want?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will change the face of Europe for ever (The Guardian)

Why is Putin attacking Ukraine? He told us. (Vox)


Israel & Palestine

VOX: Israel Settlements Explained (8:05)

cpac: Israel's Shifting Borders (2:12)

AlJazeera: Palestine and Israel: Mapping an annexation

The Scramble for Africa

VC3: A Brief History of The Scramble For Africa (10:33)

Atlas Pro: The Problem With Africa's Borders (14:16)

The Economist: The New Scramble for Africa (4:10)

Wendover: How Africa is becoming China's China (10:47)