Part VI
The Geography You Can't See
How powers, supply chains, chips, energy and invisible infrastructure make the present a product of the past.
The reading path
Chapters in this part
- 26How Did We All Become Dependent on One Another?Containerisation, oil, finance and distributed production connect distant economies in extraordinarily efficient but vulnerable networks. The chokepoints of the past are once again at the heart of geopolitics. 14 min read
- 27Why Is the United States So Powerful?Oceans, rivers, farmland and a continental market offer enormous advantages, but they become global power only through industry, institutions, immigration, victories in war, the dollar, alliances and technology. 14 min read
- 28Why Does Russia Fear Empty Space?Great plains, distance, maritime access and memories of invasion help explain Russian strategic culture—without turning geography into a justification for political choices. 13 min read
- 29Why Does China Want the Sea—and Why Does Taiwan Matter So Much?Industrial China depends on ports, energy and shipping lanes. Malacca, the South China Sea and Taiwan show how physical geography and technology have fused. 13 min read
- 30Can Geography Lose?The internet is physical, chips have a geography, climate changes routes and resources, and space has become infrastructure. Technology continually changes what places mean, but it does not abolish territory. 13 min read