Geopolitics

Extracted Attributes

• Etymology

  From Ancient Greek γῆ (gê 'earth, land') and πολιτική (politikē 'politics').

• Definition

  The study of the effects of Earth's geography on politics and international relations.

• Primary Focus

  Political power linked to geographic space, including territorial waters, land territory, and wealth of natural resources.

• Related Fields

  Political geography, Geoeconomics.

• Scope of Study

  Countries and relations between them; de facto independent states with limited international recognition; relations between sub-national geopolitical entities.

• Historical View

  Sometimes perceived cynically as a competitive contest where territorial control is a primary driver of history, with topography replacing class struggle.

• Contemporary Usage

  Broadly as a synonym for international political relations, or more specifically to imply the global structure of such relations.

• Analytical Variables

  Area studies, climate, topography, demography, natural resources, and applied science of the region being evaluated.

• Alternative Perspective

  Critical geopolitics, which deconstructs classical geopolitical theories to show their political or ideological functions for great powers.

• Schools of Thought (Geopolitics & Geoeconomics)

  Strategic school, Political-economic school.

Timeline

• Arguments about the political effects of geography appeared in Western political thought, notably by philosophers like Aristotle and Montesquieu. (Source: Web search results (Britannica))

  Ancient Greek era

• The word 'geopolitics' was originally coined by Swedish political scientist Rudolf Kjellén. (Source: Web search results (Britannica))

  Turn of the 20th century

• The term 'geopolitics' was first coined in English by Austro-Hungarian historian Emil Reich. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  1902

• Emil Reich published his book 'Foundations of Modern Europe', which included the term 'geopolitics'. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1904

• The use of the term 'geopolitics' spread throughout Europe in the period between World Wars I and II. (Source: Web search results (Britannica))

  1918-1939

• The popularity of geopolitical theory declined due to its association with Nazi German and imperial Japanese aggression, and the emergence of nuclear weapons reducing geographical factors' significance. (Source: Web search results (Britannica))

  After World War II

• Geopolitics influenced international politics, serving as the basis for the United States' containment strategy developed by George Kennan. (Source: Web search results (Britannica))

  Cold War era

• Geopolitics and political uncertainty have resurfaced as critical business risks, reflecting rising geoeconomic confrontation and a decline in international rulemaking, according to KPMG's 2024 CEO Outlook. (Source: Web search results (KPMG))

  Present

• Geopolitical tensions are projected to remain a top risk to trade, along with trade wars and potential shifts in US trade policies, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). (Source: Web search results (WEF))

  2025

Geopolitics

Geopolitics (from Ancient Greek γῆ gê 'earth, land' and πολιτική politikḗ 'politics') is the study of the effects of Earth's geography on politics and international relations. Geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them; it may also focus on two other kinds of states: de facto independent states with limited international recognition and relations between sub-national geopolitical entities, such as the federated states that make up a federation, confederation, or a quasi-federal system. According to multiple researchers, the term is currently being used to describe a broad spectrum of concepts, in a general sense used as "a synonym for international political relations", but more specifically "to imply the global structure of such relations"; this usage builds on an "early-twentieth-century term for a pseudoscience of political geography" and other pseudoscientific theories of historical and geographic determinism. At the level of international relations, geopolitics is a method of studying foreign policy to understand, explain, and predict international political behavior through geographical variables. These include area studies, climate, topography, demography, natural resources, and applied science of the region being evaluated. Geopolitics focuses on political power linked to geographic space, in particular, territorial waters, land territory and wealth of natural resources, in correlation with diplomatic history, in particular the context of a larger power relative to its neighboring states of smaller or similar power. Some scholars have argued that geopolitics should serve as "an aid to statecraft." Topics of geopolitics include relations between the interests of international political actors focused within an area, a space, or a geographical element, relations which create a geopolitical system. Critical geopolitics deconstructs classical geopolitical theories, by showing their political or ideological functions for great powers. There are some works that discuss the geopolitics of renewable energy. The relationship between geopolitics and geoeconomics is often analyzed by two main schools of thought: the strategic school and the political-economic school. The Austro-Hungarian historian Emil Reich (1854–1910) is considered to be the first having coined the term in English as early as 1902 and later published in England in 1904 in his book Foundations of Modern Europe.

Web Search Results

• Geopolitics | Political Science, Global Relations & International ...

  geopolitics, analysis of the geographic influences on power relationships in international relations. The word geopolitics was originally coined by the Swedish political scientist Rudolf Kjellén about the turn of the 20th century, and its use spread throughout Europe in the period between World Wars I and II (1918–39) and came into worldwide use during the latter. In contemporary discourse, geopolitics has been widely employed as a loose synonym for international politics. [...] Arguments about the political effects of geography—particularly climate, topography, arable land, and access to the sea—have appeared in Western political thought since at least the ancient Greek era and were prominent in the writings of philosophers as diverse as Aristotle (384–322 bc) and Montesquieu (1689–1745). The best-known body of geopolitical writings is the extensive literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of which focused on the impact on world politics of the new [...] The popularity of geopolitical theory declined after World War II, both because of its association with Nazi German and imperial Japanese aggression and because the emergence of nuclear explosives and ballistic missiles reduced the significance of geographical factors in the global strategic balance of power. However, geopolitics continued to influence international politics, serving as the basis for the United States’ Cold War strategy of containment, which was developed by George Kennan as a

• How are geopolitical risks affecting the world economy?

  The term geopolitics is also used in the context of internal political affairs, which can influence domestic and global financial markets. In this sense, governments can influence economic activity through various fiscal policies (taxes and spending), and economic and strategic decisions based on different priorities, depending on their political orientation.

• [PDF] Top geopolitical risks 2025 - KPMG agentic corporate services

  Our 2024 KPMG CEO Outlook notes that geopolitics and political uncertainty have resurfaced as critical business risks, reflecting rising geoeconomic confrontation and a decline in the effectiveness of international rulemaking.1 Eurasia Group claims we are in a “G-Zero” world, where the absence of clear global leadership creates a vacuum that threatens the established international order.2 In this report, we attempt to make sense of the volatile state of global geopolitics, by highlighting five [...] According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), “geopolitical tensions remain a top risk to trade in 2025, along with trade wars and potential shifts in US trade policies.”3 Eurasia Group’s Top Risks 2025 include a decline of clear leadership in a G-Zero world, weakening US-China relations and potential upsets to the global economy.4 Over the past three years, “geopolitics and political uncertainty” have remained one of the top concerns for CEOs surveyed in our KPMG 2024 CEO Outlook.5 New [...] potential changes to existing trade policies among a multitude of nations might alter this dynamic for 2025 and beyond. As countries increasingly compete rather than collaborate, the ripple effects of crises are more intense, particularly for globally integrated businesses. With geopolitics regressing to a more mercantilist-style model, powerful nations are expected to leverage their weight, becoming more transactional and focusing on their economies and national interests. Weaker nations may

• Here's how geopolitics influences global trade

  Geopolitics is becoming a consideration in trade policies as countries look to protect their interests and balance risk. In a Forum-convened panel, experts discussed the impact of geopolitics on trade and the global economy. “We are seeing the first signs of trade fragmentation in two broad geopolitical blocs,” said Johanna Hill, Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization. [...] The energy transition, for example, is being held back by the ‘weaponization’ of geopolitics. But it is also difficult to counteract market concentration which has built up over time, where a lot of the raw materials and processing capabilities are held by a small band of countries, she said. [...] ##### Explore and monitor how Geopolitics is affecting economies, industries and global issues ## Forum Storiesnewsletter Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter. Subscribe today ### More on Geo-Economics and Politics See all Europe is lagging in AI adoption – how can businesses close the gap? Cathy Li and Andrew Caruana Galizia September 23, 2025

• Impact of Geopolitics in the World Economy | S&P Global

  As geopolitical tensions intensify and trade policies shift, the global economy navigates an increasingly uncertain landscape. From tariff escalations to reciprocal trade measures, the impact of geopolitics in the world economy is becoming more pronounced, reshaping growth trajectories, supply chains and inflation trends across regions. The recent resurgence in protectionist policies highlights how geopolitical instability can disrupt established economic relationships and trigger ripple [...] Geopolitical instability continues to exert significant influence on global financial markets and exchange rates, amplifying existing uncertainties and contributing to heightened volatility. The impact of geopolitics in the world economy is particularly evident in the reaction of equity markets and fixed-income yields to trade-related developments and shifting policy expectations. Market turbulence amid geopolitical tensions [...] Geopolitics has moved to the centre stage Geopolitical risk isn’t just background noise anymore; it's actively reshaping economic forecasts, trade, inflation, and even monetary policy. Tariffs are back – and bigger The renewed push for U.S. “reciprocal” tariffs—especially targeting China, autos, metals, and critical minerals—is rattling global trade and supply chains.

• Instance Of

  Q737498

Geopolitics (from Greek γῆ gê "earth, land" and πολιτική politikḗ "politics") is the study of the effects of Earth's geography (human and physical) on politics and international relations. While geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them, it may also focus on two other kinds of states: de facto independent states with limited international recognition and relations between sub-national geopolitical entities, such as the federated states that make up a federation, confederation, or a quasi-federal system. At the level of international relations, geopolitics is a method of studying foreign policy to understand, explain, and predict international political behavior through geographical variables. These include area studies, climate, topography, demography, natural resources, and applied science of the region being evaluated. Geopolitics focuses on political power linked to geographic space. In particular, territorial waters and land territory in correlation with diplomatic history. Topics of geopolitics include relations between the interests of international political actors focused within an area, a space, or a geographical element, relations which create a geopolitical system. Critical geopolitics deconstructs classical geopolitical theories, by showing their political/ideological functions for great powers. There are some works that discuss the geopolitics of renewable energy. Geography (understood as mountains, land bridges, bodies of water) governs world affairs. According to Christopher Gogwilt and other researchers, the term is currently being used to describe a broad spectrum of concepts, in a general sense used as "a synonym for international political relations", but more specifically "to imply the global structure of such relations"; this usage builds on an "early-twentieth-century term for a pseudoscience of political geography" and other pseudoscientific theories of historical and geographic determinism. In its cynical view of human motives, Daniel Immerwahr compares geopolitics to Marxism. When looking hard at a map, the world can be perceived as a win-lose contest, in which neighbours are rivals onto themselves. In this view, topography replaces class struggle, and success depends on territorial control, as the driving force of history.