Geopolitics
Topic: Human Geography: Nature, Scope and Approaches · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Geopolitics studies how geography shapes the power and policies of states. That includes a country's location, size, resources, terrain and access to the sea. Rudolf Kjellen of Sweden coined the word in 1899. Mahan's sea-power theory (1890) came earlier. Mackinder's Heartland theory and Spykman's Rimland theory are classic geopolitical theories. Such ideas can also be misused. Ratzel's view of the state as a living organism and Haushofer's Geopolitik were twisted to justify Nazi conquest.
Example
India sits at the head of the Indian Ocean. Its Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie close to the Strait of Malacca, a busy shipping lane. This location gives India weight in Indo-Pacific geopolitics.
Don't confuse with
- Political geography: it studies boundaries, territory and elections. Geopolitics focuses on how geography turns into state power and strategy.