Future of our world

Former Sky News Diplomatic Editor Tim Marshall in his earlier 2015 book Prisoner’s of Geography  explored how the plans of national leaders are often shaped by their nations mountains, Oceans and rivers. China’s obsession with the height of Tibetan plateau stems largely from a deep seated fear that India would otherwise  seek to control it, leaving China’s lower lying regions open to invasions.

Now in The Power of  Geography, Marshall explores countries from Australia and Ethiopia to the UK and writes “ the starting point of any country’s story is its location in relation to its neighbours , sea routes and natural resources, as the location matters to economic development coupled with strong political institution of plentiful human capital so that some countries thrive while others languish.

Marshall’s geopolitical theory is based on English Geographer Sir Halford Mackinder in the early 1900s where he states “ The geographical pivot of history suggested the global power relied on controlling particular parts of Eurasian land mass, which he dubbed the heartland, and whoever controls the heartland controls the world. The reality of competition between the US and China will be clearly shaped by the map of the two nations share. Washington will find it hard to compete economically with China in most of Asia as China’s willingness to plough huge sums into improved infrastructure via belt and road for its neighbours. South east Asia is destined to become a greater focus for competition between not only US and China but India as well. Given the regions’ economic importance and strategic position between the two Asian superpowers. Future geopolitical tussles in Asia are likely to be defined by naval competition rather than the European land-based conflicts. Marshall underlines how Australia’s sheer size and distance from potential rivals helps to promote security.

“We never think of China as being geographically closed to Poland, but Beijing is as close to Warsaw as it is to Canberra” Marshall writes.

The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World by Tim Marshall, Elliot & Thompson £16.99, 272 pages.