• Shows how geopolitics provides an essential guide to making sense of contemporary events such as Brexit and the rise of China
• Includes new sections considering the recent rise of populism and economic nationalism worldwide
• Considers the role that popular culture and everyday objects play in informing our geopolitical understandings and behaviour
• Offers a broad perspective drawing on regional and thematic case studies
• Considers both historical approaches to geopolitics and the ways in which it affects the lives of people today

    
Geopolitics is a slippery term. From great power politics and speculation about resource scrambles, to everyday encounters and objects such as smart phones, it affects citizens, corporations, international bodies, social movements, and governments. Geopolitics is far more than simply the impact of geographical features such as rivers, mountains, and climate on political developments. Geography matters but not necessarily in the way that pundits and presidents assume. 
   
In this Very Short Introduction, Klaus Dodds tours the field of geopolitics, encompassing both its intellectual historical origins and its current concerns. As people struggle to cross borders, moving a few feet either side of a territorial boundary can be a matter of life or death, dramatically highlighting the connections between place and politics. Even far away from the front lines of states, geopolitics remains an important part of everyday life. A country's connectivity, location, size, and resources all affect how the people that live there understand and interact with the wider world. In this third edition Dodds includes new sections considering the rise of populism and economic nationalism as examples of how states, people, and corporations manage territorial frames for political projects such as Make America Great Again, One Belt, One Road, and Brexit.