Geopolitics

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/geopolitics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the academic discipline?The study of the influence of geography on politics and international relations
2. What is the term originator?Emil Reich, circa 1902
3. Why do mountains and rivers matter to countries?Mountains and rivers can be walls or roads that protect a country or let people trade, so they help leaders choose where to build forts or trade routes.
4. How does having oil or water help a country?If a country has oil, minerals, or fresh water, it can become richer and have more influence over other countries because it can trade or help others.

Geographic Determinism: The theory that geography is the primary factor shaping human societies and their development.
Critical Geopolitics: An approach that analyzes how geopolitical ideas and discourse serve political and ideological interests.