Tim Marshall - Prisoners of Geography: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps

PRISONERS OF GEOGRAPHY: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps
(Illustrated Young Readers Edition)
Copyright 2019 by Tim Marshall
Illustrations copyright 2019 by Grace Easton and Jessica Smith

Originally published in the UK by Elliott & Thompson, Ltd., an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK, in 2019. First published in North America in revised form by The Experiment, LLC, in 2021.

All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio, television, or online reviews, no portion of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request

ISBN 978-1-61519-847-4
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61519-848-1

Cover and text design by Sally Griffin

Manufactured in Turkey

First printing October 2021
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Franklin and GraceT. M.
For KatieG. E.
For Mum, Dad, Ellie, and AdamJ. S.

Publishers note

All the ideas in this book have come from Tim Marshalls Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Explain Everything About the World, which grew from Tims years of reporting the news all around the world. Its not a complete history, but rather a personal view based on Tims unique insights and opinions.

Both books aim to introduce some of the main themes in contemporary geopolitics, to help us all understand the world around us. They combine elements of geography, history, and politics, all of which are huge subjects. Geopolitics is constantly changing, and people all over the world have different views on every aspect of it.

Weve done our best to get our facts right and are incredibly grateful to all the experts and readers who have lent us their time and expertise in helping to shape and improve this book. But of course, if you spot anything that you think weve gotten wrong, then please do let us know.

Sadly, space in the book is limited, and we havent been able to include every country or theme. Some chapters cover a single country, others a whole continent. We would have loved to have been able to include more, as we know that there will be readers in some countries, or who have particular interests or perspectives, who might not see their own experiences represented here. But, wherever you are, we hope that the book will inspire you to find out more about the rich history of the countries, the peoples, and the geography of our world.

A Note from the Author

It is a source of great pride for me that Prisoners of Geography has now been adapted for younger readers. The original was based on 30 years of news reporting from around the world, during which time I increasingly realized that the whole story could not be told without understanding the physical landscape where events were unfolding. Showing how geography affects international relations, the book reached an adult audience keen to better understand a complex world.

This new book takes the main points from the original, distills them, andmost importantlybrings them to life using beautiful artwork by Grace Easton and Jessica Smith, helping younger readers gain a new perspective on the world around them. Please note that the maps in this book have not always been drawn to scale, but have been designed to tell a story.

The greatest reward I received for Prisoners of Geography did not come from the positive reviews, or from the fact that it became an international bestseller (welcome though that was!); rather, it came from young students who told me the book had inspired them to go on to college to study related subjects such as international relations, politics, and, yes, geography. If this colorful edition creates similar sparks in younger minds, then that, too, will be the highest possible reward.

Tim Marshall

What does "Prisoner of Geography" mean?

The land on which we live has always shaped us. It has affected wars, politics, and societies all around the world. This fact is just as true today as it was long ago, when the leaders of ancient tribes sought out high ground from which to defend themselves. The choices of governments, leaders, and societies are sometimes limited by rivers, mountains, deserts, and oceans. You could say that, often, nations are the prisoners of their geography, bound by the location of mountain ranges, or their access to rivers for trade.

And its not just the physical landscapesuch as rivers and mountainsthats important, but also the climate and natural resources. All of these things have affected how human cultures have developed over time.

Today, technology does help us overcome some of the barriers of geography. The internet means we can stay connected; air travel allows us to fly over mountains. But, even with all these advances, the physical landscape remains important: Understand the earths geography, and youre well on the way to understanding the events taking place in the world around us.

russia: THE GEOGRAPHY

Tip: pan and zoom to explore the map.

Covering 65 million square miles (17 million sq km), Russia is the largest country in the world. It is twice the size of the USA and 70 times the size of the UK, spanning 11 different time zones and bordering 14 nations.

THE ROUTE INTO RUSSIA

To the west of Russia lies a flat area called the North European Plain. It forms a narrow corridor through Poland, with mountains on one side and sea on the other. But as it reaches Russias border the plain widens out, making a shape that looks a bit like a slice of pizza. Its harder to defend this wide expanse than the narrow gap in Poland, so throughout Russias history its leaders have tried to control the thin end of the wedge to protect this weak point in its defenses.