This is a visual story of where stuff is made, moved and consumed. From production to export, import to consumption, we'll explore the flows of the world's most crucial commodities and products. In Where Stuff Is Made Part 1 we covered $2.2T of agricultural products. Here in Part 2, we'll dig into $6.6T of minerals, [...]
This is a visual story of where stuff is made, moved and consumed. From production to export, import to consumption, we'll explore the flows of the world's most crucial commodities and products. Below is $21 trillion of global trade. Box size represents exports by dollar value. We'll dive into a hand-picked selection of the big [...]
This is a curation of charts and visuals that convey the state of global military power. The top 15 spenders: one of the best proxies for military strength and capabilities. And here's the top 40, better conveying the regional spheres of influence. Table of with various indicators of military strength. # Military personnel should account [...]
Fifty years ago today, one of the most momentous events of the 20th century unfolded. But unlike the well-known events frequently told in schools - fall of Berlin wall, Deng Xiaoping opening China, NASA moon landing, the pill, Hiroshima, the Great Depression, Bolshevik revolution, Ferdinand assassination, Wright brothers flight etc - what happened on 15th [...]
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics, Tim Marshall, 2015 (Amazon US;Amazon Australia) Snapshot Explores the geographical dimension in geopolitics, putting key historical events into context. While geopolitics can quickly become complex, there are certainly recurring themes: access to water transport routes, natural resources etc. Familiarity [...]
TL;DR One cannot understand global oil geopolitics without grasping the Middle East. But understanding this region is rather difficult. "It's hot, sandy, and everyone hates each other." Despite the difficulty, one can still attempt to untangle the intricacies of the region by reviewing raw historical events and then drawing your own conclusions. Some observations from [...]
