Geopolitics – The world is changing

Atlases are used to visualize geographical proportions and connections, but increasingly also to visualize complex content. Two current examples demonstrate the many possibilities of this hybrid literary-graphic format.

The Arte editor-in-chief of the geopolitical magazine “With Open Cards”, Émilie Aubry, and her colleague Frank Tétart provide information in their geopolitical atlas about 28 trouble spots in the world, including many that most of us have no idea about. Everyone knows that the rainforest is burning in Brazil, but the dangers posed by the irresponsible actions of large-scale farmers and international corporations that are hungry for the diverse natural resources are less known. A map of the South China Sea with the various overlapping maritime borders of six neighboring states illustrates the tangle of conflicting interests and conflicts that simmer there. This also applies to the Middle East, where the authors are reticent to comment. Everyone knows the multiple Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila, but no one really knows how ethnic federalism can be practiced in his home country without conflict. The large East African country with well over 120 million inhabitants is plagued by violence, poverty and hunger, just like Mali, presented here as the “Drama of the Sahel Zone”. The whole of West Africa is firmly in the grip of jihadism… “The World of the Present” provides information about these and many other trouble spots competently and in the interest of world peace.

The atlas presented by Luisa Neubauer and her team is more about climate challenges. The climate summit in Azerbaijan that just ended once again did not produce the hoped-for results. This makes constantly warning books like the one by the 28-year-old, internationally recognized German climate activist, written together with the editor of “Zeit Online” all the more important. Christian Endt, illustrated by the gifted graphic designer Ole Häntzschel, all from Berlin. They offer an alarming inventory, advocate the preservation of the moors and biodiversity in general and draw up future scenarios. There are also reports of encouraging, albeit small, progress that is important for the survival of humanity. With their texts and maps, the three want to broaden our view of everything “that is currently changing culturally, technologically, socially, politically and economically – from energy production to legislation to our language and our dreams for the future.” Her very confident conclusion: “The world is changing, and that is good news.” Both atlases belong on teachers’ and students’ desks!

Émilie Aubry/Frank Tétart: The contemporary world – a geopolitical atlas. A.d. Francis v. Anna and Wolf Heinrich Leube. C. H. Beck, 224 pages, hardcover, maps, diagrams and photos, €29.
Luisa Neubauer/Christian Endt/Ole Häntzschel: The Climate Atlas. 80 maps for the world of tomorrow. Rowohlt, 192 p., hardcover, €28.