Political Geography

Political Geography is one of the major sub-disciplines of Political Science. As a sub-discipline with a unique identity and contemporary relevance, Political Geography mainly reflects advanced knowledge in all aspects of the geographical and spatial dimensions of politics. Political Geography, on one hand, analyses the spatial effects of political process and political decision making. On the other hand, it also examines the impact of spatial structures and geography on political dynamics, policies and relationship between nation-states in the international landscape. For, example, due to the presence of oil, the political geography of the Middle East is critical in shaping the foreign policy of a state that largely depends on import of petroleum. Traditionally, the scope of Political Geography was mainly confined to the geo- political significance of national borders and geographical factors that influence foreign as well as domestic political processes. In the late 1970s however, political geography again began to grow. Today political geography is considered one of the most important branches of human geography and many geographers study a variety of fields concerned with political processes and geography. Modern political trends also have an impact on political geography and in recent years sub-topics focused on these trends have developed within political geography. This is known as critical political geography and includes political geography focused on ideas related to feminist groups and issues gay and lesbian as well as youth communities. Now, Political Geography addresses a wide variety of issues including the politics of migration, citizenship, civil wars and its aftereffects on people’s life and citizenship, role of geographical regions and trade blocks in global politics, issues of nationalism and identity politics based on spatial aspects of state, geography of natural resources and energy etc.

Against this context, this book offers a critical engagement on the theory and practice of Political Geography with an interdisciplinary approach and perspective. Apart from state and spatial structures, the book narrates issues of nationalism, identity, energy security and the politics of asylum. It brings together leading contributions in the field and promotes interdisciplinary debates in international relations, political science, and other related fields.