Why Isn’t Ukraine a Global Superpower?
Bad luck. “Did you know that one of the oldest cities ever discovered, and the oldest one in Europe, is in Ukraine?” https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/why-isnt-ukraine-a-global-superpower
Economics
What Is Happening in Syria?
Geography at work again. “Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria are all in the Levant, a region that isn’t populated enough to become dominant, but is surrounded by superpowers.” https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/what-is-happening-in-syria
Why is Java So Weird?
Volcanoes can be good. “And this is not just a story of “there are plenty of people in Asia”. Java has a bigger population than Japan! Even by Asian standards, Java is just extremely densely populated.” https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/why-is-java-so-weird
A Science of Cities
This is mo longer as clear. “Historically, the biggest driver of the number of people that could live in a specific area—the density of people—was food per acre: If one acre can produce a lot of food, it can feed… Read More »A Science of Cities
Peak Oil Is Coming
Change can happen very fast. “Electricity went from less than 5% electric to over 90% in less than 20 years!At the beginning, new technologies take some time to figure out, but once they’re ready, uptake can be vertiginous.” https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/peak-oil-is-coming
Putin’s Mindset on Russia
Last colonial Empire left. “Why didn’t Russia decolonize?” https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/putins-mindset-on-russia
Geography Is the Chessboard of History
We do not teach history in a correct ways. “For every truth you hold about the past, somebody else has the opposite take. Wars, battles, invasions, conquerors, empires, nations, flags, heroes… All are stories we’re told to support the superiority… Read More »Geography Is the Chessboard of History
Russia’s Dilemma
To understand Russia, read this. “Siberia was the easy part. But it still left Moscow completely exposed to southern and western threats. Conquering those lands would prove harder though.” https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/problem-of-russia
The Future of Petrostates After Oil
Oil is a curse. “When a resource is easy to control and extract, whoever does the controlling also does the ruling, and they don’t need to share it with anybody. Well, just enough to keep people quiet and content. So… Read More »The Future of Petrostates After Oil
Venezuela’s Excrement
Socialism in action. “The government opened grocery stores and sold staples below the cost we sold them to the government. In theory they used petro oil money to lower grocery prices. Our regular grocery outlets were forced out of business.… Read More »Venezuela’s Excrement