A Geopolitical Tour of the World

Summary

This video takes viewers on a geopolitical tour of the world, highlighting territorial disputes, independence movements, and political complexities. Starting from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, the video touches on issues from Brexit and Northern Ireland to Catalonia's independence movement and Kosovo's declaration of independence. It covers key regions like the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, discussing conflicts, controversial borders, and unrecognized states. It also touches on significant events like the Crimea annexation, the Syria conflict, and the Kashmir dispute, offering a quick yet insightful overview of global geopolitics.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Prime Meridian, which passes through Greenwich, England, is the reference line for the world's time zones due to the British invention of time standardization in 1884.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The United Kingdom is composed of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each with its own identity and political dynamics.
• 🏁 Northern Ireland's status is complex, with no official flag due to divided sentiments on remaining British or uniting with Ireland.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland has a significant independence movement, especially post-Brexit, despite a failed referendum in 2014.
• 🇪󠁵󠁲󠁥 The European Union, with 27 member states, has a Schengen Area for free travel and a Eurozone for shared currency, with some non-EU members partaking in these agreements.
• 🏰 The Vatican City is an independent city-state surrounded by Italy, not a UN member but an observer state.
• 🏴󠁥󠁳󠁰󠁡󠁿 Catalonia's independence movement in Spain has been ongoing, with a disputed referendum and a former president in exile.
• 🏴󠁵󠁲󠁶 Kosovo is a partially recognized state with a majority Albanian population, resulting from a conflict with Serbia and NATO involvement.
• 🇸󠁹 The situation in Western Sahara is contested between Morocco's control and the indigenous Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic's claim for independence.
• 🇸󠁯 Syria's civil war, part of the broader Arab Spring, has led to a devastating conflict with regional implications.

Q & A

What is the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain?

Great Britain is an island comprising England, Scotland, and Wales, while the United Kingdom is a country that includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Why does Northern Ireland not have an official flag?

Northern Ireland does not have an official flag because its population is divided on whether it should remain part of the UK or unite with Ireland.

What are the Crown Dependencies, and how are they related to the UK?

The Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) are British territories but not part of the UK. They are self-governing but rely on the UK for defense and international representation.

What is the significance of the Schengen Area in Europe?

The Schengen Area allows free travel between participating European countries by abolishing border controls. Not all EU countries are part of it, and some non-EU countries participate.

What led to the dispute between Greece and North Macedonia?

The dispute arose because Macedonia is a large geographic region that includes parts of Greece. Greece objected to the name ‘Republic of Macedonia’ when the country declared independence, leading to a compromise with the name ‘North Macedonia’ after 28 years.

Why is the Crimean Peninsula disputed?

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after a questionable referendum. Western governments and the UN do not recognize the annexation, considering Crimea part of Ukraine.

What is the political situation in Cyprus?

Cyprus is divided between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey. A UN buffer zone separates the two, and the division stems from inter-ethnic violence and a Turkish invasion in the 1960s.

What is the situation in Western Sahara?

Western Sahara is mostly controlled by Morocco, but the Polisario Front claims it as an independent country, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The dispute began after Spain withdrew from the region in the 1970s.

How did the situation between Israel and Palestine begin?

The conflict began after the UN partition plan of 1948, which aimed to divide the region between Jewish and Arab communities. Israel declared independence, leading to several wars with neighboring countries. The conflict continues over territory and settlements.

What is Taiwan’s relationship with China?

Taiwan operates as a separate entity with its own government and military, but China claims it as part of its territory. Official recognition of Taiwan leads to a severing of diplomatic and economic ties with China.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Geopolitical Overview of the UK and Ireland

The video begins with an exploration of the geopolitical intricacies surrounding the United Kingdom and Ireland. It explains the historical context of the British invention of time in 1884 and the division of the island of Ireland into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. The video discusses the lack of an official flag for Northern Ireland due to internal disagreements over its national identity. It also touches on the distinctions between 'Great Britain', 'United Kingdom', and 'England', emphasizing the importance of not conflating these terms. The narrative continues with a mention of the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey as Crown Dependencies, which are British but not part of the UK. The segment concludes with a brief mention of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, both autonomous territories of Denmark, highlighting their similar populations despite their vastly different sizes.

05:01

🏰 European Geopolitical Landscape

This segment delves into the European Union, emphasizing its reduction to 27 member states post-Brexit. It discusses the Schengen Area, a zone of free travel within Europe, and the Eurozone, a monetary union where the Euro is the shared currency. The video points out that not all EU members are part of these areas and that some non-EU members are included. It also touches on the historical remnants of European colonialism outside Europe, such as French Guiana in South America and small islands near Madagascar. The narrative then shifts to focus on specific European regions like Vatican City, which, despite being a tiny independent state surrounded by Italy, is not a UN member but an observer state. The video also covers the Catalonian independence movement in Spain, the ongoing dispute over Gibraltar, and the historical and political complexities of the Balkans, particularly the situation in Kosovo and the naming dispute between Greece and North Macedonia.

10:02

🌐 Geopolitical Disputes in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean

The video moves eastward to discuss the Crimean Peninsula's annexation by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, an act not recognized by the UN or Western governments. It also mentions the Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave separated from the mainland, and the political issues in Georgia, including the self-declared independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both backed by Russia. The narrative then shifts to Cyprus, divided between the Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with a UN buffer zone in place since the 1960s. The video also addresses the Western Sahara dispute, claimed by Morocco but also proclaimed as an independent state by the Polisario Front. It briefly mentions Somaliland's struggle for independence from Somalia, stemming from their colonial past under different European powers.

15:03

🕌 Middle Eastern Geopolitical Complexities

This part of the video script provides an overview of the Middle East's geopolitical landscape, starting with the historical context of Palestine and the establishment of Israel. It discusses the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the status of the Golan Heights, and the partially-recognized State of Palestine. The video also covers the disputed city of Jerusalem, claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. It then shifts to Syria, highlighting the devastating civil war that started as part of the Arab Spring, and Iraq, where conflict continues despite the defeat of ISIS. The script also touches on the Kurdish independence movement in Iraq. The video concludes with a brief mention of Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed region between India and Pakistan, and the broader territorial disputes between India and China.

🏔 Asian Geopolitical Challenges

The video explores various geopolitical issues in Asia, including Tibet's status as an autonomous region of China with a history of independence, and Taiwan, which is claimed by China but functions as a separate entity with its own government. It also discusses Hong Kong's unique administrative status under 'one China, two systems' and the 2019 protests. The script mentions the division of Korea, with North Korea being one of the world's most isolated countries, and the South China Sea, which is a highly disputed region with claims from multiple countries. The video also briefly notes the situation in Burma or Myanmar and the general geopolitical stability in Australia.

🌴 Geopolitical Simplicity in the Americas

The final segment of the video script contrasts the geopolitical complexities of other regions with the relative simplicity of the Americas. It mentions the Caribbean, with its mix of independent nations, European territories, and a part of Colombia. The video highlights the unique status of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten as countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It also discusses the Falkland Islands, claimed by Argentina but administered by the UK. The script ends with a mention of Antarctica, where territorial claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty, which promotes scientific exploration and bans military activity.

Mindmap

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Keywords

💡Prime Meridian

The Prime Meridian is the zero-degree longitude line that runs through Greenwich, England, and is used as a reference point for time and geography. It signifies the center of the video’s geopolitical tour, as the presenter begins by discussing its importance in establishing the concept of time zones in 1884, illustrating the UK's historical influence.

💡United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) is a country made up of four constituent nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The script discusses the complexities of the UK, including Northern Ireland’s ongoing debate over unification with the Republic of Ireland and Scotland’s independence movement, highlighting internal political tensions.

💡Schengen Area

The Schengen Area is a group of European countries that have abolished passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders. It’s part of the European Union's effort to promote free travel, although not all EU countries are part of this area. The concept illustrates how political unions like the EU influence travel and integration in Europe.

💡Brexit

Brexit refers to the UK's exit from the European Union, which occurred after a 2016 referendum. In the script, Brexit is linked to the rise of independence movements in Scotland and broader political changes in Europe. It is a key moment in recent geopolitics affecting the UK's relationship with the rest of Europe.

💡Catalonia

Catalonia is an autonomous community in Spain with a significant independence movement. The region held an independence referendum that was deemed illegal by Spain, causing ongoing political friction. This example demonstrates the challenges of regional separatism in modern Europe.

💡Kosovo

Kosovo is a partially recognized state that declared independence from Serbia in 2008, following a war in which NATO intervened. The ongoing dispute with Serbia over Kosovo's status exemplifies geopolitical conflicts born from ethnic divisions and historical disputes.

💡Crimea

Crimea is a region that was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, following a contested referendum. Its annexation is not recognized by most of the international community. This serves as a modern example of territorial conflict and the role of international law in geopolitics.

💡Taiwan

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is a self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory. It operates independently with its own government, but due to China’s power, most countries do not formally recognize it. Taiwan is a key flashpoint in Sino-global relations.

💡Israel-Palestine Conflict

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a long-standing geopolitical and territorial dispute over land in the Middle East. It stems from the partition of Palestine in 1948 and the creation of Israel. The video refers to the historical and ongoing complexities, including issues surrounding Jerusalem and the West Bank, making it one of the most intricate conflicts in the region.

💡Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a disputed territory claimed by both Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, led by the Polisario Front. It represents one of Africa’s most prolonged territorial disputes, with no resolution in sight. This highlights the legacy of colonialism and ongoing conflicts over sovereignty in Africa.

Highlights

Introduction to a geopolitical tour around the world, discussing various disputes and complexities.

Explanation of the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England, and its significance in the invention of time by the British in 1884.

Clarification on the political situation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the lack of a unified flag for Northern Ireland.

Overview of Great Britain, the UK, and constituent countries, with a note on the independence movement in Scotland.

Discussion on the Faroe Islands and Greenland as autonomous territories of Denmark with similar population sizes despite Greenland's large size.

Introduction to the European Union, the Schengen Area, and the Eurozone, including the impact of Brexit.

Mention of France's overseas territories, including a large part of France in South America.

Detailed explanation of Catalonia's fight for independence from Spain, including a failed independence referendum.

Overview of Kosovo's declaration of independence and its conflict with Serbia, supported by NATO, and the area's Albanian population.

Summary of the North Macedonia-Greece naming dispute, which ended after 28 years with the renaming of North Macedonia.

Examination of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and international non-recognition of the annexation.

Discussion of the political situation in Georgia, focusing on the disputed regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, backed by Russia.

Overview of the complex division of Cyprus between the Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Explanation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel's control over Jerusalem, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip dynamics.

Introduction to Taiwan's political status, its independence from mainland China, and international diplomatic challenges due to China's power.

Transcripts

Hello and welcome to ‘A geopolitical tour of the world’. In this video I’m going

to take you on a guided journey around the globe, talking to you about some disputes,

oddities, complexities, or just some things that are good to be aware of in this complicated

planet we live on. Some of the things I’ll be talking about, I already have entire videos

on, if you want a deeper understanding.

We’ll start at the “centre of the world”, the prime meridian, which goes through Greenwich,

England. This is because that’s where the British invented time in 1884.

Here we have two independent countries: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. The country of Ireland comprises the majority

of the island of Ireland, while the northern part, called Northern Ireland, is 1 of the

4 constituent countries of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland doesn’t really have an

official flag because its population doesn’t exactly agree on whether they should remain

British or unite with the rest of Ireland. The other 3 constituent countries are in Great

Britain and surrounding minor islands… Scotland, England, and Wales.

Some people use the terms “Great Britain”, “United Kingdom”, and “England” interchangeably…

but please don’t. Us Scots really don’t appreciate it. In fact, many Scots don’t

want to be part of the UK. Despite an unsuccessful referendum in 2014, there’s still a very

sizable independence movement. Even more so since Brexit.

So just remember… Great Britain: an island, the UK: an independent country made up of

4 non-independent countries… and England: one of those 4 countries.

Oh, and there’s also the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey. Which are British, but not part

of the UK for some reason. They’re referred to as Crown Dependencies.

Okay we really need to move on, lots to cover. If we go into the icy north, we find the Faroe

Islands, and Greenland. Two places that you wouldn’t think have much in common, but

they do, they’re both Danish. They’re both autonomous territories of Denmark. And

despite the immense difference in size between the two, they actually both have a similar

population of around 50,000. Unsurprisingly, Greenland is one of the least densely populated

parts of the world. The island is literally ¾ ice.

Now moving onto land with a more… hospitable climate: mainland Europe. First thing to talk

about is probably the European Union, an economic and political union of 27 European States.

It used to be 28, but, y’know Brexit.

The EU has what’s called “the Schengen Area”, an area of free travel, in which

participating countries have abolished border controls. Not ALL members of the EU are part

of this area, and also some non-EU members ARE. Same with the Eurozone, a monetary union

in which all countries use a shared currency, the Euro. 19 of the 27 members are part of

the Eurozone. 4 countries have agreements with the EU to officially use the Euro despite

not being part of the EU, and then two others just sort of decided that they wanted it too,

without any agreement in place.

Now given how much Europeans loved conquering the world for a few centuries, there are plenty

of parts of European countries, outside of Europe. Like the large part of France in South

America, or smaller islands off the coast of Madagascar. Of course, I won’t be able

to cover them all.

Just a quick mention about the Vatican City, which is considered a country (the smallest

in the world, entirely surrounded by Italy), but is NOT a member of the United Nations…

although it is an observer State.

Okay, to Spain next. This region here is called Catalonia, it’s one of the 17 “autonomous

communities” of Spain. Many Catalans have been fighting for independence from Spain

over the last century, with things picking up over the last decade. Catalonia sought

permission from Madrid to hold an independence referendum. Spain said no. Catalonia said

they’ll do it anyway. Spain said “wait no that’s illegal”. But they did it anyway.

The result was 92% in favour of independence, BUT everyone who wanted to remain part of

Spain just boycotted the vote, so it doesn’t really count.

The President of Catalonia later declared independence… sort of? It was all very confusing

and nobody really knows what happened. Catalonia is still part of Spain, though, and their

former president is currently living in self-imposed exile in Belgium.

On the southern coast of the Iberian peninsula, there’s Gibraltar, an overseas British territory,

which was ceded from Spain about 300 years ago. And just across the Mediterranean, there

are a couple of parts of Africa that are still part of Spain.

Alright, what’s next… ah yes, the Balkans. This is a part of Europe in which everyone

hates each other. Probably the biggest point of contention is the self-declared, partially-recognised

State of Kosovo. Or the autonomous Serbian province of Kosovo, depending on your viewpoint.

The province declared its independence in 2008, after a war with Serbia a few years

earlier, in which Kosovo received military support from NATO. The population of Kosovo

is prodimently Albanian.

As well as this, there was also the near 3-decade naming dispute between Greece and Mace-- uh,

North Macedonia, as it’s now called. Basically Macedonia is a large geographic region, much

of which is in Greece, and was named as such after the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.

So Greece wasn’t too happy in 1991 when their neighbour declared independence from

Yugoslavia as the “Republic of Macedonia”. Due to Greek objections, the country was referred

to as “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” in diplomatic organisations like the UN. After

28 years the insanity was finally ended and the country was renamed the “Republic of

North Macedonia”. But I’m pretty sure neither side was really happy with the outcome

and they both still hate each other.

On to Russia now. This is the Crimean Peninsula. It was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014

after a referendum of... questionable legitimacy. It was only actually part of Ukraine for about

half a century, since it was transferred to Ukraine while both were Soviet Republics.

Western governments and the UN do not recognise the annexation, and still consider the peninsula

to be part of Ukraine. Nothing has actually been done about it, though.

One more part of Russia that’s good to be aware of, is this small exclave here called

the ‘Kaliningrad Oblast’. It was originally part of the German state of Prussia, but the

Soviet Union claimed it after the Allies’ victory in WWII… and then after the fall

of the Soviet Union it became completely cut off from the rest of Russia..

Now travelling to Russia’s southern border with Georgia. Georgia has a somewhat precarious

political situation, as it has not one, but TWO parts of the country that have declared

their independence – Abkahzia, and South Ossetia. Both States have control over the

areas they claim, however they very much lack international recognition. Both States declared

their independence in the 1990s with backing from Russia. There was even a brief war over

the dispute between Georgia and Russia in 2008. No prizes for guessing how that turned

out…

Next we’ll take a trip down to the Mediterranean, to the beautiful summer getaway of Cyprus.

The political situation here though, is a bit ugly. The island is currently divided

between the country of Cyprus, and the unrecognised Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus. There’s

a UN buffer zone separating the two political entities that was established after the inter-ethnic

violence between the Greeks and the Turks of the island erupted in the 1960s, shortly

after Cyprus became independent from the UK. There was a Greek coup, followed by Turkish

invasion, and it all got very messy. Oh, and there’s also some British bases on the island.

I guess the strategic location was just too valuable to give up…

Moving further south and onto Africa. Probably the most noticeable geopolitical dispute in

Africa is an area known as Western Sahara. The region is claimed (and mostly controlled

by) Morocco. But the region has also been proclaimed as the independent country of the

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, by the indigenous rebel group the Polisario Front, which started

off by fighting against Spanish colonial rule in the 1970s.

In 1976, Spain just sort-of noped out of the whole situation, and divided the region between

Morocco, and another neighbouring country, Mauritania, who also claimed the region at

the time... but not anymore.

On the opposite coast of Africa, we have Somaliland. Which, once again, is a dispute caused by

the Europeans. Somaliland was controlled by the British, while the rest of what is today

the country of Somalia, was controlled by Italy. In 1960 the two were joined to make

a new, independent country. Somaliland declared independence in 1991, and a civil war has

been ongoing ever since.

Now moving onto the Middle Eas-- oh ****... (SIGH) Why am I doing this?!

Okay, so it is quite literally impossible to give any kind of explanation of what the

hell is going on here in just a couple of minutes. So just keep in mind everything I

say here is going to be way oversimplified.

Before the beginning of the currently ongoing situation, this area was called Palestine,

and was under British administration. In 1948, the United Nations passed a resolution to

partition the land between Jewish and Arab communities. The descendants of these Arab

communities, in this region and in refugee camps nearby, are what we today call Palestinians.

After the resolution was passed, the State of Israel was declared. This led to the first

of several wars with its neighbors, in which Israel was often fighting against most (or

all) of them at once. Territory in this region has bounced back and forth between different

countries and organizations MANY times. Today, Israel is also in control of the Golan Heights,

which it captured from Syria in 1967.

Now, as well as Israel, we also have the State of Palestine, declared in 1988, which is a

partially-recognised state, with observer status at the United Nations. Its claimed

territory is the West Bank, in which an interim division agreement was reached with Israel

in the 90s, as well as the Gaza strip, which has actually been controlled by Hamas since

2007, a Palestinian political party, and variously described as a terrorist organization.

Things are even more complicated in Jerusalem, an ancient city with profound significance

to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. This city is fully controlled by Israel but claimed

by both groups as their capital - though with different parts of the city being claimed

by each group.

On top of all of this, there’s the issue of Israeli settlements, which we don’t have

time to get into and I’d really like to move on now please…

Staying in the Middle East, there’s the situation in Syria, in which a devastating,

multi-sided civil war has been ongoing for nearly 10 years now. This began with a series

of anti-government protests, part of the broader movement known as the Arab Spring, which were

violently suppressed. The conflict is one of the bloodiest of the 21st century, and

has spilled over to several neighbouring countries.

There’s also the situation in Iraq. There is still ongoing conflict that stemmed from

the US-led invasion in 2003 to topple the government of Saddam Hussein. With ISIS having

mostly lost their territory in Iraq, the violence has continued in the form of an insurgency,

featuring several rebel groups. ISIS was defeated in the civil war with help from the Kurds,

a distinct ethnic group in northern Iraq that is seeking independence. The people overwhelmingly

voted in favour of independence, but the Iraqi government deemed the referendum illegal.

Alright, let’s move east of the… Middle East, and onto the Indian subcontinent, where

we find the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir. Basically, this area was a “Princely State”

of India while under British control, and in 1947 when India was divided into India

and Pakistan, disagreements about which country to join caused conflict, and a de facto partition

of the region that remains unresolved to this day. Around here, there’s also several territorial

disputes between India and China along their extensive border. All of which are controlled

by China.

And speaking of China, there’s plenty here to talk about, too. We’ve got Tibet, Hong

Kong, Taiwan… and probably much more that we don’t have time for.

So, Tibet. Tibet is an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. The Tibetan

people are ethnically distinct from the Han Chinese majority, but the area has been under

Chinese control for 300 years. However, when imperial rule in China came to end with the

fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, Tibet experienced a few decades of de facto independence. This

is when China became a republic for the first time. However, when a civil war broke out

between the government and a communist rebellion, the communists won, and proclaimed the People’s

Republic of China. The new communist government annexed Tibet in 1951, albeit with resistance

from Tibet’s 8,000-strong army.

Now, that civil war that was won by the communists… the losing side, the Republic of China, didn’t

just disappear. In fact, this brings us to our next stop, Taiwan. This is where the republican/nationalist

government fled to in 1949. While this country is commonly referred to as “Taiwan”, its

name is actually unchanged to this day, the Republic of China.

China still views Taiwan as part of its territory, despite the People’s Republic never having

any jurisdiction over the island in their history. Taiwan has its own government, president,

military, etc etc.. and is just like any other country in most ways. However, given how powerful

China is, officially acknowledging Taiwan means China cutting all ties, both diplomatic

and, more importantly, economic. Taiwan is not a member of the UN, but plenty of countries

have unofficial relations with Taipei.

There’s also Hong Kong, which is part of China, but has a special administrative status,

under the so-called “one China, two systems” policy. Mass protests took place throughout

much of 2019 when a controversial extradition bill was proposed. Even after the bill was

withdrawn, protests continued for full democracy, with a list of 5 demands. Protesters were

often subject to police brutality and arrest.

Hong Kong used to be British until 1997, when it was transferred back to China, with a 50-year

agreement that Hong Kong would not be subject to mainland China’s economic system. Literally

no-one knows what will happen in 2047 when this agreement expires.

Closeby, there’s also North and South Korea. Korea had been annexed by Japan in 1910, but

then with the Japanese defeat in WWII, the peninsula was to be… temporarily divided.

The Soviet Union controlled the north, and the United States the south, with the plan

to unify Korea into one country. Buuuut then the Cold War happened and suddenly the two

countries controlling Korea hated each other, and were less willing to cooperate. There

was a 3-year war which didn’t really accomplish much except massive casualties on both sides…

North Korea is the most isolated country in the world, with its population unable to leave,

and with little knowledge of the outside world. North Korea has nuclear weapons though, hence

the lack of intervention...

Elsewhere in Asia to be aware of… there’s a country that nobody really knows what to

call it – Burma or Myanmar. And there’s also the South China Sea, which is the most

disputed part of the entire planet. Claimed by like.. 40 countries of something. Probably.

Where do we go from here… uh, we can probably just skip over Australia and all that down

there, they’re pretty chill, not too much to talk about. Let’s instead, go all the

way across the Pacific Ocean, which is mostly empty except for Hawaii which is part of the

United States but has a Union Jack on its flag for some reason.

So now we’re in the Americas. North and South America. Although some people, especially

from Latin America, refer to them as one continent… America, singular. However, English speakers

generally use this word to refer to the country, the United States.

There’s plenty going on in the Caribbean. There are 13 independent nations, most of

which no-one has ever heard of, as well as European colonies and territories, and also

a random part of Colombia. Cool flag though. Oh, and Puerto Rico, that wants to awkwardly

add a 51st star to the American flag.

A particularly peculiar case is with a bunch of Dutch islands… Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint

Maarten, which are actually countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making up

4 constituent countries, along with the Netherlands itself. Somewhat similar to the UK. But then

within the constituent country of the Netherlands, there are 3 more Caribbean islands, Bonaire,

St Eustatius, and Saba. Here’s a Venn diagram to help you out.

Elsewhere in the Americas… there’s the Falkland Islands. British Islands with British

people, who near-unanimously voted to remain a British territory, but for some reason Argentina

claims them as their own. They even fought a brief war in 1982 when Argentina invaded

the islands… but this only happened because a dictator was trying to distract his people

from the country’s failing economy.

Let’s see, what else. Well, there’s Antarctica. Which is mostly just ice and snow, but hey,

it’s land, so countries will try to stick a flag in it and claim it as their own. Because

why not at this point. There are various claims to the continent, some of which overlap, as

well as some unclaimed land, but it’s all mostly irrelevant because of the Antarctic

Treaty. This treaty has suspended all new claims, guarantees freedom for scientific

exploration, and a ban of all military activity.

Sometimes when we look at the world, the lines on a map don’t fully do justice to the situation

on the ground. You often have to look beyond the borders and see what lies beneath. Geopolitics

can be both complicated and fascinating in equal measure, and it’s always good to know

what’s going on in the world.

A great way to keep yourself informed is by watching documentaries on CuriosityStream.

An online streaming service with thousands of titles on science, technology, history,

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scientists are trying to learn more and more about them to help better prepare for future

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With your subscription, you’ll also get access to Nebula - a streaming service for

independent creators. Nebula has a lot of original content, such as the multi-creator

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Again, that’s CuriousityStream.com/wonderwhy. Thanks so much for watching, see you next

time.