Political Geography

Abstract

Political Geography has a long and complex history. It has oscillated between being the central focus of geographical inquiry and being an academic chagrin that faded into scholarly obscurity. In recent decades, Political Geography has again captured the interest of geographers and political scientists alike, encompassing a broad array of conceptual, theoretical, and methodological approaches. This chapter provides an overview of how Political Geography has engaged with foreign policy issues over time, detailing the historical relationship between political geography and foreign policy, as well as assessing the main conceptual and methodological issues contributing to the development of the discipline. The chapter also offers an empirical example using geographical mental maps as an analytical concept to illustrate how Political Geography can contribute to improving our understanding of foreign policy decision-making.