Many people only know New Zealand from Lord of the Rings. But geopolitically, it’s a fascinating case, because after decades of hedging between China and the West, it’s moving firmly to one side while tightening its hold on the islands tied to it, behaving less like a neutral small state and more like a regional power. So why are New Zealand’s geopolitical dynamics changing?
Read MoreOceania & Pacific
Why is resource-rich Papua New Guinea so poor?
If you were to look at a breakdown of Papua New Guinea's natural resources, you'd see vast reserves of gold, copper, and natural gas at the top of the list. But PNG faces severe poverty, terrible infrastructure, and human development ranked 154th out of 193 countries. So why isn't Papua New Guinea rich?
Read MoreWhy is Guam critical to the US?
You might think that Hawaii is as far west as the US goes, but you'd be wrong. Guam is over 6000km west of Hawaii and nearly 10000km from California, making it the most distant populated US soil. So how did the US gain control of Guam to begin with, and how does it change the US’s geopolitical dynamics?
Read MoreWhy does Tasmania have so much power?
Most people are only aware Tasmania even exists because of the Tasmanian Devil, either the real animal or the cartoon character. But Tasmania, like so many islands, is both fascinating and vulnerable, with incredible wildlife and a fragile connection with mainland Australia. So how does Tasmania survive, and how does it influence Australia’s geopolitical dynamics?
Read MoreWhy do the US and China want control over Micronesia?
The Federated States of Micronesia, or FSM, has only about 700 square kilometers of land, but it governs an Exclusive Economic Zone of about 3m square kilometers. That's an ocean to land ratio of roughly 4000 to 1. For a country of less than 100,000 people, that's an awful lot of territory to control, and it doesn't go unnoticed by countries like the US and China. So how does FSM's unique geographical situation influence its geopolitical dynamics?
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