Summary of Tim Marshall's The Power of Geography

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 Australia was originally an island, but it became a continent when it broke off from Antarctica 35 million years ago. It is currently on a collision course with Indonesia, but inhabitants of both countries should not be alarmed as it is moving at seven centimetres a year.
#2 Australia is a large country that is home to many different types of terrain and climates. The majority of it is uninhabitable, and it was not until humans showed up that the Outback was populated.
#3 The first recorded landing in Australia was in 1606 when Willem Janszoon and the crew of the Dutch sailing ship Duyfken went ashore in northern Australia. They thought they were on the island of New Guinea, and after a hostile encounter with locals, they soon departed.
#4 The first Europeans to land in Australia were the crew of the HMS Endeavour in 1788. They were there to establish a penal colony, and the strategic implications of planting the British flag 17,000 kilometers from the center of the empire were considered.

Sujets

• Géographie
• Géographie
• Géographie
• Géographie
• Historical geography

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 21 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669356400
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on Tim Marshall's The Power of Geography
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4 Insights from Chapter 5 Insights from Chapter 6 Insights from Chapter 7 Insights from Chapter 8 Insights from Chapter 9 Insights from Chapter 10
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Australia was originally an island, but it became a continent when it broke off from Antarctica 35 million years ago. It is currently on a collision course with Indonesia, but inhabitants of both countries should not be alarmed as it is moving at seven centimetres a year.

#2

Australia is a large country that is home to many different types of terrain and climates. The majority of it is uninhabitable, and it was not until humans showed up that the Outback was populated.

#3

The first recorded landing in Australia was in 1606 when Willem Janszoon and the crew of the Dutch sailing ship Duyfken went ashore in northern Australia. They thought they were on the island of New Guinea, and after a hostile encounter with locals, they soon departed.

#4

The first Europeans to land in Australia were the crew of the HMS Endeavour in 1788. They were there to establish a penal colony, and the strategic implications of planting the British flag 17,000 kilometers from the center of the empire were considered.

#5

The Aboriginal people were a single people that were divided into many different groups and languages. The settlers saw them as having no rights, and they were often treated as barely human.

#6

The drive across the continent by the settlers who caused this havoc was slow but relentless. As more shiploads of people, mostly convicts, arrived from the UK, the white population increased by several thousand each year. By 1825, explorers had already breached what was considered an impenetrable barrier: the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney.

#7

Australia became a modern country in the twentieth century. The transportation and communication systems developed, and the country began to come together as a federation. The immigration policies were racist in intent, and they allowed only white immigrants.

#8

The White Australia policy was aimed at Chinese, Japanese, and anyone else from the wider neighborhood who might not only come and undercut wages, but also dilute the racial purity of Australia.

#9

Australia is a popular destination for outsiders, including migrant workers and refugees. The country has laws against those who seek to enter illegally, but they are still popular enough with the Australian electorate for them to remain in place.

#10

Australia has many problems to address, such as its economy being tied to its location, its focus being on its northern and eastern neighbors, and its access to energy being a major concern.

#11

Australia’s economy is heavily dependent on shipping, and it is vulnerable to blockade. If any of the above scenarios were to take place, the country would quickly be in a state of energy crisis.

#12

The American relationship with Australia is similar to the one it had with the British. Australia contributes parts of its military and the US navy keeps the international sea lanes open, and holds a nuclear umbrella above the Australians.

#13

Australia and China are close to each other, but the classic map most of us use, the Mercator, distorts our view as it portrays a curved distance on a flat surface. If you want to see how much Mercator influences our idea of where things are, take a look at the Waterman maps.

#14

China is Australia’s biggest trading partner, but the country also has territorial claims in the region that don’t always align with China’s interests. Australia must walk a difficult line between economic interests, defense strategy, and diplomacy.

#15

China has been increasing its aid and loans to the Pacific Islands, and has been quick to land when the Covid-19 virus struck. Australia is the largest aid donor to the Pacific Islands, but China has been making inroads especially in Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Tonga.

#16

The Covid-19 virus made Australia more aware of the limitations of the just in time economic system, and how it was allowing China to become too dependent on it.

#17

Australia is close to its best friends, the United States, and it participates in the Five Eyes intelligence-gathering network. It hosts the Pine Gap military base, which is among the most important American intelligence-gathering facilities.

#18

Australia, Japan, and India all co-operate with the Indian navy within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which includes the USA to prevent Chinese aggression.
Insights from Chapter 2

#1

Iran is a country defined by two geographic features: its mountains, which form a ring of crust on most of its borders, and the mostly flat salt deserts of the interior, along which run lower-range hills roughly parallel to each other.

#2

The geography of Iran is a formidable obstacle for any would-be invader and occupier. The price to pay for breaking through the mountain wall is considerable, and the occupier ends up going home. However, this has not deterred all hostile forces during Persia/Iran’s history.

#3

The diversity of Iran’s population is reflected in the country’s geography. Because of its mountains, Iran’s main centers of population are widely dispersed and poorly connected.

#4

Iran is a country with a lack of water, which has held it back economically.