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The largest democracy in the world is a patchwork of languages, ethnicities and religions bound together in a secular state.  But Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, in power since 2014, seems to imperil this delicate balance.

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The Geopolitics Programme

<p>The largest democracy in the world is a patchwork of languages, ethnicities and religions bound together in a secular state.  But Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, in power since 2014, seems to imperil this delicate balance.</p>

Modi's India

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The fall of the USSR destabalised the Caucasus, which is being eyed up by three autocratic regimes: Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Each country jealously guards its interests in this oil and gas-rich region. 

The Caucasus: At the Crossroads of Europe and Asia

The fall of the USSR destabalised the Caucasus, which is being eyed up by three autocratic regimes: Russia, Turkey, and Iran

Thirty years after the end of apartheid, South Africa has still not overcome its many problems: Endemic violence, economic and racial inequalities, state corruption. However, the rainbow nation has a lot to offer: tourism, natural resources and a leadership role on the African continent.

South Africa and its Demons

At the crossroads between China and India is Indonesia, an archipelago bursting with potential. The biggest Muslim country in the world became a democracy after years of dictatorship. It successfully curbed threats from Islamic extremists and enjoys the most dynamic economy in the region. Indonesia could well become a major player in international politics.

Indonesia: An Archipelago With Potential

At the crossroads between China and India, is Indonesia, an archipelago bursting with potential

Ten years after Gaddafi's fall, what state is Libya in? There's the official government based in Tripoli that is recognised by the international community, and rival forces controlled by General Khalifa Haftar.

Libya: A Global Power Struggle

Ten years after Gaddafi's fall, what state is Libya in?

With France holding the European presidency and with presidential elections on the horizon, a focus on the French nation. An assessment of its economic, cultural and military influence in the world today.

France: Still a Major Power?

 An assessment of France's economic, cultural and military influence in the world today.

"Hard power" means economic, military, and demographic power; "soft power" means symbolic, cultural, and informational power. And now there is also "food power": the weaponised production of food. Wheat, one of the most consumed grains and traded on the stock exchange, has become a geopolitical issue.

The Weaponisation of Wheat

 Wheat, one of the most consumed grains and traded on the stock exchange, has become a geopolitical issue

Understanding geopolitics has never been more urgent. Mapping the World analyses Putin's unprecedented attack on Ukraine with a short history of relations between Russia and Ukraine. Political scientist Anna Colin Lebedev and the head of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), Thomas Gomart provide context.

Putin and Ukraine: What Next?

We put Putin's attack on Ukraine in context with a short history of relations between Russia and Ukraine

A focus on the world’s largest country by landmass. Russia is a major world power that excels in certain spheres but glaring inequality, major structural problems and Western sanctions mean it may struggle to keep up with other world powers.

Russia: Land of Contrasts

Places of learning, universities also have another role: to affirm the status of their countries and guarantee their cultural influence. Since the advent of global league tables, the struggle between universities vying for prestige has only intensified; especially between East and West.

Soft Power - Universities at War

Since the advent of global league tables, the struggle between universities vying for prestige has only intensified

We look at Argentina to understand why this country with multiple resources did not live up to its promise. The missed opportunities are numerous: over-investment in agriculture, a singular political model, inequality, and corruption.

Argentina: Country of Missed Opportunities

We look at Argentina to understand why this country with multiple resources did not live up to its promise

Since 2021, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are rivals on the world stage with China now positioning itself to take the lead in all areas - economic, military, diplomatic, cultural and political.  An overview of the Sino-American competition to be world leader, which could be decisive for the 21st century.

USA vs China

An overview of the Sino-American competition to be world leader, which could be decisive for the 21st century.

The history of Europe since the end of the Second World War cannot be properly understood without taking into account immigration. Within countries, between European countries as well as from outside Europe, immigration has always been a hot topic.

A History of Immigration in Europe

From the North Sea to the Black Sea, the Rhine and the Danube form a link across Europe. Mapping the World navigates the history of the two longest rivers of the European Union.

Rhine and Danube: Two Rivers, Two Europes

Iraq in 2022: Will the emerging nation succeed in resisting foreign influence and from Iran in particular? What does the future hold for the Kurdish autonomous region? And will the USA ever really leave?

Iraq - A Sovereign Country?

Iraq in 2022: Will the emerging nation succeed in resisting influence from foreign powers, and from Iran in particular? 

Compared to neighboring Mali, Senegal appears to be quiet and stable. France, a former colonial power, maintains its place as its main partner, but others are now vying for a spot at the table: China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Indonesia and the United States.

Senegal and France: Allies?

France, a former colonial power, is Senegal's main partner, but others are now vying for a spot at the table

The ruling junta renamed Burma Myanmar, claiming it was a way of erasing the country's British colonial past. But the deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi still defends the name Burma. This episode of Mapping the World looks at this ethically diverse country influenced by both India and China.

Myanmar: The Junta and the Democratic Dream

This episode of Mapping the World looks at this ethically diverse country influenced by both India and China

The two main cocoa-producing countries - Ivory Coast and Ghana - aren't reaping the rewards of a growing global taste for sweet treats. On the one hand there are multinational corporations that control the entire value chain, on the other, small cocoa producers trying to support their families.

Cacao: Who Profits from Chocolate?

The main cocoa-producing countries - Ivory Coast and Ghana - aren't reaping the rewards of growing global demand

A region of Europe with a shared experience of communism and USSR dominance, Eastern Europe today is characterised by nations with diverse cultural and political identities.

How many Eastern Europes?

How we represent our world in maps depends on our perspective. For many centuries Europeans have put their continent in the centre and on top of their maps, the Chinese likewise placed the Middle Kingdom in the centre of things. What do our maps tell us about our worldview?

Cartography: How We Represent the World

For centuries Europeans have put their continent in the centre of their maps, the Chinese likewise placed the Middle Kingdom in the centre of things. What do our maps tell us about our worldview?

Warfare has evolved with the professionalisation of armies, the refusal of public opinion to see their soldiers sacrifice their lives in distant lands, and the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robots and other drones.

21st Century Warfare

Warfare has evolved into high tech drone strikes and robo-armies, and it's a gamechanger for global geopolitics

All world powers want a piece of Antartica, the only continent that belongs to everyone and no one. This unique territory at the end of the world is currently protected by international law, with only scientific research allowed. But for how long will it remain a pristine wilderness?

Antarctica: Ice and Greed

All world powers want a piece of Antartica, the only continent that belongs to everyone and no one.

Amongst the millions of species of insect on the planet, the bee plays a crucial role in human civilisation. A focus on how bees have spread around the world with globalisation and how they are now critically endangered.

Bees and Agriculture

The world's tech giants - the likes of Facebook, Apple or Google - now have a political role to play. They can curb misinformation or spread it, along with all of the massive social issues that entails. An in-depth analysis of social media uses and regulations in China, the United States, and Europe.

The Geopolitics of Social Media

An in-depth analysis of social media uses and regulations in China, the United States, Europe and Russia.

Germany in the 21st century is unthinkable without Angela Merkel, leading the country for the last 16 years. Ms Merkel grew up in the GDR before beginning her political career in the united Germany. A look at the Germany she leads as she approaches the end of her political career.

Germany: Angela Merkeland?

A look at the Germany of Angela Merket as she approaches the end of her political career after 16 years as chancellor.

20 years ago, on September 11, 2001, 3,000 people died when al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes. Mapping the World looks back on the 20-year struggle against Islamic terrorism, from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda to the so-called Islamic State, Boko Haram, and other jihadist organisations.

20 Years of War against Terrorism

Mapping the World looks back on the 20-year struggle against Islamic terrorism

The historian Herodotus in the fifth century BC said that Egypt was "a gift from the Nile", and from the pharaohs to Nasser, the Nile has played a vital role in Egypt's fortunes. But Ethiopia now intends to remind leaders in Cairo that the Nile is not just an Egyptian river.

Geopolitics of the Nile

Ethiopia wants to remind Egypt that the Nile is not just Egyptian

In 2016, Colombia the country signed a historic peace treaty with the FARC rebels. This was intended to mend the deep rift in Colombian society, which has long been divided into two extreme camps: on the one hand the Marxist revolutionary guerrilla, on the other the ultra-conservative right and paramilitary militias. But the violence that has shaped the recent history of the country is far from over.

Colombia: A Nation in Revolt

Colombia is still struggling to control violence from extreme groups and drug cartels

There are an estimated 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth and in the 20th century, 437 of them erupted in places like the United States, Russia, Indonesia and Japan. Both a blessing and a curse, they have shaped our world on land and at the sea.

A World of Volcanoes

Climate change is often viewed as a far-off phenomenon but the effects are already being felt around the world by millions of people. A global overview of the regions on the frontline of the climate catastrophe.

Climate Change Is Happening Now

 A global overview of the regions on the frontline of the climate catastrophe.

Focus on the second largest country in the world. Canada can appear so similar and yet so different politically and cultural from its southern neighbour, the USA.

Canada: The Other America?

Tourism represents 10% of global GDP and for some nations is of vital importance. A focus on our changing travel habits from the late nineteenth century up to the present day and beyond.

Tourism Post Covid

Oceania, a continent of scattered islands across a vast expanse of ocean, is at the forefront of climate change and at the heart of the confrontation between China and the United States.

Oceania: China Eyes Up the Pacific

The 5G revolution will truly bring the internet of things within everyone’s reach and make smart cities a global reality. But with this major technological advance led by Chinese company Huawei, it is leading to renewed tensions between the USA and China.

5G: The New Cold War?

With a beautiful coastline stretching more than 2,000 kilometres along the Indian Ocean and a wealth of natural resources, Mozambique has the makings of an Eldorado. But the former Portuguese colony is facing a jihadist insurgency in the north which is jeopardising its chances of development and stability

Mozambique: A Cursed Eldorado

Originating from Ethiopia in the 700s, coffee has spread across the globe with a clear division between where coffee is produced and where it is consumed.

Coffee: A Global Beverage

Mapping the World - The Geopolitics Programme

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Behind his polite exterior lies a formidable leader with a ruthless character, ready to do anything to make China the world's leading power by the People’s Republic’s centenary in 2049. This well-documented portrait of the Chinese president gives an unprecedented insight into his politics and shows how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

A portrait of the Chinese president giving an unprecedented insight into his politics and showing how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

The New World of Xi Jinping

Lockdowns, crop failures due to climate change and the war in Ukraine are all to blame for soaring prices around the world.

Geopolitics of Inflation

Mapping the World Essentials

The Supreme Court is now made of a majority of ultra-conservative judges since President Trump's term in office. The court now looks set to overturn the Roe v Wade case which gave women the constitutional right to have an abortion if they so wish or need. This worrying step backwards for women's rights doesn't mean women won't have abortions. It means they'll die trying.

Abortion: A Threatened Right

This worrying step backwards doesn't mean women won't have abortions. It means they'll die trying

On May 9, Russia celebrated its victory day without a victory in Ukraine. Instead, President Putin further pushed the narrative of Russian victimhood, despite the fact that Moscow, not Kyiv, is the agressor. As the battle continues to rage, we take a look at Ukraine before and after the conflict.

Ukraine, Before and After the War

As the battle continues to rage, we take a look at Ukraine before and after the conflict

Visiting France on 4th May, Narendra Modi was warmly welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron. But the Indian Prime Minister did not condemn the Russian invasion, merely expressing his "concern". That's because India depends heavily on Russia for its supply of arms and energy.

India's Ukraine Problem

Why India needs Russia, and won't condemn the war in Ukraine

Schools and hospitals have been bombed, civilians shot in the back of the head. The International Criminal Court is already investigating alleged war crimes in Ukraine as the conflict is ongoing.

Ukraine: Looking for Justice

A war of optics is raging on 9 May. Russia celebrates the victory over fascism, Ukraine shows defiance and it is Europe day in the European Union.

9 May: A War of Images

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The Maginot Line is a giant: Thousands of underground bunkers and concrete defences lining the French border, from Belgium to the Mediterranean. In its time it was celebrated as a technical masterpiece and thought to be impregnable, today it also stands for the trauma of the French defeat in 1940. The documentary looks at a military construction that is as fascinating as it is controversial.

France's Defensive Barrier

Thought to be impregnable, the French defensive barrier did not halt the German invasion in 1940.

The Maginot Line

Far away from the South Korean capital of Seoul is the Buddhist Gameunsa Temple. Three nuns live, pray and cook together here as they preserve the knowledge of centuries-old temple cuisine. The abbess of this small monastery is the charismatic Wookwan Sunim, revered in Asia as one of the best cooks in the world.

South Korea: Magic Temple Food

Far away from the South Korean metropolis of Seoul is the Buddhist Gameunsa Temple where three nuns live, pray and cook together 

Geo Reportage

After two months of fighting, the Russian troops had their advance towards the West blocked by fierce Ukrainian resistance. Forced to leave the suburbs of Kyiv, the occupying army left behind mass graves and horrific accounts of rape and abuse in their wake. Russia is now turning its efforts to the Dobas and the coastline along the Sea of ​​Azov. In Kyiv, the return of spring is also the return of many residents who had fled.

 In Kyiv, the return of spring is also the return of many residents who had fled

Ukraine: Kyiv in Spring

The literary source for Richard Strauss’s opera immortalizing the degeneracy of Herodes Antipas, King of Judea, and his step-daughter Salome, was supplied by Oscar Wilde. It tells of Herodes, who is keeping the prophet Jochanaan captive inside a cistern. Salome tries to seduce him and on being rebuffed, forces her stepfather to serve her the prophet’s head on a silver platter.

Directed by Christof Loy in Helsinki

Rejected by the prophet Jochanaan, Salome forces her abusive stepfather to exact revenge.

Richard Strauss: Salome

ARTE Concert Festival welcomes a legend, Damon Albarn. He performs his new album live: The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows.

ARTE Concert Festival 2021

ARTE Concert Festival welcomes a legend, Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn

Three Japanese men have fallen under the charms of high school student Rinko, a character from the video game Love Plus. The game finally leads them to the seaside resort of Atami, where the virtual world and real life collides.

Three Japanese men have fallen under the charms of high school student Rinko, a character from the video game Love Plus

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In 2020, for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, Philippe Jordan and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra recreated the mythical evening of December 22 1808, when  the composer presented his Sixth Symphony, also known as his Pastoral.

Philippe Jordan recreates the evening of December 22, 1808, when Beethoven presented his Pastoral symphony

Philippe Jordan Conducts Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony

An investigation into a little-known story from the Second World War. Having planned and executed their mass murders, the Nazis meticulously eliminated traces of their crimes against humanity between 1942 and 1944: The so-called Operation 1005.

How the Nazis Covered up their Crimes

The Nazis meticulously eliminated traces of their crimes against humanity between 1942 and 1944: The so-called Operation 1005.

Operation 1005

Live from the Teatro Real in Madrid, an adaptation of Prokofiev’s flamboyant masterpiece by the ever-radical Calixto Bieito.

An adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev’s flamboyant masterpiece by radical director Calixto Bieito.

Prokofiev’s "The Fiery Angel" at the Teatro Real in Madrid

A breakaway region of Moldova that is not recognised internationally, Transnistria is largely pro-Russian. The war in Ukraine has awakened fears that Russia will try to annex the region.

Moldova: Transnistria and Russia

ARTE Reportage

Since its invention in the 19th century, the bicycle has allowed Western women to move around independently. Today, it is the turn of women in Arab countries to discover its power. Though at first glance innocuous and common, the bicycle is unexpectedly feminist.

The Freedom to Cycle

Though at first glance innocuous and common, the bicycle is unexpectedly feminist

Gymnastics

The paintings of Vincent Van Gogh are losing their colours. The paints he used were vibrant, but cheap, and degraded within months of painting. It's now impossible to appreciate the true beauty of his works, as his flamboyant flare for colours has slowly turned drab. If nothing is done, the Sunflowers which are still a beautiful gold today could well turn brown. Should we just accept they can't be saved?

Van Gogh's Disappearing Colours

The paintings of Vincent Van Gogh are losing their colours because the pigments used were vibrant but cheap

Ordinary Ukrainian citizens are preparing to resist the Russian invader by joining the army and helping the resistance in any way they can.

Ukraine: Resisting the Agressor

It is impossible for them to stay in Russia. For these Russian citizens opposed to the Kremlin, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the new laws restricting freedom of expression have forced them to leave everything behind. Their destination: Istanbul, as Turkey did not require a visa. It is a difficult exile with a host country that does not consider them as refugees and a homeland that views them as pariahs.

Russians Seek Refuge in Turkey

Russian Journalists Report

Why do the works of the Italian painter Caravaggio exude such violence? The answer is to be found in the eventful life of the artist, who just couldn't stay out of trouble and met a sticky end.

Modi's India

Mapping the World - The Geopolitics Programme

Mapping the World

Mapping the World

The Caucasus: At the Crossroads of Europe and Asia

Mapping the World

Mapping the World

South Africa and its Demons

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Indonesia: An Archipelago With Potential

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Libya: A Global Power Struggle

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Mapping the World

France: Still a Major Power?

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Mapping the World

The Weaponisation of Wheat

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Mapping the World

Putin and Ukraine: What Next?

Mapping the World

Mapping the World

Russia: Land of Contrasts

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