Mapping the World Season 33, Episode 13: Democracies under pressure worldwide

Rhine and Danube: Two Rivers, Two Europes

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.

12 min

USA vs China

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.

12 min

Soccer - playing field of power?

World Cup in Qatar 2022: Of flourishing business with the TV rights, corruption scandals and the stage for human rights activists [arte].

12 min

Argentina: Country of Missed Opportunities

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.

12 min

Soft Power - Universities at War

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.

Putin and Ukraine: What Next?

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.

25 min

The Weaponisation of Wheat

"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.

12 min

France: Still a Major Power?

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.

12 min

Libya: A Global Power Struggle

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.

12 min

Indonesia: An Archipelago With Potential

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.

12 min

South Africa, the traces of the past

Thirty years after the end of apartheid, the results are sobering: South Africa has not succeeded in conquering its demons. Violence is the order of the day, economic imbalance, racial injustice and state-tolerated corruption still characterize everyday life. Yet South Africa is by no means lacking in potential! [arte]

12 min

Fish: The globalized fishery

"With Cards Open" takes the viewer on a journey into the world of fishing, which is characterized by increasing globalization and industrialization. It's about ship factories and aqua farming. And the threat to biodiversity in the oceans. [arte]

13 min

Pacific Ocean - At the center of interests

Ever since former U.S. President Barack Obama oriented U.S. foreign policy toward Asia under the slogan "Pivot to Asia," the Sino-American rivalry has also come to bear in the Pacific region. Two great powers clash in the areas of trade, military and diplomacy. [arte]

12 min

Ukraine: The nuclear threat - A turning point?

Until now, international nuclear weapons doctrine has been based on the principle of nuclear deterrence and non-use of these weapons. "With Cards Open" traces the history of the nuclear showdown. To what extent have nuclear weapons determined the balance of power between states since they were first used in 1945? Is Vladimir Putin about to change the rules of the game? [arte]

12 min

Natural gas and oil: Do raw materials rule the world?

Since February 2022, the war in Ukraine has led numerous countries to end their dependence on Russian gas and oil supplies - an economic and geopolitical realignment whose domino effects are just beginning to emerge. "With Cards Open" provides a historical-geographical overview of these energy sources that are on trial today. [arte]

12 min

Central Asia, Meeting Point of Cultures

Against the backdrop of the Ukraine war, Central Asia is more than ever a geostrategic epicenter. Since the end of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan have long since found their way back to their identity and historical roots. What are the differences and similarities between these Central Asian countries little known to the West? [arte]

12 min

Chile: Hope for Change

"With Open Cards" takes us through the country of Salvador Allende and dictator Augusto Pinochet, where a newly elected left-wing government is currently promising to take action against the social imbalance. Its rich copper and lithium mines are both a blessing and a curse for Chile. Although they bring prosperity to the country, they also have a negative impact on the environment and the people. [arte]

13 min

The Balkans between West and East

Those who speak of the Balkans often think of the wars that have ravaged the peninsula between the Adriatic and the Black Sea - but its inhabitants want to come to terms with the past and are searching for new horizons. "With Cards Open" takes viewers to the mountainous southeast of Europe, over which the shadow of Serbian nationalism still lies. [arte]

13 min

China: The Sea, the Power and the (In)Law

"With Open Cards " takes you through the increasingly militarized China Sea, where Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan are trying to assert themselves against their Chinese neighbor. The law of the sea is being reinterpreted by China's President Xi Jinping as he sees fit. What are the consequences? [arte]

13 min

Israel: Hopeless Conflict, New Alliances

Although the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has faded into the background since the wars in Syria and Iraq, it was at the center of geopolitics for many years. In 1949, the Palestinian territories were separated from the state of Israel by the so-called "Green Line": this marked the beginning of the flight of 750,000 Palestinians ... [arte]

13 min

Putin, the nostalgia of the empire

In February 2022, Vladimir Putin justified his invasion of Ukraine by the threat to his security posed by the accession of certain border countries to NATO. Since the color revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, the Kremlin's obsession with not losing its influence in the former Soviet space has taken an additional step with the Ukrainian conflict. [arte]

12 min

United Kingdom: the first effects of Brexit

The strike movements that have shaken the United Kingdom since August have led some analysts to speak of a "summer of discontent. At the same time, the architect of the Brexit, Boris Johnson, has stepped down as Prime Minister. So why are the British in the streets? Is the war in Ukraine enough to explain the rise in food and energy prices? [arte]

12 min

Nuclear energy: obsolete or promising for the future

The threat of a nuclear accident as a result of Russian attacks during the war against Ukraine brings back traumatic memories of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. Added to this is the European energy crisis. Against this background, "With Cards Open" examines the global situation of civilian nuclear power use. [arte]

12 min

Special China

On October 16, 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will begin. Will President Xi Jingping be confirmed in office for the third time? On the eve of the Congress opening, Emily Aubry welcomes sinologist Alice Ekmann, who illustrates current Chinese strategy. [arte]

26 min

Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice

The island of Iceland, located in the North Atlantic, fascinates with unique landscapes: It counts 130 active volcanoes and one tenth of its surface is covered with glaciers. A journey of discovery in the only country in the world that generates 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, and is also a pioneer in terms of gender equality. [arte]

12 min

LGBT+ Rights in the World

In recent years, great advances have been made in LGBT rights in some countries: many European countries have legislated for same-sex marriages. However, in some parts of the world LGBT communities still face discrimination or persecution. A focus on LGBT+ rights around the world.

12 min

Ecology: countries "greener" than others ?

Are there some countries "greener" than others ?

12 min

Qatar, World Cup Host

12 min

Egypt: The Pharaoh Syndrome

"With Cards Open" travels to the land of the pyramids, examines the ruling elite of Egypt today and asks: is there an Egyptian model? Most notably, Abdel Fattah as-Sissi, who couped his way to power in 2013, has plunged into a series of ambitious infrastructure projects ... [arte]

12 min