Geography and Empire

Geography has engaged in the study of empire since its early days as an academic discipline. Few disciplines have such a clear complicity with this political formation, that feeds on territorial growth through military power, and limits sovereignty peripheries. In fact, temporal correspondence exists between birth modern geography emergence new phase capitalist imperialism during 1870s. Viewed queen imperial sciences over century ago, geographies changed throughout time, reflecting modifications discipline transformation nature empires. During late 19th 20th centuries, under environmental determinism, geographical knowledge produced by likes Frederich Ratzel or Alfred Mackinder lent scientific credibility to ideologies while, at same they legitimized claims Climatic acclimatization studies prerogatives were pivotal construct moralistic considerations both people places. first half century, dominated, part, regional tradition French geographic inquiry, which cultivated regional, zonal approach, while work focus had global tropicality architecture. Quantitative neopositivist approaches second less marked influence. Since 1980s, concern for “empire” returned geography, various subdisciplines focused genealogy discipline, links empire, consequences those links. A more critical engagement history provided contextual histories spatial practice discourse past two centuries. The reconsideration view postcolonial theory, tackling “historical amnesia,” also promoted wave studies. broad way we can be tempted today make division research, participated development maintenance, research “after Empire,” aims understand present spatialities empire.