I started reading Prisoners of Geography a few weeks back, per Jared Jushner. Good read.
The book explores country by country, or area by area, how geography impacts everything from politics to economics to culture to conflicts.
Some examples:
- Russia's vast territory is equal parts asset and liability
- China's Tibetan Plateau acts as a natural barrier against threats to the South
- Borders in the Middle East’s mean more on paper than on the ground, since they were drawn by colonial powers
- The United States won the geographical lottery many times over
- Africa’s rivers are less navigable than those of other continents due to waterfalls and rapids, limiting trade and connectivity.
And on and on. If you like to understand how the world all fits together, it's worth a read.