What role has Russia played in the world since the end of the Cold War? Russian President Putin is convinced that his country can once again become a great power. He therefore makes sure that NATO and the EU gain as little influence as possible in the former Soviet republics, focuses on rapprochement with China and makes himself indispensable in the search for a settlement to the Middle East conflict in the destroyed Syria. To achieve his goals, the Kremlin leader relies on soft power and information warfare. What, for Putin, are the strengths and weaknesses of geopolitics in a multipolar world in which the superpower USA seems to be an outdated model and nationalist forces are pushing back onto the political stage with power? [arte]

Even in the 21st century, bitter power games are taking place in space - but the reasons for the new race into space are different from those of the Cold War. When Ronald Reagan declared the "Star Wars" in the 1980s, an arms race in space began with military means, with hard power. Today, people compete for prestige, telecommunications and enlightenment, for soft power, but also for a spirit of adventure and a thirst for research. Lunar landing was yesterday - who will be the first man on Mars? [arte]

Mexico’s new president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has a difficult job: His northern neighbour is planning on building a wall along the frontier whilst drug cartels and corruption do untold damage internally. Focus on a country under pressure.

On the present territory of Ethiopia and Eritrea was once the Empire of Abyssinia, the kingdom of the Queen of Saba. In addition to its civilisation, Ethiopia has spectacular natural sites to offer. After years of dictatorship, war and famine, Ethiopia is currently experiencing an upswing. Economic growth is attracting investors from China ... Ethiopia is regarded as the cradle of mankind: the skeleton of "Lucy" was found here during excavations in 1974. The present territory of Ethiopia and Eritrea was once home to the Empire of Abyssinia, the second oldest Christian state and kingdom of the Queen of Saba. In addition to its civilization, Ethiopia has spectacular natural sites along the great Rift Valley rift valley. After years of dictatorship, war and famine, Ethiopia is currently experiencing an upswing. Political stability and economic growth are attracting Chinese investors and companies. Business with farmland is also flourishing, as the "green gold" is in great demand as a commodity of the future. [arte]

Welcome to Afghanistan, the land of the magnificent mountains of the Hindu Kush and a country of great ethnic diversity. Its complex history is characterised by an almost permanent state of war.

2016: A computer beats a master of the Go game and thus a machine wins against the human brain. Today, artificial intelligence is used to create software programs for traders, household robots and personal digital assistants. "With open cards" shows states that have understood that AI is developing into a new instrument of power. [arte]

Oman is an inevitable geopolitical player because the country controls the Strait of Hormus. All tankers have to pass this strait in order to bring oil from the neighbouring Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other oil-producing countries to the rest of the world. But is Oman's stability at risk once oil reserves are depleted? [arte]

"With open cards" deals with airports from Atlanta to Paris-Roissy, from London to Istanbul and from Shanghai to Dubai. What explains the growing importance of aviation hubs? What information does the international airport ranking provide about the shift in the balance of power between the western and eastern worlds? [arte]

Today the nuclear power Pakistan is approaching China; for a long time it was allied with the Americans and yet it is said to have given shelter to Osama bin Laden. Relations with the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan are also ambivalent. Is the country playing a double game on the geopolitical stage? Pakistan's history has always been marked by violence. Islamic fundamentalism and conflicts with its neighbour India have always played a role; since the beginning of the 2000s, tensions with the USA and the entire Western world have been added. Today the nuclear power Pakistan is approaching China; for a long time it was allied with the Americans and yet it is said to have given Osama bin Laden shelter. Relations with the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan are also ambivalent. Is the country playing a double game on the geopolitical stage? [arte]

Deforestation, harmful agricultural practices, urbanisation, overfishing of the seas, pollution - there are many factors that dramatically reduce the number of birds. "With open cards" asks: What can we do about it? Everywhere in the world the number of birds is falling dramatically - in Europe in the last 20 years about a third. Deforestation, harmful agricultural practices, urbanisation, overfishing of the seas, environmental pollution and other factors are destroying the habitats and food resources of animals. "With open maps" explores on land, in the air and at sea what threats birds are exposed to and what can be done about them. [arte]

Where does Poland stand today in Europe - a country whose history is marked by sorrowful conquests and whose geographical location now plays a strategically important role? Poland under President Duda and the USA under Trump have much in common. And as a member of the EU, the country does not always respect the democratic values of the Union. An overview. [arte]

On the 2019 European elections: the time when the EU debated a whole range of topics from economics to social affairs, environmental protection and foreign policy seems to be over. The idea of a united Europe reached its limits due to a series of difficulties. The programme traces the whole history of the project with maps. [arte]

The Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica and Dominican Republic are currently undergoing a major transformation: The decline of socialism, the questioning of US-American interventionism, China's increasing interest in a maritime region of high strategic importance - partly because of the Panama Canal. Will there soon be another wind blowing in the Caribbean? [arte]

Australia is often referred to as "Down Under", but it is actually very centrally located in the Pacific region. Thanks to its geographical proximity, China is now the most important trading partner of the fifth continent, which traditionally focuses on the far west. Much to the annoyance of the long-time ally USA, for whom Australia is a strategic base in a region with increasing Chinese influence. Will Australia be a Western or an Eastern power in the future? [arte]

Some consider the fact that more and more people are migrating from south to north to be natural and inevitable. The fact is that some African countries today have similar birth rates to Europe, 80 percent of all migrants do not leave their own continent, and global demographic growth could stabilise this year. [arte]

Recep Tayyip Erdogan brought Turkey back to the international stage by skilfully exploiting its geographical position between Orient and Occident. But his excessive greed for power, the suppression of freedom of expression and the economic downturn are increasingly causing protests among the population. Has Erdogan gone too far? [arte]

The English Channel is a strategically important waterway jointly managed by the UK and France. The famous tunnel was opened in 1994 and is now an indispensable link between the two countries. The English Channel is also one of the most important trade routes in the world and an important fishing area. In the course of the Brexit negotiations, the small and important sea was suddenly in the limelight. With "open cards" you can dive into the waters of the former Mare Britannicum. [arte] Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

Where are the origins of "culinary globalisation" - and what consequences does it have for agriculture, the food industry, health and the environment? And has globalisation helped to feed more people today? [arte]

How far will Iran go? What is the future of a country in which the under-30s make up almost 60 percent of the population, but are slowly giving up hope of a peaceful life? Iran is at the centre of almost all the major geopolitical tensions of our time.

One of the most important shipping routes in world trade runs through the South China Sea. Due to their strategic importance, the waters have been contested for a long time. Today, the up-and-coming great power China is pursuing an expansion course here and is thus not only defying international law, but is also questioning the hegemony of the USA in the Western Pacific. South China Sea apple of contention: Is a sea battle between China and the USA imminent, and what does the dispute about the rivalry between the two superpowers reveal? Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

Algeria is rich in resources - it has a strategic geographical location, abundant oil and gas resources, a young population, over 1000 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, natural beauty and geological features. Yet the country has never experienced such economic development. What historical and political background explains this phenomenon?

Water is indispensable for every form of life and therefore extremely precious. But what about the earth's water resources? Will there soon be a shortage? The article focuses on strategic issues related to the precious water, its unjust distribution and the resulting geopolitical conflicts. [arte]

Already at the beginning of his term of office, the foreign policy of the new American president broke with the consensus between Republicans and Democrats that had prevailed since the post-war period. It was based on the political and moral leadership of the United States, the defense of the liberal international order, and the promotion of free trade. Is the unilateralism propagated under the slogan "America First" now taking the place of community thinking? What are their limits? And above all: What effects can we expect on world (dis)order? [arte]

The security situation in Mali is just one example of the crises in the Sahel: from the Horn of Africa to the Sahara, jihadism is on the rise, promoted by poverty and instability in the states emerging from decolonisation. Given the difficult economic and political situation in Mali, is military intervention sufficient? [arte]

With the worldwide expansion of trade, man began to conquer the oceans: sea routes were relocated and enlarged to meet the needs of producers and consumers, canals built (such as the Suez Canal in the Middle East and the Panama Canal in Central America) and straits developed. The conquest of the sea routes reveals much about the history of mankind, trade between peoples, and the quest for power. Today, China shows that it has recognized the importance of maritime routes: As part of the "New Silk Road" infrastructure project, the country is investing in the Panama Canal, the Kra-Isthmus in Thailand and major ports such as Genoa and Athens. [arte]

After the Second World War, Japan's armed forces were disarmed by the Allies. According to the Yoshida doctrine, the archipelago concentrated fully on its economic performance and from then on was regarded as an "economic giant, political dwarf". But in view of China's claims to power in the region, today's Japanese leadership has new ambitions and wants to become geopolitically and militarily independent. Other countries such as France are also trying to counterbalance Chinese influence with Japan (and India), relying on the "Indo-Pacific axis" proclaimed by geopoliticians. However, both the (traditionally pacifist) Japanese emperor and the population still traumatized by the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima are sceptical about this return to the center of world politics that the Japanese elites have in mind. [arte]

Modern societies usually develop according to the following scheme: The economic development of a country leads to the emergence of a middle class, which in turn leads to the emergence of an automobile industry - as can be observed today in the countries of the southern hemisphere. Will the growing awareness of climate change change change this? [arte]

There is a Babylonian tangle of almost 7,000 languages on earth, of which experts say almost half will die out by the end of the century. The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The programme deals with the geopolitical dimension of languages that can cause conflicts (e.g. Catalonia, Crimean conflict) or power factors in the age of soft power (e.g. competition between English, French and Chinese on the African continent). [arte]