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On Geopolitics

Canada

United States

China

Denmark

Finland

Sweden

Norway

Iceland

Russia

Polar bears in Essen Bay off the coast of Zemlya Georga -- an island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago -- on August 22, 2021.

Politics

China in Transition

The suspension of Arctic Council activities following Russia's re-invasion of Ukraine presents an opening for China to challenge Arctic governance.

China's Opportunity to Break Into Arctic Governance

Assessments

Guidance

Iran

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Palestinian protesters hurl stones during clashes with Israeli forces in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on May 14, 2021. 

Military & Security

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended Stratfor articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Israeli Operations in Gaza and a Chinese Mars Landing

U.S.-Iran Relations

Security

Israel's Survival Strategy

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

Europe

<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Greenland

A Russian, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine traverses the Barents Sea in the Arctic. 

Energy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Globalization

Russia's Internal Struggle

The world's northernmost frontier has taken on a renewed significance for the countries that have the most to lose, and gain, from the Arctic's melting ice and shifting political order.

A Warmer Arctic Makes for Hotter Geopolitics

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2018 Second-Quarter Forecast

2018 Annual Forecast

India

Economics

India's Own Worst Enemy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Stockholm April 16 to attend the first-ever India-Nordic summit, which includes a joint meeting with the prime ministers of India, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, Times of India reported April 16.

Sweden: Indian Prime Minister To Attend India-Nordic Summit 

The insurgent, anti-establishment Pirate Party capitalized on a wave of anger over corruption to come in second place in Iceland's general election, The New York Times reported on Oct. 29.

Iceland: Pirate Party Comes In Second In Election; Prime Minister Resigns

Angry over a string of political scandals, Icelanders may usher a long dominant center-right party out of the exit door in national elections on Oct. 28, handing power to a charismatic center-left opposition leader, Reuters reported.

Iceland: Leftists On Cusp Of Power As Weary Voters Go To Polls

Iceland's prime minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, resigned Sept. 16, and says new elections likely will be held Nov. 4, AP reported.

Iceland: Prime Minister Resigns; New Elections Expected Nov. 4

During parliamentary elections in Iceland, voters fled the center-right Progressive Party but gave no party a ruling majority, Reuters reported Oct. 30.

Iceland: Voter Support For Ruling Party Plummets

France

Luxembourg

Belgium

United Kingdom

Portugal

Netherlands

Italy

Afghanistan

Military

NATO member states agreed July 9 to provided around $1 billion in annual funding for Afghan security forces to 2020, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, Reuters reported.

Afghanistan: NATO Decides To Fund Forces To 2020

Voters in Iceland elected historian Gudni Johannesson on June 26 as their first new president in 20 years, Reuters reported. 

Iceland: 1st New President In 20 Years Elected

Panama

Economics and Finance

Icelandic Prime Minister Sigumdur David Gunnlaugsson resigned on April 5 after the release of the Panama Papers brought to light his family's offshore investments, The Guardian reported. 

Iceland: Prime Minister Resigns Over Panama Papers

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Barbados

Benin

Egypt

Maldives

Malta

Ukraine

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Germany

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Nepal

Cameroon

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

Japan

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Laos

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Saudi Arabia

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

Iceland is an island country situated at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Most of Iceland’s terrain is uninhabitable. The island's interior, known as the Icelandic Highlands, is a combination of glaciers, volcanoes and lava fields. Two thirds of Iceland’s 320,000 inhabitants live in the lowlands surrounding Reykjavik, the country’s capital and largest city. Protecting Reykjavik (Iceland’s core) is the country’s main strategic imperative.    The Icelandic economy historically depended heavily on fishing, which still provides 40% of export earnings. In recent decades, Iceland's economy has diversified into manufacturing, service industries and finance. Balancing its isolation with external economic integration is Iceland’s primary geographic challenge.    Iceland has especially strong cultural and political ties with the other Nordic countries such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, because the island was under the rule of the Norwegian and Danish monarchies between the 13th and 20th centuries. Iceland became independent in 1918, and a republic was declared in 1944. Iceland's location also makes it geopolitically significant for Europe, particularly in light of the growing relevance of energy resources in the Arctic area. Moreover, Iceland’s location in the so-called GIUK (Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom) gap is strategic for naval military operations in the North Atlantic.    Because of its geographic isolation, Iceland has to make a constant effort to keep strong economic ties with the rest of the world. The country therefore has to continuously reach a balance between maintaining independence and fostering deep ties with its eastern or western neighbors. The population's indecisiveness concerning Iceland's EU membership reflects that struggle.

EU: Regional Blocs

Banking

European Disintegration

Female

Male

Switzerland

The European Free Trade Association's members, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway, each have their own trade agendas.

Trade Profiles

The future of the small but wealthy European Free Trade Association is intertwined with that of its larger and better-known cousin, the European Union.

Trade Profile: The Fate of Europe's Other Trade Bloc Hangs in the Balance

The Fate of the Eurozone

Reflections

Restarting the U.S.-Russia Relationship in Iceland

Nuclear arms control summits have brought Washington and Moscow closer before, but this time it may not work.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Sweden: Indian Prime Minister To Attend India-Nordic Summit

Iceland: Pirate Party Comes In Second In Election; Prime Minister Resigns

Iceland: Leftists On Cusp Of Power As Weary Voters Go To Polls

Iceland: Prime Minister Resigns; New Elections Expected Nov. 4

Iceland: Voter Support For Ruling Party Plummets

Afghanistan: NATO Decides To Fund Forces To 2020

Iceland: 1st New President In 20 Years Elected

Iceland: Prime Minister Resigns Over Panama Papers

Forecasts

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