Geography and war: A review and assessment of the empirical literature

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Abstract
This article reviews and assesses the empirical literature on geography and war. The early pioneering work of Mackinder, Spykman, and Mahan is reviewed as are the current theoretical frameworks under which most work on geography and war is carried out. The empirical findings are classified into two broad categories: as a facilitating condition for conflict and as a source of conflict. The former includes studies of contagion, diffusion, border effects, and spatial correlation. Studies that analyze geography as a source of conflict encompass those that look at the origins of territorial disputes, the outcome of those disputes, the recurring character of the disputes, and finally those that test the “shatterbelt” concept. Suggestions for future research on geography and war are offered.

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