How Mapdis models relationships between countries
A country's strongest trading partner can also be a strategic rival. Governments can clash while their citizens share language, family ties, and history. Much of what makes geopolitics interesting happens in the space between those relationships.
I built Mapdis around six dimensions of relationships, so a close partnership in one area does not conceal tension in another. Switch from military ties to trade, or from governments to societies, and the familiar map starts to look different.
Six ways to read the world
- Military: defense cooperation, security partnerships, and military tension.
- Diplomatic: official engagement and cooperation between states.
- Regime relations: alignment between governments and political systems.
- Societal ties: connections between populations, including cultural and diaspora links.
- Trade interdependence: the strength of economic connections.
- Economic policy: cooperation and friction through agreements, sanctions, and restrictions.
I use AI-assisted analysis to assess relationships on a common scale, then refine the picture through source-based reviews.
Reading the scores
Each dimension answers a different question. Strong trade ties can coexist with political tension, and cultural connections can persist between rival governments. Scores summarize the strength and character of a relationship; they are comparative assessments, not probabilities.
On the diplomacy map, choose a country and switch dimensions to see which relationships change. Blue indicates positive ties, red indicates tension, and gray sits near the middle of the scale. Read trade alongside economic policy: commercial connections can remain strong even when governments impose restrictions.
Keeping the picture current
Reviews account for significant developments and correct identified errors. Reviewed country profiles show review dates, scope, and supporting sources. A review can confirm existing scores; score-change dates and analysis publication dates are shown separately.
The review scope identifies the relationships and evidence examined. Explore a country profile to put its scores, explanations, and available review records side by side.
Relationships and power answer different questions
Relationship scores describe how countries relate to one another. Power rankings describe a country's capabilities and influence. A smaller country can have strong relationships with many partners; a powerful country can have serious tensions with them.
The conflict map applies relationship scores to the sides you select. Use it to compare possible alignments under different assumptions. The scenario is an exploration of those relationships, not a forecast of a government's next decision.
Found a relationship that deserves another look? Send feedback with the countries, dimension, and a relevant source.