1. geography (noun):

in political terms, the study of how the Earth’s surface, including mountains, deserts, plains, oceans, etcetera, along with its climate, resources, and populations, affect the relationships between nations

“But geography, and the history of how nations have established themselves within that geography, remains crucial to our understanding of the world today and to our future.” (Introduction, page 7)

2. North European Plane (proper noun):

a broad, flat region that stretches east from northern France and Germany through Poland and into Russia, and provides a corridor for invading armies

“In the past five-hundred years they have been invaded several times from the west […] the Russians were fighting on average in or around the North European Plain once every thirty-three years.” (Chapter 1, page 13)

3. Soviet Union (proper noun):

also called the USSR, or United Soviet Socialist Republic, from 1922 to 1991 a large nation that stretched from eastern Europe across Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, most of whose land and population is now part of Russia

“In the twentieth century, Communist Russia created the Soviet Union. Behind the rhetoric of ‘Workers of the World Unite’ the USSR was simply the Russian Empire writ large.” (Chapter 1, page 16)

4. Han (proper noun):

ethnic Chinese people who dominate China’s policies and culture

“The Han now make up more than 90 percent of China’s population and they dominate Chinese politics and business.” (Chapter 2, page 42)

5. North China Plain (proper noun):

also called the heartland, a densely populated, fertile region and the watershed of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers

“The heartland is the political, cultural, demographic, and—crucially—the agricultural center of gravity.” (Chapter 2, page 42)

6. Xinjiang Province (proper noun):

sizable, strategically significant region of plains and mountains in northwest China that borders eight nations and contains a large, restive population of ethnic Uighurs

“Xinjiang, a region populated by Muslims, was a perennial source of instability, indeed insurrection, as were other regions; but for the Han, the buffer was worth the trouble […]” (Chapter 2, page 45)

7. First island chain (noun):

a series of islands and archipelagos that stretch south from the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands through Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo to the Malay Peninsula, forming the eastern border of the China Seas and restricting Chinese naval activity

“Between China and the Pacific is the archipelago that Beijing calls the ‘first island chain.’” (Chapter 2, page 57)

8. Himalayas (proper noun):

A mountain range in southern Asia that serves as a nearly impenetrable border between China’s Tibet and the Indian subcontinent

“The Himalayas run the length of the Chinese-Indian border […] It cuts the two most populous countries on the planet off from each other both militarily and economically.” (Chapter 2, page 48)

9. Mississippi basin (noun):

central region of the United States, bordered on the west by the Rocky Mountains and on the east by the Appalachian Mountains, and containing the watersheds of the Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, and Ohio rivers

“The greater Mississippi basin has more miles of navigable river than the rest of the world put together.” (Chapter 3, page 72)

10. hegemony (noun):

dominance of one nation over others

“There were now only three places from which a challenge to American hegemony could come: a united Europe, Russia, and China.” (Chapter 3, page 80)

11. Danube basin (noun):

the large watershed of southeast Europe, bordered mainly by mountains and drained by the Danube River

“In all, the Danube basin affects eighteen countries and forms natural borders along the way […]” (Chapter 4, page 94)

12. NATO and EU (proper noun acronyms):

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, respectively the military and economic alliances that unify a postwar Europe

“Through the EU and NATO, Germany is anchored in Western Europe, but in stormy weather anchors can slip […]” (Chapter 4, page 107)