Mapping the World 1990
What is Mapping the World?
Mapping the World is a television series that premiered on December 12, 1990. Known in French as Le Dessous des cartes, the program focuses on explaining geopolitical contexts by utilizing maps as visual support.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1990
- Status
- Returning Series
- Episodes
- 1,198
- Runtime
- 12 minutes
- First aired
- Dec 12, 1990
- Last aired
- May 29, 2026
- Original language
- FR
- Origin
- FR
- Networks
- ARTE, La Sept
- Genres
- Documentary
- Updated
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 1,198 episodes and an average 12-minute runtime.
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Mapping the World is a television series that premiered on December 12, 1990. Known in French as Le Dessous des cartes, the program focuses on explaining geopolitical contexts by utilizing maps as visual support. The series was created by political scientist Jean-Christophe Victor, who served as the host of the show until his death in 2016. The format of the program is designed to break down the complex world of geopolitics into ten-minute, bite-sized segments. According to promotional material, the intent of this structure is to provide viewers with information that allows them to speak knowledgeably about global affairs. The show has continued to air since its inception in 1990. While the series title relates to the study of geography and political boundaries, it remains distinct from digital mapping services or platforms used for driving directions and traffic updates. The program remains a long-running resource for viewers interested in understanding international relations through a cartographic lens.
Should you watch it?
“Geopolitics made digestible for the everyday viewer.”
- Breaks down complex topics into manageable segments
- Useful for staying informed on global issues
- May oversimplify nuanced political matters
You want to understand world affairs without heavy academic detail.
Suitable for general audiences seeking basic geopolitical literacy.
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Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 2 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Japan 1990 Mytharc Dec 12, 1990
- E2 Israel 1 Mytharc Dec 19, 1990
Season 2 · 30 episodes
- E1 Baltic Countries 1 Mytharc Jan 9, 1991
- E2 Balkans Core Jan 16, 1991
- E3 Aral Sea Core Jan 23, 1991
- E4 Davos Core Jan 30, 1991
- E5 Baltic Countries 2 Core Feb 6, 1991
- E6 Petrol Core Feb 13, 1991
- E7 Gulf Core Feb 20, 1991
- E8 Irak Core Feb 27, 1991
- E9 Kurds 1 Core Mar 9, 1991
- E10 Kurds 2 Core Mar 23, 1991
- E11 Czechoslovakia 1 Core Apr 6, 1991
- E12 Czechoslovakia 2 Core Apr 13, 1991
- E13 Israel 2 Core Apr 20, 1991
- E14 European Confederation 1 Core Jun 1, 1991
- E15 European Confederation 2 Core Jun 8, 1991
- E16 Yugoslavia Core Jun 15, 1991
- E17 Mediterranean Core Sep 28, 1991
- E18 Ireland Core Sep 5, 1991
- E19 Germany 91 Core Sep 12, 1991
- E20 Cambodia 92 Core Sep 19, 1991
- E21 Horn of Africa Core Sep 26, 1991
- E22 Basques Core Nov 2, 1991
- E23 Christopher Colombus Core Nov 9, 1991
- E24 Baltic Core Nov 16, 1991
- E25 Jesuits Core Nov 23, 1991
- E26 North Asia Core Nov 30, 1991
- E27 Hong Kong 97 Core Dec 7, 1991
- E28 Taiwan 92 Core Dec 14, 1991
- E29 Sahara Mytharc Dec 21, 1991
- E30 Malacca Mytharc Dec 28, 1991
Season 3 · 28 episodes
- E1 South C.E.I. Mytharc Jan 11, 1992
- E2 Albertville Core Jan 18, 1992
- E3 Canada Core Jan 25, 1992
- E4 megacities Core Feb 1, 1992
- E5 Bosnia Core Feb 8, 1992
- E6 Mesopotamia Core Feb 15, 1992
- E7 Zheng He Core Feb 22, 1992
- E8 Pakistan 92 Core Mar 7, 1992
- E9 Greece Core Mar 14, 1992
- E10 Nigeria Core Mar 21, 1992
- E11 Amazon Core Apr 4, 1992
- E12 West Bank 92 Core Apr 11, 1992
- E13 Tumen Core Apr 18, 1992
- E14 Ukraine Core Sep 19, 1992
- E15 C.E.E. Core Sep 26, 1992
- E16 Swiss Core Oct 3, 1992
- E17 Gibraltar Core Oct 10, 1992
- E18 Pakistan Core Oct 17, 1992
- E19 C.E.E. Core Oct 24, 1992
- E20 Slovakia Core Oct 31, 1992
- E21 Former Yugoslavia Core Nov 7, 1992
- E22 Afghanistan Core Nov 14, 1992
- E23 Moldova (The) Core Nov 21, 1992
- E24 Spratly Core Nov 28, 1992
- E25 The Russian army Core Dec 5, 1992
- E26 Australia 92 Core Dec 12, 1992
- E27 AIDS Mytharc Dec 19, 1992
- E28 Belgium Mytharc Dec 26, 1992
Season 4 · 43 episodes
- E1 European transport Mytharc Sep 17, 1993
- E2 European Security 1 Core Sep 24, 1993
- E3 European Security 2 Core Oct 1, 1993
- E4 Gypsies Core Oct 8, 1993
- E5 Tuareg Core Oct 15, 1993
- E6 Sudan Core Oct 22, 1993
- E7 Israel History Core Oct 29, 1993
- E8 Israel - Water Core Feb 20, 1993
- E9 Black Sea Core Feb 27, 1993
- E10 Hungary Core Mar 13, 1993
- E11 Planning Core Mar 20, 1993
- E12 Telecom Core Mar 27, 1993
- E13 Japan Core Apr 3, 1993
- E14 Denmark Core Apr 10, 1993
- E15 Cambodia 93 Core Apr 17, 1993
- E16 Kosovo 1 Core Apr 24, 1993
- E17 Kosovo 2 Core May 1, 1993
- E18 Lebanon History Core May 8, 1993
- E19 Lebanon Politics Core May 15, 1993
- E20 Geographical Europe Core May 22, 1993
- E21 Mediterranean Sea (Curtain Of Sea) Core May 29, 1993
- E22 Gray Zones Core Jun 3, 1993
- E23 Russia 1: "The Great Stages Of The Formation Of The Russian Territory" Core Jun 5, 1993
- E24 Russia 2 Core Jun 12, 1993
- E25 Russia 3: The Tatars Core Jun 19, 1993
- E26 European curtains Core Jun 26, 1993
- E27 Bougainville Core Jul 24, 1993
- E28 Causes of Famine in Africa Core Jul 31, 1993
- E29 Alena Core Aug 14, 1993
- E30 Europe And The Sea Core Aug 21, 1993
- E31 Czechoslovakia Core Oct 9, 1993
- E32 The Rendez-Vous 93/94 Core Oct 16, 1993
- E33 Turkey: Turkish Foreign Policy Maps Core Oct 23, 1993
- E34 Kurds: Kurds in Turkey Core Oct 30, 1993
- E35 Ukraine: Ukraine Between Europe And Russia Core Nov 6, 1993
- E36 In the face of crises Core Nov 13, 1993
- E37 Colombia Core Nov 20, 1993
- E38 Turkey Core Nov 23, 1993
- E39 Aborigenes 1: The Discovery Of Australia Core Nov 27, 1993
- E40 Aborigenes 2: The Conquest Of Australia Core Dec 4, 1993
- E41 The Germans Of The Volga: The Germans Of The Former Urs Core Dec 11, 1993
- E42 The Mentent Cards Mytharc Dec 18, 1993
- E43 Should we change the G7? Mytharc Dec 25, 1993
Season 5 · 42 episodes
- E1 The Mekong Mytharc Jan 15, 1994
- E2 Bulgaria Core
- E3 Horn of Africa 1 Core
- E4 Horn of Africa 2 Core
- E5 Somalia 1: The Somali heritage Core
- E6 Somalia 2: The Burst Of Somalia Core
- E7 Straits of Straits Core
- E8 Territories in transition Core
- E9 Brasil Core
- E10 Balkans: Was the explosion Predictable? Core
- E11 Balkans: Apartheid in Europe Core
- E12 Was the empire Russian or Soviet? Core
- E13 Russia Year III: What Foreign Policy? Core
- E14 The Story Does not Repeat (Zhirinovsky) Core
- E15 The Discovery of the North American Continent Core Apr 9, 1994
- E16 Formation of the United States Core Apr 16, 1994
- E17 American Foreign Policy Core Apr 23, 1994
- E18 The Extraordinary Adventures of Admiral Eunuque Zheng He Core Apr 30, 1994
- E19 China Shape Change Core May 7, 1994
- E20 Towards a Chinese Confederation Core May 14, 1994
- E21 Nigeria 94 Core May 21, 1994
- E22 The Crisis Of Macedonia View By Greece. Core May 28, 1994
- E23 The Crisis Of Macedonia Viewed By Macedonia (1/2) Core Jun 4, 1994
- E24 The Crisis Of Macedonia Viewed By Macedonia (2/2) Core Jun 11, 1994
- E25 The Geography Of The World Time Core Jun 18, 1994
- E26 Paris Through His Plans Core Jun 25, 1994
- E27 NATO for All? Core Jul 30, 1994
- E28 Develop Our Territory Core Sep 17, 1994
- E29 Landscaping Our Territory: France Beside Europe Core Sep 24, 1994
- E30 Planning Our Territory: The Draft Law Core Oct 1, 1994
- E31 The Consequences Of Quebec Independence Core Oct 8, 1994
- E32 The impact of the accession of Scandinavian countries to the European Union Core Oct 15, 1994
- E33 The Morcement Of Afghanistan Core Oct 22, 1994
- E34 Cuba: Does the US embargo still have a meaning? Core Oct 29, 1994
- E35 Impact of Austria's membership on its identity Core Nov 5, 1994
- E36 The Sudanese Conflict And Its Consequences Core Nov 12, 1994
- E37 Oil (1) Core Nov 19, 1994
- E38 Oil (2) Core Nov 26, 1994
- E39 Oil (3) Iraq Core Dec 3, 1994
- E40 Botswana Core Dec 10, 1994
- E41 Laos Mytharc Dec 17, 1994
- E42 1993-1994: The Geopolitical Year Mytharc Dec 24, 1994
Frequently asked questions
How long is each episode?
Each episode runs for approximately ten minutes.
Is this series good for beginners?
Yes, it's designed to make geopolitics accessible to general viewers.
Does it cover current events?
It addresses geopolitical topics in a way that remains relevant over time.
Is there a lot of technical jargon?
The series aims to minimize complex terminology for broader understanding.
Can I use this for educational purposes?
Yes, it serves as a helpful introduction to global political concepts.
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