Svalbard, or Spitzbergen, as it used to be called, is an archipelago in the Arctic ocean about midway between the north of Norway and the North Pole and midway between Greenland to the West and the islands of Novaya Zemblya in northern Russia. 60% of it is covered with glaciers and it has about 3000 people. Its a place most people have never heard of, but it has considerable geographical and strategic significance as this episode of Geography Matters makes clear

This is a taster for the Geography Matters podcast series. It explains why geography matters for understanding the world and how it intersects with history and with economics, politics, society and the environment. Everything happens in particular places and particular times. Geography looks at where and why and history looks at when and why. The series is presented by Chris Hamnett, emeritus professor of geography at King's College London and Klaus Dodds, professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway College, University of London. Chris is an urban geographer interested in big cities, and Klaus is a specialist in geopolitics, with an interest in the Arctic and the polar regions and in border conflicts.

This first episode of the Geography Matters series looks at some aspects of social change in London over the last 50 years and reflects briefly on Ruth Glass's pioneering identification of gentrification in 1964 and the social class changes which have taken place since then. The hosts are Chris Hamnett, emeritus professor of geography at King's College London, and Klaus Dodds, professor of geography at Royal Holloway College, University of London. Chris is an urban and social geographer and Klaus specialises in geopolitics with a particular interest in borders and the polar regions