To understand their collective might, we first have to appreciate the sheer scale and diversity of the original five members.

A Geographical Mosaic: The Founding Five

The original BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—are geographical titans in their own right, each bringing a unique piece to the puzzle.

Brazil: The Amazonian Anchor

Stretching across nearly half of South America, Brazil is defined by the Amazon Basin, the world’s largest rainforest and a critical “lung” for the planet. This immense tropical geography makes Brazil an agricultural superpower, a leading exporter of everything from soybeans and coffee to beef. Its major cities, like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, are massive urban hubs on the Atlantic coast, gateways to the continent’s resource-rich interior.

Russia: The Eurasian Landmass

Geography, for Russia, is a story of almost unimaginable scale. Spanning eleven time zones from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, its territory includes the vast, frozen tundra of Siberia, the Ural Mountains dividing Europe and Asia, and immense reserves of oil, natural gas, and minerals. While much of its population is clustered in western cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia’s control over the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route gives it a strategic pathway that is becoming increasingly viable with climate change.

India: The Subcontinental Giant

India is a subcontinent of dramatic geographical contrasts. From the towering Himalayas in the north to the fertile Gangetic Plain, the Deccan Plateau, and thousands of miles of coastline, its physical geography supports a staggering population of over 1.4 billion people. This human geography is its greatest asset and challenge. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru are epicenters of a booming tech and service economy, while its vast rural heartland remains the agricultural backbone.

China: The Eastern Powerhouse

China’s geography is a foundation of its power. Its most populous and economically productive regions are concentrated in the east, along the coastal plains and the fertile basins of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. This favorable geography has allowed for the rise of megacities like Shanghai and Beijing and turned its coast into the world’s manufacturing workshop. To the west, vast deserts like the Taklamakan and the high Tibetan Plateau act as natural frontiers, rich in the rare earth minerals crucial for modern technology.

South Africa: The Strategic Southern Tip

Positioned at the southern extremity of Africa, South Africa’s geography is strategic. It commands the sea lanes around the Cape of Good Hope, a historic and vital route for global shipping. Its interior, the Highveld plateau, is a treasure chest of minerals, including gold, diamonds, and platinum. Cities like Johannesburg were built on this mineral wealth, while Cape Town stands as a picturesque and crucial port city where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.

The Expansion: Forging New Geo-Economic Links

In January 2024, the BRICS map was dramatically redrawn. The inclusion of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was not random; it was a calculated move rooted in strategic geography. Each new member brings control over a piece of the global puzzle, particularly concerning trade and energy.

• Egypt: The Guardian of the Suez. With Egypt’s entry, the BRICS+ bloc now includes the nation that controls the Suez Canal. This artificial waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea is arguably the single most important maritime chokepoint in the world, handling over 12% of global trade. Any disruption here sends shockwaves through the global economy.
• Iran: The Hormuz Overlook. Iran’s geography gives it a commanding position over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel through which a fifth of the world’s oil consumption passes daily. Coupled with its own massive oil and gas reserves, Iran’s membership places another critical energy artery within the BRICS sphere of influence.
• UAE: The Global Crossroads. The UAE, with its world-class ports like Jebel Ali in Dubai and its hub airports, has become one of the planet’s premier logistics and financial centers. It serves as a vital geographical pivot point connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.
• Ethiopia: The Horn of Africa’s Anchor. As a populous, landlocked nation, Ethiopia’s significance lies in its strategic position in the Horn of Africa and its control over the headwaters of the Blue Nile, a river essential for downstream nations like Egypt and Sudan. It represents a key demographic and political player in a rapidly developing region.

Connecting the Dots: A New World Map?

When you place these new members on the map alongside the original five, a new picture emerges. This is no longer just a collection of large, disparate economies. It’s the beginning of a connected network.

Consider the maritime routes. The BRICS+ bloc now has significant influence over three of the world’s most critical naval chokepoints: the Suez Canal (Egypt), the Strait of Hormuz (Iran/UAE), and the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Russia’s Northern Sea Route adds a fourth, future-facing dimension.

On the energy front, the addition of Middle Eastern powerhouses to a group that already included Russia, a top energy producer, creates an energy behemoth. Together, BRICS+ countries now account for roughly 45% of the world’s oil production.

This geographic consolidation creates the potential for a new “geo-economic” architecture—one where trade, investment, and development can flow along corridors less dependent on traditional Western hubs and financial systems. It’s an alliance built not on shared ideology, but on shared geographical and economic interests.

Challenges on the Horizon

Of course, this alliance is not without immense challenges. The geographical distances between members remain vast. Political and cultural differences are significant, and historical rivalries, such as the border disputes between India and China, are a persistent source of friction. Coordinating policy across such a diverse group of nations—from democracies to autocracies, from developed to developing economies—is a monumental task.

But to dismiss the bloc for these reasons would be to miss the point. The power of BRICS+ lies less in its political unity and more in its growing geographical and resource-based leverage. They don’t need to agree on everything to collectively influence global energy prices, supply chains, and the future of international development.

Ultimately, whether this leads to a formal “new world order” is uncertain. But what is undeniable is that the lines on the world map are being redefined. Through the strategic expansion of their membership, the BRICS countries are intentionally building a network that covers the planet’s most critical resources and trade routes. They are not just asking for a seat at the table; they are building their own table, one continent and one strategic waterway at a time.