Ever since its first appearance in 1976, Hérodote has been at the core of major debates in geography. It has however evolved considerably as illustrated, for example, by the change in 1983 in the Journal's subtitle from « ideology, geography, strategies » to « Journal of geography and geopolitics ». The bases of this evolution are illustrated while the continuity of the major themes defended by the Journal is explained. This includes the necessity of field studies and the epistemological legitimacy of geographical knowledge. Thus are established the foundations of a geopolitical geography, distinct from political geography, which justifies the unity and the assets of physical as well as human geography. The efficiency of geographical reasoning for the understanding of geopolitical issues does not only apply at the planetary, continental or national scales but also at the regional scales. This implies both a rehabilitation of some major classical sources as well as new fields for geographical research.