GEOGRAPHY IS WHAT DEFINES US
Man cannot fly!
Though he has acquired means of flying, he himself cannot leave the ground.
This means that he is forever tied with the ground or for the subject matter he
is tied to his geography. Most of what he can and cannot do is dictated by our
geography. Geographical features provide us access through plateaus and
flatland to neighboring people hence supporting the "diffusion of
innovation" (to use Everett Roger's term) and subsequently limit our
access by the means of mountains, marshes, deserts, and oceans.
Geography
is often rather inviting and seducing. It has in its bosom riches of minerals
that can be exploited. Nancy Peluso in her chapter titled "Whose Woods are
These" in the book "The Anthropology of Globalization and
Development" writes that forests while being of great ecological
importance have repositories of great wealth. The deserts of Arabia have
beneath them huge reservoirs of oil. The frigged cold of Alaska has deposits of
gold and oil. Such mineral wealth is inviting.
Geography,
therefore, is the keystone in human relation in the global or what we call
international relations. Disputes, border disputes around the globe are not
merely claims over land rather these are claims over geography. These are
claims over resources and these are claims over survival. This is what Tim
Marshall explains in his remarkable Prisoners of Geography. He
discusses the factors that hold Russia back from becoming a global power. Going
over history, we see that nations that became global powers operated Global
Navies. They had the ability to project power across the globe to intervene in
matters all around the globe. It is Russia's geography that prevents it from
operating globally, it does not have a warm water port. Most of its ports are
frozen many months over the year hence disabling the bear.
Riches and Navies
Speaking of the global powers, we have European
countries that came out of Europe in the 16th century and colonized the world.
And later on, after the second world war, America became the global power. Both
had warm water ports that could operate blue water navies all year round and
intervene in matters across the globe. Britain, although being an Island nation
had the ability to assert its power across the English channel into the European
landmass. America though being more isolated then Great Britain had the
financial stability after WWII that the European Nations lacked and was able to
present itself as the balancer of power. Hence replacing European Nations in
general and Britain in particular and becoming a global power.
American
hegemony has only been challenged recently. With the rise of China on the
international stage and overtaking America as the largest economy in terms of
purchasing power. China is now set to become an international power. Pumping
finances into its armed forces and nuclear arsenal and developing a modern
navy, though the navy is still a green-water navy. Other than developing navies
and gaining the ability to intervene, we have seen these global powers airing
geographical advantages.
China
now invests across the globe. Investments in Africa are aimed at bringing oil
from Nigeria back to China. Other than oil there are mineral resources include
zinc, titanium, and copper. These minerals china acquires in raw form develops
it into consumable goods and then exported to consuming markets of the world.
This is all to say that to become a global power nations are still the
prisoners of geography as the raw materials to become a global power come from
geography.
Borders of Blood
Ignoring the dictates of geography and culture,
borders that were drawn either hastily or with no regard to the rules of
geography, to this day these borders remain in dispute. India and Pakistan,
Middle Eastern borders, Balkan states, and Africa in particular. Most of the
Arabs and Africans lived as tribes before and during colonization. The
colonizers when dividing these areas drew lines with little or no regard to
their way of life. Tribes, clans, and families were parted in the result and a
hypothetical line called border had little meaning for them.
Drawing
these borders another factor that was disregarded was demographics. Often
minorities were given preferences which gave the majority a chance to rise up
against them and when the majority was given preference they exploited the
rights of the minorities. These produced civil wars in numerous parts of
Africa. This is one of the primary reasons that the continent is still in
spoils. Foreign nations take advantage of these internal conflicts among tribes
and exploit the riches of the continent at cheap costs. There is little
Investment in the region due to continuous political turmoil.
Kashmir between Pakistan and India as another such case. Indian occupation of Kashmir cannot end as it will allow Pakistan to etch its way closer to China. China already with its mammoth of an investment with regards to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). If the Indian occupation is to end China will also gain more access to the region and easier access to the port of Gawadar in Pakistan increasing Chinese influence across the globe. Gaining access to the Arabian sea is important for China as it will be an alternate route to the south china sea that is disputed among China, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, and Malaysia.
Conclusion
How Nations take decision with regards to their foreign policy, strategic planning is greatly dictated by geography. Mountains, Deserts and oceans can provide cover from coming attacks and flat lands present ample opportunity to expand territory. Expansion of territory seems an unlikely option for developing states but is always as option for developed world powers with increasing arms arsenal and navies with air craft carrier battle groups. Man is evolving and is finding new ways to overcome these geographical boundaries by digging tunnels or just by developing missiles that can strike at long ranges while avoiding terrain. Still the decisions world leaders take are very much under the influence of geography.
