Critical Passages and Chokepoints

The world's critical waterway chokepoints affecting trade, supplies, shipping and tourism have always been relevant for a long time now. The UK and Europe has taken strategic and stakeholder interests in Suez - while the USA even took control of the land strips beside the Panama Canal. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Dutch, Portuguese and British fought for the Straits of Malacca. Singapore sits at the southern end of the Malacca Straits, a very important junction between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The Black Sea is vital to Russia, Ukraine and the surrounding landlocked states, thereby making the Bosporus Straits near Istanbul a vital opening to the Sea of Marmara. What about other significant water passages that are of value, historical concern and contemporary risk? The Sea of Japan between the southern Japanese island of Kyushu and the Korean Peninsular. The Mongols in the 13th century CE launched ships to attempt conquering the Japanese isles, but were rebuffed by typhoons in 1274 and 1281, that are now fondly referred to as the Kamikaze ( Divine Winds). The Straits of Gilbratar, narrow and small as it may be, is the only gateway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The British still maintain a tiny colonial foothold in Gilbratar, sandwiched between Spain and Morocco. Command of a narrow but strategic waterway pays off not only in military advantages, but also historically in revenue collection, geopolitical bargaining and in trading. The Torres Strait lies between Papua New Guinea and Cape York Peninsular in northern Queensland. It forms the shortest stretch of ocean between Asia and Australia. It was a channel of cultural exchange, trade and biological influences long before British settlement and the formation of modern Australia. The Baltic Sea, particularly the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothmia, are of top security and national importance to Russia and its neighbours of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia , Finland, Poland and Sweden. Underwater cables carrying data and communications, submarine use and a much needed relatively fair weather water passageway out of landlocked territories - all these offer benefits and stakeholder advantages. The Taiwan Straits is near the economically vibrant Bay area of southern China and her key cities of Shenzhen, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Macao. Taiwan was named as Formosa (the Beautiful Island) by the Portuguese maritime explorers. Apart from the Taiwan Indigenous ( who are related to the Polynesians), Taiwan had been populated from the 17th century onwards, by migrants ( Hakkas and Hoklos) from the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, before being taken over by Japan when the island nation won the Sino-Japanese War in 1895 against Qing Dynasty China. After the Japanese Imperialists surrendered in 1945 in the closure of the Second World War in the Pacific, Taiwan was returned to a China fighting a civil war. The Nationalists in China fled to Taiwan when they lost political control of the mainland to the Communists in 1949. In the almost 80 years since, Taiwan has been governed in varying ways different from mainland China. The Johore Straits separate the island republic of Singapore from the peninsular of the Federation of Malaysia. There are two causeways, fully utilised to the core every day with goods, produce and people. The Japanese Imperial army crossed over in early 1942 from the north ( Malayan peninsular) to take over British colonial Singapore in a few weeks. The Johore Straits divides two separate nations which were once together in the same Federation, but now differ in several key features. A sizeable number of people reside on the Johore side of the Straits but work in Singapore. Halong Bay lies south of Guang Xi Province of China, which borders northern Vietnam. That area of water also has the tropical Chinese island of Hainan nearby. It has witnessed the intense bombings over Hanoi and Haiphong during the worst years of the American War in Vietnam. Halong Bay has scenic limestone outcrops dotted over water. The St. Lawrence Seaway is the economic pipeline for eastern Canada, where most of her national population resides - and also for the north eastern United States. The so called seaway is a huge system of canals, rivers and locks that facilitate shipping, supplies, people movement and societal linkages. From inland provinces and small townships, it connects them to the northern Atlantic and serves the needs of two nations. Both national capitals of the USA and Canada are geographically near this never to be under estimated feature. Between Communist Cuba and Florida ( most south easterly state of the USA) is a stretch of water that does not take long to traverse. Known as the Straits of Florida, it connects the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean. Refugees are familiar with its waters. Pirates roamed to plunder and seize two and three centuries ago. It can be a geopolitical beach head just north of the Caribbean, which itself has a variety of tax havens, economically challenged societies and vacation spots. California has an economic and financial vitality that exceeds many of the world's independent nations. It has a long Pacific Ocean coast, viable diverse migrant demographics and apart from Hawaii, is the setting for key military installations for the West Coast of the USA. The Bering Straits separate mainlands of both Russia and the USA ( Alaska). It is said human beings walked over landbridges that existed long ago before the sea waters of the Straits rose up. The Straits represent a geographical divide between two large nations with stark comparisons in governance, philosophy and culture. The English Channel is what keeps the European continent distinct from the British Isles. Nazi bombers, Saxon invaders, Roman Empire legions and contemporay migrants from outside Europe have all crossed this narrow geographical feature. The North Sea, stormy as it mostly is, is a buffer between Scotland, Iceland and Scandinavia. Petroleum rich, it is also a passage to Greenland and the Arctic. Occupying north western Europe, it had witnessed Viking sailing mastery of the waters. The Adriatic Sea was a strategic basin for the city state of Venice in the Renaissance. Evidence of Roman Empire settlements, architecture and heritage are accessible, for example, along the Croatian coasts. The Ottomans expanded along this part of mainland Europe, though they did not take Italy except for Sicily. The Adriatic remains significant today as a rough boundary between Catholic and Orthodox Christian Europe, or between Latin and Slav cultural regions. #yongkevthoughts

Talking About Nations

Around the world, the concept and practice of having nation states are still thriving. Remember how every country wanted to have an official airline? National pride drives rivalry, competition and passion on many fronts such as sports, trade, use of technology, economic power and standard of living. There can be misuse of nationalism, as evidenced in wars fought, political hostility, tribal differences and selfish handling of epidemics. Nations arose in history for self preservation, cultural conquests, religious consolidation, economic expansion and financial viability. Nations expanded in size usually due to subjugation of weaker forces, whether in terms of technical, military or strategic might. Once the age of colonisation whittled away, there was a boom in the rise of the so many entities that are now members of the United Nations. How nations create and agree on boundaries can be based on geography. You can observe the flow of major rivers, insurmountable ranges, ocean divides and differing climate zones as serving natural divides. On the other hand, the construction of a huge canal created Panama. The meeting of waterfalls can often be where three nations meet. The world's great rivers often have separate countries located in their mountain source, fertile plains and when it fans out to a delta near the sea. Europe is often quoted to be a historical hinterland of often changing borders, as armies march over, philosophies run amok and diverse cultures interact. Relatively new nations arise when there is an overlay placed on various indigenious lands. An example is Canada, but that name is related to a Huron-Iroquois phrase meaning a village, "Kanata". The names of contemporary nations can be intriguing. There are patterns - some are named based on obvious distinct cultures like India, China, Japan, Russia, Ireland, Thailand and Vietnam. Other name patterns can have religious or tribal roots - I refer to Israel, Saudi, Ethopia, Egypt and Iran. Most of these nations are in the so called cradle of civillisation. In Central Asia, there are several nations that utilise the suffix "tan". Yet there are other nations which have names that seem neutral to racial or religious connotations. I think of Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Micronesia and Indonesia. And then there are those which highlight a specific race, even if the nation in reality is multi-cultural. Malaysia, Myanmar, France and Germany come to mind. There are countries which still bear the names of its colonial past. The Phillippines still honour a past Spanish King in its name. New Zealand refers to its "discovery" by Dutch adventurer-sailors. Greece is proud of its longer term links to the forebearers of Western civilisation. South and Central America have nation states named in the language of their European conquerors, with seeming no trace of the previous Inca, Atzec and Maya predecessors. Island states are best to retain their long used place names. Fiji, Singapore, Samoa, Mauritius and Malta come to mind. There are nations in which their socio-political structures were formed under colonial rulers. The seeds of their current problems have long been embedded in this manner. I refer to Malaysia, India, South Africa and Brazil - to name a few. There are a few political entities that have problems from unresolved wars - North and South Korea is an example. Relatively tiny states exist in Europe - Andorra, Luxembourg and the Vatican illustrate this. There are countries that have territories separated by sea. Denmark has Greenland, the USA has Hawaii , the Federation of Malaysia is split into two and the UK has Northern Ireland. Greece, Indonesia and the Phillippines are based on a collection of many isles. Nations that are landlocked may seem to need access to sea routes, but some like Switzerland do well without. Russia has access to wamer water ports in the Crimea, but Canada and the Scandinavian countries have only cold ocean ports. #yongkevthoughts