Economically and militarily, what land areas or countries are the most strategically located for a nation looking to dominate the world? Where are the most strategic places to build bases? Go at it from the US POV in the 2015 world.
Strategic areas of the World?
- Thread starter sahaldelta
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Saphroneth
Banned
Actually (and perhaps surprisingly) a lot of the maritime ones the US doesn't have... Britain does!
Look at the remaining British Overseas Territories. Gibraltar is the Straits there, obviously, but there's also Diego Garcia (Straits around the Malay Barrier), the Falklands (hello Cape Horn), Ascension Island (well, the US has that one too) and Bermuda (northern Atlantic).
But yes, for maritime movement it's straits, canals, and as many little islands as you can get hold of.
For controlling world resources, anywhere with oil is a good start.
Look at the remaining British Overseas Territories. Gibraltar is the Straits there, obviously, but there's also Diego Garcia (Straits around the Malay Barrier), the Falklands (hello Cape Horn), Ascension Island (well, the US has that one too) and Bermuda (northern Atlantic).
But yes, for maritime movement it's straits, canals, and as many little islands as you can get hold of.
For controlling world resources, anywhere with oil is a good start.
In my view, canals and straits nowasays are crucial for international trade, but oil production is key to securing world domination, therefore Morocco/Andalucia, Sinai or whole of Egypt, Singapore, Panama and Istanbul.
As for regions, Western Europe (especially Rhineland, North Italy, Île de France, the Rhone corridor, East England with London) New England, California and East China Sea coastal regions (Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Eastern China) are economic power centers; having at least one is absolutely necessary.
As for regions, Western Europe (especially Rhineland, North Italy, Île de France, the Rhone corridor, East England with London) New England, California and East China Sea coastal regions (Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Eastern China) are economic power centers; having at least one is absolutely necessary.
May I point out that France has largest territorial waters in the world? Having tropical islands like Hawai, French polynesia or the carribean might help keeping a good morale in war.
Avoid invading large, quite underpopulated lots of land like Amazonia, Siberia, Sahara, Gobi, Australia (especially Australia.). The adverse climate makes it difficult to keep troops garrisoned there and extract whatever mineral ressources there is.
Saphroneth
Banned
Tropical islands are almost irrelevant to morale. They're good for sea control, though.
Are you trying to tell me that Top Gun isn't an accurate documentary on the importance of beach volleyball to developing camaraderie amongst Navy pilots?!
If you look at any global oil trade map (search it on Google images) it results that the Persian Gulf - East Asia maritime route is the most used in the world by far. So, controlling Singapore strait, or owning a canal in Thailand, will be vital for China and its neighborhood. Any superpower rivaling with China will know that.
Of course, the superpower (common guys, we are obviously talking about Uber Perfidious Albion) should be able of avoid a Chinese oilduct directly from Middle East oilfields via balcanizing Central Asia.
Of course, the superpower (common guys, we are obviously talking about Uber Perfidious Albion) should be able of avoid a Chinese oilduct directly from Middle East oilfields via balcanizing Central Asia.
dissentcontinues
Banned
I always wanted to do some timeline where the San Fransisco Bay and its water ways become some kind of disputed strategic zone like the Bosporus or Dardanelles or the Strait of Hormuz. I had either a California Republic versus a British Dominion in Oregon that tries to annex Northern California using Drake's Nova Albion as an excuse, leading to intrigue and trading the area back and forth, a Spanish Californio Hacendado dominated Californio caudillo state finding gold and breaking away early from Spain and/or Mexico versus a stronger Russian American colony with a more successful Fort Ross, or a Chinese colony based on cinnabar mining in the area of OTL Solano county which has cinnabar which was seen as an immortality elixir versus Japanese Wokou descended pirate kingdoms gone native among the Haida in the Pacific Northwest raiding the bay area.
lordapocalipsis
Banned
Well, in a few year, when the water is scarce, i guess it will be the Amazonia
In that vein, the Arctic Ocean will become increasingly important.
Riain
Banned
Control of naval and land chokepoints is good, but it's also important not to be constrained by these chokepoints yourself. For example the US has no geographical constraints that could be exploited by an enemy to deny it access to the open oceans. In contrast China has a string of islands from Japan through Taiwan and the Philippines to Malaysia and Indonesia which could be used to blockade China and limit the freedom of movement for its combatant units.
You will want bases to control new trade routes in the Arctic Ocean. Build the base now for when you need it in 2100. Shout out to my Canadians. Make the anglosphere proud!
Perhaps as solar power continues to grow, the deserts will gain value and be fought for. I doubt wind will do that. Maybe ocean thermal power? There is a lot of heat energy in the South Pacific. Who would own it?
River wars might be a possibility as fresh water become harder to come by. The Nile basin could be the future powder keg.
Perhaps as solar power continues to grow, the deserts will gain value and be fought for. I doubt wind will do that. Maybe ocean thermal power? There is a lot of heat energy in the South Pacific. Who would own it?
River wars might be a possibility as fresh water become harder to come by. The Nile basin could be the future powder keg.
Space launches are only prestige shots, and for this best spots are closest to the Equator, so the world's best launching site remains Kourou, in French Guyana.
Either way, it's about Uber-ing an empire where the sun still doesn't set: England or France
I don't know. My morale would have been infinitely higher if I'd have spent six months in Tahiti rather than being shot at in Basra...
If we make a Uber-France, it will need to take over Djibouti from its base there as a way of controling the Suez Canal.
Raiding western Germany shall be necessary.
New Caledonia could be used as a base for taking over Singapore.
French Austral Islands could also be used for taking control of the Cape.
However, it is much easier to uber UK as ir has always been a naval power meanwhile France is more of a land-borne country so Uber France would be hard to achieve unless the goal is controlling Europe.
Raiding western Germany shall be necessary.
New Caledonia could be used as a base for taking over Singapore.
French Austral Islands could also be used for taking control of the Cape.
However, it is much easier to uber UK as ir has always been a naval power meanwhile France is more of a land-borne country so Uber France would be hard to achieve unless the goal is controlling Europe.
Saphroneth
Banned
Sure, but it doesn't do much good for the ability to control Basra if all the soldiers are in Tahiti, no matter how happy the people in Tahiti are.