Chokepoints of the World: Where Geography Shapes Global Power
Imagine a single, narrow waterway through which nearly a fifth of the worldâs oil passes daily. Itâs hard to believe, but such a place exists: the Strait of Hormuz. Only about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, this strip of water between Iran and Oman becomes the stage for a global balletâwhere tanker ships, naval patrols, and international tensions all converge.
Itâs not just the Strait of Hormuz. Our world is dotted with chokepointsânarrow passages critical for trade but vulnerable to disruption. The Suez Canal in Egypt. The Panama Canal. The Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia. Each one is a reminder that geography, often invisible in our daily lives, quietly shapes the fate of nations.
What if the Suez Canal is blocked? We saw the answer in 2021, when a single stuck container ship delayed nearly $10 billion in global trade each day. What if pirates lurk too thickly off the Horn of Africa, turning the Gulf of Aden into a gauntlet? What if, tomorrow, somethingâor someoneâdecides the Strait of Hormuz should close?
These questions reveal a surprising truth: Even in an age of rockets and fiber optic cables, some of humanityâs greatest vulnerabilities come not from new technology, but from ancient geography. The most powerful navies and economies in the world have to reckon with natureâs bottlenecks.
So why do we let so few places hold so much sway? Maybe because alternativesânew pipelines, new routes, new technologiesâare expensive or slow to build. Or maybe, deep down, we just donât expect the reality of the map to ever truly catch up with us.
Until, suddenly, it does.
This article was inspired by the headline: 'Can Iran really shut down the Strait of Hormuz? - Al Jazeera'.
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