The World's Maritime Choke points

Sadly, this affects everyone with their political hate and is blinded to the geopolitical affairs that affect everyone's livelihood.

Fascinating research in a related topic is Piracy. Many of the threats in those choke points are pirates.
Glamorous in days of old but a blasted nuisance in modern times, aye?

It's not so much global trade, per se. So much of this, particularly in the Middle East, is oil related. If we can ever find another first love, everything would change, but we are oil dependent in a very foolish way. This whole map becomes less interesting if you eliminate the world's dependence on oil. Somehow, we've been convinced there is just no other way than this.

I am currently pretty close to three of the choke points and while there are oil tankers, container ships make up most of the traffic.

Vambram said:

Mapping the World’s Key Maritime Choke Points

Ocean shipping is the primary mode of international trade. This map identifies maritime choke points that pose a risk to this complex logistic network.

www.visualcapitalist.com

This is a good read describing how important maritime global trade as well as the 6 various choke points for international trading.

Any and all responses will be appreciated or informative.

Click to expand...

Control of most of these was the reason that Britain was able to create global trade as we know it in the nineteenth century.

In WW2 the British controlled and held all of those except Panama (USA) and the Bosphorous (Neutral Turkey) and they lost the straits of Malacca to the Japanese. You could argue that the Allied victory in WW2 in Europe was partly down to this. Also, the war in Asia lasted longer than it should of because we did not hold Singapore.

The Italians were unable to hold Africa because of it and Middle Eastern oil remained in Allied hands. The attack on Italy would have been impossible without this and the creation of a second front in part depended on weakening Germany's main ally and was accompanied by invasions in the South of France because of this control. The supply lines to a far-flung empire remained open because of this control.

Today the same choke points exist and all except the straits of Malacca and the Bab el-Mandeb are still mainly policed by Western countries, in a war these two would be quickly secured by West-leaning countries or within the missile range of their deployed forces. The English Channel is the busiest shipping lane in the world.

public hermit said:

It's not so much global trade, per se. So much of this, particularly in the Middle East, is oil related. If we can ever find another first love, everything would change, but we are oil dependent in a very foolish way. This whole map becomes less interesting if you eliminate the world's dependence on oil. Somehow, we've been convinced there is just no other way than this.

Click to expand...

The USA is very straregically located,
little affected by choke points.

Estrid said:

The USA is very straregically located,
little affected by choke points.

Click to expand...

China has a base in the area but hasn't needed to help yet.