Which country do you believe enjoys the best geopolitical position?

[MastanKhan]

again i would ask .. kindly pull up some stats about the trade volumes of the above said products and goods ! Lets make these things definitive !

Hi,

So it is the stats kind of stupidity----. Pakistan has the most enemies acting against it at this time and it has most of its friends trying to push & keep it in its present position----. There is no news in the world newspapers that does not have pakistan mentioned anyday regarding strategic issues.

Now---what does trade volume has to do with geopoliticl positioning.

 

[Serpentine]

It wasn't possible to vote for 2 countries, otherwise I would vote for both Iran and Turkey.

Reasons for Iran: Having land access to 7 countries, in west to Iraq and rest of ME, northwest to Turkey and then Europe, also to Caucasus, in the Northeast to Central Asia which is gaining more and more importance everyday, then Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also being very close to Indian subcontinent, and having shorelines north of one of the most strategic straits in the world (strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf through which 30% of total oil exports passes everyday) and also being the only country to have access to Indian ocean,Persian gulf, Central Asia, Caucasus and Europe (through Turkey) and also ME at the same time, that's a big advantage for reexporting products from South Asia,Far east and even Arab countries to Central Asia, Afghanistan,Caucasus and Russia). And lastly having shorelines to Caspian sea, which gives us indirect access through sea to Russia and Kazakhstan too. Proximity to gulf countries could be another advantage. Also most of Iran is mountainous, which is a good advantage in case of wars.

Unfortunately many of these potentials are undermined due to sanctions.

@New @ResurgentIran @JEskandari @raptor22 @MOHSENAM @iranigirl2 @Gilamard

Reasons for Turkey are already stated in the thread, no need to mention them again.

 

[JohnyD]

ofcourse India... Indian Ocean!

 

[shiv]

Hi,

So it is the stats kind of stupidity----. Pakistan has the most enemies acting against it at this time and it has most of its friends trying to push & keep it in its present position----. There is no news in the world newspapers that does not have pakistan mentioned anyday regarding strategic issues.

Now---what does trade volume has to do with geopoliticl positioning.

You said you are gateway to central asia. I am curious how many people are willing to use this gateway to central asia and not some other route !

 

[gau8av]

Pakistan or Turkey

Turkey, being a NATO member, are already US pawns (they have no say in international affairs, well, they can put out statements.. but their "real" power amounts to 0 unless they get permission from uncle sam)

Pakistan ? no, not in the best geopolitical situation at all.. and with the war in Afghanistan winding up, they'll get even less attention moving forward though the army/elites will be kept in power but on a golden leash.. nice minions

China ? biggest economy + much strong military = threat to the US

India = exploit her fears and use as pawn against said "threat"








and forgive me, gurus.. I know these are gross oversimplifications but that's how I think it is with the globe today.. best geopolitical situation = you're cool with sam

sad but true, eh ?









no? just ask the Israelis

 

[New]

It wasn't possible to vote for 2 countries, otherwise I would vote for both Iran and Turkey.

Reasons for Iran: Having land access to 7 countries, in west to Iraq and rest of ME, northwest to Turkey and then Europe, also to Caucasus, in the Northeast to Central Asia which is gaining more and more importance everyday, then Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also being very close to Indian subcontinent, and having shorelines north of one of the most strategic straits in the world (strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf through which 30% of total oil exports passes everyday) and also being the only country to have access to Indian ocean,Persian gulf, Central Asia, Caucasus and Europe (through Turkey) and also ME at the same time, that's a big advantage for reexporting products from South Asia,Far east and even Arab countries to Central Asia, Afghanistan,Caucasus and Russia). And lastly having shorelines to Caspian sea, which gives us indirect access through sea to Russia and Kazakhstan too. Proximity to gulf countries could be another advantage. Also most of Iran is mountainous, which is a good advantage in case of wars.

Unfortunately many of these potentials are undermined due to sanctions.

@New @ResurgentIran @JEskandari @raptor22 @MOHSENAM @iranigirl2 @Gilamard

Reasons for Turkey are already stated in the thread, no need to mention them again.

Considering those factors plus lots of more other reasons, made me to think that Iran would be on the race in the top, but somehow I was kinda shocked seeing the results.
Turkey is where 3 continents are crossed, but it has no strategical depth, if you know what I mean, and also it has no direct access to free waters.
Pakistan, is positioned in a really cross section position, but comparing to Iran it has much less neighboring countries, and also no access into oil rich gulf countries.
I also was shocked to see India in the race too.

 

[Serpentine]

Considering those factors plus lots of more other reasons, made me to think that Iran would be on the race in the top, but somehow I was kinda shocked seeing the results.
Turkey is where 3 continents are crossed, but it has no strategical depth, if you know what I mean, and also it has no direct access to free waters.
Pakistan, is positioned in a really cross section position, but comparing to Iran it has much less neighboring countries, and also no access into oil rich gulf countries.
I also was shocked to see India in the race too.

Exactly, I'd also like to ask some Indian members to state their reasons for voting. Only being a 'big country' is not a reason for being geopoliticaly important.

 

[XenoEnsi-14]

Turkey tops the list, followed by Pakistan and India then China.

 

[Friei Indien]

Don't just vote for your country for the sake of it. Tell us why.

India, because we have Andaman and nicobar islands, we can choke all the shipping routes of the Indian ocean, and also of the Arab sea ( we have lakshadeep island in the Arab sea)

 

[shiv]

Exactly, I'd also like to ask some Indian members to state their reasons for voting. Only being a 'big country' is not a reason for being geopoliticaly important.

we can control the trade in IOR ! What more you want ?

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Turkey is in the past---had been and done with---. Iran otoh---this nation is totally lost---it is clueless to what it needs to do and from where to start---that is what happens when you execute your visioanries---your tacticians---your generals---your leaders----your civilian population at a whim---.

India wants to be the bad boy---but its problem is that it is a democracy----its parliament won't kowtow to the american needs and demands as some of the indian members want it to.

For india to be counted---it needs to come out a solid winner in an actual battle either on land or seas against the chinese or against pakistan.


The thing is that a little minion like pakistan is not scared of india in actual combat---when you can't BULLY little nations you ain't nobody.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Oh yeah ? why don't u pull up some facts about the trade which happens through pakistan which doesn't originate from pakistan or terminate there ? if you can't, stop with the gateway to central asia crap ! who wants to access central asia through pakistan ? NADA no one !

Deal is in being in a position to leverage other's trade. In your case you have one road to brag about which the chinese are building .. fair enough but little johnny ..that's one country.. we are talking about controlling or mediating trade for entire east part of the globe !

 

[shiv]

The thing is that a little minion like pakistan is not scared of india in actual combat---when you can't BULLY little nations you ain't nobody.

well we are not done with working on our internal economy yet. So no we are not in any position to be geopolitically the most enviable position. But once our economy is on tracks to high growth rate we will expand outwards.

And bulllying is the end game. There are a lot of steps Indian navy is taking in that regards.. Already 3 SSBNs' keel has been laid. We are inducting huge destroyers as we speak and there is a separate production line for ACCs. Unless we have a sizeable nos of these we cannot enforce our rule. So plz wait for a decade. ! Untill then happy hunting in wazistan and happy chest thumping !

Btw when u said pakistan is the gateway to central asia and when i asked you for cold hard stats to back that claim, you stopped responding to me

 

[greatone]

Exactly, I'd also like to ask some Indian members to state their reasons for voting. Only being a 'big country' is not a reason for being geopoliticaly important.

You are confusing geo-strategics with geo-politics.
Regarding India's geo strategic importance I already gave my opinion.

-Its isolation from rest of the world is its greatest strength and biggest weakness.
India- Straddling the oil lanes and unchallenged power in an entire ocean once it gets its act together.
Protected by Himalayas in North, Jungles in East and Pakistan in West it can easily project its energies outwards towards the seas. Very difficult to naval blockade India because it has two enormous seaboards

The reason we hear hullaboo about Pakistan's geostrategic importance it cause it is up for sale.

Land route from ME to China will always be irrelevent because no one lives in Western China. Population of Xinjiang and Tibet combined is 25 million.And land route from India to Xinjiang/Tibet is smaller than from Pakistan.

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India wants to build a pipeline from Iran to China via India in exchange for a pipeline from Russia to India via China.
Something to chew on as BRICS grows in the future.

Land route To Central Asia-Chabahar and Gwadar are in competition.Chabahar is shorter.


Only real importance of Pakistan was India's land route to Central Asia.But with Chabahar India has found .
an alternative.

 

[Serpentine]

Hi,

Turkey is in the past---had been and done with---. Iran otoh---this nation is totally lost---it is clueless to what it needs to do and from where to start---that is what happens when you execute your visioanries---your tacticians---your generals---your leaders----your civilian population at a whim---.

India wants to be the bad boy---but its problem is that it is a democracy----its parliament won't kowtow to the american needs and demands as some of the indian members want it to.

For india to be counted---it needs to come out a solid winner in an actual battle either on land or seas against the chinese or against pakistan.


The thing is that a little minion like pakistan is not scared of india in actual combat---when you can't BULLY little nations you ain't nobody.

My friend, you should first study a little more about definition of geopolitics. What you said has nothing to do with geopolitics.

You are confusing geo-strategics with geo-politics.
Regarding India's geo strategic importance I already gave my opinion.

Geostrategy:

Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning.

Geopolitics:

Geopolitics is the study of the effects of geography (both human and physical) on international politics and international relations.

You see I'm not confusing anything, being politically important and being geopolitically important are worlds apart. Some people seem to not understand what geopolitics actually mean.