Shatterbelts and Choke Points

Shatterbelt Regions and Choke Points Complete this activity on Shatterbelt Regions and Choke Points. Complete in a different color and be ready to discuss as a warm-up, next class. Part 1- Shatterbelt Regions. Use this website to complete the following. ● Define a shatterbelt region - a region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals ● Complete the chart for each shatterbelt region listed from the website: Region Background Information- when, Impact- Why is this a shatterbelt region and what is the current specific countries, etc. situation? Eastern European states were stuck in ● Balkanization- is the process by which a state breaks Eastern the fight between the democratic West down through conflicts among its ethnicities. Europe and the communist Soviet Union in the ● Identify the states that were formed from Yugoslavia: east. After the fall of the USSR, these Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kosovo; Macedonia; smaller states gained autonomy and Montenegro; Serbia; Slovenia. struggled. These states included ● This is a shatterbelt region because these states were Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Lithuania. stuck in the fight between the democratic West and the communist USSR. Currently, these small nations struggle with autonomy. East Asia Middle East Ukraine Caucasus Region Several states in Asia, namely Korea and Vietnam, were stuck in the fight between the democratic West and communist Asia. The West was scared that communism would spread through Asia (Domino Theory), and wanted to prevent this. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been using Iraq as a shatterbelt region. Each country sponsors different Islamic extremist groups in Iran to fight against each other. These two countries fight against each other through their rivalry as two petroleum superpowers. Ukraine itself is a shatterbelt region because it’s found itself trapped in a conflict between the West and the communist Soviet Union (now Russia). Western countries like the US and in democratic Europe don’t want Russia to take more land, but their influence creates a challenge. After the fall of the Soviet Union, ethnically defined territories like Georgia, Armenia, Dagestan, and more decided to push for autonomy. The region south of the Caucasus Mountains defines these countries, and they were caught in the conflict This is a shatterbelt region because there was a conflict between the democratic West and communist Asia. The west was afraid that communism would spread throughout Asia (Domino Theory) and wanted to prevent this. As a result, the Korean Wars (to prevent NK from becoming a communist State) and the Vietnam War occurred. Today, communism still exists in those areas, but the West was able to stop its progress. The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran has destabilized Iraq, the shatterbelt region. Both countries blame each other for the several civil wars going on, and both want to take power. This puts the Middle East in jeopardy, and the situation has not gotten much better in recent years. The Western part of Ukraine is much more democratic than the eastern part (in part because of a history of ethnic Russians settling in Eastern Ukraine), and the conflict between the democratic West and Communist Soviet Union has created Ukraine into a shatterbelt region. Currently, Ukraine has separated from Russia but Russia still continues to display military aggression against Ukraine. It has violated fundamental norms and principles of international law. ● Compare this region with Eastern Europe. Similarly to the Eastern Europe shatterbelt region and the Caucasus Mountains shatterbelt region, but are stuck in the fight between the democratic West and the communist East (namely, Russia). ● This is a shatterbelt region because…. Shatterbelt Regions and Choke Points between Russia and the democratic West. Part 2- Choke Points. Read this article and answer the following questions. ● For each chokepoint, discuss in the article (Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Malacca) do the following. o Discuss what makes each one a choke point. A chokepoint is a geopolitical area where geographic limitations and political competition threatens access to free trade, especially concerning the transportation of oil and gas through straits. o Discuss the impact each chokepoint has on the oil trade in the world. Over 35% of all seaborne oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. At just 21 miles wide and bordered by Iran and Oman, the passage is subject to significant political pressure and security issues. If this chokepoint was disrupted, it would impact the timely shipment and oil and export costs. The second chokepoint is the Straight of Malacca, at only 1.5 miles wide. Ships passing through this chokepoint are subject to piracy, and animosity between countries in this region (namely, Japan and China) puts access to trade flow here at risk. The economic downturn and resulting political problems are possible, and without stability, consumers in East Asia won’t have access to oil.