Strategic shipping points of the Middle East

The photo made from space is of the Black Sea, a body of water that forms part of the northern boundary of the Middle East.

The photo above shows both the Black Sea and the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The land mass between the two seas is the country of Turkey. Although the boundaries are not visible, you can also see Syria, Lebanon, and Israel in the photo. If you look closely, you can see the Dead Sea in the center e and at the very bottom.

What you may not can see in the photo is the very narrow body of water that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The map diagram below clearly shows in the SW corner not one but two narrow passages. (There is another narrow passage of lesser importance much further to the northeast.)

Narrow bodies of water that connect two larger bodies of water are called straits. The 2 Straits that connect the Black and Mediterranean Seas are named the BOSPORUS to the NE and the DARDANELLES to the SW.

The Bosporus and Dardanelles are controlled by Turkey. Turkey’s largest and most historical city, Istanbul, is located on the two fingers of land that form the Bosporus.

Examine the next picture that specifically shows the location of the Bosporus and Dardanelles. (In this picture water is colored a light bluish-gray while land is colored a dark blue.)

The Aegean Sea is labeled on this map. The Aegean is the specific name given to the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.

Now try to locate these 2 straits on the yellow and blue map below.

Now we will examine another key waterway of the Middle East. This one is located in Egypt and is called the SUEZ CANAL. The Suez Canal is not a strait but a canal. Straits are naturally occurring, but canals are manmade.

The Suez Canal connects the northern tip of the Red Sea with the Mediterranean. On the map below, the Suez Canal is located in the area of the letter A in Israel.

The narrow body of land through which the Suez Canal was constructed is called the ISTHMUS OF SUEZ. An isthmus is a narrow body of land between 2 large bodies of water. An isthmus provides a practical location for the building of a canal. (Note: the Panama Canal is constructed across the Isthmus of Panama and connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic.)

The Suez Canal (as well as the Panama Canal) was built to speed up the pace of trade in this part of the world. Before the canal was constructed, ships had to sail south through the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, west around the southern tip of Africa to the Atlantic Ocean, then into the Mediterranean Sea. Once the Suez Canal was dug, traders were saved thousands of miles and many days of travel time. Since canals reduced travel time, prices consumers had to pay for goods were also reduced.

Hopefully, you have determined that straits and canals are exceedingly important for trade. The Bosporus, Dardanelles, and the Suez Canal, with their enormous amount of trade, enhance trade for all. However, the final strategic passageway, the Strait of Hormuz, is the most crucial Middle East waterway to international trade, and to the international economy.

The STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman/Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean. About half of the total daily world supply of crude oil is produced by countries located around the Persian Gulf. In order to get this oil to market, it is loaded onto massive supertankers that must pass through the Strait of Hormuz. It is estimated that $1.2 BILLION dollars of oil is shipped through this strait each day.

Check out the location of the Strait of Hormuz on the maps below.

Below is a satellite photo of the Strait of Hormuz,

All 4 of these strategic locations—the Bosporus, Dardanelles, Suez Canal, and Strait of Hormuz—are critical for world trade. It is vital to the world economy that these waterways remain open for shipping. But they are very narrow. Disruption of trade could easily occur. A war or even the wreck of a supertanker in one of these locations could cripple world trade.

Traders refer to narrow bodies of water like these as ‘chokepoints’, the significance of the term chokepoint being obvious. Hence, they are said to be STRATEGIC. Imagine what would take place in countries that could not get deliveries of oil if these waterway were closed: NO oil, no energy, no production, no travel, no trade, and finally, a broken economy. Even the hint of trouble is enough to cause the price of a barrel of crude oil to spike significantly higher.

Remember the names and locations of these strategic waterways.

WRITTEN WORK ON THE NEXT PAGE

1. Define the term ‘isthmus’.2. Explain why canals are sometimes constructed across isthmuses.3. Define the term ‘strait’. 4. Why are straits referred to as natural ‘chokepoints’?5. With no more that 2 or 3 sentences, explain what you think would happen if Iran were to close the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.6. Why is it unlikely that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping?