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The World of the monsoon

This is the most difficult strategic region to define as it encompasses so many different regions and, unlike the Silk Road, does not have a consistent geography. This region revolves areas in Eurasia who's primary zone of contact is maritime. It is based on the "rimland" ideas of Nicholas Spykman (1942) who believed that the maritime the areas around the heartland are the true engine of history. This includes western Europe and the Meditteranean, the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, South and East China Seas.

Culture and Contact

This is really a series defined by one characteristic, proximity to the rimland. However, when looking at Eurasia's relationship to maritime chokepoints, it is slightly more cohesive. It begins at Gibraltar before going through Meditteranean though the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, and then the straights of Malacca.

This is simplistic classification and history of some geographic subregions covered by this network.
Meditteranean Indian Ocean South/East Asia
Begins at Straights of Gibraltar, connected to Indian ocean through the Red Sea and Suez canal. Encompasses maritime Arabia, East Africa (through the Red Sea) and the Indian subcontinent which has functioned as a bridge point for ideas and resources for millenia, currently the avenues by which persian gulf oil is shipped between the Persian Gulf in Europe. The Asian networks and Maritime chokepoints that econpass the south east Asian trading networks. This region includes the straights of Malacca, island south East Asia in the South and Japan, Korea and eastern china and Taiwan in the north
Home to ancient civilizations like Egypt, Israel, the Phonenicians, Greeks, Etruscans and Romans. Intersects with three continents, Europe, Asia, Africa. Only overland connections to the Indian Ocean until completion of the Suez Canal in 1869. Though there is some evidence of canals linking the Red to the Nile in antiquity Home to many ancients civilizations, heavily connected to the Mesopotamian cradle of civilization and Indus Valley. Later Buddhism and later Islam spread to India and Southeast Asia along these routes. India's unique geography gives it unique influence along this route and its connection to other places. Seperated from the Indian Ocean by the Straights of Malacca. Influenced (keyword) by the civilization interplay of China, India, Islamic and Japanese civilizations each adapting to well developed indigenous societies.
Meets the northern European plane across the Alps and North through France. Meditteranean Europe and Northern Europe are divided by Germanic vs romance languages and relgion, protestant/catholic. African regions are generally Islamic with the Middle Eastern are also heavily Arabic speaking Muslim. Instability of Islamic states in the region, migration, increases tensions. Massive variety of people currently live in the area. India is a rising power which will increasingly control traffic and potential increase influence in Islamic (but navally deficient) Persian Gulf states. Engine of conflict today as China aims to domininate this region to secure traffic into the Indian ocean. This region saw the first truly global trading between China and the West in the Philippines as Spanish Silver was traded for Chinese goods. Now the same routes are competed over by the USA and a newly outward looking China.
the indian ocean