{ World Island Theory Geopolitics

 1904—Mackinder submitted the “Heartland Theory” to the Royal Geographical Society (an English Society for the advancement of Geographical Sciences)   The Heartland lay at the center of the world island, stretching from the Volga to the Yangtze and from the Himalayas to the Arctic. In Mackinder's time, the Heartland was largely ruled by the Russian Empire, later the Soviet Union. Halford John Mackinder

 Mackinder’s Basic Theory  The World can be divided into:  The World Island—the interlinked continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa—These lands are the largest and most populous and most wealthy lands in the world  Offshore lands—The British Isles and Japanese Islands  Outlying Islands—American Continents and Australia Halford John Mackinder

"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; who rules the World-Island controls the world.” Halford John Mackinder, 1919 World Island Geopolitics Geopolitics—the study of interrelationship between geography and politics

 Geopolitical Theory plays a major role in most foreign policy when considering political, military, and or trade policy.  Governments create policies based on the estimated outcomes of those policies.  In the case of Geopolitics, geographical and political knowledge are combined to estimate reactions and outcomes to government policies. The Geopolitics Geography—is the study of all the physical features of the earth and how those features interact the climate and distribution of life on earth. Social Geography—is the study of how humans interact with the physical geography that they live within. This is not digging holes. Think about how we value land. What is the value of 1,000 acres of sandy desert Now put that land in Saudi Arabia

 In your table groups creating a foreign policy to deal with  Your country is competing with another nation for political dominance in a resource rich region.  This country’s government is far less democratic than your own and elections are often rigged.  The country is far less technologically advanced than your own.  This country’s majority population share a common religious and cultural identity with the rest of the region that your country seeks to control. Geopolitical Exercise How are you going to win the hearts and minds of the other nations of this important region? Now consider that even small disruptions of the disruption of this resource can lead to economic hardships in your country. Reexamine your foreign policy. Could your policy cause disruptions? Now consider that the country that you are country you are competing controls the worlds third largest supply for this important resource. Reexamine your foreign policy. How might this final piece of knowledge impact your policy? Does anyone know where this is currently an issue the United States is trying to deal with? IRAN They don’t like us (the government, not the people. The people are mostly cool with the United States) They have the world’s third largest proven oil reserves. They are believed to be building nuclear weapons They don’t like Saudi Arabia, one of our important trading partners THEY HATE ISREAL ( a country we have sworn to protect)

 Using the maps on p.969  On the blank map provided create a 1977 Cold War World Map  Draw a dark line between Communist and Capitalist areas of the world  Color Soviet Union and Allies in one color  Color Other Communist Countries in a similar color  Color United States and Allies in another color.  Color Other Non-Communist Countries in a different color.  Create a KEY for your Map Cold War Maps