Geopolitics of Indian Ocean describes here at very well in short and in easy to understand language focusing every aspect of Indian ocena that is its past, present and future geopolitical significance

1. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
TOPIC:-GEOPOLITICS
OF INDIAN OCEAN
PRESENTED BY : ADITIYA SINGH
ENROLLMENT NO. 2101208001

2. • The formation of political strategies based on geopolitical
facts to obtain special political or economic benefits is
called Geopolitics.
• India has a long coastline in the Indian Ocean, it is also the biggest littoral country.
These two factors reinforced India’s dominant position in the Indian Ocean region.
• India in the past as well now concerned about peace, how to prevent unauthorized
invasions in the Indian Ocean, and protect the exploitation of mineral resources in
other countries.
• The growing naval ambitions of China and the increasing presence of Chinese
naval bases pose military challenges to India.
• The presence of neighboring countries with nuclear weapons, such as Pakistan and
China, is forcing India to establish a sophisticated nuclear defense system. India
must develop the secondary attack capability of nuclear weapons.
• India’s growing dependence on Oil and Gas Resources in Western Asia requires the
participation of India in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Geopolitics of Indian Ocean

3. The geographical as wells responsible for the
geopolitical importance of the Indian Ocean
can be grouped into 3 headings.
• The strategic location of the Indian Ocean
• Dynamics of Cold-War
• Concerns in the Post Cold-War era
1) The Strategic Location of the Indian Ocean and its Importance
• It is located at the confluence of the three Oceans and has many coastal states along
its banks. It has been surrounded by 46 Countries (27 literal including Australia, 12
Landlocked, and 7 Island countries as recognized by the UN) It acts as a bridge
between east and west. It is the link between Europe-Asia, Asia-North America, and
Asia-Africa.
• The Indian Ocean extends over Antarctica, which is a continent with enormous
potential. Antarctica has always been an untapped continent and offers huge
opportunities for the future.

4. • The proximity of the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf and
potentially rich in Hydro-Carbons strengthened its geopolitical
importance.
• The marginalized people of Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz
in the west and Strait of Malacca in the east of the Indian Ocean,
where it also places a geopolitical challenge in the region.
2) The Indian Ocean became a region of Geopolitics due to Dynamics of the Cold
War
• The first phase of geopolitics in the Indian Ocean region began with the division of the
world according to the ideological factors of Capitalism and Communism.
1. The emergence of superpowers such as the USA and the USSR dwarfed the
importance of colonial powers like the British UK, France, the Netherlands in South
Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region.
2. The British Indian Ocean Treaty (BIOT) of Deigo Garcia has been leased to the
United States, which has developed a fully-fledged naval and airbase with the
intention of securing the oil resources of West Asia and preparing for defense
during the period of the Cold War.
3. Both the USA and USSR sought as many bases as possible in middle West Asia and
North Eastern Africa to prevent each other from gaining strategic and military
superiority in the world.

5. • The next phase of Geopolitics in the Indian Ocean region during the Cold
war era began after superpowers developed new weapons systems such as
Ballistic missiles launched from submarines.
1. As a result, in the 1960s, both the USA and USSR began acquiring new naval and
air bases to complement their global defense strategy based on these new
weapon systems.
2. The growing presence of super-power politics in the Indian Ocean region led to
the concept of ‘Zone of peace’ in the Indian Ocean region proposed initially by
Srilanka in 1971 and endorsed by the United States General Assembly.
3. The superpowers have defeated the concept by demanding the coastal states in
the Indian Ocean region to comply with the peace zone agreement thereby
creating difficult conditions for countries like India to develop nuclear weapons
and sophisticated missile systems.
4. Few coastal countries did not support the ‘Zone of Peace’ assuming India’s
growth as a superpower without existing superpowers in the region.
• Another factor that contributed to the geopolitical/strategic importance of
the Indian Ocean was the growing military and economic might of China,
especially in the 1980s. This posed a threat to southeast Asian countries
which insisted on US presence in the region.
• ASEAN was created primarily to counter the Chinese military threat. Thus,
the rivalry of the Cold War and Oil security of the Middle East played a
fundamental role in the geopolitical era of the Cold War of the Indian
Ocean.

6. 3) Concerns in the Post-Cold War Era
China’s military positions – The spoiling relations between the former
USSR and USA, as indicated by the START-1 treaty of 1987, the end of the
cold war in 1990, and the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 have
changed the geopolitics over the Indian Ocean.
Following factors have become important in the geopolitics of the
Indian Ocean in the Cold War Era:
• The military postures of China in the Taiwan Straits and Spratley
Islands pose a threat to Southeast Asian countries, such as the Korean
peninsula and Japan. The countries in this region have insisted on the
US presence to counteract the military power of China.
• Energy security of the West and increasing dependence of
Industrialised countries like Japan on Oil and Gas Resources of the
Middle East demand peace in the Persian Gulf and neighboring
regions. Carter Doctrine has led to the creation of a rapid
development force with sophisticated and versatile military force to
intervene directly in response to any crisis in the Gulf.
• The growing presence of international terrorist groups in the South
Asian region, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, has also
reinforced the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean.