Choke Points Around the World

Foreign Policy has a short feature article listing the five top choke points around the world (Hat tip: Coming Anarchy). These places are victims of great geographical position. If anything were to happen at these locations the local, regional, and world economies would be greatly harmed.

The locations and threats to them are

• Strait of Hormuz - Iran creating a blockade using Abu Musa as a base
• Abqaiq Oil Processing Facility - Every Middle East Terrorist Group (al Qaeda has already tired)
• Strait of Malacca - Pirates, terrorists, and terrorist pirates!
• Suez Canal - Middle East terrorists again
• Druzhba Pipeline - Illegal taping, sabotage, and Russians cutting off supply.

Other places to consider potential choke points are

• Panama Canal
• Saint Lawrence Seaway - connects industrial cities on the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean
• Straits of Gibraltar - western entrance to Mediterranean Sea
• Bab-el-Mandeb - the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

Geography still matters even in the globalized world of multinational businesses and online. business transactions