British Maritime Power and Strategy

📋 Course Outline

1. Geographical foundations of British maritime power
2. Maritime resources, ports and overseas EEZ
3. Royal Navy and maritime business services
4. Hard and soft power mix and challenges
5. Brexit consequences and global competition

📖 1. Geographical foundations of British maritime power

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Island nation: A country made up of islands whose geography encourages sea access and maritime dependence.
• Maritime choke points: Narrow sea passages whose control can strongly affect naval movement and commercial shipping.
• GIUK Gap: A strategic sea corridor between Greenland, Iceland, and the UK used for critical Arctic naval traffic.
• Territorial sea control: The ability to manage and enforce authority over surrounding waters near the UK.

📝 Essential Points

• The UK is described as groups of islands, mainly Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• The UK has 12 400 km of coastline and access to the North Sea, the Channel, and the Atlantic Ocean.
• The Dover Strait (Pas de Calais) is identified as one of two key maritime choke points.
• The GIUK Gap is presented as critical for Arctic naval traffic.
• The UK is said to have strong territorial control over surrounding seas.

💡 Memory Hook

Dover + GIUK = two gates: Channel gate and Arctic gate.

📖 2. Maritime resources, ports and overseas EEZ

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions