When Halford John Mackinder presented his seminal paper entitled “The Geographical Pivot of History” at the Royal Geographical Society in 1904, the Arctic featured not much more than a blank spot on the strategic landmass. The presence of ice in the region made it not feasible for strategic activity. It has now been over a hundred years since Mackinder delivered this speech. The recent interest of the USA, Russia, and China in the Greenland/Arctic region will make sense when the central point of Mackinder is remembered: when facilitated by modern developments in technology, geographical factors shape the world of power....
Revisiting Mackinder in the Arctic: Greenland and the New Geopolitical Pivot
Author
Dr Nanda Kishor MS
Dr Nanda Kishor is the Head of the Department of Politics and International Studies, Pondicherry University. His expertise spans India’s foreign policy, conflict resolution, international law, and national security, with several publications and fellowships from institutions including UNHCR, Brookings, and DAAD.
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