Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign

policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform,

constrain, or affect political and military planning. Geo strategic
means the importance of a country or a region as by virtue of its
geographical location. Geo political is defined as, stressing the
influence of geographic factors on the state power, international
conduct and advantages it derives from its location.
Geostrategy is the geographic direction of a state's foreign
policy. More precisely, geostrategy describes where a state
concentrates its efforts by projecting military power and
directing diplomatic activity.

GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF SOUTH ASIA

South Asia is a well defined and distinct geographical region,
with near continental dimensions. It has the Himalayas, the
Karakoram and Hindukush ranges in the north, smaller mountains
to the west and the east and a long coastline in the south . Its
total area is nearly two million square miles. The distance from
west to east is more than 2100 miles (3379 km) and from
extreme north to south is also roughly the same. With
approximately one fourth of world’s population, it ranks third as a
major concentration of human beings on earth. It is bounded in
the north by China and a narrow arm of Afghanistan separates it
from Turkmenistan. On the west lies Iran. On the east is Burma
while in the south lies Indian Ocean with the Bay of Bengal on
its north eastern side of the Indian Peninsula and Arabian Sea on
its north Western side. On the globe South Asia lies between 1°
South to 37° North latitudes and between 62° East to 97° East
longitudes. Traditionally, South Asia has been an attractive
economic proposition for the non-region people. Initial migrations
into the region came through the land route.
South Asia comprises of seven independent countries i.e
Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan , India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri
Lanka and Maldives. These countries have contiguous borders
with almost similar history, race, religion, language, culture and
colonial legacies which make them unique from other regions of
the world.

These regions are considered quite sensitive and strategic

regions of the world. China, Central Asia and Russia are towards
the north of South Asia. On its south western side it provides
access to the Persian Gulf while on south eastern side it provides
an access to the Malaccan Strait. Indian Ocean on its south has
remained strategically important during the Cold War.
Its importance has further increased after the establishment of
United States Base at Diego Garcia, just south of Maldives. The
seven countries have now come closer under an agreement and
are known as SAARC countries. SAARC was established for
strategic political, social and cultural uplift.

GEO-STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA:-

India is located in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres

extending between latitudes 8degree 4’N and 37degree 6’N and
longitudes 68degree7’E to 97degree 5’E. India lies almost
equidistant from Europe and the west coast of Americas. It is
centrally located in the world as well as with respect to the
developing countries of Asia and Africa. It lies besides the main
sea route connecting the Malaccas and the Suez canal.

It is because of this strategic geographical location that India

remained well connected with the world for centuries. India had
trade connection with Combodia, Java-Sumatra and Japan in the
east as well as Arab and Persia in the west. Most of the air
routes between Europe, West-Asia and Africa in the west Asia,
Japan and Australia in the east pass through India.
SRI-LANKA

Sri Lanka’s strategic location and island setting makes it an ideal

site for establishing itself as the next international
telecommunications exchange hub, with which it can pitch for a
premier position as the next knowledge economy hub. According
to a recent World Bank report, Sri Lanka has the best
telecommunication technology in South Asia and the best tariffs.
Being an island, it is well placed to receive all submarine cables.
Sri Lanka is situated at a vital maritime corridor in the Indian
Ocean. This position is at a vital juncture in the maritime
shipping paths of the Indian Ocean that is important for trade,
security, and energy supplies. This is why Moscow, Tehran, and
Beijing stand behind Colombo.

The Chinese naval port under construction and at Hambantota is

part of a New Cold War to secure energy routes. Most of the
energy supplies going to Asia pass the southern tip of Sri Lanka.
It is for this reason that the Chinese have included Sri Lanka
within their project of establishing a chain of naval bases in the
Indian Ocean to protect their energy supplies coming from the
Middle East and Africa.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan covers an area of 796,095 km2 (307,374 sq mi),
approximately equaling the combined land areas of France and
the United Kingdom. 30°00′N 70°00′E Pakistan's boundary with
Afghanistan is about 2,640 kilometers long. In the north, it runs
along the ridges of the Hindu Kush mountains and the Pamirs,
where a narrow strip of Afghan territory called the Wakhan
Corridor extends between Pakistan and Tajikistan.
In the northeastern tip of the country, Pakistan controls about
84,159 square kilometers of the former princely state of Jammu
and Kashmir. This area, consisting of Azad Kashmir (11,639
square kilometers) and most of the Northern Areas (72,520
square kilometers), which includes Gilgit and Baltistan, is the
most visually stunning of Pakistan. The Northern Areas has five
of the world's fourteen highest mountains known as the "Eight-
thousanders" (8,000+ m high). It also has such extensive glaciers
that it has sometimes been called the "third pole." The boundary
line has been a matter of pivotal dispute between Pakistan and
India since 1947, and the Siachen Glacier in northern Kashmir
has been an important arena for fighting between the two sides
since 1984.
Importance of Pakistan with respect to trade:---
Pakistan has access of warm waters so Pakistan can trade
throughout the year. Pakistan has two major coasts Gawadar
and Karachi.
Pakistan is the gateway to trade in Far East areas, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Maldives, Sirilanka and Australia. Pakistan is
separating India from Iran and Afghanistan, and Iran has huge
natural resources like natural oil and gas. India wants to trade
with Iran for natural gas with a pipe line. But the pipeline project
still not completed due to the obstruction created by Pakistan.
Pakistan is very important trade way for china to approach the
trade markets of Middle Eastern and Arabian countries. China’s
own coastal areas are far away and the shortest approach for
China to trade is Pakistan.
Pakistan is very important country in the world with respect to
its geographic location. Its importance is as a gateway to Islamic
countries. That’s way Pakistan is known as the door of Islam/Fort
of Islam.
To the southern borders of Eurasia is the Indian Ocean. The
Indian Ocean is the scene of major international rivalries and
competition(s). Sri Lanka is also a front in these rivalries. It is
in this context that India is part of a major naval build-up running
from the coastline of East Africa and the Arabian Sea to the
waves of Oceania. Aside from the fleets of the U.S. and its NATO
allies that have large presences in the Indian Ocean, the naval
fleets of Iran, India, China, Japan, and Australia are also all being
expanded in league with this trend of militarization. Also, India
and China are working to release large nuclear submarine fleets
into the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The naval
encirclement of Eurasia and the naval expansion of China are
also reasons why U.S. Navy ships have been repeatedly caught
violating Chinese waters and illegally surveying Chinese
territory.