and Water Bodies
Purpose: The overall purpose of this study will be for you to become more familiar with specific locations in the world--- some of which probably you have never heard of before. To complete the task you will need to download and print a map of the world. In addition you will need to use your atlas to locate the following "strategic locations."
During its rise to world power Great Britain [also known as the English] was able to gain military control over most of the strategic locations in the world. Their purpose was to gain control of the waters of the world by allowing or not allowing friends or foe to travel the oceans unhindered. The British were anxious to control the oceans both for military and commerce purposes.
Today one might think that with the use of the airplane would make less valuable real estate around the world.... just fly over an important place rather than sailing from point A to point B.
As you look at the above map, look for "bottle necks" or places where shipping could come to a stand still because of a unfriendly government that controls a narrow body of water. |
Airplanes can be useful; but, airplanes are not able to move all the raw materials, the finished goods, and the military to all points in the world. So, even today the control of strategic locations is important.
Oil. While we may have to make some adjustments in our lifestyle, etc. the US could probably make due with the petroleum that can be found within the 48 states. [We would have to make some major adjustments!] Other countries of the world are not so self-sufficient with oil supplies. So, even today control of strategic places is a major part of a country's foreign policy.
Your task will be to locate on a world map the "strategic places" in the world. Use arrows and words on your map.
1. What does the word strategic mean?
[Write this on the back of your map.]
2. Label each of the continents.
3. Label the following: Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea,
Caspian Sea, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Baikal, Great Salt Lake,
Aral Sea, Red Sea, Baltic Sea, Adriatic Sea, North Sea
4. Locate the following:
St. Lawrence Seaway |
Panama Canal |
Strait of Magellan |
Straits of Florida |
Windward Passage |
Strait of Gibraltar |
Strait of Dover |
Copenhagen |
Bosporus |
Dardanelles |
Suez Canal |
Gulf of Suez |
Bab el Mandeb Strait |
Strait of Hormuz |
Strait of Malacca |
Singapore |
Formosa Strait |
Korean Strait |
Palk Strait |
Strait of Messina |
Bering Strait |
Sault Ste. Marie |
Strait of Mackinac |
. |