The sea is defined by its uniformity and essential connectedness. Though the sea forms a barrier between land masses, it is also the very means by which land masses are connected to one another. Straits and narrow sea lanes can acquire vital significance for navies, as sites of blockade or maritime conflict. By contrast, the sheer vastness of the ocean makes it a place where it is easy to get lost but impossible to hide.
Geopolitics is the study of how the geography of land and sea shapes political outcomes. Whereas Alfred Thayer Mahan theorised the importance of sea power, other thinkers such as Halford Mackinder and Nicolas Spykman stressed land, its features and resources, as the real determinants of state power. The reality is that sea and land are related as peaks are to valleys and an adequate understanding of one requires knowledge of the other as well.
More narrowly, geostrategy is an approach to foreign policy responsive to geographical features and how they shape political conflict and cooperation, especially in the domain of defence planning.
Perhaps the most crucial element in the naval history of Great Britain is its status as an island. Australia’s geographical features – at once a continent and an island, completely ‘girt by sea’ – are equally important in shaping its maritime outlook.
Australian Rendezvous: Maritime Strategy and National Destiny in the 21st Century | This document argues that Australia’s traditional neglect of maritime strategy is shifting as regional geopolitical changes highlight the growing strategic and economic importance of the sea to national security.
Australia and its Maritime Interests: At Home and in the Region, Proceedings of the RAN, Sea Power Conference 2008 | This volume presents the 2008 Sea Power Conference proceedings, examining maritime security challenges and their implications for the RAN’s roles, regional cooperation, border protection, and hydrographic responsibilities.
Some Capability and Operating Implications Arising from Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Interests | This document analyses how evolving Antarctic and Southern Ocean policies, environmental changes, and future government expectations may affect Defence and ADF capabilities, outlining current conditions, key drivers, and operational implications.
Russia and China in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean: Implications for the Five Eyes | This document highlights growing geopolitical tensions in Antarctica, with China and Russia challenging the Antarctic Treaty System and prompting increased intelligence efforts by Five Eyes nations to monitor their disruptive activities.