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Maritime Security Module - III

Security and Geo-Strategy
Intext Questions 9.3

1. Why is maritime security important for India? Explain.

2. Explain the term 'blue economy'.

3. Name any five major ports in India.
Note
4. Explain the term Sagarmala.

9.2.2 Strategic Importance of Maritime Boundaries

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is of immense strategic importance to India. Most of
the country's oil and gas is imported through the sea. There is continuous increase in
trade with the countries that surround the Indian Ocean region. Besides, the sea lanes,
the Indian Ocean is considered as the most strategically important in the world because
more than 80 % of the world's seaborne oil trade goes through the Indian Ocean
choke points - 40 % passes through the Strait of Hormuz, 35 % through the Strait of
Malacca and 8 % through the Bab el-Mandab Strait.

DO YOU KNOW

A chokepoint refers to a point of natural congestion along two wider and important
navigable passages. Maritime choke points are naturally narrow channels of shipping
having high traffic because of their strategic locations and these can be blocked by the
navy.

More than half the world's armed conflicts are presently located in the Indian Ocean
region. Also, terrorism and piracy add to the tensions. Apart from these competition
between China and India to get supremacy in this region makes this region strategically
important.
Some of the major choke points in the Indian ocean region are -
• Strait of Horminz

• Malacca and Singapore Straits

• Sunda Strait
• Lombok Strait

• Cape of Good Hope

• Mozambique Channel
• Ombai and Wetar Straits

• Bab-el-Mandeb

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