Definition of choke point
The term chokepoint refers to a geographical feature that occurs on the face of the globe like a valley or that occurs at sea through which armed forces are compelled to pass. In most occasions, such features are narrow thereby tremendously lowering the combat powers of the armed forces that pass through them. Such features are important for inferior forces during defense because they restrain their opponents from coming in large numbers (Walling, 14).
The Strait of Hormuz Choke Point
The Hormuz choke point is a strait or a narrow channel at sea that stretches from the gulf of Oman down to the great Persian Gulf. It is the only passage at sea that opens the great Persian Gulf to the ocean. History has it that this choke point is one of world’s highly regarded choke points because of its strategic position, its width and function. It stretches to about twenty one nautical miles at its narrowest point and about sixty miles at the widest point (Ramazani, 57).
On the northern coast of the strait is Iran and on its southern coast lies United Arab Emirates. At its south also lies Musandam; which happens to be a close enclave of the Oman. The shipping lanes of this strait have greatly reduced widths of about three kilometers due to the depth of the waters to allow ships to move through safely (Ramazani, 265).
Importance of the Strait of Hormuz Choke Point
This geographical feature, being a sea passage, is ideal for water transportation. As a matter of fact, the strait is most significant for its utilization as a route in the sea for shipment or transit of goods. It is important because the amount of oil shipped through it constitutes to a large percentage of the traded oil in the world. The oil mainly comes from the Middle East; the world’s most famous crude oil producer (Ramazani, 198).
Recent researches by the United States of America Energy Information Administration indicated that in 2011 over seventeen million barrels of crude oil on ships were shipped through the strait. This is estimated to amount to about twenty percent of oil traded on the globe daily. Roughly fourteen to fifteen crude oil ships transverse the strait on a daily basis, an implication that a good percentage of world’s total oil goes through the place each day (Ramazani, 294).
The oil that goes through the Strait of Hormuz Choke Point in ships is transported to countries like India, and China. Japan and South Korea are also part of the countries whose oil goes through the strait. As a result of its global significance, the Strait of Hormuz Choke Point has been a platform of conflicts and its existence has been threatened by a number of countries that surround it. For instance, during the 1980s Iran versus Iraq war, Iran had brought forward threats to close down the strait completely following Iraq’s disruption of shipments. Another instance when the existence of the route was threatened was when the United States of America launched a navy attack on Iran in 1988 during the Iran versus Iraq war. Other events like the 1990s wrangles between United Arab Emirates and Iran concerning the authority over minute islands bordering Hormuz also endangered the operations of the strait. All these were done in a bid to destroy the oil markets of the world that would completely disorient the global oil circulation (Nincic, 86).
Conclusion
The Strait of Hormuz Choke Point is well known for its participation in oil transportation. Therefore, it is imperative that its operation is maintained.
Works Cited
Nincic, Miroslav. Being Useful: Policy Relevance and International Relations Theory. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press, 2000. Print.
Ramazani, Rouhollah K. The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Alphen AAN den Rijn: Sijthoff & Noordhoff, 1979. Print.
Walling, Mike. Choke Points: A Novel. S.l: Cutter Pub, 2008. Print.