GEOPOLITICS OF BLACK SEA DOMAIN

Geopolitics of Black Sea Domain

ABSTRACT

In this research paper, I try to explore the concept of Geopolitics of Black Sea Domain, and its impact on Iran's policy in a holistic context. The main focus of this research is on the Geopolitics of Black Sea Domain and its relation with the impact on Iran's policy. The research also analyzes many aspects of Geopolitics of Black Sea Domain and tries to gauge its effect on Iran's policy. In the beginning of the paper, I try to give the explanation of the Black Sea Domain and different geopolitical realities. Then the importance of Black Sea Geopolitics, in the later part of the research it tells the Iran's policy, and its impact due to Geopolitics. Finally, I conclude this research paper with the concluding remarks which mention “challenges to international security, the area of the Black Sea is the European Union's latest frontier, which sees its responsibility in the projection of solutions; being able to make the region safe and predictable, and democratically stable and economically prosperous”.

Geopolitics of Black Sea Domain

Introduction

The Black Sea is an inland sea of the Atlantic basin, situated between the Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia Minor. It is connected to the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait and through the Bosporus; however, the Sea of Marmara, which in turn, through the Dardanelles, is connected with the Aegean Sea which is part of the Mediterranean.

The flow of incoming water through the Bosporus is about 200 cubic kilometres per year. Its catchment area is very large (2 million square kilometres) from the surrounding areas receive fresh water for a total of about 320 km 3 per year. The most important rivers that flow into are the Danube, the Dniester, the Dnieper and Southern Buh. Its area is 436,400 km ² approximately (excluding the Sea of Azov) with a salinity of about 17 ‰. In depth, over 150 m, this value increases dramatically, the deepest point is 2212 m, while in the centre of the depth is about 1830 m.

Black Sea has always been the major transit route between different geopolitical realities (Zadeh, 1998 12). Historically, this basin has linked semi empires and civilizations; the Hellenic world with the Persian world, the Muslim with the Christian-Orthodox, and most recently the Soviet space with the Middle East. Today it is one of the hubs for the transportation of energy resources to Europe from Central Asia, as well as an area characterized by underlying tensions.

The Importance of the Black Sea Geopolitics

Since, the fall of the Soviet bloc, the area around the Black Sea coast has undergone several changes. After 70 years under the dominance of the Soviet bloc Turkey's reign over water, the voices of new along with the states freed from the Soviet control were heard.

The game is complicated, and there was much more instability. The disintegration of the USSR has also opened the way for trade to Europe of the enormous energy reserves of the ...