1 Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries with Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the south. The country is encircled by seas on three sides with the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, which together form the Turkish Straits, divide Thrace and Anatolia and separate Europe and Asia. ...read more. Well, this list is pretty ridiculous top to bottom. America is not any more "strategically located" than most other countries located next to water and yet it's in second because Americans just constantly vote for their own country. And it's the same with basically every other item on here. Sigh.
Most trade routes in Eurasia have to go through Turkey. Istanbul, the most strategic city in the world, controls important land and sea trade routes. It is situated at the gateway of the Black Sea, and it also controls trade routes coming from either Europe or Asia.
It's basically in the middle of the old world, it's close to everywhere, it controls the only way between the black sea and the mediterranean sea, it has lands in both europe and asia. The lis goes on and on.
Turkey connects Europe and Asia, has control of the very important Bosphorus strait, geographic center of land mass on earth is located in Turkey and very close to Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel.
2 United States
The United States of America, or the U.S.A. for short, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous states. There are two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are north and south of the contiguous states, respectively. The United States declared its independence from the British Empire in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. They won their independence in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Its capital, Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) is defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings including the iconic ones that house the federal government's 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. Though it has no official language, English and ...read more. The US has the largest contiguous region of arable land in the world overlaid by a large network of waterways, flanked by two mountain chains, flanked by two oceans. Major population centers on both the Pacific and Atlantic, gives it economic and strategic flexibility in response to global trends/events. The distance between the Americas and Eurasia-Africa provides strategic isolation from other major powers. With no regional competitor, the US has dominant influence in the Americas and has, paradoxically, significant global reach despite the distances involved. This also allows the US to shield itself from many negative consequences of global events, instead choosing how and when to engage with most of the world.
The US also resides almost entirely within the northern food belt, between 30 degrees north and 50 degrees north.
How could it be that Iran of all places would be the most strategic.I get that it's in the center of the world but so what it's a desert and it only touched one ocean
Not to close to enemies. Closer to Allies.
3 Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its surrounding areas) is home to over 65% of the population. Iceland is the only part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that ...read more.
4 New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. ...read more.
5 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is a very tiny country in Europe. It is between Switzerland and Austria. It is known for its mountains. The official language in Liechtenstein is German. On January 23, 1719, Liechtenstein was discovered, and it established independence from the Holy Roman Empire on July 12, 1806. Its biggest ally is Switzerland. It is the 4th smallest country in Europe and has a Royal Family.
6 Iran
Iran, also known as Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a sovereign state in Western Asia. The capital city is Teheran and the major city is also Tehran. The country's official language is Persian.
Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The country's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the third-largest number in Asia and eleventh-largest in the world. Iran is a multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups. ...read more. The port of Chabahar is one of the most important ports in all over the world. The port of Chabahar is located on the Makran coast of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, next to the Gulf of Oman and at the mouth of Strait of Hormuz. It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean. Being close to Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan etc., it has been termed the "Golden Gate" to these land-locked countries.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. Around 20% of the world's oil passes through the strait.
Considering Caspian Sea in the North and Persian Gulf in the South, Iran is in the centre of the Silk Road as it is the only land that connect the East to the West.
Has access to two strategic body of waters. Contrils huge oil and gas resources. Has a long long history and is actually one of the oldest countries in the world. And this list goes on...
7 Canada
Canada is a country in North America that is next to the United States, and it's the 2nd largest country in the world by area (size is 9.985 million km²). This country has 10 provinces, and 3 territories. Canada became a dominion on July 1, 1867. Its 10 provinces are: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, ...read more.
8 Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. ...read more. Located in the middle of lots of high mountains, therefore undesirable to attack.
Located in the middle of Europe's highest mountains. Undesirable to attack.
9 Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia at the eastern end of the Himalayas. It is bordered by China to the north and India to the south. Nepal and Bangladesh are located in proximity to Bhutan but do not share a land border. The country has a population of over ...read more.
10 India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country (with over 1.2 billion people), and the most populous democracy in the world. Its capital is New Delhi. Some other major cities are Mumbai, Chennai, and Ahemdabad. The most spoken languages are Hindi and English, but there are 22 official Indian languages. One of the greatest contributors to the world economy and expertise along with China. Historically powerful.
It controls the Indian Ocean!
The Contenders
11 Pakistan
Pakistan was established in 1947 and is located in South Asia. Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar are other major cities of Pakistan. Urdu and English are official languages of Pakistan. World's second highest peak (K-2) and ninth highest peak (Nanga Parbat) are located in Pakistan. Pakistan due to its Geo-strategic location and only Muslim Nuclear capability is in eyes of all powers (China, America, Russia) and enemies (India, Israel) but looking at past of Pakistan we can get that Pakistan is unbeatable in war like situation. Pakistan fought 4 major wars with India and indirect war with Israel and Russia. We accept that we lost 1971 war against India but rest we won. Pakistan fought for Palestine, Syria and Afghanistan against Israel and Russia.
Pakistan is located in a geo-strategic location inbetween Central Asia, South Asia and West Asia (Middle East) on the historic Silk Road that connected Asia and Europe. To the North is China and to the South the Arabian Sea and the mouth of the strait of Hormuz. To the West Iran and Afghanistan and to the East India with a population of over 1 billion people. Many landlocked Central Asian countries depend on Pakistan for trade and through CPEC China has reduced its shipping trade distance by thousands of miles.
Pakistan is the gateway to central Asia. To cross between the middle east to central Asia or south asia you will have to go through Pakistan. Pakistan is also situated at the mouth of the strait of hormuz. It is also quite easy to defend as it's surrounded by natural defences as if it was created by God as a natural fortress
It has a port plus a great land locked position with it amazing diversity of weathers and terrain
No country can match Pakistan when it comes to beauty, diversity and location!
12 Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's ...read more. Somalia is located on the mouth of redsea where large trade volume of the world passes. It has also cape Gardafou at which arabian sea, gulf of aden and Indian ocean meet which is appropriate for trade hub and transport ports.
Really in this world the best country to live is somalia.
Very unique location to coordinate both aerial and sea operations
Very strategic place
13 Egypt
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip (Palestine) and Israel to the northeast, ...read more.
14 Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the southwest. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. The Philippines covers an area of 300,000 km2 (120,000 ...read more. Naval Power = POWER... The location of the Philippines is a fortress itself..
and it can rule the entire Pacific... Blocking all the trade in almost half of the world will be cause to a worldwide economic crisis.. That's why Philippines is a greatest threat to China if the Philippines will be under controlled by the US. also in the other way around... the Philippines will be a threat to US if the China will take over the Philippines.
The position of the Philippines is the Perfect Place to form a powerful fortress, guarding the largest ocean in the world, the Pacific.
Sandwiched by South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, this archipelago would be a very important route for trade if a war in East Asia breaks (Taiwan vs. China, Japan vs. China, or the Korean War). Ships can pass through the vast sea lanes within the archipelago to reach the Pacific or South East Asia. This regions are home of almost half of the world's population and has one of the highest trade activities in the world.
With its strategic location isolated from its neighboring countries by sea, Its hard to invade the archipelago.
Philippines is great
15 Cyprus
Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, off the coasts of Syria and Turkey. In history It was captured multiple times mainly cause of Its strategic location,surrounded by the Middle East and Greece It makes sense why It had many conquerors.
A country located between Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Very strategically located with a business friendly government
Located at focal point of the Middle East, the Balkans and northern Africa
16 Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation (RF), is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, covering over 17,125,191 square kilometres (6,612,073 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across ...read more.
17 United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly shortened to United Kingdom, UK or Britain is a Sovereign State located of the Northwestern coast of Europe. It is a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy currently lead by Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and its current prime minister is ...read more. Gateway to europe
18 Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a sovereign and unitary monarchy in Northern Europe whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula plus the island Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard. ...read more.
19 China
China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of more than 1.4 billion. China spans five geographical time zones and borders 14 countries, the second most of any country in the world after Russia. Covering an area ...read more. Some of the best farming land and natural resources in all of asia
20 Italy
Italy, (Italian: Repubblica Italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe.
Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2. With almost 62 million inhabitants, it is the 3rd most populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino and Vatican City. The Capital and largest city is Rome. Other major cities are Milano, Naples, Turino, Venice, Florence. Italy's official language is Italian. ...read more. Italy controls the access to the eastern mediterrenean by western mediterrenean.
21 Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in southwestern Europe with parts of territory in the Atlantic Ocean and across the Mediterranean Sea. The largest part of Spain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula; its territory also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands ...read more. Spain holds the ability to restrict any state restricted to the Mediterranean from access to the Atlantic, and anywhere else in the world. The importance of the strait of Gibraltar has been severely underestimated because of the wideness of the strait, (about 7-9-ish miles).
Spain controls the access to the mediterrenean by gibraltar.
22 Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. As of 2021, its population is 40.2 million, composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks. Kabul is the country's largest ...read more. Heart of Asia. Connects central Asian countries through its borders. Its located on the North and West of pakistan, South of Uzbekistan, Tajikstan and East of Iran and Turkmenistan. It also has a border with China on its northeast point.
Afghanistan is more politically and commercially strategic then pakistan and some other countries above then Afghanistan, in the history Afghanistan was named as square of transit
23 Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic or the Republic of Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa, covering 165,000 square kilometres.
24 Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers (3,300,000 sq mi) and with over 214 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states and the Federal District. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world; as well as the most populous ...read more. Located at a important juncture of the Atlantic and has border with all countries of South America
25 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country on the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It has a land area of about 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Arab world, and the largest in Western Asia. It is bordered ...read more.