For several decades, globalization gave the impression that geography was gradually losing its significance. Technology, global supply chains, the free movement of capital, and economic interdependence seemed to be creating a world in which distances and geographical barriers mattered less. Current developments prove the opposite. Geography is making a strong comeback at the center of international politics. Three points on the world map are particularly emblematic of this: the Strait of Hormuz, the Suwałki Gap, and Greenland.
In the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S./Israel–Iran confrontation now extends beyond the nuclear program. The safety of maritime navigation, energy flows, and the ability to transport oil without disruption are an integral part of the broader geopolitical equation. The significance of the Strait of Hormuz lies precisely in the ability of a limited geographical area to influence the global economy. The chain of effects is direct, translating into a simplified interplay of geopolitics, shipping, energy, inflation, and everyday life. After all, the market reacts not only to an actual disruption in supply but also to the risk of a future disruption. Risk premiums, transportation costs, and ultimately price pressures—as we experience them in our daily lives—are on the rise.
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In Europe, the Suwałki Gap—the narrow land corridor between Poland and Lithuania—highlights a different dimension of geography. The critical question now concerns not only a conventional military conflict but also the so-called “gray zone,” which, in the modern era, includes cyberattacks, drones, sabotage, influence operations, and attacks on critical infrastructure. This also brings to the fore a new concept of deterrence. A state’s security does not depend solely on its military capabilities. It depends on its resilience in sectors such as power grids, telecommunications, hospitals, transportation, ports, and the state’s ability to continue functioning.
At the same time, Greenland and the Arctic are becoming increasingly strategic. Military presence, missile defense, critical minerals, new maritime routes, and competition with Russia and China all converge in a region that was once considered a periphery of the international system.
Hormuz, Suwałki, Greenland. Three different geographical locations, one shared reality, and one conclusion: whoever can influence critical geographical hubs gains disproportionate strategic power.
For Cyprus, this conclusion is of particular importance. As a small island nation of the European Union in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is directly affected by energy security, maritime routes, regional crises, and the protection of critical infrastructure. Perhaps, ultimately, this is one of the most significant shifts of our time, as we transition from the globalization of the economy to the geopoliticalization of the economy. Technology is changing. Alliances are shifting. Power balances are being realigned. The map, however, still matters.
