G1

• Britain


  • An insular country wide open to the sea
  • 2 islands including the largest in Europe + thousands of others = 12 400 km of coastline
  • Extensive access to the North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel and Atlantic Ocean
  • Key to controlling maritime routes from Northern Europe to the Atlantic Europe or the Mediterranean Sea, to the Atlantic, via 3 choke points
• Choke points controlled by Britain

  • Strait of Dover
  • GIUK gap (Groenland, Island, UK)
  • Strait of Gibraltar
• GIUK gap


  • Any attempt by northern European forces to break into the open Atlantic would have to be made either through the heavily defended English Channel, or through one of the exits on either side of Iceland
  • The British also control the strategic port of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean, this means Spain, France, and Portugal are the only Continental European countries that possess direct access to the Atlantic Ocean that cannot easily be blocked at a choke point by the Royal Navy
• Britain exploits various resources in its EEZ: Hydrocarbons in North Sea, Offshore wind, Low exploitation of fishery resources
• Britain has 14 British Overseas Territories = 5th largest EEZ in the world
• UK Overseas Territories = 90% of the UK's biodiversity
• UK wants to position itself as a leader in preserving the marine environment. Ex: Blue belt Programme, the UK's flagship international marine conservation Prg = 4 millions square km of MPAs (maritime protected areas) in 7 British Overseas Territories around the world
• 95% of UK's trade is maritime
• UK has a small port system in Europe because of its reduced hinterland. Ex: UK's busiest container port = Felixstowe, in Southeast, 50% of the country's container trade but the Europe's 8th busiest port
• UK's maritime power


  • Inherited because UK was the 1st Sea power in the XIXth
  • Royal Navy
  • Merchant navy
  • Maritime professional business services (only sector for which the UK remains world leader)
• Royal Navy: still a world naval power but in decline
• UK has 2 aircraft carriers: HMS Queen Elizabeth (1st in Europe and 3rd in the world by size) + nuclear deterrence forces (4 nuclear-armed submarines)
• UK is the 7th world's naval defence spender but budget and nb of personnel in decline (4% of GDP in 1990, to 2.6% now)
• UK has strategic military bases. Ex: Bahrain = hub of the Royal Navy's operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean
• Decline of UK's commercial fleet = only 1% of world commercial fleet!
• 2/3 of UK's vessels have 'flags of convenience'
• UK's leadership in services to shipping companies and a major role in the global governance

  • London = decision-making center of maritime transport
  • IMO headquarters in London (International Maritime Organisation)
  • Maritime Law. Ex: British law used in 80% for solving maritime disputes, arbitrated in London
  • 25% of World maritime professional business services. Ex: Maritime Insurance brokerage, Ship broking : 7 of the 20th biggest Shipbrokers have their headquarters in London
• UK is challenged by other Maritime powers and European countries, and is dependent on US naval power
• Norway has a more attractive flag than the UK in terms of taxes
• UK is challenged by emerging countries in port and maritime services activities. Ex : Asian metropolises (Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong)
• UK is challenged by emerging countries in securing choke points. Ex : South China Sea and Malacca Strait = strong Chinese military presence VS British military bases in its former colonies (naval bases + exchanges of information in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei)
• UK joined US and FR in freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, but China considers the presence of the British aircraft carrier a threat to which it could respond militarily
• Limits of British projection capabilities. Ex: Summer 2019, seizure by Iran of a British-flagged oil tanker. The Royal Nay was unable to do anything
• Brexit has created tensions with EU due to reinforcement of borders, including maritime ones. Ex: FR fishermen have pb to get their license to fish in the UK EEZ
• Brexit has created problems of additional time and cost for customs between UK ports and Europe
• Scotland's potential independence could lead to a loss of hydrocarbons, EEZ, control of the GIUK gap for the UK
• Falkland Islands claimed by Argentina: Dispute between UK and Argentina. Residents want to remain in the UK to benefit from of the UK's exploration of offshore hydrocarbon resources, but international justice ruled in favor of Argentina
• Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, claimed by Mauritius. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an opinion in 2019 rejecting the UK's claims. In response, the UK indicated that it would not consider this decision which has no binding value