Heartland (geopolitics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Eurasia. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Heartland. (Discuss)

For other meanings of this term, see Heartland.

Heartland is a geopolitical term, originally created by Sir Halford Mackinder in his address, The Geographical Pivot of History, to the Royal Geographic Society.

[edit] Geopolitical use

Heartland refers to the continuous landmass of Eurasia measuring more than 21 million square miles (54 million km²). This landmass contains no waterways to the ocean and is contained by the Arctic ice cap and drainage to the north, the monsoon lands along the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, the Near East or land of the Five Seas, and Europe. This landmass is remote and inaccessible to its periphery. Mackinder argued in his address that this was the strategic region of the foremost importance in the World.

The term heartland was important in the writings of Adolf Hitler's geopolitical mentor Karl Haushofer, who greatly influenced Hitler's concept of lebensraum which he advanced in Mein Kampf, and formed the basis of the eventual establishment of Hitler's New Order--i.e., that it is necessary for Nazi Germany to control the heartland of Eurasia by successfully completing the conquest of Russia.

The term is used by United States geopolitician Zbigniew Brzezinski in his writings.

[edit] Geographical usage

The term heartland was later redefined by David J. M. Hooson as the most vital and inner part of a functioning state. He claimed the area between Middle Volga and Lake Baykal was the Soviet heartland due to the overabundance of natural resources, and boom in population.

The term heartland is also used as a synonym for the Midwest in the U.S., or central part of any country with economic, geopolitical or cultural significance.

The term "Hindi heartland" is used to refer to the Hindi-speaking states of Northern India, namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

[edit] References

• Mackinder, H. J. “The Geographical Pivot of History”. The Geographical Journal, Vol. 23, No. 4. (Apr., 1904), pp. 421-437
• Hooson, David J. M. “A New Soviet Heartland?”. The Geographical Journal, Vol. 128, No.1. (Mar., 1962), pp.19-29
• Ó Tuathail, Gearóid. Critical geopolitics : the politics of writing global space. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1996.