The Term “World Island”: Key Factors

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Introduction

The term “world island” refers to the agglomeration of economic, industrial, and socio-political control that a region holds over a particular area. It is a concept that focuses on factors such as centrality and connectivity wherein through the world island, the capacity to control over large areas is possible (Wei 161).

Key Factors

The term rose to prominence during the early 20th century as a direct result of the conflicts that were entered into by various land and sea powers. It used to be the case that countries that utilized the sea had a distinct advantage over their land counterparts due to sea mobility (Lebow 1225). However, as technology developed, a world island, via its position on a continental landmass, could utilize railroads to transport goods, services, and men from one location to another just as fast.

Such actions would “tip,” so to speak, the balance of power in favor of countries that had a central position which would enable it to more rapidly project power in areas compared to their sea-based counterparts (Solís and Katada 291). This definition has changed over the years resulting in more focus being placed on economic power and centralized positioning for trade rather than military capability.

Japan as a World Island

One modern-day example of a world island today takes the form of Japan and its position in South Asia. Due to its status an agglomeration of different islands, Japan has access to the sea as well as possesses an extensive high-speed railway system that connects all these islands together (Zhang 7). This enables the country to rapidly ferry goods, people, and other resources from one area to another in a rapid fashion. Another contributing factor to Japan being a world island is the level of economic control that it has over the region.

With the country being the third-largest economy in the world by virtue of its extensive industrial capacity and well-trained workforce, this allows it to exercise a considerable amount of economic leverage on its neighbors. Economic dominance, such as this, translates into political power in the region, which enables Japan to influence regional trade agreements and policies. What must be understood is that world islands are considered as being “keys” to control when it comes to particular regions or even continents.

Without control of these world islands, the ability to exercise control, whether in a military or economic capacity, is simply not possible. When viewing Japan’s current position in South Asia, it can be seen that it is in a position of control due to its economic capabilities. This helps to explain the current animosity between China and Japan wherein the former is trying to undermine the latter due to its desire to expand its sphere of influence (Buszynski 300).

China is somewhat unable to do so due to Japan’s political and economic control over the region (Burgess 124). Aside from its transportation capabilities and political influence in the region, other characteristics of a world island that Japan shows can be seen in its robust banks. The country has one of the world’s wealthiest banking sectors that process billions of dollars on a daily basis. This has enabled the country to operate independently from other financial systems, which give it a considerable level of leeway when it comes to implementing new economic policies.

Works Cited

Burgess, Stephen F. “Rising Bipolarity In The South China Sea: The American Rebalance To Asia And China’s Expansion.” Contemporary Security Policy 37.1 (2016): 111-143. Print.

Buszynski, Leszek. “Oil And Territory In Putin’s Relations With China And Japan.” Pacific Review 19.3 (2006): 287-303. Print.

Lebow, Richard Ned. “Philosophy And International Relations.” International Affairs 87.5 (2011): 1219-1228. Print.

Solís, Mireya, and Saori N. Katada. “The Japan-Mexico FTA: A Cross-Regional Step In The Path Towards Asian Regionalism.” Pacific Affairs 80.2 (2007): 279-301. Print.

Wei, Yehua Dennis. “Zone Fever, Project Fever: Development Policy, Economic Transition, And Urban Expansion In China.” Geographical Review 105.2 (2015): 156-177. Print.

Zhang, Yun. “Multilateral Means For Bilateral Ends: Japan, Regionalism, And China– Japan–US Trilateral Dynamism.” Pacific Review 27.1 (2014): 5-25. Print.

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