The role of geopolitics in Gilan

Department of Geography

Department of Political Geography

Dissertation for Master's Degree (M.A)

Abstract

Today, due to the change in countries' approach from a military approach to an economic approach in global competitions to achieve political goals and gain power, expanding foreign trade, creating regional and extra-regional economic unions, attracting more markets in the political scene has been placed at the top of countries' plans. In this regard, ports, as an influential component, have always been prominent in the geo-economic development of countries and regions, and have taken on a stronger role. In Iran, the ports of Gilan province as an economic arm in the north of the country are responsible for this role. An attempt has been made to examine the development of Iran's relations with neighboring countries as well as the development of the country's geo-economy through the ports of Gilan province, and by examining and proving hypotheses such as, the ports of Gilan province have high potentials for playing a role in the field of commercial exchanges in Iran, and considering the geo-economic value of the Caspian basin countries, the active role of the ports of Gilan province is a strategic link between Iran and the Caspian basin countries, the geopolitical role of the ports of Gilan province in the Nile The goals of national and regional sustainable development have been examined and in order to actualize the opportunities and control possible threats, suggestions have been made to solve the problems and bottlenecks in the development of ports in this province.

Key words: geopolitics of ports, Gilan, geoeconomics

Statement of the problem

In the past, ports were mostly involved in traditional activities such as loading and unloading cargo ships. But today, the port is no longer an independent institution, but consists of many sub-industries and economic enterprises. These entities include loading operators, freight forwarders, and road and rail freight transport operators to sellers of ship-related products, bankers, and lawyers. Most of the ports are multi-purpose and are used as a combination of gateways for various forms of transportation, including sea, road, rail, and often a combination of bulk and container shipping of goods. In addition to having the main role as connecting, storage and distribution points, efficient ports are also used as development hubs that attract new industries and increase the level of trade. Developing economies, like developed economies, knowing that the direct effect of ports on the growth of the GDP and the indirect effects of ports on the competitiveness of the export and import industries of countries, the investment in the port sector on the overall body of the national economy is several times, use the issue of the growth pole in order to align the main infrastructure of the port.

On the other hand, the role of geopolitics in relations and interactions between countries is undeniable and the importance of this position among countries The neighbor seems to be more tangible and the most important phenomenon that has changed the political map of the world in the last half century is the collapse of the Soviet Union, the consequences of which include Iran's neighborhood with Central Asian countries. This neighborhood created a new perspective in the field of bilateral foreign policy. Therefore, with the opening of the closed economy of Central Asian countries, the role of Gilan ports has become more prominent. In this research, an attempt has been made to investigate the role of the ports of Gilan province in achieving the goals of national and regional sustainable development and to provide suggestions in order to actualize the opportunities and control the possible threats of these ports in the country's development strategy.

Research question

What is the role of the ports of Gilan province in the development of the national strategy of Iran?

Research hypotheses

The ports of Gilan province have high potential to play a role in the Iran's commercial exchanges are enjoyed.

According to the geo-economic value of the Caspian countries, the active role of the ports of Gilan province is a strategic link between Iran and the countries of the Caspian region. Appropriate model for the geo-economic development of ports in Gilan province

Research method

The research method in this thesis is descriptive and analytical, using the information available in the country's customs organization, free zones organization, general administration of ports.

Research objectives

Explaining the geo-economic capabilities of the ports of Gilan province

Explaining the geopolitical perspective of the ports of Gilan

Providing a suitable model for the geo-economic development of the ports of Gilan province

Research method

The research method in this thesis is descriptive and analytical using the information available in the organization Customs of the country, Free Zones Organization, Gilan Ports and Maritime Administration, Iran Statistics Center and Analysis of information has been discussed.

Research background

Many books and articles have been written by researchers and authors regarding geopolitical and geoeconomic issues in the Caspian Sea area, among which the following can be mentioned:

- Geopolitics of the Caspian Sea by Zahra Ahmadipour

Abstract:

Nowadays, considering the policy change of countries in global races from militarized approach into economic approach in order to achieve political aims and to gain power, the deployment of foreign trade, the establishment of regional and trans-regional economic unions and attraction of more markets have come to the top of the schedule of the countries in the political scene.

In this regard, the ports as the vital component that have always been Influential in geo-economic development of countries and regions, have found a more notable role. In Iran also Guilan province's ports, as the economic arm in the north of country, are responsible for this role.

This study, with the question what is the role of the ports of Guilan province in development of national strategy, aims to go through expansion of Iran's relationship with neighboring countries and geo-economic expansion of the country through Guilan province's ports and with assessing and proving such hypotheses as "Guilan province's ports have a high potential to play a role in the field of trade and considering the geo-economic value of Caspian countries, role of active ports of Guilan province causes strategic connections between Iran and Caspian countries", goes through the geopolitical role of Guilan province's ports in achieving the aims of national and regional sustainable development and in regard to actualize the opportunities and control the potential threats, offers some suggestions to resolve the problems and bottlenecks of development of the ports of this province.

Key Words: geopolitics of ports, Guilan, Geo-economics

- Geopolitics in the 21st century by Ezzatoleh Ezzati

- Strategic geography of Iran by Ezzatoleh Ezzati

- Monthly Bandar wa Darya (collection of articles)

- Analysis of the geopolitical structure of the countries of the Caspian Basin by Yusuf Zain al-Abidin

- The Caspian Lake and Great Power by Mohammad Ali Kazem Beigi, Yazdani, Inayat Elah and others, in the article Geostrategy of Powers in the Geopolitical Zone of Mazandaran Sea and the Persian Gulf, in the 23rd year of the political and economic bimonthly magazine, have expressed valuable information about the geopolitics of the region. From militarism to economic orientation, it has strengthened the components affecting geo-economics. In this regard, ports have been considered as an influential component in the geo-economic development of countries and regions, and in Iran, the ports of Gilan province as an economic arm in the north of the country are responsible for this role. In order to obtain the required information and data, both from the library and from the field, tools such as data collection, tables, maps, interviews with experts of organizations and local managers, and computer and internet databases have been used. After collecting information and data based on the service description, Excel software was used to organize the collected information and obtain various tables and graphs, and through document studies, while organizing information and research variables, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze hypotheses. Many are facing. In addition to this, paperwork and unnecessary administrative procedures in offices also cause waste of time and fatigue of researchers.