This class will look at six critical maritime chokepoints—three primarily military and three principally economic—to see why control of them has been crucial to prosperity and military control of the oceans during the past two centuries. The chokepoints are: the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb, the Dardanelles, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Panama Canal. We will explore their geography, history and strategic importance in global affairs.