Author : Dr. Neha Sinha and Arindam Goswami
Source : Scroll.in
Abstract
The African continent has been regarded as a unified landmass for centuries, sheltering diverse cultures, resources, and languages. However, recent geological studies have revealed the birth of a rare and extraordinary phenomenon occurring in the continent that is set to shape the course of African history. According to Geophysical Research Letters, a peer-reviewed research journal, the continent could potentially split into two separate regions due to the formation of the East African Rift. Found in the deserts of Ethiopia in 2005, this 35-mile-long crack marked the beginning of the creation of a new sea. However, such a situation also brings forward the geopolitical dilemma pertaining to the continent with challenges to its borders, as well as allocation of the resources. This article aims to provide the potential geopolitical evolution with implications on security, regional integration and its impact on the global balance of power.
Introduction
The Earth is a dynamic and ever-changing planet, which is being constantly shaped by geological phenomena that ultimately affect our lives and social occurrences. One such phenomenon that has piqued the world’s attention is the splitting of Africa into two new continents, with the formation of a new ocean highly expected in the process with the potential for the evolution of the geopolitical scenario encompassing it. The African continent has been regarded as a unified landmass for centuries, sheltering diverse cultures, resources, and languages. However, recent geological studies have revealed the birth of the rare and extraordinary phenomenon, occurring in the continent that is set to shape the course of African history. This remarkable phenomenon, known as East African Rift System, occurs along a vast fault line stretching from Ethiopia to Tanzania. The geological forces at work in this process are immense, as the African plate is gradually pulling apart from the Arabian plate, creating a rift zone that is widening at an average rate of one inch per year (Cloete 2023). Over millions of years, this process will result in the separation of the African continent into two distinct parts, with the creation of a new ocean between them.
With vast and multifaceted implications, the significant geopolitical, economic and environmental impacts could reshape the world which includes the creation of new nations being potential along with borders, the development of new trade routes and the possibility for increased competition over resources, the splitting of Africa has the capacity to significantly alter the continent's political and economic landscape and beyond. Simultaneously, the emergence of a new ocean could have profound strategic and environmental impacts, reshaping the geopolitical landscape. It will further present new challenges and opportunities, with the formation of new chokepoints and sea lanes, changes in ocean currents and temperature, and the potential for new marine ecosystems to emerge.
This article will explore the possible geopolitical, economic and environmental implications of the splitting of Africa into two new continents and the creation of a new ocean. It will further examine the prospects and challenges pertaining to this process, from the impact on existing trade routes and the balance of power in the region as well as supplemental anticipation presented by this geological marvel.
Read Further at : https://www.vifindia.org/article/2023/april/10/africas-continental-divide-the-birth-of-a-new-geopolitical-era-of-prospects-and-challenges
Dr. Neha Sinha is a Senior Assistant Professor in Amity Institute of International Studies and Arindam Goswami is post graduate student of our institute.
