A strategic location is a place that is important to conquer as an army because it gives you some kind of strategic bonus... such a thing would be like a hill because you can over look everything but I am talking about modern day military...
I personally think that hawaii (pearl harbor) and Alaska are the major strategic points of the united states...
1.Roads,bridges, etc. over/through natural features ( rivers and mountains especially) 2. Airports/Airbases 3. Naval Bases 4. Nuclear silos/bases 5. Major population centers 6.Infrastructural buildings (power plants, water, telephone lines, etc.) 7.Major Roads/highways 8.Natural defences (like ridgelines or mountains) 9.Marinas/lakes 10. all major Port towns/coasts 11. Financial centers (like new york city or frankfurt)
hmmm that's all i can think of.... any questions i will gladly answer.
Chokepoints, whether they be straits, bridges, gaps, passages, openings, etc. are important strategic locations. They allow for a greater concentration of strength. Think Thermopylae.
Elevated areas often confer advantages too. It's easy to observe your surroundings from a vantage point. Build a fort atop of that hill.
Natural barriers such as mountains and forests make for good defences.
let me ask you a question, say you got two lands separated by a body of water by sea with a single large island, though there ARE some mountains on the mainlands... would you rather control a mountain range or the island?
1) Any location that commands a view of the surrounding area.
This is good, because you can obviously see everything around. On a psycological note, it makes your presence obvious, meaning that people know you're there, and feel reassured/affraid.
2) Any point that controls a cross roads.
Obvious, as you can control the movement of people and goods through the surrounding area. You can also send out your own men quickly, as there a lot of roads. Youcan also tax the movement of goods through the area, meaning you get rich while your sitting tight. Sweet deal.
Seriously, read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'. It goes over this in much detail, not to mention other things. The great thing about the book is that you can use some of the ideas out side of armed warfare, like getting a promotion, or something like that.
the island would be a good place to put a check point, plus help prevent enemy ships from reaching your country, while making it easier for your ship to reach the enemy country.
Its all about perception. You may think you have me surrounded on all sides, but I think that means I can attack you anywhere.
Defensively, the mountains. You could stage guerilla warfare, and It'd be hard to get tanks and trucks up there that could actually defeat you. It'd be hard to find you, and harder still for the enemy to move.
Offensively, the island. I wouldn't be on it long. I'd use it as a staging ground for the enemies island. Plus, put an airstrip on it and you've got a base to launch continuous high-alitidue strategic bombing raids.
