GEOPOLITICS QUARTERLY
Year:2007 | Volume:3 | Issue:3|Papers Count:6

Because of some theories which emphasize on the explanation of the relation between geographical space and power in the direction of control and domination of the world by the great powers. Geopolitics was accused that domination seeking behavior of the power is justified by it, and it helps to development of dispute and war, and basically geopolitics is a knowledge which is used by the owners of political power. Perhaps for this reason somebody believes that geopolitics is an applied knowledge in nature. Also somebody believes that geopolitics is guilty in appearance of the first and second world wars, so they challenge the traditional geopolitics especially its negative dimension as the imperialist geopolitics. Appearance of the other approaches such as Critical geopolitics, Environmental geopolitics and anti-geopolitics can be evaluated in this direction.

If territory, government and nation are considered as three fundamental components of the state, without any doubt capital as a center for directing the government and seat of dynamic forces enjoys a high position. When a government finds out that its capital does not enjoy the necessary et1iciency in the political geography of the country and in the international geopolitical system. it tries to transfer the capital to a new site to solve the related problems in the political geography of the country. In Iran finding a site for the capital has usually taken place in order to solve the problems of political geography as well as the geopolitical problems of the country. National support, better control and management of the country are among the main reasons for choosing a site in a geopolitical and geostrategic location for the capital. The main thrust of the present paper is to discuss the principal factors affecting the process of site finding for capitals in Iran.

Without any doubt geographical factors play an important role in the political processes, affecting power as a basis of politics, The political processes that are manifested in different forms of policy- making change the geographical landscape of the globe, From theoretical point of view there is a complicated interactive relationship between geographical factors and political phenomena, constituting the subject matter of political geography and geopolitics. The present paper is an attempt to elucidate the concept of geopolitics and analyze. the nature, structure and functions of global geopolitical system and introduce it as a scientific theory, The new geopolitical regions in the post cold war era in Southwest Asia can be studied within this framework. Among the sub-regions of Southwest Asia, the Middle East has drawn the attention of the international system and also enjoys a high status in the international system. Hence in the present paper the status of the Middle East in the third millennium has been studied.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a great security, economic organization in Asia which also covers some countries in Eurasia, giving it a specific significance from the geopolitical and strategic viewpoints. It is a newly established organization with a rapid evolutionary pace which has drawn the attention of the rival international organizations and renowned economic organizations.The present paper is an attempt to study the strategic roots and reasons for the formation and expansion of the geographical area of Shanghai Cooperation Organization as well as the implications of Iran's membership in this organization for national security and interests of Iran with special emphasis on Iran's strategic status in the Middle East.

The identification and elucidation of opportunities in Central Asia as a part of international environment on the one hand and identification of Iran's geopolitical capabilities on the other would shed light on Iran's status in this region. The main objectives of the present paper are to study the way of identification of Iran's geopolitical interests in Central Asia and to explore the possibility for Iran to play a role in the region.After the collapse of Soviet Union the geopolitical boundaries of the United States have overlapped those of Russia. As a result Iran has come under the siege of the United States, increasing its security costs. In order to reduce these security costs, it is pertinent for Iran to follow the policy of unity and coalition.

The Russian Empire and United Kingdom as two main players in the great game of nineteenth century kicked off a colonial rivalry in the geopolitical arena of Central Asia. However the repetition of this great game in the post-cold war world led to some criticisms to the geopolitical ideas dominating 19th and 20th centuries that focus on the geopolitics of resistance as one of the most important approaches in the geographical policies in the beginning of the third millennium.The present paper is an attempt to study the level of influence of these two approaches- domination and resistance - on the current of the new great game in Central Eurasia. The findings of the study indicate that the degree of congruity of the domination geopolitical approach is higher than that of the resistance approach. At the same time it is necessary to establish an active civil society based on sociopolitical reforms in the countries of the game field in order to materialize the principles of geopolitics of resistance.