Strategic Significance of Africa in the Context of the American Grand Strategy

In this paper, I study the strategic significance of Africa by trying to understand what American interests in Africa are worth dedicating financial and military resources to protect against various threats. I present three criteria that make each region strategically significant, and I analyze each criteria apart. Then, I study the impact of having other great powers in the continent that are active like China and Russia, and whether that should be of a particular concern to the United States. I argue that Egypt is strategically significant in Africa to counter nuclear proliferation, eastern and western Africa are strategically significant for counterterrorism purposes, and all maritime African countries are strategically significant to ensure free U.S. access to trade and open water. I also argue that the Chinese and Russian presence in Africa make the continent strategically significant because of the threats they pose to American interests by having naval bases near strategic locations and by establishing Chinese-African regional institutions without any American influence.