Geostrategies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A set of plans and methods focused on the geographical aspects of international relations and military operations
2. Strategic approaches that consider geographic factors in national security and defense policies
3. The art of planning and executing strategies that leverage geographical contexts for political and military advantage

Etymology: "Geostrategies" is the plural of "geostrategy," a compound formed in English from "geo-" and "strategy." The "geo-" element comes from Ancient Greek "gaîă" and "gê," meaning "earth" or "land," which appears in English words like geography and geology. The second part traces back much further: "strategy" descends from Ancient Greek "stratēgía," the office or command of a "stratēgós," a general, built from "stratós" (army) and "ágō" (to lead). So a strategy was originally the art of leading an army. Combining the two gives "geostrategy," a plan that takes the land itself into account, such as the physical position of a country, its mountains, rivers, and coastlines, when deciding how to gain or hold power. The plural "geostrategies" simply refers to several such plans.