There was no clear boundary between the South Atlantic and the North Atlantic, especially at such strategic choke points between the oceans as the Suez Canal, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Strait of Malacca.
Therefore, it was impossible for the East African Navy to completely turn the South Atlantic into an "inland sea" and prevent the naval powers of Europe and America from reentering South Atlantic waters.
It could only be said that, as a nation on the South Atlantic coast, East Africa possessed a natural competitive advantage over those nations along the North Atlantic coast in the South Atlantic.
Ernst said, "We cannot blockade exchanges between the North Atlantic powers and the countries of South America. Therefore, we must strengthen our surveillance over South America and prevent them from leaning toward other great powers at the expense of East Africa's interests."
Taulfeis nodded. "Your Majesty is right. The South Atlantic differs from the Indian Ocean. Although East Africa controls only one of the Indian Ocean's four key nodes—the Suez Canal, the Cape of Good Hope, the Strait of Malacca, and the Sunda Strait—that one is the Sunda Strait."
"However, we also have contingency plans for the other three locations. When necessary, we can blockade the Indian Ocean and bar great powers from outside the region from entering it."
The Suez Canal, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Strait of Malacca were nominally controlled by the British, but after East Africa's many years of arrangements, the restrictions these three locations imposed on East Africa had been greatly weakened.
South of the Suez Canal, the East African Navy could likewise blockade the Red Sea passage in the Gulf of Aden maritime territory. West of the Strait of Malacca, East Africa had its Phuket Island base, from which it