How does geographical proximity influence the formation of regional organisations?
Geographical proximity plays a crucial role in the formation of regional organisations as countries in the same region often share common historical experiences and similar challenges.
As seen in the case of ASEAN, the Southeast Asian countries suffered the consequences of repeated colonialisms and faced problems of nation-building, poverty, and economic backwardness. They also experienced pressure to align with great powers during the Cold War. These shared circumstances created a potential for conflict which the countries could not afford.
Therefore, geographical proximity促使 countries to come together and form regional organisations to evolve regional solutions to their historical enmities and weaknesses, thereby building a more peaceful and cooperative regional order.
Explanation
The textbook context explains how geographical proximity led to the formation of ASEAN. Countries in Southeast Asia shared common historical experiences of colonialism and faced similar challenges like nation-building, poverty, economic backwardness, and Cold War pressures. These shared circumstances created potential conflicts that the countries 'could ill afford.' This necessitated the formation of a regional organisation (ASEAN) to develop 'regional solutions to their historical enmities and weaknesses' and build a 'more peaceful and cooperative regional order.' The same pattern is observed with the European Union, which emerged as a regional solution for European countries.