Did you know?: What does 'Indo-Pacific' mean?

KUOW's Today So Far Blog reported Monday that Washington Congresswoman Suzan DelBene is part of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's group on an Indo-Pacific tour. The story got KUOW Editor Deb Wang and I chatting about that term — "Indo-Pacific." It's not a term that is often thrown around headlines. Turns out, it's a bit of a politically calculated concept, and if you're reading this in the Northwest, you're currently in the Indo-Pacific.

As a geographic area, the Indo-Pacific is an oceanic region including the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific. Politically and economically, it refers to countries located throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans, spanning from India to the Philippines, and the U.S. West Coast. Which is why Pelosi and DelBene's tour includes Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. As of Tuesday, the tour also includes Taiwan.

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The Indo-Pacific is a concept that is important to political dealings and trade agreements between specific countries. A lot of shipping happens between countries across these oceans. It's also a big part of the Biden administration's global strategy. According to the White House:

"The United States is an Indo-Pacific power. The region, stretching from our Pacific coastline to the Indian Ocean, is home to more than half of the world’s people, nearly two-thirds of the world’s economy, and seven of the world’s largest militaries. More members of the U.S. military are based in the region than in any other outside the United States. It supports more than three million American jobs and is the source of nearly $900 billion in foreign direct investment in the United States. In the years ahead, as the region drives as much as two-thirds of global economic growth, its influence will only grow—as will its importance to the United States."

*This "Did You Know?" segment is from the Aug. 2, 2022 edition of the Today So Far newsletter.