{"version": "1.0", "type": "rich", "title": "This is absolutely true. Back before the (mostly German) petrochemical/pharmaceutical industries developed cost-efficient ways...", "author_name": "kontextmaschine", "author_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "provider_name": "kontextmaschine", "provider_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "url": "https://kontextmaschine.com/post/95149168183/", "html": "

This is absolutely true. Back before the (mostly German) petrochemical/pharmaceutical industries developed cost-efficient ways of processing hydrocarbons, guano was a major source of chemical stocks.\u00a0

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Before the widespread employment of synthetic fertilizers (indirectly converting hydrocarbons to calories), guano was a major agricultural input and the ability to boost food production (and thus feed population, and thus raise armies) gave a significant advantage to powers which controlled it (and thus naval powers vs. land powers generally).

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Also as a pretext, the Guano Islands Act allowed America to claim outposts that were vital for fueling/restocking purposes to extend naval power far enough to defend the Asian/Pacific possessions inherited from victory in the Spanish-American War.

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