Naval Traditions.

I was perusing through a book called, "Battle at Sea", published by Dorling Kindersley. The book also tries to chart the beginning of the naval traditions of the various major naval powers of the past, and the present, apart from giving an account of the various known battles at sea.
It appears to me, that the British Empire was a direct consequence of her having to maintain a large naval fleet. In the first place, Britain needed an adequate fleet, because she is an island nation. Any threat of invasion would surface from her shores. The Roman Empire reached Britain, because of the existence of the Roman navy. Britain became a Roman vassal because she was invaded by the Roman empire by the sea route, and was thereafter conquered by the Roman empire. It also appears to me, that for a nation to be of some consequence in international affairs, she should share a coastline with the sea. The larger the coastline, the more the consequence. The British Empire was totally dependent on the seas, for interaction with foreign nations. I do not infer to France by my assumption, because France shares a common ancestry with Britain. Those nations which have a large coastline, have better access to resources than those nations who share a border drawn on land with other nations. A landlocked nation is more at the mercy of her neighbors, than are seafaring nations. Landlocked nations have limited natural resources, at their disposal. The reason for the unification of India, into a nation with the Indian Peninsula as her coastline, is this very reason. With animosity between the many princely states in India, the situation led to the landlocked princely states being vulnerable to their neighbors.
The various important kingdoms of Europe during her past, could not match the might of the British Empire, because they were but partially bordered by a coastline. The current political situation in Europe, in which Europe seeks a 'European Union', through peaceful means, may be a furtherance of the idea that I have expressed.