The Rimland, on the other hand, referred to the coastal regions of Eurasia, which were more densely populated, economically advanced, and home to many of the world's great powers. Spykman believed that the Rimland was the key to containing the Heartland and preventing any single power from dominating the entire continent.

Spykman shifted the focus from the interior to the periphery. He identified the as the crucial zone of global power. The Rimland includes:

: Spykman argued that geographic location makes isolationism impossible; the U.S. must remain engaged in Eurasia to prevent any hostile power from dominating the Rimland.