Regional power
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A regional power is a term used in the field of international relations to describe a state with power and influence that allows it to have a certain element of control over its geographical region. Regional power can be considered very much as an interchangeable term, all regional powers are carriers of another position in the Power Hierarchy. If there are any major powers or superpowers in a region, they are automatically accepted as a regional power, even though their power and influence spreads well beyond the boundaries of their region (this can be seen with China in East Asia, India in South Asia and the United States in North America). There are some regions, like Oceania, that are considered middle powers. Most regions would only have one dominant regional power, with the remaining powers under its influence, however, in places like Europe, this is not always the case.
There is no clear delineation between a "great", "major", and "regional" power. Different theorists will disagree how to classify some states and some states may be regarded as both great/major and regional powers. Examples of countries with such uncertain status as a great, major, or regional power include China, India, and Japan.
North America contains two powerful nations, Canada and the United States. The United States is a Superpower or Hyperpower while Canada is a Middle power; the US is therefore the Regional power. US-Canada ties are close, both countries have highly developed economies and both are core components of the West. During the first Bush administration, both the US and Canda joined the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which created a free trade zone between the US, Canada and Mexico.
Western Europe has never been a place in which one nation has had exclusive dominance and remains that way today. The United Kingdom, France, and more latterly Germany have always vied for pre-eminence in Europe and are considered the three major powers. This rivalry extended both within and outside Europe; the Hundred Years' War, Napoleonic War and the World Wars being prime examples. The growth of colonial empires during the 18th and 19th centuries was almost invariably conducted in competition and in conflict with other European powers.
After World War II, the powers of Europe have reformulated their relationships under the co-operative aegis of institutions such as the EU and NATO. Today the major European powers are roughly equivalent in economic power though there are different approaches to foreign policy (e.g., the positions of France and Germany compared with the UK in respect of the 2003 Iraq war). Much like US and Canada, Western European countries feature highly developed economies and are also key components of the West. The United Kingdom in particular features close economic and cultural ties to the United States.
Russia, previously the most important republic of the Soviet Union, has practically had a sphere of influence over Eastern Europe and Central Asia for most of its history. This sphere of influence was particularly noted during the Cold War era, where most of Eastern Europe was encompassed into its union. There are no other major powers in Eastern Europe and no other nation that has ever been a Superpower. Russia has still a strong say in the foreign affairs of former Soviet States such as the Ukraine and there is a strong Russian diaspora in some of these states. Russia is currently considered a major power. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia's influence in Eastern Europe has decreased cosiderably, leaving a vacuum for a number of other states, particularly Poland, Romania and Ukraine to possibly become regional powers in their own right.
Of all the South European countries, Italy has been the most dominant geopolitical country in the area. Since the rise of the Roman Republic after the defeat of Carthage, Italy's power was not often opposed. Italy has become a member of the EU and is the wealthiest country in its region by GDP. Italy's central position in the Mediterranean Sea gives it command of both approaches from east and west and it has sent troops to Albania, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, the western Sahara, and Palestine in peace-keeping operations. Over the last century, it has transformed itself from a primarily agricultural country into a wealthy country with a developed, industrial economy.
Historically, China has been the dominant nation in East Asia. After a period of falling behind Imperial Japan in World War II, the People's Republic of China has since progressed to the state of being considered an emerging superpower. It has historical cultural influence over Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other Asian countries. It has a strong military that is causing concern for some of its neighbours, a rapidly growing economy, the largest population in the world, and an ancient culture.
Being set between two great powers China and India, Southeast Asia has no main regional power of it's own. Historically, the power have constantly changed; from the Javanese kingdoms of Indonesia, to the Buddhist Kingdom of Siam, now known as Thailand and also to an extent, Myanmar. As of today, the main regional power in Southeast Asia consist of the original countries of ASEAN; including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Most of the South Asia gained independence from the European colonial powers since the late 1940s. Currently there are large states like India and Pakistan, and small states like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. India and Pakistan have been traditional rivals on the world stage, but it has generally been India that has gained the upper hand (evident in the 1999 Kargil Conflict). Historically, Pakistan was considered a part of India (before the Partition of India), without the partition India would be the only state in South Asia capable of wielding significant international power. India also has an alliance with the United States, a strong military and economy, strong demographic and geographical power as well as an ancient culture that has seen the creation of four major world religions.
- See also: Emerging Superpowers—India.
With its supposly large stockpile of nuclear weapons and strong military and economy, Israel is perhaps the strongest nation in the Middle East. This is no doubt aided by its strong foreign relations with the United States. However, Israel's very presence in the Middle East is debated, as it is culturally very different to its Islamic neighbours. However, Israel is very small geographically and population-wise. Regional Powers are almost always geographically large. For this reason, Turkey can also be considered a regional power. It still has some influence in other countries. Iran can also be considered a regional power, for it has a large population and geographic size, gowing economy, and becoming more self sufficient in military and less reliant on oil. Iran is also blessed with an ancient culture with its roots in the Persian Empire, as it was known in ancient times. It also has a large diaspora and strong ties to regional and future superpowers like China, India, and Russia. Iran's economy is much bigger than that of the Arab countries and Israel, and it's economy is about the same size as that of Turkey.
North Africa is the northern part of Africa which borders the Mediterranean sea, and includes the nations of Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.These nations are not part of sub-saharan Africa, and the people are Arab and Berber speaking people, and not black Africans. Sudan and Mauritania are also Arabic speaking, but are ethnically not Arab. And in terms of these Arab North African nations, Egypt is without a doubt the most powerful and influential. Firstly, Egypt boasts an ancient history like no other, with pyramids, pharoahs, and spinxs as symbols of this Arab nation's rich history. Egypt has the second biggest economy in all of Africa, after South Africa, and the second biggest economy in the entire Arabic speaking world, after Saudi Arabia. However in the North African region, Egypt has by far the largest economy, more than Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. Militarily speaking, Egypt has the strongest armed forces on the African continent and the entire Arabic speaking world. Plus Egypt's influence is unmatched by any other ethnic Arab nation, and is considered the center of the Arab world, with a lot of say in Arab affairs.
South Africa and Nigeria are the two main powers in this region and are possibly the only two nations in Sub-Saharan Africa that can make a stand on the world stage. They are sometimes considered representatives of an otherwise weakly represented region.
South Africa is regarded as the dominant power of the region, with its developed economy, strong military capability, and good relations with the West. Nigeria's development has been hindered by instability and military dictatorship, although since the restoration of civilian rule it has made good progress.
The two nations are both regarded as middle powers.
Brazil is considered the regional power in South America and is rivaled only by Argentina. Brazil is a historically rich land that has a decent economy and good foreign relations with the United States, the world's only superpower. Its decisions to limit its military growth means that it has good relations with all of the other nations in its region. Brazil's geographical location and area as well as its population make it the strongest power in South America. Its influence has spread to other regions around the world, making it a Potential Major power.
Australia is the only nation of considerable size in Oceania, as most of the remainders of nations in this region are island states. It has strong connections with the UK and Commonwealth, the United States and the broader West, although less so with its immediate neighbours. Australia and New Zealand are collectively an integral part of the foreign policy of nations like the United States and United Kingdom.
Australia's large uranium deposits are attracting attention from Emerging Superpowers like China and India. It has a stable economy and has the strongest regional military. However, its military and economy are not influential enough to enable it to make an international stand on African, Asian, and Latin American issues. It can be considered Oceania's regional power as the only other power to contest its place is New Zealand, which is a substantially smaller nation than Australia by all quantifiable measures.
See also
South Africa is regarded as the dominant power of the region, with its developed economy, strong military capability, and good relations with the West. Nigeria's development has been hindered by instability and military dictatorship, although since the restoration of civilian rule it has made good progress.
The two nations are both regarded as middle powers.
Brazil is considered the regional power in South America and is rivaled only by Argentina. Brazil is a historically rich land that has a decent economy and good foreign relations with the United States, the world's only superpower. Its decisions to limit its military growth means that it has good relations with all of the other nations in its region. Brazil's geographical location and area as well as its population make it the strongest power in South America. Its influence has spread to other regions around the world, making it a Potential Major power.
Australia is the only nation of considerable size in Oceania, as most of the remainders of nations in this region are island states. It has strong connections with the UK and Commonwealth, the United States and the broader West, although less so with its immediate neighbours. Australia and New Zealand are collectively an integral part of the foreign policy of nations like the United States and United Kingdom.
Australia's large uranium deposits are attracting attention from Emerging Superpowers like China and India. It has a stable economy and has the strongest regional military. However, its military and economy are not influential enough to enable it to make an international stand on African, Asian, and Latin American issues. It can be considered Oceania's regional power as the only other power to contest its place is New Zealand, which is a substantially smaller nation than Australia by all quantifiable measures.
See also
| Power in international relations | |
|---|---|
| Power statuses
| Middle power > Regional power | Global power/Great power | Superpower | Hyperpower |
| Emerging superpowers
| People's Republic of China as an emerging superpower>People's Republic of China | Republic of India | European Union |
| Future geopolitics
| African Century > Asian Century | Indian Century | European Century | Pacific Century |
| Types of power
| Soft power > Hard power | Political power | Power (sociology) | Bases of power | Power politics | Polarity in international relations |
| Other
| Second superpower > SCO | BRIC |
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