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Regional power
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In international relations, a regional power is a state that has power within a geographic region.
e are slightly differing definitions of what makes a regional power:
The European Consortium for Political Research defines a regional power: "A state belonging to a geographically defined region, dominating this region in economic and military terms, able to exercise hegemonic influence in the region and considerable influence on the world scale, willing to make use of power resources and recognized or even accepted as the regional leader by its neighbours".
The German Institute of Global and Area Studies says that a regional power must:
Some states may be regarded as both a great power and a regional power.
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Encyclopedia
In international relations, a regional power is a state that has power within a geographic region.
Definition
There are slightly differing definitions of what makes a regional power:
The European Consortium for Political Research defines a regional power: "A state belonging to a geographically defined region, dominating this region in economic and military terms, able to exercise hegemonic influence in the region and considerable influence on the world scale, willing to make use of power resources and recognized or even accepted as the regional leader by its neighbours".
The German Institute of Global and Area Studies says that a regional power must:
- be part of a definable region with its own identity
- claim to be a regional power (self-image of a regional power)
- exert decisive influence on the geographic extension of the region as well as on its ideological construction
- dispose over comparatively high military, economic, demographic, political and ideological capabilities
- be well integrated into the region
- define the regional security agenda to a high degree
- be appreciated as a regional power by other powers in the region and beyond, especially by other regional powers
- be well connected with regional and global fora.
Some states may be regarded as both a great power and a regional power. Likewise some states may be regarded as a middle power and a regional power.
Current regional powers
Below are states that have been described as regional powers by international relations and political science academics, analysts, or other experts. These states to some extent meet the criteria to have regional power status, as described above. Different experts have differing views on exactly which states are regional powers. States are arranged by their region.
China is an influential regional power in Asia and is considered an potential superpower by many political analysts.
It has the world's largest population at 1.3 billion people. It is currently the 3rd largest economy in the world (second in purchasing power) and growing at a rate of 10% a year. It has the largest reserves of foreign exchange and gold in the world. China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
In terms of manpower, China has the biggest military in the world, with 2,250,000 active troops. China has the world's fastest-modernizing military. Chinese defence expenditure is the highest in East Asia, and the fourth highest in the world. China has nuclear weapons, ASAT missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, cruise missiles, a potential aircraft carrier, and much more.
Japan
Japan is considered a regional power by academics at the City University of Hong Kong, and is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute.
Japan has the second highest nominal GDP in the world, and the largest in East Asia. It also has the tenth largest population and sixth largest defence budget in the region.
France
France has been described as a regional power by the Global Policy Forum, and Samuel P. Huntington, and is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute.
France has the third-largest economy in Europe. France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is a NATO member, and has the second largest defence expenditure in Europe. France has nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and is the only nation besides the United States to operate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Germany
Germany has been described as a regional power by Samuel P. Huntington, and other academics. It is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute.
Germany is the world's largest exporter. Germany has the largest economy in Europe, and is also the most populous nation in the E.U, giving it the most seats in the European Parliament, and influence within the E.U. Germany is a member of NATO, and has the fourth largest defence expenditure in Europe.
Italy
Political scientist and author Joseph Becker and Franz Knipping in "Power in Europe? Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany in a Postwar World, 1945-1950," along with Ben W. Heineman, Jr., and Fritz Heimann in "The Long War Against Corruption," have called Italy, alongside France, the UK, and Germany the remaining regional powers and describes Italy as a "major player" on par with the other regional powers within Europe. Massimo De Leonardis, of the Istituto per gli studi di politica internazionale, terms Italy as "regional power". Also the Carabinieri and author B.A. Roberson have claimed Italy's status as a regional power.
Italy is a member of the G8, NATO and is also a current elected member of the United Nations Security Council. Italy also has the fourth largest economy within Europe with ...roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. Italy is undergoing military upgrades and reform including the making of a new aircraft carrier, the Cavour (550) and the purchase of more Eurofighter Typhoons. Italy was one of the founding members of the EU.
Russia
Publications of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the CSBA policy research institute state that Russia is a regional power.
Russia has the largest population in Europe and by far the largest land area in the world. It has the sixth largest economy in Europe (third in purchasing power), and has one of the fastest growing economies in Europe at 8.1% in 2007. It has a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles in the world. It also has ballistic missile submarines, and is the only country in Europe with a strategic bomber force.
Russia is the second largest producer and exporter of oil in the world, after Saudi Arabia. It has the largest proven oil reserves of any European country. Russia is also the world's largest producer and exporter of natural gas, with the largest proven reserves in the world.
United Kingdom
The UK is described as a regional power by scholars at the University of Cambridge It has been called a European power by a professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. The UK is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute.
The UK has the fifth largest economy in the World and the second largest in Europe. The UK is also a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It has the largest defence budget within Europe and second largest in the world following the United States, and is a NATO member. The UK possesses nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and is the only European country with more than one aircraft carrier. Additionally, it became the only country in the world other than the United States to have more than one aircraft carrier following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The UK is also the largest producer of oil and gas in the European Union. London, the capital of the UK is one of the world's largest financial centres alongside New York City and Tokyo.
Brazil
Brazil is considered a regional power by academia. Condoleezza Rice has said, "I think it is a fact that Brazil is a regional power and, in fact, Brazil is a growing global presence".
Brazil is the fifth-largest country by geographical area, the fifth most populous country and has the tenth largest economy in the world. In addition to having the 12th largest defence budget and 18th largest armed forces in the world, it is the only country in Latin America with an aircraft carrier.
On the global stage Brazil is a member of the G8+5, a political and economic group composed of emerging economic powers and the G8. It is also one of the G4 nations currently seeking a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
Brazil is one of the BRIMC countries - a Goldman Sachs thesis projecting that the economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico and China is such that they may become among the five most dominant economies by the year 2050.
Brazil is currently considered an "Agricultural Superpower".
Mexico
Mexico is considered a regional power by academics and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mexico has the second largest economy in the region with $1.434 trillion USD. It has the second largest defence budget ($6.07 billion USD) and armed forces in Latin America.
Mexico is the largest exporter in the region. In 2006 it exported 248.8 billion USD, almost equivalent to the exports of all members of Mercosur combined, which total 258.4 billion USD. It is the largest producer of oil in Latin America and the 5th largest in the world. It is also the third largest supplier of oil to the United States.
Mexico is one of the BRIMC countries - a Goldman Sachs thesis projecting that the economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico, and China is such that they may become among the five most dominant economies by the year 2050.
In the global stage, Mexico is a member of the G8+5, a political and economic group composed of emerging economic powers and the G8.
Mexico is a member of OECD and is also a party to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Egypt
Egypt has been called a regional power in the Middle East by former U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. Efraim Inbar of Bar-Ilan University calls Egypt a Middle Eastern regional power and the "most important Arab state". The Power and Interest News Report has called Egypt "one of the most important players in the Middle East". Vladimir Putin has called the country a key regional power. Egypt has also been called an African regional power by academics.
However Professor Asher Susser of Tel Aviv University talks of the "decline of the relative importance" of Egypt and says, "During Gamal Abdul Nasser’s presidency, Egypt was a leading force in setting the regional agenda. Nowadays, Egypt has very little influence beyond its borders." Saad Eddin Ibrahim also says Egypt's status as a regional power under Hosni Mubarak has weakened steadily.
Egypt's population is the largest in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab world, and the third largest in Africa. It has the largest economy in North Africa, which is the second largest in the Arab world, and second largest in Africa and fourth largest in the Middle East. Egypt has the largest military in the Arab world and Africa by manpower, and the second largest in the Middle East. Egypt's military budget is the third largest in Africa, fourth largest among Arab states, and fifth largest in the Middle East.
Iran
Iran is considered by academics and experts to be a regional power in the Middle East. John Simpson (World affairs editor, BBC News) named Iran as the region's superpower: "Iran is now a regional superpower, and ever since the Islamic revolution in 1978-9, we in the West have consistently misunderstood it."
Barry Rubin, professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel published his research results in 'The Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA)': "Iran is the sole regional great power today in the Middle East, because no Arab state can claim that title. It has expanded influence in Iraq, Lebanon, and among the Palestinians as well as in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In many ways it is the patron of Syria. The growing Shi'a-Sunni rift is adding to Iran's influence, which is also helped by the high price of oil; even without nuclear weapons." British House of Commons's Foreign Affairs Committee have noted Iran as an emerging great power. According to Robert Baer, a former CIA operative, who is considered as one of the world's foremost authorities on the Middle East, Iran has maneuvered itself into the elite superpower ranks by exploiting Americans' false perception of what Iran is; he believes Iran is a rational actor - one skilled in the game of the nations and so effective at thwarting perceived Western colonialism that even rival Sunnis relish fighting under its banner.
Iran is Persia (name change happened in 1935), one of the most ancient and influential cultures in the world. The Persian influence can be observed throughout the region and the world with many countries speaking Persian languages such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan or for its renowned poets such as Rumi.
Iran has the second largest GDP in the region. It has the fourth largest defence budget in the region, however, Iran's military was called the Middle East's most powerful by General John Abizaid chief of United States Central Command. The General did not include Israel in his assessment because it was not included in his area of operations. Iran has developed Medium-range ballistic missiles, and in February 2009 Iran became the ninth country to launch its own satellite Omid into space.
Iran is the world's fourth largest producer, and fifth largest exporter of oil. It has the second largest proven reserves of oil in the world. Iran is also the sixth largest producer of natural gas, and has the second largest proven natural gas reserves.
Israel
Israel is considered a regional power in the Middle East since the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel defeated numerically superior armies. Israel is called a regional power in a report written in conjunction with the U.S. Army War College. It has also been called a Middle Eastern regional power by other academics. According to Avner Cohen and a former acting director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency; "Israel is a regional power, in fact the strongest military power in the region." Israel's only shortcoming is that it has no cultural influence in the region.
Israel has the fourth largest GDP in the region. It has the third largest defence budget in the region. Israel is the only country in the region thought to have nuclear weapons, which could be delivered by the Jericho medium-range ballistic missile.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has been called a regional power by former Japanese foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. BBC News has called Saudi Arabia a "regional power-house". YaleGlobal Online has an article describing Saudi as "a leading regional power". It is difficult to identify Saudi Arabia's military capabilities since it has never conducted a major military operation.
Saudi Arabia has a special significance in the Muslim world, as it contains Islam's two holiest places, Mecca and Medina. Although Saudi Arabia contains locations that are of religious significance, it lacks religious persuasion with the Muslim world; most notably the breakdown of the cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Fatah that was held in Mecca. It has the third largest GDP in the region after Turkey and Iran, and the largest defence budget in the region. The Kingdom is also the world's largest producer and exporter of crude oil, and has the world's largest proven reserves of crude oil.
Turkey
Turkey is a transcontinental country geographically located primarily in Western Asia with small holdings in Southeast Europe. Although it is not always considered to be part of the Middle East, it borders Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and has been regarded as a regional power in the Middle East by academics.
The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that "the role that Turkey is playing as a regional and global leader on important issues is something that [they] very supportive of". Both US President Barrack Obama and Secretary Clinton characterise Turkey as a Regional leader and reinterate Turkey's importance in Middle East Peace process.
Shlomo Ben Ami, the former Foreign minister of the State of Israel states that, "Turkey is a true regional superpower, with one of the largest armies in the world". Ben Ami adds that the recent moves by Turkey "looks to many people like an attempt to recover Turkey's Ottoman-era role as the guarantor of regional peace and security [and that] Its credentials for this role in the Middle East are by no means negligible" .
According to another Israeli academic, Professor Asher Susser of Tel Aviv University; "What is new about the Middle East is the rise of non-Arab players, namely Turkey, Israel and particularly Iran, as regional powers in parallel with the decline of the relative importance of what were once key Arab players in the region, namely Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia." Asher also said, "Turkish participation in the Middle East is unavoidable and its territorial proximity to the Middle East alone is significant"
Turkey is a member of NATO and has the second largest standing military in this organisation, after the United States of America. Its Navy is one of the largest in Europe and the eighth largest in the world in terms of size.
United States
The United States is considered a superpower. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that "the Soviet collapse left the United States with undisputed status as the world's most powerful country", and calls the U.S. "the world's sole superpower".
It has the largest GDP in the world (notwithstanding the European Union). The U.S. also has the third largest population in the world, and is a permanent member of the UN security council. The U.S. defense budget is the largest in the world, and is almost equal to the combined military spending of all other nations. The U.S. has the second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles in the world after Russia. It also has more aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines than any other country, and is the only country apart from Russia that operates strategic bomber aircraft. The U.S. is the most influential member in NATO.
U.S. oil production is the third highest in the world. It is the world's second largest producer of natural gas.
Australia
Australia is considered a regional power by academics at the Australian National University. Former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer has claimed "Australia is an especially significant regional power in our neighbourhood".
Australia is the world’s sixth largest country by area. It has by far the largest GDP in Oceania, and the fourth largest in the wider Asia-Pacific region. Australia's defence spending is also the largest in Oceania, and fourth largest in Asia-Pacific. Australia is a member of the ANZUS military alliance with the USA and New Zealand.
India is an influential regional power in Asia and has been identified as an potential superpower by many political analysts.
It has the world's second largest population at 1.1 billion people. It is currently the 11th largest economy in the world (fourth in purchasing power), and has an impressive GDP growth rate which sits today at 9.2%. In terms of manpower, India has the third biggest military in the world, with 1,325,000 active troops. India has one of the world's fastest-modernizing military. Indian defence expenditure is the highest in South Asia, and the 9th highest in the world. It is one of the four G4 Nations proposed to become the permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
It is also often referred to as South Asia's natural hegemon because of its overwhelming dominance of the region in all aspects – political, economic, military, cultural, and demographic. India contributes 77% of South Asia's population, 75% of its GDP, 77% of its territory, 80% of its defence budget, and 82% of its armed forces. India is the world's most populous democracy. According to political analyst C. Raja Mohan: "India's omnidirectional engagement with the great powers has paid off handsomely. Never before has India had such expansive relations with all the major powers at the same time—a result not only of India's increasing weight in the global economy and its growing power potential, but also of New Delhi's savvy and persistent diplomacy."
With the largest defence budget in the region, India possesses nuclear weapons, intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and is the only South Asian country with an aircraft carrier. It has successfully developed a Ballistic Missile Defense system, becoming only the fourth country to do so. In 2007, India became the fourth nation in the world to complete atmospheric reentry, an indication of its recent scientific progress. In 2008, India sent its first lunar probe, Chandrayaan.
Indonesia
Indonesia has been described as a regional power in Southeast Asia by academia. According to the Power and Interest News Report; "Given Jakarta's powerful military establishment and continuing investment in military hardware and development, Indonesia will emerge as an even more powerful player in Southeast Asia. If the state is able to hold together in the face of the mounting social, economic and natural challenges, it will potentially emerge as an even more powerful regional player."
Indonesia has by far the largest population in Southeast Asia, and the fourth largest in the world. It has the largest GDP in the region, but only has the fourth largest defence spending.
South Africa
South Africa has been described by academics as an emerging or existing regional power. According to academics at Sheffield University; "since 1994, the economic and political power of democratic South Africa has enjoyed unfettered access to the entire (Southern Africa) region. Take-overs of local firms and direct investment by South African companies dominate neighbouring economies dependent on Pretoria for transport links and energy supplies. No less important are those occasions when Pretoria chooses not to flex its muscles, notably the current crisis in Zimbabwe."
South Africa has the largest GDP in Africa, and the largest defence budget of any African country.
Nigeria
Nigeria has been called an "emerging regional power", "a regional power in West Africa," and "the undisputed regional power in the West African region" by academics. Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas R. Pickering has called Nigeria "a regional power house", that plays "an important role in West Africa".
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, and the 8th largest in the world. Nigeria's GDP is by far the largest in West Africa, and the second largest in Africa. Nigeria has the largest defence budget in West Africa, and the 7th largest in Africa. Nigeria is Africa's largest and the world's 12th largest producer of Crude oil. It also has the 10th largest Oil reserves in the world.
See also
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