Regional power
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 Canada 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 recently
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 and
cultural influences 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.
See also: Emerging Superpowersâ€"People's Republic of China.
Being set between two great powers
China and
India, Southeast Asia has no main regional power of its 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, there has not been an official regional power/s. Howerver, the original countries of
ASEAN(
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) act as de facto regional powers.
Indonesia, with its size and economy, is seen as a possible contender.
South Asia which is also known as Indian Sub Continent is the region consisting of one major country
India and other smaller countries like
Pakistan,
Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh,
Nepal and
Bhutan. India and Pakistan have been traditional rivals in the region. However on the world stage, it has generally been India that has gained the upper hand through education, scientific and technological development and rapid growth of the economy. There were several conflicts in the region like
1999 Kargil Conflict and liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan. Historically, Pakistan and Bangladesh was part of India (before the
Partition of India). India is the only country in the world which has a strategic alliance with both the
United States, and Russia at the same time. It has a strong military and a fast growing economy, with demographic and geographical and cultural power - A continuing ancient culture that has seen the creation of four
major world religions.
See also: Emerging Superpowersâ€"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, growing 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,
Morocco,
Sudan,and
Mauritania.These nations are not part of Sub-Saharan Africa, and the people are Arab and Berber speaking people, and not Sub-Saharan Africans. 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,larger than
Algeria,
Morocco,
Tunisia,
Libya,
Sudan,and
Mauritania. 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 Arab nation, and the capital of Cairo 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.
