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In international relations, a regional power is a state that has power within a geographic region. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Power in international relations is defined in several different ways Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. [1] [2]

Map showing regional powers around the globe.
Map showing regional powers around the globe.

Contents

Definition

There are slightly differing definitions of what makes a regional power:

According to the European Consortium for Political Research a regional power can be defined as "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 European Consortium for Political Research ( ECPR) is an independent scholarly association which supports and encourages the training Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social Power in international relations is defined in several different ways A resource is any physical or virtual entity of limited availability or anything used to help one earn a living [1]

According to the German Institute of Global and Area Studies a regional power must ;

Some states may be regarded as both a Great power and a regional power. A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale Likewise some states may be regarded as a Middle power and a regional power. Middle power is a term used in the field of International relations to describe States that are not Superpowers or Great powers but still have

Current regional powers

Below are states that have been described as regional powers by international relations and political science academics, analysts, or other experts. Political science is a branch of Social sciences that deals with the theory and practice of Politics and the description and analysis of Political systems 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.

East Asia

China considered an emerging superpower by some political analysts and a significant regional power by others. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale [3][4][5] Academics from various sources think China is a regional power in East Asia and Southeast Asia. [6] [7]

It has the world's largest population at 1. 3 billion people. [8] It is currently the 4th largest economy in the world (second in purchasing power) and growing at a rate of over 9% a year. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. [9] It has the largest reserves of foreign exchange and gold in the world. [10] China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

In terms of manpower, China has the biggest military in the world, with 2,250,000 active troops. [11] Chinese defence expenditure is the highest in East Asia, and the fourth highest in the world. China has nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and ballistic missile submarines. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. A ballistic missile submarine is a Submarine equipped to launch Ballistic missiles ( SLBMs)

Japan

Japan is considered a regional power by academics at the City University of Hong Kong, [12] and is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. City University of Hong Kong (CityU ( is one of the eight Universities in Hong Kong. [13]

Japan has the second highest nominal GDP in the world, and the largest in East Asia. [14] It also has the second largest population and second largest defence budget in the region. Japan has technologically advanced armed forces.

Europe

France

France has been described as a regional power by the Global Policy Forum [15], and Samuel P. Huntington [16], and is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Global Policy Forum, or GPF, is an organization seeking to promote accountability of International organizations such as the United Nations and strengthen Samuel Phillips Huntington (born April 18, 1927) is an American political scientist who gained prominence through his " Clash of Civilizations [13]

France has the third-largest economy in Europe. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE [14] France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is a NATO member, and has the largest defence expenditure in Europe. The North Atlantic Treaty [17] France has nuclear weapons, inter-continental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and is the only nation besides the United States to operate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with

Germany

Germany has been described as a regional power by Samuel P. Huntington[16], and other academics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Samuel Phillips Huntington (born April 18, 1927) is an American political scientist who gained prominence through his " Clash of Civilizations [18]It is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute. [13] Germany is the world's largest exporter. This is a list of countries by Exports, based on The World Factbook. [19]Germany has the largest economy in Europe,[14] 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. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU U. Germany is a member of NATO, and has the third 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. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest 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. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. [20] [21]Also the Carabinieri and author B. The Carabinieri (Italian for Carabiniers are the national-level Gendarmerie of Italy who also perform Military police duties A. Roberson have claimed Italy's status as a regional power. [22][23]

Italy is a member of the G8, NATO and is also a current elected member of the United Nations Security Council. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The North Atlantic Treaty [24] Italy also has the fourth largest economy within Europe [14] with ". . . roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK"[25]. 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. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with Description The ship is designed to combine fixed wing V/STOL and helicopter air operations command and control operations and the transport of military or civil personnel and heavy WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [26] Italy was one of the founding members of the EU and as of 2006.

Russia

Publications of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace[27] and the CSBA policy research institute[13] state that Russia is a regional power. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a formally private nonprofit organization in practice closely associated with the United States Department of State,

Russia has the largest population in Europe and by far the largest land area in the world. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. 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. [28][14][29] It has a permanent seat on the U. N Security Council. Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles in the world. [30] It also has ballistic missile submarines, and is the only country in Europe with a strategic bomber force. A strategic bomber is a heavy type Aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemy's Russia is considered to have the second most powerful military in the world, after the U. S. [31]

Russia is the second largest producer and exporter of oil in the world, after Saudi Arabia. [32][33] 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. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, [34][35][36][37]

United Kingdom

The U. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located K is described as a regional power by scholars at the University of Cambridge [38] It has been called a European power by a professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the [39] The U. K is described as a "core great regional power" in a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments policy research institute. [13]

The U. K has the fifth largest economy in the World and the second largest in Europe. [14] The U. K is also a permanent member of the U. N. Security Council. It has the second largest defence budget within Europe and third largest in the world following the United States, and is a NATO member. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The North Atlantic Treaty [40]The U. K possesses nuclear weapons, inter-continental 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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 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. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. [41].

Latin America

Brazil and Mexico are regional powers in Latin America: they are the only countries in the Americas (besides the United States and Canada) which are part of the G8+5; the latter is the only Latin American member of the OECD and is also a party to the North American Free Trade Agreement. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page February 2007 Declaration Post-Kyoto Protocol negotiations on greenhouse gas emissionsOn February 16, 2007, at meeting of the G8+5 Climate Change Dialogue

Brazil

Brazil is considered a regional power by academia [42][43][44]. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld 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"[45]. Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States

Brazil is the fifth-largest country by geographical area, the fifth most populous country and has the eleventh largest economy in the world. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE In addition to having the 12th largest defence budget and 18th largest armed forces in the the world[46][47], it is the only country in Latin America with an aircraft carrier[48]. This is a list of countries by military expenditures using the latest information available This list of countries by size of armed forces displays national troop levels by active troop strength number of Naval combatants fighter aircraft and Nuclear weapons.

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. February 2007 Declaration Post-Kyoto Protocol negotiations on greenhouse gas emissionsOn February 16, 2007, at meeting of the G8+5 Climate Change Dialogue It is also one of the G4 nations currently seeking a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.

Brazil is one of the BRIC countries - a Goldman Sachs thesis projecting that the economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, and China is such that they may become among the four most dominant economies by the year 2050[49]. In economics BRIC or BRICs is an acronym that refers to the fast growing developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China The Goldman Sachs Group Inc, or simply Goldman Sachs ( is a large global Bank holding company that engages in Investment banking securities |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National 2050 ( MML) will be a Common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar.

Brazil is currently considered an "Agricultural Superpower"[50].

Mexico

Mexico is considered a regional power by academics and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs[51][52]. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Mexico has the second largest economy in the region[53] with $1. 134 USD trillion. It has the second largest defence budget ($6. 07 billion USD) and armed forces[54] in Latin America.

Mexico is the largest exporter in the whole region, in 2006 it exported 248. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion 8 billion USD, almost equivalent to the exports of all members of Mercosur combined, which total 258. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North 4 billion USD [19]. It is the largest producer of oil in Latin America and the 5th largest in the world. An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is [55]. It is also the third supplier of oil to the United States. [56].

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. February 2007 Declaration Post-Kyoto Protocol negotiations on greenhouse gas emissionsOn February 16, 2007, at meeting of the G8+5 Climate Change Dialogue

Mexico is a member of OECD.

Middle East

Egypt

Egypt has been called a regional power in the Middle East by former U. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. S Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U William Sebastian Cohen (born 28 August 1940) is an author and American politician from the U [57] Efraim Inbar of Bar-Ilan University calls Egypt a Middle Eastern regional power and the "most important Arab state". [58] The Power and Interest News Report has called Egypt "one of the most important players in the Middle East". [59] Vladimir Putin has called the country a key regional power. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia [60] Egypt has also been called an African regional power by academics. [2]

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. Tel Aviv University (TAU אוניברסיטת תל־אביב את"א is Israel 's largest on-site University, located in Tel Aviv. Gamal Abdel Nasser (جمال عبد الناصر Gamāl ‘Abd an-Nāṣir; - January 15 1918 September 28 1970) was the second President Nowadays, Egypt has very little influence beyond its borders. " [61] Saad Eddin Ibrahim also says Egypt's status as a regional power under Hosni Mubarak has weakened steadily. Saad Eddin Ibrahim ( Arabic: سعد الدين ابراهيم (born December 3, 1938 in Bedeen Mansoura, Egypt) is an Egyptian [62]

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 second largest economy in North Africa, which is the third largest in the Arab world, and fourth largest in Africa and the Middle East. [14] Egypt has the largest military in the Arab world and Africa by manpower, and the second largest in the Middle East. [63] 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. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. [64] [65] 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. John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE (born 9 August 1944) is an English foreign correspondent. A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings " [66] Barry Rubin professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel published result of his research 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. Barry Rubin is a professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC in Herzliya, Israel and the Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA The Interdisciplinary Center ( IDC) (המרכז הבינתחומי is a private (non-profit College located in Herzlia, Israel. Herzliya (הֶרְצְלִיָּה is a city of 84100 residents located on the central coast of Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA is a quarterly journal on Middle East issues edited by Barry Rubin and published by the Global Research A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale It has expanded influence in Iraq, Lebanon, and among the Palestinians as well as in parts of Afghanistan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, In many ways it is the patron of Syria. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية 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. Sunni and Shia (or Shiite are the two major denominations of Islam. Power in international relations is defined in several different ways The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program " [67] British House of Commons's Foreign Affairs Committee have noted Iran as an emerging great power. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Foreign Affairs Committee is one of many Select Committees of the British House of Commons, which scrutinises the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale [68]

Iran is Persia (name change happened in 1935), one of the most ancient and influential cultures in the world. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia To best understand Iran and its people one must first attempt to acquire an understanding of its ancient culture The Persian influence can be observed throughout the region and the world with many countries speaking Persian language such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, or for its renowned poets such as Rumi. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost

Iran has the second largest GDP in the region. [14] 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 Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (نيروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ايران include the IRIA (ارتش جمهوری اسلامی John Philip Abizaid (born 1 April 1951 جون أبي زيد is a retired General in the United States Army and former Commander of the United States Central The United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM) is a theater -level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U Though he did not include Israel in his report because it was not included in his area of operations. [69] Iran has developed Medium-range ballistic missiles. A medium-range ballistic missile ( MRBM) is a type of Ballistic missile with medium range this last classification depending on the standards of certain organizations

Iran is the world's fourth largest producer,[32] and fifth largest exporter[33] of oil. It has the third largest proven reserves of oil in the world. [37] Iran is also the sixth largest producer of natural gas,[34] with the second largest proven reserves. [35]

Israel

Israel is considered a regional power in the Middle East since the 1967 Six-Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War (מלחמת יום הכיפורים transliterated: Milkhemet Yom HaKipurim or מלחמת יום In both cases Israel defeated numerically superior armies. Israel is called a regional power in a report written in conjunction with the U.S. Army War College. The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre (2 km² campus of the historic Carlisle [70] It has also been called a Middle Eastern regional power by other academics. [71][72] In the opinion of 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. Avner Cohen is writer historian and professor and is well known for his works on Nuclear weapons Cohen received a B The US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA was established as an independent agency by the Arms Control and Disarmament Act (75 Stat " [73] Israel's only short coming is that it has no influence in the region.

Israel has the fourth largest GDP in the region. [14] 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. Jericho is a general designation given to the Israeli Ballistic missiles The name is taken from the first development contract signed between Israel and Dassault

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has been called a regional power by former Japanese foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi is a Japanese politician She was born in Tokyo. She holds a B [74] BBC News has called Saudi Arabia a "regional power-house". [75] YaleGlobal Online has an article describing Saudi as "a leading regional power". YaleGlobal Online is a publication of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. [76] CNN,[77] and PBS[78] have also described the country as a regional power. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the 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 most holy sites, Mecca and Medina. The term Muslim world (or Islamic world) has several meanings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as Although Saudi Arabia contains locations that are of religious significants it lacks religious persuasion with the Muslim world; most notably the break down of the cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Fatah that was held in Mecca. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير It has the third largest GDP in the region after Turkey and Iran,[14] and the largest defence budget in the region. The Kingdom is also the world's largest producer[32] and exporter[33] of crude oil, and has the world's largest proven reserves of crude oil. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit [37]

Turkey

Turkey is situated in Asia-Minor with a small part in Southeast Europe. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Although it is not normally considered part of the Middle East, it borders Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and has been called a regional power in the Middle East by academics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية ;[79][80][81] [82] According to 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. Tel Aviv University (TAU אוניברסיטת תל־אביב את"א is Israel 's largest on-site University, located in Tel Aviv. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi " And "Turkish participation in the Middle East is unavoidable and its territorial proximity to the Middle East alone is significant" [83]

Turkey's GDP is larger than any Middle Eastern countries. [14] Turkey is a member of NATO. Its military expenditure is second, after Saudi Arabia but ahead of Iran.

Northern America

United States

The United States is considered a Superpower. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale [84] 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. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc S. "the world's sole superpower". [85]

It has the largest GDP in the world (notwithstanding the European Union). The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in [14] 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. [86] The U. S. has the second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles in the world after Russia. [30] 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. [32] It is the world's second largest producer of natural gas. [34]

Oceania

Australia

Australia is considered a regional power by academics at the Australian National University. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a public Research university situated in Canberra, Australia. [87] Former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer has claimed "Australia is an especially significant regional power in our neighbourhood". Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951 is an Australian Liberal politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December [88]

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. Asia-Pacific or APAC is the area generally regarded as encompassing Littoral East Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia near the [14] 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. The Australia New Zealand United States Security Treaty ( ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the Military alliance which binds Australia and A military alliance is an agreement between two or more military factions related to Wartime planning commitments or contingencies such agreements can be both The United States of America —commonly referred to as the New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

South Asia

India

India has been identified as an emerging Great Power[89] [90] [91]. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale It is also often referred 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 percent of its territory, 80% of its defence budget, and 82% of its armed forces. India is the world's most populous democracy. It has the largest economy in the region,[14] and has impressive GDP growth which sits today at 9. 2%[92] 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. The rising Technology has allowed our environment to be characterized as a global one " [93]

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. The Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered Ballistic missile defense system to protect India from missile attacks In 2007, India became the fourth nation in the world to complete atmospheric reentry for Manned Space Mission, an indication of its recent scientific progress. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [94]

Southeast Asia

Indonesia

Indonesia has been described as a regional power in Southeast Asia by academia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. [95] [96] [97] [98][16] [99] 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. Power and Interest News Report (PINR is a global organization that provides analyses of conflicts and other international developments Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta) is the Capital and largest city of Indonesia. 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. " [100]

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, [14] but only has the fourth largest defence spending.

Africa

South Africa

South Africa has been described by academics as an emerging or existing regional power. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa [101] [102][16][1] 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. The University of Sheffield is a research University, located in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. Take-overs of local firms and direct investment by South African companies dominate neighbouring economies dependent on Pretoria for transport links and energy supplies. Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. No less important are those occasions when Pretoria chooses not to flex its muscles, notably the current crisis in Zimbabwe. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election " [103]

South Africa has the largest GDP in Africa[14], and the largest defence budget of any African country.

Nigeria

Nigeria has been called an "emerging regional power",[1] "a regional power in West Africa," [104] and "the undisputed regional power in the West African region"[105] by academics. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal 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". The Under Secretary for Political Affairs is the third ranking position in the United States Department of State, after the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary Thomas Reeve "Tom" Pickering (born November 5 1931) is a retired United States ambassador. [106]

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, and the 8th largest in the world. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Nigeria's GDP is by far the largest in West Africa, and the second largest in Africa. [14] 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. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit [32] It also has the 10th largest Oil reserves in the world. Oil reserves are the estimated quantities of Crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing Economic and operating conditions [37]

See also

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