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Regional power

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Leaders of most regional powers during the 2015 G-20 summit in Antalya, Turkey

In international relations, a regional power is a state that has power within a geographic region.[1][2] States which wield unrivalled power and influence within a region of the world possess regional hegemony.

Characteristics

Regional powers shape the polarity of a regional area. Typically, regional powers have capabilities which are important in the region but do not have capabilities at a global scale. Slightly contrasting definitions differ as to what makes a regional power. The European Consortium for Political Research defines a regional power 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".[1][dead link]

The German Institute of Global and Area Studies states that a regional power must:[2]

  • form 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

Current regional powers

  Major Regional Power in Northern America (USA)
  Major Regional Powers in Latin America (Mexico, Brazil and Argentina)
  Major Regional Powers in Europe (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom)
  Major Regional Power in Northern Asia and Eastern Europe (Russia)
  Major Regional Power in the Middle East and Southeast Europe (Turkey)
  Major Regional Power in Africa and the Middle East (Egypt)
  Major Regional Powers in Africa (Nigeria and South Africa)
  Major Regional Powers in the Middle East (Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia)
  Major Regional Power in Southeastern Asia (Indonesia)
  Major Regional Powers in Eastern Asia (China, Japan and South Korea)
  Major Regional Powers in South Asia (India and Pakistan)
  Major Regional Power in Oceania (Australia)

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, and in alphabetic order. Primary, or major, regional powers (also known as pivotal powers) are placed in the major regions as identified by analysts. Secondary, or minor, regional powers are listed within their sub regions. Major regional powers in bold, and minor regional powers in normal font.

Africa

Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa are generally regarded as the major regional powers in the African continent.

North Africa

Southern Africa

East Africa

West Africa

North America

Latin America

South America

North America

Asia

Historically, China was the dominant power in eastern Asia. Japan became a key player in World War II as one of the Axis powers and China became a key player in World War II as one of the Allied powers. In recent years, a re-balancing of military and economic might towards countries such as China and India has made significant changes in the geopolitics of Asia. China, South Korea and Japan have also earned greater influence over regions outside Asia.

East Asia

South Asia

Southeast Asia

West Asia

Europe

Main article: European balance of power

France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom are regarded as the Big Four of Europe.[55][56] Historically, dominant powers in this region created large colonial empires worldwide (such as the British Empire or the French Empire). Most of the continent is now integrated as a consequence of the enlargement of the European Union.

Transcontinental regional powers

Transcontinental countries like Russia are able to exert regional influence in large areas of the world.

Oceania

See also

Footnotes

^ Considered a great power
^ Member of G20

References

  1. ^ a b www.essex.ac.uk
  2. ^ a b www.giga-hamburg.de
  3. ^ a b c [1]
  4. ^ a b c d e Buzan, Barry (2004). The United States and the Great Powers. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity Press. p. 71. ISBN 0-7456-3375-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d www.aims.ca Archived 2006-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ www.iss.co.za Archived 2006-10-12 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Southern Africa is home to the other of sub-Saharan Africa's regional powers: South Africa. South Africa is more than just a regional power; it is by far the most developed and economically powerful country in Africa, and now it is able to use that influence in Africa more than during the days of apartheid (white rule), when it was ostracized." See David Lynch, Trade and Globalization (Lanham, USA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010), p. 51.
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ "West Africa, with its strong French influence, is home to one of Africa's two regional giants, Nigeria, and the region has seen the scene of much political and ethnic unrest." See David Lynch, Trade and Globalization (Lanham, USA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010), p. 51.
  10. ^ "South Africa is not the sole regional power on the continent, though; Nigeria is the other widely acknowledge centre of power in Africa and likewise a sub-regional superpower in West Africa." See Deon Geldenhuys, "South Africa: The Idea-driven Foreign Policy of a Regional Power," in Regional Leadership in the Global System, edited by Daniel Flemes (Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2010),senegal is a recognised as a power p. 151.
  11. ^ Zones of Peace in the Third World: South America and West Africa in ...By Arie Marcelo page 144 Kacowicz
  12. ^ http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2012/04/16/chinese-cyber-information-profusion-anti-access-area-denial-in-summative-context/
  13. ^ "Argentina has been the leading military and economic power in the Southern Cone in the Twentieth Century." See Michael Morris, "The Srait of Magellan," in International Straits of the World, edited by Gerard Mangone (Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishes, 1988), p. 63.
  14. ^ a b "Secondary regional powers in Huntington's view include Great Britain, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Argentina." See Tom Nierop, "The Clash of Civilisations," in The Territorial Factor, edited by Gertjan Dijkink and Hans Knippenberg (Amsterdam: Vossiuspers UvA, 2001), p. 61.
  15. ^ "The US has created a foundation upon which the regional powers, especially Argentina and Brazil, can developed their own rules for further managing regional relations." See David Lake, "Regional Hierarchies," in Globalising the Regional, edited by Rick Fawn (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009), p. 55.
  16. ^ "The southern cone of South America, including Argentina and Brazil, the two regional powers, has recently become a pluralistic security community." See Emanuel Adler and Patricia Greve, "Overlapping regional mechanisms of security governance," in Globalising the Regional, edited by Rick Fawn (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009), p. 78.
  17. ^ "[...] notably by linking the Southern Cone's rival regional powers, Brazil and Argentina." See Alejandra Ruiz-Dana, Peter Goldschag, Edmundo Claro and Hernan Blanco, "Regional integration, trade and conflicts in Latin America," in Regional Trade Integration and Conflict Resolution, edited by Shaheen Rafi Khan (New York: Routledge, 2009), p. 18.
  18. ^ a b Samuel P. Huntington, "Culture, Power, and Democracy," in Globalization, Power, and Democracy, edited by Marc Plattner and Aleksander Smolar (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), p. 6.
  19. ^ ""The driving force behind the adoption of the MERCOSUR agreement was similar to that of the establishment of the EU: the hope of limiting the possibilities of traditional military hostility between the major regional powers, Brazil and Argentina." See Anestis Papadopoulos, The International Dimension of EU Competition Law and Policy (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), p. 283.
  20. ^ Arnson, Cynthia; Sotero, Paulo. "Brazil as a Regional Power: Views from the Hemisphere" (PDF). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  21. ^ De Lima, Maria Regina Soares; Hirst, Monica. "Brazil as an intermediate state and regional power: action, choice and responsibilities" (PDF). Chatham House. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  22. ^ Wigell, Mikael. "Assertive Brazil, an emerging power and its implications" (PDF). Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  23. ^ Flemes, Daniel. "Brazil's strategic options in a multiregional world order" (PDF). German Institute of Global and Area Studies. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  24. ^ Schenoni, Luis. "Unveiling the South American Balance". Estudos Internacionais. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  25. ^ James Scott, Matthias vom Hau and David Hulme. "Beyond the BICs: Strategies of influence". The University of Manchester. Retrieved 11 April 2012. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  26. ^ "How to compare regional powers: analytical concepts and research topics" (PDF). British International Studies Association. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  27. ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
  28. ^ Dadush, Uri. "China's Rise and Latin America: A Global, Long-Term Perspective". Inter-American Dialogue. Retrieved 17 April 2012. Moreover, the rise of regional powers Brazil and Mexico, and their burgeoning middle classes, could be a boon for other Latin American economies.
  29. ^ Living With The Giants - TIME
  30. ^ China: Global/Regional Power
  31. ^ CNN In-Depth Specials - Visions of China - Asian Superpower: Regional 'godfather' or local bully?
  32. ^ www.abc.net
  33. ^ http://www.aseanfocus.com/asiananalysis/article.cfm?articleID=780 www.aseanfocus.com
  34. ^ a b c d U.S. Policy to Asia for Regional Powers in New Science and Technology: China, Russia, Japan and Korea with Nuclear Potential, allacademic.com
  35. ^ Japan and the Myanmar Stalemate: Regional Power and Resolution of a Regional Problem
  36. ^ a b c d www.csbaonline.org
  37. ^ http://www.springerlink.com/content/nrnnj1f163kaxye3/
  38. ^ http://www.hudsonny.org/2010/03/the-korean-incident-changing-dynamics-in-asia.php
  39. ^ http://www.ndu.edu/inss/Press/jfq_pages/editions/i47/19.pdf
  40. ^ http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2009/0416_korea/20090416_korea.pdf
  41. ^ a b The United States and the great powers: world politics in the twenty-first century
  42. ^ a b c Buzan, Barry; Wæver, Ole (2003). Regions and powers: the structure of international security. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 55. ISBN 0-521-89111-6.
  43. ^ Perkovich, George. "Is India a Major Power?" (PDF). The Washington Quarterly (27.1 Winter 2003-04). Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  44. ^ Encarta - Great Powers
  45. ^ Dilip Mohite (Spring 1993). "Swords and Ploughshares- India: The Fourth Great Power?". Vol. 7, No. 3. Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS). Retrieved 2007-12-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  46. ^ Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and International Conflict
  47. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20020624231948/http://www.iss.co.za/Pubs/Monographs/No13/Solomon.html
  48. ^ https://books.google.com.sa/books?id=XvtS5hKg9jYC&pg=PR8&redir_esc=y
  49. ^ [G20] [3]
  50. ^ ""Iran is a strong regional power, in a far better shape than Pakistan because f its economic capabilities, rich mineral and energy resources, and internal stability, added to its far greater geostrategic importance." In Hooman Peimani, Nuclear Proliferation in the Indian Subcontinent (Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2000), p. 30.
  51. ^ www.lrb.co.uk
  52. ^ www.acronym.org.uk
  53. ^ findarticles.com
  54. ^ yaleglobal.yale.edu
  55. ^ Major European powers
  56. ^ Major European nations
  57. ^ globalpolicy.org
  58. ^ tspace.library.utoronto.ca
  59. ^ "Operation Alba may be considered one of the most important instances in which Italy has acted as a regional power, taking the lead in executing a technically and politically coherent and determined strategy." See Federiga Bindi, Italy and the European Union (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2011), p. 171.
  60. ^ "Italy plays a prominent role in European and global military, cultural and diplomatic affairs. The country's European political, social and economic influence make it a major regional power." See Italy: Justice System and National Police Handbook, Vol. 1 (Washington, D.C.: International Business Publications, 2009), p. 9.
  61. ^ ...L'Italie est avant tout une grande puissance européenne, un État-nation au développement économique brillant, une puissance industrielle, une société civile active, une intelligentsia remarquable, l’un des principaux pôles culturels et artistiques de l’Europe.
  62. ^ [4] France, Germany, Britain – Responses of Traditional Regional Powers to Rising Regions and Rivals
  63. ^ http://www.carnegie.ru/en/pubs/media/69778.htm www.carnegie.ru
  64. ^ "Turkey and Russia on the Rise". Stratfor. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  65. ^ "Can Turkey Be a Source of Stability in the Middle East?". heptagonpost.com. 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
  66. ^ The Economist: "Turkish foreign policy: Ottoman dreamer", 5 November 2011.
  67. ^ The Economist: "Turkey in the Balkans: The good old days?", 5 November 2011.
  68. ^ "Erdoğan's Moment", cover story in the Time magazine issue of November 21–28, 2011. (Vol. 178 No. 21.) "Erdoğan's Way" was the cover title in the editions of Europe, Asia and South Pacific.
  69. ^ www.routledge.com
  70. ^ www.foreignminister.gov.au
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