A2 GCE Geography Unit 3

Geographical Superpowers

Superpower Geographies 1. Superpower Geographies a) defining superpowers b) influencing power b) changing patterns of power c) theories explaining the growth of superpowers

Learning Objectives:
To know what a superpower is To know the changing order of superpowers since 1945 To be able to suggest and justify criteria for becoming a superpower To know how to use ICT for investigating geographical statistics

Background
Power both economic and political is not evenly distributed Some nations and people have a disproportionate influence over decision making (may be regional or global) Other nations and people have very limited influence Some nations gain power over time, whilst others lose it By consequence, the geography of power has changed over time and continues to change

superpower

What is a superpower?

A super power is a nation which has economic, cultural and military power resulting in global political influence. A super power is a nation which is able to project its power and influence anywhere in the world. It is a dominant global force.
must be able to conduct a global strategy command vast economic potential and influence and present a universal ideology Professor Paul Dukes, University of Aberdeen.
Short Task: In pairs, use the cards you have been given to decide which countries are superpowers.

superpower former superpower emerging superpower

True superpowers are rare because they demand such huge resources. However, as you may have guessed the global superpowers have changed over time.

Task 1 : Sort your chosen superpowers into three groups.

Task 2: Timeline of Superpowers Write down the key dates in the timeline of global superpowers, you must include the names of the superpowers during each period. 1850 1945 _________________________ 1945 1990 _________________________ 1990 Present _______________________ Emerging 21st Century Superpowers _________________________________ Regional powers

We now need to know what the criteria are for becoming a superpower and be able to explain these.

1. Who are the superpowers?

Superpowers are countries, or grouping of countries, with global influence and power They have economic, cultural, military and geo-political influence Economic wealth (see graph) is only one aspect of superpower status One way to group the world's most powerful is:

The USA vs the rest of the world

True superpowers have global influence; currently there is only one true superpower the USA
USA Population Rest of World USA as % of world

GDP
Military Spending No. of the worlds 2000 largest TNCs

$40.8 Trillion
48%

CO2 emissions

27 billion tonnes

What criteria defines a superpower?

population size

resources

Criteria for defining a superpower

military strength

Economic strength

TASK: In pairs choose one of the criteria and discuss your ideas as to how it could define a superpower. Can you think of any examples that you already know?

SIZE

How might size be included in the criteria for a superpower?

Each territorys size on the map is drawn according to its land area

Size
Countries with a large land area are important because they:
Tend to have greater natural resources Extend influence over a larger number of neighbours

Russia has a very large land area with enormous volumes of natural resources. Further, it has 14 neighbours over whom it is able to extend varying degrees of influence

POPULATION

Why might population be included in the criteria for a superpower?

A map showing the proportion of worldwide population relative to territory size

Population
Countries with a large population are seen as important because:
Economic growth cannot be sustained without sufficient number of workers e.g. UK Cheap workers can help to promote economic growth e.g. China and India Larger populations encourage economic growth through markets e.g. EU However, some countries have managed to promote significant economic growth without a large population e.g. Singapore

RESOURCES

Why is access to resources a criteria for superpower?

A map showing the proportion of worldwide fuel imports relative to territory size

Resources
Countries with resources necessary for economic development should hold significant power e.g. Russia gas; Middle East oil However, countries with significant resources are not necessarily powerful because: Exporting raw materials adds little value e.g. Australia iron ore TNCs control large volumes of resources e.g. BP - Nigeria

MILITARY INDICATORS

Why is military strength a criteria for superpower?

A map showing the proportion of armed forces personnel relative to territory size

Military Indicators
Countries with a large military may be viewed to be more powerful e.g. India However, the type of weapons owned is also representative of power i.e. Countries in possession of nuclear weapons: USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, (Israel)

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Why is economic strength a criteria for superpower?

Territory size shows proportion of worldwide GDP to be produced there in 2015

Economic Indicators
Countries with the largest economies have a significant influence over global economies In 2007, the worlds 12 largest economies were: USA China India Japan Canada Brazil UK France Spain Germany Italy Russia Between these countries they:
Earn around 2/3 of world GDP Control investment Use the worlds most powerful currencies ($, and ) Determine economic policies which affect the globe

In addition, the G20 group (countries with the 19 largest economies plus the EU) influence the global economy and control aid to LEDCs

Religion

Religion
Religion varies in influence across the world The influence of European (predominantly Christian) colonisation can be seen in North and South America, southern Africa and Australasia Islam is the main religion in northern Africa, the Middle East and pats of Asia Religious leaders can influence politics through their beliefs (e.g. contraception, abortion)

Belief Systems
Religion is not the only form of belief system Capitalism has a huge, and ever growing, influence on the world (particularly since the collapse of the USSR in 1991) Capitalism is the system by which land, labour and capital are owned privately and are used to generate profit Whilst not everyone agrees with capitalism, its influence reaches most of the world, aided by globalisation

Global Influence
All of the factors considered above are variable. By consequence, the influence countries have on surrounding nations and, more broadly, the world, can change.

Therefore, countries which may once have been considered Superpowers may no longer have such influence, whilst other countries are gaining in power

Task 1 : Rank this criteria used to define superpowers in order of importance

RELIGION R

S SIZE
P POPULATION

Task 2 : Justify your choice.

R RESOURCES MILITARY M STRENGTH

E ECONOMIC STRENGTH

Comparing Indicators Who is a Superpower? 1. Use the internet to research data on the countries below and complete the table, leaving the final column blank for now. Choose one additional country for the bottom row. Suggested links: http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ Country Land area (km) Number of countries bordering Population GDP per (millions) capita ($US) Military Nuclear personnel state (000s) (Y/N) Natural Oil RANK gas reserves reserves (barrels) (cu. Ft.)

USA Russia China Brazil UK France Germany Japan India

2. Using the data that you have collected, now rank the countries from 1 to 10, including the additional country that you chose, where 1 is the country with the greatest influence, and 10 the country with the least.

3. Justify the rankings that you have allocated each country below: ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________