Human Geography - Superpowers - Application Flashcards
How has the world changed since 1945?
The British Empire disappeared with its members going independent
The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 breaking up into 15 independent states
Who is the world’s current superpower?
The USA is a major power
Has so much power in recent decades that it has become a hegemon (supreme leader)
World’s largest countries
- Russia - 17mil km2 - 11 time zones - borders 14 countries
- Canada - 10mil km2 - 6 time zones - borders the US
- USA - 9.8mil km2 - 4 time zones - borders Canada and Mexico
- China - 9.6mil km2 - 5 time zones - borders 14 countries
What is G20
strategic multilateral forum connecting the world’s major developed and developing economies
represent 80% of the world’s GDP, 75% of international trade, and 60% of the world’s population
role of securing future economic growth and prosperity
Strongest Militaries
- USA - about $800bn a year, defense takes 15% of the annual budget, 1.4mil active frontline military personnel
- Russia - $154bn for defense, 1mil active frontline personnel
- China - $230bn for defense, 2mil active frontline personnel
- India - $70bn military budget, 1.5mil active frontline personnel
Russo-Ukrainian War
February 24, 2022, Putin announced military operations in Ukraine
Financial markets around the world plummeted
Crude oil prices had crossed the $100/barrel mark for the first time since 2014
European natural gas jumped as much as 62%
Russia and Fossil Fuels
World’s second-largest producer of natural gas behind the US
over 12% of global crude oil production
Before the war, 55% of gas consumed in Germany came from Russia
USA Nature of Power
GDP per capita = $53,000
Military accounts for 37% of all military spending in the world
45 million migrants live in the US
16 of the world’s 20 top universities are in the US
Rich culture: Music, Film
USA - Hard Power
The US responded to the 2001 terrorist attack on the US with military invasion of Afghanistan against Taliban
The US has economic sanctions against countries it considers to be a threat such as Iran
It has also had trade wars with China
Britain - Soft Power
History of high-quality education, fair legal system, financial trustworthiness
2nd the most spoken language in the world and the BBC is widely trusted as an unbiased news source
British drama is exported to many countries
One of the largest networks of embassies and high commissions
UK objectives are often achieved through diplomatic influence
The British Empire at its height
at height - controlled 1/4 of the world and 1/5 of the world’s population
19th century Britain = world leading trading country + 1st industrialised country making them very wealthy
Invested in the Navy until it was the most powerful - maintaining British sea power was important in keeping countries under British control
British colonies often started as trading posts in foreign countries - later on, British forces took direct control and ran them to protect trade and make Britain richer
British used soft and hard power - jobs for colonized people, introduced sports such as cricket and held tournaments such as the Empire Games, converted people to Christianity
The end of the Empire
Running an empire = expensive
After WWI Britain could no longer afford it
After WWI, the right of any country to control another came under sustained attack
Global trade changed - new industrial powers like USA and Germany created new markets and more competition
Trading with African colonies and India was no longer the route to economic superpower
Military technology changed - by the end of the 1940s, British naval power could not defend British colonies over the world from the new superpower of the USSR or nuclear weapons
Superpowers in the Cold War
Only the USA had nuclear weapons - had the ultimate global power (uni-polar)
With atomic bombs in 1945, USA ended war in the Pacific against Japan
USSR developed them in 1949 and a stalemate quickly developed - if either used them the other would and both countries could be destroyed
Superpowers developed indirect control over countries instead
NATO
USA, Canada, Turkey, and 25 European countries
Main principle is that if one member is threatened, all the others will come to its aid
ANZUS
similar to NATO but with trans-Pacific security in mind
