Superpowers case studies Flashcards
British Empire
Britain ruled 1/4 of the world’s land and 1/3 of the world’s population during its peak. The Royal Navy dominated the world’s oceans and was double the size of Germany’s (the next largest).
The British Empire’s expansion was based on hard power; it invaded other countries and colonised them to maintain its control. During this time, the world was considered uni-polar.
Cold war 1945-1990
- bipolar - USA democracy vs USSR dictatorship
- soviet union lost due to economy half the size of USAs, censorship, punishment
- USA - secular, elections held, freedom of speech
Brazil
- produces half of south americas gdp
- huge natural resources - third largest producer of iron ore, second of biofuel
- reliant on primary products for export, rather than manufacturing
- corrupt gov - political instability
Russia
- huge military force - 5000 nuclear missiles
- 9th largest global economy
- largest natural gas exporter - 12% of world’s oil
- dependent on oil/gas exports
- inequality - 35% of wealth in only 110 people
India
- english speaking education system - lots of it companies outsource there
- high pop (1.4bn) - high workforce
- 4th largest military power
- urban slums, 20% in poverty
- serious pollution
- poor energy and water supply
China
- largest population (1.4 bil)
- global investment - FDI
- largest army - $216 bil military budget
- factory workers/production - huge urban pop
- limited knowledge economy - only 2% adults graduated from uni
- one child policy - ageing pop
- largest co2 emitter - 35% of global emissions
Water use (growing global middle class)
- emerging powers already have supply problems eg india
- india - 60% of areas facing water scarcity by 2030
Energy use (growing global middle class)
- global oil demand was 95mil barrels/day in 2015, likely to rise by 30%
- countries with domestic supplies eg russia, brazil in stronger position than those reliant on imports eg india
Resource use (growing global middle class)
- demand for rare earth minerals for hi tech gadgets could increase prices
- copper, tin and platinum at risk of supply shortages
Arctic tensions
- estimated 30% of undiscovered gas reserves in Arctic
- melting ice opened new land - resource potential
- conflict between nations of who owns right to resources - Denmark, Norway, USA, Russia, Canada
- Canada carries out military exercises in arctic, norway expanded navy. russia carries out bomber patrols, denmark creating arctic military command
- disputes settled through UN peacefully
Russia - Ukraine
- Putin thinks ukraine is part of russia due to past soviet control, wants to ensure ukraine doesnt join nato
- following annexation of Crimea, the EU and USA imposed man economic sanctions which damaged Russian economy
- rivers polluted in donbas conflict zone, loss of biodiversity
- oil/gas prices risen, massive global food shortages
- stronger unity in EU and between EU and US
- deal between UN and russia to allow ships to leave ukraine carrying grain
- no direct peace talks
China tension
- south china sea - eg spratley islands - disputed between china, taiwan, philippines, brunei, malaysia, vietnam
- china created military base on spratley islands
China in Africa
- China reliant on African oil, minerals and biofuel
- Skilled and technical jobs are often filled by Chinese migrant workers
- China has invested heavily in roads, railways and ports
- Chinese finance has funded 17 major HEP projects since 2000
- oil spills in chad and sudan linked to china
- extraction of coltan in congo led to forest loss and river pollution
USA
- pop 321 mil
- military bdget $615.5 bn
- 15000 nuclear weapons
Example of neocolonialism
Mozambique has given fishing rights to China, in return for infrastructure (hospitals, airports, roads). China actually has 1 million of its people living in Africa and has invested over $40 billion into African nations. This may sound quite fair, but local fishermen are now out-competed, losing their source of income and instead having to work for Chinese fishing boats for less money
