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Human Geography > Superpowers Set 1 > Flashcards

Superpowers Set 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Superpower

A

Country with ability to project it’s influence anywhere and be a dominant global force

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2
Q

Hyperpower

A

Unchallenged superpower that is dominant in all aspects e.g. USA from 1990 to 2010

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3
Q

Emerging superpowers

A

Nations whose influence is growing

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4
Q

Regional powers

A

influence countries a continental scale e.g. South Africa within Africa

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5
Q

Why is demographic weight important

A
  • Economic growth can’t continue without a sufficient workforce
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6
Q

Countries where a lack of demographic weight has NOT stopped them from achieving superpower status

A

Singapore and Qatar

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7
Q

Country where size has bee a factor in developing it’s superpower status

A

Russia which has high volumes of natural resources and borders 14 countries

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8
Q

Country where size has not been a determining factor in becoming a superpower

A

Britain which maintained the British empire through the use of naval power

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9
Q

Pillars of superpower status - Military

A
  • Threat of military action
  • Military force
    Blue water navy, drones, missiles ad satellite technology can be deployed to reach distant places
  • Blue water navy = can be deployed into the open ocean
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10
Q

Pillars of superpower status - Political

A
  • Ability to influence your others through diplomacy
    – Can be exercised through international organisations such as the UN
  • Diplomacy = decision making that takes part between nations
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11
Q

Pillars of superpower status - Economic

A
  • described as the ‘prerequisite of power’ as wealth allows for the construction of a powerful military, exploitation of natural resources and bettered education etc
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12
Q

Pillars of superpower status - Cultural

A
  • includes the appeal of a nations way of life
  • exercised through film, arts and food
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13
Q

Pillars of superpower status - Resources

A
  • Physical = fossil fuels and land etc
  • Human = Population size and education
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14
Q

Superpowers Stats = USA

A
  • Land area = 9629 km squared
  • Population = 333 million
  • Military spending = $811 billion
  • GNI per Capita = $77,950
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15
Q

Superpowers Stats = China

A
  • Land area = 9597 km squared
  • Population = 1.41 billion
  • Military spending = $298 billion
  • GNI per capita = $21,250
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16
Q

Superpowers Stats = Brazil

A
  • Land area = 8514
  • Population = 215 million
  • Military spending = $17 billion
  • GNI per capita = $17,270
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17
Q

Hard power

A

Power through force or coercion, likely to involve military power or economic sanctions

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18
Q

Soft power

A

Power of persuasion, using attractive policies to make other countries follow

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19
Q

Top counties in the soft power index 2019

A

1 - France
2 - UK
3 - Germany
4 - Sweden
5 - USA

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20
Q

Where are Frances greatest soft powers

A
  • Engagement - lot’s of involvement in international organisations
  • Culture - icons such as the Eifel tower
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21
Q

What caused the UK to drop into second place

A
  • Brexit and new prime minister Boris Johnson which saw the loss of 17 ministers and the moving of Dyson’s headquarters to Singapore
22
Q

UK’s greatest soft power strengths

A

Culture and education - home to some of the top universities in the world - 2nd highest volume of international students globally

23
Q

US soft power progression

A

was 1st in 2016 but 5th in 2019

24
Q

Why have USA fallen down the rankings

A
  • Foreign policy was unpredictable under Donald Trump - also a lack of Soft power used under Trump
25
USA strengths in soft power
- 1st in digital, education and culture - most ranked universities globally and hosts most international students - Home to silicon valley = home to some of the largest tech companies in the world
26
Mackinder's geographical pivot theory
- World island = Europe, Asia and Africa - Offshore islands = Britain and Japan etc - Outlying islands = South America and Australia - Centre of the world island = pivot area as it holds 50% of world's resources = belief that control of this area = control over the rest of the world
27
Unipolar world
Dominated by one superpower
28
Bipolar world
Two superpowers with opposing ideologies fight for power e.g. USA and the USSR during the cold war
29
Multipolar world
Many superpowers competing for power in different regions
30
Colonialism
An external nation takes control of another part of the world, often by force
31
Imperialism
Formal or informal economic and political domination of one country over another - modern form of colonialism which doesn't use force
32
British empire
- Dominated the Seas - Gulf of Guinea provided harbours on the routh to the cape of good hope, where the ships would then sail into the Indian ocean - Trading posts in Malaysia gave access to the straight of the Malacca (India and Indonesia) - opened sphere of influence to middle kingdom = SE Asia
33
British empire 2
- Annexation of the Falkland islands allowed for a route to China in a Westerly direction - Sue canal reduced time and cost of travel to India - London also controlled most of the main transoceanic cables which was the main form of communication at the time
34
Phase 1 of British empire = Mercantilist phase
- 1600-1850 - Colonies such as Jamaica and Bombay - Focus of trade was Slavery and raw materials - Britain controlled colonies by placing restrictions on how they spent their money - Trading companies = East India trading company
35
Phase 2 of the British empire - Imperial phase
- 1850-1945 - Coastal colonies extended inland - Religion, culture and language introduced into the colonies with local governments being set up to run each colony - Railways began to connect parts of the empire
36
Phase 3 of the British empire - Decolonisation
- 1945 - today - After WWII the UK was almost bankrupt - couldn't sustain the empire - Anti-colonial movements started to grow e.g. Ghandi
37
Acculturation
process of cultural change that takes place when 2 different countries meet and interact - includes the transfer of dominant cultures ideas onto a subordinate culture
38
How was the British empire's colonies controlled
- British military and civil servants emigrated to India to run the Raj - Educated Indians only held lower administrative positions
39
Marshall plan
- 1947 - $17 billion in aid to eastern Europe to try and stop the spread of Communism
40
Berlin Blockade
- Stalin blocked all supplies from entering Berlin in 1948 - Airlift happened for the next 10 months
41
China becomes communist
- Mao Zedong agreed treaty of friendship with the USSR in 1949 - America feared communist expansion and thus altered their foreign policy to stop the ideology from spreading
42
Korean war
American troops fought as UN troops to help South Korea
43
Space race
1961 the Soviets sent Yuri Gagarin into space
44
Berlin wall
- 1961 - The east was poor whereas the was thriving
45
Cuban missile crisis
- 1962 - Castro allied Cuba with the USSR and received $100 million in economic aid from the USSR
46
Vietnam war
- 1955-1975 - USA didn't want Vietnam to become communist so sent troops into the country
47
BRICS
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
48
MINT nations
Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Türkiye
49
G20 major economies
19 countries e.g. Indonesia and South Korea + the UN
50

Human Geography (11 decks)

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