Superpower Geography

Definitions: Superpowers are countries with disproportionate power and

influence. Usually large countries in terms of population and physical
extent. Physical size may provide a large natural resources base, which
the country could draw on, as with Russia.
A superpower 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)
A nation with the means to project its power and influence anywhere in
the world, and to be a dominant global force.
The USA is considered to be the only current superpower due to
the fact that:
It has a large population 305 million - 4.6% of the worlds total
Large GDP and strong economy $13.8 trillion - 25% of the worlds
total
Military spending - $711 billion 48% of worlds total
Number of the worlds largest 2000 TNCs 598 30% of the worlds
total
CO2 output 6 billion tonnes 22% of worlds total
Business Week Interbrand survey 53 of the top 100 brands by
value originate from the USA 1) Coca-Cola, 2) IBM, 3) Microsoft, 4)
General Electric, 5) Nokia

Old Superpowers Rise and Fall

The British Empire 1600-1945. Split into three distinct phases.
Mercantilist Phase 1600-1850
Small colonies set up New England, Jamaica, Accra, Bombay
Focus on trade, advent of slave trade.
Private Trading Companies Royal AFRICAN Company, East India
Company.
Imperial Phase 1850-1945
Religion and British Culture, cricket, and language introduced to
colonies
Complex trade networks set up naval
Use of technology such as railways and telegraphs (**CAN BE
LINKED SYNOPTICALLY TO TECH. FIX**)
Decolonisation Phase 1945 Post WW2, UK is effectively bankrupt and cannot support the empire
Anti-Colonial movements India with M. Ghandis peaceful protests.
Some colonies are granted independence
Postwar construction in the UK means that last few colonies gain
independence by 1970.
As a result, a legacy was left behind by the British Empire, still retaining
14 overseas territories. Commonwealth is a collection of 53 independent
states. Arguably a superpower in itself.

Old Superpowers Rise and Fall

The Cold War The USA and the USSR
1945-1980 Bi-Polar World between the USA and USSR
USA
At the time, the USA maintained its superpower position by:
Being the worlds largest manufacturer of industrial and
consumer goods
Produced goods and finance to rebuild Europe afterWW2.
The US Dollar ($) was the worlds major currency by 1950
US military spending superseded any other nations
expenditure
USSR
The USSR as a superpower

By 1941, had the industrial strength to take on and defeat Hitler, and
supersede Britain in terms of economy.
Under the harsh authoritarian regime of Stalin, a series of Five-Year
Plans were drawn up.
Industrial production multiplied several times over
Steel industries were located away from places of potential
attack.
Military spending increased greatly

The fall of the USSR

Economic Stagnation: by the 1980s, there was zero economic growth,
development of the black market for consumer goods, could not produce
enough grain, rationing of food, consumer goods were inferior, poor use of
resources (Pipeline)
Military Spending: 15-25% of GNP, Americans spent only 5-7%, too much
on guns, not enough on butter.
Political Stagnation and Corruption: Party officials lived a privileged
life, they did not want reform when it was most needed.
Ideology: Command economy, complete centralized planning, individual
initiative is replaced by quotas and threats.
Nationalism: 50% of the population was not Russian, the non-Russian
ethnic groups would fuel the break-up in combination with economic
problems and the unwillingness of the new Russian government to turn
guns on its own people, like they had before.

By the end of December 1991, with the signing of the Commonwealth of

Independent States document by Gorbachev, on Christmas Day, many of the
USSR member states wanted to gain independence. Ukraine is an example of
the first.
Mikael Gorbachev really fucked things up for USSR. By introducing two
changes to government proceedings in the country, he pretty much ended
the USSRs superpower dominance.
Perestroika allowed businesses to privately trade. Russian farmers
produced surplus and sold this off instead, for more fruitful returns.
Glasnost allowed greater political freedom, including freedom of speech,
and of the Press, plus allowed rival political parties to materialise.
Gorbachevs changes meant that trade, private investment and personal
wealth could be created for individuals, by individuals.

Russias rise back to fame

Due to the countrys vast natural resource reserves, Russia was able to more
comfortably recuperate after its fall in the early 1990s. With the worlds
largest supply of natural gas, and the second largest amount of oil, behind
Saudi Arabia, it has been these two essential commodities which have
fuelled Russias growth since 1999. Others include:
Huge loans from IMF which help to avert economic collapse in 1990s.
The economic and resource dependant nations of China and India
meant that Russias reserves became very valuable indeed. 50% stake
in Gazprom, Russias largest energy company, of which profits have
benefitted the Russian government greatly.
With new government headed by Vladimir Putin, being sworn in as
Russias new president in 2000, removing Boris Yeltsin (crackhead!!!!
Look at videos of him on youtube.) Wealth was stimulated and things
got better.

The BRIC nations

In China, 200 million people moved out of poverty between 1990
and 2005.
Indias middle class has swelled to over 200 million
In Brazil, the number of households with an annual income between
$5900-$22,000 grew from 14.3 million to 22.3 million. Those earning
less than $3,000 fell by 1.3 million.
Has lead to people having a wealthier and happier quality of life,
with greater immunity to diseases and other illnesses. More people
alive mean greater input to the economy of the proposed country
over time.
Count GDP in 2007, Estimated GDP in 2050, per
Ecological
Additional
ry
per capita
capita ($)
footprint per
population
($)
person, 2008
In 2050
UK
46,000
80,000
5.3
5 million
USA

46,000

90,000

9.4

120 million

Russia

9,000

78,000

3.7

-30 million

Brazil

7,000

50,000

2.4

130 million

China

2,500

50,000

2.1

150 million

India

1,000

21,000

0.9

500 million

SOURCE: Goldman Sachs (2007)

China and its FDI in Africa
Chinas search for oil and mineral resources has focussed on Africa.
Chinese companies are investing heavily in oil exploration projects to help
exploit and export raw materials.
30% of oil used in China comes from Africa
In 2007, Chinese investment in Africa totalled $30 billion.
China has invested $8 billion building oil pipelines in Sudan.
750,000 Chinese working in Africa, in 2008, for 900 Chinese
companies.
Oil revenues produced as a result of the exploitation of the reserves
in Sudan, by China, has helped fuel the war in Darfur.
Propping up the Government of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe with
arms shipments
Chinas top 10 trading partners total 10. 9 of these are oil
producers!!
China are being dicks not letting Africa get the profits they deserve

+ves of Chinese FDI

Chinese FDI has boosted
Africas economic growth
Africa has a new market for
its raw materials
Chinese investment has also
been in the infrastructure for
new mines and factories
(roads and shit)

-ves of Chinese FDI

Chinese factory-produced
goods undercut the price of
local goods
Many employees are Chinese
immigrants
Clashes between Chinese and
Africans in Zambia and
Equatorial New Guinea
Accused of meddling in
politics, for instance the
Darfur conflict in Sudan.

Maintaining Superpower Influence

Hard Methods of maintaining power
Military
Nuclear weapons
Having bases in a multiple countries
Military alliances such as NATO
Use of force if negotiations crumble
(USA definitely goes in hard)
In-Between
Aid and trade agreements
Embargos, favouring trade partners
Trade blocs
Aid to influence policy, keep allies happy
Economic sanction against countries
Soft

Methods of Maintaining Power

Culture films, books, shit
Media to project image
Exporting culture in film and TV Hollywood
MacDonaldisation Coca-Colanisation

Neo-Colonialism new colonialism, where countries remain

under control from overseas even though they are supposedly
independent
Ghana gained independence from British rule in 1957
English is still the countrys official language
The cocoa trade, the most lucrative market for Ghana, but is
influenced by commodity traders, overseas tariffs and the WTO
(based in New York, USA. A superpower, where prices are dictated
on a futures market when selling to suppliers)
As Ghanaian cocoa prices are often too high, wealthy countries will
look elsewhere, leaving nations like Ghana at the mercy of many
large TNCs.

Cocoa is a very volatile market

Key Concepts and Theories

W.W. Rostows Modernisation Theory (1960)
Economic development is a linear, five step process.
Countries take-off and develop, when pre-conditions for take-off
are met.
Industrialisation follows, creating jobs
The USA firmly supported this idea in mid-1950s to stop the spread
of communism in South East Asia and India. South Korea rep this
model I think

A.G. Franks Dependency Theory (1967) North vs. South division

The developed world oppresses the developing world, in order to
exploit cheap resources in LDCs
Developed countries drain poorer countries of Human capital and
Resources
Aid, debt and trade patterns exacerbate the dependency by LDCs.
I.
Wallersteins World Systems Theory (1974) The world is divided into core, semi-periphery and periphery areas
Semi-periphery nations are the equivalent of NICS (nice image on pg
110, green A2 book.)
This is quite a hard one to explain so itll be best to simply name-drop
this in the exam and hope the examiner brer knows his shit. I really
dont get it.

Key Terms and other things in this topic

Bi-Polar and Uni-Polar World Used to be Bi-Polar when the USA
and USSR went at it, however, with the emergence of the BRIC
nations, a Uni-Polar world is more likely by the year 2030.
Free Market Capitalism - "Free market" essentially means that
producers are free to enter a line of business and sell their products
at whatever price they can charge; meanwhile consumers are free
to buy whatever products they want at whatever price they are
willing to accept.
NATO - North America Treaty Organisation 26 members grew from
12 Is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North
Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO
headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, and the organization
constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member
states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any
external party.
IMF + World Bank
Hegemony
Cultural Imperialism
SAPs
WTO