Regional power

In international relations, a regional power is a state that has power within a geographic region.^[1][2] States which wield unrivaled power and influence within a region of the world possess regional hegemony.

Characteristics

Regional powers shape the polarity of a regional area. Typically, regional powers have capabilities which are important in the region but do not have capabilities at a global scale. There are slightly differing definitions of what makes a regional power. The European Consortium for Political Research defines a regional power: "A state belonging to a geographically defined region, dominating this region in economic and military terms, able to exercise hegemonic influence in the region and considerable influence on the world scale, willing to make use of power resources and recognized or even accepted as the regional leader by its neighbours".^[1]

The German Institute of Global and Area Studies states that a regional power must:

• be part of a definable region with its own identity
• claim to be a regional power (self-image of a regional power)
• exert decisive influence on the geographic extension of the region as well as on its ideological construction
• dispose over comparatively high military, economic, demographic, political and ideological capabilities
• be well integrated into the region
• define the regional security agenda to a high degree
• be appreciated as a regional power by other powers in the region and beyond, especially by other regional powers
• be well connected with regional and global fora.^[2]

Current regional powers

Below are states that have been described as regional powers by international relations and political science academics, analysts, or other experts. These states to some extent meet the criteria to have regional power status, as described above. Different experts have differing views on exactly which states are regional powers. States are arranged by their region, and in alphabetic order.

East Asia

•  China^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}
•  Japan^[8][9][10]
•  South Korea^{[8][11][12][13][14][15]}

Europe

•  France^[10][16][17]
•  Germany^[10][17][18]
•  Italy^{[19][20][21][22][23]}
•  Russia^[8][10][24]
•  United Kingdom^[10][25][26]

Latin America

•  Brazil^{[27][28][29][30]}
•  Mexico^[31][32]

West Asia

•  Iran^{b[33][34][35][36][37]}
•  Israel^{a[33][35][38][39]}
•  Saudi Arabia^{b[33][34][40][41]}
•  Turkey^{a[42][43][44][45][46]}

Northern America

•  United States^[47][48]

Oceania

•  Australia^[49][50]

South Asia

•  India^{[33][34][51][52][53]}
•  Pakistan^[54]

Southeast Asia

•  Indonesia^[17][55]

North Africa

•  Egypt^{a[2][33][56][57]}

West Africa

•  Nigeria^[1][58]

Southern Africa

•  South Africa^{[1][33][17][59]}

See also

Notes

^a Regional powers in the Levant

^b Regional powers in the Persian Gulf

References