Subcontinental states are distinguished from others by the size of both their territory and population. At present five in number—the United States and the four BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China)—they are analysed here using the composite indicator of power method over the period 1961 to 2005. The main developments in their power are shown and possible balance of power problems outlined.
Subcontinental States: a Retrospective View
There are states in the world which are remarkable by virtue of the size of their territory and population. These are geopolitical entities whose surface area is more than 2.5 million km2 and whose population exceeds 100 million. This double criterion excludes both relatively unpopulated countries with vast territories, such as Canada, Australia and Argentina, and heavily populated states which cover a smaller area, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nigeria. One state, Indonesia, with 1,905 million km2 and 232 million inhabitants, comes close to these criteria without fully satisfying them.
Only five countries currently meet them fully: the People’s Republic of China (PRC), India, the United States of America, Brazil and the Russian Federation. These states we define as subcontinents and are the subject of this article. By way of comparison, the European territory of the French Republic places it 47th in the world in surface area and 21st in population.
These subcontinental countries exercise a dominating influence in many areas of international relations, and it seems likely that this influence will grow in the decades to come. We will discuss the nature of this influence by considering the development of their power over the last half-century.
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