A superpower is a state with the first rank in the international system and has the ability to influence events and project power on a worldwide scale. It was a term applied to the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. Any retrospective application of the term to an earlier great power or global empire is anachronistic.

The term "superpower" was first used in this context in 1930, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, but did not become a primarily descriptive term for the USA and USSR until the immediate post-war years (in the 1920s the term was used to describe electrification).

The term in its current political meaning is relatively new and was coined in the book The Superpowers, written by W. T. R. Fox, an American foreign policy professor at the Columbia University in 1943. Fox used this word to identify a new category of power able to occupy the highest status in a world in which, as the war then raging demonstrated, states could challenge and fight each other on a global scale. According to him, there were (at that moment) three states that were superpowers: the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain with its empire.

The Suez Crisis made it clear however that the British Empire, ravaged by the destruction of two world wars, could not compete on an equal political, military or economic footing with the Soviet Union and the United States without sacrificing its reconstruction efforts, even acting in concert with France and Israel.

As the majority of the war was fought far from its national boundaries, the United States did not suffer the industrial destruction or massive civilian casualties that marked the wartime situation of the countries in Europe or Asia. During the war, the USA had built up a strong industrial and technological infrastructure that had greatly advanced its military strength into a primary position on the global stage.

Following the war, nearly all of Europe had aligned either with the USA or the Soviet Union. Despite attempts to create multinational coalitions or legislative bodies (such as the United Nations), increasingly it became clear that the USA and the USSR were the dominant political and economic powers of the newly emerging Cold War, and had very different visions about what the post-war world ought to look like. This was reflected in the NATO and Warsaw Pact military alliances. This implied that these two nations were part of an emerging bipolar world, in contrast with a previous multipolar world. Whether a true reflection or not, a number of nations undertook various programs to guarantee their own independent "superpower" status, such as the development of nuclear weapons by the United Kingdom, France, and China, as a rite of passage for being a "world player."

The idea that the Cold War period revolved around only two nations, or even only two blocs, has been seriously challenged by some scholars in the post-Cold War era, who have noted that the bipolar world only exists if one ignores all of the various movements and conflicts that occurred without influence from either of the two so-called superpowers. Additionally, much of the conflict between the superpowers was fought in "proxy wars", which more often than not involved issues far more complex than the standard Cold War oppositions.

After the Soviet Union disintegrated in the early 1990s, the term hyperpower was applied to the United States as the sole remaining superpower of the Cold War era. This term was coined by French foreign minister Hubert Védrine in the 1990s. The validity of classifying the USA as a hyperpower is controversial. One notable opponent to this theory, Samuel P. Huntington, rejects this theory in favour of a multipolar balance of power.

There have been attempts to stretch the term back in time in historical context. As such some considered as superpowers the Mongol Empire, Ancient Rome and even the empire of Alexander of Macedon.

The criteria of a superpower are not clearly defined and as a consequence they may differ between sources. The following criteria should therefore be interpreted as a non-exhaustive list of power factors that are generally associated with superpowers.

Cultural

Strong cultural influence, having soft power. Cultural influence incorporates developed philosophic school and ideology.

Geographical

It should have a wide land or sea area under its control. Territory allows a country to mine minerals and grow food, increasing its self-sufficiency. It is an important factor in nuclear and conventional land warfare as it allows possibilities such as retreat, regrouping and reorganisation as well as placing distant radars and missile silos - even a rich country with small territory is more vulnerable in a military sense.

Economic and financial

Superior economic power is characterized by access to raw materials, volume and productivity of the domestic market, a leading position in world trade as well as global financial markets, innovation, and the ability to accumulate capital.

Demographic

A superpower should have a large and educated populace and should have highly developed infrastructure and pronounced cultural and economic ability to shape the regions around them as well as the ones under direct control.

Military

Pre-eminent military ability, characterized by relative invulnerability, ability to deter or cause great damage, and capacity to project unified military might globally, but especially the possession of a vast stockpile of nuclear weapons.

Space Technology

Human space exploration is often considered on of the key defining technological characteristics of the Cold War superpowers, as this ability was monopolized by them for half a century, and was a source of intense rivalry. China's launch of humans into space in 2003 is widely seen as a clear attempt to satisfy one of the historical criteria for superpower status.

Political or ideological

A functioning political system that is capable of mobilising resources for world political goals and immense ideological influence.

Fossil fuel superpowers

Fossil fuels are increasingly scarce and are expected to deplete in this century. Having access to fossil fuels is therefore becoming increasingly important. Reliance on fossil fuels could also result in a multiplication of the value of fossil fuels such as oil. Resource rich nations like Russia could very well gain from this.

Technological superpowers

It has been predicted by many members of the international community, including Dick Morris (former advisor to President Bill Clinton), that technological growth in the coming decades will result in manufacturing industry going the way of farming and losing its place in the economy. Such a situation would particularly damage the economy of emerging superpower China

• Robotics, particularly from Japan and the United States will end the need for manufacturing employment. Workers in manufacturing industry would lose out to the more efficient forces of robotics.
• The services and information technology sector would increase in growth as a result of the technological revolution.
• These changes may result in new criteria for Superpower Status known as the ability to become a Knowledge or Scientific superpower.
• Globalization indicates that most technologies will be widespread in the future through internet and other global services.

The term 'superpower' was originally coined to describe the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America.

The Soviet Union

The Soviet Union represented the ideology of Communism and led the Warsaw Pact, known as the Eastern Bloc in the West. The Soviet Union fulfilled the superpower criteria in the following ways:

• Political - Strong system of totalitarian government. Communist ideals spread influence over the globe. Had permanent seat on the UN Security Council
• Geographic - Covered 22,000,000 square km, 11 time zones; was largest country in the world. Covered huge sea area, vast deposits of minerals and large farming areas across the Union.
• Cultural - Vast influence over neighbours, varied and rich history and culture. Ideals of communism would have easily spread but for the opposition of the US and Western Europe.
• Military - Mammoth army, the largest the world has ever seen. Sizeable air force, imposing navy. Had a huge nuclear arsenal. At the head of the Warsaw Pact.
• Space Technology - One of only two countries to participate in human space exploration and to build space stations in the 20th Century, with pre-eminence in robotic exploration and satellite technology.
• Economic - Was the largest centrally directed economy in the world. At one point, produced 20% of the world's industrial output
• Demographic - Had a population of 293 million and a labour force of 152 million.

The United States

The United States represented the ideology of capitalism and led NATO during the Cold War. It was militarily, politically, and economically opposed to the Soviet Union. The United States of America fulfilled the superpower criteria in the following ways:

• Political - Strong and stable democratic federal republic, influence all over the globe. Strong companies allowed the US to exert further influence over capitalist nations. Permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Strong ties with Western Europe.
• Geographic - Third largest country in the world, with an area of approximately 9 million km squared. Vast resources of minerals, large farming industry.
• Cultural - Huge influence over most of continent, integrated culture with Western Europe. Companies sold American culture over the world. Freedom of speech attractive to many over the world.
• Military - Bases all over the world, massive stocks of nuclear weapons not only stationed on own soil, but also in Europe. Technologically advanced army. At the head of NATO.
• Space Technology - One of only two countries to participate in human space exploration and to build space stations in the 20th Century, with pre-eminence in robotic exploration and satellite technology. Only nation to send humans to the moon.
• Economic - Largest economy in the world, citizens enjoy some of the highest standards of living in the world. Strong currency, the US dollar.
• Demographic - Population of approximately 280 million. Large labour force.

The post-Cold War world is considered a unipolar world, as the United States is the world's sole remaining superpower, with the largest economic and military capabilities, although Russia, as the legal successor state to the Soviet Union, also retains certain aspects of a superpower (e.g. the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, the largest territory in the world with an abundance of strategic resources, and the capability to develop advanced military and space technologies).

Some analysts think the hegemonic stability theory explains the current evolution in international relations. Hegemonic states tend to overstretch their power. At the same moment new rivals will become gradually more powerful, eventually replacing or counterbalancing the weakened hegemony. This scenario could be happening at the moment, as high military spending could weaken the USA in the long term. Other - currently major - powers could possibly benefit from this decline, eventually overtaking the USA's leading position.

A possible signal that a multipolar world is emerging is the strategic partnership between the (rising) China, India and the European Union, designed to create a multipolar world, although this is gradually being supplanted by an even newer emerging partnership between the United States, Japan and India.

Only the United States currently fulfils the six criteria of a superpower. Because the United States currently has no equals in terms of power projection and influence, it is often called a hyperpower, although this term is disputed.

Demographic power

• Demographically, it has a large, slowly growing population of almost 300 million.
• The infrastructure of the United States is well planned and highly developed.
• It has a high literacy rate and a well-organized educational program.

Political power

• Politically, it has a stable democratic system.
• It is a key player in the United Nations due to its peace efforts in the past, although relations have been problematic in the recent past.
• It is an influential member of the United Nations Security Council (whose headquarters are in New York) with veto power.
• American opinion is supported by other nations, especially the United Kingdom and Israel. Its stance on issues like Iran is also backed by the majority of the European Union Member States, in contrast to its stance on Iraq.

Economic and financial power

• Economically, the USA is the world's largest national economy. It is characterized by moderate to high economic growth.
• It is headquarters for many global corporations and financial institutions.
• The surge of tertiary and quaternary sectors happened in a larger scale in the US than anywhere else.
• Its size, location and physical conditions allows the country to still be an agricultural and a commodity powerhouse (although it is dependent on oil), having strategic reserves of those resources.

• Its technological growth and innovation is matched by none. The nation holds the leadership or important role in different knowledge fields such as new materials, electronics and telecommunications, information technology, aerospace, energy, biotechnology, bioinformatics, chemical engineering, and software, among others.
• Its capital markets (known as Wall Street) are the most important and developed in the world, including icons such as the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.The market capitalization of those exchanges surpasses of any other country and the fixed income market is enormous. Also its futures and options exchanges (Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Board Options Exchange, New York Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange) hold a central role.
• It has a decisive influence on financial international bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, both with their headquarters in Washington, DC.
• The American dollar is the most important reserve and convertible currency in the world.

Military power

• Militarily, the USA spends more on its military than the next twelve countries combined. However, due to the size of its economy, the United States actually spends a far smaller percentage of its Gross National Product on its military than many countries. The USA also has significant military allies (like NATO and ANZUS) and military bases throughout the world.
• In raw numbers Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal, at approximately 7200 active weapons compared to the 5700 active weapons of the United States. Although the state of Russian nuclear forces has deteriorated considerably since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia's recent economic recovery has allowed it to begin deploying the new-generation Topol-M ICBM to replace aging Soviet-era missiles. The United States maintains the largest "first strike" force in the world, the arsenal of which includes intercontinental stealth bombers and ICBMs.
• The United States is the only world power able to project large scale conventional military power to any point on earth. The United States military is unchallenged as the most powerful in the world.

Space Technology Power

• The USA continues to operate and develop advanced space transportation technologies, both manned and unmanned. It operates the Space Shuttle, and is developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle to explore the Moon and Mars. Along with Russia, it is one of the two principal builders of the International Space Station, which although planned to include components built by other countries, is launched and assembled in space by the two (apart from China) human spaceflight powers exclusively. With advances in technology over the last several decades, other nations are exploring options for manned missions. China, which is a potential new superpower, is only the third nation to accomplish independent manned spaceflight with its own technology, the Shenzhou spacecraft. Even though human space exploration might be undertaken by several world powers in the future, the commanding lead of the United States and Russia in this field lies many decades beyond the abilities of future space explorers, and can only be challenged in pre-eminence by a future superpower, having the massive economic and industrial resources, and the political will, necessary to accelerate development on a vast scale. This pre-eminence, more than actually sending humans into space, constitutes a superpower criteria for the post Cold War era.
• The USA remains the sole nation to have sent men to the moon, under the Apollo Program, and is currently developing new systems for future lunar missions under Project Constellation. Russia has announced its intention to reach the moon, in a possible bid to reclaim superpower status on par with its recovering economy and military. China, a potential future superpower, has also announced similar plans, while the European Space Agency, ESA has more long-term aspirations under Aurora Program. In the case of Europe, it might be argued that achievements by the ESA are an extension of the European Union's superpower potential, even if the member states of respective organizations do not correspond exactly.
• The United States is the only nation currently developing technology for a manned mission to Mars, under the same program for future lunar exploration.
• With the launch of SpaceShipOne, the United States is currently the only nation to have successfully launched a privately built and financed, non-governmental, civilian manned spaceship.
• At one time, advanced satellite technology and robotic planetary probes also fell into the general (though not entirely exclusive) domain of the superpowers, but, like launch vehicle technology, and nuclear weapons, this area has been appropriated by many of the world powers.

Cultural power

• American culture is highly influential, especially throughout the English-speaking world, the rest of Europe, some countries in Asia and Latin America. According to some analysts, this indirectly enhances the power of the US. This power is often called soft power, or the ability of a state to indirectly influence the behaviour or interests of other political bodies through cultural or ideological means.
• The American culture and values, although fused somewhat with British culture, influence the way that the rest of the world thinks of the West. Effectively, Modern Western Culture and American Culture are seen as synonymous.
• The American way of life is a model for many intellectuals, athletes, politicians, artists, scientists and ordinary people throughout the world.
• The American colleges and universities are known for their excellence, attracting international students (opinion leaders in their respective countries) and facilitating cultural exchange.
• Hollywood spreads these cultural values to most of the world, excepting only those areas where its materials are excluded for political or cultural reasons.

It is possible that sooner or later another country will attain the power that the United States currently possesses. The following nations (China and India) and supranational entity (the European Union) are referred to in many media sources as having the potential to become a second superpower.

China

Main Article: Potential Superpowers - China

The People's Republic of China is currently the world's second largest economy in terms of real GDP (PPP) and is considered a rising superpower due to its large and stable population, its rapidly growing economy which has an annual growth rate of 9.2%, and its rapidly growing military spending and capabilities. China also possesses nuclear weapons, has military, political and economic power, and has sent humans into space.

European Union

Main Article: Potential Superpowers - European Union

The European Union contains the world powers United Kingdom, Germany, and France, along with many other countries in Europe. If considered as a full unit, the EU fulfils the criteria to be a superpower. It is argued however, that the European Union is too politically and culturally fragmented to be considered as a single unit, especially since two of the principal levers of power - foreign policy and defence - are exercised principally by member states. It currently has an economy just as large as the US but its annual growth rate however is only 1.7%.

India

Main article: Potential Superpowers - India

The Republic of India is currently the world's fourth largest economy in terms of real GDP (PPP) and is considered to be a future superpower due to various geographic, demographic, political, economic, cultural and military factors, such as a growing skilled workforce and one of the fastest growing economies (especially in the service sector and software industry) with an annual growth rate of 7.1%. India also possesses nuclear weapons and maintains the world's third largest military. Recently it has been acknowledged to be a Future Power by the United States.

A major power is a term that encompasses a country that cannot be regarded as a superpower, but nevertheless plays an important role in the world. These major powers are very powerful and influential in several aspects. Some major powers are in relative decline, having once been Great Powers (France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom). Note that while China, India and the European Union are potential superpowers, they are at this moment still considered as major powers. Also note that many major powers are part of the European Union, and if one is considering the European Union as a country, France, Germany and the United Kingdom become constituent parts of a potential Superpower.

• Brazil's large population and strategic location makes it a growing power in the world. It is a major biofuel user and a large-scale provider of commodities.

• France has the fifth largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, and the seventh largest economy in terms of real GDP. It possesses nuclear weapons and is also one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a key member of the EU, NATO and the Council of Europe.

• Germany has the third largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, and the seventh largest economy in terms of real GDP. It is a key member of the EU, NATO and the Council of Europe.

• Japan is currently the second largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, and the third largest economy in terms of real GDP. It is a world leader in terms of its technological capabilities.

• Russia is territorially the largest country in the world and possesses an abundance of natural resources. It has a large, but declining, population and has the world's largest-equal arsenal of nuclear weapons, though the military has struggled to stay effective for financial reasons. Since the 1998 financial crisis its economy has shown substantial growth. It is a key member of the Council of Europe, CIS and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

• The United Kingdom has the fourth largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, and the sixth largest economy in terms of real GDP. It possesses nuclear weapons and has a technologically advanced military. It is also one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and is a key member of the EU, the Council of Europe, NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations.

• Soft power
• Hyperpower
• Potential superpowers
• BRIC
• Major power
• Regional power
• Global Power
• Power (international)
• Second superpower