The World Most Powerful Countries. 2020, 2008, and a number of other eras going way back. including world's most powerful countries ever, and in certain eras. 

1 The United States of America, 

The world's biggest economy and by far in terms of spending and power the worlds strongest army, the most powerful democracy, and the media centre of the world, plus in many ways the centre of world diplomacy and foreign relations. This easily makes the USA the worlds most powerful country. 

2 Peoples Republic of China

The 2nd largest GNP, and now firmly so. It also has established itself as having nukes. a huge army, and now navy, and is becoming even more of a international power, as of the resource hungry booming economy, though even if that stalled. Plus massively importantly it has the largest population in the world, Additionally it is a UN Security council member.

3 Russian Federation

The second largest army, and a puppeteer of many Central Asian states. The largest European population, and largest world area, which gives it immense control over itself, and immense levels of independence . The size of Russia helps give it extra resources and abilities that make it such a big power.

4 Federal Republic of Germany

The World's third economy, and a top 2 in terms of power EU member in the 28 European Union countries, it's importance in the Euro, means it leads that block, but it and France are now the key EU powers. 

5 France 

The fifth republic has UN security council membership, is a nuclear power and has a lot of influence over Africa. It is also a G7 economy, a leading democracy, and has a quite large army, one of worlds most powerful in fact. Added to this EU membership gives it extra power, in tandem with Germany. 

6 Britain

UN security council status, nuclear weapons, G7 economy, a leading democratic state, and a media from music, to actors centre, that has a lot of influence over the world as of it's popularity. Also, links with the USA, and Australia, and New Zealand make it a important global player. Plus some continuing links with allies in Europe, the Commonwealth and more. 

7 Japan

The State of Japan has the second largest economy, and a big democracy, large population, but is rammed in by China, and the USA, so is below France, and Britain,

8 Republic of India

The most populous democracy, a growing economy, and nuke weapons, as the Second most populous country on Earth it has moral sway,

9 Federal Republic of Brazil, the key power in South America, as it is the most populous, and it also has links with Portugal. 

10 Turkey

As of the size of it's economy, and military. Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran and Saud Arabia, are not that far behind in influence. 

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Biggest power in Africa, South Africa, via the support for the ANC, it's huge economy, and such.

Biggest power in South Pacific, bar above mentioned, is Australia. Well it is the biggest, and that includes Chile, and Peru. Though outside of this area it lacks international power.

 

The World Most Powerful Countries. My list of the Top 10 in terms of power. 2008 and 2010

1 The United States of America, 

The world's biggest economy and by far in terms of spending and power the worlds strongest army, the most powerful democracy, and the media centre of the world, plus in many ways the centre of world diplomacy and foreign relations. This easily makes the USA the worlds most powerful country. 

2 Russian Federation

The second largest army, and a puppeteer of many Central Asian states. The largest European population, and largest world area, which gives it immense control over itself, and immense levels of independence . The size of Russia helps give it extra resources and abilities that make it such a big power.

3 Peoples Republic of China

The 4th or 2nd largest GNP depending on different measures (Either normal measures, or ones which cancel out misleading totals for currency values, in that later case China places second) a recent riser, above France and Britain, It also has established itself as having nukes. a huge army, and is becoming even more of a international power, as of the resource hungry booming economy, though even if that stalled, it would still be 3rd, as of other advantages. Plus massively importantly it has the largest population in the world, Additionally like the above 2 it is a UN Security council member.

4 France 

The fifth republic has UN security council membership, is a nuclear power and has a lot of influence over Africa. It is also a G7 economy, a leading democracy, and has a quite large army, one of worlds most powerful in fact. Added to this EU membership gives it extra power.

5 Britain

UN security council status, nuclear weapons, G7 economy, a leading democratic state, and a media from music, to actors centre, that has a lot of influence ( it is really spelt a lot ) over the world as of it's popularity. Membership of the EU adds to it's power.

6 Japan

The State of Japan has the second largest economy, and a big democracy, large population, but is rammed in by China, and the USA, so is below France, and Britain,

7 Republic of India

The most populous democracy, a growing economy, and nuke weapons, as the Second most populous country on Earth it has moral sway,

8 Federal Republic of Germany

The World's third economy, and a top 3 in terms of power EU member in the 27 European Union countries, but hampered in influence, as of World War two, and World War One, Which affected Germany's moral position in the world, and reduced German influence on many areas of the world,

9 Republic of Pakistan 

Second largest Muslim country, largest in the area where most Muslim lands are, has nuclear weapons, and a quite united nationality, in terms of identity,

Beats Indonesia, as that land is to far away from other Muslim lands so carries less weight, but it mabye I mean maybe,  Pakistan fizzles a bit as of spending so much on it's prior military dictatorship their military powerbase. While Indonesia, grows as a more civil democratic land. Maybe Indonesia is below, as it was a even more brutal dictatorship to it's people, in the late 1960s too 1990s. While Pakistan was to other nationalities, such as Bangladeshis, during the 1970s, but to West Pakistan people was not as bad as Indonesia's brutal dictators were to it's people in the mid and late 1960s, If Pakistan had not been so bad to Bengalis then it would still have them, and stand no chance of falling behind Indonesia, as it rises. It's power tussles with India, make it keep a high arms budget, but could weaken it long term, as army spending long term is a inefficient use of economic resources.

10 Republic of Brazil,

Largest Latin American country in population and area, Largest Portuguese speaking land, good relations globally, 

Changes expected for 2010s include India and China continuing their advance as of their new world power status, but all these lands essentially keeping their positions for next year as of each nation's innate strengths. The European Union could be called a new superpower, if it carries on progressing, and if it's members continue pooling more powers. The links between North America and Europe across the Atlantic, should keep these areas strong in the world. With the USA keeping it's place as the hyper power for another decade at least.

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Most powerful Countries in South America, 1985,  2023 and 1980, 

1 Brazil

2 Argentina 

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The worlds most powerful lands ever, when at their peaks, 

1 USA 1999

2 British Empire 1890 (At it's peak size in 1918, but in 1890 I think was it's power peak. )

3 Mongols 1400

4 Chinese Empire 1500

5 Soviet Union 1958

6 Spanish Empire 1587

7 Caliphate 700s, Abbasid, and Umayyad, 

8 Turk / Turkick Central Asian Empire Early middle ages

9 Russian Empire 1880 

10 United Nations 1980s, 

11 European Union 2009

12 Roman Empire

13 Japanese Empire

14 Ottoman Empire, not spelt Ottoman Enpire

15 Mughals

16 French Empire

17 Ghanaian Empire, not spelt Ghanian Empire

18 Portuguese Empire

19 Communist China 2021

20 Republic of India 2021

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If you include per population of the world, Britain should maybe be below China, and Mughals should be higher. China in 1800 with 37 Percent of world population should maybe be second, and Rome in 150 AD should maybe be 3rd behind it. As Britain amazingly peaked at 23 percent of world population in 1938, below Delhi Sultanate and Mughals, even though both had less of India, than Britain, and Britain had a huge empire, its as the places Britain had, had so few people in those Indian empire 1350 and 1700 peaks, and even in 1938, did not have huge populations. Also the giant Iranian Persian Empires had a huge percentage of the world population, Achaemenid, as the world population was less urban outside there. It held Egypt, Greece, and Iran. Plus Macedon under Alexander the Great would have as well. 

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It is a mute point which empire was more impressive Britain or Rome's considering technology and area, and achievement, you could cut it both ways.

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And would the British Empire be so large without Scotland, I speculate it would not if it had not come to a accommodation with Scotland, in fact France would be more powerful. Though if it had made a deal, I think it would have been a bit smaller, maybe a few less Indian territories in the north and north west, and less Burmese, a few ports and African colonies and Caribbean colonies to a imperial ally Scotland, and a few French ports more in Africa, and India, and maybe some less territory in the Pacific to Germany, and a bigger USA, vis a vis Canada. Plus a stronger French element to the USA. Maybe even a French or German territory in Australia.  But similar levels of Scottish emigration, And if Wales was not then maybe a bit smaller in India still. Then if no Cornwall, a bit smaller still in USA. And if no Manx, then a tiny bit smaller in Africa. 

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The initial peak power list was written in the 2010s, and 2000s, my new list says, USA, then China 1790s, then British Empire and Romans, and Mongols equal as of population totals per head of the world. The Soviet Union though in the 1980s controlled Eastern Europe, Afghanistan and Mongolia so in geography was closer to British Empire size, but had a larger population per head even than Russia at its peak. So maybe the USSR draws with British Empire. I mean with its population only a bit behind but its economy was probably with satellite states bigger, per head of world population. I mean it did have East Germany and Poland, and maybe Manchuria in the late 40s, and links with Vietnam for a while. Plus strong links with World communist parties. 

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Also radical thought here, biggest ever empire, is The Common heritage of Mankind, which includes Antarctica, Space including the Moon, and Mars, and the Earth's seabed and Mars Moons. All 4 have been touched by humanity. But Britain, the USA, and USSR agreed that. 

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2023 July thought, So I say, actually elite power, is 1 USA, year 2000, 2 China, late 18th Century, 3 Roman Empire, 4 Mongol Empire, 5 British Empire, 6 Persian Empire, 7 Soviet Union, 8 Napoleonic France, 9 Ottoman Empire, 10 Spanish Empire. If say USSR and China in 1950 are a Communist Empire, maybe it goes 2nd. I say without Scotland, the British Empire, would be 8th even if it made a deal with Scotland, that was agreeable the whole concordar concord times there. Thats my lost there. Maybe USSR should go above Persian. Some people wonder if the stated stat that Persia had over 33 percent of the world population is accurate seeing likely India and more are understated in that stat. But perhaps even then it had so many people and had such power it still goes just below Rome. Also I wonder, how do you define power, do you include just the elite, just the lead group, just the leading nation in the empire. or everybody in it. I mean if the British Empire rules with a Iron fist over people it oppresses is that the same as if a British Empire, rules over everybody but giving them some power. Well in a sense they are as powerful as eachother. Also what about the petty states though, were they a separate unBritish authority, does that put USSR above the British Empire, what about Canada, it was quite a free dominion, well could it just be regarded as a stakeholder of the empire, as much as Scotland, or England, or the House of Lords, just part of the empire, and not a oppressed subject, I mean the Canada. How you define power matters. Well surely a defacto independent petty state or prince of India, kind of is its own power, so maybe USSR and British Empire are level. Also what if USSR rules Central Asia by force, well that maybe is actually a sign of weakness not power, as a powerful USSR could let it be more autonomous. I am disappointed I cant put Ancient Egypt higher, they built the jaw dropping pyramids, and barely reach double figures of world population percent, in fact dont. While Babylonia does better at that. As of its amazing conquests.  Does economy size matter. I mean if ancient Egypt was influencing world trade patterns, even just ostrich feather and copper, and gold, maybe that is power even if they never went there. Ancient China had loads of tributary states, but were these actually really vassal, or just rulers fobbing them off with trinkets, hardly that much of a power. What about the Phonecians. What about China, does each foreign conqueror Manchus, etc get their own place of the list. Was Napoleonic France actually a even greater power, as Europe had such a big economy, well no, actually China and India were huge in 1800. It is probably pretty fare to put USSR level with Britain at its height. Britains navy made it a great power I say. 

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So here is my list of the world's powerful countries

in 1900, top 10, then a list if the most powerful at other times across history

1 British Empire

2 Germany

3 France

4 USA

5 Russia

6 Ottomans

7 Italy

8 Japan

9 Chinese Empire

10 Brazil

1945 USA USSR Britain, France, 

1980 USA USSR China France Britain West Germany  

1940 USA Germany USSR Britain France Japan Italy 

1800 France Britain China Russia Prussia Ottomans Mughals 

1788 China Britain France Russia Spain 

1700 China France England, Spain (Maybe Spain was really above Britain till the middle of the century, or just the War of Spanish Succession) Mughals Ottomans, Russia, 

1600 Spain China Mughals France Ottomans, English, Portugal in a away, but it was led as a union with Spain, 

1500 China, Ottomans, Spain, France, Holy Roman Empire, Vijayanagara Empire, Bengal Sultanate, Inca Empire, Japanese Shogunate, Polish Lithuanian Union (Commonwealth came in 1569 ) ,  Korean Joseon, Russia Moscow, Aztecs,  Annam Vietnam, Mamluks, Portugal,  Songhai Empire, 

1400 Mongols, Delhi Sultanate, 

1000 China, Chola Dynasty,  Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Chalukya dynasty, Fatimid Caliphate, France, 

750 AD Tang China, Umayyad Caliphate,

523 AD Liang China, Byzantine Empire, 

500bc - 700ad AD China Roman Empire, Maurya Empire,  of Ashoka Empire, Mayans, Persia, Alexander the Great's Empire, Central Asian Empires or like Khazars, Chanyu, 

5th Century BC Zhou China, Persia, Persia maybe ahead during time of earring states, but Zhou ahead most of that time,

1500 BC Ancient Egypt, Shang China, Babylonia, various rulers, 

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World's most powerful people  ever, 2010 estimate. You could make any parameter for this, but I say as in 1/3 number of people ruled over, 1/3 power over that state and the world, and 1 third as in percentage of world people at the time, You could just put loads of Chinese emperors, or Ghenghis Khan as he did all that stuff, but I say just destroying things is not power, as anybody could do that, to some extent, really I am just putting lots of variety in, Of course these are not the most influential, as religious leaders who never had any state power had more influence over time than many of these, 

1 Stalin
2 FDR
3 Lloyd George
4 Mao
5 Philip of Spain
6 Trajan
7 Kangxi Emperor
8 Kublai Khan
9 Napoleon

10 Xerses 1
11 Qianlong Emperor
12 Harry Truman
13 William Gladstone​

14 Ghenghis Khan

15 Alexander the Great

16 Marcus Aurelius

17 Bill Clinton

18 Deng Xiping

19 Indira Gandhi

20 Louis XIV

21 Alexander ii of Russia

22 Khrushchev

23 Kaiser Wilhelm

24 Charles V

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The most powerful fictional characters, again just for the sake of it, 

1 President of the United Federation of Planets, i.e Jonathan Archer ( Star Trek )

2 Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic .e, Finis Valorum ( Star Wars )

3 Galactic Emperor i.e Palpatine ( Star Wars ) less powerful as he was so opposed

4 Ming the Merciless ( Flash Gordon )

5 Borg Queen ( Star Trek )

6 God Emperor of Dune ( Dune )

7 Riddick ( The Chronicles of Riddick )

8 Ardala of the Draconian Realm ( Buck Rogers in the 25th Century )

9 President of the Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox ( The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy )

10 Gandalf ( Lord of the Rings )

11 Arquil ( Men in Black )

12 People who play games where they take over the universe

13 Star Trek's Q

14 Prestor John

15 Big Brother

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