If Australia and New Zealand were in Europe or North America, they'd be bigger superpowers

[bigdave01]

Originally Posted by Capitalists

^^

False, Brasil don't have U.S bases.

Yeah, I didn't check the source but I think it gives the general idea.

[lokeung)]

Seriously, Australia and NZ are not superpowers because of their small population, not their locations.

They are overshadowed in the English world by the larger USA and UK. For example, most English books in the world are published by the Americans and the British.

Culturally, their international influence on other countries are weak, compared with American, British, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Hong Kong, South Korean, Taiwanese, Thai and Indian cultures. Foreigners usually know little about their cultures unless they actually have been to Australia and NZ. Very few Australian and NZ movies and tv programmes are broadcasted in other countries. Few Australian and NZ English are heard in other countries, compared with American and British English.


Australia and NZ are not very under-visited, both receive quite a lot of tourists, international students and migrants from Asia and Europe. They are not that far from SE and Eastern Asia, in adjacent timezones. And now they have closer relations with Asia than the Americas and Europe.

Both were important allies on the side of the US and Britain in World War 2, contributing to stopping Japanese expansion in the Southwest Pacific. But did not have the military power to defeat Japan by themselves. As with the Americas and the British Isles, both could not be easily invaded because they were rich indepedent island countries far away from Japan.

Both countries have been as developed and rich as the US, Canada and Western Europe for a long long time before the rise of Asian economies.

Australia has a slightly larger nominal GDP than South Korea, South Korea has more than double the population of Australia. Australia has a higher GDP per capita than the UK since the end of world war 2.

The Australian Dollar is an important currency in the world along with the Canadian dollar

Originally Posted by Aussiehoff

Australia is only just behind Canada now as 12th largest economy in the world with Canada at 11. On a GDP per capita basis we are bigger. Agree, this doesn't make Australia or Canada a "superpower", and if Australia were in Europe, it wouldn't be Australia.

[Capitalists]

Originally Posted by bigdave01

Yeah, I didn't check the source but I think it gives the general idea.

Yeah, the idea couldn't be more clear.

[Acajack]

Even though Canada is larger (population, geography, economy), Australia gets to throw its weight around a lot more in its part of the world (usually in a fairly benign way), act as a regional policeman, exert influence and leadership, have extraterritorial possessions, etc.

Things that aren't really realistic for Canada given the presence of the U.S. in its vicinity.

[lokeung)]

That is because Australia does not have a large similar neighbor in Canada's case.

Australia and NZ have considerable influences in the South Pacific. The Australian dollar is used in a few Pacific Island countries.

[Amunication]

Originally Posted by easthome

Historically no more so than all other nations, they just so happened to be good at 'imperialism', today I can't think why you would find Britain any more imperialistic either? I also don't think that Americans are particularly imperialistic, why would you say they are?

Yeah I don't think so, many countries are not imperialistic at all, like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland to name but a few.