If Australia is a whole continent and country, why arent they a superpower?

Question

Its such a big country, and im sure they have a lot of resources, but why arent they a superpower like the UK or US. I hardly hear anything that their country is doing on the news.

btw im not american. so dont say america is my country

Answer 1

Some good points have been made, especially about the nefarious plot by dijeridoo wielding wallabys, I don't know how that leaked out. But Australia is extremely rich in resources and exports massive amount of resources and food so I don't think the 'barren land' is a factor.

Mostly I think our population (hence GDP) is too small - a tenth of the US and a third that of the UK. A hundred years ago it was tiny, and transport costs huge. We were also crippled by WW1, loosing a greater % of our population than any country (all volunteers, crazy diggers), and were extremely severly affected by the Great Depression. It's only since WW2 that we've started to get going.

In contrast the UK economy was built up by it's colonies for hundreds of years, and US industry was massively kick-started by supplying to both sides through most of WW1 (as much as we love 'em).

Besides, you can buy a lot of beer for the cost of a stealth bomber!

Answer 2

Quite simply, Australia doesn't have the population, economy, or the will to project much power outside of it's own region. Additionally, it is already aligned with the world's sole superpower; becoming one itself could put the two at odds.

Australia was at one time part of a Superpower: the British Empire...

Answer 3

It probably has to do with past limitations in communications and technology. In the early 1900's it would take a long time to send a letter there or to hear any news. This probably limited trade. Also the inner parts of Australia are not that hospitable to agriculture which is a factor in GDP. It also probably has to do with the fact they used to be part of the British Empire.

Answer 4

Australia was a British colony for a long time, so its status was hampered by that. It is strengthening right now in its influence in the Pacific, but it still defers mostly to the U.S. & other countries because of historial ties to the UK.

Answer 5

Hmmm...interesting question...some theories:
-much of Austrailia is desert land...hard to farm desert.
-it was a part of the British Empire that pretty much went down the tubes with WWI...could that have stunted its growth?
-it is an power in the Pacific world...we just don't hear about in the US because our media is basically insular and believe that we Americans are drooling idiots who only want to hear about Paris Hilton scandals and the latest local violence
-a nefarious plot by dijeridoo wielding wallabys has kept Aussies out of the world powers club

Answer 6

AUSTRALIA is the 6th largest country in the world.
They can never be the superpower due to its lowest population in the world(only 2 people/sq km).
But it can be superpower by exporting beefs(world's largest beef exporter)

Answer 7

They do contribute militarily to incidents worldwide, most nations do, even poland! (No offense to the polish, I'm polish, just saying) As to why they aren't a superpower: they have a short history as a free nation (once under british rule) and they have a lot of undeveloped land.

Answer 8

Most of the Population of Australia lives along the coastline, because the majority of the inland is too barren.

Answer 9

The us is the only super power ???? I would say China would give you a run for superpower status mostly due to the fact that they would kick your *** unless it was a nuke war,
Because you would never ever be able to feild enough troops to kill a Billion people please remove your head from your *** and look at reality

Answer 10

only US is the sole super power no other country is. to answer why Australia is not is because it does have the out put power of the US or army size or as high GDP