Maritime power

A Maritime power is a nation with a very strong navy, which often is also a great power, or at least a regional power. A Maritime power is able to easily control their coast, and exert influence upon both nearby and far countries. A nation that dominates the world navally is known as a maritime superpower.

Emerging
Many countries that become maritime powers, become strong in order to defend themselves from an extant threat, such as the USSR did during the Cold War, in order to defend themselves from the United States Navy. In this scenario, it is common for the emerging maritime power to focus largely upon area denial tactics, rather than power projection.

Actual
Maritime powers are often much more involved in global politics and trade.

Historic Maritime powers

 * The British Empire was at one point both a Superpower, or, as some political historians say, a Hyperpower, alongside being a Maritime power.
 * Soviet Union. Although the USSR traditionally had a strong focus on land, a period of rapid naval expansion allowed them to dominate their area.

Current Maritime powers

 * China. China is considered a great power by many scholars, and is considered by some scholars to be a potential superpower.


 * France. France is also a great power.


 * India. India is a great power with blue-water capabilities.


 * Japan. Japan is also a great power.


 * Russia. Russia is also a great power, and has been characterized as a potential superpower.


 * United Kingdom. Royal Navy is considered a Blue water navy


 * United States of America. According to almost all scholars, America is the lone superpower of the 21st century, and according to some it is a hyperpower.