The National Power of Semiperipheral States

In this chapter, the national power of semiperipheral states is analyzed, along with their characteristics and distribution, culminating in the identification of two distinct categories: regional powers and secondary semiperipheral states. Regional powers are extremely relevant actors in the international geostructure. Their prominent position is based on notable material capabilities, allowing them to actively engage in regional governance projects and pursue proactive global foreign policies. Secondary semiperipheral states exhibit more moderate material and immaterial capacities; however, they maintain a significant position in the semiperiphery due to their outstanding semimaterial capabilities. This configuration not only grants them relative regional autonomy but also enables active participation in the international system. We acknowledge that the classifications proposed here may undergo rapid and unexpected changes due to the inherently semiperipheral nature of these states, leading to extraordinary transformations in relatively short periods.