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Explaining Russia’s Obscene GDP To Power Ratio
Russia is often considered a military heavyweight and regional superpower. Yet, “The Motherland” has a shockingly low GDP.
In fact, there are several U.S. states with larger economies.
And, tech giant Apple is worth more than the entire country of Russia.
When it comes to economic might, Russia is well behind major players like the United States, China, and Japan. So what gives Russia its power base? How does a country with a GDP smaller than Italy’s exert its influence all around the globe?
The answer is simple.
Natural resources.
Russia controls about 32% of the world’s natural gas reserves. It’s also the second-largest oil producer. And, Russia is the largest producer and exporter of palladium.
Not to mention the country’s abundance of coal, chrome, copper, gold, potash, and timber.
Much of Russia’s soft-power influence comes from its ability to provide energy and raw materials to second and third-world countries.
Which leads to an interesting anecdote about GDP…
