In World Systems Theory, the core countries are the industrialized capitalist countries on which periphery countries and semi-periphery countries depend. Core countries control and benefit from the global market. They are usually recognized as wealthy nations with a wide variety of resources and are in a favorable location compared to other states. They have strong state institutions, a powerful military and powerful global political alliances.
Core countries do not always stay core permanently. Throughout history, core nations have been changing and new ones have been added to the core list. The most influential countries in the past have been what would be considered core. These were the Asian and Middle Eastern empires in the ages up to the 16th century, when the European powers took the lead, although the major Asian powers such as China were still very influential in the region. Europe remained ahead of the pack until the 20th century, when the two World Wars turned disastrous for the European economies. It is then that the victorious United States and Soviet Union, up to late 1980s, became the two hegemons, creating a bipolar world order.
Today, core nations are generally the most developed countries (see picture on the right), which include the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and the more developed western European countries. Yet, new additions may be expected soon, as some ex-periphery and some semi-periphery states are quickly gaining momentum in their economic growth.
Read more about Core Countries: Definition, Sociological Theory, Key Qualifiers, Main Functions, Effects
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