INTRODUCTION
National power refers to a country's ability to advance its interests and defend its security in the international system. It is influenced by a number of elements, including geographical location, natural resources, population, economy, military, government, ideology, and technology. These elements can interact and reinforce one another to enhance a country's national power, but they can also present challenges and limitations.
ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL POWER :-
- GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION :- geography of a nation is considered important as location of Nation decides its National power. Geography of a Nation decides if the resources are available there and what type of climate is there. Many times the location of nations is so strategically important that it becomes difficult to ignore it. It decides the boundary of a nation with other nations.
- NATURAL RESOURCES :- natural resources of any nation are various important which includes raw materials like coals, petroleum, zinc , copper and many others . It is not possible for nations to become powerful without natural resources as it is important for Industries. The gift of nature establishes the power of the nation.
- POPULATION :- if nations do not have good literate and upto the mark population the location, availability of resources doesn't matter. It is the most basic element of National power. If the population is a hardworking loyal state the nation becomes prosperous. Every sector whether it is industrial or agriculture grows when the population is skilled and hardworking.
- STRONG ECONOMY :- economically a nation should be prosperous as it decides the national power of a nation. Economic growth is pushed by industrial capacity. Large number of Industries leads in miss production. And boost the economy of the country.
- MILITARY :- military powers is another major element of nations power. The Army, Navy, Air force should be strengthened. Although negotiations are done by the state , it continues to arm its military. Military gives strategic advantage to the country.
- GOVERNMENT :- The government is the one who runs the nation so it is important to have an efficient government because everything including making plans for any sector, signing any agreement or implementation of any policies are decided by the government. Leaders must be honest and true to their people. Every action of leaders and government affects the people. Government has to fulfil the national interest. Efficient personality of leaders decides the position of a nation on the world level.
- IDEOLOGY :- it is a set of values which a particular nation follows. Every state picks up one ideology on the basis of which they justify their actions . Ideology binds the people together.
- TECHNOLOGY :- technology is a very important aspect of our lives as it makes everything easy and fast. Advancement in technology leads to the advancement of the nation. It also doubles the industrial production Which boosts the economy of the nation.
LIMITATIONS OF NATIONAL POWER :-
- INTERNALTIONAL LAW :- it puts the limitation on the power of nation and regulates their actions and behaviour. Itbrefulates the conflicts in World. There are different international laws regarding usages of water, space and land which every nation has to obey.
- INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION :- International organisation are there to maintain peace and harmony in the world. From the formation to the failure of League OF Nation and formation of United Nations after the second world war worked for the etablishemnt of peace and security.
- COLLECTIVE SECURITY :- The concept of collective security put great limitation on the power of a nation. Nations can collectively come together to stop a state from violation of peace in the world.
- BALANCE OF POWER :- It is another limitation of the power of the nation. Major actors try to maintain the balance of power to maintain their status in the world. It is reasonable restriction on the powers of nations.
CONCLUSION
National power is an important concept in international relations, as it determines a country's ability to shape its external environment and defend its interests and security. Understanding the elements of national power and their interactions is critical for policymakers and analysts seeking to understand the dynamics of the international system and the ways in which countries use power to advance their interests. However, it is important to recognize that national power is not absolute, and is subject to limitations imposed by international law, international organizations, the principle of collective security, and the balance of power in the international system.