A list of the most powerful states in the world: Serbia overtook Croatia and Slovenia

A list of the most powerful states in the world: Serbia overtook Croatia and Slovenia

The list was made based on the influence of states, as well as their political, economic and military power. The list of the 80 most powerful countries in the world is based on the responses of 21.000 people and was made by the media company US News and World Report.

Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are also on the list of 80 most powerful countries, index.hr reports.

Of the countries belonging to the former Yugoslavia, Serbia is best placed. Serbia ranked 44th, unlike last year's 52nd, and has been described as "a small country in central-southeast Europe whose history is a timeline of European wars dating to the Middle Ages. Contemporary Serbia reflects the ambiguities and contradictions of modern Europe – culturally rich, comparatively developed economically yet driven by regional rivalries and ethnic tensions".

As for Croatia, it ranked 67th, which is a better position than last year's 75th. US News describes Croatia as follows: "Croatia has found itself at the crossroads of major historical movements, both East and West. These political shifts have uniquely shaped its present-day borders, which curve around Bosnia and Herzegovina in central Europe and stretch along the Adriatic Sea opposite Italy. The nation’s stunning Mediterranean coastline eases into the rugged Dinaric Alps and, continuing northeast, the fertile plains of the Danube River".

Slovenia is at the end of the list, placed at 73rd place:

Slovenia is a small country located in southern Central Europe, bordered by Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Italy and the Adriatic Sea.

with these countries occupying the top 10 positions:

10) Saudi Arabia

This country has fallen on the list for one position compared to last year, and the US News calls it a "giant of the Middle East" because of the size of the state and stresses its importance for Muslims, as millions of dedicated believers come to Mecca annually.

9) South Korea

This country had improved its ranking on the list for one position. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a nation in eastern Asia with a long history of conflict that occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, best known for its conflict with the North Korea.

8) Israel

Israel occupies the same position as last year as the only Jewish nation in the world, a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors.

7) Japan also kept its last year's ranking on the list, while US News calls it "one of the world’s most literate and technically advanced nations".

6) France

France remained on the same position as last year, while the influence France has on the world, both in the past and today, is difficult to overstate. Located in Western Europe, France is one of the world’s oldest countries, and its reach extends around the globe through science, politics, economics and perhaps above all, culture.

5) United Kingdom

The United Kingdom also remained on the same position compared to last year. It is a highly developed nation that "exerts considerable international economic, political, scientific and cultural influence". The country’s role on the global stage faces new questions as the government is planning to approve its withdrawal from the European Union.

4) Germany

Germany also kept its last year's rank on the list. Germany, the most populous nation in the European Union, possesses one of the largest economies in the world and has seen its role in the international community grow steadily since reunification.

3) China

China maintained its third position. Home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China is the world’s most populous and is considered the second-largest by land mass.

2) Russia

Russia has settled in the second place. It is the world’s largest country by land mass – nearly twice as big as Canada, the world’s second-largest nation – and covers all of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe. It shares land borders with more than a dozen countries, and shares sea borders with Japan and the United States.

1) United States of America

America has maintained its first place in the list of the most powerful countries in the world. US News calls it "the world’s most dominant economic and military power", while its cultural imprint spans the world, led in large part by its popular culture expressed in music, movies and television.