The Competitive Hierarchy of States: How Idividual Capabilities, Advantages and Performance Shape their National Power.

It is often said that no two countries are ever alike. The planet´s 190 plus countries are arguably different in each and every aspect of their phyical, demographic, economic and military existence and capabilities. The diversity in the countries´ comparative and competitive advantages places them into an almost predetermined hierarchical order, be it regional or international. The so-called pecking order of countries is by no means a casual product of their mere existence and/or location, but rather of their performance, especially in the economic-technological-industrial realm. In the 21st century´s highly complex and globalized community of states, each country faces a host of challenges to secure the diverse resources its needs to achieve its national goals. Parting from a specifically regional standpoint, this paper seeks to examine the specific spectrum of national capabilities that lend countries their particular brand of national power and thus secures their competitive advantages vis-a-vis other countries, be they neighbors or not. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]