land power

A land power maintains a large, modern army to secure its borders.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Nation with strong land forces: "land power" refers to a country that possesses significant military strength on land, particularly through its army, tanks, artillery, and ground-based defense systems. It emphasizes dominance in terrestrial warfare rather than naval or air power.
   • Military capacity on land: The term can also denote the overall capability of a state to project force or influence through its land-based military resources, including troops, logistics, and infrastructure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Russia has historically been considered a major land power due to its vast army and territorial expanse. (A nation with strong land forces.)
  • During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was the primary land power opposing NATO. (A country with dominant ground military strength.)
  • The general argued that without sufficient land power, the invasion would fail. (Military capacity on land.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a land power": to be a country whose military influence is based on its army and ground forces.

  • Although it has a large navy, China is increasingly seen as a land power in Asia. (China's military strength is heavily land-based.)

• "land power vs. sea power": a geopolitical distinction between nations that dominate through armies (land power) versus those that dominate through navies (sea power).

  • The historical rivalry between France (a land power) and Britain (a sea power) shaped European politics. (A comparison of different military strengths.)

Variants and Related Words

• Land-based (adj): situated or operating on land.

  • The air force relies on land-based radar systems. (Radar systems located on the ground.)

• Land warfare (n): military operations conducted on land.

  • Training for land warfare includes infantry tactics and armored vehicle maneuvers. (Ground combat.)

Synonyms

• Continental power: a nation that dominates a large landmass, often through its army.
• Terrestrial power: a country whose strength lies in land forces.

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms

• "A land power in its own right": a country that is independently strong due to its land forces.

  • Germany, after unification, became a land power in its own right. (A self-sufficient land-based military power.)

• "To project land power": to deploy military force on land to influence events abroad.

  • The United States can project land power through its rapid deployment forces. (To send ground troops to foreign locations.)