1. India
2. Uzbeckistan
3. United Nucular Wastelands of Iraq-nuked land

Tyler, I think you're dangerously underestimating China.

The UK? Where'd you get that from? The days of the British empire have passed.

"3.Japan just cause of technology even though i think technology may somehow be there down fall"

How will technology be their downfall? Will robots overthrow them?

The revolution has already begun, Sagey!!

Robots are among us as we speak!

as tyler had said tht because china could nt feed it people it will not be a superpower, firstly almost all of the china is now above the poverty line and secondly we are talking about 2050, and china is growing at 9.5%, make it 7-8 in the next 2-3 years by tht time it will be mamoth in all respects and not to forget India also it is also growing at 7% which is very huge for a country that much populated.... it still say
1 China
2 USA
3 INDIA

There are many potential ways to answer this question but putting it in one ultimate list is futile. Let us try to make some sense here, at least for my sake/senses ;

Military Super-power:
1. USA - Money still talks and technological advances plus EVERYBODY's (inc.Europeans) wish to ally with the USA, will keep them the most advanced nation. What the Chinese and Indians can't do with 1 Billion soldiers the Americans will do with an unmanned, stealth drone.
2. India - While the Chinese are working twice as hard as the Indians on every front, Indians possess that flexibility streak and strong relations with the west to obtain an edge.
3. China - Government budgets and tireless people will keep this huge beast in the race, not to mention the rivalry with the USA.
a. Special mention - Israel. Necessity is the mother of all invention and a life of struggle has already led to military breakthroughs in several fields. Next one might be a super-type of weapon.

Economic strength:
1. China - it might take more than 45 years from now, maybe 100, but the gap is closing faster than anyone expects and once a portion of the Chinese, which is as large as the USA or European community, reaches a high standard of living, China will be the financially strongest nation.
2. USA - No one buys or sells better than the Americans. It's a special gene surgically implemented in American babies when they are born. And they are indiscriminate buyers too. Buying patterns do not exist in the USA like they do in Europe or Australia.
3. Russia - once the Russians overcome their inherent social ineptitude and manage to utilise their resources and vast natural potential, they will hold more sway over earth's air, water, timber and oil than any other nation.

Standard of living:
1. Canada - According to the world bank statistics, Vancouver is the best city in the world to live in. An overall package of infrastructure, education, space, GDP, etc... it doesn't look like it's gonna change unless Mexico invades Canada somehow with US assistance.
2. Switzerland - will be even richer than it is today, it accepts fewer immigrants than other places in Europe and still is the centre for most of what moves through Europe.
3. Australia/New-Zealand - as things move faster around the globe, being so far away will matter less and Aussies/Kiwis will have a good thing going.

Special mentions:
1. Japan - low rate of birth, cutting edge technology and longest life span (also of productive elders) will keep Japan as a major force in every aspect.
2. Germany - Tireless, humourless Germans will ALWAYS have to contend with waves of immigrants (since early days of man), but their location (x3) and history shows how they always manage to get results in keeping their country as a strong nation.
3. South-Africa - if the if they manage to overcome their African legacy of corruption and failing regimes, as in all the other countries around them, they'll prosper to be a great nation.
4. Brazil - populous, resources and in control of one of the world's most large resource areas which they WILL exploit, they might just flourish to greatness.

So, if you've got some money to spare, go buy properties in some of those places for your great grandchildren. Ohh, and stay away from Seattle! Mog and HIS descendants live there!

Have you all forgotten about the contract USA FORCED Japan to sign after Pear Harbour? They will NEVER have an army capable of doing any impact on the world, America has Japan by the balls, And china also has the biggest air force and army in the world, dont mess wif dem ppl!

china may be having the biggest air force and army but not the srongest lol!!!

that ways you can say INDIA and CHINA are the strongest counties in the world because they have the largest population.....

it is the quality which matters not the quantity!!!!

and rog your mentioning of ISRAEL for military is very apt.... i almost forgot that small but intelligent nation!!!

the aliens will take over the world by 2050 and inslave us all :-D

Wow, you guys totally underestimate China's military powers. They have nukes and delivery systems. Who is brave enough to mess with that? Only in a total nuclear war would they be at a "disadvantage" and at that point, all life on the surface of the earth will be in trouble, if not wiped out entirely.

I read a book not too long ago by the Worldwatch Institute titled "Who will feed China?" As China's prosperity grows, they import more food from around the world, driving up prices for everyone. If they ate as much fish in their diet as a typical Japanese does, they would eat the entire world catch of fish every year. They also are major wheat eaters, especially in the North of China. They will buy US wheat and the US will be like a banana republic, exporting what it grows while the people starve, or pay an arm and a leg for bread.

Notice what the industrial countries do, go into a small country (say, Nicaragua ), take over the government, effectively, force the farmers to grow food for export such as the aforementioned bananas. The people in those countries must then import other foodstuffs, since they are no longer allowed to grow what they want. Remember, the US sent the marines into Nicaragua 19 times in the last century to enforce this system! When the Nicaraguans revolted and tried to throw off the yoke of imperialist might, they were repeatedly crushed. Yup, socialism of any kind is antithetical to the rich since it doesn't allow them to control markets the way they like.


Also, Seattle is a nice place to visit, but as Rog mentioned, don't move here, there are Mogs and goths and gay people all over the place! So just stay in your neck of the woods, I'm sure Detroit and Mississippi and Uzbekistan are really nice. In other words, it's getting crowded here and we'd appreciate it if you would come and drop tourist dollars, but don't relocate here. Only thing we got is grunge, which is long since passed away. Microsoft isn't in Seattle, either, it's in Redmond, although they own dern near everything around here, them and Paul "I am Jimi Hendrix, white version" Allen.

Thank you for your absence.

China does have nukes...great for defence as Mog notes...who would be crazy enough to mess with that? (Mostly nobody...except maybe Muslims vs. Israel ) The bad part is that China is planning on building their offensive military power to become a threat to Taiwan, Japan, the US, and anybody else who they feel the need to threaten to maintain their balancing act between total control and growth. This means eventually they will be forced to mess with us and we have nukes too. Dumb idea.

Economically, they are growing quite impressively if you look at the raw percentage growth. If your family of 4 has an income of $120,000 and you get a 5% raise, will your standard of living and actual economic power be better or worse than a family of 12 who are living on an annual income of $70,000 where they get a 9% raise? This is almost the exact situation between the US and China...400 million Americans $12 Trillion economy with 5% growth rate vs. 1.2 billion Chinese $7 Trillion economy with 9% growth. As a nation, they are rich, but once you consider the mouths to feed, bodies to cloth, house, and get medical care for it needs a lot of work.

It is easier to make large percentage gains when you start out small. There are countries that could have a 20% growth rate very easily...or even 50% for that matter...if they just managed to raise everyones productivity from $500 per person to $600 or $750 per year. Just look at how stocks split and small companies grow faster than big companies if they get the fundamentals right. A 5% gain for IBM is huge...a 50% gain for a new tech company is not unusual. Keeping a $12 Trillion economy growing at 5% is quite a feat.
Cheers,
H.

Offspring what is "Pear houbor" to begin with *giggles* and next of all im with rapto the aliens will get us and if they dont im pretty sure i will be dead by then least i freaking hope so it would really bite not to!!!

Come to think of it, I would be 96 in 2050, so, even though it hardly likely, it is possible that I will still be alive. Therefore, I now care intensely which is the richest country at that point. So now I think it will be the USA, the USA and the USA, in that order. I'm just hoping the rest homes are much better then. The rest of the world may now wither and die, I don't mind. Go USA! We're number 1! Rah!

(For those of you who are located elsewhere, you do recognize sarcasm, I hope. If not, send your complaints to weedgrower420, who will be happy to answer your outrage.)

well mog the days of the US of A are going too end by end 2050 and the asian powers are going to rule the world , which are china and india althoug china is gonna hav a upper hand , but still india is not going to be far behind, i read a article in the news paper which stated that if USA, CHINA and INDIA continue to grow by the rate that is estimated then by 2050 china's G.D.P will be 140% that of the US of A!!!!!! and also INDIA's G.D.P will be 90% that of the US of A, i know that china and india's population is mamoth but that stat is enough to bring the americans down!!!

the west has been ruiling over the world for long now, it the time for them to retire and leave the world to the east particularly india and china!!!!

No raja, USA will always be with alot of power, It will be China USA and russia in the future, China makes good quality and quantity and have nukes, im gonna send a bomb to china i think. CHINA CHINA CHINA!!!

China!

Ok Ill explain my list , if China and India are growing that much over the next 50 years there will be a severe lack of resources to feed and maintain life in the world. Fresh water, oil and food cant be consumed at the rate we do in the west. This will inevidently lead to war over said resources and most of the wold will be ruined. If it comes to nukes there will be no "strongest power" at all but if we survive the places that are most likely not to be involved are south america and scandinavia.

I think i speak for all Australians, We might stay out of that nuke war mkay? We'll just go kill New Zealand and take there resources and sheep? thanx.

1.USA
2.Taiwan-After they whup up on China and annex them
3.India-if they ever cut government red tape.

well lol taiwan can never beat china its too small and china is mamoth in every respect, for china taiwan is lik a ......... what ever i don know any sayings!!!!

just a BIG LOL from me

in 2050 the poles will have smelted away, at least 1/3 of the current land is flooded, 1/2 of the population (itīll be about 8 billions at this time) will be moving back landwards (1/2 cause most ppl live at the coast) anarchy will break out and the current system is done.

Alas it will be a sad world without Poles... Think of the lost legacy of Lech Valensa, great traditions and some of the world's funniest joke targets. I think Poland is lovely and it will be sad if all the poles were "smelted away"