What defines a country as a superpower?

The term "superpower" has been attributed to countries which have significant influence and a powerful global presence. A "superpower" nation can be identified by the four pillars of power: economic, military, political and cultural. Economic power can be demonstrated by the size of a countries GDP, the strength of their currency and their participation in global economic partnerships such as G8. The top 10 TNCs (Trans-national cooporations) are all American- this indicates the economic power that the USA which contributes to its status as a "superpower". Superpowers often have significant military power. This is dependant on huge investment by governments into their military, numerous military bases located around the world, and investment into developing technology such as nuclear missiles and satellites. Political power may be demonstrated by a country's influence in intergovernmental organisations (IGOs). Cultural power is a form of 'soft power'. A "superpower" may have cultural influence by developing brands which have global presence (e.g McDonalds) or through films which spread their ideologies worldwide.