World Districts
Written by Simon Allmer
Definition
World Districts are contiguous areas characterized by political centralization, economic integration, and a shared regional identity. Each World District must have a population of over 0,45% of the global population (currently, over 36 million). Examples include certain supranational unions and large, cohesive nations.
Special Districts are entities with a population below 0.45% of the world's population that play a significant role in the global economy or political landscape. These include, among others, Switzerland (Banking), United Arab Emirates (Oil) and Taiwan (High Tech Manufacturing).
Since they are primarily based on demography, World Districts usually exist for a long time while Special Districts might loose their status more quickly as other attributes become more important.
Key Components of World Districts
Geographical Contiguity: The areas must be geographically connected, which implies physical proximity and contiguous borders.
Political Centralization: There should be a significant level of political unity or coordination, potentially through a central governing body or coordinated policies.
Economic Integration: Economic policies and markets within the district should be harmonized to facilitate trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
Shared Regional Identity: There should be a sense of common identity, which could be cultural, historical, or social, binding the areas together.
Examples to Clarify
Positive Example: ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) fits well as it is geographically connected, works towards economic integration, and fosters a regional identity despite being composed of multiple nations.
Negative Example: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) does not fit because it is not geographically connected, though it has economic and political collaboration.
Additional Considerations
Large Nations as World Districts: Countries like India and China can be considered their own World Districts due to their size, internal economic integration, and strong national identities.
Failed Integration Attempts: Some regions like South America have attempted integration (e.g., UNASUR), but due to various challenges, individual countries may stand as separate World Districts.
24 World Districts (by Population)
🏳️ African Union* 1,430,000,000
🇮🇳 India 1,428,627,663
🇨🇳 China 1,425,671,352
🏳️ Association of Southeast Asian Nations 683,290,000
🇪🇺 European Union** 486,,000,000
🇺🇸 United States of America 339,996,564
🇵🇰 Pakistan 240,485,658
🇧🇷 Brazil 216,422,446
🇧🇩 Bangladesh 172,954,319
🇷🇺 Russia 144,444,359
🇲🇽 Mexico 128,455,567
🇯🇵 Japan 123,294,513
🇮🇷 Iran 89,172,767
🇹🇷 Turkey 85,816,199
🏳️ Korea*** 77,944,881
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 67,736,802
🏳️ Central American Integration System 61,841,000
🇨🇴 Colombia 52,085,168
🇦🇷 Argentina 45,773,884
🇮🇶 Iraq 45,504,560
🏳️ Pacific Island Forum 42,837,000
🇦🇫 Afghanistan 42,239,854
🇨🇦 Canada 38,781,292
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 36,947,025
* Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon are included in the ranking in spite of their recent suspension from the African Union after military coups because reintegration is likely in the coming decade.
** Because of its de facto alliance and application for membership in 2022, the Ukraine is included in the European Union World District.
*** While significant political and economic challenges remain, the shared cultural and historical ties of North and South Korea, combined with ongoing diplomatic efforts, provide a foundation for a potential reunification.
6 Special Districts (by Population)
🇹🇼 Taiwan 23,570,000
🇮🇱 Israel 9,558,000
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 9,441,000
🇨🇭 Switzerland 8.776.000
🇳🇴 Norway 5,550,000
🇶🇦 Qatar 2,695,000
