A superpower is a country that has more power and influence globally than other countries. Superpowers typically have large land areas, abundant resources, powerful economies, influential cultures, and dominant military forces. Historically, the United States and Soviet Union emerged as the two primary superpowers after World War II and competed for global influence during the Cold War era. While the European Union has a large economy and population, it is made up of 27 individual member states and does not act with the same level of unity as individual nation states like the US.