<P> Core countries do not always stay core permanently . Throughout history , core nations have been changing and new ones have been added to the core list . The most influential countries in the past have been what would be considered core . These were the Asian , Indian and Middle Eastern empires in the ages up to the 16th century , prominently India and China were the richest regions in the world until the 15th century , when the European powers took the lead , although the major Asian powers such as China were still very influential in the region . Europe remained ahead of the pack until the 20th century , when the two World Wars turned disastrous for the European economies . It is then that the victorious United States and Soviet Union , up to late 1980s , became the two hegemons , creating a bipolar world order . The heart of civilisation consists of Western Europe , North America , Australasia and Japan . The population of the core is by far the wealthiest and best educated on the planet . </P>
<P> Core countries do not always stay core permanently . Throughout history , core nations have been changing and new ones have been added to the core list . The most influential countries in the past have been what would be considered core . These were the Asian , Indian and Middle Eastern empires in the ages up to the 16th century , prominently India and China were the richest regions in the world until the 15th century , when the European powers took the lead , although the major Asian powers such as China were still very influential in the region . Europe remained ahead of the pack until the 20th century , when the two World Wars turned disastrous for the European economies . It is then that the victorious United States and Soviet Union , up to late 1980s , became the two hegemons , creating a bipolar world order . The heart of civilisation consists of Western Europe , North America , Australasia and Japan . The population of the core is by far the wealthiest and best educated on the planet . </P>
when did the usa join the core of the modern world system
when did the usa join the core of the modern world system
the 20th century
the 20th century