The fact of the matter is that if you don’t have borders, you don’t have a country. And the countries of the world today were all made possible by means of war. Whether we like it or not, countries are almost constantly under threat. In order to defend themselves, governments need to carefully designate funds to construct and maintain militaries to protect and defend their citizens. And some countries will need it more than others.
This is a ranked list of the most powerful armies in the world, according to the number of military personnel, amount of weapons, geography, financial health, logistical capabilities, natural resources, and global status (First, Second, or Third World) among other factors.
See where the U.S. ranks and which countries are forces to be reckoned with.
40. Romania
While Romania’s population has actually been decreasing in the last few decades, being close to 19 million, the Romanian Armed Forces still have 70,000 active soldiers. The nation allows an annual budget of $4.5 billion.
BUCHAREST, April 23, 2018 — Romanian Honor Guard soldiers stand in attention during a ceremony marking Romanian Land Forces Day at Fallen Heroes Memorial, in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, April 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Cristian Cristel via Getty Images)
The Romanian army is divided between Land Forces, Air Force, and the Naval Forces. After they joined NATO in 2004, the conscription laws were changed, making it no longer obligatory to join the forces. The army receives its equipment mainly from the UK, US, and Turkey.