In Traveller: 2300, access to the element tantalum is primarilly what determines whether a nation is a space power (and therefore a major terrestrial power) or not. Australia (well, Oceania really) punches well above its weight in the T2300 universe because as well as recovering well from the Twilight War and maintaining its close relationship with the US for the next 300 years, it has its own accessable tantalum reserves. Tantalum is what allows faster-than-light Stutterwarp drives to operate.
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 "It is better to be feared than loved" - Nicolo Machiavelli
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