Power of a State

What factors influence the size, power, and internal structure of a state? These factors might be related to geography, demography (the breakdown of people within an area), religion, etc. Think SPECS and defend your answers.

Luck sometimes is the main factor of how strong a state ends up being. If the state is situated in a fertile region, there is already a strong base to work off. As seen with the Ming Dynasty, having successful agriculture sets up the state with food and other resources to start off. Not does farming help a state be successful on their own, but it also gives opportunity to trade with other countries. This is of course advantageous because trade can bring in technology and resources that other countries that end up making the state even stronger. Living in a farming region gives people a jump-start on resources that many other states do not have.