Maritime power

A maritime power is a nation with a very strong navy, which often is also a great power, or at least a regional power. A maritime power is able to easily control their coast, and exert influence upon both nearby and far countries. A nation that dominates the world navally is known as a maritime superpower.
Maritime power.
Emerging.
Many countries that become maritime powers, become strong in order to defend themselves from an extant threat, such as the USSR did during the Cold War, in order to defend themselves from the United States Navy. In this scenario, it is common for the emerging maritime power to focus largely upon area denial tactics, rather than power projection.
Actual.
Maritime powers are often much more involved in global politics and trade.
History.
Due to its status as an island nation which needed naval protection against continental European states, Britain's fleet of naval and trade ships were already several times larger than that of its closest rival before the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Britain was only able to maximise the economic advantage of the Industrial Revolution by using the same naval power to convince or force other countries to purchase their factory-manufactured goods.