The G8 Nations - France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Russia.


http://www.cfr.org/international-org...nations/p10647
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8

"The Group of Eight (G8) was the name of a forum for the governments of a group of eight leading industrialised countries that was originally formed by six leading industrialised countries and subsequently extended with two additional members.

Russia, which was invited to join as the last member, was excluded from the forum by the other members on March 24, 2014, as a result of its involvement in the 2014 Crimea crisis in Ukraine. Thus the group now comprises seven nations and will continue to meet as the G7 group of nations.

The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the Group of Seven or G7 the following year with the addition of Canada.

The G7 is composed of the seven wealthiest developed countries on Earth (by national net wealth or by GDP), and it remained active even during the period of the G8. Russia was added to the group from 1998 to 2014, which then became known as the G8. The European Union was represented within the G8 but could not host or chair summits. The 40th summit was the first time the European Union was able to host and chair a summit.

"G8" can refer to the member states in aggregate or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union. G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7/8 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers.

Collectively, in 2012 the G8 nations comprised 50.1% of 2012 global nominal GDP and 40.9% of global GDP (PPP). Each calendar year the responsibility of hosting the G8 is rotated through the member states in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place.

Both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the group to include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five (O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil (7th country in the world by nominal GDP), People's Republic of China (2nd country in the world by GDP ), India (10th country in the world by GDP), Mexico, and South Africa. These countries have participated as guests in meetings which are sometimes called G8+5.

With the G-20 major economies growing in stature since the 2008 Washington summit, world leaders from the group announced at their Pittsburgh summit on September 25, 2009, that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations. Today, G8 meetings are held with the purpose of discussing global issues such as economic growth, crisis management, global security, energy and terrorism without the governments of the developing nations, which have their major forum.

On March 24, 2014, the original G7 nations voted to effectively suspend Russia from the organization in response to the country's annexation of Crimea; however, it was made clear that the suspension was temporary. Later on, the Italian Foreign Affairs minister Federica Mogherini and other Italian authorities, along with the EastWest Institute board member Wolfgang Ischinger, suggested that Russia may restore its membership in the group, adding that the return to the G8 format depends on Moscow and on Russian actions."

"The G8, or "Group of Eight," consists of eight large world economic powers.
The G7, as the group is sometimes known, lacks Russia.
The G8 has, for the most part, been replaced by the G-20 since 2008."
http://geography.about.com/library/misc/blg7.htm

The G20 nations.
http://geography.about.com/od/politi...s-The-G-20.htm

The members of the G-20 are:
1. Argentina
2. Australia
3. Brazil
4. Canada
5. China
6. France (also a member of the EU)
7. Germany (also a member of the EU)
8. India
9. Indonesia
10. Italy (also a member of the EU)
11. Japan
12. Mexico
13. Russia
14. Saudi Arabia
15. South Africa
16. South Korea
17. Turkey (an applicant for the EU)
18. United Kingdom (also a member of the EU)
19. United States
20. European Union (members of the EU)

"The Global Financial City Centres ranking is an aggregate of indices from five key areas:
people, business environment, market access, infrastructure and general competitiveness."
As of October 2014, the top cities worldwide are:


1 Steady New York United States
2 Steady London United Kingdom
3 Steady Hong Kong (SAR)
4 Steady Singapore
5 Increase 5 San Francisco United States
6 Steady Tokyo Japan
7 Decrease 2 Zurich Switzerland
8 Decrease 1 Seoul South Korea
9 Decrease 1 Boston United States
10 Increase 3 Washington, D.C. United States

The full list of world cities ranking can be viewed below with data from the Global Financial Index.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_..._Centres_Index

London and New York (the worlds only 2 cities with Alpha++ status)
are also in the top 2 leading financial cities too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-alpha-city.htm

"An alpha city is a city which plays a major role in the international community. Alpha cities have tremendous economic, political, and social clout, and they are viewed as primary hubs for global industry, in addition to centers of culture. Some examples of alpha cities are: Paris, London, Tokyo, and New York City. There are also beta cities such as San Francisco, Singapore, Beijing, and Brussels, which play an important role in the global community but lack the power of their alpha brethren.

Several characteristics are used to define an alpha city. The first is first name familiarity around the world. For example, when someone says “Paris,” it is unnecessary to add the clarification that one is referring to the Paris in France, because Paris is so well known. When given the name of an alpha city, most people can say which country that city is in, and they may be aware of several major landmarks in the city, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or events involving that city, like the French Revolution.

Alpha cities are also economic powerhouses. They are meccas for the international business community, and they usually house the core of their national financial industry, including stock exchanges. Many international companies have offices in every alpha city so that they can be in touch with the most current events going on around the world, and alpha cities are major waypoints for shipping as well, with the city often being situated on a port.

To be an alpha city, a city must have a well serviced international airport, along with hubs for trains, shipping, and trucking, and an extensive public transit system. The community of people in the city are diverse, with people from many nations, religions, and socioeconomic classes represented. Alpha cities tend to have tremendous political influence, not only in their own nations, but in the world in general.

Finally, an alpha city is a cultural center. Alpha cities are rich in arts and culture, with museums, theaters, resident symphonies, and other forms of culture. They tend to be arbiters of taste and fashion, with new trends emerging first on the streets of alpha cities, and they are also powerhouses of information exchange, media, and publishing. Every alpha city houses major international and national publishers, media outlets, and information technology companies.

Many alpha cities are popular tourist destinations, thanks to the large role they play in society and culture. At any given time, tourists from all over the world can be found sharing the streets of an alpha city with business travelers, residents, and transients in the city temporarily for work, artistic performances, and other activities."