petrostate

      English

      Etymology

      petro- +‎ state

      Noun

      petrostate (plural petrostates)

      1. A state whose wealth stems from the sale of oil.
        • 1997, Fernando Coronil, The magical state: nature, money, and modernity in Venezuela
          Under subsequent democratic regimes, as we shall see, some of these features of the petrostate were to change, while others were intensified.
        • 2006, Donald S Rothchild, Edmond Joseph Keller, Africa-US Relations: Strategic Encounters
          The petrostate relies on oil as its fiscal foundation, rather than on the taxes paid by the citizens...
        • 2009, Andrew Nikiforuk, Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent
          A couple of years ago, while most Canadians were out shovelling the sidewalk or sipping a coffee at Tim Hortons, the nation quietly became a petrostate.
      Last modified on 27 March 2009, at 11:59