From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Just as a satellite remains trapped in orbit around a larger body, a satellite country is a pejorative term used to describe a nation trapped within the sphere of influence of a larger, more powerful country. In extreme cases, satellite countries may be virtual colonies with little political, economic or military independence.
The most frequently-cited examples of satellite countries are those of the (Warsaw Pact) that were dominated by the USSR . They included:
Other superpowers, including the United States, Nazi Germany and China, are sometimes also said to have had satellite countries.