► [Kind of document] This ranking table compares revenues of the 10 largest TNCs and the GDP of countries. [Sources] The data are provided by Fortune, the oldest American business magazine, best known for the ranking of companies by revenue since 1955, and the World Bank, an international institution.

► [Public targeted and aim of the document] The public targeted is specialized, especially in economy, knowing what is GDP or revenue. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the value of goods and services produced in one country in one year. Revenue or turnover is the income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers.The aim of the document is to compare the wealth of TNCs to that of nation-states.

► [Historical background] This document was made in 2010. Since the beginning of the 1990s, globalization has placed TNCs as the key players in the international economy.

► In 2010, Walmart’s revenues were on a par with Norway’s GDP. Norway would rank as the world’s 25^th biggest country. Walmart is a US retail corporation that operates a chain of discount department stores. It has been the world’s largest company by revenue since 2010. It has stores in 27 countries and over 2 million employees in the world.

► Two of the top five firms are oil companies. In 2010, both Exxon Mobil and Chevron took in greater revenues than the entire GDP of Romania.

► Even after the financial crisis (2008), Bank of America remains in the top 10 of the world’s largest corporations with revenues higher than Ukraine’s GDP.

An economist, P. Legrain, argued that a proper comparison would deduct the costs of product from the revenue generated by TNCs.

The 10 leading TNCs are American, and part of their might comes from the US leadership in the world’s economy.