Explore Locations
Every location is an organism with its own evolutionary story. Explore countries and regions through the lens of path dependence, niche construction, and ecological succession.
239 countries enriched
· 2697 states & regions enriched
Countries by Continent
Europe (44)
Albania Albania exhibits source-sink dynamics like migrating salmon: 800,000 emigrants since 1991 send back remittances worth 9.4% of GDP while $4.3B in exports flow to Italy. 12 states
Andorra Andorra exhibits refugia persistence: a 745-year-old microstate survives unchanged between France and Spain, with 9M tourists generating 80% of its $6B GDP. 7 states
Austria Austria exhibits path-dependence: 600 years of Habsburg rule created a cultural hub (Mozart, Beethoven) and strategic gateway that still generates $534B GDP and #14 global tourism. Belarus Belarus exhibits obligate symbiosis with Russia: sanctions made Moscow control 90% of exports, 80% of imports, and 65% of debt as potash revenues collapsed. 6 states
Belgium Belgium exhibits network-effects from political fragmentation: 15 centuries of linguistic division created the neutral crossroads hosting EU and NATO HQs with 80%+ trade-based GDP. 3 states
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia: where three empires overlapped and three ethnic groups now share veto power. 30 years after Dayton, 68% fear renewed conflict. By 2026: EU integration or institutional paralysis. 12 states
Bulgaria Bulgaria: first Balkan state to fall to Ottomans (1396), last to join Schengen (2025). GDP up 538% since 2000, but population down from 9M to 6.5M. By 2026: EU integration vs. the emigration drain. 28 states
Croatia Medieval kingdom absorbed by Hungary (1102), coast by Venice (1420); 1991-1995 war killed 20,000 but 4.8% growth since 2022 shows Adriatic assets outlast empires. Cyprus Copper gave the island its name and 6,000 years of strategic importance; 1974 Turkish invasion divided it into eurozone south ($42K GDP/capita) and isolated north at one-fifth that size. 6 states
Czechia Bohemia manufactured armaments for Habsburgs, Nazis, and Soviets; now its Škoda (VW-owned since 1991) drives 10% of GDP—highest automotive share in Europe, with matching dependency. 14 states
Denmark Viking-era maritime power became toll-collector for Baltic-Atlantic trade (1429-1857); now 'Novonomics' makes Ozempic manufacturer responsible for 24% of exports and most GDP growth. 5 states
Estonia Eight centuries of foreign rule (Germans, Swedes, Russians, Soviets); 1991 Singing Revolution restored independence; 2007 cyberattack catalyzed world's most advanced digital state. 15 states
Finland Swedish province (1323-1809), Russian Grand Duchy (1809-1917), independence through civil war (1918); Winter War resistance, Soviet reparations drove industrialization; joined NATO 2023. 26 states
France Revolution (1789) exported nationalism worldwide; Napoleon spread civil law across Europe; colonial empire covered 9% of world; Fifth Republic (1958-present) now paralyzed under Macron's seventh year. 13 states
Germany Bismarck unified 1871; World Wars destroyed twice; Cold War divided 1945-1990; reunification cost trillions; now EU's largest economy facing automotive and energy transition. 16 states
Greece Invented democracy 508 BCE; Ottoman rule 1453-1832; defaulted on independence war loans (1827); 2012 saw history's largest sovereign debt restructuring; finally regained investment grade in 2025. 8 states
Hungary Automotive hub dependent on German demand; EU funds frozen over governance disputes while China investments arrive. Iceland Volcanic island powers economy with geothermal energy; tourism recovered post-2008 crash to become primary driver. 16 states
Ireland Ireland exhibits island biogeography in economics: 256% FDI-to-GDP ratio and €116B pharma exports from a 5.3M population through regulatory niche construction. 26 states
Italy Italy exhibits mycorrhizal-network economics: SMEs comprise 99% of businesses, with industrial districts like Sassuolo and Prato producing 30% of global luxury exports through coordination rather than scale. Latvia The Daugava River made Riga a Hanseatic gateway in 1282. Eight centuries later, Latvia remains the membrane between East and West—now exporting timber instead of amber, still at the crossroads. 43 states
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein exemplifies niche construction: 40,000 people, banks hold CHF 510 billion (27x GDP), R&D at 6% of GDP between Israel and South Korea. 5 states
Lithuania Lithuania shows ecological succession: 500% GDP growth since 1990, now EU's #2 fintech hub with 282 licensed fintechs. By 2026: wage-productivity tension tests the model. Luxembourg From 963 AD fortress to 1911 ARBED steel to 1988 UCITS first-mover: €5.5 trillion in funds (77x GDP), world's second-largest fund domicile. $138K per capita. Each crisis spawned reinvention. Malta Malta shows niche construction: iGaming 'Silicon Valley' with 14,000 employees, 6.75% average growth (2014-2023), citizenship-by-investment built $730M sovereign fund. 9 states
Moldova 1812 Russian annexation, 1940 Soviet absorption, 1991 independence, 2024 EU constitutional referendum—each crisis forced reorientation. Wine exports pivoted from 90% Russia to 60% EU. 31.6% poverty but €1.9B EU Growth Plan signals transformation. 37 states
Monaco A fortress captured by disguised Grimaldis in 1297, reinvented as casino (1863), then tax haven. Today: 39,000 residents, 70% millionaires, €10B GDP, 2 km² of the world's most expensive real estate. Montenegro Montenegro shows phase-transitions: EU target 2028 (3 chapters closed Dec 2024) vs. $944M China highway debt (1/4 of total debt). Tourism is keystone at 30% GDP. Debt down from 105% to 61.3% (2020-24). Netherlands 26% below sea level, engineered into Europe's trade hub since 1602. Rotterdam: 435M tonnes, 30% EU containers, €29.6B GDP. Groningen gas closed 2024. Second-largest agricultural exporter from 2% workforce. Now pivoting to hydrogen. 12 states
North Macedonia North Macedonia exhibits territorial behavior over identity: 20 years as EU candidate with no accession path after name dispute with Greece was replaced by identity dispute with Bulgaria. 67 states
Norway Norway exhibits resource storage like a hibernating bear: $1.9T sovereign wealth fund (2025) equals 1.5% of global listed equity, generating more income than oil extraction itself. 18 states
Poland Poland exhibits refugee mutualism: Ukrainian refugees added 2.7% to 2024 GDP (€23.1B), with 69% employment rate and tax contributions fully offsetting support costs. 16 states
Portugal Portugal exhibits gateway-economy adaptation: €54B total Golden Visa impact since 2012, 17% GDP from tourism, but housing backlash prompted 2024 visa reforms. Romania Romania exhibits rapid EU convergence: per capita income from 26% to 78% of EU average (2000-2024), but 9.3% fiscal deficit in 2024 forces painful consolidation. 42 states
San Marino World's oldest republic (301 AD) thrives through microstate niche specialization: $65,269 per capita GDP in 2025, tourism at 22% of GDP, low taxes attracting investment. 9 states
Serbia Serbia demonstrates strategic positioning: 3.9% GDP growth in 2024, S&P investment-grade upgrade, but balancing EU accession with Russia/China ties creates diplomatic optionality. 121 states
Slovakia Slovakia shows extreme export dependence: automotive at 13% of GDP, exports near 100% of GDP, 2.1% growth in 2024, but tariffs and protectionism threaten the model. 8 states
Slovenia Slovenia outperforms Euro Area: 2.9% average growth vs 0.8% EU average, 3.4% unemployment at historic lows, post-flood resilience through EU integration and institutional quality. 57 states
Spain Catalonia and Basque Country industrialized (1832+) while the interior stayed agrarian; early renewable investment now yields 40% lower electricity costs and eurozone's fastest growth. 19 states
Sweden Iron ore railways (1888-1903) enabled neutrality profits through two world wars; unbombed infrastructure funded welfare state, now transitioning from commodities to tech exports. Switzerland Neutrality (1815) enabled refugee-driven watchmaking and war-era banking growth; now pharma, precision manufacturing, and commodity trading maintain world's highest per-capita income. 27 states
Ukraine Soviet breadbasket and industrial forge became world's top sunflower exporter; 2022 invasion collapsed GDP 30%, but agriculture survived despite port blockade and territory loss. 23 states
United Kingdom Industrial revolution pioneer became financial services economy; Brexit (2020) trade barriers with EU, Britain's largest partner, force ongoing adjustment to medium-power status. 9 states
Vatican City Lateran Treaty (1929) created 0.44 km² sovereignty for 1.4B Catholics; museum revenue ($100M), Peter's Pence (€50M) mask €83M deficit and €631M pension shortfall.
North America (23)
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda exhibits post-monoculture succession: from 140,000 slaves on sugar plantations to 365 beaches generating 60% of GDP and Caribbean-leading 6.3% growth. 6 states
Barbados Barbados exhibits coral-based succession: sugar to tourism on an 85% coral limestone island that became a republic in 2021 while growing 2.7% in 2025. 11 states
Belize Belize: where Maya ruins meet the world's second-largest barrier reef—GDP grew 10.5% in 2024 but reef health declined to 'poor'. By 2026: blue economy or reef collapse. 6 states
Canada Canada: 1867 federation born from French-English compromise. 80% exports to US = 20% of GDP. Per capita GDP flat for decade. Housing crisis, immigration backlash. By 2026: slower growth as population pivot bites. 13 states
Costa Rica Colonial poverty forced settlers to work their own land, creating egalitarianism that compounded through coffee wealth (1840s) to military abolition (1949) to today's $95B green economy. 7 states
Dominica Kalinago resistance delayed colonization until 1763; Hurricane Maria destroyed 226% of GDP in 2017, prompting world's first climate-resilient nation strategy by 2030. 3 states
Dominican Republic Taíno genocide, Spanish colonization, Haitian occupation (1822-44), then Trujillo's terror; now tourism ($26B), remittances ($10.7B), and free zones drive Latin America's steadiest growth. 32 states
El Salvador Pipil resistance, coffee oligarchy, 1932 massacre (30,000 dead), 1980s civil war (75,000 dead); now Bukele's gang crackdown arrests 81,000, eliminating term limits as homicides drop 70%. 14 states
Grenada Volcanic spice island pivoted from nutmeg to tourism after hurricanes; revolutionary history shapes resilient identity. 7 states
Guatemala Volcanic soils built coffee monoculture; remittances now rival agriculture while indigenous poverty persists. 22 states
Haiti Revolutionary republic punished by colonial debt and occupation; gangs now control capital amid state collapse. Honduras Banana republic turned maquila hub; remittances now exceed 25% of GDP as emigration outpaces domestic opportunity. 18 states
Jamaica Jamaica exhibits cultural transmission at global scale: a 2.8M population island whose reggae and diaspora reshaped music worldwide while remittances (17.4% of GDP) flow back. 14 states
Mexico Mexico shows mutualism under strain: automotive 31.4% of exports, record FDI, yet IMF predicts -0.3% growth 2025. Remittances fell first time in decade. 32 states
Nicaragua Nicaragua functions like its Lake Nicaragua sharks—oceanic species trapped in freshwater: 700,000 emigrants since 2018 flow through the same land bridge that enabled the Great American Biotic Interchange. 17 states
Panama Panama exhibits chokepoint vulnerability: 2023-24 drought cut Canal transits by 50%, but recovery delivered $5.7B revenue in FY2025—6% of global maritime trade through 50 miles. 14 states
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico exhibits post-bankruptcy recovery: $123B debt reduced 80% in 2022, then 3.0% GDP growth in 2023 with pharma exports at $20.2B (17.6% of US total). 43 states
Saint Kitts and Nevis Pioneer of citizenship-by-investment (1984) now faces competitive exclusion: CBI revenue down 60%, fiscal deficit at 11% GDP, tourism at 875,000 visitors providing partial offset. 1 states
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia shows classic Caribbean tourism monoculture: 65% of GDP from tourism, 3.7% growth in 2024, but 73.5% debt-to-GDP and persistent 14% unemployment. 2 states
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Small island economy shows climate volatility: Hurricane Beryl caused 22% GDP losses in 2024, agriculture collapsed 11.9%, yet tourism resilience drove 4.1% overall growth. 5 states
The Bahamas Post-WWII Hotels Act (1949) plus bank secrecy created twin pillars of tourism (51% GDP) and offshore finance (17% GDP); now OECD tax reforms threaten the model. Trinidad and Tobago Oil since 1857 and gas since 1970s peaked in 2005/2009; production halved while infrastructure ages, forcing diversification from Caribbean's highest per-capita income. 15 states
United States Postwar global economic architect now deploying tariffs and industrial policy (CHIPS Act, IRA) to restore manufacturing; $35B data center construction as AI reshapes investment. 55 states
South America (13)
Argentina Argentina exhibits punctuated equilibrium: Milei's shock therapy collapsed 300% inflation to 1.5% monthly while unlocking $22B in Vaca Muerta shale investment. 24 states
Bolivia Bolivia: five centuries of extraction booms (silver → tin → gas → lithium?) following the same script—wealth flows out, the pattern repeats. By 2026: break the cycle or add lithium to the list. 9 states
Brazil Brazil: five centuries of extraction cycles (brazilwood → gold → coffee → soybeans) pushing into the Amazon that generates the rain agriculture needs. By 2026: sustainable powerhouse or suicide by success. 27 states
Chile Chile: Spanish colony too poor to attract attention. Pinochet's Chicago Boys lab created 3rd-most-unequal country. Boric's failed constitutions but passed pension reform. By 2026: new president, copper/lithium advantaged. 16 states
Colombia Colombia: 300K dead in La Violencia, 5-decade FARC war, Escobar's $25B cartel. Petro's first budget by decree since 1904. Coca up 53%. 2.81M Venezuelan refugees. By 2026: constrained reform, armed group competition. 33 states
Ecuador Inca conquest (1470) then Spanish genocide; dollarized since 2000, now Latin America's most violent country as drug gangs exploit transit routes to Europe. 24 states
French Guiana Penal colony killed 90% of 80,000 prisoners (1852-1953), including Dreyfus; now hosts Europe's spaceport at Kourou, 98% rainforest, and persistent poverty despite French citizenship. 2 states
Guyana 2015 offshore oil discovery triggered 47% average annual GDP growth; now approaching one million barrels daily. 6 states
Paraguay Paraguay exhibits landlocked export dependency: world's 6th-largest soy producer but 87.6% ships to Argentina; cannot export directly to China due to Taiwan recognition. 18 states
Peru Peru exhibits political friction limiting resource extraction: 12% GDP from mining, 2.75M tonnes copper (2024), but social conflicts and ministerial turnover delay expansion. 26 states
Suriname Dutch plantations gave way to ALCOA bauxite (1916); now carbon-negative with 85% rainforest cover, facing choice between offshore oil development and conservation monetization. 5 states
Uruguay Uruguay exported 548,000 tons of beef for $2.7B in 2025 at record $5,000+/ton; cellulose ($2.54B) became top export surpassing beef. 19 states
Venezuela World's largest oil reserves generated prosperity until 1980s crash; Chávez-era nationalization and controls caused 75% GDP collapse (2013-2021), 7.7M emigration. 25 states
Asia (45)
Afghanistan Afghanistan exhibits source-sink dynamics like a landlocked watershed: $643M in dried fruit exports flow through Pakistan's chokepoints to reach global markets. 27 states
Armenia Armenia exhibits refugia persistence: the world's first Christian nation now thrives on tech (6.25% of GDP) and diaspora remittances (20% of GDP) from its 3-million-person territory. 11 states
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan exhibits keystone-species dynamics: the BTC pipeline carries 74.5% of its oil to Europe while the Middle Corridor positions it as a China-Europe transit hub. 3 states
Bahrain Bahrain exhibits ecological succession: from 4,000 years of pearl diving to oil (1932) to finance hub (84.8% non-oil GDP)—now carrying 129% debt through the transition. 5 states
Bangladesh Bangladesh exhibits extreme niche specialization on shifting ground: 81.5% of exports from garments, 170M people at 1,300/km² density on the world's largest delta averaging 8m elevation. 8 states
Brunei Brunei: once Borneo's ruler, now a petro-sultanate—88% fiscal revenue from oil, $73B sovereign wealth, one sultan since 1967. By 2026: diversification vs. the stability trap. 4 states
Cambodia Cambodia: Angkor's million-person capital to Khmer Rouge's Year Zero killed 25% of population. Now 1/3 GDP from garments, 53% FDI from China. By 2026: deeper Beijing orbit as Western ESG requirements bite. 25 states
China China: Deng's 1978 reforms grew GDP from $150B to $19T. Now 10 quarters of deflation, property collapse, record trade surplus. Official 5% growth; estimates 2.5-3%. By 2026: stimulus vs slowdown, no easy path. 31 states
Georgia Rose Revolution (2003) enabled reforms until 2008 Russian invasion; 2012 shift to Russian-aligned government; 2024 'foreign agents' law sparked protests as EU suspended membership talks. 12 states
Hong Kong Colonial trading post became China's financial gateway; 2025 IPO fundraising topped global rankings despite geopolitical tensions. 4 states
India Became world's fourth-largest economy in 2025; services-led growth succeeded but manufacturing employment lags. 36 states
Indonesia Archipelago of 17,508 islands became nickel processing leader after export ban; palm oil employs 3 million amid sustainability pressures. 34 states
Iraq Iraq exhibits source-sink dynamics like downstream wetlands: dependent on Turkish dam releases for 90% of its water, oil for 90% of exports. 18 states
Israel Israel exhibits hormesis at national scale: a 60% desert nation surrounded by adversity became the world's second-largest startup hub, with 57% of exports from tech. 7 states
Japan Japan exhibits senescence at national scale: the world's 4th-largest economy with pioneering manufacturing systems faces a 70% old-age dependency ratio and 1.2 fertility rate. 51 states
Jordan Jordan exhibits buffer-state dynamics: a water-scarce desert nation that doubled to 11 million people via refugee absorption while facing 332M cubic meter water deficit. 12 states
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan exhibits resource-corridor dynamics: the world's largest landlocked country with $370B FDI and 75% oil/gas exports now serves as China-Europe transit hub. 22 states
Kuwait Kuwait exhibits petrodollar paradox: $1 trillion KIA sovereign fund equals 601% of GDP (highest globally) while 2024's OPEC+ cuts triggered 2.8% contraction. 6 states
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan exhibits sanctions-arbitrage dynamics: 11.7% GDP growth from Russia re-exports while gold (42.9% of exports) and remittances (14.6% GDP) create structural dependencies. 9 states
Laos Laos exhibits debt-trap dynamics: 100%+ debt-to-GDP with China holding half of external debt, $3.9B in idled hydropower capacity, 90% of grid sold to Chinese buyers. 17 states
Lebanon Phoenician trading hub where Mount Lebanon's refuge created eighteen coexisting sects. The 1943 sectarian pact held until 2019's collapse—GDP halved, currency lost 98%, poverty hit 80%. 6 states
Macao Portugal's 442-year trading post became China's only legal casino zone after the 1999 handover. Now generating $28B annually—triple Las Vegas—but facing the 2049 expiration of 'one country, two systems.' 2 states
Malaysia Malaysia tests phase transition: upper-middle-income since 1996, now producing 13% of global semiconductors. 2027-2028 may finally cross high-income threshold. 16 states
Mongolia Mongolia shows path-dependence: 91.2% exports to China, 85-90% petroleum from Russia. Mining is keystone: 28.7% GDP, $15B Oyu Tolgoi. March 2025 Eurasian Union trade deal seeks diversification. Myanmar (Burma) Myanmar shows extinction-vortex: kyat down 80% since 2021 coup, 30% inflation (region's highest), resistance holds 40%+ territory. World's top opium producer, FATF blacklisted. 3M+ displaced. 15 states
Nepal Nepal shows source-sink-dynamics: Remittances 25-30% GDP. Hydropower at 3,700 MW exports to India, 40,000 MW potential. 4.6% growth FY25, slowing to 2.1% FY26 after September 2025 unrest. 8 states
Oman Oman exhibits economic metamorphosis: non-oil sectors grew to 73.3% of GDP by 2025, with Vision 2040 delivering diversification that earned investment-grade credit rating. 11 states
Pakistan Pakistan exhibits chronic disease patterns: 25 IMF programs since independence, with $133.5B external debt (36.4% of GDP) while debt servicing consumes 50% of revenue. 7 states
Palestine Palestine exhibits ecosystem destruction: Gaza's GDP contracted 84% by 2025, 80-96% of agricultural assets destroyed, 91% of population facing acute food insecurity. 5 states
Philippines Philippines exhibits distributed metabolism: $38.34B remittances in 2024 (8.3% of GDP) from 10M+ overseas workers, ranking 4th globally behind India, Mexico, and China. 17 states
Qatar Qatar exhibits mega-event infrastructure conversion: $220B World Cup investment now supports 5.1M visitors (2024) while LNG expansion will grow production 85% to 142M tonnes by 2030. Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 diversification advances: non-oil now 76% of GDP, unemployment at 7% five years early, but fiscal breakeven still requires $98/barrel oil. 13 states
Singapore Strait of Malacca guardian became history's most successful city-state—Singapore's 5.9 million generate $400 billion GDP through port, finance, and headquarters functions. 2026: authoritarian succession and fertility crisis test the model. South Korea From $80 per capita (1961) to top-10 economy via state-directed chaebols; semiconductor dominance now hostage to annual U.S. export license renewals for Chinese production. 17 states
Sri Lanka Coffee (1830s) then tea (1880s) created Asia's richest economy by 1900; export dependency without manufacturing diversification led to 2022 sovereign default and ongoing IMF restructuring. 9 states
Taiwan KMT land reform (1953) enabled industrialization; TSMC (1987) now manufactures 90% of advanced chips, creating 'silicon shield' that makes invasion economically unthinkable. 24 states
Tajikistan Soviet cotton monoculture and aluminum smelting (with imported ore) created dependency; civil war collapsed GDP 60%, now reliant on remittances reaching 50% of GDP. 6 states
Thailand Plaza Accord (1985) triggered Japanese auto investment creating 'Detroit of the East'; now Chinese EV manufacturers threaten the ICE-era industrial base Japanese firms built. 77 states
Timor-Leste Independence (2002) after 24-year Indonesian occupation brought oil wealth now depleting; Petroleum Fund may exhaust by early 2030s without Greater Sunrise development. 2 states
Turkiye State industrialization (1923) through repeated crisis cycles produced manufacturing (90% of exports by 2000); 2024-2025 stabilization follows 85% inflation peak and 80% lira depreciation. 42 states
Turkmenistan Fifth-largest gas reserves but 81% flows to China via 2009 pipeline; 2025 Turkey swap deal offers first diversification in years as Line D deepens Beijing dependency. 5 states
United Arab Emirates Trucial States federated (1971) around Abu Dhabi oil and Dubai commerce; diversification built Emirates airline, Jebel Ali port, and tourism (11%+ GDP) as petro-hedge. 7 states
Uzbekistan Soviet cotton monoculture under Karimov (1991-2016) gave way to rapid liberalization; WTO accession negotiations aim to integrate Central Asia's largest population into global trade rules. 15 states
Vietnam Doi Moi reforms (1986) enabled Communist party-led capitalism averaging 6%+ growth for three decades; now supply chain diversification destination as China alternative. 63 states
Yemen Arab world's poorest before 2014 civil war now world's worst humanitarian crisis; Houthi Red Sea attacks since 2023 disrupt 12% of global trade through vital chokepoint.
Africa (54)
Algeria Algeria exhibits keystone-species dynamics: state-owned Sonatrach controls 95% of exports, supplying 25% of EU gas imports while the Sahara holds untapped renewable potential. 47 states
Angola Angola exhibits ecological succession post-catastrophe: after 27 years of civil war, oil still provides 95% of exports while the Lobito Corridor redirects $4B in mineral trade from China. 18 states
Benin Benin: gateway economy where Dahomey's slave ports became Cotonou's 40% of national revenue. 7.5% growth in 2024, but Sahel fragmentation threatens landlocked client states. 12 states
Botswana Botswana: Africa's exception—diamond wealth reinvested, not extracted, becoming first country to achieve 95-95-95 HIV targets. Now: lab-grown diamonds crashed sales 48%. By 2026: diversify or decline. Burkina Faso Burkina Faso: Sankara's 'Land of Honest People' has had two coups since 2022 and now hosts Russian mercenaries. Gold output falling, militant deaths tripled. By 2026: Russian security gamble. 13 states
Cabo Verde Cabo Verde: 519 years of Portuguese rule created a diaspora 3-4x the resident population. Remittances at 12-15% of GDP, tourism 25%. By 2026: blue economy diversification or dependency trap. 15 states
Cameroon Cameroon: German colony split by Picot Line 1919. 42-year Biya rule, 92 years old, no succession plan. Anglophone crisis since 2016: 6,500 dead. By 2026: succession crisis or entrenched repression. Central African Republic CAR: GDP per capita lower than 1960. Bokassa's $200M French-funded coronation to Wagner's $2B+ in illicit mining. 7/10 on <$2.15/day. By 2026: Africa Corps replaces Wagner, extraction continues. 3 states
Chad Chad: father-to-son succession via coup. Habré's genocide, Déby's 31-year rule, son now president. Oil-rich but 90% without electricity. France out 2024, Turkey in. By 2026: dynasty entrenched, great powers competing. 4 states
Comoros Comoros: 4-island archipelago where Mayotte chose France. ~20 coups since 1975. World's #1 ylang-ylang, #2 vanilla. Azali in power since 1999 coup, third term 2024. By 2026: continued fragility, migration to French Mayotte. 1 states
Cote d'Ivoire Refugee queen Abla Pokou founded the Baoulé in 1750; her descendant led independence in 1960. Now produces 45% of world cocoa but captures just 4-6% of chocolate industry value. 5 states
Democratic Republic of the Congo Leopold II's rubber terror killed 10 million (1880-1920); today's cobalt extraction enriches Chinese and Western companies while 75% of Congolese live below $2.15/day. 4 states
Djibouti French coaling station became independent in 1977; now hosts US, Chinese, French, Japanese, and Italian bases at the Red Sea chokepoint, earning 10% of GDP from strategic rent. 2 states
Egypt Nile civilization unified 3150 BCE; Suez Canal (1869) made Egypt a chokepoint; Houthi attacks cost $8B in 2024 as 105 million cluster along one river. 27 states
Equatorial Guinea Spanish colony until 1968; Macías killed 20,000-80,000, then nephew Obiang (still ruling at 82) captured 1995 oil boom—GDP up 5,000% but half the population remains in poverty. 2 states
Eritrea Italian colony (1890-1941), forced federation with Ethiopia (1952), 30-year independence war (1961-91), then Afwerki's 32-year dictatorship with indefinite conscription and forced labor. 2 states
Eswatini Ngwane dynasty (1770s) survived colonialism intact; world's highest HIV rate (27%), 58% youth unemployment, and 100+ killed in 2021 pro-democracy protests under absolute monarch Mswati III. 4 states
Ethiopia Aksumite Empire (4th c BCE), Solomonic dynasty (1270-1974), defeated Italy at Adwa (1896); now landlocked since 1993, Tigray war killed 600,000, Abiy seeks Red Sea access risking war with Eritrea. 9 states
Gabon Omar Bongo ruled 42 years (1967-2009), son Ali continued until 2023 coup; oil wealth (60% of revenue) enriched dynasty while one-third lived in poverty. 9 states
Ghana First sub-Saharan African independence (1957); Nkrumah's vision collapsed in 1966 coup; now democratic since 1992 with cocoa, gold, oil—but 60% of water polluted by illegal mining. Guinea World's largest bauxite reserves supply China's smelters; Simandou iron ore could double GDP by 2030. 4 states
Guinea-Bissau Cashew nuts provide 90% of exports to population enduring four coups since independence; no president has completed a term. 6 states
Kenya Kenya exhibits technological leapfrogging: M-Pesa's 50M users and 75% financial inclusion from $95B East African hub that skipped traditional banking infrastructure. 49 states
Lesotho Mountain fortress founded by Moshoeshoe I in 1824, now the world's first water-exporting nation. Altitude that once repelled British armies now pipes $50 million annually to Johannesburg. 4 states
Liberia Founded by freed American slaves (1847) who replicated colonial structures. Civil wars killed 200,000+. Now Africa's first female-led nation and—oddly—the world's largest ship registry, run from Virginia. 1 states
Libya Three Ottoman provinces forced into one Italian colony in 1934 have been fragmenting ever since. Dual governments since 2022, GDP still 35% below 2010, oil = 97% of exports. The borders don't fit the tribes. Madagascar 165 million years of isolation created a biodiversity hotspot where 90% of species exist nowhere else. Settled by Austronesians from Borneo, not Africa. Now 98% of lemurs face extinction while 80% of humans live in poverty. Malawi Colonial tobacco monoculture from 1893 locked Malawi into extinction vortex: 72% poverty, 5.7 million food insecure, GDP growth below population increase. 2026: no escape route visible. 3 states
Mali From Mansa Musa's gold empire (1324 pilgrimage crashed Egypt's currency) to junta rule and jihadist advance. ECOWAS exit 2025, Wagner/Russia deal for gold, 4.9% GDP growth—but JNIM approaching Bamako by November 2025. 9 states
Mauritania Almoravid trade hub → French colony → 1960 independence with 90% nomadic population → now Africa's second-largest iron ore producer. GTA gas first exports April 2025, $34B green hydrogen projects, GDP growth 5.5% projected 2025. 8 states
Mauritius From sugar monoculture at independence 1968 to Africa's wealthiest economy via textile → tourism → finance succession. 32,000 offshore entities, $12K per capita, but aging population and declining competitiveness threaten the miracle. 11 states
Morocco 14km from Europe, atop 70% of world phosphate reserves, same dynasty since 1631. Now Africa's largest container port, EU's auto supplier, and 2030 World Cup co-host. 10 states
Mozambique Mozambique shows phase-transitions frozen: $20B TotalEnergies LNG halted 2021-2025 by insurgency, planned restart mid-2025. Coral South FLNG shipped 100 cargoes by April 2025. Forecast top-10 gas producer by 2040. 11 states
Namibia 1904-08 genocide killed 80% of Herero; 1990 independence; now 11% of global uranium, 11B barrels offshore oil (Venus FID 2025-26), $10B green hydrogen pipeline. The Namib Desert becomes an energy exporter. 13 states
Niger Niger exhibits resource nationalism as survival strategy: 5% of global uranium but 54% poverty rate drove the 2023 coup expelling French extractors for Russian alternatives. 8 states
Nigeria Nigeria exhibits coalition-formation like termite colonies: 218M people in 371 ethnic groups governed through 36 states, with oil (92% of exports) enabling a $243B economy in 2024. 34 states
Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo exhibits mature oil field economics: 270,000 bpd from 1.8B barrel reserves, with majors exiting while independents revitalize aging fields. 4 states
Reunion Réunion exhibits French overseas integration: 870,000 EU citizens 700km from Madagascar, with metropolitan fiscal transfers maintaining living standards despite 17% unemployment. 4 states
Rwanda Rwanda exhibits post-catastrophic regeneration: 8.9% GDP growth in 2024, tech now 19% of growth, Kigali emerging as African fintech hub with GDP at $14.3 billion. 5 states
Sao Tome and Principe Classic commodity trap: cocoa at 95% of exports but declining, 1.2% growth in 2024, 16% inflation, 90% public investment from donors, waiting on Gulf of Guinea oil. 1 states
Senegal Senegal undergoes phase transition: 6.9% growth in 2024, oil production exceeded targets at 16.9M barrels, IMF projects 10.1% growth in 2025, but 84% debt-to-GDP. 14 states
Seychelles Seychelles achieves high-income status through tourism (55%+ of GDP) and blue economy strategy: 2.9% growth in 2024, 3.2% primary surplus, reserves at 3.8 months cover. Sierra Leone Sierra Leone shows persistent resource curse: 3.9% growth in 2024 on iron ore volatility, 4.4% projected 2025, but 75% labor force remains in subsistence agriculture. 3 states
Somalia Somalia sustains itself through informal systems: remittances at 20-50% of economy, livestock at 40% GDP, 4% growth in 2024-25, while formal state capacity remains limited. 13 states
South Africa Diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) created an extraction economy controlled by Randlords; Eskom's grid collapse now forces choice between stabilization or permanent industrial bifurcation. 9 states
South Sudan Independence (2011) brought 75% of Sudan's oil but zero export infrastructure; pipelines through Sudan mean neighbor's civil war crashed GDP 23.8% in 2025. Sudan British-built Gezira Scheme (1925) made cotton 50% of exports; civil war since 2023 has reached the irrigation heartland, collapsing the economy and displacing millions. 1 states
Tanzania Ujamaa socialism (1967) achieved literacy and unity but destroyed agricultural productivity; post-1985 liberalization enabled gold mining and tourism growth averaging 6%+ annually. 27 states
The Gambia British river access created 450km sliver surrounded by Senegal; peanut monoculture peaked at 90% of exports, now remittances and tourism sustain $800 per-capita economy. 1 states
Togo German colonial boundaries captured Africa's deepest natural harbor; phosphate (nationalized 1974) gave way to transit logistics for landlocked Sahel as primary revenue source. 5 states
Tunisia Arab Spring birthplace (2010) rejected $1.9B IMF loan (2023); record tourism (11M visitors) masks debt crisis (80%+ GDP) with $9.5B due through 2026. 17 states
Uganda Cotton (1904) then coffee economy destroyed by Amin's 1972 Asian expulsion; Museveni's 1986 recovery now faces oil production test via EACOP pipeline (first oil 2025-2026). 4 states
Zambia Copper dependency since 1920s colonial mining drove 2020 default; G20 Common Framework restructuring finally completed 2024 after three years of negotiations with China and bondholders. 9 states
Zimbabwe Land reform (2000) destroyed commercial agriculture triggering 79.6B% monthly hyperinflation (2008); gold-backed ZiG currency (2024) is latest monetary experiment as $21B debt remains unresolved.
Oceania (22)
American Samoa American Samoa exhibits island biogeography constraints: 99% of exports come from one tuna cannery processing 100,000 tons annually on 76 square miles of volcanic islands. 3 states
Australia Australia exhibits island biogeography at continental scale: 70% of exports come from mining ($385B in 2024-25) while population clusters on arable coastal fringes. Cook Islands Cook Islands: 14,300 people, highest Pacific GDP per capita ($25,651). 14% growth in 2024, tourism 70-85% of GDP. NZ free association since 1965. China seabed deal 2025. By 2026: tourism boom continues, geopolitics intensifies. Fiji Lapita settlement 3,500 years ago; British imported 60,000 Indian laborers (1879-1916); four coups since 1987 over ethnic power-sharing; 2022 election marked first peaceful transfer. 4 states
French Polynesia France tested 193 nuclear weapons (1966-1996), exposing Māʻohi people to radiation; only 3% of compensation claims approved; independence movement links nuclear justice to decolonization. 3 states
Guam Strategic US Pacific territory hosting military buildup; Marine relocation from Okinawa underway as tourism remains 46% below pre-pandemic peaks. 5 states
Kiribati Kiribati exhibits habitat-loss dynamics: 33 atolls under 2m elevation with 3.5M km² ocean EEZ face submersion while tuna revenues swing with La Niña migration patterns. Marshall Islands Marshall Islands shows source-sink dependency: US Compact = 60-70% of revenue, average elevation <2 meters. November 2025: launched UBI via digital wallets. Micronesia Micronesia shows source-sink dependency: US Compact = $140M/year, $2.3B in trust funds, yet population fell 31% (2010-2023) as residents emigrate to US. 1 states
Nauru Bird droppings made this 21 km² atoll the world's second-richest nation by 1975. Phosphate ran out; GDP fell 75%. Now Australia pays $1.6B to house refugees here—renting sovereignty. New Caledonia New Caledonia exhibits island biogeography in economics: 74% endemic species, 90% nickel-dependent exports, and 52% production collapse in 2024 when Indonesia undercut prices. 1 states
New Zealand New Zealand exhibits k-selection like its tuatara: geographic isolation forced specialization into premium dairy (30% of exports, $27B in 2025) that distant competitors cannot replicate. 17 states
Niue Niue exhibits source-sink dynamics literally: 1,822 residents are outnumbered 17:1 by 31,000 Niuean diaspora, whose remittances sustain a $31M economy specializing in disease-free honey. Palau Palau exhibits conservation-as-strategy: 20%+ protected areas enable premium ecotourism driving 9.5% projected growth in FY2025, subsidized by US Compact of Free Association. 1 states
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea exhibits megadiversity economics: 850+ languages, 7% of global species, LNG comprising 43% of exports while $10B Papua LNG project delays continue. 17 states
Samoa Samoa shows Pacific resilience through dual income streams: remittances at 33% of GDP, tourism at 20%, with 9.4% growth in 2024 and debt declining to 42% of GDP. 1 states
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands navigates great-power competition: China security pact (2022), $1.76B GDP, mining expected to double in 2025, but 75% workforce in subsistence, growth below targets. 1 states
Tokelau Three atolls (10 km²) controlling 319,000 km² EEZ; New Zealand provides 80% of budget, fishing licenses the rest; twice rejected independence, now planning for potential climate relocation. Tonga Only uncolonized Pacific nation now 83% dependent on overseas remittances (44% GDP); 2022 volcanic eruption severed communications demonstrating infrastructure fragility. 1 states
Tuvalu Nine atolls averaging 2m elevation hosting 12,000 people; .tv domain and fishing licenses fund government while Australia's Falepili Union offers climate refuge pathway. Vanuatu Anglo-French condominium (1906-1980) became independent nation in permanent disaster recovery; earthquake (Dec 2024) latest shock to economy 11% below 2019 per-capita levels. 1 states
Wallis and Futuna French protectorate since 1842 with 70% public sector employment; population fell 25% since 2003 as youth leave, with French subsidies sustaining remaining 11,000 residents.
Other (38)
Anguilla Anguilla exhibits niche exploitation: .ai domains now generate 23% of revenue ($39M in 2024) after ChatGPT made the country code synonymous with artificial intelligence. 1 states
Aruba Aruba exhibits niche partitioning in the Caribbean: its arid climate and hurricane-free position attract 2M+ tourists annually to one of the region's highest-income economies. 1 states
Bermuda Bermuda: where a 1609 shipwreck became the world's risk capital—29.3% of GDP from insurance, 60% of Florida/Texas hurricane reinsurance. By 2026: underwriting the catastrophes that test its own survival. 9 states
Bhutan Bhutan: isolated Buddhist kingdom invented Gross National Happiness, graduated from LDC status (December 2023), now mines Bitcoin with surplus hydropower—$600M holdings (~30% of GDP). By 2026: opening vs. preservation. 11 states
British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands: from Blackbeard's haunt to 41% of global offshore companies. Hurricane Irma destroyed 90% of structures; self-funded recovery hit record GDP. By 2026: regulatory pressure vs. Caribbean resilience. 1 states
Burundi Burundi: Belgian ethnic identity cards shaped civil war (200,000 dead). Now: 34.8% of exports are gold, $15B Russian nickel deal signed, 39% inflation. By 2026: mining uplift or infrastructure collapse. 1 states
Cayman Islands Cayman Islands: from turtle-fishing to $7T in deposits, 85% of world's hedge funds. 100K companies for 69K residents. By 2026: expanding into digital assets while managing legitimacy. 2 states
Curacao Dutch seized the island for its harbor in 1634; slave trade built Willemstad, Shell's 1918 refinery made it an oil hub, now tourism and wind energy attempt the next reinvention. 1 states
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Uninhabited until 1764; Britain took control in 1833; Argentina invaded in 1982 (907 dead, 74 days); 99.8% voted British in 2013; now oil development begins despite Argentine opposition. Faroe Islands Norse settlers (9th century) killed Irish monks, took Celtic women; Løgting parliament since 900 CE; stayed out of EU to control fishing (95% of exports); 55,000 people on 18 storm-battered islands. 1 states
French Southern and Antarctic Lands Uninhabited islands in southern Indian Ocean plus Antarctic sector; valuable for EEZ fishing rights, scientific research, and sovereignty claims over 7,800 km² of land. Gibraltar Military chokepoint evolved into finance-gaming hub; 2025 EU deal preserves cross-border labor flows. 1 states
Greenland Arctic island depends on fishing and Danish subsidies; melting ice exposes minerals that could fund independence. 4 states
Guadeloupe French Caribbean department where public sector provides 40% of output; Hurricane Maria devastated banana production while tourism recovers. 2 states
Guernsey Channel Island where offshore finance generates 44% of GDP; banking assets equal 33 times economic output despite sector consolidation. 11 states
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Uninhabited Australian territory with only active volcanoes in Australian jurisdiction; UNESCO site valued for complete absence of human impact. Isle of Man Isle of Man exhibits island biogeography niche exploitation: zero corporate tax and the world's oldest parliament (979 AD) on 572 km² generate a quarter of GDP from finance. 3 states
Jersey Jersey exhibits regulatory niche construction: a 119 km² Crown Dependency managing £1.3 trillion in global assets through 0% corporate tax and fund administration specialization. 12 states
Kosovo Kosovo exhibits contested-sovereignty dynamics: Europe's youngest state with 3.8% GDP growth and BB- credit rating while recognition limbo bars WTO membership. 6 states
Maldives Maldives shows island biogeography at the edge: tourism = 60% of GDP, debt = 127% of GDP, $500M Sukuk due 2026. Reserves cover 1.7 months of imports. 2 states
Martinique Code Noir 1685, abolition 1848, Pelée 1902, departmentalization 1946—each crisis deepened French integration. Now imports 8x exports, 42% public employment, 30% poverty. Stable trap: too French to leave, too Caribbean to thrive. 4 states
Mayotte Mayotte shows source-sink dynamics: EU territory with GDP 26% of France, ~100,000 undocumented of 260,000 population. Cyclones Chido/Dikeledi devastated Dec 2024-Jan 2025. 5 states
Montserrat Irish settlers' 'Emerald Isle of the Caribbean' became 1980s rock capital (AIR Studios: Police, Stones, McCartney). Hurricane Hugo (1989), then volcano (1997) buried capital Plymouth. Now 4,400 residents in the 'safe zone.' Norfolk Island Norfolk Island exhibits forced symbiosis: 2,216 residents lost self-governance in 2015 when Australia absorbed the territory, generating ongoing resistance despite 2.79% annual economic growth. Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands exhibits ecosystem collapse: 228,963 tourists in 2024 is below half the 500,000 break-even threshold, with 100+ business closures since January 2024. 2 states
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands exhibits minimum viable population: ~50 Bounty mutineer descendants on 47 km² island, 5,000 km from New Zealand, sustained by UK subsidy and isolation. Russia Russia exhibits war economy adaptation: 4.1% GDP growth in 2023-24 but Q1 2025 contracted, with 21% interest rates, 9% inflation, and military at 6.3% of GDP. 70 states
Saint Barthelemy Saint Barthelemy practices extreme luxury niche specialization: €1B GDP in 2024, 90% tourism-dependent, per-capita GDP 19% above metropolitan France through deliberate exclusivity. Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Three isolated Atlantic islands demonstrate divergent survival strategies: Saint Helena on tourism, Tristan da Cunha on autarkic fishing communes, Ascension as military outpost. Saint Martin French half of divided island demonstrates niche partitioning with Dutch Sint Maarten: shared tourism ecosystem with 85% labor force in tourism, EU territory using euro. Saint Pierre and Miquelon France's last North American territory suffered ecosystem collapse from 1992 cod ban—41% still rely on fishing, 46% GDP from government employment, permanent French subsidy dependence. Sint Maarten Sint Maarten shows tourism density extremes: 30 visitors per resident (6x Caribbean average), 3.3% growth in 2024, new airport opened, but carrying capacity constraining expansion. 1 states
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Norwegian whalers processed 175,250 whales (1904-1965) until populations collapsed; £10M rat eradication and marine protection transformed slaughterhouse into sanctuary. Svalbard and Jan Mayen Terra nullius until coal attracted 1920 treaty granting Norwegian sovereignty with equal access; now hosts seed vault and satellite stations as Arctic strategic competition intensifies. Turks and Caicos Islands Salt colony turned British luxury tourism territory receiving 1.5M annual visitors; offshore finance under OECD compliance, conch fishing declining as marine resources face pressure. 2 states
U.S. Virgin Islands Record tourism recovery (2.7M visitors 2024) masks 18% population loss and refinery contamination; rum cover-over and federal recovery funds sustain economy while workforce shortage blocks reconstruction. 4 states
United States Minor Outlying Islands Nine uninhabited territories from 1850s guano claims to Cold War bases now hosting albatross colonies; Pacific strategic competition may revive dormant military infrastructure. Western Sahara Spain's 1975 withdrawal triggered Morocco's occupation (85% of territory); Bou Craa phosphate mine and fishing sustain economy as international recognition of Moroccan control grows. 2 states
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