countries

Countries

Afghanistan — Taliban-ruled country, quietly gaining diplomatic recognition
Albania — Adriatic EU candidate, would be the bloc's first majority-Muslim member
Argentina — Libertarian-led economy with compulsory voting and IMF programme
Armenia — South Caucasus country breaking free of Russia's grip
Australia — Country with compulsory and preferential voting systems
Austria — Central European country, first three-way coalition, 60% export share
Azerbaijan — Oil-rich south Caucasus power, recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh
Bahrain — Gulf monarchy, Pearl Roundabout demolished after 2011 protests
Bangladesh — South Asian country reforming after 2024 uprising against Sheikh Hasina
Belgium — Small European country hosting NATO, 93% net-debt-to-GDP ratio
Bolivia — South American country in crisis, ends 20 years of MAS rule
Bosnia and Herzegovina — Balkan country split into two entities under a weak central government
Botswana — Southern African diamond-dependent country, linked to De Beers
Brazil — South America's largest economy, China's top regional trade partner
Britain — European country with a growing African diaspora
Bulgaria — EU's poorest member, joined the euro in 2026, Radev populist PM
Burkina Faso — West African country under military rule, Russian-backed online propaganda
Burundi — Densely populated east African country of 14m, acute land pressure
Cambodia — South-East Asian country with disputed Thai border temples
Cameroon — Central-west African country ruled by Paul Biya for 43 years
Canada — Staples economy facing a deep productivity crisis
Chad — Landlocked Sahel country hosting 1.3m Sudanese refugees
Chile — South American country of 20m, crime-focused politics, obligatory voting
China — World's second-largest economy facing demographic and trade pressures
Colombia — South American cocaine producer with a history of armed conflict
Costa Rica — Central American transit country, murder rate doubled in a decade
Cuba — Communist Caribbean island in economic and demographic freefall
Czech Republic — Central European country, Babiš's ANO returned to power in 2025
Democratic Republic of Congo — Mineral-rich Central African country with conflict in the east
Denmark — Northern European kingdom, first to end postal letters, includes Greenland
Dubai — UAE emirate, global business hub, struck by Iran war in 2026
Ecuador — South American country transformed by cocaine trafficking
Egypt — Most populous Arab country, sidelined under al-Sisi's rule
El Salvador — Central American country with world's highest incarceration rate
Equatorial Guinea — Oil-rich West African dictatorship, target of 2004 coup attempt
Eritrea — Red Sea dictatorship, Italian colonial heritage, threatened by Ethiopia
Estonia — Baltic NATO member on Russia's border, annexed by Stalin in 1940
Ethiopia — East African country with diaspora bonds and nurse exports
Finland — Northern European country, 1,300km Russian border, world-leading icebreakers
France — European country with a fragile minority government and strained finances
Gabon — Central African rainforest country, elephant population rebounding
Georgia — South Caucasus country sliding into pro-Russian autocracy
Germany — Europe's largest economy, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz
Ghana — West African country sparing itself Sahel jihadist violence
Gibraltar — British overseas territory on Iberian peninsula, post-Brexit EU treaty
Greece — Shipping powerhouse, digital transformation from worst to average
Greenland — Self-governing Danish territory of 57,000 in the Arctic
Grenada — Caribbean island where China built a cricket stadium to win diplomatic ties
Guatemala — Central American country with severe traffic congestion in its capital
Guinea — West African country of 14m, junta-ruled, home to Simandou iron-ore mine
Guinea-Bissau — Coup-prone west African cocaine hub, at least ten coups since 1974
Guyana — Former British colony transformed by 11bn-barrel oil discoveries
Haiti — Caribbean country near collapse under gang control
Honduras — Central American country of 11m, disputed 2025 election, Trump meddling
Hong Kong — Chinese SAR navigating national-security crackdown and financial revival
Hungary — Central European country, Magyar's Tisza ousted Orban in April 2026
Iceland — NATO founding member with no army, 400,000 people
India — $4trn economy pivoting between America, China and Russia
Indonesia — Host of the 1955 Bandung conference, BRICS member
Iran — Middle Eastern country in nuclear talks with America
Iraq — Middle Eastern country dominated by Iranian-backed militias
Ireland — Neutral tax-haven economy, sub-1% defence spending, no fighter jets
Israel — Middle Eastern country waging war in Gaza
Italy — European country where migration rose despite nativist pledges
Ivory Coast — West African country of 33m, Ouattara seeking a fourth term
Jamaica — Caribbean island, Hurricane Melissa, cat-bond payout, debt reduction
Japan — Trade-oriented economy hit hard by Trump's tariffs
Kazakhstan — Former Soviet state, oil exports and internet routed through Russia
Kenya — East African country of 57m, facing protest crackdowns under Ruto
Kosovo — Muslim-majority Balkan state, independent after NATO intervention
Kuwait — Gulf monarchy, no bypass route to the Strait of Hormuz
Kyrgyzstan — Central Asian country sliding from democracy into authoritarianism
Laos — South-East Asian country, French colony turned communist state, US deportee destination
Latvia — Baltic republic, 5% defence spend, energy-independent from Russia
Lebanon — Middle Eastern country where new president aims to disarm Hizbullah
Libya — Oil-rich north African country divided between east and west
Lithuania — Baltic republic hardening its border against Russia
Madagascar — Indian Ocean island, GDP per person halved since 1960
Malawi — Southern African country, site of deadly human-elephant conflict
Malaysia — South-East Asian manufacturing hub shaped by racial affirmative action
Mali — Landlocked West African gold producer under military junta rule
Mauritius — Indian Ocean island with Africa's second-highest GDP per person
Mexico — America's largest trading partner, overhauling judiciary through elections
Moldova — Eastern European country pursuing EU accession amid Russian interference
Mongolia — Central Asian nation of horsemen, conserving the Przewalski's horse
Morocco — North African manufacturing hub, occupier of Western Sahara
Mozambique — South-east African country with $20bn TotalEnergies gas project
Myanmar — South-East Asian country in civil war after 2021 military coup
Namibia — South-west African country of 3m, potential offshore oil bonanza
Nepal — South Asian country, Gen-Z uprising toppled old guard in 2025
Netherlands — European trading nation with Europe's biggest ports
New Zealand — Pacific island country, 1991 "mother of all budgets" fiscal reforms
Nicaragua — Central American country ruled by Ortega after Somoza and Sandinista eras
Nigeria — Africa's most populous country, oil-dependent and beset by insecurity
North Korea — Hermit kingdom of 26m, increasingly repressive under Kim Jong Un
Norway — Wealthy Scandinavian country, oil fund, British defence partner
Oman — Gulf state, diplomatic intermediary between America and Iran
Pakistan — Nuclear-armed rival of India over Kashmir
Panama — Central American country, canal ports stripped from CK Hutchison
Papua New Guinea — Largest Pacific-island country, military alliance with Australia
Peru — Latin America's largest gold producer, plagued by illegal mining
Philippines — Former American colony on the first island chain near Taiwan
Poland — EU member with divided coalition government and contested presidency
Portugal — European country with a culture of pragmatic political consensus
Puerto Rico — US Caribbean territory, major military build-up since 2025
Qatar — Gas-rich GCC monarchy hosting Hamas, US Central Command and Al Jazeera
Republic of Congo — Congo-Brazzaville, ruled by Sassou Nguesso since 1979
Romania — EU member with highest budget deficit, hard-right surge
Russia — War economy facing East, high inflation and falling oil prices
Rwanda — Small East African country led by Paul Kagame
Saudi Arabia — Oil kingdom pursuing Vision 2030 economic diversification
Scotland — UK constituent country, SNP-governed since 2007, planning "kilt" bonds
Senegal — West African country in debt crisis, Wolof-speaking, newly exporting oil and gas
Serbia — Balkan EU candidate, friendly to Russia yet arming Ukraine
Sierra Leone — West African country, model mpox response using Ebola lessons
Singapore — City-state ruled by the PAP since independence
Slovakia — Central European Visegrad member, pragmatic on Ukraine despite populist PM
Slovenia — Small central European country, formerly part of Yugoslavia
Solomon Islands — Pacific island country where China has made greatest inroads
Somalia — East African front line in America's war on terror
Somaliland — Breakaway Horn of Africa republic, recognised by Israel in 2025
South Africa — Africa's largest economy, targeted by Trump over white farmers
South Korea — Trade-oriented economy navigating Trump tariffs and security fears
South Sudan — East African country independent from Sudan since 2011
Spain — European country with high renewable energy share
Sri Lanka — South Asian island recovering from 2022 economic collapse
Sudan — East African country engulfed in civil war since 2023
Suriname — Multi-ethnic former Dutch colony on South America's north-east coast
Sweden — Nordic country with Europe's largest rare-earth deposit
Switzerland — Mountainous direct democracy negotiating a tighter EU deal
Syria — Middle Eastern country rebuilding after Assad's fall
Taiwan — Island balancing China, America and a non-red drone industry
Tanzania — East African country, CCM rule since 1961, bloody post-election crackdown
Thailand — South-East Asian country where populists battle conservative forces
Timor-Leste — Former Portuguese colony, ASEAN's 11th member since 2025
Togo — West African country ruled by the Gnassingbe dynasty for 58 years
Turkey — NATO member with Europe's second-largest army after Ukraine
Uganda — East African country ruled by Museveni since 1986
Ukraine — Eastern European country fighting Russian invasion since 2022
United Arab Emirates — Gulf state quitting OPEC, leaning into AI and Israel ties
Uruguay — Secular South American country, early welfare state pioneer
Uzbekistan — Former Soviet state in Central Asia, courted by the EU
Vanuatu — South Pacific archipelago of 83 islands, facing severe climate change
Venezuela — Oil-rich South American country, former model democracy, chavista collapse
Vietnam — Fast-growing Asian economy with a 5m-strong global diaspora
Virginia — US state, only southern state to reject Trump, high federal workforce
Wales — UK constituent country, GDP per person three-quarters of Britain's
Yemen — Arabian Peninsula country, civil war pits Houthis against a fractious coalition
Zambia — Copper-rich southern African country, major Chinese investment