The Countries Iceberg - Part II

Colombia is a country in northwestern South America that borders the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is the bridge between North and South America with land in both continents and is slowly recovering from a history of crime and conflict, though the country still suffers from an outstanding drug problem.

Capital: Bogotá

Haiti is the only country to successfully undergo a slave rebellion and was the second country in the Western Hemisphere to become independent after the United States. Unfortunately, after the French left Haiti, it essentially fell apart, and is today considered by many to be a "failed state". It's sad, really. Haiti has undergone 32 coup d'etats since independence. More than three quarters of Haitians live under the poverty line; many don't have access to clean water or electricity. Gun violence is prevalent, and in certain areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, gunshots can be heard audibly. The capital is controlled mostly by gangs, and some countries have even considered sending troops into Haiti to intervene.

Capital: Port-au-Prince

Certainly the better off of the two between it and its western neighbor, Dominican Republic occupies the eastern half of Hispaniola, controlling about 60% of the island's area. The capital, Santo Domingo, is the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere. It is much better off than Haiti in this regard; however, corruption within law enforcement agencies and the justice system remains a serious challenge.

Capital: Santo Domingo

Known for its recognizable shape, the country extends a long distance from north to south. This country is so long that if moved, stretches the entire distance between Norway and Niger. The climate varies drastically; there is a lack of rainfall to the north, and the summer season is shorter in the south. It is also home to the driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert.

Capital: Santiago

It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches along the coast to deserts and rain forests more inland. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is home to Machu Picchu, a well known 15th century Incan citadel.

Capital: Lima

Somalia is a large country in East Africa that has a strategic location on the Horn of Africa along southern through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Somalia, though steadily growing, is currently one of the 5 poorest countries in the world. Somalia is also known for the piracy that occurs in its territorial waters along the Somali Sea coast. It is currently designated as a failed state, and has been for the past 15 years.

Capital: Mogadishu

Tanzania is a large and highly populated country just south of the equator, the largest of East Africa, that is home to the largest lake and the tallest mountain (Mount Kilimanjaro) in Africa. It was formed in 1964 from the union of two former countries, Zanzibar and Tanganyika, and the name Tanzania is simply the first three letters of Tanganyika, the first three letters of Zanzibar, and -ia.

Capital: Dodoma

Uganda is a medium sized country in East Africa. Uganda's features include the largest freshwater lake on the continent, the origin of the longest river in Africa, the strongest waterfall in the world, the largest number of primates in the world, and the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world. Uganda is also the most entrepreneurial country in the world, with 28% of the working population having started their own business.

Capital: Kampala

Tunisia is a North African country that is home to the former capital of Ancient Carthage, as well as the origin of the pro-democracy protests of 2010 known as the Arab Spring. Coincidentally, it is the most democratic in the entire Arab world. Tunisia is also the location of the northernmost point of the African continent.

Capital: Tunis

Iceland is a small geographically isolated island that marks the westernmost country in Europe and the world's northernmost capital city, Reykjavik. Roughly the same size as the US state of Kentucky, it is about 11% covered with glacial ice. Despite the frigid temperatures, it is also home to 35 holocene volcanoes, the tenth most in the world, and has a number of active volcanoes at any given time. It could be said that fire and ice both coexist on this island.

Capital: Reykjavik

Malaysia is a melting pot of Malays, Chinese, and Indians located partially on the peninsula Indochina and partially on the island of Borneo. It is locked in a dispute with China, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Brunei on the Spratly Islands, which all six countries claim in some regard.

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Lithuania is a developed country located in northeastern Europe. It was the first country to break away from the Soviet Union, and is known as one of the Baltic states, alongside Latvia and Estonia. It is by far the most populous of the three. Vilnius, the capital, is full of magnificent churches that gain a considerable amount of tourists.

Capital: Vilnius

Syria is a country in the Middle East that has a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. The country is slightly larger than the U.S. state of North Dakota. The country is home to a slew of ethnic groups. Influenced by major uprisings that began in Tunisia, antigovernment protests broke out first in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011. Protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Demonstrations and violent unrest spread across Syria and led ultimately to a full-scale civil war, involving regional and international powers.

Capital: Damascus

Czechia, also known as Czech Republic, is a Central European country that comprises the historical regions of Bohemia and Moravia as well as the southern part of Silesia. Formerly, it was part of a communist country known as Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1992. It still uses the former Czechoslovakian flag as the national flag.

Capital: Prague

Jamaica, the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean, is located south of Cuba and west of Haiti. Though less than half the size of New Jersey, it still maintains a respectable population of about 2.7 million. Though plagued by violent crime and murder, it remains a popular tourist destination for Americans.

Capital: Kingston

After US intervention ended, the Taliban retook control over Afghanistan, which it maintains to this day. Known as the Graveyard of Empires, the name originates from the historical examples of major empires (e.g. British, Mughal, Sikh, Persian, Macedonian, Mongol, Timurid, as well as the United States and Soviet Union) being unable to achieve victory militarily within its borders.

Capital: Kabul

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country. It is the most populous landlocked country, which it became after Eritrea's 1993 secession. Ethiopia is the origin of anatomically modern human beings from the Middle Paleolithic period. It is also the country with the most Oriental Orthodox followers.

Capital: Addis Ababa

The crossroads between the Balkans and Eastern Europe, Romania is the location of the majority of the Carpathian Basin. It is one of the poorest in the EU and has the highest extreme poverty rate in the EU; despite this, it has grown from its days as a Soviet puppet state. It is the location of the only underground amusement park in the entire world.

Capital: Bucharest

Vietnam is a narrow and long Marxist nation located on the Indochina peninsula. Despite high levels of corruption and censorship, it does enjoy low levels too... low levels of freedom of the press and civil liberties, that is. It is probably most associated with the deadly war in the sixties, known there as the American War.

Capital: Hanoi

Formerly known as Zaire, this African behemoth is the second most ethnically diverse in the world, behind India. Though among the richest in natural resources, it is in the five poorest nations as well as the most corrupt nations in the world. By far the largest of the former Belgian colonies, it endured a series of coups and civil wars following independence in 1960.

Capital: Kinshasa

The capital, Belgrade, is packed with history and is also the most populous city fully within the Balkan peninsula. Serbia is landlocked, situated in the very middle of the peninsula. It is currently in a diplomatic conflict with the region known as Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by 101 sovereign states (or 102 as corresponding to JetPunk standards).

Capital: Belgrade

Aruba is a small island and tropical paradise in the south Caribbean Sea, and is also a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the others are Curaçao, Netherlands, and Sint Maarten). It is also the "A" in the "ABC" islands (the others being Bonaire and Curaçao) in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.

Capital: Oranjestad

Cayman Islands is a territory of the United Kingdom located south of Cuba. It is comprised of the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. These islands are simply outcroppings of a submarine mountain range stretching from Cuba to Belize. The coasts are ironshore (limestone fringes with numerous marine fossils) interspersed with sandy beaches and enclosed by coral reefs. Cayman Islands has steadily grown as a tourist destination in recent years.

Capital: George Town

Venezuela is a country located in the southern Caribbean Sea on continental South America. It also claims more than half of the territory of the neighboring country of Guyana. Venezuela is plagued with drug trafficking as well as other violent crime, and has the highest general crime rate of any country in the world.

Capital: Caracas

Fiji is a tropical archipelago in the South Pacific made up of 332 islands. Neighbors include Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa. Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific. Fiji has one of the largest Hindu populations in the world, and also is about 38% Indian in ethnicity. It is a major tourist destination, sporting wide coral reefs.

Capital: Suva

Wales is a largely mountainous constituent country of the United Kingdom located west of England. Though most speak English in Wales, Welsh is spoken predominantly in the north and west of Wales, with about 530,000 speakers. Additionally, Wales is the poorest of the four constituent countries. Through devolution, it has gained a level of autonomy though under the United Kingdom, which is a unitary state.

Capital: Cardiff

The fourth and final constituent country, Northern Ireland is the smallest and least populated amongst them. It is not a part of Ireland because, during the island's 1921 partition, the northern Protestants wished to stay with Britain, as opposed to the Catholic south. This turned into a quasi-civil war, which eventually led to the Belfast Agreement—ushering in administration reform and islandwide cooperation.

Capital: Belfast

Morocco is the closest African country to Europe, and even shares a border with two small Spanish cities. An Islamic kingdom, the country is characterized by a lengthy Atlantic coast, rugged and mountainous interior, and sandy Saharan east. The country holds claim to the Western Sahara, a region currently fighting for independence. But more on that later.

Capital: Rabat

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, located in West Africa. It is about 50 / 50 Christian and Muslim, with the Muslims being concentrated in the north, and the Christians concentrated in the south, especially in Lagos. There are three major ethnic groups (Yorùbá, Hausa, and Igbo). It is part of the N-11, a group of eleven economies that could rival the largest economies in the 21st century.

Capital: Abuja

Luxembourg is a country in Western Europe that is slightly too large to be considered a microstate. It is the smallest of the BeNeLux countries. It is also the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. It is a founding member of NATO and the EU. It maintains a very high standard of living and the second highest GDP per capita in the world.

Capital: Luxembourg City

Panama is a narrow bridge of land that connects the continental landmasses of North and South America. It is transcontinental, located in both continents. This tropical nation is the site of the Panama Canal, which cuts through the midsection of the country. It is the most developed country in Central America, with a high-income economy and ranking relatively well in all economic indicators.

Capital: Panama City

Greenland is the largest island in the world, located in North America though governed by a European country, Denmark. Greenland is notable for vast tundra, huge glaciers, and a unique language closely related to Inuktitut languages in northern Canada. It is also the main entity that is distorted the most in the Mercator projection. It looks to be about the size of Africa in Mercator maps, but in reality, it is only slightly larger than Saudi Arabia.

Capital: Nuuk

Armenia is a mountainous country located in Western Asia. Contrary to popular belief, it is not transcontinental like its neighbors to the north, west, and east. It is the smallest of the former Soviet republics, as well as the most ethnically homogeneous, with 98% of the population identifying as Armenian, and the other 2% being mainly Yazidis. Nickelz was also born here in 2007.

Capital: Yerevan

Palestine is a de facto independent state located in Western Asia. It is recognized by the majority of the world as an independent country from Israel, but Israel claims the territory and countries such as the United States recognize Palestine as a part of Israel. After World War II, the UN created a partition plan which recommended the creation of independent Jewish and Arab states, as well as a Jerusalem controlled by the UN as sort of an international city, part of neither country. The plan was accepted by Israel, but rejected by Palestine. A civil war followed suit. Palestine claims Jerusalem as its own territory, but Jerusalem is entirely under the control of Israeli government. Palestine tried and failed to become a UN member in 2011 and became a non-member observer state in 2012, which it remains alongside Vatican City.

Capital: Jerusalem (claimed), Ramallah (de facto)

Slovakia is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Europe. After WWI, Czechoslovakia was formed, a union between the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia, sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce. The world's largest per-capita car producer, it has been such since 2007.

Capital: Bratislava

Singapore is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. It is without a doubt the most developed in the region, and possibly all of Asia. It is located to the immediate south of peninsular Malaysia. Singapore is the only country in Asia with a AAA credit rating from all major agencies. However, Singapore has an issue with government control and, according to the Democracy Index, is only three places away from being considered a hybrid regime (anocracy). It is a multiethnic state, with four official languages; English, Tamil, Malay, and Mandarin.

Capital: Singapore

Oman, one of only two sovereign sultanates, is located in the Middle East on the Arabian peninsula. It controls the land clearly shown on the map as well as the Musandam Governorate, which is an exclave attached to the United Arab Emirates. Most of the country's land is uninhabitable desert, which is known as the Empty Quarter.

Capital: Muscat

Perhaps the most controversial country in JetPunk history, some claim that this country is in Europe, as it is a European Union member and is geopolitically and culturally more similar to Europe than Western Asia. However, geographically, it is located in Western Asia, close to Turkey and Syria. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960. The island of Cyprus is composed of the Republic of Cyprus, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a UN buffer zone, and two British bases, Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is regarded by the international community to be part of the Republic of Cyprus, except by Turkey. It is de facto independent, though not recognized as such by any nation except Turkey, who invaded Cyprus to secure its independence.

Capital: Nicosia

Croatia is a former Yugoslav country located on the Balkan peninsula. It is the latest member of the European Union, and represents a mix of Central European and Mediterranean ways of living. It has perhaps one of the most distinctive shapes in the world, and is fragmented into multiple parts by Bosnia and Herzegovina, which maintains an 8 kilometer coast on the Adriatic Sea that cuts through Croat territory.

Capital: Zagreb

The smallest country within the European Union, Malta is also one of the southernmost countries in Europe, being located just south of the island of Sicily. It was ruled by Britain until 1964, joining the European Union in 2004 and adopting the Euro in 2008. The most common language is Italian, though English and Maltese are both widely spoken.

Capital: Valletta

Nepal is a republic, formerly a kingdom, tucked away in the Himalayan Mountains, located between India and China. Culturally, the country has the highest rate of Hinduism anywhere in the world, with over 80% of the country subscribing to the faith. Famously (and somewhat ironically), Gautama Buddha was born here around 600 - 500 B.C.

Capital: Kathmandu

Bulgaria is the third-largest country in the Balkans, having existed independently, in some form, since 1878. Warring with Greece and Turkey for a long time, it became communist after WWII, until finally transitioning to democracy after a popular 90's revolution. Today, it attracts many visitors with its Balkan culture and varied landscape.

Capital: Sofia

Kosovo is a partially-recognized country vying for independence from Serbia. Currently, 95 members of the United Nations recognize it, but its membership is blocked by powerful countries such as Russia and China. Ethnically, the country is mostly Albanian, which explains why it wishes to split from Serbian Serbia.

Capital: Pristina

Located on the southern end of France, about four miles from Nice, Monaco is an extremely rich country. It not only boasts the world's highest GDP per capita, but it manages this by having absolutely no income tax. You've likely heard of the country through either the Monaco Grand Prix, or the Monte Carlo casinos—which are illegal for Monacans to visit.

Capital: Monaco

The middle Baltic State between Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia was the second country to break away from the Soviet Union. Since then, it has shifted away from Russia and more into the western world, joining both the European Union and NATO in 2004. Culturally, it is a unique blend of Polish and Russian customs, along with some Balticity for good measure.

Capital: Riga

Lebanon is a Mediterranean nation on the sea's eastern shore; it is also the smallest country on the Asian continent. Unlike its Islamic and Jewish neighbors, Lebanon is quite religiously diverse—Christians and Muslims each make up about a third of the population. It was ruled by France until 1943.

Capital: Beirut

Kuwait is a small and rich Islamic kingdom on the northern shore of the Persian Gulf. Its wealth is overwhelmingly attributed to oil—95% of the economy is driven by it. Beyond its economy, Kuwait is 98% desert, one of the highest rates in the world.

Capital: Kuwait City

Ecuador is named after the Equator, the imaginary line around the Earth that bisects the country. It is about the size of the state of Colorado. It is the owner of the Galápagos islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands straddling the equator, about 490 nautical miles away from mainland Ecuador.

Capital: Quito

Uruguay developed throughout much of the 1900s as one of Latin America's most progressive societies, notable for its political stability and advanced legislation. It is also able to be discerned as the first country to legalize recreational cannabis.

Capital: Montevideo

Bermuda is a British overseas territory located in the western North Atlantic. It is an archipelago of 7 main islands and 170 islets / rocks. It is located about 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. It is comprised of a mostly African population, and is essentially tourism-driven, with one of the highest GNIs in the world.

Capital: Hamilton

The Islamic State is an Islamist militant group designated as terrorists by the United Nations. The group has killed off Christians and Yazidis in droves, as well as recorded unwarranted killings of civilians and soldiers in northern Syria and Iraq. Though they insist they are an independent country, their territory has greatly diminished from its 2015 peak, thanks to international fighting.

Capital: None in particular

The Syrian opposition is comprised of the Syrian National Coalition and other anti-Assad groups. The opposition was supported by about 26% of the Syrian population, and the government / ISIS and al-Qaeda were supported by about 50% each, with ISIS and al-Qaeda having just a bit more support. The purpose of the opposition is to overthrow the authoritarian Syrian government, and as such it is supported by most of the western world.

Capital: Damascus (claimed), Azaz (de facto)

Perched just south of Indonesia, Christmas Island is probably most famous for its name (it was discovered on Christmas Day, 1643). Additionally, it is known for its red crab migration, where crabs flood the island in order to find a mate. It is an external territory of Australia, having been bought from Singapore in 1958.

Capital: Flying Fish Cove

Estonia is a former Soviet republic located in northeastern Europe. It is the least populous country of the former Soviet Union as well as one of only three countries with a Uralic language holding official status in the country. Despite being significantly below the average income for the European Union, it is a developed country, the most of the former USSR, and ranks highly in all international rankings.

Capital: Tallinn

This country transformed itself from a barren wasteland to arguably the most affluent country of mainland sub-Saharan Africa. The country experienced years of drought, but the leadership in Botswana accomplished a massive transformation of the system of governance and developed an effective process for making economic policy in a very short period. Now, Botswana ranks at the top of most economic indicators among African countries. However, Botswana is not admirable in all manners. A quarter of the population is currently infected with HIV/AIDS, and as a result, their Human Development Index is a lot lower than it should be, due to their incredibly low life expectancy (65.65 years) despite their economic development relative to the region it is located in.

Capital: Gaborone

Sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is a country in Central America. One of Costa Rica's main sources of income is tourism. Costa Rica has not had an army since the year 1948, being one of the few sovereign states without a standing military. Despite this, it is a peaceful country, boasting high levels of HDI, press freedom, democracy, and happiness.

Capital: San José

More commonly known as just the DMZ, the zone was established as a peace barrier following the Korean War. It is an international zone, jointly controlled by both North and South Korea. Since 1974, the south has discovered four tunnels under the strip. While the north claims they were built for mining purposes, most people agree it was preparation for an invasion.

This country is literally surrounded by conflict. It borders Syria and Iraq, both war-torn failed states, as well as Israel / Palestine, which are currently in conflict, and Saudi Arabia, which is participating in a proxy war in Yemen. Despite this, Jordan is surprisingly stable. Jordan is also home to one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, Petra.

Capital: Amman

Guantanamo Bay is a United States naval base on the southern tip of Cuba. It was first leased out in 1903, managing to survive the communist revolution in Cuba. Though the current Cuban government denounces the lease as illegal, they've not yet tried to take it by force. Today, the base is most known for its prison, where prisoners / terrorists from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries are allegedly tortured.

The District of Columbia is another name for Washington (named after the first president, George Washington)—the city, uncontrolled by any state, that houses the U.S. federal government. Though it has a mayor, it has no representation in Congress, and couldn't vote in presidential elections until 1961.

Capital: Washington

Tibet, also known as Xizang in Chinese, is an autonomous region in China. It was an independent nation until 1951, when China annexed it. Despite its name, ethic Tibetans have very little say in the region's structure, and the Chinese government has worked hard to stamp out local culture.

Capital: Lhasa

Another "autonomous region" in China, Xinjiang occupies an area larger than Iran. Historically, it was the center of the Chinese silk road. Today, though, it is most associated with human rights abuses against Uyghurs, the local ethnic group, and various others.

Capital: Ürümqi