The Countries Iceberg - Part III

Kazakhstan, the largest landlocked country in the world, is located in Central Asia, dominating the region. It comprises 60% of the GDP of the region, and is the second largest former Soviet republic, after Russia, of course. Kazakhstan ranks about the same as Russia in both GDP per capita measures (PPP and nominal) as well as Human Development Index. Kazakhstan experienced some riots and protests last year over rising gas prices after a price cap removal, government dissatisfaction, and widespread poverty, and the riots resulted in the death of 227 people. Kazakhstan is labeled as an authoritarian regime and its human rights record is described as poor.

Capital: Astana

Essentially Russia's right hand man, it is a landlocked former Soviet republic located in Eastern Europe. It is the largest landlocked country in Europe. Belarus is Russia's closest ally and has even assisted with Russia's war efforts in Ukraine. It has suffered some sanctions along with Russia and has been barred from some international organizations as well. The president, Alexander Lukashenko, is de facto the leader of the country, and has been the only president since the establishment of the office. However, Lukashenko is not recognized as the legitimate president of Belarus by the United Kingdom, European Union, or United States.

Capital: Minsk

The Kingdom of the Netherlands, not to be confused with its constituent country of the same name, is the realm containing the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Marteen, the latter three all being small islands in the Caribbean. In practice, the Netherlands holds 98% of the kingdom's population and area, in addition to being responsible for its foreign policy and defense, but the other three countries hold a high degree of autonomy, including their own parliaments.

Capital: Amsterdam

Similar to the above, the Kingdom of Denmark, or the Danish Realm, is the union of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, all headed by the King of Denmark. The vast majority of the population resides in Denmark, though Greenland controls over 98% of its area. Again paralleling the above, Denmark is in charge of the realm's foreign affairs and defense, but all other internal matters are dealt with by each region's legislature.

Capital: Copenhagen

The final sovereign realm we'll cover, the Realm of New Zealand comprises one sovereign state (New Zealand), its territories, and two associated states (Niue and the Cook Islands). Unlike the previous two entries, these associated states enjoy complete equality to New Zealand—no law may be passed for them, including on defense or foreign policy, without their consent. The entire realm is headed by the Governor-General of New Zealand.

Capital: None (de jure), Wellington (de facto)

Zimbabwe is a multiethnic nation with 16 official languages. It is located in southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. From 2000 to 2009 the economy experienced extreme hyperinflation before rebounding after the use of currencies other than the Zimbabwean dollar was permitted, although growth has since faltered, and Zimbabwe's inflation is currently the fifth highest in the world, at 92%. Zimbabwe recently allowed the usage of foreign currencies in place of their defunct currency; for example, the US Dollar, Indian Rupee, Japanese Yen, and Motswana Pula, among others.

Capital: Harare

Liberia is a country in West Africa, that is eerily similar to the United States in multiple ways; for good reason. Liberia was founded as an outpost for freed slaves returning to Africa. Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim independence, and one of only two countries to escape the partitioning of Africa in 1885. Due to an outbreak of ebola in 2013, its tourism industry is essentially dead, so their main industries are now agriculture and agribusiness. It can be recognized for its US-flag replica on their own flag, or for its atrocious regional flags. Check out this cool blog by Baxtergrad to see how bad they truly are.

Capital: Monrovia

Ghana is a medium sized country located in West Africa, the second most populous country in the region. It is slightly larger than Romania, with a population greater than huge countries like Kazakhstan or Australia. Ghana was the first colony in West Africa to achieve sovereignty, gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Ghana has maintained one of the freest and most stable governments on the continent, and ranks among the highest in Africa in all economic and social indicators. It has a significant influence on Africa as a whole due to its status.

Capital: Accra

El Salvador is the smallest country in continental America, located on the Pacific coast. From the late 1800s to mid 1900s, El Salvador endured political and economic instability characterized by revolts and coups, as well as a succession of authoritarian leaders. A civil war occurred between 1979 and 1992. Despite these, El Salvador is quite prosperous when compared to its neighbors. Despite a high crime and homicide rate, they have the lowest levels of income inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was also the first country to make Bitcoin a national currency.

Capital: San Salvador

Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked micronation in Western Europe. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy. It has one of the highest GDP per capitas in the world. It is a major winter sport destination and has a strong financial industry; it was formerly known as a billionaire tax haven, but it is no longer. Despite its small size, its most populous city is not Vaduz; it is Schaan, with a population of a bit more than 6,000. Liechtenstein currently has a customs union with Switzerland, and is in the Schengen Area despite not being in the European Union.

Capital: Vaduz

Chad (also known as Tchad) is a large landlocked country, the largest of these in Africa, located in Central Africa. The country is Saharan climate in the north and a more fertile savanna rejoin in the south. It is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world, ranking 2nd lowest on the Human Development Index. Most Chadian citizens live in extreme poverty as subsistence farmers. Oil is the country's primary export earning method.

Capital: N'Djamena

Angola is a Portuguese speaking nation (second largest in population and area) located in Central Africa. It consists of the part clearly shown on the map as well as the exclave of Cabinda that borders Republic of Congo. Despite its small size, Cabinda holds about half of the country's entire oil reserve, and some of the largest oil fields in the entire world off its coast. Angola is one of the more developed countries in Africa; actually, Luanda ranked as the most expensive city in the world for expatriates in 2015. Renting a two-bedroom apartment costs an average of 6,800 USD a month. Angola endured a brutal civil war from 1975-2002, where 500,000 died and the country's poor infrastructure was essentially destroyed. However, they have recovered relatively well with their sizable oil wealth.

Capital: Luanda

The Falkland Islands (or Islas Malvinas) are an archipelago in the South Atlantic. They have internal self-governance as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. At various times the islands have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements, creating controversy over the discovery and colonization of the islands. The sovereignty status of the nation is the center of an ongoing territorial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom; Argentina claims that the islands belong to them. Britain and Argentina even went to war over them, with Argentina surrendering the islands but maintaining the claim that they own them.

Capital: Stanley

Central African Republic is a landlocked country located in Central Africa. The country is currently experiencing a civil war that has raged on since 2013. Most of the country is in the Ubangi river basin, with the remainder in the Chari river basin. The country has the lowest inequality adjusted HDI, and is classified as a least developed country, with high levels of corruption, poverty, crime, and violence. The Central African Republic is also estimated to be the unhealthiest country as well as the worst country in which to be young.

Capital: Bangui

Algeria is the largest country in Africa, as well as the largest in the Arab world. It is located in North Africa. It has the highest Human Development Index on mainland Africa, and is a frontrunner in quality of life and life expectancy on the continent. It is a middle income country; most of their revenue is from their vast oil wealth, a staple in countries surrounding Algeria. The official languages are Arabic and Berber.

Capital: Algiers

Sudan is a country in North Africa. It was formerly the largest country in Africa and about the size of Algeria and North Korea combined, until South Sudan broke away in 2011; it is now third in Africa, behind Algeria and DR Congo. It was an officially Islamic state until 2020 when it became a secular state; Islam has an overwhelming majority in the country, though. Sudan relies on agriculture for economic development due to international sanctions and isolation, as well as historical instability. Sudan was formerly known as Nubia by Ancient Egyptians.

Capital: Khartoum

United Arab Emirates, also known as UAE and incorrectly known as Dubai, is a small oil-rich country located on the Arabian Peninsula that is technically not an absolute monarchy. It is one of the wealthiest countries per capita in the world due to vast oil wealth. United Arab Emirates has been criticized for its human rights record, forced disappearances, torture and imprisonment of those who speak against the government, and harassment of private citizens by state officials. Freedom of press, religion, assembly, and expression are all severely repressed in the country.

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Georgia is a transcontinental country located mostly in Asia with about 10% of its area in Europe. Georgia emerged as an independent republic in 1917 after the Russian Revolution, but was invaded and annexed in 1922 by the Soviet Union. Georgia seceded in 1991. Georgia suffered from secessionist wars in Abkhazia and South Ossetia upon independence, as well as political instability and ethnic conflict. Contemporary Georgia pursues a strong pro-Western and anti-Russia standpoint; they are a potential candidate for the European Union along with Kosovo. They were the only former socialist country to legalize recreational cannabis.

Capital: Tbilisi

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, located in the northern part of the region. Guatemala is bordered by four countries, and it claims more than half of the territory of Belize, though nobody recognizes their claim. Poverty is a major issue in the country, with a quarter of the population not getting enough food, and this has been worsened by the Russo-Ukrainian war. Guatemala's population is about half indigenous, the highest in North America. In the early 1960s, Guatemala endured a civil war between the US-backed government and the leftist rebels. This entailed genocidal massacres of indigenous Mayan peoples by the military.

Capital: Guatemala City

Vatican City is an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both area and population, about 5,000 times smaller than the city of Tokyo, and with a population of only ~1,000 people. It became independent in 1929 due to the Lateran Treaty. It is governed by the Holy See, and is an absolute monarchy ruled by Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome. Vatican City contains cultural sites such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. It is a UN observer state.

Capital: Vatican City

The Holy See is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and the jurisdiction of the Pope as it pertains to his role as the Bishop of Rome. It is inclusive of the episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome, and it has ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Catholic Church and sovereignty over the Vatican City. It is sometimes referred to as the Vatican City; however, they are not the same thing. The Holy See is viewed as the central government of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church, in turn, is the largest non-government provider of education and healthcare in the world.

The Palestinian National Authority (officially the State of Palestine) is a governing body controlled by Fatah that is partially in control of the West Bank. They received aid from the US and EU (about $1 billion) in 2005. It was fully in control of the West Bank before elections in 2006 and conflict between Fatah and Hamas parties, when the PNA lost to Hamas. They are not recognized by the United Nations as the representative of the Palestinian people. It is recognized by 138 nations and is a UN observer state.

Capital: Ramallah

Libya is a country in North Africa. It is composed of three historical regions; Tripolitania (three cities), Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. It is the fourth largest in Africa, and the least populous country in North Africa. It has the lowest population density of all Muslim-majority nations. In 1969, a bloodless coup took place, and Gaddafi took power. Despite being labeled as a dictator by critics, under Gaddafi's leadership, Libya flourished. In spite of being a failed state, it has one of the highest life expectancies in Africa, per capita income rose to the fifth highest in Africa under his leadership... this came, however, with increased political repression and controversial foreign policy. Despite the civil war currently being at a ceasefire, the country is in an extremely fragile position and is still not safe.

Capital: Tripoli

Union State is a supranational union between Russia and Belarus. The purpose of the union is for enriching the ties between the two allied nations. It was intended to be a confederation, but both nations remain sovereign. Other countries are allowed to join, though none have. The current president is Alexander Lukashenko, the de facto president of Belarus (he is not recognized as the legitimate president of Belarus by the UK, US, or EU).

Capital: Moscow

This entry refers to the United States', as well as much of Europe's, support of certain groups within the Syrian Civil War, particularly those that oppose ISIS and the Syrian central government. This includes bands such as the Syrian opposition and the Syrian Democratic Forces. The purpose of this support is to firstly drive out radical Islamists and terrorists, and then secondly transform Syria into a free and democratic state. Currently, there are still over 900 American troops fighting in Syria.

This is what Afghanistan was until the Taliban takeover in 2021 following American withdrawal. It was a presidential republic. The erasure of this regime marked the end of the longest war in US history. This government resulted from the United States invading Afghanistan in response to 9/11. Following the withdrawal of NATO in 2021, the Taliban launched an attack in May 2021, allowing them to take control of the country over the following three and a half months. The republic collapsed on August 15, and the Taliban have controlled Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 2021.

Capital: Kabul

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean and one of the 18 regions of France. It is immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia. Corsica is the least populous region of metropolitan France. Two thirds of the island is made up of a mountain chain. Though part of France, Corsica has cultural ties to Tuscany and retains many aspects of Italian culture. Due to its location and history, Corsica enjoys more autonomy than other regional collectivities in France.

Capital: Ajaccio

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is the designated exclusion zone surrounding the site of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. It is located in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts. It was established by Soviet forces (since Ukraine was not independent yet) and was originally a 19 mile radius around the site, but has been altered to include a larger area of Ukraine. Recently, it was the site of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces on the first day of the invasion.

Located within India's Andaman Islands, the island is inhabited entirely by an uncontacted tribe known as the Sentinelese. Most of the island is covered with dense forest. The Indian government respects their desire to be left alone; the Sentinelese are known for killing those who get close to their island, and the Indian government agrees not to prosecute them for it, even though the Sentinelese technically live in India. The Sentinelese have repeatedly attacked approaching vessels, whether the boats were intentionally visiting the island or simply ran aground on the surrounding coral reef. The islanders have been observed shooting arrows at boats, as well as at low-flying helicopters. Such attacks have resulted in serious injury and death. In 2018 an American Christian missionary was killed after bribing local fishermen to transport him to the island.

Capital: Unknown, most likely none

al-Qaeda is a pan-Islamist Sunni militant organization led by Salafi Jihadists, with leadership based in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are designated a terrorist group by 33 sovereign states, as well as NATO, the UN Security Council, and the EU. They identify as a global Islamist revolution to unite the Muslim world under a supranational Islamic state called the Caliphate. The members are mostly Arabs, but other ethnic groups also participate in the organization. They operate in 27 countries on three continents, shown on the map. They mount attacks on civilians and military targets in various countries. They were the perpetrators of incidents that include the 2002 Bali bombings, the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, and, by far the most well-known, the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, colloquially known as 9/11.

Capital: None in particular

Namibia, also known as Nambia (to Donald Trump) is a former German colony in Southern Africa. Namibia is one of the most stable countries in Africa, and is a multi-party parliamentary democracy. Racial classifications and rules of South Africa were imposed on Namibia after it was handed over to South Africa after WWI. Namibia in its present form was entirely independent in 1994. It is the second least densely populated country in the world.

Capital: Windhoek

Yemen is a large country located in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the only country on the Arabian Peninsula not to touch the Persian Gulf. It is a transcontinental country, and is slightly larger than metropolitan France. Yemen has been in a state of political crisis since 2011, starting with protests against poverty, corruption, unemployment, and the president's plan to abolish term limits. The president stepped down and the presidency was transferred; from then, in 2014, the country was engulfed in civil war. The war is still ongoing eight years later, between the Saudi Arabian-led coalition to restore the government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and several proto-states claiming to be the government of Yemen. The war has resulted in a famine affecting more than half of the population. The lack of clean drinking water and destruction of infrastructure has led to the largest and fastest cholera outbreak in human history, and the suspected number of Yemeni citizens affected with cholera is about 995,000. The war has deeply worsened Yemen's human rights situation, which was already poor before the civil war.

Capital: Sana'a (de jure), Aden (de facto)

Djibouti is a country on the Horn of Africa located in the region known as East Africa. It was part of the Land of Punt along with Somaliland, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. It is known for being in control of access to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean as well as being near in location to many shipping routes in the area. Djibouti is the host of various foreign military bases from six countries: China, France, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and United States. Djibouti's majority ethnic group is Somali. It can also be recognized for being a staunch dictatorship, having a major corruption issue, and having some of the worst press freedom in the world.

Capital: Djibouti City

Brunei is a small country located on the island of Borneo, an island shared with Malaysia and Indonesia. It is an absolute monarchy, ruled by a sultan. It is the smaller of the two sovereign sultanates, with the other being Oman. It is the least populous country in Southeast Asia. Brunei ranks highly in all economic indicators. It is the second most developed in Southeast Asia, and ranks in the top 10 of GDP per capita (PPP). It is one of two countries to have a public debt of $0.

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. It consists of two main islands as well as 21 smaller islands. It is eleven kilometers from the coast of Venezuela, and shares maritime borders with Barbados, Venezuela, and Grenada. The country's culture is a portmanteau of African slave traditions and Indian cultural traditions. The island was a Spanish colony from 1498 before it became British in 1802 as two different states. They united in 1889 and gained independence in 1962. Trinidad and Tobago is the wealthiest country in the Caribbean by GDP (PPP) per capita (Bahamas and Guyana do not touch the Caribbean). The country is unique from other Caribbean nations in that it is not primarily driven by tourism; it is rather an industrial-based economy. Most of their wealth is derived from large oil reserves.

Capital: Port of Spain

Slovenia is a heavily forested and mountainous country located in Central Europe. Most of the country is included in the Balkan region of Europe. It has historically been a crossroads of Romance, Germanic, and Slavic cultures. It has been part of many empires, such as the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire. It was part of a union called the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. That state merged with the Kingdom of Serbia to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Germany, Italy, and Hungary occupied, divided, and annexed Slovenia during World War II, and it fell back under Yugoslavian control in 1945. It remained in Yugoslavia until 1991 when it became the first republic to declare independence. Modern Slovenia is known for its incredibly low income inequality.

Capital: Ljubljana

South Sudan is, shockingly, located to the south of Sudan. It gained its independence from it in 2011, making it the world's youngest legitimate country. Unfortunately, a civil war broke out in 2013, and since then the country has devolved into chaos and anarchy. It is extremely unsafe, rivaled by perhaps only Somalia or Syria.

Capital: Juba

Nicaragua is the largest country by area in Central America. Managua, the capital, is the second largest city in Central America. It is also home to the second largest rainforest in the Americas. Nicaragua is a "presidential republic" though it is classified as an authoritarian regime by many. It removed term limits in 2014, allowing the leader, Daniel Ortega, to get a third term. He has been president for the last 16 years. Nicaragua faces rampant poverty, with the lowest GDP per capita in mainland North America.

Capital: Managua

Bolivia is a large landlocked country located in South America. Spanish is the official and predominant language, though 36 native languages have official status alongside Spanish. In 1879, Bolivia's coastline was taken from them by Chile during the War of the Pacific. Bolivia still claims a corridor to the Pacific Ocean.

Capital: La Paz / Sucre

Faroe Islands is an archipelago in the North Atlantic that is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north of the United Kingdom and halfway between Iceland and Norway. They are a part of the Kingdom of Denmark but are self-governing; however, that does not make them a sovereign state. They were formerly part of the Kingdom of Norway.

Capital: Tórshavn

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It is not a sovereign state nor part of the EU, but attempts are underway to bring it into the Schengen Area. It was ceded to the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Utrecht. Gibraltarians vehemently denied Spanish control during the referendums, but nevertheless maintain strong relationships with Spain and have a large number of Spanish speakers.

Capital: Westside

The Kurdistan region, also known as Iraqi Kurdistan, is the Kurdish-populated region of Northern Iraq. It is one of the four parts of Kurdistan. Unlike the rest of Iraq, it is inland and mountainous, and is also significantly more peaceful and stable than the rest of Iraq.

Capital: Kirkuk (de jure), Erbil (de facto)

Previously a Portuguese colony, it is a city and special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. It is the most densely populated political unit in the world. It was transferred from Portugal to China in 1999. It is a top destination globally for gambling and is one of the wealthiest regions in the world.

Capital: Macau

Honduras is a country located in Central America. Honduras was formerly home to many Mesoamerican cultures, including the Maya, before it was colonized by the Spanish in the 1500s. It gained independence in 1821, though has endured much political and economic strife. It deals with exorbitant amounts of crime and violence, as well as being the poorest country of the mainland Americas.

Capital: Tegucigalpa

French Guiana is a large split of France located in South America. Most of the population lives on a ~12 mile coastal strip, as the rest is fierce jungle. Despite what many would think, it is not a territory of France, but rather an integral part; think the United States and Hawaii.

Capital: Cayenne

Republic of the Congo is a country about the size of Germany located in West Africa to the west of the Congo River. It was formerly part of the colony of French Equatorial Africa. It gained independence from France in 1960, becoming a Marxist state from 1969 to 1992. It used to have a democratic government until it was ousted in 1997 and a dictator took power, who holds power still today. It ranks poorly on all indicators of peace and government, though is a great deal better off than its twin brother, DR Congo.

Capital: Brazzaville

Uzbekistan is a double landlocked (one of only two, the other being Liechtenstein) country located in Central Asia. Despite being only about a fifth of the area of its northern neighbor, Kazakhstan, it has almost double the population. It was home to the Aral Sea, an endorheic lake that began shrinking in the 1960s and had essentially dried up by the 2010s. It was formerly the fourth largest lake in the world, about the size of the entire country of Georgia.

Capital: Tashkent

Cambodia is a country located in Southeast Asia, on the peninsula of Indochina. Cambodia is almost exactly the size of the US state of Oklahoma (Oklahoma is only two square kilometers larger). Cambodia's flag is the only flag with a religious building on it. Cambodia (formerly Kampuchea) was part of French Indochina from 1947-1954. From 1970-1979, a genocide occurred, perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. Today, Cambodia struggles with a lack of infrastructure and development, designated as a least developed country by the United Nations. The government is authoritarian; however, it is no longer socialist, like Laos and Vietnam, which it borders.

Capital: Phnom Penh

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region located in the northeastern portion of Syria. It gained de facto autonomy in 2012 in the context of the ongoing Rojava conflict and the Syrian Civil War in general. It is not recognized as autonomous by the Syrian government or any sovereign state, for that matter, only being recognized as autonomous by the Parliament of Catalonia. It has been accused of being an authoritarian government by many, but is actually the most democratic system in Syria, with direct open elections, universal equality, respecting human rights within the region, as well as defense of minority and religious rights.

Capital: Ayn Issa

This entry refers not to any country or government, but rather the land itself of Palestine. We will cover both parts a little deeper in just a second, but essentially, it is the most disputed region in the world. Israel has occupied the area since 1967, despite efforts from Palestinian militias to take it back. Both the United Nations and the international community have tried to reach peace, but no agreements have been made so far.

Vojvodina is an autonomous province in northern Serbia. It touches the capital of Serbia, Belgrade. The capital, Novi Sad, is the second largest city in Serbia. Vojvodina is multiethnic with 26 ethnic groups and six official languages. About 2 million people live in this region. If Vojvodina was independent, Serbia would lose its border with Croatia and Hungary.

Capital: Novi Sad

West Bank is a landlocked territory in the Middle East that takes up an overwhelming 94% of the "country's" area. The area is split into 165 Palestinian islands that are under control of the PNA, at least partially, and a contiguous area of 230 Israeli settlements. The West Bank is also inclusive of East Jerusalem. While much less dense in population, it is slightly more populous than the Gaza Strip.

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

The much smaller portion of the Palestinian Territories, it is located on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from the West Bank by Israeli territory. Gaza is a very poor and volatile environment, due to the Israeli-led land, air, and sea blockade on the territory, that prevents people and goods from freely entering or leaving. It is the third most densely populated political unit in the world, and despite only being the size of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, its population rivals that of Botswana, which is more than 1600x the Gaza Strip's size.

Capital: Gaza City

Mali is a landlocked country located in West Africa. The northern part is consumed by the Sahara Desert while the south is dominated by the Sudanian savanna. The country depends heavily on mining and agriculture, the case for the majority of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a member of the African Union, though it is currently suspended due to frequent coup d'etats in the country. In 2012, Tuareg rebels took control of an area in the north and declared secession as the new state of Azawad. France helped Mali recapture most of the north, although the conflict continued and is still ongoing 11 years later, with the Islamic State interjecting and creating another warfront.

Capital: Bamako