Lying on the west coast of the great African continent, is a nation that holds cornerstones of African history. This nation is famed for its coastal riches and people that have lived there. This nation has seen the great empires of Africa like the Mali and Songhai as well as the colonial powers of Europe. Throughout hundreds of years of change the culture and people of this nation have remained strong. This is Cote D'ivoire

High in the Himalayan mountains is a strong but heavily isolated nation. This nation is a stoutly hindu-buddhist nation, filled with experienced mountain warriors, and many deep cultural traditions. This nation battled against many great Chinese dynasties, Tibetan kingdoms and the British Empire. In recent decades this nation has faced a lot of political ups and downs. However, recently the nation has gained a lot of increase in tourism and global attention for the culture of its people. This is Nepal.

The Caribbean Sea, the Amazon rainforest, and all of South America have been influenced by this nation. This nation is beautifully diverse in both its people and biodiversity. This nation has been plagued with instability and a bad reputation for years; challenges from powers like the US have made this country far more alienated than it should be. Nonetheless, beautiful people, culture, art, geography and more, are present in this land. This is Venezuela. 

On the western coast of Africa is a nation with a complicated history. This nation is likely the home of the Bantu people who migrated across the continent and shaped the culture of most African nations. This nation has faced hundreds of years of empires which culminated in European rule. This nation has pushed through many years of instability and confusion since independence. Today, there are still a lot of major issues for this nation to sort out but it is nonetheless on the path to do so. This is a land of fighters, this is Cameroon

Sometimes known as the 8th continent, our nation of today is extremely diverse in their history and culture. This nation is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world; it is the endemic home of lemurs, baobab trees and houses the most chameleons in the world. This nation was founded by Austronesians and formed a blended culture that has lasted for centuries. Through great strong leaders, European colonial rule and mass killings this nation has never backed down. This nation is absolutely beautiful, filled with the best vanilla in the world and it has a unique history. This is Madagascar.

The Land Down Under, The Outback, and The Great Southern Land, are just a few names to describe this country that is also a continent. This nation has been inhabited by indigenous peoples for over 60,000 years; in that time a deep culture was developed by over 250 different tribes. As this massive nation developed there were many different people, cultures and some criminals that helped shape the culture. This nation has seen global wars, emu wars and a whole lot of other insane moments. This is Australia.

On a small peninsula in the far east is a nation of beautiful history and deep secrecy. This nation has been inhabited for millennia where a deep, artistic and withstanding culture has developed. This nation has been through ancient wars, global wars and massive political shifts. Today this nation is home to one of the most silenced, and unique cult of personality based governments the world has ever seen. This was one of the most interesting but abnormal nations I have ever studied. This is North Korea.

In the legendary levant region is one of the eldest nations in the world. This nation has housed or interacted with some of the ancient world’s most powerful empires such as Babylon, Mesopotamia and Assyria. Since that time this nation has been the home of thousands of years of history and cultural development. Today, this storied nation is in one of the worst civil conflicts in the world. Thousands have died, thousands have been displaced and millions have migrated. This is Syria. 

In the very heart of the Sahel is a nation of rich resources and multiple cultures. This nation was a strong arm of the Mali and Songhai empire centuries ago. This nation has pushed through European colonial rule and decades of instability since independence. Today, this nation is trying to stabilize its government, exploit its resources and become a premier nation in the region. This is Niger. 

In the heart of West Africa lies perhaps the Sahel’s most famous nation. The home of vast medieval empires and the richest man to ever live. A stretching desert with the earth’s finest riches. A home to dozens of different people groups. All of these things describe the African nation of today’s focus. For the last few years this nation has been in deep division that may cause a unity of Sahel states. This is Mali.