10 Countries with the Best Geography 

Ethiopia is interesting given that in most countries, the mountain areas are hardly populated and mostly devoid of any development aside from roads, rails, pipelines, etc. In Ethiopia, the mountains is where most of the population and development is concentrated.

France has good natural borders: The Alps, Rhine, Seas, Pyrénées and Napoléon.

Ethiopa's weakness is that it's landlocked. If it had access to the ports of Eritrea, it could easily be the most powerful country on the African continent.

I respect that you talked a lot about watersheds and their role in a nation's geography. Having control over a river's drainage basin makes a big difference.

Few add-ons: The US was also born at the right time with rapid technological advancement from the industrial revolution. The aboriginal inhabitants couldn't build anywhere near as strong a civilization cuz they did not have the technology nor biodiversity to master such vast and volatile land. Also invasion of the UK is made even harder due to the amazing cliffs of the South Coast, compared to the flat beach of Normandy on the other end (i.e. If the coasts were swapped the Allies would've stood zero chance)

France and Turkey are my favorites among interesting geographies, France has the better neighbors no doubt, while Turkey has a more practical location as a transcontinental peninsula.

My only gripe is with Vietnam with it being extremely thin and narrow. Its two biggest cities are located in the north and south of the country with its narrowest point being in the middle of the country, so one well planned attack on that narrow point and you've split vietnam in half

The U.S. and Argentina have by far the two best, they are the only two countries with naturally interconnected and navigable waterway networks that overlay arable land. There really is no other competition outside those two.

What you said about the US is true, very true. But, you left out The Great Lakes. 26% of the world's fresh water is in the Great Lakes. It connects to the Atlantic thru the St. Lawrence. Chicago sits on a continental divide connecting the two waterways.

Im surprised India wasn’t included. Has many natural rivers, desert to its northwest as a natural barrier, Himalayas to its north, surrounded by Arabian Sea, has islands that gives it thr ability to choke of the Malacca strait not to mention it sits like a triangle in the Indian Ocean. It has the most arable land maybe after the US.

France: The Mediterranean sea, check ✅ The Alp, check ✅ The rhine river, EÉÊÉK ❌

making country representations their national animal with the flag in the background has to be one of the best decisions hoser has made, really sets them apart from all other geography channels

I was surprised you missed Brazil man! HUGE land area, the Amazon is mostly in Brazil (I don't need to list the geographical benefits of it), lots and lots of long navigable rivers, lots of rainfall in most of the country, tropical climate which makes the agricultural powerhouse it is today, the total absence of harsh natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes and etc), a very long coastline which makes it defensible, lots of sunshine, water and food is abundant. So many geographical advantages that makes Brazil a very important country in the world, despite its social and political problems.

1. Turkey 2. France 3. Argentina 4. Vietnam 5. United States 6. United Kingdom 7. Ethiopia 8. China 9. Iran 10. New Zealand As said earlier, the list's not in any particular order

Also Italy has a very good geography. It's a peninsula in the middle of the Mediterranean sea so It could control the trade of it, and still now there are some huge ports like Genova, Livorno, Roma, ecc. The Alps in the north are a very good defense and the sea itself too. Also in the north there is a huge plain for farming and industry. And the climate is very good, it's always very stable except for some specific zones like Sicily where in the summer it's 45 degrees

One that is somewhat overlooked is Mexico While Mexico has some issues due to bad leadership, its geography isn't bad at all (it's kind of like Ethiopia's): You have Jungles in the South, Deserts to the North, Plateaus and valleys in the middle ,3000 kilometers of ocean on both East and West, and, if the Ocean wasn't enough, 3 Mountain ranges (Sierra Madre Occidental, Oriental and del Sur). Mexico would be a nightmare to conquer since there's basically only 1 logical route to get to the capital: Invade through the port of Veracruz and march to the capital. Even then guerrilla warfare is extremely easy in Mexico and can destroy any and all supply lines. It also has a decent enough agriculture, specially in southern and eastern regions. And the plateaus and valleys give a decent climate (temperate wet). Mexico's main flaw, as you had pointed in your video, is the disconnect from the water, but even then, it has amazing natural defenses and is suitable for human life

The United States has the best geographic positon and internal geography of any country by a long shot.

Honestly I think Iran's geography is more detrimental at times than beneficial, sure it's incredibly defensible, but one of its most important ports lies outside the zagros mountain range, it's rugged terrain also makes communication and infrastructure within the nation very very difficult, it was shown in the Iran Iraq war how the geography was a double edged sword, Iraq was eventually beaten back at the zagros, but the amount of forces the Iranians could commit beyond the zagros was small, due to logistical issues, while the Iraqis had a very easy time supplying their forces across the flat Mesopotamian plain. Iran is definitely a 2 sided coin, on one hand, lying where it is on the silk roads allowed early empires to rise from Iran, on the other hand, expansion outwards is basically a must for any Iranian empire, it needs to project power outwards since the region directly next to it is mostly flat and easy navigable, at least in the west. Iran has also been somewhat difficult to unify due to how muktiethnic it is since the mountains divide the country creating groups independent of one another. Another point could be that as society progressed, Iran's geography became less beneficial, while petroleum definitely was a boost to it. Iran faced another problem by the early modern era, it's inability to project power overseas, Iran was never a naval power, it lacks ports that easily connect to the heartland of Iran, the coast was very rugged and not the best to build ports on, there's also another detriment, the strait of Hormuz, the fact that much of Iran's most important ports are locked behind this key strategic choke point is a strategic liability, if one blocked it off, the Iranian navy would mostly be trapped inside the gulf, and in the early modern to industrial eras, an oceangoing navy was vital to becoming a world power

Thanks to the fact that Turkey is the bridge of the world and most of its borders are formed by the sea, when you look at the world map, it is great that Turkey definitely catches your eye.

The reason why France has had the largest population in Europe for most of history was because of the rivers we hone. These rivers made pretty much all of the French interior lucious and green, perfect for cultivation. Factor in the fact that France has some of the best soil quality in Europe, and that the French flourished economically and politically during much of its existence, it was one of the best countries in the medieval era. Huge armies, a literal breadbasket, and tons of money.

Damn I do agree that Ethiopia 🇪🇹 dose have a pretty good geography with is easily defensible (dessert and mountains) and is good for agriculture but the problem rises from it's ethic diversity and the government is trying to best to keep the country together but it is becoming more and more hard like just last year Ethiopia was all in news any one remember that

The French-German border region has a fantastic strategic location. From there you have access to rivers leading into the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, and Black Sea. No wonder it has been this heavily contested for centuries.

Most countries: ew mountain, we are moving to the flatlands. Ethiopia: Hmm mountains?😏 *did someone say real estate 🏡*

Something you could have mentioned in the Turkey part is that the Tigris and Euphrates begin in it's eastern highlands. Having control of a rivers starting point means it is easy for you to control the downstream areas, this explains why many empires which conquered Anatolia or were based in Anatolia never struggled to also exert influence over Mesopotamia.

New Zealand also has almost every climate type somehow despite being so small.

great video man keep up the great work

Country Animals > Countryballs

Very interesting video! I would say an ideal settlement for a civilization or nation would be flat temperate land suitable for easy development of cities and agriculture but at the same time near large bodies of water capable of shipping large quantities of goods and services to other settlements! However when it comes to natural defenses some mountain terrains on the outskirts to provide a natural barrier and having a strong navy fleet also helps.

USA has the best geography, It has cold/artic, deserts, mountains, plains, great land for cities, tons of water, basically controls two oceans, It can't be debated

"it's an island mate" --h0ser 2022

Great video. Good to see you got a good sponsor man! Keep up the good work :)

Love. Thanks I needed this.

Congratulations, you have been sponsored by curiosity stream. You are now officially an established education channel!

we would have unbelievable opportunities if we had a competent and independent government with no religious influence on it and it really makes me sad that we’re in this situation right now. Love from Iran.

Great video, thanks bro! Keep on doing this

Thank you for sharing this information

The French did colonize Vietnam for some time though, you could've also mentioned that China basically controls the Menkong river.

Turkey’s latitude and reducing the availability and productivity of agricultural land. Structurally, the country lies within the geologically young folded-mountain zone of Eurasia, which in Turkey trends predominantly east to west. and extensive areas of volcanic material. Four main regions can be identified: the northern folded zone, the southern folded zone, the central massif, and the Arabian platform.

You're pumping these out so quick

As someone who came from Ethiopian Heritage, I couldn't be further grateful to have my parents country mentioned. Ethiopia is rich in natural resources and become the oldest nation to have civilization. After all, that's where the first human originated from.

Italy is actually a very good geography, mountains in the north that protect it from large movements of people from Central Europe, a fertile plain in the north ( pianura padana ) , many rivers, access to the Mediterranean and is protected by the sea on three fronts, there’s a reason the romans were able to thrive in the peninsula.

Awesome video love the little animated pieces you added 🤣

would love to see an extended video about new zealand!

Your videos keep getting better I’m entertained from beginning to end 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

I think Spain has one of these best geographies at least in Europe. The Iberian Peninsula is really easy to defend, with the only land connection to the continent being the Pyrenees and fertile highlands in the center (the Meseta Central) surrounded by mountains. We also have some important river basins, like the Ebro and the Guadalquivir.

i love finding that new channel that i instantly make my favorite channel

Awesome video! Could you make a video about Colombia?

This might be a dumb question but what are some good sources to learn more geography?

i think moroccos geography is underrated, The sahara desert to the south, the Atlas mountains to the East and The Mediterranean Sea to the north and the atlantic ocean to the west, the Atlas mountains are also a source for countless rivers

Bro calling a landlocked country a country with best geography

nice vid bro keep it up

I love the Shroom Ridge music in the background

I like to think that Bulgaria's geography has to be among the top 10 best ones. Mountains, lakes, plains, lowlands and much more are to be found in its averagely-sized territory. It also has access to sea. In history, Bulgaria has been crucial to a lot of empires' success in trade and regional domination, and even to this day, if utilized correctly, its lands can feed the entire population, and have enough land left to also make exports and partially industrialize. Great video overall h0ser! Keep it up!

Great video, ya hoser

Seriously underrated channel!

Finland has some excellent geography. Due to most of the country being impassable forest, It is one of the easiest countries to defend in the world and it has long been coveted by the Swedish and Russian empires as a buffer.

Grey Wolf is the national animal of Turkey, bro. And I liked your idea of representing the nations via those cute drawings :)

You worked hard for the video . Love you bro. 💜

France has access to both atlantic ocean and mediteranian sea. Atlantic for global trade and mediteranian to trade with the old center of civilization of Europe and Middle East. It is also border to other most powerful countries in the world. It is at the center next to the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy in addition to Benelux region and the financial hub Switzerland. Only the slavic civilization is where France quite far from its proximity

The US didn't try to invade Vietnam. The North invaded South Vietnam and we fought a defensive war with the goal of status quo antebellum.

Love this guy :)

Good video, I think natural resources is a big factor to though in winch case the US should probably rank a tad higher and Australia should also be one there

How about Italy? it's surrounded by either water or mountains, has a warm climate that allows for farms and cities to be easily constructed, and has a series of mountains that would make conquering it a bit of a pain (unless mussolini happens to lead it)

People actually really underestimate the strategic defensiveness of the northern border of the USA. In the east, the St Lawrence River and Great Lakes System form a natural defensive border - and even if you manage to get ships up the St Lawrence, good luck getting them past Niagara Falls. In the West, the Alaska/BC border isn't exactly defensible, but it's not far off, since simply retreating from the mainland would allow control over the remainder of the archipelago. BC/Washington is extremely easy to defend. The rest of the border is just straight lines through empty nothing far from the middle of nowhere. If either side invaded, the distance between the border and anything important is far enough to allow the defender to mobilize.

The image of the Rocky Mountains on the left side is the Valley of the Ten Peaks at Moraine Lake, in Alberta, Canada heheh. It still fits the context though as the US and us Canadians share the Rockies via the 49th parallel.

good vid bruda

Thailand's geography isn't bad either. We have mountains, forests, seasides, and huge farm areas. Our borders are mostly naturally set. We may not have a long seashore like Vietnam, but that's why we are not affected by hurricanes or typhoons that much. We are also located in the center of Southeast Asia, where many roads and trains will pass through from north to south and east to west.

Please make a video on Sri Lanka and it's future

Excelent video

Nice video ❤

The Mississippi river system isn't one of the largest, it's by far the largest period. It has ten times the navigable kilometers of any other river system on earth.

Surprised you missed Colombia. It is extremely diverse and the geography was so good that it led to it's own demise.

It feels like the common grey sparrow(in norwegian Gråspurv) is everywere. From thailand to norway and even iceland

The UK did not leave Europe, it left the EU which is very different.

I believe that if Spain and Portugal were a single country and had gibraltar they would made the first spot in the list.

Geography is as good as the nation makes it. In another world, had the US failed, some may have pointed to its geography. It's malarial swamps in the south, as well as it's massive deserts and mountains in the west could be used to make an argument for promoting disunity and stagnating growth. However the US invested in Canals and roadways and Air conditioning and the like to bind the nation together and circumnavigate its weaknesses. Geography plays a big roll but geographic determinism is always a danger. Just look at Argentina.

The rockey mountain image you used to depict the US rockies was actually a lake in Canada 😂

Nice to see Shroom Ridge on the background.

Missed Brazil on this one, it can easily fight for top 1

Colombia must be at the top, it is among the tropics and still has very varied climates, 70% of the world's paramos are in Colombia, including the largest páramo in the world, half of the country is covered by the Amazon, has the rainiest region in the world El Choco and one of the driest also the Guajira, it has almost every variety of soil and climate in the world, and even though it has the Andes and multiple volcanoes, it's not as seismic as its neighbors Ecuador and Peru.

I Think the Czech Republic has also some good geography, since it's shaped like a bowl (mostly) and then the Carpathian Mountais to the east.

Can we see a video with top 10 wrist geographies?

10. Desertification and the Damming of the Euphrates and Tigris are turning things around though. Now Turkey doesn't have enough land to cultivate the increased size of their population, they now rely on other countries for food exports unlike the past. Also they have their own migrant problem of their own.

I think US geography is best .

Cameroon 🇨🇲 has very thing you can think about It's called "Africa in Miniature" for a reason No matter what climate you are looking fore(except for snow fall) ,geographical features, topography ranging from Desert climate all the way Down to volcanic mountains to flat lands to hight grass lands ,to tropical ra8n forest can be found in Cameroon 🇨🇲

The Spanish defeated the British a few years later in Cartagena, and that was a victory absolutely devastating to the British fleet. Nobody talks about it cause it doesn't fit Anglo historiography though.

Countryanimals was very intresting

nice background music 🚗🕹️

0:01 brooooo zelda mm astral observatory music

You forgot Australia. Italy. Greece. Canada. Finland even. Actually, why not make a part 2? That would be great!

I think Brazil also has an awesome geography

I think Indonesia should be one of the top 10, Indonesia borders 2 Oceans and 2 Continents, especially the Malaya strait, it also has really good natural defense as its mostly made of islands and is mountanous in some part and pure jungle in the eastern part, its also pretty cursed due to the natural disasters ig

Appreciate the Majoras Mask music, very nifty

I say Colombia has great geography. No control over a major river, but access to the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf, plus the biggest cities are all in the Andes mountains and the Amazon protects the south and east. Will be hard to penetrate Colombia. Plus they can grow food year around. Mexico also has good geography for similar reasons.

I've never heard of the country of Sponsor! Must be pretty good if it made it to the list

France did gain Alsace whose boarder is the Rhine so they partly expanded to the Rhine but the Rhine is not that major of a barrier and did not stop the Germans in either World War.

You should do top 10 countries with the worst geography.

Malaysia also have good geography due to having some of the least frequency of natural disasters.

Romania: Mountains, hills, plains, plateaus, valleys, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, caves, swamps, forests, the Danube delta, the Black Sea + its seaside, parallel 45° north (great latitude and climate).

When you said the UK is rainy, I looked outside and its sunny. Damn