It can often seem as though nations are permanent fixtures on the landscape, immovable, unchangeable, and enduring. If history has taught us one thing, it’s that nations are perfectly capable of disappearing. A number of top countries disappeared in the 20th century alone, including nations such as Astro-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and superpower U.S.S.R. Anyone expecting the 21st century to be any kinder is liable to be surprised. Here are some well known nations that (probably) won’t exist in 2115.
9. The Netherlands
It’s easy to imagine tropical nations disappearing into the Pacific. What is less easily imagined is the loss of a European Nation to climate change. Never-the-less, this is not only realistic, but in fact quite probable. Known as much for its dikes as for being the place to go for legal drugs and prostitutes, much of the Netherlands is below sea level.
Unlike Kiribati, it is not simply rising sea levels that threatens the Netherlands. An extremely modern nation with a powerful economy, the Netherlands can well afford to continue expanding its dikes upwards to keep rising seas out. The real problem is that the same dikes that can keep the sea out can keep flooding in. With half the nation at or below one meter above sea level, the Netherlands has been constantly fighting to keep its head above water.
In 1953, A massive storm slammed into the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium. Floods as deep as five-and-a-half meters deep swept the southern parts of the country. Only the careful use of a ship to plug a dike prevented the flooding of North Holland, the second most heavily populated province. With many scientists predicting that previously “safe” Europe could soon be struck with frequent “Hurricane Katrina” level storms, we’d book our Amsterdam holiday today if we were you.
6. Taiwan
Taiwan is in an interesting position. While many people are aware of the fact that China insists Taiwan is still a part of China, what they don’t tend to recall is that Taiwan says the exact same thing. The only real debate between the two is which government is the legitimate one, the pre-WWII Republic of China government seated in Taiwan or the post war People’s Republic of China in Beijing.
Regardless of the politics, the fact is that, in terms of actual operation, Taiwan is a wholly independent nation, and has acted as such ever since Chang Kai-shek led his Kuomintang government to Taiwan in 1949. Despite its own insistence it is not, it maintains diplomatic nations with many of the world’s nations, it maintains its own military (purchasing heavily from trade partner America), it has a democratically elected government that has unchallenged rule over the island. It walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…
Still, the fact that both Taiwan and China insist that Taiwan is just part of China goes a long way to removing the island’s nationhood. Events over time have further eroded this position, such as the UN’s kicking Taiwan out and giving China the empty seat in 1971. While there are some within Taiwan calling for an official declaration of independence, the official government stance still calls for eventual reunion with mainland China, and only 24% of the population responded favorably to independence during a January poll. As such it is only a matter of time before Taiwan returns to the fold.
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Text version: www.toptenz.net/10-nations-tha...
Coming up:
10. Kiribati
9. The Netherlands
8. The United Kingdom
7. Canada
6. Taiwan
5. North Korea
4. Palestine
3. Sudan
2. Haiti
1. Sealand
Source/Further reading:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Pam
www.goway.com/trips/dest/europ...
www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/wor...
diplomacy.norwich.edu/overpopu...
gis.usc.edu/msp-resources/arti...