A little knowledge. An empire of 21.

Every comparison uses this expedition’s original data and rules. “Would win” describes this matchup only; a different choice would change the later journey.

1. 1
   Round 1Won13 countries · 4 lives left

   United Arab EmiratesvsCuba

   Density: 125.4 vs 99.4 per km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Cuba.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for United Arab Emirates against Cuba

   Category	United Arab Emirates	Cuba	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	83,600	110,860	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	10,483,751	11,019,931	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑Cuba: World Bank has no 2023 figure for Cuba.	78,020	Unavailable	Unavailable
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	125.4	99.4	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,905	1,974	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	1,318	3,735	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	23.5° N	20.6° N	Would lose

2. 2
   Round 2Won14 countries · 4 lives left

   ChinavsBrazil

   Population: 1,410,710,000 vs 211,140,729 people · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Brazil.

   Other category comparisons 5 other winning choices

   All eight categories for China against Brazil

   Category	China	Brazil	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	9,596,960	8,515,770	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	1,410,710,000	211,140,729	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	25,200	21,193	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	147.0	24.8	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	8,849	2,994	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	14,500	7,491	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	2	4	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	32.5° N	12.6° S	Would lose

3. 3
   Round 3Won15 countries · 4 lives left

   ParaguayvsEstonia

   Area: 406,752 vs 45,228 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Estonia.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Paraguay against Estonia

   Category	Paraguay	Estonia	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	406,752	45,228	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	6,844,146	1,370,286	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	17,585	48,848	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	16.8	30.3	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	842	318	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	3,794	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	6	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	21.6° S	58.6° N	Would win

4. 4
   Round 4Won16 countries · 4 lives left

   SlovakiavsThailand

   Wealth per person: 45,865 vs 23,598 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Thailand.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for Slovakia against Thailand

   Category	Slovakia	Thailand	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	49,035	513,120	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	5,426,740	71,702,435	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	45,865	23,598	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	110.7	139.7	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,655	2,565	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	3,219	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	48.7° N	15.5° N	Would lose

5. 5
   Round 5Won17 countries · 4 lives left

   EgyptvsCanada

   Population: 114,535,772 vs 40,049,088 people · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Canada.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Egypt against Canada

   Category	Egypt	Canada	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	1,001,450	9,984,670	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	114,535,772	40,049,088	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	18,540	64,962	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	114.4	4.0	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,629	5,959	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	2,450	202,080	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	26.3° N	58.8° N	Would win

6. 6
   Round 6Won18 countries · 4 lives left

   FijivsIraq

   Coastline: 1,129 vs 58 km · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Iraq.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Fiji against Iraq

   Category	Fiji	Iraq	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	18,274	438,317	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	924,145	45,074,049	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	14,656	14,665	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	50.6	102.8	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,324	3,611	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	1,129	58	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	8	4	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	17.8° S	33.3° N	Would win

7. 7
   Round 7Won19 countries · 4 lives left

   GuineavsSomalia

   Density: 58.6 vs 28.8 per km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Somalia.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Guinea against Somalia

   Category	Guinea	Somalia	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	245,857	637,657	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	14,405,468	18,358,615	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	4,337	1,557	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	58.6	28.8	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,752	2,460	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	320	3,025	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	10.7° N	2.6° N	Would lose

8. 8
   Round 8Won20 countries · 4 lives left

   Solomon IslandsvsEswatini

   Coastline: 5,313 vs 0 km · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Eswatini.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Solomon Islands against Eswatini

   Category	Solomon Islands	Eswatini	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	28,896	17,364	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	800,005	1,230,506	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	2,599	11,309	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	27.7	70.9	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,335	1,862	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	5,313	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	6	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	9.6° S	26.6° S	Would win

9. 9
   Round 9Won21 countries · 4 lives left

   RussiavsOman

   Area: 17,098,242 vs 309,500 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Oman.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Russia against Oman

   Category	Russia	Oman	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	17,098,242	309,500	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	143,826,130	5,049,269	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	44,299	41,980	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	8.4	16.3	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	5,642	3,004	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	37,653	2,092	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	63.6° N	22.1° N	Would lose

10. 10
    Round 10Won22 countries · 4 lives left

    North KoreavsIran

    Density: 219.2 vs 55.0 per km² · Higher wins ↑

    Conquered Iran.

    Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

    All eight categories for North Korea against Iran

    Category	North Korea	Iran	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	120,538	1,648,195	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	26,418,204	90,608,707	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑North Korea: World Bank has no 2023 figure for North Korea.	Unavailable	18,933	Unavailable
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	219.2	55.0	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,744	5,625	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	2,495	2,440	Would win
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	39.9° N	32.1° N	Would lose

11. 11
    Round 11Lost21 countries · 3 lives left

    JamaicavsPapua New Guinea

    Proximity to equator: 18.1° N vs 5.5° S from the equator · Closer wins ↓

    Returned to the world: Jamaica.

    Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Jamaica against Papua New Guinea

    Category	Jamaica	Papua New Guinea	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	10,991	462,840	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	2,839,786	10,389,635	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	12,661	4,672	Would win
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	258.4	22.4	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,256	4,509	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	1,022	5,152	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	4	Would lose
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	18.1° N	5.5° S	Would lose