A little knowledge. An empire of 15.

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 1Lost11 countries · 3 lives left

   Trinidad and TobagovsPanama

   Coastline: 362 vs 2,490 km · Higher wins ↑

   Returned to the world: Trinidad and Tobago.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for Trinidad and Tobago against Panama

   Category	Trinidad and Tobago	Panama	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	5,128	75,420	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	1,367,510	4,458,759	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	34,652	39,846	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	266.7	59.1	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	940	3,475	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	362	2,490	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	10.3° N	8.4° N	Would lose

2. 2
   Round 2Won12 countries · 3 lives left

   GuineavsVanuatu

   Area: 245,857 vs 12,189 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Vanuatu.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Guinea against Vanuatu

   Category	Guinea	Vanuatu	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	245,857	12,189	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	14,405,468	320,409	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	4,337	4,202	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	58.6	26.3	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,752	1,877	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	320	2,528	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	4	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	10.7° N	15.4° S	Would win

3. 3
   Round 3Won13 countries · 3 lives left

   SenegalvsTajikistan

   Population: 18,077,573 vs 10,389,799 people · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Tajikistan.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Senegal against Tajikistan

   Category	Senegal	Tajikistan	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	196,722	144,100	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	18,077,573	10,389,799	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	4,782	4,968	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	91.9	72.1	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	648	7,495	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	531	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	4	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	15.2° N	38.3° N	Would win

4. 4
   Round 4Won14 countries · 3 lives left

   RussiavsParaguay

   Area: 17,098,242 vs 406,752 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Paraguay.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Russia against Paraguay

   Category	Russia	Paraguay	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	17,098,242	406,752	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	143,826,130	6,844,146	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	44,299	17,585	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	8.4	16.8	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	5,642	842	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	37,653	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	6	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	63.6° N	21.6° S	Would lose

5. 5
   Round 5Lost13 countries · 2 lives left

   CameroonvsSpain

   Population: 28,372,687 vs 48,352,528 people · Higher wins ↑

   Returned to the world: Cameroon.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Cameroon against Spain

   Category	Cameroon	Spain	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	475,440	505,370	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	28,372,687	48,352,528	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	5,415	55,661	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	59.7	95.7	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	4,045	3,718	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	402	4,964	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	10	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	4.5° N	40.0° N	Would win

6. 6
   Round 6Won14 countries · 2 lives left

   BelizevsPhilippines

   Wealth per person: 13,741 vs 10,995 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Philippines.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for Belize against Philippines

   Category	Belize	Philippines	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	22,966	300,000	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	411,106	114,891,199	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	13,741	10,995	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	17.9	383.0	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,124	2,954	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	386	36,289	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	12	4	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	17.0° N	17.0° N	Would tie

7. 7
   Round 7Lost13 countries · 1 life left

   Sri LankavsMali

   Population: 22,037,000 vs 23,769,127 people · Higher wins ↑

   Returned to the world: Sri Lanka.

   Other category comparisons 6 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Sri Lanka against Mali

   Category	Sri Lanka	Mali	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	65,610	1,240,192	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	22,037,000	23,769,127	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	14,512	3,178	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	335.9	19.2	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,524	1,155	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	1,340	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	5	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	7.1° N	18.6° N	Would win

8. 8
   Round 8Won14 countries · 1 life left

   ColombiavsBrunei

   Area: 1,138,910 vs 5,765 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Brunei.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Colombia against Brunei

   Category	Colombia	Brunei	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	1,138,910	5,765	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	52,321,152	458,949	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	21,282	85,103	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	45.9	79.6	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	5,730	1,850	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	3,208	161	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	4	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	3.4° N	4.5° N	Would win

9. 9
   Round 9Won15 countries · 1 life left

   Timor-LestevsIreland

   Proximity to equator: 8.9° S vs 53.1° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered Ireland.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Timor-Leste against Ireland

   Category	Timor-Leste	Ireland	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	14,874	70,273	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	1,384,286	5,311,538	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	4,811	133,440	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	93.1	75.6	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,963	1,041	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	706	1,448	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	8.9° S	53.1° N	Would win

10. 10
    Round 10Won16 countries · 1 life left

    SloveniavsVenezuela

    Density: 104.6 vs 31.0 per km² · Higher wins ↑

    Conquered Venezuela.

    Other category comparisons 0 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Slovenia against Venezuela

    Category	Slovenia	Venezuela	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	20,273	912,050	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	2,120,461	28,300,854	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑Venezuela: World Bank has no 2023 figure for Venezuela.	56,151	Unavailable	Unavailable
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	104.6	31.0	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,864	4,978	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	46.6	2,800	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	4	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	46.0° N	7.2° N	Would lose

11. 11
    Round 11Lost15 countries · 0 lives left

    MauritaniavsJamaica

    Proximity to equator: 19.4° N vs 18.1° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

    Returned to the world: Mauritania.

    Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Mauritania against Jamaica

    Category	Mauritania	Jamaica	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	1,030,700	10,991	Would win
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	5,022,441	2,839,786	Would win
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	6,972	12,661	Would lose
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	4.9	258.4	Would lose
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	915	2,256	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	754	1,022	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	19.4° N	18.1° N	Would lose