A little knowledge. An empire of 20.

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

   MoroccovsBurkina Faso

   Area: 446,550 vs 274,200 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Burkina Faso.

   Other category comparisons 5 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Morocco against Burkina Faso

   Category	Morocco	Burkina Faso	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	446,550	274,200	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	37,712,505	23,025,776	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	9,903	2,762	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	84.5	84.0	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	4,165	749	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	1,835	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	2	3	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	31.9° N	12.8° N	Would lose

2. 2
   Round 2Won14 countries · 4 lives left

   VenezuelavsJamaica

   Area: 912,050 vs 10,991 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Jamaica.

   Other category comparisons 5 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Venezuela against Jamaica

   Category	Venezuela	Jamaica	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	912,050	10,991	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	28,300,854	2,839,786	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑Venezuela: World Bank has no 2023 figure for Venezuela.	Unavailable	12,661	Unavailable
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	31.0	258.4	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	4,978	2,256	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	2,800	1,022	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	7.2° N	18.1° N	Would win

3. 3
   Round 3Won15 countries · 4 lives left

   MaltavsKazakhstan

   Wealth per person: 67,101 vs 38,547 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Kazakhstan.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Malta against Kazakhstan

   Category	Malta	Kazakhstan	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	316	2,724,900	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	552,747	20,330,104	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	67,101	38,547	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	1,749.2	7.5	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	253	7,010	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	196.8	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	35.9° N	48.5° N	Would win

4. 4
   Round 4Won16 countries · 4 lives left

   TajikistanvsMadagascar

   Highest peak: 7,495 vs 2,876 m · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Madagascar.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Tajikistan against Madagascar

   Category	Tajikistan	Madagascar	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	144,100	587,041	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	10,389,799	31,195,932	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	4,968	1,810	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	72.1	53.1	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	7,495	2,876	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	4,828	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	38.3° N	18.4° S	Would lose

5. 5
   Round 5Won17 countries · 4 lives left

   ZambiavsLebanon

   Area: 752,618 vs 10,400 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Lebanon.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Zambia against Lebanon

   Category	Zambia	Lebanon	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	752,618	10,400	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	20,723,965	5,773,493	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	4,080	12,585	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	27.5	555.1	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,330	3,088	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	225	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	14.7° S	34.2° N	Would win

6. 6
   Round 6Won18 countries · 4 lives left

   HaitivsSweden

   Proximity to equator: 19.2° N vs 65.8° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered Sweden.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Haiti against Sweden

   Category	Haiti	Sweden	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	27,750	450,295	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	11,637,398	10,536,632	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	3,265	68,458	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	419.4	23.4	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,674	2,100	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	1,771	3,218	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	7	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	19.2° N	65.8° N	Would win

7. 7
   Round 7Won19 countries · 4 lives left

   AustraliavsMexico

   Area: 7,741,220 vs 1,964,375 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Mexico.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Australia against Mexico

   Category	Australia	Mexico	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	7,741,220	1,964,375	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	26,659,922	129,739,759	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	72,273	25,188	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	3.4	66.0	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,228	5,636	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	25,760	9,330	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	11	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	23.1° S	23.5° N	Would win

8. 8
   Round 8Won20 countries · 4 lives left

   BurundivsNorway

   Density: 491.9 vs 17.0 per km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Norway.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Burundi against Norway

   Category	Burundi	Norway	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	27,830	323,802	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	13,689,450	5,519,601	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	1,147	107,768	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	491.9	17.0	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,685	2,469	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	25,148	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	3.4° S	61.5° N	Would win

9. 9
   Round 9Won21 countries · 4 lives left

   VietnamvsColombia

   Population: 100,352,192 vs 52,321,152 people · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Colombia.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Vietnam against Colombia

   Category	Vietnam	Colombia	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	331,210	1,138,910	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	100,352,192	52,321,152	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	15,034	21,282	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	303.0	45.9	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	3,144	5,730	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	3,444	3,208	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	2	3	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	21.7° N	3.4° N	Would lose

10. 10
    Round 10Won22 countries · 4 lives left

    Sierra LeonevsMali

    Density: 117.9 vs 19.2 per km² · Higher wins ↑

    Conquered Mali.

    Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Sierra Leone against Mali

    Category	Sierra Leone	Mali	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	71,740	1,240,192	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	8,460,512	23,769,127	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	3,371	3,178	Would win
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	117.9	19.2	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,948	1,155	Would win
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	402	0	Would win
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	8.7° N	18.6° N	Would win

11. 11
    Round 11Lost21 countries · 3 lives left

    BotswanavsEritrea

    Highest peak: 1,495 vs 3,018 m · Higher wins ↑

    Returned to the world: Botswana.

    Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

    All eight categories for Botswana against Eritrea

    Category	Botswana	Eritrea	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	581,730	117,600	Would win
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	2,480,244	3,470,390	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑Eritrea: World Bank has no 2023 figure for Eritrea.	21,029	Unavailable	Unavailable
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	4.3	29.5	Would lose
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	1,495	3,018	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	2,234	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	4	Would lose
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	22.1° S	16.0° N	Would lose

12. 12
    Round 12Lost20 countries · 2 lives left

    North MacedoniavsGreece

    Density: 71.1 vs 78.9 per km² · Higher wins ↑

    Returned to the world: North Macedonia.

    Other category comparisons 0 other winning choices

    All eight categories for North Macedonia against Greece

    Category	North Macedonia	Greece	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	25,713	131,957	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	1,827,816	10,407,351	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	25,354	42,614	Would lose
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	71.1	78.9	Would lose
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,764	2,917	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	13,676	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	2	2	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	41.5° N	39.8° N	Would lose