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

   MalivsMontenegro

   Area: 1,240,192 vs 13,812 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Montenegro.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Mali against Montenegro

   Category	Mali	Montenegro	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	1,240,192	13,812	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	23,769,127	623,529	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	3,178	31,863	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	19.2	45.1	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,155	2,534	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	293.5	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	5	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	18.6° N	42.8° N	Would win

2. 2
   Round 2Won14 countries · 4 lives left

   SingaporevsDjibouti

   Density: 8,230.4 vs 49.7 per km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Djibouti.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Singapore against Djibouti

   Category	Singapore	Djibouti	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	719	23,200	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	5,917,648	1,152,944	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	144,728	7,232	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	8,230.4	49.7	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	166	2,021	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	193	314	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	2	4	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	1.4° N	11.4° N	Would win

3. 3
   Round 3Won15 countries · 4 lives left

   AndorravsMadagascar

   Wealth per person: 71,790 vs 1,810 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Madagascar.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Andorra against Madagascar

   Category	Andorra	Madagascar	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	468	587,041	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	80,856	31,195,932	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	71,790	1,810	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	172.8	53.1	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,946	2,876	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	4,828	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	7	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	42.5° N	18.4° S	Would lose

4. 4
   Round 4Won16 countries · 4 lives left

   NorwayvsTürkiye

   Wealth per person: 107,768 vs 43,196 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Türkiye.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Norway against Türkiye

   Category	Norway	Türkiye	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	323,802	783,562	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	5,519,601	85,325,965	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	107,768	43,196	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	17.0	108.9	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,469	5,137	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	25,148	7,200	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	61.5° N	39.1° N	Would lose

5. 5
   Round 5Won17 countries · 4 lives left

   GabonvsCôte d’Ivoire

   Proximity to equator: 0.6° S vs 7.5° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered Côte d’Ivoire.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Gabon against Côte d’Ivoire

   Category	Gabon	Côte d’Ivoire	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	267,667	322,463	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	2,484,789	31,165,654	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	20,773	7,243	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	9.3	96.6	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,050	1,752	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	885	515	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	0.6° S	7.5° N	Would win

6. 6
   Round 6Won18 countries · 4 lives left

   UzbekistanvsEritrea

   Area: 447,400 vs 117,600 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Eritrea.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Uzbekistan against Eritrea

   Category	Uzbekistan	Eritrea	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	447,400	117,600	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	35,652,307	3,470,390	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑Eritrea: World Bank has no 2023 figure for Eritrea.	11,679	Unavailable	Unavailable
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	79.7	29.5	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	4,643	3,018	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	2,234	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	4	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	41.5° N	16.0° N	Would lose

7. 7
   Round 7Won19 countries · 4 lives left

   IcelandvsEswatini

   Wealth per person: 82,257 vs 11,309 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Eswatini.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Iceland against Eswatini

   Category	Iceland	Eswatini	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	103,000	17,364	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	385,663	1,230,506	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	82,257	11,309	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	3.7	70.9	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,110	1,862	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	4,970	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	6	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	64.7° N	26.6° S	Would lose

8. 8
   Round 8Won20 countries · 4 lives left

   LaosvsArmenia

   Area: 236,800 vs 29,743 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Armenia.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Laos against Armenia

   Category	Laos	Armenia	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	236,800	29,743	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	7,664,993	2,964,300	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	9,299	21,552	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	32.4	99.7	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,817	4,090	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	0	Would tie
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	19.6° N	40.6° N	Would win

9. 9
   Round 9Won21 countries · 4 lives left

   EgyptvsNiger

   Population: 114,535,772 vs 26,159,867 people · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Niger.

   Other category comparisons 5 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Egypt against Niger

   Category	Egypt	Niger	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	1,001,450	1,267,000	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	114,535,772	26,159,867	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	18,540	1,903	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	114.4	20.6	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,629	2,022	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	2,450	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	3	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	26.3° N	17.6° N	Would lose

10. 10
    Round 10Won22 countries · 4 lives left

    EstoniavsMaldives

    Wealth per person: 48,848 vs 24,807 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

    Conquered Maldives.

    Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Estonia against Maldives

    Category	Estonia	Maldives	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	45,228	298	Would win
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	1,370,286	525,994	Would win
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	48,848	24,807	Would win
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	30.3	1,765.1	Would lose
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	318	5	Would win
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	3,794	644	Would win
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	58.6° N	3.3° N	Would lose

11. 11
    Round 11Lost21 countries · 3 lives left

    BurundivsEcuador

    Proximity to equator: 3.4° S vs 1.2° S from the equator · Closer wins ↓

    Returned to the world: Burundi.

    Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

    All eight categories for Burundi against Ecuador

    Category	Burundi	Ecuador	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	27,830	283,561	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	13,689,450	17,980,083	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	1,147	15,907	Would lose
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	491.9	63.4	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,685	6,267	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	2,237	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	11	Would lose
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	3.4° S	1.2° S	Would lose