A little knowledge. An empire of 22.

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

   Cabo VerdevsBrunei

   Coastline: 965 vs 161 km · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Brunei.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Cabo Verde against Brunei

   Category	Cabo Verde	Brunei	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	4,033	5,765	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	522,331	458,949	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	10,251	85,103	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	129.5	79.6	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,829	1,850	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	965	161	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	4	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	15.0° N	4.5° N	Would lose

2. 2
   Round 2Won14 countries · 4 lives left

   RomaniavsFinland

   Proximity to equator: 45.7° N vs 63.3° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered Finland.

   Other category comparisons 4 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Romania against Finland

   Category	Romania	Finland	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	238,391	338,145	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	19,061,062	5,583,911	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	45,982	63,467	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	80.0	16.5	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,544	1,328	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	225	1,250	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	45.7° N	63.3° N	Would win

3. 3
   Round 3Won15 countries · 4 lives left

   GabonvsParaguay

   Proximity to equator: 0.6° S vs 21.6° S from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered Paraguay.

   Other category comparisons 3 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Gabon against Paraguay

   Category	Gabon	Paraguay	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	267,667	406,752	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	2,484,789	6,844,146	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	20,773	17,585	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	9.3	16.8	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,050	842	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	885	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	6	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	0.6° S	21.6° S	Would win

4. 4
   Round 4Won16 countries · 4 lives left

   GambiavsEritrea

   Density: 238.7 vs 29.5 per km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Eritrea.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for Gambia against Eritrea

   Category	Gambia	Eritrea	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	11,300	117,600	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	2,697,845	3,470,390	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑Eritrea: World Bank has no 2023 figure for Eritrea.	3,292	Unavailable	Unavailable
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	238.7	29.5	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	63	3,018	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	80	2,234	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	4	4	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	13.6° N	16.0° N	Would win

5. 5
   Round 5Tied16 countries · 4 lives left

   BulgariavsItaly

   Flag colours: 3 vs 3 colours · Higher wins ↑

   Italy became contested.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for Bulgaria against Italy

   Category	Bulgaria	Italy	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	110,879	301,340	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	6,446,596	58,984,216	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	38,829	60,350	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	58.1	195.7	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,925	4,748	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	354	7,600	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	42.5° N	45.1° N	Would win

6. 6
   Round 6Won18 countries · 4 lives left

   Dominican RepublicvsNorth Macedonia

   Proximity to equator: 19.1° N vs 41.5° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered North Macedonia, Italy.

   Other category comparisons 7 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Dominican Republic against North Macedonia

   Category	Dominican Republic	North Macedonia	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	48,670	25,713	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	11,331,265	1,827,816	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	25,861	25,354	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	232.8	71.1	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	3,098	2,764	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	1,288	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	6	2	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	19.1° N	41.5° N	Would win

7. 7
   Round 7Won19 countries · 4 lives left

   MozambiquevsBhutan

   Area: 799,380 vs 38,394 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Bhutan.

   Other category comparisons 5 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Mozambique against Bhutan

   Category	Mozambique	Bhutan	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	799,380	38,394	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	33,635,160	786,385	Would win
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	1,680	16,229	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	42.1	20.5	Would win
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,436	7,570	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	2,470	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	5	4	Would win
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	14.0° S	27.5° N	Would win

8. 8
   Round 8Won20 countries · 4 lives left

   BurundivsSouth Korea

   Proximity to equator: 3.4° S vs 36.3° N from the equator · Closer wins ↓

   Conquered South Korea.

   Other category comparisons 1 other winning choice

   All eight categories for Burundi against South Korea

   Category	Burundi	South Korea	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	27,830	99,720	Would lose
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	13,689,450	51,712,619	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	1,147	57,430	Would lose
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	491.9	518.6	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,685	1,950	Would win
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	2,413	Would lose
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	4	Would lose
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓ · Chosen	3.4° S	36.3° N	Would win

9. 9
   Round 9Won21 countries · 4 lives left

   IcelandvsArmenia

   Area: 103,000 vs 29,743 km² · Higher wins ↑

   Conquered Armenia.

   Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

   All eight categories for Iceland against Armenia

   Category	Iceland	Armenia	Result
   Areakm² · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	103,000	29,743	Would win
   Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	385,663	2,964,300	Would lose
   Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	82,257	21,552	Would win
   Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	3.7	99.7	Would lose
   Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	2,110	4,090	Would lose
   Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	4,970	0	Would win
   Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
   Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	64.7° N	40.6° N	Would lose

10. 10
    Round 10Won22 countries · 4 lives left

    CzechiavsMali

    Wealth per person: 56,062 vs 3,178 int’l $ · Higher wins ↑

    Conquered Mali.

    Other category comparisons 2 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Czechia against Mali

    Category	Czechia	Mali	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	78,867	1,240,192	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	10,864,042	23,769,127	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	56,062	3,178	Would win
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	137.8	19.2	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	1,602	1,155	Would win
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	0	Would tie
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	3	3	Would tie
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	49.8° N	18.6° N	Would lose

11. 11
    Round 11Won23 countries · 4 lives left

    Burkina FasovsIndonesia

    Flag colours: 3 vs 2 colours · Higher wins ↑

    Conquered Indonesia.

    Other category comparisons 0 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Burkina Faso against Indonesia

    Category	Burkina Faso	Indonesia	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	274,200	1,904,569	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	23,025,776	281,190,067	Would lose
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	2,762	15,428	Would lose
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	84.0	147.6	Would lose
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	749	4,884	Would lose
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑	0	54,716	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	3	2	Would win
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	12.8° N	1.0° S	Would lose

12. 12
    Round 12Lost22 countries · 3 lives left

    GuatemalavsUruguay

    Coastline: 400 vs 660 km · Higher wins ↑

    Returned to the world: Guatemala.

    Other category comparisons 5 other winning choices

    All eight categories for Guatemala against Uruguay

    Category	Guatemala	Uruguay	Result
    Areakm² · Higher wins ↑	108,889	176,215	Would lose
    Populationpeople · Higher wins ↑	18,124,838	3,388,081	Would win
    Wealth per personint’l $ · Higher wins ↑	13,752	34,546	Would lose
    Densityper km² · Higher wins ↑	166.5	19.2	Would win
    Highest peakm · Higher wins ↑	4,220	514	Would win
    Coastlinekm · Higher wins ↑ · Chosen	400	660	Would lose
    Flag colourscolours · Higher wins ↑	9	4	Would win
    Proximity to equatorfrom the equator · Closer wins ↓	15.0° N	32.9° S	Would win