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Written by Pearl V. · Editor: Stephanie R. · Graphic Designer: DCSN Team
6 minute read · 1st May 2025, Thursday
An insight into 5 relatively unknown nations
An insight into 5 relatively unknown nations
Let’s travel the globe as we take a look into 5 forgotten nations I guarantee you’ve never heard of.
1. Comoros 🇰🇲
The Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast, with Grande Comore featuring beaches and ancient lava from the active Mt. Karthala volcano. This small country, home to over 850,000 people, has an Arabian heritage enriched by Malay immigrants, Arab and Persian traders, and diverse African populations, including those from Madagascar. (Britannica, n.d.).
Administered by Madagascar in 1912, the Comoros became a French overseas territory in 1947. Following Madagascar's independence in 1960, the islands gained internal autonomy in 1961. Known as the "Vanilla Islands," the Comoros is a key supplier of vanilla, among other crops, to the European Union.
As one of the world's poorest and smallest economies, the Comoros consists of three islands facing significant challenges, including inadequate transportation links, a rapidly growing young population, and limited natural resources (Economy, n.d.).
Transport: Ferries and cargo ships are infrequent and unreliable, making it challenging to transport goods, services, and people efficiently between the islands and the mainland. This affects trade and access to essential supplies.
Political Instability: Protests and unrest can happen in Comoros, particularly following elections. Corruption and a lack of transparency hampers normal business activity (Freedom House, n.d.).
Poverty: Comoros grapples with high unemployment rates, with 45% of the population living just below the national poverty line. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Climate Change: The islands are vulnerable to climate change, which exacerbates issues like food insecurity and environmental degradation.The country's location and topography are among the most climate-vulnerable in the world, and 54.2% of the population lives in at-risk areas (World Bank, 2024). In the past 20 years, the country has lost 28% of its forest cover, and strategic coastal areas have receded by 30 meters due to erosion (UNDP, 2024).
These interconnected problems hinder development efforts and impede the nation’s potential for growth.
2. Niue 🇳🇺
With a population under 2,000 people, Niue is the least populated country on our list.
Niue is a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean part of Polynesia. It’s known for its limestone cliffs and coral-reef dive sites.
Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand
Climate Change: Overfishing, pollution from land runoff, and inadequate waste management have damaged Niue's coral reefs (National Geographic Society, 2024)
3. Gabon 🇬🇦
Gabon is a country along the Atlantic coast of Central Africa,
In 1910 Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa. Gabon's first political party, the Jeunesse Gabonais, was founded around 1922. After concluding cooperation agreements with France, on 15 July 1960 France agreed to Gabon becoming fully independent, and one month later Gabon became an independent country (Britannica, n.d.).
Gabon exports a major proportion of its petroleum production outside Africa, with the bulk of the crude oil going to the United States and France
Poor Government:
Disease: Besides the deadly HIV/AIDS, there's also the deadly malaria, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, schistosomiasis, rabies, etc. that continue to threaten several lives in Gabon today.
Environmental Issues: Rampant deforestation and poaching remain some of the major environmental issues facing the Gabonese today.
4. Palau 🇵🇼
Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. Koror Island is home to the former capital, and is the islands’ commercial center. The larger Babeldaob has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus mountains and sandy beaches that attract tourists.
Palau was originally part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific, administered by the United States, following World War II. It gained independence in 1994, and is now a democratic republic (USCIS, 2025).
Reviving Tourism: Before 2020, tourism used to account for around 50% of Palau's GDP. In 2019, Palau received around 90,000 tourists, but that fell to fewer than 10,000 in 2022.
5. Abkhazia
The Republic of Abkhazia is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan),at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It has a population of around 245,000, and its capital and largest city is Sukhumi.
Abkhazia became de facto independent from Georgia after the 1992–1993 war, but its legal independence has only been recognised by a few other countries over the world, including Russia, Venezuela, and Syria. It is a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system, wherein the President is both head of state and head of government.
\/ Abkhazia \/
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