Most unfortunately located countries?

[Tooting Carmen]

I would nominate:

Djibouti. A peaceful port, which happens to be surrounded by several war-torn or oppressive nations - Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen.

Iran. Their stupid government notwithstanding, the Iranian people are actually among the most secular and liberal people in the MENA world, and certainly one has to feel pity for them, considering they have Iraq to their West, Pakistan and Afghanistan to their East, Saudi Arabia not too far to their Southwest...

Jordan. One of the more peaceful and benign countries in the Middle East, yet they have Syria and Iraq to their North, Israel and the Palestinian Territories to their West, Saudi Arabia to their East...

Mongolia. They are a landlocked country squeezed between both Russia and China. Enough said.

Poland. Historically vulnerable to German and Russian aggression, not least because both have regarded it as a 'security buffer' against the other.

Thailand. Despite its frequent military coups and oppressive royal family, most of the time it has been a relative bastion of democracy and liberty when compared to its neighbours Myanmar, China, Laos and Cambodia, all of which have duly sent lots of refugees over to Thailand throughout the years.

[sean]

Oman:



Oman is perhaps the least worst of all Muslim countries. Secretive country with an odd form of Islam that was an offshoot of the Kharijite faith.

Located between Sunni and Shia worlds, they're neither Sunni nor Shia, they're Ibadis who don't have a history of violence one way or the other.

Oman's transition away from British rule is one of the few examples of decolonisation done right (that you don't hear much about the details of this is not a coincidence).

The government is progressive although it emphasises tradition and their culture, so that puts them ahead of practically all Middle Eastern governments.

For example, gays aren't thrown off buildings, they are just imprisoned for a few years.

Apostasy isn't a crime, although you will be shunned by the community and you can freely practice other religions that don't cause a public nuisance.

Tolerance of any other religions, there are permanent churches and temples of other faiths as well.

Women in Oman aren't treated as second class citizens by law, although they are culturally. If a women gets raped she isn't punished for it and instead the rapist gets punished.

[Crn Volk]

The Volkstaat Republic

[Vojnik]

Macedonia doesn’t make it to the list? Historically, it has been much more unfortunate then any of the mentioned.

[Tooting Carmen]

Macedonia doesn’t make it to the list? Historically, it has been much more unfortunate then any of the mentioned.

How so?

[lameduck]

Pakistan , our largest borders are with hostile neighbours India and Afghanistan , when you have to focus too much on security , you simply cant focus on nation building , which most young pakistanis want at the moment, along with new civil military establishment.

[Moje ime]

All Balkan countries.

[gixajo]

Afghanistan.

[Universe]

Moldova and Ukraine are in bad geopolitic position: between east(Russia) and west(EU), not belonging to either block.

Baltic countries because they are very small countries with few people next to a huge Russia who easily overrun them. It's not really true anymore because NATO protects them, but Baltic countries are still fearful of Russia and its foreign-policy and not without reason as we saw what happened to Crimea. Russians are still a sizeable minority in Baltic countries.

The situation of Finland can be compared to that of Baltic countries(although Finland managed to stop Russian invasion in 1939-1940).

Landlocked countries generally are in disadvantage compared to other countries that have access to sea/ocean.

[Maintenance]

Any landlocked country.