Top 10 Countries That Won't Exist In 20 Years
Where are you from?
How old is your country?
How long will it last?
That last question might seem crazy - the country youre from may seem as solid as a
rock - how could it ever dissapear?
Well, Im here to tell you guys that countries can be a fickle thing.
Throughout the course of human history they have come and they have gone.
Will yours be next?
My name is Danny Burke and this is the top 10 countries that wont exist in 20 years ...
Ok starting off at number 10 we have the UK.
Yes, its where Im from - Im sure a lot of you guys are too.
The UK is a union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
As long as the Union has existed, there have been some people calling for independence
from it.
In 2014, Scotland even had a referendum on whether to remain part of the UK - the vote
was close, 55% of people voted no to independence.
This may have put the issue to bed but then Brexit happened - the UK voted to leave the
EU with the majority of supporters coming from England and Wales - on the whole, Scotland
and Northern Ireland did not want it.
This has spurred up even more talk of them leaving a Union - if the Union falls apart
then the United Kingdom will never be the same again.
Moving on to number 9 we have The Maldives.
To put it quite simply - the maldives is disappearing.
The tiny nation in the Indian Ocean is said by many to be the first victim of climate
change.
Rising sea levels have swallowed up more and more of the coral islands - the 2004 Tsunami
permanently erased 20 of them off the map.
Experts say that not a single bit of land will remain within the next 25 - 30 years.
In 2012, the Maldivian government even announced they were looking to buy islands from Australia,
Sri Lanka or India to relocate its people when their own country disappears!
At number 8 now we have North Korea.
This one is pretty obvious.
The whole world has been watching Kim Jong Un continued to defy UN sanctions by developing
the countrys missile system - potentially to the level of nuclear weapons.
North Korea has always threatened to attack what it sees as its biggest threat - the US.
Its thought that is missiles can now reach the US mainland - so will they follow through
on their threat?
Opinion is divided on wether they will or if they even can.
One thing is for sure though - if they attack the US, America promises it will immediately
drop the policy of containment and hoping the government implodes.
They say they will immediately remove the North Korean regime with whatever force is
necessary.
Moving on to number 7 we have Belgium.
This tiny European country has existed in its current stated for almost 200 years but
it has not always been roses.
The country is deeply divided between the North - called Flanders - and the South, called
Wallonia.
Flanders predominantly speaks Flemmish while Wallonia is dominated by French.
There have been attempts to keep the country unified by being more inclusive to both languages
and cultures - but some experts fear it is too little too late - and the rift is naturally
forming 2 separate countries.
In the next 20 years, Flanders and Wallonia could become the 2 newest countries in Europe
…
Next up at number 6 we have China.
Unlike some of the others are on our list, China does have a strong government and a
fairly unified people with the exception of Tibet and Hong Kong.
Some people believe that a 2nd revolution could happen because the people of China simply
arent happy with their government.
Some parts of China are choking to death.
Air pollution has reached almost lethal levels in some parts of china with thick smog becoming
normality - dragging a quarter of a million a year to an early grave.
Its thought that half of Chinas rivers are so badly polluted that theyre unfit for human
consumption.
Governments have to do a lot to keep their people happy - if parts of China cant properly
drink or breath - how long will that government last?
Coming in at number 5 we have The Netherlands.
Its famous for Amsterdam, Windmills and legal marijuana - but the tiny European nation also
faces a real threat - being totally flooded.
For hundreds of years - the Netherlands has been building complex dikes and sea barriers
to stop its low lying land being flooded by the North Sea.
Some parts of the country are 7m below sea level - thats 23 ft.
Theyve kept the water out but theyre still stuggling to let the water out.
When massive storms hit Europe, the Netherlands is usually the worst off.
In 1953, a storm left parts of the country 5 and a half meters deep in flood water - and
maybe the worst is yet to come ...
At number 4 we have Libya.
Libya is not a naturally formed country - it was carved up by Italy along colonial borders
that didnt represent a unified people.
It had a troubled time under Colonel Gaddafi which eventually led to a brutal civil war
in 2011 during the Arab spring.
These days, the country has been torn between rival groups and armed militants who have
allegiance to different regions and tribes.
The central government is weak and some experts believe all of this points towards a country
that will break apart into smaller groups within the next few decades.
Moving on to number 3 we have Kirbati.
Many of you will have never heard of this country - and its understandable.
Its a tiny nation of islands in the pacific with a population of just over 100,000.
If this is first time youve heard of it - Im sad to say it may be gone in the next few
decades.
The reason is the same as the Maldives - rising sea levels.
The country is also extremely poor - most of its efforts go into fighting poverty and
the defense against the rising tides amount to walls of sandbags.
The President has even started evacuating people to other countries before its too late
...
Coming in at number 2 we have the United States.
Right there in the countrys name it tells you - these states are united.
But for how long?
Unlike a lot of other countries - the different parts of the US often have widly different
laws and ways to govern its people.
This has worked harmoniously for the majority of the countrys history - except for a brutual
civil war.
Some people feel that the North-South divide that tore the country apart can still be felt
today.
They say there are deep rooted political and cultural differences that wont heal until
the country splits.
Id love to hear what our American viewers think of this theory - do you think any states
will ever secede from the Union and if so, how much do you care?
And finally at number 1 we have Spain.
Many of you might not be aware but Spain has always been far from unified under the surface.
It has struggled with regions wanting independence for many years.
One of the most famous examples is the Basque region in the North of Spain - the terrorist
group ETA has been killing people in the fight for independence for decades although it did
agree to lay down its weapons in 2011.
Other regions fight more peacefully - Catalonia - the area that contains Barcelona - has had
an independence movement for about 100 years.
The regions Government is about to hold a referendum vote on independence in September
2017 although the Spanish government has refused to recognise it.
If you guys are watching after that date - you might even know more than I do!
Which country are you from?
Do you think it will last forever?
If so, why - if you dont, why not?
Im interested to hear your answers and Id love to know if youd like a part 2!
In the mean time - Im Danny Burke, thanks for watching and Ill see you in the next one.