The atlas / Countries
Politics, put into practice.
From ancient empires to modern republics. Explore how states and regimes organize power, shape society, and engage with the world.
204 profiles
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- Current states & regions
Liechtenstein
A tiny European principality, Liechtenstein is a prosperous constitutional monarchy, with strong local autonomy, a liberal economy based on finance and industry, and one of the highest income levels per capita in the world.
- Current states & regions
Lithuania
A Baltic semi-presidential republic, Lithuania left the USSR in 1990 and belongs to the EU, the euro and NATO, with strong hostility to Russia, high military spending, support for Ukraine, an open economy and a Catholic-majority society that is secularizing.
- Current states & regions
Luxembourg
A European grand duchy and global financial center, Luxembourg combines parliamentary monarchy, an open economy, deep European integration, and a multicultural society sustained by services, technology, and finance.
- Current states & regions
Macau (China)
A Chinese special administrative region and the world's largest gambling center, Macau unites very low taxes, a hyper-open economy of casinos and tourism, a Portuguese Catholic heritage, and a political system controlled by Beijing, without full democracy.
- Antiquity
Macedonian Empire
Symbolic illustration
Empire formed by the conquests of Philip II and Alexander the Great, combining Macedonian military monarchy, Persian administration, Greek city founding, and Hellenistic cultural fusion over diverse territories.
- Current states & regions
Madrid (Spain)
The autonomous community around the Spanish capital, Madrid has been governed by the People's Party since 1995 and, under Isabel Díaz Ayuso, became a showcase of low taxes, economic freedom, school choice and attraction of capital and Latin American immigrants.
- Current states & regions
Malaysia
An elective federal monarchy in Southeast Asia, Malaysia combines democracy, a multiethnic society, Islam as the official religion, and a state-directed market economy, with affirmative action policies for Malays.
- 20th & 21st centuries
Maoist China
Under Mao, revolutionary China was a single-party communist state, with a collectivized economy and permanent mass mobilization, marked by campaigns such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.
- Current states & regions
Massachusetts (United States)
A northeastern US state, Massachusetts is a progressive stronghold and a hub of education and science, with prestigious universities, a strong liberal tradition, and politics focused on social rights and innovation.
- Middle Ages
Medieval Iceland (Commonwealth)
A rare society without a central state, medieval Iceland was organized by local chieftains and an assembly, the Althing, settling disputes through laws and private agreements in a decentralized system close to anarchy.
- 19th century
Meiji Japan
Imperial standard illustration
During the Meiji Era, Japan underwent rapid modernization directed by the emperor, who abolished feudalism, industrialized the country, and created modern institutions, uniting tradition, nationalism, and military ascent.
- Current states & regions
Mexico
A presidential federal republic in North America, Mexico unites electoral democracy, a market economy integrated with the United States, and persistent challenges of inequality, corruption, and drug-related violence.
- Current states & regions
Minas Gerais (Brazil)
A historic mining state and birthplace of a failed 18th-century independence conspiracy against colonial rule, Minas Gerais has an economy built on mining and agriculture, with traditionally moderate, conciliatory politics.
- Current states & regions
Monaco
A small Mediterranean principality, Monaco combines constitutional monarchy, low taxation, strong dependence on financial services and luxury tourism, maintaining a conservative social order and great economic openness.
- Middle Ages
Mongol Empire
Symbolic illustration
Founded by Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire unified steppe tribes, expanded through devastating military campaigns, and ruled diverse peoples through vassalage, tribute, and pragmatic religious tolerance.
- Current states & regions
Mongolia
A democratic republic between Russia and China, Mongolia left communist rule in 1990 and has competitive elections, a mining-dependent market economy, a nomadic tradition, and a revival of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Current states & regions
Morocco
Under its 2011 Constitution, Morocco has a constitutional monarchy and a two-chamber parliament, including a directly elected House of Representatives. The king is head of state and Commander of the Faithful, and appoints the head of government from the party leading House of Representatives elections. Islam is the state religion.
- Current states & regions
Myanmar
A Southeast Asian country ruled by a military junta since the 2021 coup, Myanmar is in civil war against ethnic and pro-democracy militias, with official Buddhist nationalism and persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority.
- 19th century
Napoleonic Empire
Under Napoleon Bonaparte, the First French Empire concentrated absolute power in the emperor, imposed the Civil Code and a centralized administration across conquered Europe, and sustained its territorial expansion through continuous warfare and a mass-conscription army.
- 20th & 21st centuries
Nasser's Egypt
Under Nasser, Egypt was a nationalist, developmentalist republic that nationalized strategic sectors, led pan-Arabism, and united Arab socialism, agrarian reform, and strong leadership in the Middle East.
- 20th & 21st centuries
Nazi Germany (Third Reich)
A totalitarian regime led by Hitler, the Third Reich imposed a racist, expansionist dictatorship, a cult of the leader, and a police state, being responsible for World War II and the genocide of the Holocaust.
- Current states & regions
Netherlands
A parliamentary monarchy, the Netherlands is known for its liberal tradition, social tolerance, and free trade, with an open, globalized economy and progressive policies on customs and individual rights.
- Current states & regions
New Hampshire (United States)
A small state in the northeastern United States, New Hampshire is known for its strong libertarian culture, low taxation, absence of a state income tax, and a motto that exalts liberty above all.
- Current states & regions
New York (United States)
The financial and cultural center of the United States, New York combines liberal, progressive politics, enormous immigrant diversity, a globalized service-based economy, and strong symbolic weight in the world.
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