Which country has lost the most territory?

Summary

This video explores which country has experienced the greatest territorial loss in history. It humorously compares the Roman Empire, the British Empire, and the Mongol Empire, noting the UK's significant loss of territory. The video then delves into non-empire nations, highlighting Luxembourg's 75% loss and Mexico's cession of land to the US. It intriguingly suggests Taiwan, which claims all of China's territory despite its small size, as having the highest proportional loss. The video concludes by pondering the concept of territorial loss in the context of political changes and the enduring identity of a nation's people.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Roman Empire once had vast territories, but modern Italy has lost most of that land compared to its ancient counterpart.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The British Empire, despite its historical grandeur, has lost almost all of its territories, making it the biggest loser in terms of total territorial loss.
• 🐉 The Mongol Empire also experienced significant territorial loss, ranking second after the British Empire in terms of land area lost.
• 🇲🇽 Mexico has lost a considerable amount of territory to the United States, which has contributed to the shared culture and history between the two nations.
• 🇱🇺 Luxembourg has experienced multiple partitions, resulting in a loss of approximately 75% of its original land area to Belgium, France, and Germany.
• 🇸🇬 Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation, leading to a loss of over 99% of its territory, although it was part of a larger political entity.
• 🇨🇳 China has territorial disputes but is not considered to have lost a significant percentage of its territory like Luxembourg or Taiwan.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁮󠁧󠁿 Taiwan, which once claimed to be the legitimate government of all of China, has lost over 99.5% of its claimed land area, making it the country with the greatest proportional territorial loss.
• 🏳️ The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan no longer exists, and its territory is now part of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, representing a complete loss of statehood.
• 🌐 The concept of territorial loss is complex and can be viewed from different perspectives, such as total land area lost, percentage of land lost, or the loss of a country's existence.

Q & A

Which country is considered to have lost the most territory in terms of historical empires?

The United Kingdom is considered to have lost the most territory when compared to the extent of the British Empire.

What is the second largest territorial loss historically, according to the script?

The Mongol Empire is mentioned as having the second largest territorial loss in history.

How much territory did Luxembourg lose in percentage terms?

Luxembourg lost 75% of its territory, going from 10,700 km squared to 2,586 km squared.

Which country lost the most territory that is not historically an empire?

Mexico is cited as an example of a country that lost a significant amount of territory but was not an empire.

What is the concept of 'revanchism' as mentioned in the script?

Revanchism refers to a political movement or policy aimed at regaining lost territory, often through military conquest.

How much territory did Singapore technically lose when it was expelled from Malaysia?

Singapore technically lost over 99% of its territory when it was expelled from the Federation of Malaysia.

What is the territorial claim of Taiwan over China according to the script?

Taiwan claims to be the legitimate government of all of China, including territories that China controls, as well as areas that were claimed historically by China.

Which country has technically lost over 99.5% of its land area according to the script?

Taiwan is mentioned as having technically lost over 99.5% of its land area, going from claiming 6.3% of the world's land mass to being a small island.

What is the argument made in the script about the continuity of countries despite changes in governance?

The script suggests that the people living in a place remain the same regardless of who governs them, implying a continuity of the country's identity beyond changes in political control.

Which country is suggested to have lost the most territory if considering a country that no longer exists?

The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan is suggested as an example of a country that no longer exists and thus has lost all of its territory.