In what areas are some smaller, rich countries not self-sufficient?

We lack humour and cheap but good house staff and thus must import both.

Germany does not need a large military, that has never worked out well for them.

Singapore is a megawealthy small island nation with very limited natural resources, and only .8% arable land. It relies heavily on imports of food, fuel, crude oil, manufacturing parts, integrated circuits, and other commodities. But most important is water, which is piped in from neighboring Johor state in Malaysia. However, Singapore plans on being entirely self-sufficient before the water agreement with Malaysia expires in 2061, by building desalination plants, creating more reservoirs, using reclaimed water, etc.

CANADA. A bunch losers living. The PM is one

Switzerland is surrounded by car making countries - Germany, Austria, Italy, and France - and it does not make cars. It does make one jet airplane that I am aware of.

Canada is not a small country. It's one of the biggest countries in the world.

[quote]CANADA. A bunch losers living. The PM is one

The conservative premier of Alberta is the loser. Alberta has a lower population than B.C. but more covid deaths (Alberta - 1775, BC - 1288). Premier Kenney chooses business over people's lives.

Canada is a big country, yet has to totally depend on other countries to get the vaccine.

It also depends on the U.S. for its defense, for all intents and purposes, even though it has a military,

R5, Switzerland has homegrown car manufacturers, but they concentrate mostly on high performance vehicles or concept cars, like Rinspeed, Sbarro, Leblanc, etc.

Belgium

Hello! The mothers of all whatchamacallit economy - land and labour, dear OP. Economy 101, maybe you missed it in college.

The number of things Italy makes is astounding for such a small country. Jets, ships, cars, trains.

Tiny, dizzyingly rich countries like Qatar and Kuwait have damn near nothing except sand, oil, natural gas, money and expats.

Sweden here - we produce a lot of things and are rich in natural resources. Our biggest problem would actually be food production. Something like 70% of the country is forested, and crop yields in the southern third isn’t spectacular. We probably couldn’t feed our whole population on our own agricultural production.

R8, what little gun violence Canada has is usually due to guns brought in from the US. The US gun obsession is making Canada less safe

Malta isn't the poorest country in Europe and its economy is dependent on online gambling and tourism. They have zero natural resources are corrupt, overpopulated and produce almost nothing.

The National Airline Air Malta is currently losing over ¢270,000 Euros (200,000 dollars) per day, it only had 6 serviceable aircraft and since Covid is a monopoly provider.

170,000 Euros R16, sorry

Canada is so weak today that it can't even manufacture vaccines to save our lives in this pandemic. Globalization was the biggest lie sold to working class whites in the last 50 years. All it did was enrich the already rich even more while devastating domestic manufacturing capability and cratering working class standards of living.

Is Singapore as much fun as CRAZY RICH ASIANS would have it?

That's a shame, R16/R17, about the corruption, etc - I've been looking in to living and working in Malta.

OP the USA hasn’t exactly been exceptional in formulating and implementing an efficient and coherent response to the current pandemic, but do carry on.

One thing Covid has taught us is that NZ will be fine because we produce pretty much everything we would ever need except cars. It was crazy that people in my city were stocking up on toilet paper last year because the factory is only an hour away.

R19 The main thing to do in Singapore on the weekend is to walk around interconnected shopping malls, to escape the oppressive humidity and heat. Unfortunately that means being indoors with a whole bunch of Singaporeans and expats.

The crazy rich Asian experience, from my time there, revolves around getting the fuck out of Singapore as often as possible. Same for me but I had to fly commercial and only on weekends.

It is a clean, efficient, politically repressive and dull as dishwater place to live, inhabited by a bunch of sheep completely lacking in empathy.

^^^ although the toilet paper factory si next to a big volcano so I guess you never know ....

"One thing Covid has taught us is that NZ will be fine because we produce pretty much everything we would ever need except cars. It was crazy that people in my city were stocking up on toilet paper last year because the factory is only an hour away."

I like NZ. I really do. I've been 5 times and it's one of my favourite countries, but it really doesn't manufacture much.

Time to re-shore everything and contain China.

R21, I agree! But the thread is about the self-sufficiency of small countries - not how the US has managed the Covid response.

Here’s a thread on Trump and Covid, in case you’re interested.

Probably Norway, which is apparently rich in natural resources (e.g., gas). Who knew. The food is apparently dreadful.

R8, Canada has no enemies except for jealous right-wing Americans.

Isn’t China holding some Canadians hostage, r29?

Yes, China is absolutely considered an hostile enemy by most Canadians.

England gets some of its electricity from nuclear power plants in France.

The UK imports a lot of its fruit and vegetables from the EU, for example tomatoes from The Netherlands. We import lamb from New Zealand. In return, we export whisky, salmon, chocolate, meat, cheese and grains.

Luxembourg has a limited number of major industries and a very small military. Much of their electrical power is imported. They do have agriculture in the northern part of the country while the country is well known for financial institutions and technology.

Luxembourg University was established in 2003.

{quote]I like NZ. I really do. I've been 5 times and it's one of my favourite countries, but it really doesn't manufacture much.

We do - we just export all of it

Has OP ever heard of the economic principle of comparative advantage in trade?

" comparative advantage in trade?"

Just another way to say " whoring your ass out to China" Fuck that. Bring manufacturing back and fuck the chinks and the one per centers.

Oil.