World GNP ranking: a game

Okay, I'll be brave, plus I'll add some explanations:

United States of America (we export a lot of stuff, plus we're big and rich)
Saudi Arabia (due to oil; no other reason)
Japan (big exporter)
China (mainly due to the huge population)
India (also due to the large population, plus they export a lot of tech)
United Kingdom (wasn't sure whether to put the UK or Germany higher; big industrialized nation)
Germany (I put it below the UK because the former East Germany still isn't up to snuff in terms of $$)
Australia (wealthy nation but not a big population)
Canada (same reasoning as Oz)
Russia (was fairly wealthy but is somewhat on the decline from its glory days)
Mexico (up and coming and they export oil)
Brazil (similar to Mexico, plus a large population and a good chunk of cash comes from tourism)
Norway (another oil exporter)
Ireland (not a very wealthy country but they export tech)
Turkey (yet another oil exporter, but many people live in poverty)
World Average
Nigeria (another OPEC nation)
Spain (some wealth, not a lot of tech, pretty good tourism $$)
Siria (OPEC)
Bermuda (tourism, big time, but they don't have much else)
Slovakia (some tourism dollars)
Taiwan (exports tech but the population is small)
Czech Republic (tourism)
Colombia (I recall reading once that coca production is something like the third-biggest crop for this nation)
Ukraine (they're pretty big in agriculture, if I recall correctly)
North Korea (probably some weapons exports)
Angola (too much strife to keep good track of anything or for anyone to be interested in business; if I remember right, they have diamonds but at this point there may be no one interested in mining them, as it's a lot safer to go to South Africa for gemstones)
Cuba (embargo keeps them from selling nearly anything)
Afghanistan (recovering from war and years of bad rule; won't be exporting anything for a while, even with US or UN help)
Gaza Strip (technically not a nation so shouldn't have exports, per se; no industry, no oil, no tech, no tourism and no agriculture)

I'm game...

United States of America
China
Russia
Germany
Norway
Canada
Australia
Brazil
United Kingdom
India
Japan
Spain
Taiwan
Mexico
Ukraine
Turkey
Saudi Arabia
Bermuda
World Average
Czech Republic
Ireland
Slovakia
Colombia
Siria
Afghanistan
Nigeria
Angola
Cuba
North Korea
Gaza Strip

Oops, I just realized this is based on per capita, not per country. I made a couple corrections, otherwise, I'll stand.

You both are very brave, indeed.
Yes, piffka, it's per capita, not per country. The size of the country is not the relevant element. Nor are exports (some countries may export little, and yet be rich, or viceversa).

You both got #1 right. (The per capita US income level, $36,600 a year, is surpassed only by Luxembourg).
You both got the last one right (the Gaza Strip is among the poorest regions in the world; only $620 dollars a year, per person).
Jespah got the second to the last one right: Afghanistan. (Actually I had thought Afghanistan was the poorest; turns out it is not).

But the middle, so far, looks a little bit messy.

Hint: imagine the life of the average Indian, the average Irishman, the average Chinese, the average Bermudan.

Can we play if we know the answers? I guess not, 'twouldn't be a guess.

Eek, I thought GNP was by country. Okay, back to the drawing board, but this tosses China and India waaay down the list.

2nd guess (names in italics are in the correct spots):

United States of America
Norway
Japan
Germany
Australia
United Kingdom
Brazil
Canada
Taiwan
Ireland
Nigeria
Spain
Mexico
Turkey
Russia
World Average
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Colombia
Saudi Arabia
India
China
Bermuda
North Korea
Siria
Angola
Cuba
Ukraine
Afghanistan
Gaza Strip

GNP? I thought they switched to GDP a decade or more ago.

With all the reading I do about the world's economies, I'm still a dummy at this stuff. I think the US as the premier economy of the world isn't hard to pick, with five percent of the world's population, and consuming 40 percent of the world's resources, but the rest...... ??????? c.i.

I just wish my capitus were assured of getting the national average -- not certain that it does . . .

There's nothing like an old fool, is there?

Okay, here's my next set of guesses... now that I know I'm supposed to be thinking of the average countryman for each of these.

United States of America
Bermuda
Germany
Norway
Canada
United Kingdom
Australia
Taiwan
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Japan
Ireland
Mexico
Brazil
Russia
Slovakia
World Average
Ukraine
Turkey
India
China
Czech Republic
Colombia
Siria
Cuba
Nigeria
Angola
North Korea
Afghanistan
Gaza Strip

Hmmm, that should be a bit better!

In actuality, Luxembourg has the highest per capita income, followed by the US. Here's the list from the World Almanac: 3. San Marino, 4. Switzerland, 5. Norway, 6. Denmark, 7. Canada, 8. Ireland, 9. Japan, 10. Austria, 11. Monaco, 12. Germany, 13. Belgium, 14. Finland, 15. Netherlands, 16. France, 17. Iceland, 18. Singapore, 19. Sweden, and 20. UK. c.i.

Roger is right, I made a (hopefully negligible) mistake. The chart refers to GDP.

The rankings are much better:

PiffkaII got number 2 right. The average Bermudan is, indeed, richer than the average European ($34,800)
JespahII (and c.i. with his list) clutched the number 3 spot for Norway ($31,800)
cicerone's list does not take into account the difference in prices, but it is correct up to spot number 6.
4. Canada ($29,400)
5. Ireland ($27,500) - A surprise, to me.
6. Japan ($28,000)

PiffkaII picked the right spot for Cuba ($2,300). Angola, North Korea & Nigeria are correctly put between Cuba and Afghanistan. The order varies slightly.

Both understimated the Czech Republic,

Wow, Ireland is higher than the UK? I am 'mazed.

I hope that you will post the correct list sometime, or give us a link.

Thanks, fbaezer. You've been full of good games lately!

Damn. I got home and saw this clever little quiz and started to speculate about population vs GDP. I arranged the countries in a tidy little grid, only to discover that some party-pooper had whipped out (or called up) a world almanac. No thinking needed, just punch and go. -a grumpy rjb-

I'll wait a little longer, to see more replies.

New tips:
3 of the 4 occupants of spots 7 to 10 are European. The non-European is a cinch.
Nations in the former East-European block have had quite different economic stories.

Re: World GNP ranking: a game


This is fun.

My guess (and I havent looked at the answers yet, honest guv'):


United States of America
Canada
Norway
United Kingdom
Australia
Bermuda
Saudi Arabia
Japan
Germany
Spain
Ireland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Taiwan
Turkey
Mexico
Russia
Brazil
World Average
Ukraine
Syria
India
China
Colombia
Cuba
Nigeria
Gaza Strip
Angola
North Korea
Afghanistan

Quite good, nimh.

As most posters, you have overstimated Saudi Arabia and India; like everyone, you have understimated Ireland (see previous posts for it's correct place).

Every one is almost zeroing the world average.

You picked the correct spots for the US, Spain, Czech Republic & Slovakia, and barely missed Mexico, Russia, Brazil and World Average (in fact, the order of the 3 countries is correct).

I see I overestimated UK and Australia ... see, I fell for all this 'coalition of the winning' trap <grins> ... and underestimated Bermuda, Ireland and Japan. Darn, I knew Ireland's been a "tiger" lately, but that high?

<edit> oh, hi fbaezer, didnt realise you were reading along! cool, i like it if my exams get checked pronto ;-)

This was a exam? ;( c.i.

I heard an interesting comment by a pundit the other evening, in which he described Mexico as the "first world of the third world." He pointed out that Mexico is quite economically healthy, despite many problems (and none of us are immune from economic inequality and chronic fiscal problems), and only looks poor as a result of being, in the words of Porfiro Diaz: ". . . so close to the United States."

Your results have been quite enlightening, Fbaezer, and often quite surprising.