prosperous countries in the world

Known for its rich history, Italy has the 8th largest economy in the world and is one of the founding members of the European Union.

A formidably resilient country located in Central Europe, Czech Republic has rebounded from its oppressive past and today enjoys a well developed economy centered around its capital city of Prague.

Another EU member state, like the Czech Republic, Spain has also had a rocky past but after the overthrow of its dictatorship in 1975 it rebounded and up until 2008 had one of the strongest economies in Europe.

Although both mainland China and Taiwan claim to be the real China, Taiwan has managed to fare much better than its significantly larger counterpart.

Another European country that made significant strides in recent years, Slovenia has become a member of both the EU and NATO since gaining its independence.

Once upon a time Hong Kong was a region dominated by farmers and fishermen. Today it is a fusion of Chinese and Western influences all crammed together into one of the worlds most dynamic metropolises.

Emerging from the destruction of World War II, France has become one of the most important players on the world stage.

Since the end of World War II it has become the worlds third largest economy and Japan is a major source of global capital and credit.

Known for its strict laws, Singapore is a wealthy city state located on an island just off the coast of Malaysia.

Hosting the capital of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO, Belgium is a multi-linguistic and diverse society that has come to enjoy a very high standard of living since the end of World War II.