Gideon Defoe: the stories behind the world's extinct countries

From Saturday Morning, 8:23 am on 12 March 2022
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Not all nations last, and as author Gideon Defoe points out sometimes it’s for the best.

In his new book An Atlas of Extinct Countries, Defoe explores the fascinating and sometimes outlandish stories behind territories that didn’t make the cut. And as Defoe explains, the reason for their demise isn't always a result of international diplomacy or brinkmanship, it’s often just lunacy.

The book examines the fates of 48 deceased states, such as The Islands of Refreshment, which was a failed experiment as a pit stop in the Atlantic Ocean, and The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace, which ended in 1864 with tens of millions people dead.

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Photo: Luke Smith