Quote Originally Posted by Thorne View Post
When talking of natural resources don't forget tourism. I know Switzerland gets a lot of tourists, and they have their banking industry, which is a man-made resource. I assume the Scandinavian countries get a lot of tourists as well, seeking the beautiful countryside. And doesn't Norway have claims to some of the North Sea Oil?

As for the Middle East countries, how much of their income actually goes to the people? They are mostly monarchies, where they are not outright dictatorships. The relatively few rich people make the bulk of the income. Plus, Islam right now is reminiscent of the Catholic Church of the Dark Ages: believe or die. I wonder how many would choose to remain faithful if actually given the free choice.
Natural resources also include timber which these countries are rich in. Hence why they had no need to colonise as a means of bringing in resources for the purpose of industrialisation.

Yes Islam is still in it's teens (counting a religion in centuries) and is much like Christianity at the same age. So it is almost impossible to get accurate census on how many are actually religious.