Which post-colonial countries could be sustainably bigger?

Warsie

Banned
I wouldn't consider former soviet republics to be 'colonized', at least not in how Africa was given they had autonomy and could secede as shown in OTL.
 

Delta Force

Banned
If the UK had lost World War I but the Ottoman Empire still fell apart an independent Iraq would probably have swallowed up Kuwait. In terms of stability, it might be a bit better off than historical Iraq with easier access to the sea and more petrodollars. In a German victory scenario it would also be the end point of the Berlin-Baghdad Railway, so it could even be a major global export terminal.

Another Middle Eastern country that could have been larger is the UAE, which tried to have Bahrain and Qatar join. It would have some stability problems though as Bahrain is mostly Shia (with a Sunni monarch) and does not have as much oil and natural gas. There would have to be a lot of transfer payments and a soft touch towards Bahrain to keep the populace happy.

There is also the possibility of Singapore staying with Malaysia instead of parting ways.
 

Warsie

Banned
Didnt the British let the saud family get any territory they can hold? if so, all of Arabia is controlled by the Sauds up to Luwait/Iraq if not more
 
NZ could have easily joined the federation of the Australasian colonies and had been discussing it at some length during the preceding decades along with all the other colonies. IIRC though, by the late 1880s it seemed quite likely that NZ would not join on the current terms. Then by the mid 1890s when federation was proceding apace it was very clear we would not be joining.

I had cause to read a few editions of various colonial NZ newspapers from the late 1870s to 1890s a few weeks back and it seemed that everyone was still extremely interested in the federation discussions though.

I could see that there would be achievable to get a change, if one wanted it.

Perhaps a stronger line from London? A war scare in the Pacific in the late 1880s? An actual war in the 1890s? I wonder if the Boer War had occured 1-2 years earlier if that would have made a difference. Perhaps the NZ public could have been scared into re-entering negotiations? Or be convinced by some appeal to Imperial patriotism?
 
Unsustainable
French West Africa as one country

Actually French West Africa as a single federal country could have worked if a strong leader had emerged. Economically, French West Africa or for that matter West Africa has always been a single unit as far as the Mali Empire times.

The challenges facing a united West African nation would be huge and I think that at least a few marginal nations like Mauretania would probably leave, but the core that would remain would have a strong and rather diverse economic base to work with especially as far as agriculture and mineral ressources are concerned.
 
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