There have been a lot of amazing opportunities for nations over the years, and it’s hard for many to pass up on them. From ancient times to the present day, technology has given countries the power to grow economically. Of course, that sometimes led to attempts to take over other nations. Over the years though, big technology has allowed some nations to stand out heavily. Whether that was early forms of technology that we still use today or the latest and greatest in the digital world. Regardless of which one, several countries have managed to carve out a spot among the elite due to their technology.
Meanwhile, others practically destroyed themselves trying to stand out in the world. Of course, many succeeded in becoming a major world power with their big technology companies or inventions. However, it was at the expense of their own people. Several top cities within major nations were either helped or destroyed by big technology and we wanted to discuss the most important from the past to the present day. While we will mostly only use one city or region from a country, this will differ slightly for a reason you will certainly understand. Without further delay, let’s get started!
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Helped – Paris, France
- Timeline: Present-Day
To be fair to France, they have been one of the most innovative nations on the planet for centuries. They have also been a major asset to the world of science and technology. For example, the very reason we can drink milk without dying from it is due to pasteurization. Invented by the Frenchman Louie Pasteur. The nation produced the very first refrigerator, electric generator, parachute, and mechanical adding machine (calculator). Even today, places like Paris have given us extraordinary technology and big technology has really changed the game for France overall.
[Image via Pisaphotography/Shutterstock.com]Funny enough, at one point Paris was in decline heavily after World War 1. The Marshall Plan helped them, which was monetary aid given by the United States. This allowed France to rebuild, which they did by starting with Paris. Industrial movements led to the city producing more jobs for people, leading to more homes being built near the city to house the workers. Businesses then sprouted up all around them, which made Paris bounce back financially and in its population. While their industrial movements really began with coal and steel, they quickly moved on to other things to end up where they are today as a major tech power in Europe.
[Image via Esteban Velez Mesa/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Medellin, Columbia
- Timeline: Present-Day
Columbia is well-known for its oil, so much so that it is the only nation from either of the Americas to be part of the infamous OPEC cartel. They put that oil money to good use by investing in technology. That led to their second-largest city, Medellin, becoming one of the most innovative cities on the planet. The city was named the most innovative in 2013 by the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit. By 2019, Medellin became well-known as a “smart city,” due to its high-tech use and technological innovation. This was an impressive turnaround from a city that was once known for being a major home to an infamous drug cartel.
[Image via Giuseppe Restrepo Marin/Shutterstock.com]While all of this was impressive, Columbia’s movement into more technology led to multiple big technology needs. Which takes a lot of energy to accomplish. It was found that at least 20 instances of all deaths within metropolitan cities were caused by outdoor air pollution. However, those that live in rural territories were at a higher risk, as this air pollution has caused 17% of all deaths there. What is causing all of this? One would think it is just vehicles, yet many countries use gas-powered vehicles and do not have the same air pollution. The real problem for Medellin and all of Columbia is unchecked industrial factories.
[Image via Sven Hansche/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Athens, Greece
- Timeline: 12th Century BCE to 600 AD
It should be noted that we’re discussing ancient Greece here. While some might assume we’d use Alexandria in this territory, this city happened to be more Egyptian than Greek. It was even the Egyptian Capital for years. That said, Athens was the place where so many major things began that we still use today. Things like democracy, philosophy, and much more. Yet they are also responsible for the first known use of streets, truss roofing, showers, as well as the first clock tower and alarm clock overall.
[Image via Sven Hansche/Shutterstock.com]While it is true that the Greeks and even Romans, later on, relied on lead a bit too much, it was not enough to become a huge problem. Greece was able to do so much in Athens that some of the original buildings still stand today. Moreover, Athens also saw the rise of major technology we see used for construction projects worldwide. Things like the crane, winch, lever, gimbal, and even gears in general. This allowed them to make some of the major historic buildings and outdoor arenas we know from ancient times. Athens became a beacon of the ancient world due to all the major things they provided, which was really only possible due to their tech.
[Image via Homo Cosmicos/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Karachi, Pakistan
- Timeline: Present-Day
Let’s first be fair to Pakistan for all the good they have done. In the medical field, Pakistani neurosurgeon Ayub K. Ommaya invented The Ommaya Reservoir. This is a system for the delivery of drugs like chemotherapy into the cerebrospinal fluid as a treatment for brain tumors. Meanwhile, developer Faisal Kashif invented a non-invasive technology that monitors intracranial pressure. Pakistan has become a huge asset to the medical field, especially the city of Karachi. The city is home to several medical professionals and engineers. Software engineers alone have helped Karachi become a major power in the information technology field worldwide.
[Image via Pakistan Stock Footage/Shutterstock.com]However, Karachi and Pakistan overall are also known for their development of military technologies too. While their IT field has made Pakistan wealthier, this has only led to huge problems for the city of Karachi. From 2016 to 2021, the nation was ranked in the Top 5 most polluted countries. Air quality levels are so below proper breathing levels that it is considered dangerous to live there. This is partly caused by gas-powered vehicles, but the real trouble comes from industrial activity. That includes standard factories and power plants, and much more. Their tech achievements led to more development, which by proxy led to terrible living conditions.
[Image via Olena Znak/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Timeline: Present-Day
The city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands is well-known for its belief that nearly everything should be legalized. However, it is also now known as one of the most innovative cities on the planet. In fact, they won the European Commission’s iCapital Competition in 2016. The panel of independent experts judged nine cities based on four main categories. Those were governance, economics, social inclusion, and quality of life. They won on the basis that Amsterdam provides a great climate for start-ups and a nice sharing economy that allows a bottom-up approach. Thereby giving rise to smart growth, livability, and digital social innovation
[Image via Olena Z/Shutterstock.com]Amsterdam is now considered a “smart city,” and its initiatives have led to economic growth. Along with that, they have efficiently used their natural resources and helped them develop a very high quality of life metric. They are committed to pushing business models revolving around smart housing, open data, smart grids, home energy storage, connectivity, and smart mobility. The city has also avoided the pitfalls of many other nations that try to get a leg up. They avoided polluting their environment by putting corporations second, and people first. Big technology innovation is still taking place, just not at the expense of the citizens.
[Image via Sayan Uranan/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Seoul, South Korea
- Timeline: Present-Day
While South Korea is absolutely amazing, there are many issues that technology has brought to the region. Let’s first dive into what the nation has given the world outside of its infamous K-Pop music. They have provided speedy software for braille translation, an infection control robot, wrap-around movie screens, flexible screen televisions, and innovative smart glass technology that uses augmented reality software. Seoul is the capital of the nation and home to pretty much all of South Korea’s most important companies. Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor, and Kia Motors are among their most notable corporations.
[Image via CJ Nattanai/Shutterstock.com]Yet due to their lack of land to spread a lot of this stuff out, South Korea has put most of its corporations in Seoul. That also includes many of its industrial factories. It is noted that among the 35 richest nations, South Korea ranks last in terms of air quality. The Korean Ministry of Environment has tried to address a lot of this and has often blamed China for its air issues. While at least 34% of its pollution can be attributed to China, as much as 52% of its pollution comes directly from South Korean factories. They have been trying to fix this issue by making more green tech to remove the need for gas-powered cars, but this still doesn’t address the factories.
[Image via HYS_NP/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Taipei, Taiwan
- Timeline: Present-Day
While Taiwan has essentially been annexed by China, it is technically part of the 168 island territories connected to the free Republic of China. It made sense that the Chinese would want to bring Taiwan into the fold, as they have been a massive part of trading for decades. Big technology corporations from all over the world would come through their ports. This led to the decision to put some industrial centers as well as corporate offices there. In 2021, Taiwan was even ranked 8th out of 64 economies in the World Competitiveness Yearbook. How did they manage to become such a successful economy on a small island like this?
[Image via Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com]The key for Taiwan early on was to take on jobs in manufacturing at a lower rate. Taipei became a beacon for this type of thing, but it eventually began to become a world leader in information technology. Today, you’ll see them make a ton of advanced microchips and semiconductor manufacturing clusters that are used in hundreds of products. They still do make a lot of things for the rest of the world there, but it has actually not affected their climate very much. While their ratings aren’t perfect there, it is much better than others. The production of major tech in ICT is only helping them to stand out more and pay their people fairly.
[Image via Iurii Dzivinskyi/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Timeline: Present-Day
Rio de Janerio is a very well-known city in Brazil that has been a big part of South American history for centuries. Brazil managed to gain its independence in September 1822. However, the region was relatively poor for decades following this. By the 1870s, several Brazilian cities had textile factories among other industrial sectors. Yet this did not solve their issues, rather, it was their decision to focus on agriculture. Yet their focus on better forms of trade also helped them a lot. For example, even though they were a big economy by 1950, they ended up cutting their 32% tariff rates to just 14% by 1994 and saw rapid growth in trade.
[Image via Skreidzeleu/Shutterstock.com]They are now one of the world’s largest exporters of grain, soybeans, and iron ore. Today though, the service industry truly makes the nation money. Rio has become their beacon to the world, even putting a statue of Jesus there to welcome us all. Yet we truly saw how rough the people had it around 2016 when the nation hosted both the FIFA World Cup and The Olympics. While the major sector of Rio looked amazing, the outskirts looked far different. We saw the truth, Rio and its people were seeing very little money and living in horrific conditions. Even today, Rio and Brazil overall have a successful economy but the people see very little of that.
[Image via Rasto SK/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Timeline: Present-Day
Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates, it is not only the most populated city in the region but also the capital of the Dubai Emirate. Initially, the region was just considered a small fishing village in the 18th Century but it managed to grow rapidly for various reasons by the 1900s. Dubai began to focus on becoming more westernized, allowing the nation to grow as a major luxury and tourism location. In fact, they currently have the second most five-star hotels on the planet and they are home to the largest building standing today, the Burj Khalifa. It stands 829.8 meters or 2,722 feet tall.
[Image via Sanoop.cp/Shutterstock.com]Most would assume that Dubai built itself on the back of oil, which is true. However, unlike some of the other oil-rich nations, they chose to do something useful with their money. They became a major center for trade in the region as well as internationally. They also invested in real estate, aviation, financial services, and technology. Known for its artificial islands and beauty, Dubai could never look as beautiful if it relied on oil production and ignored climate regulations on industries. On top of this, Dubai built itself up so much that oil production only accounted for 1% of its GDP by 2018.
[Image via ComPix/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Kyiv, Ukraine
- Timeline: Present-Day
Sadly, Ukraine is still technically in a war with Russia. Yet, in spite of the Russian issues they have been dealing with over the years, Ukraine has been a major nation in terms of technology in Europe. Their information technology is world-class, allowing them to stand out heavily. This includes major developments in the world of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data management, e-commerce, and even gaming. Ukraine is also one of the few nations to really push blockchain initiatives in an effort to further build the world of digital currency. That is on top of some incredible nanotechnology they’ve been developing.
[Image via Roman Mikhailiuk/Shutterstock.com]Corporations have been thriving in cities like Kyiv, with some reaching billions of dollars in value. However, this has all come at the expense of their environment for many years now. The World Health Organization ranked Ukraine dead last in air quality. The nation has the highest health impact rating in terms of air pollution in Europe today. This pollution is lethal, as Ukraine has the highest number of deaths due to air pollution on the planet. In 2012, as many as 54,507 deaths in all of Ukraine were due to air pollution. Most of it comes from their industrial sectors, which pushes tech like crazy but is literally killing its citizens.
[Image via Patrick Foto/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- Timeline: Present-Day
We must admit, seeing little Singapore rise up and become one of the most innovative big technology nations was a surprise for us. However, we do love seeing it for them. The nation has become a wonderful place for technology start-up companies too. The country has a great ecosystem for this sort of thing. It’s also important to note that this is one of the most wired nations on the planet. These people are big-time tech users and that has led to great development in the information technology territory. It was found in 2020 that Singapore’s broadband penetration rate was 173.2% while mobile penetration went as high as 148.2% here.
[Image via Travelpixs/Shutterstock.com]Of course, the main city in Singapore is named, well… Singapore. This city is where you see a lot of the major buildings the nation is known for as well as a lot of its technology companies. Due to so many tech start-ups and industrial companies working out of this small city, one would assume that they’d experience air quality problems via air pollution. Yet they actually do not, and have comparable air quality to the United States, which is incredible for an Asian nation that has to deal with pollution all around them too. The fact is, Singapore is on the map today due to its innovation and its people are seeing a lot of opportunities come from it.
[Image via The Economist]
Hurt – Qatar
- Timeline: Present-Day
Interesting how we could go from one oil-rich nation to another with the same potential – yet one went down a much darker path. We should all know the story by now regarding the absolutely horrific human rights violations against Qatar. If you’re not aware, years ago Qatar essentially bought the rights to host a FIFA World Cup event. The corruption in the FIFA leadership was obvious before this but even bigger then. Nations are awarded these rights several years in advance to give them time to fix up their nation to host. Qatar bought its way into the 2022 hosting opportunity.
[Image via Ivan Kurmyshov/Shutterstock.com]Qatar is a very small nation and its national soccer team has never qualified for a World Cup event. They will be the first Arab nation to host as well. However, when everyone found out what happened and leadership changed in FIFA, it was still decided to allow Qatar to host. Yet Qatar has repeatedly violated human rights, as they have forced 30,000 migrant workers to build everything. They gave them next to nothing for living accommodations, often withheld wages, and even took away passports. The horrific treatment of these workers has happened as recently as late 2021, and it isn’t as if their own citizens are free from the government’s wrath.
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Helped – Budapest, Hungary
- Timeline: Present-Day
Hungary was once much bigger than it is now. In fact, they were part of the Ottoman Empire which did not die off until around the year 1700. The Habsburg dynasty began to rule it after that and eventually merged it with the Austrian Empire to become the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This empire collapsed after the Treaty of Trianon following World War I though. Many European powers began to experience huge economic issues following the war, Hungary included. However, they were forced to essentially work with the Soviet Union and took on a major debt with them. Yet with a focus on land development, agriculture, and industry, the nation bounced back.
[Image via ZGPhotography/Shutterstock.com]Budapest became a huge trade hub in Europe and today still remains a central hub there. They actually produce a ton of tech, with a huge focus on heavy industry. Think of things like energy, chemical, mechanical, and automobile production: they produce it all there. At least 22% of their total GDP is based on manufacturing, and it seems to work for them. The big technology corporations in Budapest account for around 26% of ALL electronic production in Europe. While the environment is not particularly great in Budapest, the numbers have been improving as more environmental regulations have been put into place.
[Image via Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – New York City, United States of America
- Timeline: Industrial Revolution (18th to 19th Century)
The Industrial Revolution often seems to be connected to Europe, but the U.S. had its own industrial revolution period too. Places like New York City managed to become major places for trade and employment. As employment opportunities came, people needed to move closer to these cities. Which then forced the need for housing. That housing led to the ability to plant more businesses. Things grew and grew, which was amazing for New York. The railroad system became an even bigger need for not just making it to town, but all around it too. The automobile became a huge part of daily life over traditional horses or horse and buggy combo.
[Image via Bruce Rolff/Shutterstock.com]
In some ways, one might assume all of this innovation in the city would make things better. In reality, the population grew so much that things like trains and automobiles were all over the place. The fumes they emitted were horrible, yet factories popping up all over the city of New York led to even more harmful air pollution. The 1966 Smog in New York became national news, as New York and much of the East Coast were hit hard by harmful pollutants in the air. This forced then-U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and Congress to pass the 1967 Air Quality Act and 1970 Clean Air Act. Which helped us cut down on pollution, saving New York.
[Image via Mistervlad/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Helsinki, Finland
- Timeline: Present-Day
Finland is a beautiful country with one of the best education and criminal justice systems on the planet today. This country has been connected to the technology world for a while now too. In fact, right now at least half of all Finnish GDP is connected to the big technology companies within the nation. It seems they are able to succeed here due to exporting literally tons of technology per year. Plus, Finland is home to more working researchers and engineers per capita than any other nation. Most of them work out of Helsinki, the nation’s capital. Finland conducts a lot of biotechnology research and has major industrial work here.
[Image via Delpixel/Shutterstock.com]You’d think they’d have a pretty bad environment due to this. It’s just the opposite, as Finland already relies on renewable energy for around 40% of its power nationwide. That is split up between thermal, nuclear, and hydropower plants. Helsinki uses around 20% renewable energy for all power in the city. Do keep in mind, however, that they have a lot of industrial work in the city too. Thus, to use even that much is impressive. The home of Nokia, Finland is clearly big on capturing moments. One of them will likely be that Helsinki will be one of the first major cities to be completely green, with working green industrial plants.
[Image via Adznano3/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia
- Timeline: Present-Day
Saudia Arabia is well-known as a very oil-rich nation, heavily connected to human rights violations. They were also said to have paid for several different attacks around the world, even being linked to America’s 9/11 tragedy. The problem is that oil will eventually stop flowing in the Middle East and the Saudia Arabian monarchy knows it. Thus, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman moved for his father to consider investing in technology and adopting similar opportunities for women seen in places like Dubai. To be fair, women have seen more rights open up. At one point, they also had deals with several big technology corporations from all over the world.
[Image via USA Today]
Yet the death of outspoken journalist Jamal Khashoggi, for which the monarchy was directly responsible, led to those tech companies pulling away. Their capital, Riyadh, is still filled with major technological innovation though. Some of their technology has also been related to weaponry in Riyadh, and human rights still aren’t great here compared to even other Middle Eastern nations. In spite of this, they will become a global leader in digital tech soon. They are already working on artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Big Data, Machine Learning, and Robotics. The city also has 5G across most of the public and private sectors too.
[Image via Aphotostory/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Beijing, Ancient China
- Timeline: 1045 BCE to 1600 AD
Ancient China benefitted heavily from its use of technology. Of course, many will claim Ancient China is quite a long time period. During this time, they’d invent things like the compass, papermaking, printing overall, gunpowder, and even fireworks. Beijing was founded around the time many of its biggest inventions and much of its culture began. The Zhou Dynasty made it a major city beginning in 1045 BCE. Yet the Forbidden City would not become China’s capital city until 1279 AD. Of course, one of the biggest things the nation is known for is its infamous Great Wall.
[Image via Testing/Shutterstock.com]It saw sections built for centuries, but it was not until the Ming Dynasty’s push to finish the wall that it was actually constructed fully. One could say that Beijing was a huge asset to Chinese influence worldwide due to being a major hub for trade. The Silk Road ran through Beijing and was one of the most notable trade territories in history. On top of that, early Chinese technology allowed their economy to grow heavily. Plus, any weaponry they made only added to China’s ability to defend itself and add to its land. They also used to really care about their people during this point, even when the Mongols had control. That would not last, however.
[Image via Seqoya/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Istanbul, Turkey
- Timeline: Present-Day
Anyone who knows about the nation of Turkey will tell you that things have been difficult in the region for many years. Therefore, we cannot blame any big technology companies or tech itself for every problem they have faced. While it is not the capital city, Istanbul (previously Constantinople), was a great city filled with amazing trade for decades. In fact, some early major technology in the Middle East came through there or was built by those in the city. After Turkey earned its independence, it changed the name of the city to what we see today.
[Image via Okanozdemir/Shutterstock.com]The issue for newly free nations was how they’d make money, so alignments had to be made and a focus on industrial work was a big part of everything. While they do use mobile phones quite often here and have a huge connection to e-commerce, some of their biggest technology is medical-related. Medical devices are a major export for them, but wars and other conflict has been problematic. On top of that, their environment has suffered from the lack of industrial control. Today, at least 97.2% of Turkey is exposed to unhealthy particulate matter, with Instanbul experiencing a bulk of these issues with a PM rate of 48 uh/m3 annually.
[Image via Mistervlad/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Stockholm, Sweden
- Timeline: Present-Day
Sweden is a lovely nation filled with amazing technology. In fact, the nation is one of the most technologically advanced and innovative territories in the world. It is well known how crucial Sweden has been to scientific research, but they also rank highly in scientific development too. The Swedes are responsible for inventing things like the three-phase motor, self-aligned ball bearing, and much more. If that is not enough, they also produce an impressively skilled and educated workforce. This could be why they were able to rank 7th in the world in the 2021 Global Innovation Index.
[Image via Andrey Shcherbukhin/Shutterstock.com]Of course, the European Union recognizes Sweden as one of the most advanced digital economies in Europe today. The city of Stockholm houses a lot of Sweden’s biggest technology companies and government tech workers. In spite of the industrial work they do, Sweden is sometimes over-exceeding World Health Organization guidelines for their environment. In fact, they have a better environmental score than the United States. This all began with their carbon tax in 1996 and further policies led to more clean energy initiatives and tech out of Stockholm. The nation is hoping to achieve zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045 too!
[Image via ImageBank4u/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Tel Aviv, Israel
- Timeline: Present-Day
What might surprise some of you is that, while Israel is an ancient nation, it was eventually conquered and no longer operated as a separate state. This all changed a little after World War II. In 1947, the relatively new United Nations voted to partition Palestine into both a Jewish and Arab state, but the Arabs rejected this. Yet in May of 1948, the provisional government of Israel proclaimed itself as the new state of Israel. At this same time, U.S. President Harry Truman formally recognized the government and authority as a Jewish state. By 1949, it was officially recognized as its own state by most of the world.
[Image via Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com]This is where the problems began, as a war between Israel and Palestine has taken place off and on ever since. America and other European nations back Israel monetarily due to religious beliefs almost entirely. This allowed the nation to focus on building up, which they would do with technology. However, at least 5.3% of their GDP goes into military research yearly. Tel Aviv has sprouted up as a notable city in the world, where many technological innovations have taken place. Yet the environment here is problematic with chlorides, nitrates, heavy metals, fuels, and organic toxins in the air. Not to mention the constant battles taking place.
[Image via Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Tallinn, Estonia
- Timeline: Present-Day
While Estonia has often had to deal with being controlled by larger empires surrounding it, the island nation has set it itself apart. People have lived here for at least 9,000 years and kept to its pagan roots for most of their existence. They were the last nation of any kind in Europe to adopt Christianity, which took until the 13th Century to enforce. Today, now known as The Republic of Estonia, they are no longer under Russian control. They have taken every advantage they had and capitalized, becoming incredibly tech-savvy along the way. The nation has one of the best internet connections on the planet and WiFi is even completely free here.
[Image via Kavalenkava/Shutterstock.com]You can even get 4G internet being in the middle of their most dense forest territory. There are more start-ups here than in the Bay area of California, and provide their citizens with a streamlined government system. At least 100 services and 300 online forms can be accessed online, which is better than most major nations. Estonia’s capital city, Tallinn, is known as one of the most technologically advanced cities within an Asian or European region. It has been built up so much that the city is becoming a hub for major start-ups. Heck, even the Skype service was invented in part by at least four Estonians.
[Image via Everett Collection]
Hurt – New Spain and Peru, Spanish Empire
- Timeline: 1490s to 1830s
We all know by now how things went down during the major colonization of the Spanish Empire into the Americas. After the murderous psychopath known as Christopher Columbus wrote back about this new world he came across, the Spaniards, English, and Portuguese began colonization attempts. Yet people were already living in these places, whom the Spanish Empire notably took advantage of or would kill thanks to their technology. They essentially took out the Aztec Empire to erect New Spain, which would later become Mexico City after the Mexican Independence movement in the early-to-mid-1800s.
[Image via Emanuel Leutze]Peru would see a similar issue take place. While many cultures had lived in the region, the Inca Empire was one of the most notable. It happened to be the one that the old-world Spaniards ripped through. The Incan capital city of Cusco was conquered and the entire region went with it. Technology, in general, might not have been the only issue, considering illnesses also killed off a lot of these indigenous people too. However, the Spanish Empire’s use of weaponry from guns to iron or bronze swords and armor made them impossible to defeat. Leading to major cities being essentially destroyed, a shell of what they were before.
[Image via Zhukov Oleg/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Timeline: Present-Day
While we did already reference the United Arab Emirates, they are also separated out and thus we feel the need to reference Abu Dhabi too. It is the second-most populated city-state in the UAE after Dubai. The main government offices of the UAE are found here as well as the Supreme Petroleum Council. They are very oil-rich and have used that money quite well. The oil production led to major development and urbanization, which also led to a high average income for those who live in the city-state. On top of this, they bring in the most money annually for the UAE – at least two-thirds of their $400 billion average annual economy.
[Image via Vinnikava Viktoryia/Shutterstock.com]While Dubai is more westernized, Abu Dhabi is much more traditional with its values and expectations. Thus, it is not so much a hot spot for tourists but for major businesses. Their technology institute is very good and has led to major innovations in technology. Plus, a lot of their inventive concepts have led to incredible architecture. They have a Quantum Institute where major physics discoveries are taking place. The Abu Dhabi Global Market is also home to Hub71, which includes at least 102 tech start-ups within the realm of health tech, fintech, and artificial intelligence. Don’t blink, because it is likely this city-state will become a major tech hub.
[Image via Margarita Alshina/Associated Press]
Hurt – Moscow, Russia
- Timeline: Present-Day
Russia has been involved in a lot of technological innovation for years. In fact, even as recently as the last decade, NASA worked with the Russian Space Program to send astronauts into space. Of course, Russia has been home to a lot of scientific research and development which did sadly include nuclear weaponry. Of course, they have been trying to also take advantage of their very rich renewable resources too. Russia currently uses wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, and solar energy and produces products that utilize them. Yet this oil-rich nation sees most of its money provided by rich oligarchs.
[Image via TTStudio/Shutterstock.com]These oligarchs own a lot of the industrial sectors, which are left alone by the government. Moscow is currently in a bad way environmentally as a result. Industrial corporations account for 60% of the nation’s air pollution, 25% of its water pollution, and over 90% of its solid waste. Moscow numbers are even higher than that, making the capital a hard place to live for today’s Russians. This has been an issue for a while, as at least 40% of Russia saw ecological destress dating back to 30 years ago. Deforestation, irresponsible use of energy, nuclear waste, and major pollution have led to Russia warming 2.5 times faster than every other country.
[Image via Patrick Foto/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- Timeline: Present-Day
Like Taiwan, Hong Kong managed to become a massive success away from Chinese rule or influence. Currently, the 5G penetration rate in the city-state makes it one of the most digitally advanced places in the world. Plus, their start-ups have grown massively over the years. In 2020 alone, they saw a 6% growth to 3,360 companies that employed over 10,000 people. These newer companies as well as many established ones are part of the biotechnology, artificial intelligence, smart city, and financial technology sectors. This works, as they are the main areas Hong Kong wants to continue to innovate and add to its tech industry overall.
[Image via YIUCHEUNG/Shutterstock.com]Hong Kong has been one of the healthiest areas to live and start a business. They have free universal healthcare and the highest life expectancy rate of any nation listed here or elsewhere. They even have a school where they are trying to educate the tech specialists of tomorrow, known as HKUST. It is considered one of the best tech universities in the world too. Hong Kong still has a relatively inexpensive rate when working with large corporations yet they do not sacrifice their environment to work with anyone. They do not really have to, as they are just shy of having a $400 billion GDP without any connection to oil or oil production as of 2021.
[Image via Jono Photography/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Dhaka Division, Bangladesh
- Timeline: Present-Day
What seems to have become a major problem for Bangladesh is that they have tried to do too much with too little. They want to grow their economy and have thrown everything at the wall to make that happen. This includes making deals with numerous big technology corporations as well as those in the clothing, pharmaceutical, and oil industries. This has led to the country becoming a production house, where they make everything from textiles, electronics, vehicles, and bikes to plastic, glass, paper, and more. Plus, they obviously work a lot with petroleum whether that is converting it as a source of energy or for other various base products.
[Image via Insight-Photography/Shutterstock.com]They also have steel and iron plants that make a wide variety of things. The Dhaka Division is the most populated territory in Bangladesh, as it is where a lot of the main jobs are located. The air pollution here is the worst in the world, which is crazy when you think about how small it is compared to others. It is so bad that life expectancy has been reduced by nearly 7 years. As many as 24,000 premature deaths in Dhaka are a result of this pollution from 2005 to 2018. The source of the pollution is not only vehicle emissions, but also unregulated fumes from factories and brick kilns, and even dust accumulations.
[Image via Arndale/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark
- Timeline: Present-Day
Today the Kingdom of Denmark is known as one of the greatest cities in the world to live in. It has one of the highest life expectancies on the planet and citizen happiness is so high that they have been ranked the happiest nation on Earth for years. While the nation is known for its many socialistic policies, they are actually a capitalist nation. They simply care enough about their people to ensure corporations come second, and the people/workers come first. Denmark is very technologically advanced as well and they’ve taken tech innovation seriously for a long time.
[Image via Nikolay Antonov/Shutterstock.com]In fact, they named a Tech Ambassador years ago strictly to bring big technology companies to Denmark. They ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index in 2019 but jumped to 9th in 2021. The European Union’s Digital Economy and Society Index first ranked them number one in 2017, but they remained in that spot every year since then. Copenhagen is where a ton of major tech innovation talked place in Europe. In fact, Copenhagen is considered the most important tech city in Europe only behind Amsterdam and London. However, the city actually topped the inaugural Digital Cities Index that came out in 2022.
[Image via Ubisoft]
Hurt – London, England
- Timeline: Industrial Revolution (mid-1700s to late-1800s)
The Industrial Revolution was a big time for both the Americans and British. It was a time of great invention and change. We went from having to make or do everything by hand to using machines to help us. Not only did they help us produce things more efficiently, but they also improved the rate of products that could be made at one time. Chemical manufacturing and iron production along with the use of steam and water power were utilized. This was also utilized in conjunction with machine tools and the rise of the modern factory system overall. Textiles were the big area of interest, but we’d eventually see things like automobile production and much more.
[Image via Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com]Places like Britain saw possibly their biggest growth as far as GDP and trade are concerned. Britain was able to improve so much that it became the world’s leading commercial nation. In fact, most of the technological and agricultural innovations were British in origin and this all started mostly in London. However, the environment and increase in population just ravaged the city. Lack of proper sanitation led to a breakout in diseases, and corporations created often horrific breathing conditions that continued for years. An example of this came in 1952 known as the “Great Smog of London” which made them rethink environmental protections.
[Image via Yegorovnick/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Oslo, Kingdom of Norway
- Timeline: Present-Day
The Kingdom of Norway is an amazing place to live, with an education system that is one of the best on the planet. Along with that, they have a unique, impressive criminal justice system. Norway has quickly become one of the most technologically innovative nations. In fact, they were named the most advanced nation in digital media in 2013 which they have only improved on since. The country is also known for its impressive wind turbine technology, which the Norweigan Firm Sway developed to make offshore wind turbines affordable. Their city of Oslo has been leading most of their innovations too.
[Image via IM_Photo/Shutterstock.com]What is so interesting about Norway is that they have made most of their money due to oil production. Yet they are one of the greenest countries in Europe and have the lowest rate of premature deaths due to pollution in the world. Norway accomplished its green initiatives using a tax and refund concept that collects and safely destroys HFCs. It’s also illegal to dispose of organic waste in landfills too, reducing methane and diesel emission rates. Plus, a shocking 98% of their electrical power comes from renewable resources, which is the best on the planet as of this writing! They utilize hydro, wind, and thermal power sectors to power their nation.
[Image via Amit kg/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, India
- Timeline: Present-Day
Honestly, if we chose just one city in India hurt by big technology, we’d avoid the horrible issues it has done to India overall. The three biggest cities that have been hurt by it are also the most populated: Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore. It would be wrong to not first reference that they have become a notable tech location. They have been part of some important scientific research, especially in health sciences. India has also gotten into the aerospace industry in recent years, which is growing quite well. Of course, most of us know by now that India also has a terrific information technology sector too.
[Image via Belikova Oksana/Shutterstock.com]Yet the pollution in India is almost stunning to people that visit it for the first time. India is the world’s most polluted large nation, which most people might know by now. Yet did you know that 44% of the global pollution on Earth has come from India since 2013? The spike in air pollution since then has been horrible, and it is partly due to their use of fossil fuels but their rapid expansion in industrialization has been the main cause. Most of its pollution comes from the cities referenced above, yet for some reason, they refuse to do anything about it. In fact, it has become so horrible that life expectancy has dropped at least 10 years for Delhi alone!
[Image via F11photo/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Tokyo, Japan
- Timeline: Present-Day
It’s certainly not going to be news to anyone reading this to find out that Japan is a very advanced nation. They are one of the few Asian nations that have made a massive impact on the entire planet using their technology, and they have been innovative in doing so. In fact, they topped the 2021 Global Innovation Index and will likely rank highly in the 2022 report as well. They have been part of some major advancements in the world of artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, aerospace, and obviously video games too.
[Image via Tokyo Visionary Room/Shutterstock.com]They are also the home of major companies like Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Sony, Panasonic, Suzuki, Toshiba, Canon, BNE Entertainment, and of course Nintendo. It should also come as no shock that Tokyo has been the main city where a lot of its technological innovations have taken place. In fact, it is world famous due to its impressive technology. Toyko was also given the top spot on the Innovation Cities Index in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021 which just goes to show how the city is still improving in spite of being a major tech hub already. Big technology companies are present here for a reason, clearly.
[Image via Orissa Post]
Hurt – Moscow, Soviet Union
- Timeline: 1920s to 1980s
The Soviet Union was a relatively powerful collection of nations, dominated by Russian influence. The member states of the USSR include Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belorussia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Of course, many joined to keep up with the rest of Europe and Asia while others were forced in. However, let’s not ignore the facts of the matter. The Soviet Union was hoping to become a major power in terms of technology, agriculture, and medical knowledge. They did accomplish this mostly. Yet they also wanted to be feared as a major threat to the world.
[Image via Serkant Hekimci/Shutterstock.com]After World War II, they were economically anemic and needed to modernize to keep up. They did manage to do this and even became a huge part of the aerospace community. Yet they did not consider how their rapid industrial expansion would hurt them, and Moscow more than most felt that harm. Total emissions in the USSR by 1988 were around 79% of the US total, yet the Soviet gross national product was only 54% of the U.S. at this time. Meaning they created 1.5 times more pollution per unit of GNP. Air and water pollution along with deforestation and desertification from nuclear meltdowns just wrecked the overall Soviet Union territory.
[Image via Canadastock/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Zurich, Switzerland
- Timeline: Present-Day
Switzerland is known for being a relatively tech-friendly nation. After all, this is the home of some notable companies like Victorinox, which was started back in 1884 and likely made “Swiss Army Knives” a household name. We also cannot forget major Swiss watch brands like Tissot which opened in 1853 and the luxury watch brand Rolex, which opened in 1905. While the Nestle company is also based here, the major pharmaceutical brand Novartis can also be found here too. They make notable medications like Excedrin and Theraflu today. The ABB Group is relatively popular too, known for its automotive and engineering work.
[Image via Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock.com]That said, the Swiss have been massive tech buffs for hundreds of years now so it should come as no surprise that one of their cities made this list. Zurich is an incredible city and home to several major start-ups and inventors. In fact, Switzerland has the highest ratio of European patent applications per capita. Plus, the Swiss love their environment and like to treat it properly. This led to several major green initiatives, allowing Zurich to become the least polluted city on the face of the planet. This is likely thanks in no small part to their Pollution Liability Insurance, which helps companies keep track of any pollutants.
[Image via Axz700/Shutterstock.com]
Hurt – Beijing, China
- Timeline: Present-Day
While Ancient China benefitted heavily from its technological expansion and innovation, today the nation has been hurt horribly by it. Their environment has taken a massive hit for a while. China was a superpower and slowly began losing that power it once held, so the nation chose to improve economically. This led to a push to industrialize and increase trade. Several major companies then began putting factories and other industrial work in China due to lower costs. That slowly built their economy and even allowed them to advance their technology.
[Image via Testing/Shutterstock.com]Today, they are a huge part of the artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, financial tech, biotechnology, and aerospace fields along with weapons enabled by autonomy. Not to mention their movement into weapons and nuclear technology overall. Yet their environment is garbage all over, especially in Beijing. The nation refuses to cut down on waste as they use things like coal to power most of its cities today. Beijing is hit hard by this due to its surrounding mountains. They form a natural barrier on all sides, allowing pollution to collect quickly and not disperse easily from wind and other processes. The pollution gets even worse in the Winter.
[Image via Benny Marty/Shutterstock.com]
Helped – Silicon Valley, United States of America
- Timeline: Present-Day
Technically speaking, Silicon Valley is not a city in the United States. Rather, it is an area where a lot of major technology companies reside. Most refer to the territory as the Bay Area but Silicon Valley itself involves a little over 15 cities. This includes Belmont, Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale. On top of this, many consider San Francisco to be part of the valley system too. All of these cities each play a major role in the region itself.
[Image via Tada Images/Shutterstock.com]What makes this place so notable today? The companies that reside here, for sure. The following companies either started in Silicon Valley or have their main corporate office here: Apple, Alphabet (Google, YouTube, Android), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Hewlett Packard (HP), Oracle, Intel, Cisco Systems, Broadcom, Adobe, eBay, Visa, Wells Fargo, Chevron, Alien Technology, Netflix, Cerebras, Nvidia, PayPal, Western Digital, and the Aha! Company. These places employ millions of people in total and have become massive in not just America but in the entire world today. Big technology companies literally put this territory on the map.
Where Do We Find this Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:
United Nations
European Union
European Commission
Harvard University
Consumer Technology Association
Global Competitiveness Report
Global Innovation Index
Innovation Cities Program Index
World Economic Forum
International Trade Administration
IQAir