Greece

Greece moves the world's goods. Greek shipowners control the largest merchant fleet on earth, a quiet fact that underwrites European trade, and Greek ports and logistics feed the whole Mediterranean.

The tech scene finally has momentum: Viva Wallet in payments, Skroutz in e-commerce, Workable in hiring software, with Athens drawing back engineers who left in the crisis years. On the shelf, FAGE yoghurt travels the world, and Korres and Apivita turn Greek botanicals into serious cosmetics.

Below: the Greek brands worth choosing over US or Chinese defaults.