Iceland

Greenland is mostly ice, yet its name means 'green land.' Around 982 the Viking Erik the Red, exiled from Iceland for murder, founded a colony and chose an appealing name to lure settlers. The fjords he settled did green in summer. Around 985, 25 ships set out; 14 arrived.

Iceland won all three "Cod Wars" (1958–1976) against Britain by threatening to leave NATO and ally with the Soviet Union. Leveraging its geopolitical value during the Cold War, these victories established the precedent for today's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.