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Jan Dehn's Blog
Commentary on the world



The pillage of Potosi
Potosi's silver boom gave rise to the greatest pillage in history - and 7 million Indians paid the price.

Jan Dehn
3 days ago9 min read


Sucre's Cal Orcko dinosaur prints
Cal Orcko in Bolivia is the largest dinosaur foot print site in the world. It is also waking Sucre up from a long slumber.

Jan Dehn
Dec 134 min read


Tabora's dark past
Livingstone was one of history’s devious little shits, not a hero. He portrayed himself as a self-sacrificing slavery-fighting moral authority, but in reality he was obsessed with greed and Empire.

Jan Dehn
Jul 28 min read


Suriname's upcoming election
Suriname heads to the polls on 25 May, 2025. Will it plunge back into populism or has Suriname turned a corner after the death of Bouterse?

Jan Dehn
Mar 108 min read


French Guiana’s struggle to populate: Lessons for us all
French Guiana's population dynamics are - don't laugh - really interesting! They hold important lessons for Western economies.

Jan Dehn
Mar 87 min read


French Guiana: On a tight leash
French Guiana is a great place to visit if you love nature. Also if you want to see French foreign policy upfront and personal.

Jan Dehn
Mar 66 min read


Algerian path dependence
Algeria's post-1962 governments have relied more on the past than than reaching for the future. Only a drop in oil prices changes this...

Jan Dehn
Sep 29, 202420 min read


Country Quest: The Gambia #174
It may be small, but to me The Gambia is a country just like any other. Number 174 in my collection!

Jan Dehn
Dec 6, 20234 min read


Travelling in distance and time in Namibia
Multi-dimensional travel in stunning Namibia as you move through both distance and time.

Jan Dehn
Jun 12, 20234 min read


The Hotel Yamato incident - Surabaya, Indonesia
Majapahit Hotel headquartered the Japanese during WWII. After the war, the Netherlands flag was raised on the hotel’s flagpole, causing outrage among nationalist Indonesians.

Jan Dehn
Apr 10, 20233 min read


Raiding countries: Bangladesh
I am committed to visiting all the countries in the world. This requires focus and expediency. Here is how my raid to Bangladesh panned out. You always end up learning tons.

Jan Dehn
Apr 3, 202311 min read


Nepal's twin curses: the Shahs and the Ranas
Nepal has struggled to transition to democracy. Many of the difficulties were due to just two families, the Shahs and the Ranas.

Jan Dehn
Mar 28, 20237 min read


Tea for two and two for tea!
Sri Lanka is the second-largest tea exporter in the world. Put the kettle on and learn more about Sri Lankan tea!

Jan Dehn
Feb 23, 20233 min read


Sardar Patel and the death of Indian feudalism
Udaipur evokes many thoughts about India's history - and James Bond.

Jan Dehn
Feb 20, 20235 min read
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