Coca-Cola’s website claims that Coca-Cola is actually available in ‘over 200 countries’ but there are actually only 196 independent countries on the planet. Further inspection of the Coca-Cola list reveals numerous countries are missing. Coca-Cola has long held the position as the most popular soft drink in the world, but sometimes it loses its spot to Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Diet Coke.
The dark fizzy soda was created in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. From the early days, the Coca-Cola company looked to expand worldwide, and by the early 1900s, it was bottling the drink in Asia and Europe. For those who do not know, these are actually some of the countries that indeed do not sell Coca-Cola beverages for their own citizens.
1) Cuba
Even though Coca-Cola opened a bottling plant here in 1906, production was halted in 1962 after Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution, which ousted former President Batista. Castro’s government began seizing assets owned by all foreign countries that had a presence there, and a trade embargo was initiated. This seizure began on August 6, 1960, and targeted American companies. Coca-Cola moved out, never to return. Since the United States currently holds a commercial, economic, and financial embargo against the Republic of Cuba, no American companies may trade with Cuba.
2) North Korea
The Korean War took place from 1950 to 1953, and during this time the United States imposed trade sanctions on North Korea. When North Korea bombed South Korean during the 1980s, these sanctions were tightened further. From 1950 to 2008, trade between the U.S. and North Korea was also restricted, and North Korea has not distributed or sold Coca-Cola since the Korean War.
3) Burma
Burma was Coca-Cola-free for many years after American companies were banned following economic sanctions that the U.S. had applied against the country’s repressive government. Things changed in 2012 when Coca-Cola announced a $200 million, five-year investment plan. A bottling plant was opened in the country’s biggest city, Hmawbi Township. Burma is located in Southeast Asia and is bordered by Thailand, Laos, China, India, and Bangladesh.
Sources: World Atlas.