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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 27381, member: 2262"] The Gambia climbed two spots higher on the global soft power chart for 2025. Brand Finance, a top UK accounting firm, placed this small African nation at position 156 out of 193 countries. Last year, The Gambia sat at spot 158 but improved its score to 27 points this time around. The company measures how well countries can persuade others without using force. Brand Finance looks at many factors when ranking countries. These include how familiar people feel with a nation, its business climate, educational systems, cultural heritage, and government quality. The firm has tracked the strongest national brands for twenty years and serves as the leading expert on brand strategy worldwide. Their yearly studies help show which countries have the most positive influence. The Gambia ranks better than 16 other African nations according to the new report. Countries like Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Chad, Togo, Benin, and Equatorial Guinea all scored lower. Nearby Senegal dropped eight places from number 94 to 102 since last year. Mauritania landed at spot 153, Guinea at 154, and Nigeria reached position 77 among all countries measured. Senegal fell despite its history of diplomatic leadership and political stability. Economic problems and governance issues seem responsible for its declining international influence. The United States leads the entire world with a score of 79.5 points. China, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany round out the top five spots. These powerful nations use culture, technology, and smart diplomacy to maintain their global status. Dr. Paul Temporal from Oxford University helped create the study. He explained that political scientist Joseph Nye first popularized "soft power" in his 2011 book. Nye argued that countries gain influence through attractive cultures, strong political values, and foreign policies others respect. These qualities make nations appealing without forcing others to follow them. The Global Soft Power Index started measuring countries in 2020. Since then, researchers have noticed complex connections between soft power and national branding efforts. Most countries focus their marketing efforts on attracting investment and tourists. However, the study shows that soft power factors also significantly affect these economic goals. [/QUOTE]

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