500,000
Population
$25 billion
GDP Impact
Logistics, Steel
Key Industries
Firmly embedded in EU/NATO
Key Partners
Ancient Significance
Not a classical Silk Road city—Duisburg emerged as an industrial powerhouse in the 19th century. However, the Rhine River has connected interior Europe to global trade for millennia. Roman legions established camps here, and medieval merchants used the river as Europe's primary commercial artery.
Population
Trade Volume
Nationalism vs Internationalism
InternationalNational
Ancient: Open Rhine Trade
Modern: Security-Focused
Demonstrates how global supply chains create local dependencies that complicate geopolitical alignments, forcing democratic societies to balance economic interests against security concerns.
