Any major countries with a closed economic system?

[clairobscur]

@jbaker

The closest thing to this that I can think of is Albania, which was radically self-sufficient in the 1970s and 1980s, although it did still have some trade with other countries. Of course, the country in consequence was poorer than most other European countries, so it was not a country that could do as well without imports and exports.

Albania was, roughly, the European North korea. It was self sufficient in the sense that Hodja had decided it would be, damn the consequences. It isn’t and wasn’t in any way “naturally” self-sufficient anymore than any random small country.

As for the OP, amongst western countries, it would be the USA who already exports and imports much less (in proportion of its GDP) than other industrialized nations. I’ve no clue how it would compare to large non western nations like China, Russia, India…

[aaaa]

Some tribes and villages have no outside contact:

Uncontacted peoples

But no countries as far as I know though. Even countries who do not like to admit it have a lot of trade going on with at least one other country.

[Xema]

@robert_columbia

I believe that North Korea WANTS to be this.

Perhaps not, in view of trade with China (as Exapno M. notes) and evidence that they counterfeit US money.