# Do Any Countries Other Than the US and UK Have as Special a Relationship? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523 "2009-04-09T16:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523/21 "2009-04-09T18:18:52Z")
The Nordic Countries are very well bonded, with quite a few special [agreements](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavism#Current_situation) among them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523/22 "2009-04-09T18:55:13Z")
How about Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, collectively known as Benelux? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523/23 "2009-04-09T19:01:30Z")
Even before Russia took control of the Eastern Bloc nations, many Slavic lands (including Bulgaria and Serbia) regarded Russia as their big brother, as their friend who’d liberate and protect them from the Turks. I don’t know if many STILL love Russia the same way, but proud Slavs from many nations have historically looked to Russia as their shining star, the nation who could unite all Slavs. I think Poland once had a “special relationship” with France (though modern Frenchmen may see Poles as economic competitors, rather than as allies, these days). ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523/24 "2009-04-09T21:56:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > How about Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, collectively known as Benelux? Probably the best suggestion, although borne of necessity rather than political expedience, being a collection of small countries which exist (or continue to exist) through accidents of history rather than economic or military might. Much of the free-trade principles have been subsumed into EU-level co-operation, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523/25 "2009-04-10T01:26:40Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Part of what’s special about the UK-US relationship is that the UK used to be a major world power and the US is a major world power, so t’s not just the closeness of the relationship but the importance of the two countries. The Australia-NZ relationship is closer, but those countries aren’t as important on the world scene. And what makes it REALLY special is that the US replaced the UK as the dominant global naval power with nary a shot fired between the two. The replacement of one hegemon by another without some armed conflict between the two is, as far as I know, otherwise unprecedented. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523/26 "2009-04-10T13:25:17Z")
Oops. Meant to start a new OP. Consider this a bump? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-countries-other-than-the-us-and-uk-have-as-special-a-relationship/492523.md?page=1)