The world's wealthiest countries weren't always so affluent. Believe it or not, some mega-rich nations featured in this list used to be seriously poor and had to overcome major economic obstacles to get to where they are today.

Read on as we chart the rise of 10 countries that turned their fortunes around to become the most prosperous nations on the planet.

All GDP figures from World Population Review unless otherwise noted.

All dollar values in US dollars.