diff --git a/css/styles.css b/css/styles.css
index 90b39d8..382f7a0 100644
--- a/css/styles.css
+++ b/css/styles.css
@@ -52,8 +52,10 @@ input,textarea,select{font-family:var(--font)}
 #countries-bar .cb-label{font-size:.58rem;color:var(--muted);text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.05em;margin-bottom:8px}
 #countries-bar .cb-status{font-size:.68rem;color:var(--text);height:1.1em;margin-top:10px;transition:opacity .15s;opacity:.5}
 #countries-bar .cb-flags{font-size:1rem;letter-spacing:2px;line-height:1.4;overflow:hidden;transition:max-height .3s ease}
-#countries-bar .cb-flags span{cursor:default;transition:transform .1s}
-#countries-bar .cb-flags span:hover{transform:scale(1.25)}
+#countries-bar .cb-flags span{cursor:default;transition:transform .1s,background .15s;border-radius:50%;padding:2px;margin:-2px}
+#countries-bar .cb-flags span[data-has-photos]{cursor:pointer}
+#countries-bar .cb-flags span[data-has-photos]:hover{transform:scale(1.2);background:rgba(91,142,240,.25)}
+#countries-bar .cb-flags span:not([data-has-photos]):hover{transform:scale(1.2)}
 #countries-bar .cb-flags.collapsed{max-height:2.8em}
 #countries-bar .cb-toggle{background:none;border:none;color:var(--muted);font-size:1rem;cursor:pointer;padding:0;margin:6px 0 -4px;transition:color .15s, transform .3s ease;display:block;width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1}
 #countries-bar .cb-toggle:hover{color:var(--text)}
@@ -355,6 +357,20 @@ textarea.fi{resize:vertical;min-height:60px;line-height:1.5}
 #lb-caption{position:absolute;bottom:44px;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);background:rgba(0,0,0,.65);color:#fff;padding:6px 16px;border-radius:20px;font-size:.74rem;backdrop-filter:blur(4px);max-width:80vw;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis}
 #lb-camera{position:absolute;bottom:18px;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);color:rgba(255,255,255,.45);font-size:.62rem;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;letter-spacing:.02em}
 
+/* COUNTRY FILM STRIP */
+#country-strip{position:fixed;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;height:80px;background:rgba(0,0,0,.88);backdrop-filter:blur(10px);display:flex;align-items:center;z-index:600;transform:translateY(100%);transition:transform .3s ease;border-top:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.08)}
+#country-strip.open{transform:translateY(0)}
+#country-strip-header{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;padding:0 16px;flex-shrink:0;border-right:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.1);height:100%}
+#country-strip-label{color:#fff;font-size:.82rem;font-weight:500;white-space:nowrap;font-family:var(--font);display:flex;align-items:center;gap:6px}
+.strip-flag{font-size:1rem;line-height:1}
+#country-strip-close{background:rgba(255,255,255,.1);border:none;color:#fff;font-size:.8rem;width:26px;height:26px;border-radius:50%;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;transition:background .15s;flex-shrink:0}
+#country-strip-close:hover{background:rgba(255,255,255,.22)}
+#country-strip-photos{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;overflow-x:auto;overflow-y:hidden;padding:0 14px;flex:1;height:100%;scrollbar-width:thin;scrollbar-color:rgba(255,255,255,.2) transparent}
+#country-strip-photos::-webkit-scrollbar{height:4px}
+#country-strip-photos::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb{background:rgba(255,255,255,.2);border-radius:2px}
+.strip-thumb{width:58px;height:58px;object-fit:cover;border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;cursor:pointer;transition:transform .12s,box-shadow .12s;box-shadow:0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,.4)}
+.strip-thumb:hover{transform:scale(1.08);box-shadow:0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,.6)}
+
 /* OFFLINE BANNER */
 #offline-banner{position:fixed;top:0;left:0;right:0;background:rgba(232,119,74,.92);color:#fff;text-align:center;padding:6px 12px;font-size:.75rem;font-weight:500;z-index:10000;transform:translateY(-100%);transition:transform .3s ease;pointer-events:none;font-family:var(--font);letter-spacing:.3px}
 #offline-banner.show{transform:translateY(0)}
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 5a65d0e..2f3c43f 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -202,6 +202,13 @@
   <div id="lb-caption"></div>
   <div id="lb-camera"></div>
 </div>
+<div id="country-strip">
+  <div id="country-strip-header">
+    <span id="country-strip-label"></span>
+    <button id="country-strip-close" onclick="closeCountryStrip()">✕</button>
+  </div>
+  <div id="country-strip-photos"></div>
+</div>
 <div id="toast"></div>
 <div id="offline-banner">Offline — browsing cached data</div>
 
diff --git a/js/data.js b/js/data.js
index b136cbc..687362e 100644
--- a/js/data.js
+++ b/js/data.js
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ function updateCountriesBar() {
   const codes = Object.keys(earliest);
   if (!codes.length) { bar.style.display = 'none'; flagsEl.innerHTML = ''; return; }
   const sorted = codes.sort((a, b) => earliest[a] < earliest[b] ? -1 : earliest[a] > earliest[b] ? 1 : 0);
-  flagsEl.innerHTML = sorted.map(c => `<span data-name="${esc(countryName(c))}">${countryFlag(c)}</span>`).join(' ');
+  const hasPhotos = new Set(photos.filter(p => p.countryCode && p.lat !== null && !p.isEmptyPin).map(p => p.countryCode));
+  flagsEl.innerHTML = sorted.map(c => `<span data-name="${esc(countryName(c))}" data-cc="${c}"${hasPhotos.has(c) ? ' data-has-photos' : ''}>${countryFlag(c)}</span>`).join(' ');
   bar.style.display = 'block';
   const labelEl = document.querySelector('#countries-bar .cb-label');
   labelEl.textContent = sorted.length === 1 ? '1 Country Visited' : `${sorted.length} Countries Visited`;
@@ -91,8 +92,61 @@ function toggleCountriesBar() {
     if (span) { statusEl.textContent = span.dataset.name; statusEl.style.opacity = '1'; }
   });
   flagsEl.addEventListener('mouseleave', () => { statusEl.textContent = '\u00a0'; statusEl.style.opacity = '.5'; });
+  flagsEl.addEventListener('click', e => {
+    const span = e.target.closest('span[data-cc]');
+    if (span) toggleCountryStrip(span.dataset.cc);
+  });
 })();
 
+// ═══════════════════════════════════════
+// COUNTRY FILM STRIP
+// ═══════════════════════════════════════
+let _stripCountry = null;
+
+function toggleCountryStrip(cc) {
+  if (_stripCountry === cc) { closeCountryStrip(); return; }
+  openCountryStrip(cc);
+}
+
+function openCountryStrip(cc) {
+  const strip = document.getElementById('country-strip');
+  const photosEl = document.getElementById('country-strip-photos');
+  const labelEl = document.getElementById('country-strip-label');
+
+  const countryPhotos = photos
+    .filter(p => p.countryCode === cc && p.lat !== null && !p.isEmptyPin)
+    .sort((a, b) => photoSortKey(a) < photoSortKey(b) ? -1 : 1);
+
+  if (!countryPhotos.length) return;
+
+  _stripCountry = cc;
+  labelEl.innerHTML = `<span class="strip-flag">${countryFlag(cc)}</span>${esc(countryName(cc))}`;
+  photosEl.innerHTML = '';
+
+  const ids = countryPhotos.map(p => p.id);
+  countryPhotos.forEach((p, i) => {
+    const img = document.createElement('img');
+    img.className = 'strip-thumb';
+    img.src = p.thumbUrl;
+    img.alt = p.placeName || p.name || '';
+    img.loading = 'lazy';
+    img.addEventListener('click', () => {
+      lbIds = ids;
+      lbIdx = i;
+      showLbPhoto();
+      document.getElementById('lightbox').classList.add('open');
+    });
+    photosEl.appendChild(img);
+  });
+
+  strip.classList.add('open');
+}
+
+function closeCountryStrip() {
+  _stripCountry = null;
+  document.getElementById('country-strip').classList.remove('open');
+}
+
 // ═══════════════════════════════════════
 // DND + UPLOAD
 // ═══════════════════════════════════════
diff --git a/js/lightbox.js b/js/lightbox.js
index 38b21a4..36cb4f9 100644
--- a/js/lightbox.js
+++ b/js/lightbox.js
@@ -89,5 +89,8 @@ document.addEventListener('keydown',e=>{
   if(lb&&e.key==='Escape')closeLightbox();
   if(lb&&e.key==='ArrowLeft')lbNav(-1);
   if(lb&&e.key==='ArrowRight')lbNav(1);
-  if(!lb&&e.key==='Escape'){closeMetaModal();clearDestSearch();}
+  if(!lb&&e.key==='Escape'){
+    if(document.getElementById('country-strip').classList.contains('open')){closeCountryStrip();}
+    else{closeMetaModal();clearDestSearch();}
+  }
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/js/map.js b/js/map.js
index 42ca9eb..b7ad899 100644
--- a/js/map.js
+++ b/js/map.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const STYLE_DARK = 'https://tiles.openfreemap.org/styles/dark';
 const STYLE_SAT = {
   version:8,
   sources:{sat:{type:'raster',tiles:['https://tiles.maps.eox.at/wmts/1.0.0/s2cloudless-2020_3857/default/g/{z}/{y}/{x}.jpg'],tileSize:256,maxzoom:18}},
-  layers:[{id:'sat',type:'raster',source:'sat',paint:{'raster-fade-duration':0}}]
+  layers:[{id:'sat',type:'raster',source:'sat',paint:{'raster-fade-duration':0,'raster-saturation':0.15,'raster-contrast':0.08,'raster-brightness-max':0.95}}]
 };
 function normalizeDarkLabels() {
   // Dark style uses uppercase + regular weight on all place labels.
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ function _patchStyleWater(styleObj) {
   // Apple Maps Dark palette — neutral dark land, distinctly blue water.
   // Colors pre-compensated for canvas filter brightness(1.8) contrast(0.9).
   if (_mapStyle === 'dark') {
-    // Darker water for Dark Map
     const waterColor = '#17212b';
     for (const layer of styleObj.layers) {
       if (!layer.paint) layer.paint = {};
@@ -114,6 +113,26 @@ function _patchStyleWater(styleObj) {
         layer.paint['fill-color'] = waterColor;
       }
     }
+    // Coastline glow — subtle blue edge where water meets land
+    const waterIdx = styleObj.layers.findIndex(l => l.id === 'water');
+    if (waterIdx !== -1) {
+      styleObj.layers.splice(waterIdx + 1, 0, {
+        id: 'water-glow',
+        type: 'line',
+        source: 'openmaptiles',
+        'source-layer': 'water',
+        filter: ['all',
+          ['match', ['geometry-type'], ['MultiPolygon', 'Polygon'], true, false],
+          ['!=', ['get', 'brunnel'], 'tunnel']
+        ],
+        paint: {
+          'line-color': '#1a3a5c',
+          'line-width': ['interpolate', ['linear'], ['zoom'], 0, 2, 6, 3.5, 12, 5],
+          'line-blur': ['interpolate', ['linear'], ['zoom'], 0, 3, 6, 6, 12, 10],
+          'line-opacity': 0.8
+        }
+      });
+    }
   }
   const color = _mapStyle === 'dark' ? '#6a9fd8' : '#2c5f8a';
   let hasPointLabel = false;