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USA - At the epicenter of the 2008 financial crisis was the collapse of the Lehman Brothers bank, which filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008, leaving a debt of more than US$600 billion behind.

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USA - Then-president George W. Bush was forced to pass the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which authorized the United States Secretary of the Treasury to spend up to US$700 billion to save banks and the economy.

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Greece - Greece was at the center of the biggest financial bailout in global history, which totaled more than €260 billion. The government was forced to introduce unpopular austerity measures following the 2008 financial crisis.

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Greece - Eurozone states and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) came together to provide a first injection of €20 billion in 2010. Even though the Greek economy is slowly picking up, the nation will be paying loans off for years to come.

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Argentina - The South American country has been engulfed in a severe crisis due to a drop in the Argentinian peso and increased twin deficits.

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Argentina - Then-President Mauricio Macri's government had to reach out for assistance from the IMF, which agreed to provide a loan of US$50 billion as part of a three-year bailout program.

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Portugal - Portugal was one of the European nations that was hit the hardest after the 2008 global economic crisis, which prompted extreme austerity measures and a plunge in employment rates.

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Portugal - After failing to keep the budget deficit under control, the country was given €78 billion in bailout loans in 2011. Several years down the line, the country finally experienced a financial revival and a saw booming tourism industry develop.

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Spain - After the housing bubble burst, Spain's economy was also on the brink of collapse. The European bailout fund had to lend the Spanish banks around €41 billion.

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Spain - There was a point in 2013 when the unemployment rate in the country was as high as 26%. In 2014, Spain successfully exited the bailout program.

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Ireland - Ireland was the first Eurozone country to go down following the 2008 crisis. After the property market crashed, the country received an international injection of €67 billion.

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Ireland - However, the Irish economy also rose the fastest and in 2014 it was already showing signs of annual growth. This was in part due to the fact that it became a magnet for tech companies from around the world.

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Thailand - The Asian financial crisis, which started in July 1997, swept much of the continent's economy and threatened to engulf the rest of the globe.

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Thailand - After the crash of the Thai baht, the IMF put together a rescue package worth over US$17 billion at first, and then gave the country a second loan of US$3.9 billion.

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Mexico - Known as the Mexican peso crisis, the financial crash in the country happened after the peso suffered a sudden devaluation in December 1994.

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Mexico - The loans, totaling almost US$50 billion, helped bring the economy back up following years of increased spending, hyperinflation, and low oil prices.

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Cyprus - In 2013, Cyprus followed other nations' footsteps by requesting an international bailout of around €10 billion. Before that, in 2012, the country had already been relying on a €2.5 billion loan from Russia.

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Cyprus - The 2013 rescue package was given in exchange for the country agreeing to close its second-largest bank, the Cyprus Popular Bank.

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Russia - The 1997 Asian financial crisis, followed by a decrease in oil demand, ended up taking a toll on the Russian economy.

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Russia - After the government devalued the ruble and inflation rose drastically, a US$22.6 billion loan from the IMF and World Bank was approved in July 1998.

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South Korea - Also affected by the Asian economy crisis, South Korea was forced to turn to the IMF, the World Bank, the US, and a few other world nations for an injection of funds.

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South Korea - After it received a loan package worth US$55 billion (the largest international rescue at the time), the country was forced to endure strict measures, such as higher interest rates.

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Indonesia - Indonesia's economy was also rocked by the late 1990s crisis, following a steady drop in the rupiah's value and inflation levels of up to 80%.

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Indonesia - The Asian nation ended up receiving one of the IMF's biggest rescue loans, which was worth around US$43 billion at the time. Two decades later, the country's stock market was one of the best performers in the continent.

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Brazil - Brazil has been financially rescued a few times, with the first injection taking place in 1998 after Latin American markets trembled due to the Asian economic crisis.

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Brazil -

Financial turbulence in the country continued until receiving the final bailout, worth over US$30 billion, from the IMF in 2002.

See also: The best countries to start a new business

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