diff --git a/data/apply-ne_country_label_recasting.sql b/data/apply-ne_country_label_recasting.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ecb6823d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/apply-ne_country_label_recasting.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+-- Recasts a few rows in the ne_10m_admin_0_countries_iso and ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc
+-- tables to either show or hide certain labels.
+-- The TLC table yields around 10 country and dependency features over ISO (including Kosovo and Taiwan),
+-- which Tilezen sometimes has opinions about.
+
+
+-- sets featurcla to equal fclass_tlc values. We can then further modify the values while keeping the fclass intact.
+-- featurecla column has a shorter varchar length and needs altering first.
+alter table ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc alter column featurecla type varchar;
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = fclass_tlc;
+
+-- Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159320741;
+
+-- Ashmore and Cartier Islands
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159320353;
+
+-- Clipperton Island
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159320635;
+
+-- Coral Sea Islands
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159320359;
+
+-- Dhekelia Cantonment
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159320709;
+
+-- Gaza Strip
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'Admin-0 dependency' where ne_id = 1159320901;
+
+-- Somaliland
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159321259;
+
+-- Svalbard
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'Admin-0 dependency' where ne_id = 1159321119;
+
+-- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'unrecognized' where ne_id = 1159320531;
+
+-- West Bank
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc set featurecla = 'Admin-0 dependency' where ne_id = 1159320903;
+
+
+-- Fix Saint Helena wikidata id for this build. Remove once NE is updated
+update ne_10m_admin_0_countries_iso set wikidataid = 'Q192184' where ne_id = 1159320733;
diff --git a/data/functions.sql b/data/functions.sql
index d32d1746f..f2bc6043f 100644
--- a/data/functions.sql
+++ b/data/functions.sql
@@ -1017,7 +1017,8 @@ BEGIN
         SELECT
             min_label, max_label INTO min_zoom, max_zoom
         FROM ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc t
-        WHERE t.wikidataid = wikidata_id;
+        WHERE t.wikidataid = wikidata_id
+        AND featurecla IN ('Admin-0 country', 'Admin-0 dependency');
       END IF;
   ELSE
     -- try states and provinces if it's not a country
@@ -1071,7 +1072,8 @@ END IF;
         SELECT
             t.fclass_iso, t.fclass_tlc, t.label_x, t.label_y INTO fclass_iso_var, fclass_tlc_var, label_x_var, label_y_var
         FROM ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc t
-        WHERE t.wikidataid = wikidata_id;
+        WHERE t.wikidataid = wikidata_id
+        AND featurecla IN ('Admin-0 country', 'Admin-0 dependency');
     END IF;
 
     IF NOT FOUND THEN
diff --git a/data/perform-sql-updates.sh b/data/perform-sql-updates.sh
index bbad0d330..9606fc98b 100755
--- a/data/perform-sql-updates.sh
+++ b/data/perform-sql-updates.sh
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ psql $PSQLOPTS  $@ -f apply-planet_disputed_area_features_name_suppression.sql
 echo -e "\nRecasting unwanted NE disputed lines to unrecognized"
 psql $PSQLOPTS  $@ -f apply-ne_disputed_border_suppression.sql
 
+# Recasts a few rows in the ne_10m_admin_0_countries_iso and ne_10m_admin_0_countries_tlc
+# tables to either show or hide certain labels.
+echo -e "\nRecasting NE country labels"
+psql $PSQLOPTS  $@ -f apply-ne_country_label_recasting.sql
+
 # Australia suburbs are treated more like cities than typical US style suburbs so we recast them to place=town
 echo -e "\nRecasting Australia suburbs"
 psql $PSQLOPTS  $@ -f apply-planet_australia_suburb_recast.sql
diff --git a/integration-test/1826-unrecognised-country-labels.py b/integration-test/1826-unrecognised-country-labels.py
index c011290c0..1b37d5550 100644
--- a/integration-test/1826-unrecognised-country-labels.py
+++ b/integration-test/1826-unrecognised-country-labels.py
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ def test_country_no_ne(self):
 
         self.assert_has_feature(
             z, x, y, 'places', {
-                'kind': 'country',
-                'min_zoom': 6,
+                'kind': 'unrecognized',
+                'min_zoom': 8,
             })
 
     def test_region_no_ne(self):
diff --git a/osm2pgsql.lua b/osm2pgsql.lua
index 7f4e6c51d..dd25fde85 100644
--- a/osm2pgsql.lua
+++ b/osm2pgsql.lua
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ function osm2pgsql.process_node(object)
     end
 -- Show Abkhazia label as region for most countries
     if object.tags.place and object.tags.wikidata == 'Q23334' then
-        output_hstore['place'] = 'region'
+        output_hstore['place'] = 'state'
         output_hstore['place:RU'] = 'country'
     end
 -- Turn off South Ossetia label for most countries
@@ -528,10 +528,18 @@ function osm2pgsql.process_node(object)
     end
 
 -- Recast various dependencies as countries
+-- Aland
+    if object.tags.place == 'county' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'AX' then
+        output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
+    end
 -- American Samoa
     if object.tags.place == 'state' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'AS' then
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
     end
+-- Bouvet Island
+    if object.tags.place == 'island' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'BV' then
+        output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
+    end
 -- Christmas Island
     if object.tags.place == 'territory' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'CX' then
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
@@ -556,8 +564,18 @@ function osm2pgsql.process_node(object)
     if object.tags.place == 'territory' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'HM' then
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
     end
+-- Hong Kong
+    if object.tags.place == 'state' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'HK' then
+        output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
+        output_hstore['place:CN'] = 'state'
+    end
+-- Macau
+    if object.tags.place == 'state' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'MO' then
+        output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
+        output_hstore['place:CN'] = 'state'
+    end
 -- New Caledonia
-    if object.tags.place == 'archipelago' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'NF' then
+    if object.tags.place == 'archipelago' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'NC' then
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
     end
 -- Norfolk Island
@@ -592,6 +610,10 @@ function osm2pgsql.process_node(object)
     if object.tags.place == 'region' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'SJ' then
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
     end
+-- United States Minor Outlying Islands
+    if object.tags.place == 'region' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'UM' then
+        output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
+    end
 -- United States Virgin Islands
     if object.tags.place == 'state' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'VI' then
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
@@ -623,6 +645,19 @@ function osm2pgsql.process_node(object)
         output_hstore['place'] = 'country'
     end
 
+-- Update names of some countries for better rendering. We will update the data and deprecate this eventually.
+-- Rename Falkland Islands
+    if object.tags.place == 'country' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'FK' then
+        output_hstore['name:en'] = 'Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)'
+    end
+-- Rename Saint Martin
+    if object.tags.place == 'state' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'MF' then
+        output_hstore['name:en'] = 'Saint Martin'
+    end
+-- Rename Sint Maarten
+    if object.tags.place == 'country' and object.tags['ISO3166-1'] == 'SX' then
+        output_hstore['name:en'] = 'Sint Maarten'
+    end
 
     output.tags = output_hstore
 
diff --git a/spreadsheets/min_zoom/country.yaml b/spreadsheets/min_zoom/country.yaml
index bb4ff67ea..380497cf7 100644
--- a/spreadsheets/min_zoom/country.yaml
+++ b/spreadsheets/min_zoom/country.yaml
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ BS:
 BT:
   min_zoom:  4.0
   max_zoom:  9.0
+# Bouvet Island
+BV:
+  min_zoom:  4.5
+  max_zoom:  9.5
 # Botswana
 BW:
   min_zoom:  4.0
@@ -279,6 +283,10 @@ FM:
 FO:
   min_zoom:  4.0
   max_zoom:  9.0
+# France
+FR:
+  min_zoom:  1.7
+  max_zoom:  6.7
 # Gabon
 GA:
   min_zoom:  3.0
@@ -295,6 +303,10 @@ GD:
 GE:
   min_zoom:  4.0
   max_zoom:  9.0
+# French Guiana
+GF:
+  min_zoom:  5.0
+  max_zoom: 10.0
 # Guernsey
 GG:
   min_zoom:  5.0
@@ -319,6 +331,10 @@ GM:
 GN:
   min_zoom:  3.0
   max_zoom:  8.0
+# Guadeloupe
+GP:
+  min_zoom:  5.0
+  max_zoom: 10.0
 # Eq. Guinea
 GQ:
   min_zoom:  4.0
@@ -567,6 +583,10 @@ MO:
 MP:
   min_zoom:  5.0
   max_zoom: 10.0
+# Martinique
+MQ:
+  min_zoom:  5.0
+  max_zoom: 10.0
 # Mauritania
 MR:
   min_zoom:  3.0
@@ -631,6 +651,10 @@ NI:
 NL:
   min_zoom:  5.0
   max_zoom: 10.0
+# Norway
+NO:
+  min_zoom:  3.0
+  max_zoom:  7.0
 # Nepal
 NP:
   min_zoom:  3.0
@@ -711,6 +735,10 @@ PY:
 QA:
   min_zoom:  4.0
   max_zoom:  9.0
+# Réunion
+RE:
+  min_zoom:  3.0
+  max_zoom:  8.0
 # Romania
 RO:
   min_zoom:  3.0
@@ -759,6 +787,10 @@ SH:
 SI:
   min_zoom:  5.0
   max_zoom: 10.0
+# Svalbard and Jan Mayen
+SJ:
+  min_zoom:  3.0
+  max_zoom:  8.0
 # Slovakia
 SK:
   min_zoom:  4.0
@@ -817,8 +849,8 @@ TD:
   max_zoom:  8.0
 # Fr. S. Antarctic Lands
 TF:
-  min_zoom:  4.0
-  max_zoom:  9.0
+  min_zoom:  4.5
+  max_zoom:  9.5
 # Togo
 TG:
   min_zoom:  5.0
@@ -831,6 +863,11 @@ TH:
 TJ:
   min_zoom:  4.0
   max_zoom:  9.0
+# Tokelau
+TK:
+  min_zoom:  5.0
+  max_zoom: 10.0
+
 # Timor-Leste
 TL:
   min_zoom:  4.0
@@ -935,6 +972,10 @@ XK:
 YE:
   min_zoom:  3.0
   max_zoom:  8.0
+# Mayotte
+YT:
+  min_zoom:  5.0
+  max_zoom:  10.0
 # South Africa
 ZA:
   min_zoom:  1.7
diff --git a/vectordatasource/transform.py b/vectordatasource/transform.py
index 63b768498..dbefd4a0a 100644
--- a/vectordatasource/transform.py
+++ b/vectordatasource/transform.py
@@ -8906,13 +8906,14 @@ def tags_set_ne_min_max_zoom(ctx):
                 min_zoom = ceil(min_zoom)
             props['min_zoom'] = min_zoom
 
-        elif props.get('kind') == 'country':
+        elif props.get('kind') in ('country', 'unrecognized'):
             # countries and regions which don't have a min zoom joined from NE
             # are probably either vandalism or unrecognised countries. either
             # way, we probably don't want to see them at zoom, which is lower
             # than most of the curated NE min zooms. see issue #1826 for more
             # information.
-            props['min_zoom'] = max(6, props['min_zoom'])
+            props['kind'] = 'unrecognized'
+            props['min_zoom'] = max(8, props['min_zoom'])
 
         elif props.get('kind') == 'region':
             props['min_zoom'] = max(8, props['min_zoom'])
diff --git a/yaml/places.yaml b/yaml/places.yaml
index 72323ff3a..c62ff49d4 100644
--- a/yaml/places.yaml
+++ b/yaml/places.yaml
@@ -147,7 +147,11 @@ filters:
     #
     # note: also, we knock this down to 6 during post-processing for any country
     # which doesn't match an NE curated one.
-    min_zoom: 1
+    min_zoom:
+      case:
+        - when: { place: country }
+          then: 1
+        - else: 8
     output:
       <<: [*output_properties, *ne_zooms]
       kind: {col: place}