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human
[Black Panther] Wakanda and international relations

[Spoilers for the Movie and possible some comics]

Is it possible for such an extremely isolationist country to thrive so well without any foreign aid at all? 

I mean, sure, they basically have an unlimited supply of a magic metal, but Vibranium alone cannot possibly fulfill all their needs. They'd definitely need other raw materials such as metals, fabrics and all. Without international trade, is it possible for a nation to be this self sufficient?

Wakanda is geographically diverse, as shown by the existence of Icy Mountains as well as desert/low grasslands. It is also said to be a "farmer nation" so I guess they could be self sufficient when it comes to food and clothing, but what about fuel? How does it manage to maintain its economy? How does the King fund his "missions" in other western countries? Is this explained in the comics?
gpt
So... the comics primarily had Wakanda's rise to technological superiority be a relatively recent phenomenon, and that selling small amounts of Vibranium to fund an economic kickstart based on educating their next generation was the main thing that happened. Wakandan aeronautic firms make great airplanes that other countries buy for instance. (The Avengers fleet of Quinjets are usually Wakandan built.) So the comics do have Wakanda involved in international commerce, but on their own terms.

Now, the main thing the movie did was set up a situation where Wakanda officially is isolationist, but has agents in various countries. So the implication is that the Wakanda as portrayed in the movie has been doing trade with other nations covertly, in ways that kept the illusion that they were just another African nation full of farmers. It is likely that Wakanda isn't just rich with Vibranium, but that they had other resources that they could sell to foreign powers, such as conventional metals. They just made it seem like "Poor Wakanda has one mine for copper ore." They were isolationists, but not idiots.