A major issue in Victoria 3 is how some important geographic features are not properly represented.

Historically Italy industrialized mostly in the North due to its rivers, as it provided infrastructure and power need for coal-less and oil-less Italy. While the South was neglected and stayed mostly agrarian, causing a lot of people to immigrate to North for economic opportunities. Currently such dynamic can't be simulated in Vic3 due to how unimportant rivers are in the game.

In terms of infrastructure, there should river ports and canal construction that are limited by size depending on the region. If I recall, major rivers like Rhine focused more on River ports, while scattered rivers like in North East USA focused more on canals.

Most industries should be more reliant on power sources, would it be hydropower, coal, or electricity. It ridiculous that Textile mills are as good in the middle of the desert as in areas with rivers. Paper industry should also be very reliant on water, paper without water is like Steel without Coal.

Hydroelectric power should be its own building also restricted by region. And hopefully devs will eventually make electricity only for local use, so hydroelectric station in Northern Italy is not powering industry in Sicily...

It is also why a lot of nations feel same to play, because there is very little geographic advantages and challenges present. I already mentioned Italy, but I also need to talk about Spain. Currently they play just like any other Europeans, but their geographic situation is unique among them. Most of the country and their coal sources are in inaccessible mountainous interior, with no navigable rivers. Because of this most development was on the coast, especially around Catalonia. Out of this desperation they developed a sizable shipbuilding industry which exists to this day, as they had to rely on ships for hauling, and imported coal as it was better than sinking immense amount of capital to develop their own coal reserves.

But I feel currently in the game it is too easy to just overdevelop your entire country, even the most backwater inaccessible regions.

What do people think? What some other examples nations had to face in their path to industrialization?