diff --git a/src/App.ts b/src/App.ts
index a81beea72..5560e71fd 100644
--- a/src/App.ts
+++ b/src/App.ts
@@ -404,8 +404,13 @@ export class App {
     this.countryIntelModal = new CountryIntelModal();
 
     this.map.onCountryClicked(async (lat, lon) => {
+      this.countryIntelModal!.showLoading();
+
       const geo = await reverseGeocode(lat, lon);
-      if (!geo) return;
+      if (!geo) {
+        this.countryIntelModal!.hide();
+        return;
+      }
 
       const scores = calculateCII();
       const score = scores.find((s) => s.code === geo.code) ?? null;
diff --git a/src/components/CountryIntelModal.ts b/src/components/CountryIntelModal.ts
index 143056320..fddd2dc24 100644
--- a/src/components/CountryIntelModal.ts
+++ b/src/components/CountryIntelModal.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,24 @@ export class CountryIntelModal {
     `;
   }
 
+  public showLoading(): void {
+    this.currentCode = '__loading__';
+    this.headerEl.innerHTML = `
+      <span class="country-flag">🌍</span>
+      <span class="country-name">Identifying country...</span>
+    `;
+    this.contentEl.innerHTML = `
+      <div class="intel-brief-section">
+        <div class="intel-brief-loading">
+          <div class="intel-skeleton"></div>
+          <div class="intel-skeleton short"></div>
+          <span class="intel-loading-text">Locating region...</span>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    `;
+    this.overlay.classList.add('active');
+  }
+
   public show(country: string, code: string, score: CountryScore | null, signals?: ActiveSignals): void {
     this.currentCode = code;
     const flag = this.countryFlag(code);
diff --git a/src/components/DeckGLMap.ts b/src/components/DeckGLMap.ts
index 050915473..965db2517 100644
--- a/src/components/DeckGLMap.ts
+++ b/src/components/DeckGLMap.ts
@@ -2585,6 +2585,25 @@ export class DeckGLMap {
           type: 'geojson',
           data: geojson,
         });
+        this.maplibreMap.addLayer({
+          id: 'country-interactive',
+          type: 'fill',
+          source: 'country-boundaries',
+          paint: {
+            'fill-color': '#3b82f6',
+            'fill-opacity': 0,
+          },
+        });
+        this.maplibreMap.addLayer({
+          id: 'country-hover-fill',
+          type: 'fill',
+          source: 'country-boundaries',
+          paint: {
+            'fill-color': '#3b82f6',
+            'fill-opacity': 0.06,
+          },
+          filter: ['==', ['get', 'ISO3166-1-Alpha-2'], ''],
+        });
         this.maplibreMap.addLayer({
           id: 'country-highlight-fill',
           type: 'fill',
@@ -2606,11 +2625,43 @@ export class DeckGLMap {
           },
           filter: ['==', ['get', 'ISO3166-1-Alpha-2'], ''],
         });
+
+        this.setupCountryHover();
         console.log('[DeckGLMap] Country boundaries loaded');
       })
       .catch((err) => console.warn('[DeckGLMap] Failed to load country boundaries:', err));
   }
 
+  private setupCountryHover(): void {
+    if (!this.maplibreMap) return;
+    const map = this.maplibreMap;
+    let hoveredCode: string | null = null;
+
+    map.on('mousemove', (e) => {
+      if (!this.onCountryClick) return;
+      const features = map.queryRenderedFeatures(e.point, { layers: ['country-interactive'] });
+      const code = features?.[0]?.properties?.['ISO3166-1-Alpha-2'] as string | undefined;
+
+      if (code && code !== hoveredCode) {
+        hoveredCode = code;
+        map.setFilter('country-hover-fill', ['==', ['get', 'ISO3166-1-Alpha-2'], code]);
+        map.getCanvas().style.cursor = 'pointer';
+      } else if (!code && hoveredCode) {
+        hoveredCode = null;
+        map.setFilter('country-hover-fill', ['==', ['get', 'ISO3166-1-Alpha-2'], '']);
+        map.getCanvas().style.cursor = '';
+      }
+    });
+
+    map.on('mouseout', () => {
+      if (hoveredCode) {
+        hoveredCode = null;
+        map.setFilter('country-hover-fill', ['==', ['get', 'ISO3166-1-Alpha-2'], '']);
+        map.getCanvas().style.cursor = '';
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   public highlightCountry(code: string): void {
     if (!this.maplibreMap || !this.countryGeoJsonLoaded) return;
     // Update MapLibre filter to highlight this country