Mmmm...

I'm rather sick of Austria's desperate fury, having picked up Austria in, literally, a third of all my games.

Turkey is hard to get started but the Janissary tactic is great fun - if the Janissary doesn't CD.

Russia's too wide of an area.

France.... just annoys me, so far.

I've never received Italy.

Germany annoys me with its part in the EFG-Triangle combined with its front with Germany.

England is okay, from my experience, but it's not especially entertaining yet. Maybe it's the 5:1 Fleet:Army ratio.

In my opinion Austria is the best country to receive as the growth potential is better than any other nation. The one weakness is the fact that you're surrounded by Russia, Italy, and Turkey, but if you're smart you can play them off against one another and conquer all three of them.

I'd say Russia, just because you start with 4 SCs, and you get two more freebies (Sweden & Norway). Yeah, it's a huge area, but if you're smart with your alliances and moves, it's relatively easy to win.

In my 8 games as Italy, I have won 4 and survived the other 4 with an average of 13 SCs, so that's clearly the best for me...

Italy is only good if France and Austria are complete morons.

Italy is the best--everyone underestimates you and tries to manipulate you, but with a stroke of skillful diplomacy, you can get what you want.

In our Face to Face group in the Bay Area we always put new players in as either France or Turkey (or both if there are 2) as they are the most forgiving of mistakes.
I change my favored country every decade or 5 years though it has never been Russia. Lately it has been Germany, previously it was France, prior to that Austria, prior to that Italy.

Statistically, Russia is best, and Austria is the worst.
I'd like to play as Italy or France though. Russia requires a lot of effort and coordination and trust and the ability to stomach major backstabs.

"I'd say Russia, just because you start with 4 SCs, and you get two more freebies (Sweden & Norway). Yeah, it's a huge area, but if you're smart with your alliances and moves, it's relatively easy to win."

Dude, Sweden and Norway are far from free. Any good England will take Norway, and if Germany doesn't want you in Sweden, you're not in Sweden for a while.

I really want to try Italy out, though, so one of centaurian/vb's CDs of Italy has just been seized by me. :D

Turkey/England

I personally love playing Turkey, its always been my favorite position to play.

Turkey/France, Turkey because it is easier to defend, and France because it tends to be more forgiving of mistakes, plus you can set up a really good stalemate line in the Med if you're fighting Turkey and you work it properly.

I think France is the easiest to play.

Lol, that last part of my comment might seem a little crazy but I was in a game where I was allied with England and fighting a 16 centre Turkey and managed to hold him off for 4 turns or so before he finally agreed to a draw with the both of us.