Maybe splitting hairs, but "esoteric" isn't exactly the same thing as "exotic", and it can be taken as a placeholder for other countries not mentioned, rather t

Maybe splitting hairs, but "esoteric" isn't exactly the same thing as "exotic", and it can be taken as a placeholder for other countries not mentioned, rather than describing the ones who were. If, let's say, Eritrea or Lesotho were called "esoteric" is that offensive? The word "exotic" has a lot of connotations to me that could suggest stereotypes, whereas esoteric seems to me more just describing ignorance.