diff --git a/src/components/WorldMap.jsx b/src/components/WorldMap.jsx
index 6332915..4bfb23f 100644
--- a/src/components/WorldMap.jsx
+++ b/src/components/WorldMap.jsx
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ export const WorldMap = ({
 
   return (
     <div style={{ position: 'relative', height: '100%', minHeight: '200px' }}>
-      <div ref={mapRef} style={{ height: '100%', width: '100%', borderRadius: '8px' }} />
+      <div ref={mapRef} style={{ height: '100%', width: '100%', borderRadius: '8px', background: mapStyle === 'countries' ? '#4a90d9' : undefined }} />
       
       {/* Render all plugin layers */}
       {mapInstanceRef.current && getAllLayers().map(layerDef => (
diff --git a/src/utils/config.js b/src/utils/config.js
index 255cb2a..715a633 100644
--- a/src/utils/config.js
+++ b/src/utils/config.js
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ export const MAP_STYLES = {
   },
   countries: {
     name: 'Countries',
-    url: 'https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Canvas/World_Light_Gray_Base/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}',
+    url: 'https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Reference/World_Boundaries_and_Places/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}',
     attribution: '&copy; Esri, Natural Earth',
     countriesOverlay: true
   }