Where would you be the safest if World War 3 broke out tomorrow? Perhaps it’s a grim subject, but safety and distance from world conflict can be a motivating factor in your choice to expatriate. At the very least, conflict around the world can weigh heavy on the soul, and it’s nice to know there are some places still left in the world where you might be left in peace. Thus, we’ve assembled a list of the 10 best places to live if you want to escape world conflict.
10. Switzerland
Switzerland’s long history of neutrality and its tucked away location among the valleys of the Alps still make it a safe bet, even despite having a high number of bordering nations. It helps that neighboring Austria is also considered a neutral nation.
9. Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a stable democracy, a disbanded military and a national policy of neutrality. It also ranks highly on the Global Peace Index, Happy Planet Index, and Life Satisfaction Index. Although it sits in the middle of a tumultuous region, there are far worse places to sit in peace as the world goes down in flames all around.
8. Papua New Guinea
There are regions of Papua New Guinea that are still being discovered for the first time. The canopy covered, mountainous nation contains some of the most isolated places in the world. Tuck yourself away in a nook here and it may be one of the few places left where you can completely insulate yourself from the outside world.
7. Canada
Canada is the second largest nation in the world, yet it only shares a land border with one other country– the U.S.A.– and it is a peaceful border. That means there is a great expanse to escape to, if need be. Furthermore, Canada has few world enemies, ranks consistently high on the Global Peace Index, and is relatively homogeneous.
6. Seychelles
Aside from being safely isolated from the rest of the world in the middle of the Indian Ocean, this beautiful island nation is a great place to forget about your worries. Isolation is the key here. And conflict is as transparent as the water.
5. Finland
Finland has a long history of desiring to stay out of international conflicts, is recognized as neutral and always ranks in the top 10 of the Global Peace Index. It’s northerly location also typically means the remote areas of this country are a perfect place to disappear.
4. Tuvalu
Isolated in the middle of Micronesia, Tuvalu is among the safest and most remote places in the world. It is the third least populated country on Earth, and the forth smallest. There are only a few places more distant from the world’s strife than Tuvalu.
3. Iceland
Iceland, of course, has no borders, has remote locations, is stable as a country and has virtually no world enemies. Its people are happy and the nation always ranks highly on the Global Peace Index. If world conflict erupts, Iceland is one of the few stable nations in the world unlikely to get caught up in the middle.
2. Bhutan
Landlocked among the Himalaya mountains, Bhutan is one of the most isolated nations in the world. It also showcases one of the most stable balances in the world between moderization and retention of ancient culture. Its religious population believes in peaceful resolution to all conflict, and although it sits in a troubled region, it remains protected by its geography.
1. New Zealand
New Zealand might be the most isolated and expansive fully developed nation in the world. It shares no borders, sits relatively distant from any other nation, has no real national enemies, has a safe democracy and a diverse landscape with many remote places to hide away within. Furthermore, it ranked #1 on the Global Peace Index in 2009.
@Ric: Have you EVER looked at a map? Are you forgetting RUSSIA? Canada is HALF the size of Russia!
Russia: 6,601,668 sq mi (17,098,242 km2)
Canada: 3,855,100 sq mi (9,984,670 km2)
those are all great but there are millions of places in the usa that is just as beutiful and almost untouched areas like wisconsin and minnesota
well its about places to escape world conflict .. and the us is not really a good place to escape that obviously
Bollocks….safest place will be Patagonia Argentina or southern Chile economies will be irrelevant throughout the world but these areas will pick up quicker due to the oil, gas & fresh water supplies that would be uncontaminated.
Dear Bgirl,
Obviously you missed the point to this article and clearly you have no idea about world history or the term conflict. When places like Tuvalu, a small Polynesian island, are on the list, size is not the issue here. “Like, O my god!”
Thanks for the sq mi stats though.
Nice… though the pic for Finland must be from somewhere else. We don’t have that kind of mountains
@fy: I was just about to point that out too… nice if we had though
Would be great in the winter 
Totally agree with New Zealand!
This is a little paradise with all the best that a modernised nation can offer and you can see every kind of landscape: from the ocean to the snowy mountains via the wetlands and the fiords.
Come around!
My ass is always safe from conflict, go there. However my balls are always in conflict with my cock for space, so…..catch 22.
Its ridiculous that Bhutan, despite having years long political and ethic conflicts, its one of the best places to live in. Bhutan can never come in the line of nations like France, Switzerland and the like…
What about Sweden? Finland participated in WWII, Sweden didn’t! Sweden also accept a lot of immigration, Finland, not so much…
These places look beautiful but I must know what the places where civilization occurs looks like??
Sorry folks, as Im off to costa rica tomorrow. Canada although nice in the summer, is cold for 4-5 months of the year. They are also at war with afghanistan. Will let you know what all the hype is about when I get back, as Its my first trip.
I very like finland &canada ,these are my desirible places.and have many kurdish people that are my nation.
Canada safe from war? What happens if its a war between us and russia? the missiles go over the north pole as its the shortest distance!
PNG might be “peaceful” in terms of internation conflicts, but it has one of the worst violent crime rates in the world. You cannot stay anywhere in the capital other than a guarded compound.
World conflict,can be war,titalwaves,earthquakes,sea level rising,global warming,drought,wind,rain,fire,no food,water,medicines,famine,nuclear bombs,aids,sars,drugs,madmen,madwomen,another hitler,amin,stalin,baby doc,war lords,pirates,guns,world stock market crash,so huge,everyone dies,sun being blocked out for months,because nuclear fallout,no country in the world is safe from these,we are all going to die anyway,so just live each day as it comes,because tomorrow will never come for thousands,but will just begin for thousands.email me icecocaine@hotmail.com
You missing a place to live: VANAUTU,is the best for expat.
VANUATU IS RIGHT NAME,PORT VILA IS THE CAPITAL,SCAPE TO THERE AND NEVER REGRET
Lovely blog…pay us a visit sometime and perhaps we can exchange some ideas – Alan
The picture you have for Costa Rica is WRONG!
That is a picture of Pigeon Point Beach, located in Tobago.
Tobago is the sister island to Trinidad, located in the Caribbean, right off the coast of Venezuela!
Im off to Pandora to get my own avatar and live in peace with the planet.
Canada is the one of the best palces to live in becasue we have a stable ecomonmy and we were not affectided that much by the recession, we also have huge cities (like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal), and we have amazing, beutiful wilderness. I also like France, Switzerland, Finland, and New Zealand.
YUSS NZL comes in at 1. im a kiwi, life is good
If WW3 broke out we would ALL be dead! There are Nucular missiles pointing all over the world and its long been known that if one goes off then thats it, living in any of these countries will make no difference, with that many nukes going off it there would be nothing left. Look this up.
@Bgirl – Yes BGIRL. Canada is second largest country in the world. Next to…. Russia. Which do you think is the largest nation in the world? The US?
Just came back from costa rica and sorry to say its a dump. litter and all. As far as safe goes, these are worse drivers than Parisians. That little lever on the left of the steering wheel, well you might well rip it off as they dont use them. Ive never seen so many dead dogs and cattle rotting on the side of the roads. Its a pitty as its a beautiful country. They just dont appreciate it. I kissed the tarmac when I returned to canada.
The “Bgirl” or whatever…HAVE YOU READ OR HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT RUSSIA??
Yeahh… If you want to survive you better know how to farm or something. Everyone gets jumped in Moscow…
just so you all realise, bgirl was referencing the comment about canada being the second largest country in the world
she was not insinuating russia would be a conflict-free zone
interesting but poorly researched article. many of these countries would be in trouble, and the photos are almost all wrong, like he just did a google search for ‘mountains’, ‘beach’, etc.