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.
well let start by saying i’m an american and a veteran and i’m embarassed by some of my fellow americans and whats been said yes they’re arrogance & ignorance is appalling just to much for words to do justice but, with that said you have to cut us some slack as we are indoctrinated at a very young age and lied to every fn day of our lives and when some one finds the truth if you try to educate people your met with what you would expect from blind faith filled fanatics who would rather burry theyre heads in the sand then take care of the situation ie the blame game or when evertime u.s. is about to do something screwd up to another country all the sudden the gay marriage isseue comes up and a bunch of self ritchous people saying how wrong it is jump on a band waggon i really dont care about that shit nither do most americans if gays wana get married why the f would i give a damn it has no eefect on me and my wife it bs most of us hate our government be cuse they lie minipulate and threaten its own people with violence or jail (15% of our populace is incarcerated ) and what gets me is the world thinks all americans are the same please dont lump me and mine in with these f#@ken mutants christean wright freaks who have no tollerance even for eachother i defended my country and why so it could turn in to this iknow i know it’s been along time in the making but i was unawre as many are but once you got it figured dont keep perpetuating it and by the way the guy who slamed austrilia f@#k you your probebly a us govt employee of some kind the rest of the world needs to know we are in trouble we need help the american people, not the american govt f them why do you think mexicans are fleeing back to mexico you really don’t see any one else’s flag being burnd it’s not we the people any longer it’s them the government it’s not with liberty and justice for all it now reads with liberty and justice under the law they now put a disclaimer on our constetuition we are in deep shit people of the world this situation is as grave as if we were occupied my the third riche and the rich lawyers bankers they make the laws the system so to speak has taken on a life of it’s own i’m not a christen but i do know there is the beast it’s a system with out compasstion the us government perpetutes fear and raceism so we can not unify to thwart they’er sick aggenda most people i talk to are more afraid of the police then neighborhood thugs andthats just the tip we have starving kids here as well and rather then help and educate parents the powers that be jail them and take there kids putting them in a system that is it’s self at the breaking point and these kids are subjected to abuse of all kinds violence sex it’s sick not to mention the lack of family love and they get the worst of the brain washing and end up in the system because they”er instetutionalised and are unable to make most of the time in society not all but most we are not the same country that helped fight the nazi instead we are a bastardised version of our fommer selvs and to my fellow americans we as people have good intentions but the government does not i would like to get out of here but i’am poor i was let go from the ambulance company i worked for as they soon went out of business after there are other who visit and know we are not happy and need help be for things go to far if i can’t well it’s to depressing to think about and i love my country i hate my government know the difference so in closing next time you meet an american may be you can deal with them like a child who does not know any better and that wow thats profoundly sad for me gotta go
Bond-JamesBond:
To bad you can’t spell! Now if you would have paid attention in school, You know the place that the U.S.A. sent you for 12 years and maybe even 13 with Kindergarten. Apparently you are not even well informed about the state of the nation.
STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT OTHER AMERICANS! I was born and raised in the U.S.A. and I also graduated from College here. I love our country but I also know we have our pitfalls. I allow other Americans to say anything they want to and if they want to leave and go to other countries then so they shall. After all we still have the 1st Amendment don’t we?
I always laugh at the morons that can’t spell. You know there are FREE spell checkers all over the Internet. You know the Internet…it is that silly International thing we all hook up to. The Internet is not proprietary to the U.S. I guess you are so arrogant to think differently. Just my point of view about you, Bond James-Bond
You sent everything to hell of what the article is all about, there are still good places on earth to go and be happy. As i can see U.S. is not one of them. Sorry for all of you… And say something about my spell or anything, i don´t care… I am the one who lives in a peaceful place
Dear Marty from Modesto:
Too* bad you can’t spell!
Now, if you’d had paid any attention at school you would know that the correct way of ending the last sentence of your second paragraph would be “After all we still have the 1st Amendment, haven’t we?”.
I never laugh at morons that can’t spell, or write properly, though. I just feel sorry for them.
HEY,Marty(post #2,@ 9:04PM) You are an EDUCATED ASSHOLE.
“STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT OTHER AMERICANS!”
“I allow other Americans to say anything they want to…”
Marty, in the same paragraph???
If you have to contradict yourself, could you please make it more challenging and space the contradictions a few paragraphs apart?
I’m out of here, this Scotsman has had enough of London…I love the thought of taking it easy in Costa Rica or Papua New Guinea for a few months until I crave the excitement of the big city again!
Oh Adrian,
You are funny. How arrogantly did you correct Marty, only to be published internationally in a blatant show of ignorance. You said:
Now, if you’d had paid any attention at school you would know that the correct way of ending the last sentence of your second paragraph would be “After all we still have the 1st Amendment, haven’t we?”.
But sadly, you are incorrect. In Marty’s sentence, the
“do” is assumed, i.e. we do still have the first ammendment, don’t we.
Marty was absolutely correct. With haven’t we you would have probably gotten your credit in high school, but your teacher would have written: The form you have used is very awkward. This form causes the reader to feel like you are trying to prove your intelligence.
Relax, enjoy life, and don’t try so hard. Nunca muestra tu estupidez publicamente.
bond-jamesbond: You are so right on the money and as usual people try to divert from the issue. You got your point across but people do not want to wake up to the truth. They are afraid and don’t know what to do so they pretend that everything will be OK and the problems are not that serious. Can things be changed? yes, but it takes the awakening of the people and this is the problem. People are ill informed because they just watch public TV which is the worst place to get there information because the media is controlled. Government officials have sold us out a long time ago and the people we have now do not represent the people’s best interest they just do what they are told. There are a few that have tried to stand up for the people but they are ridiculed and called crazy for their ideas or harassed such as Ron Paul and Cynthia McKinney. Americans are clearly “sheeple” being led to slaughter because the other shoe has not dropped yet. When our currency looses 50% or more of its value and its coming many will be hurt. Just Google fiat currencies(money backed by nothing) in history and the results. People who believe in Republican or Democratic party are stupid because they are just playing good cop bad cop and they are both in the same. I love America too but Americans as a whole are ignorant! It has been a steady process of keeping the masses ignorant and their minds occupied on other things. Using class warfare, racism,and Hollywood drama to keep us occupied. The only shining light I see is that this all will come to a boil and from the aftermath maybe we can build a better society.There is a site called the VenusProject which gives some insite on a better society possible.
Im surprised the BIG island isnt included in this list. It has none of “USA USA USA” and or violence guns and whitey and black flavors that are common on the mainland. There are all types of people rich poor and colorful. Its not a threat militarily and it is just the right temperture, but hey, who wants the word to go out.
Although half of my heritage is Scandinavian, I must question the inclusion of Finland as one of the safest nations. Yes, Finland boasts low crime statistics and minimal threats from neighboring nations, especially with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the country also has one of the highest suicide rates per capita in the world (suicide here being in the context of individuals who are unsafe unto themselves)presumably brought on by the lack of adequate sunlight every autumn and winter. Finland, too, could be dubbed a land of the midnight sun because of its close proximity to the arctic circle. Combine the daily gloom present during one-third of each year with subzero (F)temperatures and often brutal snow events and you have conditions conducive to mental depression for many individuals.