Posted : October 2013
Author : Julia Melko
Do you know which are the most peaceful countries in the
world? Since 2007 each year, the Global Peace Index has been issued by the IEP
(Institute for Economics and Peace) and is a measurement of nations’ and
regions’ peacefulness based on external and internal measures. Although it
seems like the world is becoming more cruel, according to the Global Peace
Index there are 20 most peaceful countries in the world.
1. Denmark
Denmark
tops the list of the most peaceful countries on Earth since it’s really a safe place
to live. Even while Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, was
under occupation by the Nazis during the World War II, it still did not fight.
The point is that people living in Denmark prefer to focus on economic
matters, instead of involving themselves in various armed conflicts. Danish
people are very friendly, open and helpful. Personally I have been to Copenhagen twice and I
wish I lived in this country. I’m pretty sure that those who have been to Denmark at
least once could say the same.
2. Norway
Many people do not expect Norway to appear in the list of the
most peaceful countries in the world. Perhaps, this is because of Anders
Behring Breivik, mass murderer, who hit the pride of the country hard. Sure, it
was an extraordinary incident, but according to the Global Peace Index Norway is one
of the world’s most peaceful countries and friendly and safe place to live. Norway is the country with the highest level of
human development in the globe, plus, the government of Oslo always places peace at the forefront of
the priorities of the country.
3. Singapore
As an active member of the international community and,
overall, a small nation, Singapore
can never take its right to exist and security for granted. Since achieving its
independence in 1965 as a sovereign Republic, Singapore has always concentrated
on being a great neighbor, through establishing social, peaceful, economic,
cordial political relations with all countries. The country has worked with the United Nations and its
supporting agencies on a great variety of efforts. It also participates in
various global, unilateral and multilateral organizations to promote
international cooperation, including WTO (World Trade Organization). Singapore is
among the most peaceful countries in the world as well as one of the world’s
wealthiest countries. The homicide and violent crime rates are lower than the
criminal rates.
4. Slovenia
A beautiful European country, Slovenia is also among the most
peaceful countries in the world. The country got its lowest marks in funding
for the United Nations peacekeeping missions, number of police and security
officers, level of perceived criminality in society, number of organized
internal conflicts, violent protests, and number of internal and external wars
fought. I agree with the Global Peace Index and believe that Slovenia
deserves its place in the list of the most peaceful countries on Earth.
Moreover, with its wonderful cities like Maribor
and Ljubljana teeming with unique culture, Slovenia is a
fantastic travel destination.
5. Sweden
One of the most beautiful Scandinavian countries, Sweden is located in the far north of Europe. Although Sweden
is one of the biggest weapon exporters in Europe, the country has a low level
of robberies (only 9,000 a year) compared to the United States (about 350,000 a
year)! According to the Global Peace Index, Sweden is one of the most peaceful
countries in the world, in spite of the fact that it’s among the world’s top
arms exporters. Besides, Sweden
has not been to war and has not participated in any combats for the whole 2
centuries.
6. Iceland
Iceland
was also ranked as one of the most peaceful countries in the world, staying out
of the main conflicts in the world. Iceland seldom or never hits the
headlines and despite the collapse of the Icelandic banks several years ago,
the country is remained as an amazing place of spectacular natural beauty.
Tourists from all parts of the world come to Iceland
to view its huge glaciers and raging volcanoes, as well as numerous unique
natural and cultural attractions in Reykjavik,
the capital of Iceland.
7. Belgium
According to the Global Peace Index, Belgium is one of the best and most peaceful places
to live in Europe and on Earth. Situated in
the heart of Europe, this small country holds
a special place. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is
home to the European Union and NATO. Belgium boasts medieval cities,
beautiful town halls, majestic castles, and captivating natural beauty.
Homicide and imprisonment rates are low in this country, even though Belgium did
experience a crisis within its government over the 2008-2011 period.
8. Czech
Republic
A relatively new country, the Czech
Republic gained its independence from
the Soviet Bloc in 1993 due to the Velvet Revolution and its subsequent split
with Slovakia.
After the division of Czechoslovakia,
the Czech Republic has largely concentrated on building
a strong capitalist economy and creating a stable climate for investment. In
2009, the Human Development Index (HDI) ranked the Czech Republic
as a country of ‘Very High Human Development.’ Renowned mostly for its magnificent
capital city Prague and breathtaking natural
beauty, the Czech
Republic draws tourists
from all over the world.
9. Switzerland
According to IEP, the Swiss maintain a well-functioning government
and an open political culture. Illustrating the quality of government, Switzerland
received the lowest score for political instability. It’s also among the world’s
most peaceful countries that have low levels of violent crime. Although Switzerland is
known for its neutrality in regional, international and global political
issues, it maintains strong diplomatic relations with various countries around
the world.
10. Japan
One of the most enchanting countries culturally, Japan has the
third largest economy in the world. Since the World War II, Japan has been really
peaceful, with little internal conflict and low crime. Moreover, the country
maintains cordial relations with its neighbors. Japan has not had a professional
military since the end of WWII. The country settles on an internal security
force in order to maintain the peace. Personally I enjoy visiting Japan and I
also consider this country to be peaceful as well as breathtakingly beautiful.
11. Ireland
With its rich historical sites, amazing green pastures and
friendly people, it’s not surprising that Ireland is one of the most peaceful
countries on Earth! However, the country has slightly elevated levels of organized
internal conflict between Protestants and Catholics. Despite this fact, Ireland is an
overall fabulous country with a plethora of reasons for tourism! Its rich literary
history, castle-topped hills, spectacular coastline and legendary hospitality
make Ireland
a wonderful place to visit any time of the year.
12. Finland
Finland
is considered one of the most peaceful and livable countries, which is not
renowned for its combative nature. Finland is still a country that
embraces mandatory civil and military service for young people, and the
country’s only participation in fighting has been as a part of joint United
Nations peacekeeping forces. When speaking about Finland, I want to say about its
education. Finland
places education at the heart of literally everything. Finland’s
education system is ranked fifth best in the world.
13. New
Zealand
Each year since 2007, the Institute for Economics and Peace
has ranked New Zealand
as one of the most peaceful countries in the world. With a small percentage of
its population in prison, limited military capability, strong relations with Australia and down-to-earth hospitality, New Zealand is
a wonderful country to live in. This is a country of natural beauty, diverse
scenery and quirky natives. Visitors from all over the world come to New Zealand to
experience rugged landscape, breathtaking alpine glaciers, awesome beaches and
fantastic geothermal and volcanic activity. The country is also renowned for
its fine wines and there are a great number of grape varieties planted
throughout New Zealand.
So if you are a great wine lover, you should definitely visit New Zealand at
least once in life.
14. Canada
Having one of the best standards of living in the world, Canada is also
one of the most peaceful countries on Earth. It has a population of
approximately 33 million people, yet it’s the second largest country in the world
by area. With clean and safe cities, spectacular scenery and extremely friendly
people, Canada
is a wonderful and peaceful country to live in. The largest strike against the
peace score of Canada
is that it has a comparatively high military capability, though it currently is
not involved in any conflict.
15. Austria
Austria
is a small landlocked South Central European country which gains a place on the
list of the most peaceful countries in the world for its stance on international
politics. Since World War I and the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and
World War II, Austria has been content to embrace
a life of peace and serenity. Many people claim that Austria is a great country to live
in and I personally agree with them. After all, with its world-famous resorts
in the breathtaking Alps, and magnificent cultural centers like Vienna, I think it’s not surprising to see Austria on this
list.
16. Bhutan
According to the 2013 Global Peace Index (GPI), Bhutan is also
among the 20 most peaceful countries on Earth. The point is, Bhutan has
remained unchanged in international and domestic conflict in the last 6 years
with a GPI score of 1.6 out of 5, 1 being really low. The report uses 22
indicators to measure internal peace, including number of police per 100,000
people, levels of perceived criminality, level of organized crime, and external
peace indicators that include military expenditure as a percentage of gross
domestic product and nuclear and heavy weapons capabilities. I personally think
Bhutanese people are peace loving and they are well cultured. Plus, Bhutan boasts
plenty of spectacular attractions for everyone.
17. Australia
Australia
is a beautiful and peaceful country that offers cultural diversity, spectacular
beaches, loads of breathtaking natural beauty, wonderful fauna and friendly
people with an amazing sense of humor. Although Australia
is a large country, approximately the same size as the USA, it has a
small population of about 20 million, so there’s a lot of uninhabited space
worth visiting. Australia’s
low crime rate, stable political system, high standards of health care and
well-maintained roads make it a safe and comparatively easy country to live in
or just to explore.
18. Portugal
You might be surprised to know that Portugal is one
of the most peaceful countries in the world, but it’s true. The country has
been a member of the EU for roughly 26 years and it forms a part of the European
Monetary System and use the single European currency. Portugal is the
world’s 43rd largest economy according to the World Bank and it has one of the
highest GDP growth rates among the OECD countries. The country has the low
crime rates, great standards of living and a stable government. Plus,
fascinating sandy beaches, golden plains and impressive mountains, a millennial
heritage and vibrant cities make Portugal one of the best places to
live in.
19. Qatar
According to the Global Peace Index, Qatar is the most peaceful country in the Middle East and one of the most peaceful countries in the
world. Violent incidents are very rare in this country and the crime rates are
relatively low compared to other industrialized nations. Qatar is one of the most flexible and liberal
countries in the Middle East where women have
many rights, including working, driving and voting rights. The country is
undergoing transformation under the National Vision 2030 to achieve a
diversified, sustainable and advanced economy.
20. Mauritius
According to the GPI Report 2013, Mauritius
is one of the most peaceful nations on Earth and it was also ranked the most
peaceful country in Africa. The strong score
of this island country in the GPI highlights the relative stability of the
region and thus further promotes it as a trusted platform for wealth management
services and estate planning.
~Blog Admin~
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