We are always hearing about the most dangerous places in the world, through the news and other media sources. Iraq, for example, has featured in the news heavily over the last ten years because of the conflict there, and according to the Global Peace Index, this is the most dangerous place in the world, despite the recent progresses in security.
Other places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Israel are commonly the source of debate and discussion because of the conflicts that in part define them. But what about the safest places in the world? Surely these are just as worthy of our attention? In 2009 the Global Peace Index saw New Zealand take the top spot from Iceland as the safest nation in the world.
The list on which these countries feature was compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, for the thinktank Economics and Peace. The countries were ranked according to 23 different criteria. These criteria included foreign wars, internal conflicts, human rights, amount of murders, prison population, the arms trade, and how democratic a state it is.
The thinktank came to the conclusion that peace is extremely valuable economically, so if not out of moral reasons, governments and companies should promote peace for humanity because it is more profitable. Britain and the U.S. do not fare well, coming 35th and 83rd, respectively, which is a terrible result for such important democracies. This is no doubt due to the foreign wars they are involved in.
Another example of a safe place is Greenland. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, and apparently there is absolutely no resentment towards foreigners, making it a safe place to visit on holiday. Andorra, another notoriously safe place, is a small town in the countryside that sits on the border between France and Spain. It is so peaceful here that the average life expectancy is 83 years, which is the third highest in the world, thought to be because of the lack of stress.
Other places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Israel are commonly the source of debate and discussion because of the conflicts that in part define them. But what about the safest places in the world? Surely these are just as worthy of our attention? In 2009 the Global Peace Index saw New Zealand take the top spot from Iceland as the safest nation in the world.
The list on which these countries feature was compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, for the thinktank Economics and Peace. The countries were ranked according to 23 different criteria. These criteria included foreign wars, internal conflicts, human rights, amount of murders, prison population, the arms trade, and how democratic a state it is.
The thinktank came to the conclusion that peace is extremely valuable economically, so if not out of moral reasons, governments and companies should promote peace for humanity because it is more profitable. Britain and the U.S. do not fare well, coming 35th and 83rd, respectively, which is a terrible result for such important democracies. This is no doubt due to the foreign wars they are involved in.
Another example of a safe place is Greenland. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, and apparently there is absolutely no resentment towards foreigners, making it a safe place to visit on holiday. Andorra, another notoriously safe place, is a small town in the countryside that sits on the border between France and Spain. It is so peaceful here that the average life expectancy is 83 years, which is the third highest in the world, thought to be because of the lack of stress.
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