The history of security and defense on the European continent is marked by powerful armies and armed forces capable of ensuring national sovereignty. However, there is a country that challenges this logic: it has never had an army and is still pointed as the safest territory in the world. Its story explains how it has managed to maintain this uniqueness over the centuries.
Old democracy in a young country
According to the Spanish newspaper La Razón, Iceland has the oldest known democracy, although it is also one of the younger nations on the planet. His human occupation began only in the ninth century, when the first Vikings arrived in the territory, being Ingolfur Arranon considered the founder of the present capital, Reaquík. Before that, only a few Irish monks will have passed through the region without creating permanent settlements.
It is also known that the youth of this European nation did not prevent innovative political institutions from rapidly from being established. In 930 AD Althingi was created in þingvellir, considered the oldest parliament in the world still in operation. This historic landmark marks the beginning of modern democracy in Iceland, long before other European territories adopt similar systems.
Of sovereignty shared to independence
Writes the newspaper that, despite its democratic tradition, the country was not always independent. For centuries he was under the influence of other European crowns. In the thirteenth century he accepted the sovereignty of the king of Norway and later became a Danish province. Only in 1944, just before the end of World War II did Iceland gained full independence, becoming the republic we know today.
After independence, the European country recorded rapid economic growth, high literacy rates and social welfare. Its strong sense of community, coupled with a high quality of life, has placed this nation among the happiest countries in the world, alongside other Nordic states such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark.
SAFETY WITHOUT OWN ARMY
It also refers to what one of the largest singularities in this country is that it never had an army. Instead of depending on its own armed forces, its defense is based on bilateral agreements with NATO members, with a military base in Keflavik. This strategy allows you to ensure protection without the need for military service, which contributes to a high security perception.
Know, however, that the absence of an army does not compromise national security. Iceland has one of the lower crime rates on the planet and great social confidence, factors that justify its recognition as the safest territory in the world, according to the OECD.
Other similar examples in Europe are the microstates of Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City and Liechtenstein, who also do not have their own armed forces and depend on the protection of neighboring countries. Outside the continent, there are also Costa Rica and Panama, as well as some small Caribbean, Pacific and Micronesia islands.
Therefore, if you want to visit the safest country in the world, note that there are direct flights from the airports of Lisbon, Porto and Faro, so, in just over four hours, you can reach Iceland.
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