World War I was ironically called "The war to end all wars", but was proven wrong when World War II began September 1st, 1939. And World War III may not be too far off on the horizon with dwindling natural resources and political unrest. To have even a remote chance of surviving, we list some of the best places to increase your chances.
Antarctica
While probably the safest place to be if World War III erupted, it ranks number ten on our list due to it's shear inhospitableness and inability to sustain a human presence for long. Antarctica is the fifth largest and the southernmost continent on Earth, but is 98% covered in ice, and on average is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent with the highest elevation. There are no permanent human residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at research stations scattered across the continent. The landscape on Antarctica that supports vegetation is considered a tundra, with organisms native to the landscape consisting of several types of algae, bacteria, fungi, plants, and Protista. You will also find certain animals including mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. The Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959, which prohibits military activities, mineral mining, and nuclear testing and disposal may help keep this place safe from WWIII.
Tuvalu
Formerly Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is a country in the west central Pacific Ocean. It is composed of nine small coral islands scattered over a distance of 420 miles or 676 kilometers. The islands contain both atolls and reef islands with rain catchers and wells providing the only fresh water. The soil is porous, making agriculture limited, but coconut palms thrive along with breadfruit trees, pandanus, taro, and bananas. Pigs and chickens are raised, while seabirds, fish, and shellfish are available to be caught. Because of low elevation, the islands are vulnerable to the effects of tropical cyclones and the threat of rising sea levels. While it would be difficult to survive with threats of devastating weather, Tuvalu is remote enough to survive in case of widespread panic.
Malta
Malta is an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea, which is the largest out of a group of five islands. Malta is dominated by limestone foundations with most of its coastline consisting of steep or vertical limestone cliffs indented by bays, inlets, and coves. The island's flora and fauna are typical of the low lying coastal regions of the Mediterranean, consisting of woodlands, valleys and coastal cliffs. Native species include Sicilian Shrews and several types of bats, but other mammals such as the Algerian Hedgehog, Mediterranean chameleon, Etruscan shrew, rabbit and weasel have been introduced to the landscape. Agricultural development is hampered by land fragmentation, but Malta could offer a limited safe haven.
Switzerland
A federated country of central Europe, Switzerland is a landlocked country of towering mountains, deep Alpine lakes and grassy valleys dotted with farms and small villages. While being smack dab in the middle of other countries that would surely be targeted in WWIII, Switzerland has always been able to maintain a stance of neutrality. The country's animal life consists of deer, rabbits, foxes, badgers, squirrels, and many varieties of birds, while its vegetation is derived from four European climatic regions that converge in the country. Beeches and Oaks take the maritime west, hornbeam and larch trees in the continental east, extensive spruce forests in the northern sub-alpine region, and chestnut groves in the south.
Tristan Da Cunha
Considered the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, Tristan Da Cunha's population is only 267 as of January 2016. While Tristan Da Cunha is the main and largest island, the area also consists of the Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough Islands. The other islands are uninhabited, except for a weather station with a staff of six on Gough Island. Tristan is primarily known for its wildlife, with 13 known species of breeding seabirds, and 2 species of resident land birds. Tristan's economy is primarily based on marine cultivation, mainly crawfish, and farming.
Iceland
Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic ocean containing vivid contrasts of climate, geography, and culture. Glaciers, such as Vatna Glacier, lie across its ruggedly beautiful mountain ranges. Abundant hot geysers provide heat for many of the country's homes and buildings, allowing for hothouse agriculture year round, and the offshore Gulf Stream provides a surprisingly mild climate, considering Iceland is one of the northernmost inhabited places in the world. Iceland is described as being between a tundra vegetation zone of treeless plains and a taiga zone of coniferous forests. Foxes were the only land mammal before domestic and farm animals, along with rats, mice, and reindeer. Iceland is also heavily invested in fishing, making this place more than suitable for a refuge.
Falkland Islands
The two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, along with 200 small islands, form a total land area nearly the size of Connecticut. The island's vegetation is low and dense, containing no natural tree growth, and there are no longer any land mammals indigenous to the Falklands, with the extinction of the wild fox. Approximately 65 species of birds can be found on the island, though, along with dolphins and porpoises, penguins, southern sea lions, and elephant seals galore, and almost the whole area of the two main islands is devoted to sheep farming. Considering the abundance of food here and tiny population of people, survival here is in your favor.
Bhutan
Located on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a country in south central Asia that has become less isolated in the second half of the 20th century. Its economic core lies in the fertile valleys of the Lesser Himalayas, which are separated from one another by a series of high and complex interconnecting ridges extending across the country from north to south. Bhutan's flora is notable for its abundance and variety, which transitions from tropical to temperate to alpine forms. Sambar deer, gaurs, rhinoceroses, elephants, tigers and other animals are found in Bhutan, especially along the Manas and Sankosh rivers in the central and eastern regions and the country's forest covered hills. The Bhutanese economy is largely agrarian, with the significant variations in elevation and climate allowing for support of a wide variety of crops and livestock. However, the amount of land available for agriculture is only a small fraction compared to the country's size.
Fiji
The Fiji Islands are comprised of 333 islands in the South Pacific, with beaches, coral gardens, and rain forests. Of the various islands, only about 100 are inhabited. Coconut palms are common in coastal areas, and almost all tropical fruits and vegetables can be grown on the Fiji Islands. The shoreline contains rocks, but more importantly, fish-filled reefs. Most animals, including pigs, dogs, cattle and a few horses are domesticated, but there are also mongooses, which were introduced to prey on the numerous snakes and rats on the islands. Cultivating copra, cocoa, kava, taro, pineapples, cassava, and bananas along with abundant fish stocks, Fiji should be able to sustain you in the case of any global catastrophe.
New Zealand
A fertile and mountainous group of islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Zealand has snowy peaks, fjord scarred shores, and pastures dotting the horizon. The islands have adopted a parliamentary democracy modeled similarly to the United Kingdom, and has been a self governing British dominion since 1907. An export driven country of wool, mutton, lamb, beef, cheese, fish, and chemicals, New Zealand is also considered a remote land and one of the more sizable territories on our list. It's South Island is the largest of its land masses and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, giving excellent protection for hiding in case of war, and the island's sustainability makes survival much easier.
