Safest Countries to Hide Out if World War 3 Starts - YouTube

World War III has broken out. The  most powerful countries on the planet  

are launching missiles at one another and  sending invasion forces across the globe.  

It’s only a matter of time until you get caught up  in the whole thing. All you want at this point is  

a safe place to lie low and wait for the whole  thing to blow over. Should you go to an island  

nation in the tropics? Or a country at the  bottom of the world? Maybe there is an even  

safer place that you didn’t even know existed.  Let's find out which safe haven is right for you.

It is impossible to tell who exactly will  instigate World War III, but we have some  

pretty good ideas. The most likely scenario  would start with one country invading another.  

This would cause the allies of the country  being invaded to come to their aid.  

Slowly more and more nations would get  pulled into the conflict. At some point,  

the confrontation would reach critical mass,  and an all-out world war would commence.

The sides are pretty easy to predict for  World War III as they probably would follow  

the current geopolitical climate. One side would  consist of the United States, the European Union,  

and the rest of NATO, while the other side  would be made up of Russia, China, North Korea,  

and their Allies. There would presumably  be some wild cards that we cannot predict,  

but one thing is for sure: World  War III would be a true world war.  

What we mean by this is that very few  people would be able to escape the carnage.

Unlike the previous World Wars, humans  now have the ability to fight one another  

over long distances using aircraft,  long-range missiles, and space warfare.  

Very few regions of the planet would be  untouched by the events of World War III.  

However, this does not mean there aren’t  any safe places to run to. In fact,  

a few countries would provide safety and peace  of mind as the world falls apart around you.

If you are looking for a safe country to escape  to during World War III, some of your best  

options are tropical islands. This may sound  too good to be true, but hear us out. The good  

thing about islands in the Pacific Ocean is that  they are really far away from each other and the  

mainland. The Pacific Ocean is a vast place, and  if you don't mind warm climates, catching your own  

fish dinners, and white sand beaches, Fiji would  not be a bad place to wait out World War III.

This island nation sits in the  southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.  

The closest content is Australia, which is  still over 1,700 miles away. And the great  

thing about this is that during World War III  Australia probably won't be hotly contested over,  

which just adds to the allure of escaping to  Fiji. Even if the fighting eventually reached  

the Australian continent, you would be so far  away that you probably wouldn’t even notice.

Fiji itself doesn't have much to offer in  terms of wartime strategy or resources.  

It has a very small military  of around 6,000 individuals,  

so it would not be seen as a threat by either  side. But perhaps one of the best things Fiji  

has going for it in terms of remaining safe during  World War III is that it doesn't have many natural  

resources within its borders. Beautiful beaches  and an abundance of seafood tend not to be what  

the world’s superpowers are after while at war.  This means Fiji would likely not be a target,  

making it one of the safest countries you  could move to if World War III ever broke out.

While the world descended into chaos,  you could be sipping Pina Coladas on  

a white sand beach with a fishing  pole in the water. Or better yet,  

you could be drinking the national beverage of  Fiji called Kava, which is made from the crushed  

root of the yaqona (pronounced yang-GO-na) and  has been shown to have medicinal properties.  

This is another thing that would make Fiji such  a good nation to hide away in if World War III  

happened. Although it doesn't have strategic  significance, it does have an endless supply  

of food, fertile lands to grow crops, and  plenty of ways to keep yourself busy. In fact,  

there are around 300 islands that make up  the country of Fiji, so if you didn’t get  

along with your neighbors, you could load up  your boat and cruise to a different island.

The only problem is that you would be so far  removed from the fighting you might not know who  

was winning or even when the war came to an end  until long after it was all over. During a world  

war, global communication would probably go down  as satellites are targeted by each side to disrupt  

enemy transmissions. This would mean that the only  way to receive news would be by word of mouth,  

like in the olden days before the  internet or telephones. You would  

have to wait until someone physically came  to the island and informed you about what  

was going on across the ocean. Then again,  if you're trying to escape World War III,  

you probably don't mind not being up to date on  wartime news, so this wouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

If Fiji isn’t isolated enough for you, there  is another island nation in the Pacific  

that could be even more appealing  to hide on during World War III.

Tuvalu is a 10 square mile island chain just  over 1,000 miles north of Fiji, making it even  

further from the mainland. There are only around  11,000 people on the islands of Tuvalu. Its remote  

location and lack of natural resources make it an  undesirable target for either side during World  

War III. If you did seek refuge in Tuvalu, it is  likely that you wouldn’t see anyone new for the  

duration of your time in the island nation. Tuvalu  is hard to get to in the best of times, so the two  

airlines that fly to the country probably won’t  be doing so at all with a world war going on.

This means that the only other way  to access the country is by boat.  

It is unlikely that one of the sides in World  War III will divert resources to Tuvalu as it  

serves no strategic significance, but like  Fiji, there is plenty of food and resources  

that can be gathered from the ocean to  help sustain you throughout the war.

There is another island country that is much  larger than Fiji and Tuvalu, and although it  

is a little closer to the mainland, it would  still provide safety during World War III.

New Zealand is a beautiful nation that seems  to have every type of environment crammed  

onto a single island. If you are looking for  a safe place to hide from the carnage of World  

War III and still want seasons and ecological  diversity, New Zealand is the country for you.

The country itself is a little  over 1,000 miles from Australia,  

but it sits further south than both  Fiji and Tuvalu, meaning that New  

Zealand could potentially be further away  front the main fighting of World War III,  

which we would expect to happen in Europe,  Asia, and the North American continent. However,  

there are many more natural resources in New  Zealand than in most other island nations.  

This would be beneficial if you sought refuge  there during World War III, but it could also make  

the nation a target for invasion. However, due to  where it is located, this seems highly unlikely.

There also isn’t really much strategic  significance to invading the country.  

The nation itself has fertile  land, abundant marine resources,  

and various landscapes that would provide  protection even if war did reach the island.  

Around 30% of New Zealand is protected  land, which means there are plenty of  

areas where resources can be gathered,  and where you could hide away if needed.

It may sound crazy, but there is another  abundant resource on the island that would  

help you ride out World War III. For every one  person in New Zealand, there are ten sheep.  

This means you will have plenty of wool to make  clothes and a source of protein if times get hard.  

The sheep also help fertilize the land and can  provide milk as well, meaning that these useful  

creatures will be your best friends as you  safely wait for the war to come to an end.

There are many benefits to living in New  Zealand even when the world is not at war,  

but perhaps what would make this nation the ideal  location to move to is that its infrastructure  

is highly developed and the country has been  working on becoming self-sufficient for decades.  

It is because of the steps that  the government has taken in recent  

years to ensure the country remains  a safe and comfortable place to live  

that New Zealand consistently is rated one of  the top ten happiest countries in the world. So,  

if you are looking for a country that is isolated,  safe, and provides an abundance of resources as  

well as beautiful land to live on during World  War III, New Zealand has got you covered.

New Zealand does its best to remain a peaceful  country which means it will likely stay out of  

World War III altogether. In fact, New Zealand is  only second to Iceland on the Global Peace Index,  

which brings us to our next safe  country if a world war breaks out.

Iceland is over a thousand miles from the  United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.  

This means it is unlikely the country will  be in any direct danger during World War III.  

Like many of the other island nations  thus far, Iceland has tons of marine  

resources that would allow it to remain  self-sufficient if World War III broke out.

What makes Iceland a great place to be during  a global war is that the country gets 100% of  

its energy from renewable sources, all  of which are within its borders. Iceland  

harnesses a massive amount of geothermal energy  and converts it into electricity and heat. While  

war rages across the planet, Iceland would  not have to worry about procuring oil, coal,  

or any other forms of energy from different parts  of the world. Being totally self-sufficient means  

Iceland could stay out of the conflict and focus  on keeping the people inside of its borders safe.

Some parts of Iceland can be pretty arid  and harsh, but there is abundant fresh water  

and seafood. If you made your way into the  mountains of Iceland, you would be isolated  

and protected from the rest of the world.  There are fewer resources in this region,  

but it is incredibly doubtful you would ever  encounter a military force while living there.  

However, the best place to be in Iceland during  World War III would be along the coast so you  

could take advantage of the plentiful fisheries  and aquatic resources. As long as you don’t mind  

eating seafood every day, you would have  a full belly for the duration of the war.

There is plenty of land to settle down on in  Iceland if you need to find a place to wait  

out the war. In fact, the current population  puts an average of 8 people per square mile  

in the country. This means there is plenty  of space for refugees of World War III if  

they decide to relocate to Iceland. If you  plan ahead you could even find a nice piece  

of land in a small Icelandic fishing village  that is self-sufficient and safe to live in  

until the war is over. You might even decide  to stay even after it is safe to return home.

There is one downside to Iceland, however. The  fact that it sits between Europe and North America  

may cause it to be a staging area to launch  invasions across the Atlantic. This scenario  

is not very likely as both sides would probably  blow each other up with nukes before they would  

send an invasion force across the Atlantic Ocean,  but you never know. Even though there is a chance  

that a fleet might sail by Iceland or even make  it a stop on their way while crossing the ocean,  

living in northern Iceland all but  guarantees your safety during World War III.

There are other island nations that would  

be closer to the action but could still  offer some safety during World War III.  

One such country actually started out as  a military fortress during the Crusades.

Malta sits just off the coast of Sicily in the  middle of the Mediterranean Sea. In World War III,  

this might be a good country to run to if your  plan is to get out of Europe. At some point, Malta  

would be consumed by the war, but until then, it  could serve as a way out of the region and provide  

refuge for escapees. The nation of Malta is only  around 122 square miles and has limited resources.  

This means it wouldn't be an initial target for  either side at the beginning of World War III.

There are several large fortresses around the  island that were built by the Hospitallers  

and Knights Templar during the Crusades.  These could serve as safe havens as plans  

were made to evacuate people to safer  lands. Malta has successfully fended  

off invasions in the past, so it is  possible that they could do it again.

Maybe Malta could be an embarkation point for  people trying to make it to the Azores Islands.  

This remote archipelago is technically  part of Portugal, which would not be a  

safe country to be in during World War III. But  the Azores' abundance of natural resources and  

its remote location in the Atlantic would  definitely make it a safer place to be than  

many other parts of the world. The Azores  have plenty of farmable land and a plethora  

of marine resources. However, people from  Portugal, and the rest of western Europe,  

may have the same idea and head straight  for the Azore Islands at the same time.  

This may lead to overcrowding on the archipelago,  but at least it would be safe for the time being.

One part of the world that is often overlooked  in end-of-the-world scenarios is South America.

World War III will likely be fought in the  Northern Hemisphere. The most probable scenario  

would be World War III starting in Europe or  Asia. And although it is doubtful that World  

War III will reach North America until later on,  the countries near the United States would be  

targets at some point. Canada is a vast country,  and there would be plenty of locations that would  

remain untouched by World War III due to its  size and untamed wilderness. However, coastal  

cities and certain places along the U.S. border  could be attacked as a means to invade the U.S.

The same can be said about Mexico.  Although there are likely regions in  

the highlands and jungles of the  country that would remain safe,  

its overall proximity to the U.S. would make  other parts of Mexico vulnerable to attack.  

However, South America is far enough away  from the U.S. and any other major players  

in World War III that it would be an ideal  place to go once the fighting broke out.

The safest country in this  scenario would be Chile.

Chile is the southernmost country  in South America. Not only that,  

but the city of Puerto Williams is the  southernmost city in the entire world.  

The country itself has tons of natural  resources and numerous geological features  

that make it easy to escape if the  war ever does reach South America.  

Chile is one of the most developed nations in all  of South America, meaning that there is already  

infrastructure in place to sustain the country if  the rest of the world is at war with each other.

There are two options of where to go in Chile  that would ensure your safety during World War  

III. The Andes Mountains stretch across the  entire western part of the country. It’s in  

these mountains that indigenous communities have  lived for hundreds of years. There are endless  

amounts of fresh water and fertile land that  can be terraced to grow crops. The mountains  

offer protection and serve as a deterrent for any  enemy force that might try to occupy the country.

The mountains and many other regions of Chile  contain dense forests that can be used to  

build a cabin in the woods and a number of wild  animals that can provide sustenance in extreme  

circumstances. Not to mention that Chile is  the 4th largest exporter of wine globally,  

which means while the Northern Hemisphere becomes  a scared battlefield of destruction and death,  

you could be getting tipsy off of some  of the best wine in the entire world.

The other option is settling as far south as  possible. The next closest land from the southern  

tip of Chile is Antarctica. It is highly unlikely  that any part of World War III would be fought in  

the frozen Antarctic waters. This means living in  southern Chili would be pretty safe. The weather  

can be brutally cold, and storms often whip  across the region, but the oceans are bountiful,  

and different varieties of potatoes grow  pretty much everywhere in the country.

And while we’re talking about the extreme  south, there is probably no safer place on  

the planet than Antarctica during World War  III. You could theoretically take refuge in  

one of the science outposts there  and wait for the fighting to end.  

No one is going to be coming to Antarctica  to wage war, but the lack of resources and  

the inability to resupply during that time would  make it important to ration resources. Eventually,  

you would run out of supplies and  would need to leave the continent,  

but if you could stay in Antarctica until peace  was declared, you would be safe the entire time.

There is one other southern country that  is resource-rich and would be an excellent  

place to escape to during World War III. You  could even go on a safari while you’re there.

South Africa contains around 10% of all plant,  bird, and fish species in the world. It also is  

home to around 6% of mammal species. This  makes South Africa an ideal place to hide  

from the turmoil of World War III. There are  plenty of food sources, freshwater supplies,  

and fertile coasts in the country. It also  helps that South Africa is very far away  

from the regions of the world that would  be fighting. It is conceivable that the  

fighting wouldn’t even reach its northernmost  border, let alone the rest of the country.

South Africa also consists of many types  of environments, but there is probably  

no safer city in this part of the world to  be in during World War III than Cape Town.  

This is a thriving city with modern infrastructure  and resources all around it. There is plenty of  

fishing off the coast and the mountains that  surround the city isolate it from the rest of  

the continent. Cape Town isn’t as far south as  other cities, but its location would make it  

strategically undesirable. Therefore, South Africa  would probably be left alone during the conflict.

Also, like Chile, South Africa  is a large exporter of wine.  

Between the abundance of food, its protected  location, and the availability of alcohol,  

South Africa would be a safe and not too  unpleasant country to spend World War III in.

Greenland is massive. It is also freezing.  But if there is any country in the world  

that you could find a safe place to wait for  the end of World War III in, this would be it.

The tricky part would be getting to your final  destination once you were within the country’s  

borders. There are no roads between the towns  of Greenland; this is a good thing in terms of  

finding a safe haven. The more difficult a region  is to reach, the safer it will be during wartime.  

For optimal security, you would want to choose  one of the more northern towns to live in like  

Qaanaaq, which sits just inside the  arctic circle. Like with Antarctica,  

the war will likely never reach you at  this extreme latitude. You would have to  

learn the ways of the Inuit people and how  to live off the land in a polar climate,  

but it would all be worth it to have a safe  and secure place to live during World War III.

Due to Greenland’s location and size, there is  very little reason for either side in World War  

III to try and invade its lands. If the war did  happen to reach the part of the country you’re in,  

you could always hop on a boat or helicopter and  head further north. At some point, you will find  

a town that is far enough out of the way that no  military forces would find it useful. To be fair,  

Greenland as a whole holds very little strategic  significance, and the only World War III action it  

would see would be ships sailing by to invade the  other side of the Atlantic Ocean or planes flying  

overhead. There would likely never be forces  or troops stationed in the country itself.

Living in rural Greenland would be much  more difficult than sipping wine in Chile  

or fishing off a tropical beach in Fiji.  However, Greenland would provide significant  

protection from the carnage of World War  III while also providing the resources  

you need to stay alive. Depending on where you  initially lived before World War III broke out,  

Greenland may be a much more viable option  for safety than some of the other countries  

in this video. For example, if you reside  in the North-Eastern part of the U.S.,  

Greenland would definitely be the closest safe  haven to you. Just because it is cold and desolate  

doesn’t mean you should count Greenland out.  In a time of war, beggers can’t be choosers.

Although the countries on this list are  all good options to escape to in the event  

that World War III breaks out, there is  something that you need to remember. If  

you find yourself in any of the countries  on this list when World War III starts,  

you will likely be safe, and the war  will pose very little threat to you.  

However, none of that matters if each side  begins launching nukes at one another.

The nuclear fallout from the blasts would  be carried across the world on the planet’s  

natural air currents. The rain falling from  the sky would be poisonous as it would carry  

lethal doses of radiation in every drop. The  nuclear explosions would incinerate anything  

in their vicinity, causing firestorms that  would release massive amounts of smoke and  

ash into the atmosphere. This could plunge the  planet into a nuclear winter where temperatures  

would plummet as the sun’s light is blocked  by all the particulates in the atmosphere.

At this point, it wouldn’t matter if you were  in Russia, the United States, or Antarctica,  

as there would be no escaping this global  catastrophe. If this ends up being the  

ending of World War III, the safest place  to be will not be on Earth but in space.

As the countries of the world annihilate one  another and the planet using nuclear weapons,  

the astronauts aboard the International Space  Station will look on in horror as their home  

is destroyed before their very eyes. For a short  amount of time, they may be the last of the human  

species. Unfortunately, even the astronauts  would run out of resources and die. This  

would be the end of humanity, and it would all be  because we couldn’t get along with one another.

So, the safest thing you can do if World War III  ever breaks out is to head to one of the countries  

from this video and hope that the war comes to  an end before the nukes start flying. If nuclear  

holocaust is the fate of the planet, then your  only chance for survival is to hijack a rocket  

ship and head for the stars. Eventually, you  will die from lack of oxygen and resources, but  

at least you’ll make it slightly longer than the  rest of us. The alternative is to make your way to  

one of the countries with an abundance of wine and  have a drink as the world falls apart around you.

Now watch “What Would Happen  After World War 3.” Or check  

out “Why You Wouldn't Survive World War 3.”