10 Countries You Might Be Surprised To Know Have No Military

It may be painful to admit, but humans are violent by nature. There is always some fool who wants to rule the world or at least the country next door. Thankfully, people also tend to band together when faced with external threats.

For the past several decades, much of the world has maintained a tenuous peace not necessarily out of goodwill but because of fear of retaliation. The threat of enemy troops or annihilation by powerful nuclear bombs has kept most of the world's more power-hungry leaders in check. However, some countries don't have a military to call their own. So how do these nations defend themselves? Well, it depends. Sometimes they rely on allies' protection, while other times they are defended by organizations that serve as military equivalents. But more importantly, why would any nation willingly not have a military? That's what we're here to answer.

Continue reading to learn about some of the nations that have either sworn off standing armies or simply don't have the ability to raise one.

Nations come in all sizes. Some take up entire continents while others are so small they barely extend past the borders of a single city. These latter countries are known as city-states, and their limited space and populations make it difficult to raise an army.

Monaco is one of the three last city-states on Earth, along with Singapore and Vatican City — more on that one later. The micronation, which served as the name inspiration for the iconic 1974 Dodge Monaco 'Bluesmobile', has a rich history dating as far back as the 12th century. From the 1770s to the 1860s, Monaco flip-flopped between being a property of France, an independent nation, and part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861 established Monaco's sovereignty. Around 60 years later, in the aftermath of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles ratified that France would guarantee Monaco's independence and sovereignty, negating the need of an independent military.

Since Monaco is the second-smallest city-state on the planet, it has next to no space to train soldiers and even fewer able recruits. The closest Monaco has to an active military is the Public Force, which consists of maybe around 250 people between the fire brigade and the Prince's Company of Carabiniers. For proper defense with bona fide soldiers and equipment, Monaco depends on France and has done so since the Franco-Monégasque Treaty.

As previously mentioned, Vatican City is one of the three remaining city-states on the planet. While it is smaller than Monaco and Singapore, this mini-nation is arguably more important than the other two city-states combined since it is the seat of power for one of the largest religious denominations on the planet. Understandably, its security is so paramount, other nations pitch in.

Vatican City has served as the center for the Holy See, the central government body of the Catholic Church, since the Lateran Treaty of 1929. Moreover, while Vatican City has had a central role in Catholicism since the 300s, the city was part of Italy until the treaty allowed it to break off and form its own micronation. And unlike other newly-minted countries, Vatican City already had a defense force of sorts.

If you visit Vatican City, you might see soldiers in Renaissance-era outfits wielding halberds. These men are the closest Vatican City has to a proper army, the Swiss Guard. Formed by Matthäus Schiner — the Swiss bishop and cardinal — this force is effectively the personal guard of the Pope and to a lesser extent the Sacred College of Cardinals. Vatican City also has a proper police force, the Gendarmerie Corps, but for wartime protection, the Pope turned to the Palatine Guard. This infantry was formed in 1850, but the last time they saw action was during World War II. The Palatine Guard was officially disbanded in 1970.

In an ideal world, a country would abolish its military because it is devoted to peace. However, even neutral countries like Switzerland maintain a standing army. In fact, the country has equipped numerous militaries with its eponymous Swiss Army Knife, the world's most recognizable multi-tool. In reality, a country is more likely to abolish its military to avoid the violent mistakes of its past.

Costa Rica has had a tumultuous history that ultimately led to the abolition of the country's army. The nation started as a Spanish colony and officially gained its independence in the late 1840s. However, things began to fall apart politically in 1917 when General Brigadier Federico Tinoco overthrew the government and turned Costa Rica into an isolationist nation. While he was quickly overthrown, he essentially ignited a slow-burning powder keg that finally exploded in the 1940s. In 1948, former president Rafael Calderón Guardia lost his reelection bid but forced the country's Congress to overturn the result. This began a short-lived war between Calderón Guardia's forces and the National Liberation Army, led by José Figueres Ferrer.

While the Liberation Army won, Figueres Ferrer went on to continue Calderón Guardia's work, from nationalizing insurance companies to providing suffrage for women. In 1949, the Founding Board of the Second Republic issued a new constitution that outlawed the army. This decision marked the first time a country voluntarily dismantled its own army, although it remains unclear whether this was due to the memories of armed conflict or to prevent the military from ever seizing power again. Currently, Costa Rica is protected by the public security ministry.

Terms like "country" and "nation" can instill some false notions. Some nations, while autonomous and self-governing to a degree, are not truly independent and form parts of larger kingdoms or collectives. These dependent lands rely on their "protecting state" for defense, even when they're half a world away.

French Polynesia, as its name suggests, is a collection of islands and atolls in the South Pacific Ocean owned by France. France's annexation of the area began in 1842 with the island of Tahiti, and French colonists laid claim to the surrounding islands during the following decades. Throughout its existence, French Polynesia has been a protectorate, a colony, and finally a collectivity, which was designated in 2003.

While France has continually granted French Polynesia greater and greater levels of autonomy, the European nation has yet to give the islands true independence. This arrangement means France is ultimately in charge of French Polynesia's justice department, higher education, and of course its defense. France maintains a force of around 1,000 military personnel in French Polynesia, officially dubbed the French Armed Forces in French Polynesia (FAPF). France's defense responsibilities in French Polynesia also extend to police, as France's National Gendarmerie also operates within French Polynesia and numbers around 427 members, not including 72 mobile and 148 reservist members.

As previously stated, Costa Rica abolished its own military due to the actions of previous rulers. However, in that situation, the Costa Rican people were able to overthrow their dictators. Not all countries are so lucky; sometimes, demilitarization needs a push from outside forces.

Grenada consists of the island of Grenada and two smaller islands. The nation began as a French settlement and ownership ping-ponged between France and Great Britain until 1783. Grenada gained autonomy and later independence in 1974, but the burgeoning nation's first Prime Minister, Eric Gairy, proved to be a dictator. In 1979, the People's Revolutionary Government overthrew Gairy, and Maurice Bishop became the new prime minister. Unfortunately, Bishop was a Marxist during a time when the U.S. was still suspicious of communists.

While Bishop tried to smooth over relations with the U.S., Bishop's Deputy Prime Minister, Bernard Coard, didn't appreciate this olive branch. He orchestrated a bloody revolution that culminated in Bishop's execution. The United States retaliated by invading Grenada in Operation Urgent Fury. During the operation, U.S forces were joined by the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS), a cooperative military alliance founded to help defend the Caribbean region against communism. After Operation Urgent Fury, instead of rebuilding its forces, Grenada joined the RSS by signing the 1996 Treaty Establishing the Region Security System. While the country has its own coast guard and police force, the bulk of its "military" power comes from the RSS.

Every now and then, a nation and its people will decide to forgo a standing military during the country's founding. However, the population still requires protection. Another nation usually steps in, which establishes a "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" relationship.

The Federated States of Micronesia is an "island" nation consisting of around 2,000 tiny islands halfway between Australia and Japan. These islands were colonies of Spain, Germany, and Japan. Micronesia was part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) between 1947 and 1978, and the band of islands didn't form their own independent country, complete with constitution, until 1979. And even when that happened, Micronesia lacked a military, so the federated states turned to the United States, which helped administer the TTPI.

While the Federated States of Micronesia has its own police force, the U.S. is responsible for the bulk of defense and security within Micronesia. In exchange for this protection, Micronesian civilians can travel to the U.S. and live, work, and study there without the need for visas. Moreover, all Micronesians are eligible to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, which is the closest Micronesians can get to protecting their country.

While most of Europe's former colonies have become independent nations, some still rely on the continent for protection. The island of Aruba is located just off the coast of Venezuela and has served as a Dutch territory for most of its history — with occasional ownership by Spain and Great Britain. Aruba became a fully autonomous country in 1986, but its people stalled any attempts to gain full independence. As of 1994, the Aruban and Dutch governments have agreed to indefinitely postpone any further movements to go their separate ways.

Because of Aruba and the Netherlands' permanent symbiotic relationship, all of the island's defense responsibilities rest with the Netherlands' numerous military branches. Parts of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Netherlands Coastguard, as well as a Netherlands Marine Corps squadron, are stationed in Aruba. However, despite Aruba's history with the Netherlands, these forces are a somewhat recent addition to the island country. During World War II, Aruba was considered a strategic location due to the Lago Oil Refinery, yet the refinery was primarily defended by British and French forces. The Netherlands had surrendered quickly to Nazi forces, so the country couldn't do much to protect Aruba at the time.

Greenland is one of the biggest trolls on the world map. When Erik the Red discovered the land, he called it Greenland to attract settlers, even though the giant island was more icy white than arable green. While the island of Greenland was initially settled by Norse colonists, it eventually became part of the Kingdom of Denmark. While Greenland may be much nearer to North America, it is so closely tied to Denmark that huge arctic island depends on the Scandinavian country for its defense.

During World War II, Greenland got a taste of independence when Nazi forces occupied Denmark. And while Greenland received true autonomy later than most — 2009 via the Self-Government Act — today, the island is still considered a nation within the Kingdom of Denmark. An autonomous nation, but a nation dependent on Denmark for military defense nonetheless.

Apart from World War II, Danish Armed Forces have protected Greenland since the late 17th century. However, after Denmark helped found the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, the United States took up some of the responsibilities to defend Greenland, specifically for the towns of Kangerlussuaq and Qaanaaq. Unfortunately, the U.S. overstepped its bounds by constructing a military base, Camp Century, without permission in northwestern Greenland during the Cold War. The goal? To launch nuclear missiles from underneath Greenland's ice. Thankfully, the tunnels dug underneath Camp Century proved too unstable to use, so the plan was abandoned, as was Camp Century.

NATO is widely considered one of the strongest military alliances in the world. Members pool their resources, which lets the U.S. share fighter jets and the Patriot Air Defense System with other countries. Every nation can also donate soldiers from their army –  apart from Iceland, which is the only NATO member without a standing army.

Like Greenland, Iceland was initially colonized by Norse settlers. In fact, it is widely believed that these settlers also came to North America before Christopher Columbus. And again, much like Greenland, Iceland was considered the property of a European nation, specifically Norway, for much of its existence. While the island started to make moves towards independence in the 1850s, Iceland didn't become a country of its own until 1944.

While Iceland does maintain a coast guard, it is widely accepted that the nation can neither raise nor maintain a modern military due to a lack of population and finances. In 2016, Icelandic Parliament approved a National Security Policy to establish a security council for the nation, which relies on neighboring NATO allies (specifically the United States) for protection. While Iceland contributes finances and civilian personnel to NATO operations, the country focuses on arms control and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Every country in this article has a chief import and export, even if it isn't a physical good. Costa Rica is a prime tourist attraction, while Vatican City is the home of Catholicism. However, few military-less nations are as instrumental to the global economy as Panama.

Panama is best known for the iconic and titular Panama Canal, which is central to the country's sovereignty and its lack of a military. During the 1800s, many nations tried (and failed) to build a canal that cut a quick and cheap path from the Atlantic to the Pacific. However, in 1902, the U.S. proposed a deal to construct a canal in Panama. Back then, Panama was part of Colombia. Colombia rejected the idea, so then-President Theodore Roosevelt sent warships to Panama to support Panama's burgeoning movement for independence. In 1903, Panama became an independent country, and the U.S. began construction of the Panama Canal, which would become so large that it may be able to fit a U.S. aircraft carrier. 

So what does the Panama Canal have to do with Panama's approach to national security? Well, after Panama became its own country, it had to go through the growing pains of self-governance, which included the infamous dictatorship of Manuel Noriega from 1981 to 1989. His reign of terror spurred the subsequent Panamanian government to enact sweeping reforms. In 1992, a constitutional amendment was passed to disband the country's army. Currently, the closest Panama has to an army is a small, paramilitary force known as the Panamanian Public Force — or just Public Forces for short — which serves as both armed police and internal security.