New Delhi: A country without a standing army? Does this even exist? Yes, it does. It is a common notion that countries will have armies and in most cases, they do. Armies are needed to maintain internal security and also protect the boundaries of the nations from external threats. While peace is the ultimate goal, it is hard to maintain without an army. However, there are countries which are living peacefully without any standing army. Do they not have any looming danger? Not really, for their neighbouring nations to let them live undisturbed. In this article, we will take a look at the countries without any standing armies.
Five countries which do not have any standing army
Vatican City
Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign country and a microstate originally located in Italy’s Rome. In 1929, it became independent from Italy with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a distinct territory with full freedom under the jurisdiction of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity. Since its formation, the neutral nation has not engaged in any war. It has no formal military compact or agreement with neighbouring Italy, although the Italian Armed Forces are entrusted with the responsibility of defending the Vatican City from an international aggressor.
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. It has no standing army but has the Icelandic Coast Guard which also maintains the Iceland Air Defence System, and an Iceland Crisis Response Unit to support peacekeeping missions and perform paramilitary functions. From 1951 to 2006, the Iceland Defense Force (IDF) was a military command of the US.
Mauritius
Officially known as the Republic of Mauritius, it is an island country in the Indian Ocean. Thanks to its colonial past and geographic location, the people in the country are diverse in culture, ethnicity, language and faith. It is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the most practised religion. In the country, all military, police, and security functions are executed by the Commissioner of Police’s 10,000 active-duty personnel. The National Police Force has 8,000 members and is responsible for domestic law enforcement.
Costa Rica
Officially called the Republic of Costa Rica, it has Nicaragua in the north, the Caribbean Sea in the northeast, Panama in the southeast, and a shared maritime border with Ecuador. It has a population of around five million. In 1948, for a brief period, the Costa Rican Civil War took place. After that, in 1949, the country permanently abolished its army.
Dominica
The Commonwealth of Dominica is an island country in the Caribbean. Since 1981, Dominica has no standing army. The Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force has a coast guard and a special forces unit. Whenever there is any war or other emergencies, the police force can act as a military force. The Regional Security System is entrusted with the responsibility of defence.
While peace is the ultimate goal, it is hard to maintain without an army. However, there are countries which are living peacefully without any standing army. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
