5 Countries With The Lowest Risk Of Disaster

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I have been considering moving away but since I have children I can only think about safety and Spanish speaking countries. While doing my research I have found an interesting list, in one of the most interesting blogs out there, of what could be the 5 safest countries:

5 countries with the lowest risk of disaster | Sovereign Man: Finance, lifestyle design, Offshore Business and Expat news

This confirms what I thought about Uruguay. Great place to live! Safe, beautiful and 100% Paypal friendly
  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by Alex Barboza View Post

    I have been considering moving away but since I have children I can only think about safety and Spanish speaking countries. While doing my research I have found an interesting list, in one of the most interesting blogs out there, of what could be the 5 safest countries:

    5 countries with the lowest risk of disaster | Sovereign Man: Finance, lifestyle design, Offshore Business and Expat news

    This confirms what I thought about Uruguay. Great place to live! Safe, beautiful and 100% Paypal friendly
    URUGUAY does look like it might be ok. The 2-3% illiterate rate seems high considering what they say. It's interesting how many governments seem to have a structure somewhat similar to the US.

    Frankly though, unless you are ethnic ARAB and muslim, I don't think the UAE would be a good place to go. They even imply that the uruguay government has that kind of problem, but doesn't have enough resources to really do anything.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Fazal Mayar
    Canada has to be on this list.....
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  • Profile picture of the author GAVROCHE
    Alex, do you really believe it (the guide you mentioned)? What about Switzerland, Austria, Canada, for example?
    Because you speak English, Canada seems to be a choice.
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    • Profile picture of the author TG12
      [QUOTE=GAVROCHE;3702971]What about Switzerland, Austria, Canada, for example? QUOTE]


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      • Profile picture of the author metas
        I'm a Canadian living in Uruguay. I spend the southern summers in Uruguay (Nov.-May) and the northern summers in Canada.

        Uruguay is like Canada in many, many ways; Montevideo is similiar to Toronto. It's safe, clean, super modern, fun, has incredible beaches and beachfront everywhere, full of amenities, polite population, progressive forward thinking government... and feels free, much freer than even Canada (exponentially freer than the US) without the major and normal trade-offs that you'll see in places like Brazil, Singapore, Caymans (culture shock, danger, high cost, etc.).

        To me it's the perfect winter home... and it's an unbeatable place to bank and do business.

        I've been around the world (a few times - 100+ countries), and I would say that Uruguay is the greatest hidden gem on the planet, without a doubt.

        That is just a very brief summary (with a bit of personal opinion, that I normally try to avoid... just trying to pack a punch in a few sentences ).

        Let me know if there's anything else I can comment on or if I can help point you in the right direction on this quest of yours.

        Best of luck, James
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Yeah, I don't know about canada. And part of the deal was frees.rom wars, nuclear power, and economic disasters.

    Switzerland probably would be on the list except it is had to immigrate, and is surrounded. They've been safe before, but who knows? And germany and france, and probably italy, have nuclear reactors.

    Austria, as I recall, has no real currency, and probably has nuclear reactors, etc... as well.

    BUT, who knows? I have seen cities make bad and good lists for the SAME things. Sometimes criteria are messed up. The UAE? SURE, if the world keeps using gas, they are economically secure but MILITARILY? SOCIALLY? Probably NOT. If I were an ethnicc arab that were muslim, I would probably LOVE the place, and go there. Otherwise? NO THANKS!

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author montero
    Why do want to move? Colombia is beautiful. Better weather than Uruguay. Is it just Paypal? Then Uruguay is probably the best choice with kids. Less corruption than Argentina, and good banking system.
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  • Profile picture of the author JaninaAlcantara
    Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Switzerland are the best countries to live in.

    New Zealand recent earth quake make me rethink about putting it on the list.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by JaninaAlcantara View Post

      Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Switzerland are the best countries to live in.

      New Zealand recent earth quake make me rethink about putting it on the list.
      Ironically, becoming a danish citizen can be hard for someone like an american, and I imagine norway and switzerland are the same. Iceland was a danish possession, and has the same sort of rules. Nice places, don't get me wrong. I just don't think they are real options. HECK, I looked into denmark and iceland in that way. I even know some danish. BTW danish, norwegian, and sweden have languages that are SO close to one another that they are almost like one language. SOME words and idioms are different. They all chose different ways of symbolizing certain sounds, so their alphabets are slightly different. The accents are different. But MAN, it isn't that hard to understand one if you know any other.

      HECK, those three languages in Danish are Dansk, Norsk, Svensk. In Norwegian, they are Danska, Norska, Svenska. I forget the swedish names, but they may be the same as for norwegian.

      And Switzerland also has some strict rules about citizenship. IT is a nice place though, and based on the gold standard!!!!!!!!! Heck, I know some german also. They DO use hochdeutsch for all business. hochdeutsch is the same language spoken in much of germany and austria.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author dynahill
    There are many type of disaster like nature disaster, human disaster and so on. I think the lowest risk of disaster are:

    1) Uruguay.
    2) Poland.
    3) Singapore.
    4) Estonia.
    5) United Arab Emirates.
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    • Originally Posted by montero View Post

      Why do want to move? Colombia is beautiful. Better weather than Uruguay. Is it just Paypal? Then Uruguay is probably the best choice with kids. Less corruption than Argentina, and good banking system.
      Colombia is beautiful, very much so, but it is also one of the most dangerous places on Earth!
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      • Profile picture of the author Alex Barboza
        Originally Posted by montero View Post

        Why do want to move? Colombia is beautiful. Better weather than Uruguay. Is it just Paypal? Then Uruguay is probably the best choice with kids. Less corruption than Argentina, and good banking system.
        Colombia does not offer a good well being for my kids. Paypal is a huge reason as well.


        Originally Posted by Bradley J Anderson View Post

        Colombia is beautiful, very much so, but it is also one of the most dangerous places on Earth!
        Definitely! It is very dangerous. And the conflict is moving from the jungle and the far locations to the main cities
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    • Profile picture of the author ronywilliam
      Originally Posted by dynahill View Post

      There are many type of disaster like nature disaster, human disaster and so on. I think the lowest risk of disaster are:

      1) Uruguay.
      2) Poland.
      3) Singapore.
      4) Estonia.
      5) United Arab Emirates.
      This is what Alex said,
      anyways Uruguay is a nice place. I think that it would be the best place on this list.
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  • Profile picture of the author Thomas
    What about Ireland?

    Reasons:

    1. Hasn't experienced a natural disaster in living memory (far longer than that, actually). No hurricanes, flooding, big earthquakes, volcanic activity, etc. Despite being on a similar latitude to Hudson Bay in Canada, it rarely snows here; in fact, it hardly ever drops below freezing (you could probably count the number of nights it does per annum on your fingers). The average temperature in the middle of winter is about 9 degrees C.

    2. No nuclear power plants.

    3. No national enemies: only ever officially at war once, and that was nearly a hundred years ago (and with a country with whom it now has it's closest political, economic, and cultural links); militarily neutral; has a distinguished international peacekeeping record. And, despite common perceptions outside of Ireland and Britain, the Republic had no involvement in the Troubles in Northern Ireland; it simply patrolled the border to prevent overspill; has only had one significant terrorist event, and that was nearly 40 years ago, and happened in circumstances that are impossible to repeat anyway; is located at the western-most part of western Europe, with no current or potential geo-political factors likely to crop up in relation to national security; anyone coming to "get" Ireland would have to go through most of NATO, including two of the world's largest nuclear powers, to reach it, assuming there was any reason they might want to in the first place (I can't think of any).

    4. Politically stable: there hasn't been any significant challenge to the State since the Civil War immediately after the War of Independence nearly a century ago; it remains in the lowest 5 countries on the "Failed States Index", meaning it's considered one of the MOST stable and sustainable states in the world (alongside Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland).

    5. Social stability; has an extremely strong national identity with an enthically, linguistically, and religiously homogenous population. Also, the immigrant population in Ireland is almost entirely from other European countries with the same or similar racial, linguistic, and religious characteristics (the single largest immigrant group are the British, believe it or not), so it has avoided the kind of cultural clashes that have produced race riots in places like Britain and France in recent years.

    6. Freedom of speech: Virtually no restrictions of press freedom. The Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders put it at number 9 globally in 2010. (To compare, the US was at number 20.)

    6. Sound economy: Yes, really. Despite the bad press internationally, and the VERY real negative effect of euro membership (which, incidentally, has also NOT produced any of the kind of civil unrest seen in other similarly affected countries), Ireland has a thriving and rapidly growing export economy. For comparison, despite several years of recession, the Irish economy is still larger than the COMBINED economies of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, despite having a fraction of their combined populations, even if you add in the the amount the English taxpayer forks out to subsidise all three. And the so-called "Economic Freedom of the World" index places it at number 7 globally, in terms of economic freedom (again, for comparison, 2 places ahead of the United States).

    7. Very strict immigration policies (including bilateral agreements with the UK that include MUTUAL deportation from both jurisdictions), so that's probably a down-side for many but, that said, immigration policies are moving towards something similar to the "Right of Return" system in Israel (except they're for people of Irish descent instead of Jews). Presently, immigration is relatively simple right down to the third and, in some cases, fourth generation of descendants of Irish immigrants to other countries. It's even possible into the fifth generation, and more, in special cases. Ireland is still very underpopulated for it's size more than 150 years after significant depopulation events, and makes little secret of the fact that it prefers Irish "returnees" above everyone else. That makes things much easier for at least 80 million people of Irish descent in other countries (nearly half of whom are Americans).

    7. Makes the best Guinness in the world. Everything else is pigswill in comparison. (And Irish barmen know how to actually pull a pint of it correctly!).

    8. And, above all else, because I said so.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Thomas View Post

      What about the Republic of Ireland?

      Reasons:

      1. Hasn't experienced a natural disaster in living memory (far longer than that, actually). No hurricanes, flooding, big earthquakes, volcanic activity, etc. Despite being on a similar latitude to Hudson Bay in Canada, it rarely snows here; in fact, it hardly ever drops below freezing (you could probably count the number of nights it does per annum on your fingers). The average temperature in the middle of winter is about 9 degrees C.

      2. No nuclear power plants.

      3. No national enemies: only ever officially at war once, and that was nearly a hundred years ago (and with a country with whom it now has it's closest political, economic, and cultural links); militarily neutral; has a distinguished international peacekeeping record. And, despite common perceptions outside of Ireland and Britain, the Republic had no involvement in the Troubles in Northern Ireland; it simply patrolled the border to prevent overspill; has only had one significant terrorist event, and that was nearly 40 years ago, and happened in circumstances that are impossible to repeat anyway; is located at the western-most part of western Europe, with no current or potential geo-political factors likely to crop up in relation to national security; anyone coming to "get" Ireland would have to go through most of NATO, including two of the world's largest nuclear powers, to reach it, assuming there was any reason they might want to in the first place (I can't think of any).

      4. Politically stable: there hasn't been any significant challenge to the State since the Civil War immediately after the War of Independence nearly a century ago; it remains in the lowest 5 countries on the "Failed States Index", meaning it's considered one of the MOST stable and sustainable states in the world (alongside Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland).

      5. Social stability; has an extremely strong national identity with an enthically, linguistically, and religiously homogenous population. Also, the immigrant population in Ireland is almost entirely from other European countries with the same or similar racial, linguistic, and religious characteristics (the single largest immigrant group are the British, believe it or not), so it has avoided the kind of cultural clashes that have produced race riots in places like Britain and France in recent years.

      6. Freedom of speech: Virtually no restrictions of press freedom. The Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders put it at number 9 globally in 2010. (To compare, the US was at number 20.)

      6. Sound economy: Yes, really. Despite the bad press internationally, and the VERY real negative effect of euro membership (which, incidentally, has also NOT produced any of the kind of civil unrest seen in other similarly affected countries), Ireland has a thriving and rapidly growing export economy. For comparison, despite several years of recession, the Irish economy is still larger than the COMBINED economies of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, despite having a fraction of their combined populations, even if you add in the the amount the English taxpayer forks out to subsidise all three. And the so-called "Economic Freedom of the World" index places it at number 7 globally, in terms of economic freedom (again, for comparison, 2 places ahead of the United States).

      7. Very strict immigration policies (including bilateral agreements with the UK that include MUTUAL deportation from both jurisdictions), so that's probably a down-side for many but, that said, immigration policies are moving towards something similar to the "Right of Return" system in Israel (except they're for people of Irish descent instead of Jews). Presently, immigration is relatively simple right down to the third and, in some cases, fourth generation of descendants of Irish immigrants to other countries. It's even possible into the fifth generation, and more, in special cases. Ireland is still very underpopulated for it's size more than 150 years after significant depopulation events, and makes little secret of the fact that it prefers Irish "returnees" above everyone else. That makes things much easier for at least 80 million people of Irish descent in other countries (nearly half of whom are Americans).

      7. Makes the best Guinness in the world. Everything else is pigswill in comparison. (And Irish barmen know how to actually pull a pint of it correctly!).

      8. And, above all else, because I said so.
      9. Planxty, Danu, Liam O'Flynn
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    • Profile picture of the author Aunty
      Ireland? Thomas are you serious? Have you not noticed that the Celtic Tiger got out in the rain and all its stripes washed off! Oh aye the Guinness is grand but can any of us still afford to buy one to cry in?
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      • Profile picture of the author Thomas
        Originally Posted by Aunty View Post

        Ireland? Thomas are you serious? Have you not noticed that the Celtic Tiger got out in the rain and all its stripes washed off! Oh aye the Guinness is grand but can any of us still afford to buy one to cry in?
        Of course I'm serious, for the simple reason that I don't buy into the doom-laded sky-is-falling silliness that pervade the mainsteam media.

        An objective analysis will reveal some simple facts: Ireland is too small to live off it's own consumption. As a result, unless it's population suddenly triples or quadruples overnight, then it's economic future has only one road ahead of it: exports. And, in spite of the massive handicap placed on it by the euro, Ireland's export economy is growing at a very rapid rate. (Actually, considered the sheer weight of the burden placed in it, the rate of growth is quite astonishing.)

        The whole "Celtic Tiger" thing (which is term I've always disliked) was originally driven by exports anyway right up until Ireland (foolishly) joined the euro, at which point things started to falter a bit, and that real economy was overtaken by a huge housing bubble fueled by cheap credit (something that didn't happen when Ireland was in charge of it's own currency). A side effect of that was to pull large numbers of young people away from education into the construction industry. When the bubble burst, as was inevitable, those (now mostly uneducated) young people are now the one's filling the dole queues. All that was worsened by Ireland engaging in the biggest foreign aid package in history by using the Irish taxpayer to bail out French, German, and British banks and, by extension, save those economies from disaster (for which our "thanks" from Europe is now to be repeatedly kicked in the face as they try to get control of our corporation tax too).

        As a result, doom-sayers claim Ireland is f*cked. In a way, it has been, but it was f*cked by the euro and, to be honest, it gives me some personal satisfaction to see those who mocked and belittled those that opposed euro membership being the ones most affected by it now.

        However, underneath it all, the real economy is still there, and is still going strong anyway, even though the euro has placed a big noose around its neck. It'll continue to survive and grow for the simple reason that there is still a silent majority of people in this country that have never bought into the fantasies of Europe, and likely never will; preferring instead to rely first and foremost on their own initiative and talent instead of selling themselves to new foreign masters.

        For that reason, even though I personally think that, sooner or later, the euro is destined to dissove into acrimony and bitterness, Ireland isn't going anywhere; it will not only survive the onslaught that such a collapse would bring, but will go on to thrive into the future.

        Tommy.

        P.S. - For what it's worth, my local pub is virtually full most nights of the week, and I've yet to see anyone crying onto their Guinness. Mind you, my neighbour was close to tears their last week after losing in darts. But, then, he's always been a sore loser.
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        • Profile picture of the author Thomas
          Originally Posted by Thomas View Post

          Of course I'm serious, for the simple reason that I don't buy into the doom-laded sky-is-falling silliness that pervade the mainsteam media here.

          An objective analysis will reveal some simple facts: Ireland is too small to live off it's own consumption. As a result, unless it's population suddenly triples or quadruples overnight, then it's economic future has only one road ahead of it: exports. And, in spite of the massive handicap placed on it by the euro, Ireland's export economy is growing at a very rapid rate. (Actually, considered the sheer weight of the burden placed in it, the rate of growth is quite astonishing.)

          The whole "Celtic Tiger" thing (which is term I've always disliked) was originally driven by exports anyway right up until Ireland (foolishly) joined the euro, at which point things started to falter a bit, and that real economy was overtaken by a huge housing bubble fueled by cheap credit (something that didn't happen when Ireland was in charge of it's own currency). A side effect of that was to pull large numbers of young people away from education into the construction industry. When the bubble burst, as was inevitable, those (now mostly uneducated) young people are now the one's filling the dole queues. All that was worsened by Ireland engaging in the biggest foreign aid package in history by using the Irish taxpayer to bail out French, German, and British banks and, by extension, save those economies from disaster (for which our "thanks" from Europe is now to be repeatedly kicked in the face as they try to get control of our corporation tax too).

          As a result, doom-sayers claim Ireland is f*cked. In a way, it has been, but it was f*cked by the euro and, to be honest, it gives me some personal satisfaction to see those who mocked and belittled those that opposed euro membership being the ones most affected by it now.

          However, underneath it all, the real economy is still there, and is still going strong anyway, even though the euro has placed a big noose around its neck. It'll continue to survive and grow for the simple reason that there is still a silent majority of people in this country that have never bought into the fantasies of Europe, and likely never will; preferring instead to rely first and foremost on their own initiative and talent.

          For that reason, even though I personally think that, sooner or later, the euro is destined to dissove into acrimony and bitterness, Ireland isn't going anywhere; it will not only survive the onslaught that such a collapse would bring, but will go on to thrive into the future.

          Tommy.

          P.S. - For what it's worth, my local pub is virtually full most nights of the week, and I've yet to see anyone crying onto their Guinness. Mind you, my neighbour was close to tears their last week after losing in darts. But, then, he's always been a sore loser.
          Geez... re-reading that, I think I missed my calling; I should have been a politican.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
      Originally Posted by Thomas View Post

      What about Ireland?


      6. Freedom of speech: Virtually no restrictions of press freedom. The Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders put it at number 9 globally in 2010. (To compare, the US was at number 20.)

      6. Sound economy: Yes, really. For comparison, despite several years of recession, the Irish economy is still larger than the COMBINED economies of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, despite having a fraction of their combined populations...
      C'mon Thomas,

      If all of those countries combined got in a war with Rhode Island they would lose...

      And what's with two #6's? Is that good luck for the Irish? :p
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      • Profile picture of the author Thomas
        Originally Posted by Bill Farnham View Post

        If all of those countries combined got in a war with Rhode Island they would lose...
        That's no measure of anything; I mean, I'd kick Rhode Island's arse all by myself.

        If they still managed to put up much of a fight, I'd just get the missus to back me up.

        She'd slaughter them.

        Originally Posted by Bill Farnham View Post

        And what's with two #6's? Is that good luck for the Irish? :p
        Lol. It was a test to see if anyone actually reads what I write. Congratulations, Bill; you win... a free trip to Rhode Island. Yay!

        Just make sure you go before I kick the bejesus out of it though.
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  • Profile picture of the author bravo75
    I have heard good things about Ecuador. My wife is Ecuadorian and we plan to live there in the next 3 years.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sunfyre7896
    Since you said only Spanish speaking countries, I would only recommend Spain and Portugal. I know that Portugal is Portuguese, but the languages are very close and easy to learn if you already know Spanish. It's just the pronunciations that are different with Portuguese sounding like a mixture of French, Italian, and Spanish. I'm not quite sure on the Western Hemisphere since many are poor and/or filled with crime.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Barboza
      There is something about Spain that I just don't like. Colombians and Ecuadorians are suffering lots of racism there. Not everything in this hemisphere is that bad: Argentina, Uruguay and Chile can offer good quality of lives

      Originally Posted by Sunfyre7896 View Post

      Since you said only Spanish speaking countries, I would only recommend Spain and Portugal. I know that Portugal is Portuguese, but the languages are very close and easy to learn if you already know Spanish. It's just the pronunciations that are different with Portuguese sounding like a mixture of French, Italian, and Spanish. I'm not quite sure on the Western Hemisphere since many are poor and/or filled with crime.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Alex Barboza View Post

        There is something about Spain that I just don't like. Colombians and Ecuadorians are suffering lots of racism there. Not everything in this hemisphere is that bad: Argentina, Uruguay and Chile can offer good quality of lives
        Not Ecuador?

        I've been fascinated, all the way through this thread ("just saying") ...

        I remember about 3(?) years ago seeing a comparative review on some big American website aimed at identifying "the best place to live as an ex-pat" and their answer, at that stage, surprisingly, was Ecuador. (Clearly it has many advantages but one wonders about the political stability?).

        I know only a little about Uruguay. It's had both "Portuguese" and "Spanish" periods in its colonial history, I think?

        It doesn't surprise me at all to see both Estonia (bad winters?) and Ireland (no income-tax at all on authors' royalties? That must attract a literary crowd?) being discussed in such conversations ...

        There's Latvia, too ... (broadly similar to Estonia, just a few miles further south, slightly better weather, and rather more "cosmopolitan"?).
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  • Profile picture of the author mologic
    Whistler, BC
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  • Profile picture of the author espe
    i live in Argentina near to the mountains and this place is safe as heaven but i want to move to buenos aires
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    • Profile picture of the author MerlynSanchez
      I love Buenos Aires. I've been thinking of buying a place there and spend my summers (their winter) there.


      Originally Posted by espe View Post

      i live in Argentina near to the mountains and this place is safe as heaven but i want to move to buenos aires
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  • Profile picture of the author clydefrog
    that's pretty cool. i can see why you'd want to move, with all the natural disasters that are currently going about, being so unpredictable. earthquakes, hurricanes, and you having kids.

    i've always wanted to visit poland, i'd probably choose that if i was moving.
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  • Profile picture of the author montero
    "Colombia is beautiful, very much so, but it is also one of the most dangerous places on Earth!"

    Nonsense. The US is "dangerous" also, depending entirely on where you live. Colombia is developing rapidly, and is by no means in the same league as the truly dangerous places of the world. Medellin is now considered an excellent place to live, for instance. Only certain areas, rather remote, are troublesome in Colombia.

    Europe is having problems just now, and is quite expensive. Portugal is very peaceful, but not for child-raising, more for retirement. And you have to learn Portuguese.

    Uruguay may be your best bet, but it is more expensive than Colombia; the same holds true for Chile. For children I would probably pick Uruguay, or in second place, Chile, also for internet marketing. Having children is difficult today. Drug culture and stupid pop culture is everywhere. One could also consider a peaceful Ecuadorian city like Cuenca, which is inexpensive, but has culture and is beautiful. It uses the dollar, so Paypal is no problem. And it would be by far the easiest move. Check out the internet for blogs and expat forums. Best of luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author MerlynSanchez
      Colombia has some beautiful areas but the crime and political violence makes it a volatile place, especially for a foreigner who doesn't know the intricacies of the culture.

      I have a lot of Colombian friends and the main reason they are in the U.S., is to escape violence.

      "After six years of falling violence, 2009 saw the murder rate rise by 12%, the increase mainly in cities and, above all, in Medellin. The number of murders in the city almost doubled to 1,432 in 2009 - in a city of just more than two million - and this year has seen a similar trend"


      BBC News - Colombia sees crime rise in major cities



      Originally Posted by montero View Post

      "Colombia is beautiful, very much so, but it is also one of the most dangerous places on Earth!"

      Nonsense. The US is "dangerous" also, depending entirely on where you live. Colombia is developing rapidly, and is by no means in the same league as the truly dangerous places of the world. Medellin is now considered an excellent place to live, for instance. Only certain areas, rather remote, are troublesome in Colombia.

      Europe is having problems just now, and is quite expensive. Portugal is very peaceful, but not for child-raising, more for retirement. And you have to learn Portuguese.

      Uruguay may be your best bet, but it is more expensive than Colombia; the same holds true for Chile. For children I would probably pick Uruguay, or in second place, Chile, also for internet marketing. Having children is difficult today. Drug culture and stupid pop culture is everywhere. One could also consider a peaceful Ecuadorian city like Cuenca, which is inexpensive, but has culture and is beautiful. It uses the dollar, so Paypal is no problem. And it would be by far the easiest move. Check out the internet for blogs and expat forums. Best of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author nasuryono
    Being a SE Asian, I can confirm that Singapore is a lovely place to live in. But, you need to love tropical (and humid) weather.

    -Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
    Being quite the misanthrope, I would say that the countries with the lowest risk of disaster would be those most sparsely inhabited.

    Just ask yourself what is the initiator and/or perpetuator of most disaster and suffering in this world? I think you'll find it isn't tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes or any of that stuff. It's other people. People and their apparent innate tendency to quarrel and fight, wage war, use, conduct genocide, oppress, rape, bully and ridicule, molest, murder, torture, lie, steal, enslave, and the list goes on.

    Yup, human beings are what you need to be afraid of - not any sort of natural disaster. In fact, you might say that natural disasters, in the process of eliminating large quantities of people, make the world a slightly safer place.

    When other people are concerned, there's no such thing as universal safety. It's pretty subjective, isn't it? What is safe and comfortable for you may be a hotbed of pain and suffering for someone else, depending on who they are, where they're from, what they're like, and what they believe and do.

    I'm pretty confident of my being able to take a stroll comfortably and safely through the nearly deserted city centre streets of Hull in the early hours of the morning. But don't bother if you're black, an attractive and scarcely-clad female, a Whitehall politician, Liverpool FC supporter, or maybe even Tom Cruise: you just won't make it back alive.

    Each of these people will be "safer" and more admired in the "appropriate place". The appropriate place being where they're surrounded by like-minded people from similar backgrounds, with similar ideologies, who look similar, and so on. But since you're a human being with a whole array of interests, and a diverse range of thoughts and feelings, good luck finding anywhere where you can fit in 100%.

    England, where I'm from, is largely free of large-scale, significant natural disasters. Our weather varies, but rarely is it that extreme. Active volcanoes? Get outta here. Earthquakes detectable without a seismograph are practically unheard of.

    Point being, you'd think we're ideally situated and constituted. A perfect nation on an island of bliss whose inhabitants practice and preach freedom, compassion, sympathy, love and tolerance. Nope. We're intolerant, oppressive, forceful, sadistic and insidious. And depending on who you are, where you're from, what you believe and what you do, coming here (the island, the country, the county, the city or the "district") just may well be the death of you - physically and/or mentally.

    That'd be a disaster to you and your loved ones, wouldn't it?

    Same goes for anyone and everyone, anywhere and everywhere. Different places, similarly natured people, just tolerant/intolerant of slightly different stuff to varying degrees.

    You have to weigh up whether discriminatory, human-inflicted disaster is preferential or less of a threat to you than the nondiscriminatory disaster you might experience at the hands of mother nature in any given place.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Hey Alex...

    One thing to keep in mind is that larger countries like the US and Austrailia and "continental" countries. This means not only are they big, but they have a variety of potential weather and natural dissasters.

    But this is misleading due to their size. Just because the S and SE USA get's hurricanes, doesn't mean those of us in Colorado have to worry about them.

    Here, I can get a blizzard, but those in the Southern USA don't have to worry about blizzards.

    So stats like "safest countries" can be a little misleading when comparing large countries with small countries.
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  • Profile picture of the author realpph
    Uruguay is wonderful!!
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  • Profile picture of the author montero
    The trouble with the Anglo-Saxon countries, IMHO, is just this "kick butt" mentality. They are very aggressive countries, and violence is always just beneath the surface, and is always considered a solution or an indication of superiority. They also have very positive qualities as well, of course, such as a strong civic sense, which is something you'll miss in the Latin countries.
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  • Profile picture of the author middleway
    Nice information that you have shared with us...interesting it is...to know about these types of places that are having lowest risk of disaster.Thank you very much..
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  • Profile picture of the author dagaul101
    In terms of financial independence, with the current economic climate, no where is really safe
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