The Smart Survivalist named the Nordic country as the safest place in the event of a nuclear war. “Because Iceland is isolated from the rest of the world by the North Atlantic Ocean, it would be very difficult for a nuclear missile to reach Iceland without being detected first,” it said.
1- Iceland
It has approximately 300,000 inhabitants and 103,000 square kilometres. Due to its remoteness, lack of military, and geothermal energy, Iceland is one of the safest nuclear war zones.
Catastrophe survival rankings: Australia and New Zealand lead the way. According to a study published in the journal Risk Analysis, Australia has the highest chance of surviving, closely followed by its neighbor, New Zealand.
The only good news is that research has shown that Australia and New Zealand are among the best places in the world to survive a nuclear apocalypse. Australia scored well as it has a good infrastructure, a huge energy surplus, high health security and abundant food supplies.
Here's a fun fact that's nice to know, but we hope you never, ever need to use: the best place to hide during a nuclear bomb explosion is in a strong, concrete structure, researchers at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus say in a January 2023 study published in the journal Physics of Fluids.
GET INSIDE: After a detonation, you will have 10 minutes or more to find an adequate shelter before fallout arrives. If a multi-story building or a basement can be safely reached within a few minutes of the explosion, go there immediately. The safest buildings have brick or concrete walls.
But a new study finds that some people two to seven miles away could survive—if they're lucky enough to find just the right kind of shelter.
Scientists have recently revealed that Australia and New Zealand are best placed to survive a nuclear apocalypse and help reboot collapsed human civilisation. The study, published in the journal Risk Analysis. These countries include not just Australia and New Zealand, but also Iceland, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Australia is considered a nuclear threshold state.
Does Australia Have or Want Nuclear Weapons? Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons and is not seeking to become a nuclear weapon state. Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon state are set out in the NPT.
The study published in the journal Risk Analysis describes Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as the island countries most capable of producing enough food for their populations after an “abrupt sunlight‐reducing catastrophe” such as a nuclear war, super volcano or asteroid strike.
I would feel safer in places like SE Asia, the Philippines, South and Central America, New Zealand, along with southern regions of Africa and India. Those areas are generally not places where intercontinental nuclear missiles would be headed if World War 3 breaks out.
Iceland: the safest country
It belongs to NATO but does not have its own army (coast guard and police are enough).
For its part, Switzerland is well prepared, but not even Swiss bunkers will be enough in the event of a large-scale nuclear war. Writes about the impact of new technologies on society: are we aware of the revolution in progress and its consequences?
There are no major military bases so it is unlikely Tasmania would be attacked. Overall it is very safe.
Is there any good news? Well – and this is very much relative – New Zealand is in the best spot possible to survive the immediate aftermath of a nuclear war in the northern hemisphere.
Nuclear power does not currently provide an economically competitive solution in Australia. Lead author of Gencost, Paul Graham says the main area of uncertainty with nuclear is around capital costs. There is a lack of robust real-world data around small modular reactors (SMRs) due to low global use.
Some of the larger targets include active nuclear plants. There are approximately 90 plants across the US, with some located in Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
According to the classic post-apocalyptic fiction On The Beach by Nevil Shute, Melbourne is an excellent bet. The plot suggests that if nuclear war breaks out in the northern hemisphere, the Victorian capital is likely to be one of the last places the radiation cloud reaches.
“On balance, because of a light population density, its remoteness from major population centres on the east coast, Darwin would probably be the safest place. “Without water, you're a refugee.
Australia and New Zealand fared best in the analysis, partly because, they are far removed from places that would spark nuclear war. Other than this, Australia scored well as it has a good infrastructure, huge energy surplus, high health security and more.
Beta particles travel appreciable distances in air, but can be reduced or stopped by a layer of clothing, thin sheet of plastic or a thin sheet of aluminum foil. Several feet of concrete or a thin sheet of a few inches of lead may be required to stop the more energetic gamma rays.
If an attack warning is issued, take cover as quickly as you can, below ground if possible, and stay there unless directed otherwise by authorities. Find the nearest building, preferably built of brick or concrete, and go inside to avoid any radioactive material outside.
But the vast majority of the human population would suffer extremely unpleasant deaths from burns, radiation and starvation, and human civilization would likely collapse entirely.