Ever since ancient times, man has fought ardently to establish his supremacy. Man is a highly competitive, extremely narcissistic, and dangerously territorial creature. The history of mankind is replete with wars declared over the expansion of kingdoms and territories. Many rulers and leaders came and went, plundering and invading others’ territories and making it their own. Alexander The Great, Napolean, Hitler, Chengiz Khan, The Mughals; these are only a few of the hundreds of thousands of invaders in world history. However, in all this time, there have been some countries which have almost never been invaded or by invasions in their neighborhood. These countries have some uncanny immunity that kept invaders at bay in the past and keeps them away even now.

So here are the top 10 countries that are almost impossible to invade, in ascending order of their power and immunity to invasions:

Bhutan

This tiny country in South-East Asia has next to nothing when it comes to self-defense. Bhutan neither has a huge army (only 7000 personnel) nor a well-equipped airforce (just 2 aircrafts!) In fact, Bhutan doesn’t even have tanks in its military. Yet, Bhutan is one of those countries which has almost never seen an invasion in its homeland.

Bhutan is a tiny country, surrounded by the majestic Himalayan peaks on all sides, and is itself 300 m above sea level. Even if an army manages to reach the border, the altitude sickness will further weaken army personnel. By the time this army actually makes it to Bhutan, they will be so exhausted and resource-less that an invasion will almost be pointless.

Moreover, Bhutan is so insignificant in International Politics that no one will ever have anything to do with it. Bhutan is a self-sufficient country with peace-loving citizens and a devoted royalty. You will almost never hear Bhutan making it into the newspapers because of a tiff with any other country. Bhutan is more neutral than even Switzerland and extremely isolated. And this insignificance is its biggest armor, and what has made it so safe.

Iran

Iran is one of the most powerful countries in the Middle-East. It also has the largest number of enemies a country can have, with the exception of North Korea. Since time immemorial, the Middle-East has been a hotspot of numerous wars, between countries within and with countries far away. And although Iran has been significantly involved in all of these, it has somehow managed to keep invaders at bay.

The biggest reason behind this immunity is Iran’s geographic location, which is so intimidating that Iran doesn’t even need an army to keep notorious parties away. Iran is surrounded by lofty mountain peaks on all sides. In these mountain peaks, numerous hidden bunkers have been constructed, in which reside Iranian spy-soldiers who monitor the terrain 24×7 for invaders. Apart from this, Iran has an enormous underground missile base network that stretches over the entire area of the country. If that isn’t enough, the 500000 military personnel, 1658 tanks, 137 fighter planes, and extremely advanced nuclear ammunition is the reason why even the USA and Saudi Arabia hate Iran from a distance.

Mountainous Terrain Utilization: Iran’s rugged landscape, including the Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges, provides natural fortifications and complicates enemy movements. This terrain is leveraged to create defensive positions that are challenging for invaders to navigate.​

Asymmetric Warfare Tactics: Iran employs asymmetric strategies, utilizing proxy forces and unconventional warfare methods to counteract superior military adversaries. This approach aims to offset technological disadvantages and create strategic challenges for potential invaders.​

Strategic Depth: Iran’s vast territory offers strategic depth, allowing for the dispersal of military assets and resources. This makes it difficult for adversaries to achieve decisive victories and sustain prolonged campaigns.

Australia

Again, Australia’s geography is its biggest immunity against invaders. The very fact that Australia is an island country deters any potential invaders and scares them away. 70% of its area is covered by the Outback, an endless stretch of desert with no flora or fauna to be seen for thousands of kilometers. Australia’s nearest potential enemy is Japan, which itself is 11000 km away, separated by the Pacific Ocean.

So if the Japanese decide to invade Australia (which it did during World War II and then chickened out), they will have to first navigate through 11000 km of ocean water. Once they have accomplished this daunting task, they will have to face the wrath of the endless Outback. Here one either dies of dehydration and exhaustion or is killed by hidden guerilla warrior groups. By the time the army actually makes it to the populated areas, they will be so weakened that the Australian military will have no problems subduing them.

Switzerland

Switzerland is famous all across the world for three things- Swiss chocolates, Swiss watches, and its fierce neutrality in World Politics. Switzerland doesn’t have any enemies and is the one country every powerful country is on good terms with. This is probably why every department of the UNO has its headquarters in Switzerland. But even though this country has never involved itself in any sort of violence, it is one of the most powerful countries on this planet.

World superpowers like France, Germany, the UK, the USA, etc are best friends with this snowy country. They have a major part of their monetary assets deposited in Swiss banks. So unless a rebellious invader wants to risk getting into trouble with so many powerful countries, no one will dare (and has ever dared) to invade Switzerland. Even if by some miracle they manage to invade this resistance from other countries, Switzerland knows how to defend itself.

The soaring Alpine mountains, 24×7 army surveillance from hidden bunkers and fortresses amidst the mountains will weaken any notorious invaders manifold. If they manage to reach the Swiss borders somehow, the citizens of this country have permission to possess a weapon, along with military training.

North Korea

It’s not just Kim Jong-Un who’s ruthless, but also the North Korean military. The North Korean army is the second largest in the world, only behind the USA. North Korea has 700,000 active and 4,500,000 reserve military personnel, 4200 tanks, 458 fighter planes, 967 battleships, and 8 nuclear warheads. Its nuclear prowess alone is enough to daunt the biggest and most powerful countries of the world. In the 1950s, during the Korean War, even South Korea and the USA together couldn’t subdue North Korea. That should give you an idea of how difficult it is to invade this tiny country.

North Korea has many enemies and its fingers in many suspicious pies. Yet no one will dare to declare on North Korea. There have been many times when the world has anticipated war between the USA and North Korea due to their tense relations. But even the USA is reluctant to do so. More so because of North Korea’s friendship with China, with whom the USA doesn’t want to spoil relationships. North Korea is one of the most vicious countries in the world, and unfortunately, nearly impossible to invade.

United Kingdom

As a general rule, island nations are difficult to invade. The United Kingdom, or Britain, is not just an island nation. It is also one of the most powerful countries in the world, alongside the USA, Russia, Germany, and its likes. The only way an army can invade Britain is by crossing the English Channel towards its south. And that in itself is a daunting task, thanks to the treacherous waters and the steep White Cliffs of Dover. This was proved during World War II when none of the Nazis could subdue the British Isle.

If that’s not good enough for you, the British military will do the job. The British boast of an outstanding army in terms of technology and prowess. Its annual defense budget is over $55 billion, the 5th largest in the world. Imagine, all this money, enough to keep a small country (like Bhutan) afloat for YEARS, goes into military equipment and training. And if you are STILL not convinced, UK has powerful allies including the USA thanks to the NATO arrangement. These allies will waste no time in coming to Britain’s aid should the need occur.

Canada

Canadians are a peaceful lot, and they prefer their snowy Christmasses over bloodshed any day. But that doesn’t mean that Canadians are weak or defenseless in any way. In fact, it is so difficult to invade Canada that even if it had enemies, no one would dare take their chances. The biggest and strongest armor Canada has is of its geographic location, and its size (second largest country in the world by surface area).

Canada is surrounded on three sides by the glacial waters of Atlantic and Pacific oceans, with freezing temperatures of below -30 degrees Celsius. These freezing temperatures and the inescapable snow inside the country is enough to deter the most powerful army in the world. The only way to invade Canada safely is through the USA, which is towards its South. And considering how powerful the USA is and how friendly these two nations are, the task is just impossible. And if by some miracle an army succeeds, Canada’s enormous military forces with 95000 active personnel will be enough.

Arctic Sovereignty: Canada is enhancing its Arctic defense capabilities through a proposed C$30.9 billion investment over four years. This includes acquiring submarines, icebreakers, drones, radar systems, and emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing. The focus is on Arctic community development in partnership with Indigenous groups. ​

NORAD Integration: Canada collaborates closely with the United States under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to detect, deter, and defend against threats to North America. This partnership ensures continuous aerospace and maritime domain awareness and aerospace control.

NATO Commitments: Canada leads NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia, deploying approximately 2,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel. The country is also establishing a NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia, set to be operational this fall.

Japan

Yet another island country on the list, Japan is as powerful as it is tiny. Japan is one of the most advanced, the most developed, and the most powerful countries. History is evidence of its military and technological prowess. The Japanese economy is the 4th largest in the world, and its annual military budget is over 50 billion US dollars. They have one of the world’s most advanced military ammunition, with unmatchable technology and supremacy. 70 years ago, during World War II, the USA had to drop two atom bombs in Japan to stop them from prolonging the war. This is how dangerous and how powerful the Japanese are.

If an invader still wants to invade Japan, he will have to cross an ocean to reach it, which is far from easy. And if they aren’t ripped to shreds then by the Japanese, allies like the USA (they became friends after WWII) will knock them out. Imagine both the USA and Japan together against any country. The outcome of this situation should be clear to any layman even remotely familiar with World Politics.

Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world. This alone is one of the biggest defenses of this country. Think, invaders like Napolean and Hitler couldn’t conquer Russia. And any present-day invader definitely cannot match up to their level OR invade Russia, let alone subdue it. The Russian geography in itself is Russia’s biggest armor against any potential invaders. In fact, the Russian generals joke that all they have to do is step back and watch the climate do its job.

The climate of Russia is indeed deadly. Its freezing Siberian temperatures and treacherous mountains are impossible to navigate. By the time an army makes it to the Russian mainland, they will have wasted so many resources that it will be a cakewalk for the Russian army to subdue them. For the record, the Russian military has 850000 active personnel, 3500 military aircraft, and a mind-blowing 7000 nuclear missiles. Now imagine having to face and subdue that level of military prowess.

United States of America

Endless wars have taken place on the surface of the earth. Some tiny, some lethal like WWI and WWII. These wars affected almost every country in terms of economy, death toll and resource depletion. Not the USA. If Donald Trump wishes to, he can order the US military to destroy every country on the planet not once, but more than seven times. In succession.

The annual military budget of this world superpower is an astounding $600 billion. They’re also allowed to possess a weapon of their own. There are 112 guns in the USA per 100 persons (that’s more guns than people!) And American patriotism is so strong that they will shoot anyone for daring to look at the USA with malicious intentions.

The geography and size of the USA are also one of the biggest armors it has. It has the vast Arizona desert, the soaring Rockies and Appalachian mountains, a massive network of rivers, plateaus, and snowy Alaskan landscapes. On two sides, it is surrounded by massive oceans, the Pacific on the West and Atlantic on the East. All of these, along with its military prowess which is the best, THE BEST on this planet, makes the USA the most difficult country to invade.