The Five Countries Best Prepared for an Apocalypse

If sh*t goes down, you'll want to be in one of these places

The Autumn of Apocalypses continues with number three on my Top Ten Types of Apocalypses list: Unspecified Apocalypse. This is a bit of a strange entry, because it could include any of the previous types of apocalypses. But knowing that the world is over while having to wait to find out exactly why usually keeps me riveted as a reader or viewer. And it is always interesting to see how humans adapt to the new conditions of these unknown apocalypses. Which caused me to look into which countries around the world are best equipped to protect their citizens in the event of an apocalypse. But first

Unspecified Apocalypse Book and Movie Recommendations

It just so happens that my book recommendations and movie recommendations for this entry are the same. I loved all of these books, and they happened to make adaptations that did them justice or were even better than the source material.

Wool by Hugh Howey, and Silo produced by Apple TV+

Wool is book one of the Silo series. It was originally published as a serialization online, and has since been turned into a three-part series. The series is about a society surviving in an underground silo (picture an apartment building going for miles beneath the surface). The world outside is toxic. Unbreathable. Those who defy the rules of the silo are sent outside to die. There’s drama, mystery, awesome world building, and there’s no one you can trust for sure in the silo. This is one of the rare cases where the show is better than the book.

Blindness by José Saramago, and Blindness directed by Fernando Meirelles

This is the second bleakest and second most strangely written bit of literature I have ever read. Set in a world where people begin to go blind for no reason, we see what happens to a group of newly blind people, and one sighted person pretending to be blind, when they are locked in an institution due to their condition and left to fend for themselves. Friends, this book is full of darkness and depravity. And the fact that it is written in an odd, almost playful way, makes it even more disturbing. The movie does a good job of capturing the desperation of our mostly blind cast of character, but doesn’t come close to matching all the disgustingly described bits in the book.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and The Road directed by John Hillcoat

This is the bleakest book I have ever read, and the most strangely written. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is about a man doing all he can to save his son as they venture through an apocalyptic wasteland. There is some grim, grim, grim, stuff in this book; particularly one scene involving a meal I will never forget. It haunts me even now. But McCarthy finds a way to make all that bleakness somehow beautiful. The movie is good, but does not have the same passion and desperate intensity as the book. I wrote an in depth comparison between the book and the movie that you can read here: Book vs Adaptation #3: The Road

The Children of Men by PD James, and Children of Men directed by Alfonso Cuarón

We find ourselves in a near-future world in which no one has given birth for nearly two decades. There is no reason for this global infertility, but it is causing a slow, painful, societal collapse. One day, a young woman is discovered to be pregnant. Madness ensues as the protagonists of the story attempt to get her to safety. The movie is one of my favourite sci-fi flicks of all time, while the book is a tamer, more spiritual version of similar events.

Most of the places in the stories described above didn’t handle their apocalypses particularly well. But how ready are countries in real life for an end of the world scenario?

The Five Countries Best Prepared for an Apocalypse

This is mostly aggregated from on an article published by the Business Insider in 2021, as well as the sources it cites (link at the end of this post). So far, that seems to be the most up to date list of this sort. The findings are based on criteria such as how much land a country has for farming, proximity to other highly populated areas (it’s hard to feed and fend off hungry neighbours when the world is ending), and how self-sufficient the country is. With these and other variables in mind, here are the top five places to be if an apocalypse goes down.

5. Ireland

Rock of Cashel; Image credit: Plotr Machowczyk/Shutterstock

Lots of precipitation, a great deal of fertile soil, and a low population resulting in less energy demand makes Ireland an ideal place to hang out while the rest of the world burns.

4. Australia

Tasmania, Australia; a location that could become Australia’s “lifeboat” if the main continent became unlivable. Photo credit: Steve Lovegrove/Shutterstock

Even though many of the animals will actively attempt to murder you in Australia, you’ll still be safer there than in most places when it comes to an apocalypse. Due to Australia’s location, massive amount of land, and agricultural and animal biodiversity, this country-continent combo is a location that screams salvation in the face of a disaster.

3. United Kingdom

Photo Credit: Mike Gimelfarb

I wasn’t expecting to see the UK here, but the authors of the study cited in the Business Insider article state that, despite a larger population and reliance on nuclear energy, the UK would be one of the better places to be when the world falls apart. This is because of its temperate climate, consistent precipitation, and low number of natural disasters. The UK is also increasing its usage of renewable energy sources, which improves its apocalyptic survival chances.

2. Iceland

Photo Credit: Maja Smiejkowska/Shutterstock

A great deal of natural and renewable energy sources such as geothermal and hydroelectric powerplants, along with a cool climate, make Iceland the second most ideal place to not die with the rest of humanity. There are also fisheries aplenty, so, as long as nothing goes wrong with the ocean during this hypothetical apocalypse, Icelanders will have plenty to eat.

1. New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand; Photo credit: Zicasso.com

Like Australia, but without nearly as many things trying to kill you, New Zealand is a great place to survive the end of society as we know it. It is relatively isolated (Australia is its only highly populated neighbouring country), close to 40% of its energy comes from renewable energy sources, and it is cooler than many regions on Earth, making it a suitable place to withstand rising temperatures due to climate change. New Zealand has already proven itself capable of handling a disaster better than most countries. During the pandemic, New Zealand’s response to Covid was amongst the best in the world. This country was already near the top of my bucket list of places to visit; I may have to look into citizenship considering how things are going everywhere else.

Shameless Self Promotion and a Cover Reveal

No matter how prepared for disaster the above countries might be, there would be no surviving the Neon Apocalypse. Parts one and two of my three-part miniseries are already out. Here is the cover of Neon Apocalypse III: The Corpse of a World, which is set to be released next Thursday, December 11. But because you’re here, you can read it a week early. Just click the link below the cover.

If you aren’t caught up on the series, below is a brief summary and a link to the first two installments.

Two years after the cubes came and billions died, one man leaves the safety of the underground to face a transforming world. He wants answers. What he finds is a revelation even stranger than the mutated plants and twisted creatures that have overtaken Earth.

THANKS FOR READING!

Below is the link to the full Business Insider article. Feel free to let me know where you would like to be during an apocalypse. In my next Autumn of Apocalypses post, we find out when and why a nuclear reactor will be placed on the moon. Have an awesome weekend.