A government-authorized, government-funded, and government-maintained combat force is what we mean when we say military.
The military is mainly a fighting force, but it may also conduct humanitarian services, such as distributing food, water, and medical attention to needy individuals. The military is primarily utilized for national defense in most developed nations (and humanitarian work).
A country’s military may play an aggressive role, as the wars of World War I, World War II, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 indicate.
In the eyes of many, large armies display strength, and they can instill confidence in people and allies alike. The military budget of the United States is the highest in the world.
Contrary to popular belief, many nations do not maintain any kind of organized military forces, no matter how important they consider them to be. Countries without armed forces usually fall into one of the following three groups:
- Military demilitarized countries.
- Military-free countries were founded by their founders.
- Ex-colonies/dependencies still under the protection of the countries they were formerly part of having a military. Because it was formerly a French colony, Monaco currently receives its defense from the country that once colonized it.
Military-Free Countries and Territories
In the CIA World Factbook, there are 39 nations and territories where the government does not have any kind of military. De facto militaries exist in various countries, despite the lack of a regular military force per the CIA’s definition.
Also See: Countries With Nuclear Weapons 2022
Even though the Costa Rican military was disbanded in 1948, paramilitary organizations trained in the United States or Colombia still serve in the country’s Public Force, which includes police officers.
- Andorra
- Aruba (Netherlands territory)
- British Indian Ocean Territory (U.K. Territory)
- Cayman Islands (U.K. territory)
- Cook Islands (New Zealand territory)
- Costa Rica
- CuraƧao (Netherlands territory)
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands (U.K. territory)
- Faroe Islands (Denmark territory)
- French Polynesia (France territory)
- Greenland (Denmark territory)
- Grenada
- Hong Kong (China SAR)
- Iceland
- Kiribati
- Liechtenstein
- Macau (China SAR)
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Micronesia (Federated States of Micronesia)
- Monaco
- Montserrat (U.K. territory)
- Nauru
- New Caledonia (France territory)
- Niue (New Zealand territory)
- Palau
- Panama
- Puerto Rico (U.S. territory)
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sint Maarten (Netherlands territory)
- Solomon Islands
- Svalbard (Norway territory)
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
| Country | Notes |
|---|---|
| Andorra | Defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
| Aruba | Defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Cayman Islands | Defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Cook Islands | Defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| Costa Rica | Military abolished in 1948. Specialized police units are trained by U.S and Colombia |
| Dominica | Military disbanded in 1981. Member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) |
| Falkland Islands | Defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Faroe Islands | Defense is the responsibility of Denmark |
| French Polynesia | Defense is the responsibility of France |
| Greenland | Defense is the responsibility of Denmark |
| Grenada | Military disbanded in 1983. Member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) |
| Hong Kong | Defense is the responsibility of China |
| Iceland | Defense is the responsibility of NATO (particularly U.S., Norway, Denmark) |
| Kiribati | Constitution prohibits military. Defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ |
| Liechtenstein | Army abolished in 1868. Assistance from Switzerland and Austria if needed. |
| Macau | Defense is the responsibility of China |
| Marshall Islands | Constitution prohibits military. Defense is the responsibility of the US |
| Mauritius | Military dissolved in 1968, but has small paramilitary Special Mobile Force. Primary security partner is India |
| Micronesia | No military formed at founding. Defense is the responsibility of the US |
| Monaco | Defense is the responsibility of France |
| Montserrat | Defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Nauru | Defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| New Caledonia | Defense is the responsibility of France |
| Niue | Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand |
| Palau | No military formed at founding. Defense is the responsibility of United States until at least 2044 |
| Panama | Military dissolved in 1990, abolished in 1994 constitution. Has limited paramiltary special units. |
| Puerto Rico | Defense is the responsibility of the US |
| Saint Lucia | Member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) |
| Samoa | Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand |
| San Marino | Defense is the responsibility of Italy |
| Sint Maarten | Defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands |
| Solomon Islands | Police trained and supported by Australia and New Zealand |
| Tuvalu | No military formed at founding. Police supported by Australia |
| Vanuatu | Small paramilitary force trained and supported by Australia, China, France, New Zealand, and US |
| Vatican City | Internal security provided by Switzerland and police, would be defended by Italian military in wartime |