List of countries without armed forces

This is a list of countries without armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...

. The term "country" is used in the sense of independent state

Independence

Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....

; thus, it applies only to sovereign

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

states

Sovereign state

A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...

and not dependencies (e.g., Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

, Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...

, Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

), whose defense is the responsibility of another country or an army alternative. The term "armed forces

Armed forces

The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...

" refers to any government-sponsored defense

Defense (military)

Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...

used to further the domestic

Domestic policy

Domestic policy, also known as public policy, presents decisions, laws, and programs made by the government which are directly related to all issues and activity within the country....

and foreign

Foreign policy

A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...

policies of their respective government. Some of the countries listed, such as Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

and Monaco

Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

, have no armies, but still have a non-police military force

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

.

Many of the 19 countries listed here typically have had a long-standing agreement with a former occupying country

Military occupation

Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...

; one example is the agreement between Monaco

Monaco

and France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, which has existed for at least 300 years

History of Monaco

The early history of Monaco is primarily concerned with the protective and strategic value of the Rock of Monaco, the area's chief geological landmark, which served first as a shelter for ancient peoples and later as a fortress. Part of Liguria's history since the fall of the Roman Empire, from the...

.
The Compact of Free Association

Compact of Free Association

The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated...

nations of the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

, Federated States of Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...

(FSM), and Palau

Palau

Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...

have no say in their respective countries' defense matters, and have little say in international relations

International relations

International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

.
For example, when the FSM negotiated a defensive agreement with the United States, it did so from a weak position because it had grown heavily dependent on American assistance. Andorra

Andorra

Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...

has a small army, and can request defensive aid if necessary, while Iceland

Iceland

had a unique agreement

Iceland Defense Force

The Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified...

with the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

that lasted until 2006, which required them to provide defense to Iceland when needed.

The remaining countries are responsible for their own defense, and operate either without any armed forces, or with limited armed forces. Some of the countries, such as Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

, Dominica

Dominica

Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...

, and Grenada

Grenada

Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

, underwent a process of demilitarization. Other countries were formed without armed forces, such as Andorra over 700 years ago

History of Andorra

Andorra is the last independent survivor of the Marca Hispanica, the buffer states created by Charlemagne to keep the Islamic Moors from advancing into Christian France. Tradition holds that Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors...

; the primary reason being that they were, or still are, under protection from another nation at their point of independence. All of the countries on this list are considered to be in a situation of "non-militarization."

Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

is not included in this list because, while the country may officially have no military according to its constitution, it does have the Japan Self-Defense Forces

Japan Self-Defense Forces

The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...

, a military force only used outside Japan for peacekeeping missions.

Countries without armed forces

List 1: Countries with absolutely no military forces.
Country	Comments	References
Costa Rica	The constitution has forbidden a standing military since 1949. It does have a public security force, whose role includes law enforcement and internal security. For this reason Costa Rica is the headquarters for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Inter-American Court of Human Rights The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and... and also the United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... ' University for Peace University for Peace The University for Peace was established in Costa Rica in 1980 "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence."At present, the UPEACE Costa... .
Faroe Islands	Defense is the responsibility of Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... .
Greenland	Defense is the responsibility of Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... .
Grenada	Has not had a standing army Military of Grenada The military of Grenada comprises two branches:Royal Grenada Police Force, which includes a Special Service UnitCoast GuardTotal military expenditure: NAMilitary expenditure as a percentage of GDP: NA%-1983 invasion :... since 1983 due to an American-led invasion Invasion of Grenada The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion... . The Royal Grenada Police Force maintains a paramilitary special service unit for internal security purposes. Defense is the responsibility of the Regional Security System Regional Security System The Regional Security System is an international agreement for the defence and security of the eastern Caribbean region.The Regional Security System was created out of a need for collective response to security threats, which were impacting on the stability of the region in the late 1970s and... .
Kiribati	The only forces permitted are the police and the coast guard. Defense assistance is provided by Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... and New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... .
Liechtenstein	Abolished its army in 1868 because it was deemed too costly. Army is only permitted in times of war, but that situation has never occurred. However, country maintains a police force Law enforcement in Liechtenstein Law enforcement in Liechtenstein is handled solely by the small National Police of Liechtenstein , consisting of 87 officers and 38 civilian staff, a total of 125 employees who police the 160 km² doubly landlocked alpine country in Western-Central Europe... and a SWAT SWAT A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers... team, equipped with small arms to carry out internal security duties.
Marshall Islands	Defense is the responsibility of the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... .
Federated States of Micronesia	Defense is the responsibility of the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... . Maintains a small paramilitary police force.
Nauru	Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... is responsible for Nauru's defense under an informal agreement between the two countries.
Palau	Defense is the responsibility of the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... .
Saint Lucia	The Royal Saint Lucia Police maintains a paramilitary special service unit Military of Saint Lucia Military branches:Royal Saint Lucia Police Force Military expenditures - dollar figure:$5 million Military expenditures - percent of gross domestic product:... for internal security purposes. Defense is the responsibility of Regional Security System Regional Security System The Regional Security System is an international agreement for the defence and security of the eastern Caribbean region.The Regional Security System was created out of a need for collective response to security threats, which were impacting on the stability of the region in the late 1970s and... .
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	The Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force maintains a paramilitary special service unit Military of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Military branches:Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force , Coast Guard, SSURoyal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines militia... for internal security purposes. Defense is the responsibility of Regional Security System Regional Security System The Regional Security System is an international agreement for the defence and security of the eastern Caribbean region.The Regional Security System was created out of a need for collective response to security threats, which were impacting on the stability of the region in the late 1970s and... .
Samoa	Does not have a standing army Military of Samoa Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship.-External links:*... . New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... can be called upon for military aid per a 1962 agreement.
Solomon Islands	Had a heavy ethnic conflict between 1998 and 2006, in which Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific countries intervened to restore peace and order. Has no standing army.
Tuvalu	Has no army, but its police force includes a Maritime Surveillance Unit.
Vatican City	Maintains a Gendarmerie Corps Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City The Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano is the gendarmerie, or police and security force, of Vatican City. The corps is responsible for security, public order, border control, traffic control, criminal investigation, and other general police duties in Vatican City... for internal policing. The Swiss Guard Swiss Guard Swiss Guards or Schweizergarde is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. They have had a high reputation for discipline, as well as loyalty to their employers... is a unit belonging to the Holy See Holy See The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and... , not the Vatican City State. There is no defense treaty with Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... , as it would violate the Vatican's neutrality, but informally the Italian military protects Vatican City. The Palatine Guard Palatine Guard The Palatine Guard was a military unit of the Vatican. It was formed in 1850 by Pope Pius IX, who ordered that the two militia units of the Papal States be amalgamated... and Noble Guard were abolished in 1970.

List 2: Countries with no standing army, but having limited military forces.
Country	Comments	References
Haiti	Haiti's military Military of Haiti The country of Haiti currently has no regular military. The former Haitian Armed Forces were demobilized.Haiti's current forces consist of the Haitian National Police, which has several paramilitary units, a highly trained and equipped SWAT team, and the Haitian Coast Guard... disbanded in June 1995, but rebels have demanded its re-establishment. The 9,000 strong Haitian National Police Haitian National Police The Haitian National Police or PNd'H, is the law enforcement and defense force of Haiti. It was created in 1995 to bring public security under civilian control as mandated in Haiti's constitution. More than 8,500 police officers have completed training in modern law enforcement. U.S... maintains some paramilitary units and a Coast Guard Haitian Coast Guard The Haitian Coast Guard, officially the Coast Guard Commission , is an operational unit of the Haitian National Police. It is one of the few law enforcement organisations in the world to combine water policing and coast guard duties while remaining as a policing unit... ; these units are considered to be larger than what is required, considering the much smaller militaries of some neighboring countries.
Iceland	Has not had a standing army Standing army A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters... since 1869, but is a member of NATO. There was a defense agreement with the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... , which maintained an Iceland Defense Force Iceland Defense Force The Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified... and a military base in the country from 1951 to September 2006; in March 2006 the US announced it would continue to provide for Iceland's defense but without permanently basing forces in the country; Naval Air Station Keflavik Naval Air Station Keflavik United States Naval Air Station Keflavik is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. It is located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island... closed in 2006 after 55 years. Even though Iceland does not have a standing army, it still maintains a military expeditionary peacekeeping force Icelandic Crisis Response Unit The Iceland Crisis Response Unit or Íslenska Friðargæslan, is a 30-person unit with a capacity roster of up to 200 people operated by the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs... , an air defense system, an extensive militarised coast guard Icelandic Coast Guard The Icelandic Coast Guard is the service responsible for Iceland's coastal defense and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue. Origins of the Icelandic Coast Guard can be traced to 1859, when the corvette Ørnen started patrolling Icelandic waters... , a police service Icelandic Police The Icelandic National Police is the main police force of Iceland. It is responsible for law enforcement on all Icelandic territories except at sea where the Icelandic Coast Guard enforces the law. The two services assist each other as needed.- History :... , and a tactical police force Víkingasveitin Víkingasveitin , officially Sérsveit ríkislögreglustjórans , is Iceland's elite counter-terrorism unit, specializing in various types of armed and unarmed infantry combat. It is in many ways modeled on the Norwegian Delta counter-terrorist unit with which it conducts many exercises, both in Norway... . There are also agreements about military and other security operations with Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... , Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... , and other NATO countries. See Military of Iceland Military of Iceland Icelands defences consist of the Icelandic Coast Guard which patrols Icelandic waters and airspace and other services such as the National Commissioner's National Security and Special Forces Units.... for more information.
	Has had a paramilitary police force and coast guard Military of Mauritius Mauritius does not have a standing army. All military, police, and security functions are carried out by 10,000 active-duty personnel under the command of the Commissioner of Police. The 8,000-member National Police Force is responsible for domestic law enforcement... since 1968.
Monaco	Renounced its general military investment in the 17th century because the advancement in artillery technology had rendered it defenseless, but still self-identifies as having limited military forces. Defense is the responsibility of France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... , but two small military units Military of Monaco The Principality of Monaco, which is the world's second smallest nation , has a very limited military capability, and would depend entirely upon its larger neighbour, France, for defence in the face of an aggressive world power... are maintained; one primarily protects the Prince Prince of Monaco The Reigning Prince or Princess of Monaco is the sovereign monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All Princes or Princesses thus far have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, but have belonged to various other houses in male line... and judiciary, while the other is responsible for civil defence and fire fighting. Both units are trained and equipped with small arms.
Panama	Abolished its army Military of Panama The Panamanian Public Forces are the national defense forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America to permanently abolish standing armies, leaving it with only small para-military forces. This came as a result of a US invasion that overthrew a military dictatorship which ruled... in 1990, which was confirmed by a unanimous parliamentary vote for constitutional change in 1994. The Panamanian Public Forces, including the National Police, National Borders Service, National Aeronaval Service, and Institutional Protection Service, have some warfare capabilities.

Demilitarized countries

For various reasons, which in some cases have included armed coups, some countries have disbanded their armed forces, but with many of the previously military duties now being performed by special divisions of a police force or National Guard. These countries include Dominica

Dominica

, Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

, and Grenada

Grenada

Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

. In some cases this leads to the actual existence of a military force, despite the use of an alternative name for the unit. Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

demobilized its military but it exists on paper, as it has not been banned.

Compact of free association

Some countries and territories on this list rely on the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

for defense. They are Federated States of Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia

, Republic of the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

, and Republic of Palau

Palau

. They do this due to their status as associated states, receiving other special treatments as well.

Countries without armed forces

Demilitarized countries

Compact of free association

See also