If you had to pick a small country to live in {Small for this thread is less than 3 million people}

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been reading the thread on famous people from small countries, and was idly thinking that it might be quite nice to live in a (stable, democratic, socially liberal) small country, unfettered by a history of colonial crimes and an out-dated view of my country’s importance.

I’m not from a massive country population-wise (but not small either), but I’m certainly from a country with a domineering presence in history, one which gives us shockwaves to this day. It might be nice to shed the baggage.

So if you could pick a nice small country to live in, where would you go? Shall we say sub-3 million population? I don’t have any great opinions. Lichtenstein sounds nice.

2

I like Malta other than that it’s an island and I don’t want to live on an island.

3

I like islands! I really enjoy getting ferries.

4

Iceland. I can think of a few middling-small countries (Sweden, Estonia, New Zealand) but they are over your population limit.

5

If money were no object? Monaco.

6

My wife and I have visited Malta a couple of times and love it. So that would be one choice. I personally would love to live in the Netherlands

7

Liechtenstein was my first thought. San Marino Might do.

8

The Duchy Of Grand Fenwick.
What?

IF IT’S ON WIKI, IT MUST BE REAL!

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

9

Did you clap your hands?

10

I was coming in to say Malta also. I did a lot of research into living abroad in retirement and that is what came up #1 in my research for me.

11

Sint Maarten, specifically the Cole Bay community. A friendly neighborhood a 20 minute leisurely bike ride to the French side’s capital city Marigot. Or, drop a kayak in the Caribbean and paddle to Marigot, Friar’s Bar, Happy Bay.

12

Somewhere Caribbean. I’d have to research further to determine the ideal, but that would be absolutely lovely. Reading my book on the beach, strolling through a small market area, golfing….mmmmm……

13

Luxemburg would be nice. Convenient to the rest of Europe, too. I’ve a few neighbors who have dual US/Lux citizenship, due to them having at least one grandparent who was born there. I wish the Netherlands had that deal.

14

Slovenia, probably? I’m also tempted by Cyprus, Malta, and Montenegro, but I’ve never been to any of them, and it would be kind of scary to pack up and move to a country I’ve never visited. Estonia is nice, but I don’t know if I’d want to spend winters that far north.

15

Iceland first choice, Estonia second.

Nowhere tropical.

Estonia isn’t. Just 1.3 million.

Lots of countries* are smaller than NYC. But the OP’s limit was 3 million, and NZ is 5+

* This site lists 86, but note that it has no “Africa” section, so can go fuck itself. There are 20 in Africa. Fucking Oceania gets listed, but not Africa…

16

Is New Zealand a small country? (its population is smaller than New York City)

17

I was tempted to go lower than 3mn, but that would cut out Wales, which has a nice ‘small country’ feel about it. Although I don’t want to live there, someone else might fancy it.

18

I’ve never been, but it’s very popular with British tourists, and, well, part of this project would be to get away from vast swathes of my Brexit-voting compatriots.

19

I’m curious, why not? Mosquitos, the heat, hurricanes?

20

Malaria specifically, other diseases, the heat, the humidity, and the lack of snow and decent seasons.

I mean, mosquitoes themselves aren’t a tropical thing, from what I’ve heard they’re quite bad in lots of the more Northerly locales like Canada and Scandinavia.