# If you had to pick a small country to live in {Small for this thread is less than 3 million people} **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170 "2023-06-27T13:00:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/81 "2023-06-30T13:48:45Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > If these ubiquitous English speakers all also know Luxembourgish and either French or German, that’s impressive. Tri-linguality (and beyond) in regions like that is not particularly unusual. You grow up with the language, you learn it pretty naturally. Plus English is somewhat related to both the Germanic and Latin branches you get there, so it’s not like learning, say, English, Finnish, and Polish. My Indian friends here in Chicago, even, tend to know three languages at least: Hindi, English, and their regional language (like Gujarati) and some even add Spanish to the list. It’s impressive for English speakers, who tend more towards monolingualism whether American, British, or beyond, but it’s not that unusual. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/82 "2023-06-30T16:20:02Z")
The “pearl of the Atlantic;” Madeira. Yes, technically it’s an autonomous region of Portugal, but I’m going to let that stop me. ---
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/83 "2023-07-14T18:55:23Z")
The [Faroe Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faroe_Islands) have not been mentioned. Though some would object to their dolphin and whale hunting. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/84 "2023-07-14T19:36:41Z")
Dolphin and whale hunting are bad enough, but for me alone the rough weather, loneliness and isolation make the Faroe Islands a non-option. Sounds like a horrible place. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/85 "2023-07-14T21:27:39Z")
Shetland. Okay, it is not a country but I love that weather. More or less 68 degrees 365. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/86 "2023-07-15T07:43:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > More or less 68 degrees 365. What gave you that idea? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/87 "2023-07-15T11:33:33Z")
Shetland has a moderate climate, not too cold, but not too warm, either— definitely not “68 degrees”. The climatic theme is wind and rain, but some people like that… ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/88 "2023-07-15T11:43:19Z")
Iceland is terrible in the same way - the crappiest kind of weather the year round. edit: but the hot springs do compensate some. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/89 "2023-07-15T11:51:13Z")
If we’re sticking to the 3-million population thing, then Estonia. If not and the world was different: Morocco. Or Portugal. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/90 "2023-07-15T13:10:42Z")
Info I’m seeing on line for the climate of the Shetland islands is rather cooler than 68F. Lerwick - Average temperatures (1991-2020)|Month Mean (°F) January 39.5 February 38.8 March 40.2 April 43 May 46.5 June 50.6 July 54 August 54.7 September 51.9 October 47.3 November 43.2 December 40.1 Year 46 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/91 "2023-07-15T13:20:02Z")
Chile, specifically in Patagonia. They make it easy to emigrate, I’ve been trying to convince my wife to move. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/92 "2023-07-15T13:24:50Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Chile Population: 19.49 million, not a small country. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/93 "2023-07-15T15:15:17Z")
Says who? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/94 "2023-07-15T15:31:12Z")
Read the OP please. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/95 "2023-07-15T15:40:20Z")
I did not see the sub three million criteria, apologies. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/96 "2023-07-15T16:49:05Z")
I just appended the title of the thread. It was probably easy to miss. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/97 "2023-07-15T17:12:48Z")
I read a memoir by Robert Graves’s nephew that made Mallorca sound very appealing. I’d like to try there. I’ve never lived in very cold weather, so I’d like to avoid it if possible (I’d have a steep learning curve). And Mallorca isn’t as hellishly hot as some other countries either. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/98 "2023-07-15T17:34:10Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I read a memoir by Robert Graves’s nephew that made Mallorca sound very appealing. Be aware of (most of) the German tourists. Mallorca is jokingly called Germany’s 17th federal state, and we don’t send our best there, in fact most of them just drink and go wild to trashy music in beer halls and generally annoy the natives and other tourists. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/99 "2023-07-15T17:36:45Z")
So if I stay out of beer halls, I’d be safe? 😄 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170/100 "2023-07-15T17:38:11Z")
This crowd of course also roams the streets, but if you stay clear from the worst tourist spots, you are good. I’ve never been there myself, but Mallorca must be a beautiful island from all I’ve heard. Just not at the [Ballermann](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballermann_6). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-pick-a-small-country-to-live-in-small-for-this-thread-is-less-than-3-million-people/986170.md?page=6)