# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 6:14pm 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/986170/101 "2023-07-15T18:14:31Z")
I’ll suggest Newfoundland, it used to be its own country until 1949. Current population is just a bit over half a million. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 7:24am 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/986170/102 "2023-07-17T07:24:52Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > 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. Not a country - it may be an island, but it’s part of Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 8:59am 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/986170/103 "2023-07-17T08:59:43Z")
If Wales is a country, let’s call the Balearic Islands a country too instead of an autonomous community and select Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera. The Canary Islands are good too, less weather seasonality, more Ocean. ETA: Somewhat ninjae’d, that’s what you get when you only read 70 out of 100 posts. But curiously pertinent nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 9:13am 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/986170/104 "2023-07-17T09:13:28Z")
Possibly a debate for another thread, but Wales is certainly regarded as a country within the UK - the UK is effectively a political union of countries rather than a single state with subdivisions. Not sure you could say the same about the Balearics within Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 9:16am 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/986170/105 "2023-07-17T09:16:59Z")
A debate for another thread indeed. And quite controversial it could become, were there more Catalans and Basques in this forum. This not being the case, better not bother. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 10:16am 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/986170/106 "2023-07-17T10:16:21Z")
An interesting debate though, have we had one before around these parts? Must have done. I’ll do a search before I start something ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 10:26am 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/986170/107 "2023-07-17T10:26:21Z")
I’d participate, for a while at least. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 10:51am 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/986170/108 "2023-07-17T10:51:57Z")
I mean, you all knew i was going to say Northern Ireland, but i may as well jump on here and say it. I’ve got lovely cousins there, the climate is the one i’m evolved to enjoy, and the scenery is breathtaking wherever you look. The only thing stopping me is the citizenship requirement to swear fealty to the King. I’m just not sure there’s enough valium in the world to get me through a lie like that. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 10:55am 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/986170/109 "2023-07-17T10:55:10Z")
Well, you could just go for ‘indefinite leave to remain’. I don’t think you have to do any swearing for that. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 11:10am 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/986170/110 "2023-07-17T11:10:20Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > ‘indefinite leave to remain’ Such a pity this was not an option on the Brexit referendum! ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 12:32pm 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/986170/111 "2023-07-17T12:32:13Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > the citizenship requirement to swear fealty to the King Is that still a thing? I have hereditary UK citizenship since birth, so I’ve never had to swear loyalties. I guess it is implied by birthright. But my loyalty to the crown is pretty much “I don’t give a shit” ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 12:35pm 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/986170/112 "2023-07-17T12:35:03Z")
I haven’t checked into it for 15 years or so, but it was last time i looked. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 12:38pm 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/986170/113 "2023-07-17T12:38:40Z")
New citizens have to. There’s a whole ceremony at a town hall thing people have to go to. Of course, if you’re born with British citizenship, you forgo that pleasure. Really, it’s no different from new US citizens having to swear allegiance to the flag. It’s just that our nation is represented by a figurehead rather than a piece of material (hence we can wipe our bums on the flag if we want to). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 12:39pm 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/986170/114 "2023-07-17T12:39:25Z")
Made me look! Turns out, there’s a workaround now. “During the ceremony you will have to say either the Oath or the Affirmation of allegiance to His Majesty the King and the Pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom. This is a formal promise to His Majesty the King and the United Kingdom.” #### Pledge " I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen." > **[British citizenship: successful applicants](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-citizenship-successful-applicants)** > > These documents explain what successful applicants for naturalisation as a British citizen should expect following their decision. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 12:41pm 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/986170/115 "2023-07-17T12:41:14Z")
Don’t think so - you have to do the oath/affirmation (to the King) AND the pledge (to be a good citizen to the UK). I think the only time I’ve had to swear an oath to the Monarch was when I was a brownie. But then I also had to dance around a toad stool. I thought both practices were quite odd. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 12:44pm 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/986170/116 "2023-07-17T12:44:08Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Don’t think so - you have to do the oath/affirmation (to the King) AND the pledge (to be a good citizen to the UK). Oh, right. Darn. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 1:45pm 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/986170/117 "2023-07-17T13:45:56Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Iceland is tempting, although it’s very threatened by climate change. In what sense? Because of sea level rise? It seems that actually, _Iceland_ is rising from the sea—the melting of glaciers (tragic as it is in itself) relieves pressure on the Earth’s crust, which consequently rises. Plus, there’s actually so much ice concentrated in Greenland’s ice shelf that it increases local gravity, leading to the sea level in the northern hemisphere being measurably higher than it would be without it—so if that thaws, the sea level there [might lower](https://grapevine.is/mag/2021/03/12/ask-an-expert-what-effect-will-rising-sea-levels-have-on-iceland/) (at the expense of greater, likely catastrophic, rises elsewhere). In fact, Iceland would be my pick for the OP’s scenario—not because of any climate change-related considerations, but simply because I’ve already fallen in love with its beauty. And they’re one of the happiest countries in the world, crime rates are low, social security is good, they’re very progressive on many issues, and they have a clean source of energy in geothermal power. You do have to contend with the odd volcano, though. However, it is very expensive, particularly with alcoholic beverages—I once bought a 0.2l beer at a bar for €10. And the long winter dark might take some getting used to. ---
**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 17, 2023, 4:17pm 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/986170/118 "2023-07-17T16:17:54Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Not a country - it may be an island, but it’s part of Spain. Rats! ---
**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 17, 2023, 4:38pm 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/986170/119 "2023-07-17T16:38:31Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Iceland is tempting, although it’s very threatened by climate change. > > In what sense? Because of sea level rise? Mostly because there’s some concern that climate change will disrupt the gulf stream, and that would hit Iceland especially hard. But yes, it’s also an island. But i guess it’s not a shallow island likely to be covered, so maybe I’m overestimating the risk. It’s otherwise at the top of my list. ---
**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 17, 2023, 5:15pm 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/986170/120 "2023-07-17T17:15:26Z")
A third of Iceland’s population is in Reykjavík. It is pretty low lying overall. Iceland may be a problem too. [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=5) [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=7)