If global war ever erupted on a scale we dread to imagine, survival would hinge less on courage or patriotism and more on geography, politics, and the quiet math of logistics. The safest places wouldn’t be the strongest or loudest nations, but those tucked far from power struggles, with little to gain by being attacked and enough stability to endure isolation. Distance from major military alliances, low strategic value, and access to food, water, and energy would matter more than any slogan or speech.

New Zealand, Iceland, and remote Pacific islands could benefit from their isolation and self-sufficiency. Neutral, mountainous countries might avoid direct strikes while their terrain shields them from fallout and chaos. Sparse regions in South America or the far north could become fragile sanctuaries, not because they are invincible, but because they are inconvenient to destroy. There is no absolute safety in World War III—only places where the odds bend, slightly, toward life.