Top 10 Nations Hard to Invade

If you’re an evil megalomaniac with plans for world domination, you’ll want to watch this video…it might just save you some time. Not that we’re condoning that kind of thing. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Nations That Are Hard to Invade.
For this list, we’ll be looking at countries whose defense budgets, active military personnel and/or geographical locations would make them extremely difficult to invade.

Japan possesses one of the greatest military defenses on earth… it’s an island. Island nations are incredibly hard to invade due to their lack of land borders, which poses a major problem for an army attempting to resupply their front lines with weapons, equipment and rations - necessities for anyone trying to win a war. Not only do they hold a geographical advantage, but Japan also consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest military budgets, at a cool $40 to $46 billion. Add to that the fact that they have a standing army of roughly 250,000 soldiers and yeah, good luck with your invasion.

Any country that makes it through two world wars without being invaded is doing something right. The landlocked country famously wired bridges, railroads and airstrips with explosives after WWII to deter a potential Soviet invasion; and while all of those booby traps have since been removed, the country remains a tough cookie to crack. Due to their policy of mandatory male conscription, the majority of the country has basic military training, which is more than most nations can say. Oh, they also get to keep their weapons once they’re done, so pretty much the entire country is locked and loaded at all times. The country hasn’t been invaded for over 200 years, so their defense is clearly on point.

Invading Iran is a terrible idea. Period. Oh, you want reasons? Okay, for starters, they have over 500,000 active military personnel, more than 1600 tanks and a fleet of submarines at their disposal. Still not deterred? How about the fact that Iran is covered in mountains and peppered with scorching hot deserts just waiting to trip up an army of would-be invaders? No? Well, Iran also controls 12.9% of the Middle East’s oil exports, which means an invasion would significantly mess up the international flow of oil, effectively destabilizing the global economy. If you still feel like invading, we have one word for you: masochism.

One must only look at the results of the Korean War to know that a successful invasion of the Hermit Kingdom would be an extremely difficult task to achieve. Brutal terrain, an extensive and far reaching defense system and the ever-present threat of nuclear weapons are just some of the reasons invading North Korea is practically impossible. Tack on the fact that they have one of the largest active militaries in the world, at about 1.2 million soldiers, with a staggering 6.3 million in reserve, and you have a country that appears poised to keep itself safe for the foreseeable future.

It’s another island nation, but that’s far from the only thing that this part of the United Kingdom has going for it in this regard. For starters, Britain hasn’t faced a REAL invasion since 1066. Sure they repelled the French forces at the Battle of Fishguard in 1797, but it was such a minor altercation that it hardly counts. Second, the country spends roughly $48 to $55 billion helping them maintain an active military personnel of over 140,000, while also staying ahead of the technological curve when it comes to surveillance equipment. Oh, and let’s not forget that the United Kingdom as a whole has 215 nuclear weapons. If you really want an island, best to look elsewhere.

The second largest country on earth, Canada’s borders consist of three oceans and the United States, which is not only an ally, but also one of the most powerful nations in the world. As such, invading the country would prove to be an extremely difficult task. Additionally, Canada has an estimated defense budget of $15.24 billion USD, a well trained and technologically-advanced fighting force and a vast terrain that stretches for thousands of miles in every direction – so good luck maintaining a supply line. Let’s not forget that in some provinces, winter temperatures can go down to -40 degree Fahrenheit. Let’s be honest, who would want to invade Canada anyway?

Since the 1990s, China has slowly but surely increased its military strength, and it is now firmly cemented as a global military power. They’ve achieved this status thanks to their enormous army, which consists of more than 2.3 million people, an additional 2.3 million reserves and a defense budget that comes in second behind only the U.S.A. at $145.8 and $215.7 billion a year. They also rank second in tank power with 9,150, first in aircraft power with 3,720 and among the top three in submarines. If that doesn’t scare you consider this: China has a population of more than 1.3 billion people! That’s more than every other country on this list combined! Good luck convincing them who’s in charge!

Australia ranks high on our list thanks to a number of extenuating factors. For starters, the mainland of the country is surrounded by water and located in the southern hemisphere more than 4000 miles away from the closest country on this list. Second, 98% of the country’s population lives along the coast, which means much of the country is just vast swaths of desert, loaded with unforgiving terrain and deadly creatures waiting to ambush inexperienced foreign invaders. However, Australia isn’t entirely reliant on its terrain: the country has a defense budget in the billions and a military of roughly 81,000. Much like neighboring New Zealand island nation, an invasion of the Land Down Under would give the home team a distinct advantage.

How do we even begin to discuss Russia’s impenetrability? For hundreds of years, the country’s brutal winters have driven back everyone from Napoleon to Hitler. However, even if their armies had succeeded, there is no way they could have ever maintained control of Russia’s 6.6 million square miles of sparsely populated and unforgiving terrain. Nowadays, Russia boasts an equally fearsome defense, highlighted by the largest tank force on earth and an army of up to 1 milion active soldiers and 2 million reserves. If you’re planning on invading Russia, we have only one question for you…why?

The United States is by far the hardest nation to invade. Setting aside their population of over 325 million people, many of whom take the second amendment quite seriously, and the country’s varied, often merciless terrain, their biggest advantage is a financial one. America’s military budget comes in at a whopping $520 billion dollars or more. So what does that buy them exactly? How about military bases all over the world, a massive fleet of aircrafts and about 10 more aircraft carriers than the next closest country. Add 1.3 million active military personnel, more than 800,000 reserves and over 4000 unretired nukes and you have a country that is constantly saying “go ahead, make my day.”