Iceland tops the poll as world's most peaceful country

Did you know that Iceland is the world's most peaceful country, according to an index measuring internal and external turmoil. Only one of the G8 states makes it into the top 10 of the survey, which was published this week.

Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, Iceland's foreign minister, welcomed her country's ranking by saying "We are very pleased that the index confirms the core values of a small democratic society ... which has never had a military and has effectively practised peace for hundreds of years," she said. "We can feel that other states also find this of importance and it is in fact a driving force in our first-time candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN security council."

While Iceland leads the field, Nordic countries again feature at the top of the index, which is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit from 24 indicators of external and internal measures of peace, including UN deployments overseas and levels of violent crime nationally. Denmark and Norway come second and third, followed by New Zealand and Japan, the G8's sole representative in the top 10.

Give peace a chance and find a more harmonious way of life by visiting the world's number travel company to Iceland, Discover the World, at www.discover-the-world.co.uk