Dnevnik, Slovenia

Among the ten most stable countries in the world besides Ireland eight are monarchies - but the Vatican City comes top of the list, according to data from a research project by respected London defence research institute Jane’s Information Group.

The project examined 235 countries. The UK was reported as the seventh most influential country, ahead of the USA in twenty-second place, and even Switzerland at number seventeen.

The Vatican City was the most stable country, ahead of the UK, followed by Sweden, Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar, San Marino and Liechtenstein. The Netherlands came ninth and Ireland tenth.

Surprisingly Iraq was not among the ten most unstable countries. The Central African Republic headed this list, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Zimbabwe. Haiti, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia.