List of countries without armed forces
This is a list of countries without armed forces. The term "country" here means sovereign states and not dependencies (e.g., Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Bermuda) whose defense is the responsibility of another country or an army alternative. The term "armed forces" refers to any government-sponsored defense used to further the domestic and foreign policies of their respective government. Some of the countries listed, such as Iceland and Monaco, have no standing armies but still have a non-police military force. Many of the 21 countries listed here typically have had a long-standing  agreement with a former occupying country; one example is the agreement between Monaco and France, which has existed for at least 300 years. The Compact of Free Association nations of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and Palau rely on the United States for their defense. They ensure their national security concerns are addressed through annual Joint Committee Meetings to discuss defense matters with US Pacific Command. Andorra has a small army, and can request defensive aid if necessary, while Iceland had a unique agreement with the United States that lasted until 2006, which required them to provide  defense to Iceland when needed. The remaining countries are responsible for their own defense, and operate either without any armed forces, or with limited armed forces. Some of the countries, such as Costa Rica and Grenada, underwent a process of demilitarization. Other countries were formed without armed forces, such as Samoa over years ago; the primary reason being that they were, or still are, under protection from another nation at their point of independence.