On the night of July 15, 2016, the world watched in shock as a whirlwind of events disrupted Turkey’s political status quo. Seemingly out of nowhere, tanks were on the streets. Buildings were bombed. Factions of the military, trying to orchestrate a coup, stormed a television station on air. Meanwhile the president, holed up in an airport, pleaded for his citizens to resist.
The coup attempt ultimately failed, but in the minds of many across the globe, it seems to have left a lasting impression. Turkey is the least politically stable country, according to data from the 2017 Best Countries rankings — a characterization of 80 countries based on a survey of more than 20,000 people from all regions of the world.
Turkey’s instability stems from many threats, the coup being just one. For years the Turkish military has fought with its Kurdish minority, which wants independence. The question of Kurdish autonomy is so sensitive, in fact, that on May 10 the Turkish government criticized the U.S. for agreeing to supply Syrian Kurdish fighters with weapons against the Islamic State group.
Islamic terrorism is also a concern for the country. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a New Year’s Day shooting which killed 39 people, and has been blamed for at least half a dozen attacks on civilian targets over the past 18 months.
Ukraine, considered the second most unstable, has also seen it’s fair share of conflict recently. In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea — a move that sparked months of fighting. Other countries in the top 10 include Nigeria, Lebanon and Brazil.
Countries at the other end of the spectrum — those considered to be most politically stable — tend to be the usual suspects that excel in international rankings. Canada comes in at No. 1, followed by Denmark and other Nordic countries.
Below are the 10 countries considered to be the least politically stable:
| Country | Least Politically Stable Rank | Overall Best Countries Rank |
| Turkey | 1 | 36 |
| Ukraine | 2 | 73 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 74 |
| Nigeria | 4 | 77 |
| Lebanon | 5 | 76 |
| Brazil | 6 | 28 |
| Tunisia | 7 | 64 |
| Egypt | 8 | 45 |
| Angola | 9 | 75 |
| Guatemala | 10 | 65 |
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The 10 Least Politically Stable Countries, Ranked By Perception originally appeared on usnews.com
