Legend tells us that the world was once a place of peace. Birds sang, rivers ran, there were caverns measureless to man (because man did not exist). Then that man arrived and with him he did bring other men. The world changed. The winds blew. Huddled inside their nation states, humankind worried about what those other people huddled in their own nation states were planning to do to them.

Fear grew, at first because no one knew what was going on outside their village (Dragons?), and then because it was ramped up by media outlets/governments/your parents to the point where today, in 2016, the dark, semi-fathomable evils in this world come in so many different shapes, sizes, and hues that it's almost impossible to say which of them are fact and which of them are fiction.

With that in mind, here's our annual Global Fear League—a guide to which countries everyone should be afraid of this year.

Related: Watch 'The VICE Guide to North Korea'

The situation: Something, something—impenetrable quasi-Soviet state—something, something—"I'm so Ronery."—something, something—Kim Jong-un—something, something—H BOMB H BOMB H BOMB H BOMB!

Danger rating: High—if you're a North Korean with an anti-authoritarian streak, or the idea of people living crushingly soulless lives makes you feel in danger. For the rest of the world—well, let's be honest, not that high. But it's fun to imagine they might Strangelove us all.

The situation: Humans have ruined the planet and climate change is set to take revenge. No longer will we be able to look down on the animals and plants and triumphantly sing, "We are the Champions."

Danger rating: It's all over.

Follow Oscar Rickett on Twitter.