The Global Peace Index is out today. Its modest goal: rank the nations of the world by their peacefulness.

Iceland came in first, knocking off New Zealand. And Somalia took last place, with Iraq moving up to second-to-last.

Overall, the world is slightly less peaceful than last year.

The index uses 23 indicators, including military expenditures, prison population, potential for terrorist acts and level of violent crime.

Here's how some of the Latin American countries fared:

21. Uruguay

31. Costa Rica — The Central American country abolished its army more than 60 years ago.

38. Chile

49. Panama — Once one of Latin America's safest countries, it's increasingly home to gangs and drug violence.

55. Argentina

67. Cuba

72. Nicaragua

74. Brazil — Police are trying to take back the favelas in a country set to host the Olympic Games and World Cup.

76. Bolivia

(82. United States)

85. Peru

90. Ecuador

91. Dominican Republic

106. Jamaica — The Caribbean is becoming an increasingly dangerous way station for drug traffickers.

113. Haiti — Thousands of Haitians are being kicked out of camps for the displaced.

117. Honduras

121. Mexico — Ciudad Juarez recorded more than 3,000 homicides in 2010, making it the deadliest year ever in the border city.

124. Venezuela

125. Guatemala — In Guatemala, a tiny country with a big crime problem, murder is always in the offing.

139. Colombia — The country is trying to rebuild after decades of war.

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