Pros: It's beautiful, with green valleys, glaciers, miles of wild coastline and quaint villages. The capital city of Reykjavik is considered a cultural and artistic center, and famous pop acts Bjork and Sigur Ros hail from there (this could be a con, depending on your taste). Also, there are these famous volcanic hot springs that people flock to the country for. Icelanders eat a lot of fish, and are presumably good at preparing it.

Cons: It never gets that warm, and it snows a lot in the winter. The economy is still pretty sour after all the banks imploded in the financial crisis of 2008. A huge volcano there shut down air traffic in Europe for a few months in 2010, which is only a problem if you're trying to leave. Still, they have volcanoes big enough to shut down continents' air travel. That's the flip side of the coin to your hot springs.

New Caledonia:

(Photo: M0les / Flickr)

This tiny archipelago is considered a "special collectivity" of France. It sits in the southwest Pacific, across the Coral Sea from the east coast of Australia. It has a population of 249,000 and a per-capita GDP of $36,376. The temperature fluctuates from about 70 to about 90 degrees.The official language is French, and nickel mining and tourism anchor the economy.

Pros: It is very beautiful in a tropical-island sort of way. Blue lagoons, coral reefs and white-sand beaches line its coasts, and its biodiversity is legendary. Wikipedia says it is one of the most "critically endangered and botanically most important hotspots." The temperature is warm enough to wear a t-shirt all year round (unless you think that's a con).

Cons: It's pretty isolated, but tourism is huge, so you may wind up working in some capacity that puts you in touch with lots of vacationers and not many other folks (though perhaps you think this is a pro). Politics can be tricky, as the territory is always kind of at odds with France over how much autonomy it gets. Unless you're a geologist or own a hotel, it may be hard to find a job here.

French Polynesia:

(Photo: Benoit Mahe / Flickr)

Another special collectivity of France, this group of islands in the central southern pacific contains some of the most remote places in the world. The most well-known island is Tahiti. The population of the whole collectivity is 267,000, and the per-capita GDP is $21,999. The official language is French, and the main industry is tourism, though some agriculture concerns operate here and there throughout the collectivity. The temperature swings from about 70 to about 90 year-round.

Pros: This is one of the most remote places in the world. You can probably find some tiny island where you'll never see another person again, if that's your thing, let alone an Anopheles mosquito. But there are also some fairly developed resort destinations, like Bora Bora, where you can find high-end lodging if you can land a good enough job. Divers and snorkelers will be in heaven.