German citizens possess the world's most powerful passport, according to an annual study, with Britain and the US falling just short of the top spot.
一项年度调查显示，德国公民的护照是世界上最强大的，接下来是英国和美国护照。
The ranking by Henley & Partners, a
citizenship and planning firm, takes into account how many countries can be visited without applying for a visa.
German passport
holders can travel to 177, out of a possible 218, while Britons can visit 175 and US citizens 174.
The UK topped the 2015 rankings,
alongside Germany, but
ceded the top spot after several countries relaxed visa
restrictions to the latter. It was also leapfrogged by Sweden and now shares third place with France, Italy, Spain and Finland.
Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands share fourth spot with the US.
The world's least powerful passport belongs to citizens of Afghanistan, who can visit just 25 countries without a visa.
The world's most powerful passports
1. Germany, 177 countries can be visited without a visa1.
2. Sweden, 1762.
3. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, 175
4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, United States, 174
5. Austria, Japan, Singapore, 173
6. Canada, Ireland (Republic of), Korea (Republic of, South), Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, 172
7. Greece, New Zealand, 171
8. Australia, 169
9. Malta, 168
10. Hungary, Czech Republic, Iceland, 167
相关单词：citizenship
citizenship解释：n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)
citizenship例句：
He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
相关单词：holders
holders解释：支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物
holders例句：
Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。
相关单词：alongside
alongside解释：adv.在旁边；prep.和...在一起，在...旁边
alongside例句：
There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。
相关单词：ceded
ceded解释：v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的过去式 )
ceded例句：
Cuba was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898. 古巴在1898年被西班牙割让给美国。
A third of the territory was ceded to France. 领土的三分之一割让给了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：restrictions
restrictions解释：约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）
restrictions例句：
I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
