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And the happiest place on Earth is ...
... not Disney World!
Despite the theme park's claim, Costa Rica actually takes the top spot, according to the New Economics Foundation. This Britain-based independent research firm uses the "Happy Planet Index" to determine and rank the countries with the happiest people. The organization's goal is to build a new economy that focuses on people and the environment.
This year's survey covered 143 countries, with Latin American claiming nine of the top 10 positions in the study. The Dominican Republic took second, followed by Jamaica, Guatemala and Vietnam.
If you live in a developed nation, it seems, you're probably unhappy. Great Britain took 74th, and the United States came in at 114. But, the latter is happier than it was 20 years ago. China and India are also fairly unhappy, but mostly because they are pursuing aggressive economic growth.
Now, the results are skewed because ecological implications account for a substantial portion of how happy a country is. The study assumes that the further you are from carbon-neutral, the unhappier you are. I'm down for going green, but I really struggle to see how it plays such a large role in a country's happiness.
Filed under: China, India, Vietnam, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Central America
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Trecia Jul 7th 2009 11:38AM
JA is not considered part of Latin America, we speak English around here and our culture is very different. We are however part of the Caribbean Islands. We are part of the greater Antilles.