I'm not sure if everybody wants to live in Norway, but it's certainly at the top of the global list. The United Nations Development Program determined this based on data GDP, education and life expectancy - among other metrics - to find the best of the best, as well as the other end of the spectrum. The data's from 2007, though, so it doesn't reflect a post-financial crisis world.

Joining Norway are Australia and Iceland, the latter of which was a hot location until a year ago, when the entire country got an International Monetary Fund package normally reserved for the third-est of third-world countries. Yet, even with the recession in mind, Iceland (a favorite destination of mine) is still far better than Niger, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, which sit at the bottom of the list. Several other sub-Saharan African states also ranked toward the bottom because of ongoing war and the proliferation of HIV/AIDS.

The spread is most evident in life expectancy, where a mailing address in Norway would add 30 years relative to Niger. In Niger, the current average life expectancy is 50. And, for every dollar that someone earns in Niger, the same person would pick up $85 in Norway. In Afghanistan, one can expect to live only 43.6 years.

Money matters, still. Lichtenstein continues to boast the world's highest GDP per capital at $85,383. The 35,000 people who live there share the small principality with 15 banks and more than 100 wealth management companies. The Democratic Republic of Congo has the lowest income in the world: $298 per person per year.

The top climbers on the list for 2007 were China, Iran and Nepal.

Norway world's best place to live originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I just met Nick Wolnak who is a friend of a friend of mine. He's one of those totally cool guys who happens to be a world traveler that life has brought to Columbus, Ohio. It's not rocket science to figure out why I might find him interesting. Nick just got back from Sierra Leone on a trip that was focused on visiting his friend who was finishing up a gig with Doctors without Borders. Nick's official role was observer but, as he rediscovered, merely observing doesn't exist in some parts of the world. There he was, the owner of two hip Columbus establishments, High Five Bar & Grill and Evolved--a tattoo and body piercing parlor, helping to deliver a baby during a difficult birth, and after that, spending a lot of his time feeding malnourished kids.

After he recounted his Sierra Leone experience, we wandered off into other travel talk and Taiwan came up. Nick's been there three times. Even though I lived in Taiwan for two years and traveled extensively around the island and I knew about the indigenous groups, I didn't know specifics about the Atayal who have a cultural heritage of facial tattooing. If I did know at one time, I've forgotten. Nick filled in the blanks. He is an expert about the Atayals. From what he said, that not many folks in Taiwan knew about this group either--even the tattoo artists in Taipei. Here's why. When the Japanese occupied Taiwan, they outlawed tattoos. Eventually, those with tattoos dwindled in number and were thought to be barbaric. And since they mostly lived in the remote regions of the country like in the mountains near Hualien, after awhile most people didn't even know these folks existed.

Continue reading Facial Tattoos in Taiwan: A Columbus Connection

Facial Tattoos in Taiwan: A Columbus Connection originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Word for the Travel Wise (11/25/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 25 Nov 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Word for the Travel Wise (08/17/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Word for the Travel Wise (06/05/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 05 Jun 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Word for the Travel Wise (04/04/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 04 Apr 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Africa Travel: Sierra Leone originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 21 Mar 2006 23:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.