Norway 'the best place to live'

[edesignuk]

Norway is the best place in the world to live while Niger is the least desirable, according to an annual report by the United Nations.

The 182 countries were ranked according to the quality of life their citizens experienced.

Criteria examined included life expectancy, literacy rates, school enrolment and country economies.

However the UN human development index used data collected in 2007 - before the global economic crisis.

The UN Development Programme said the index highlighted the grave disparities between rich and poor countries. BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/8290550.stm).

All off to Norway then...

[Iscariot]

We're number four! We're number four!

[leekohler]

I don't think I can argue with that. While I've never been, I love cold weather. And if cuties like Heilage are any indication of the look of the general population, I'm there. :)

[yg17]

The United States is rated as the 13th most desirable place to live, while the UK takes the 21st spot.

We beat the UK! AMERICA, ******* YEAH! :D

[iBlue]

All off to Norway then...

THE HELL WE ARE! If you think I'm a big whiner about the cold weather in England... :eek::D

I say we go for number 2, Australia sounds fab. Yup.

[jessica.]

I am surprised to see UK below the US. Not that I hate the US or anything, but I'm rather shocked about UK's standings.

The United States is rated as the 13th most desirable place to live, while the UK takes the 21st spot.

[edesignuk]

I am surprised to see UK below the US. Not that I hate the US or anything, but I'm rather shocked about UK's standings.The US has some significant faults, but generally you get more for your money there (in everything, especially space in housing), you're taxed less, and you have a massive choice in the type of environment (weather wise) you want to live in.

[tofagerl]

It's a great place to live, but I think it's weird to rank countries like this. It's too objective, and there's really no point in combining the different indexes into one "uberlist" of "good countries".

That said, I'm constantly looking for some way of making a salary in Norway and living in the south of France :D

[AmbitiousLemon]

I am surprised to see UK below the US. Not that I hate the US or anything, but I'm rather shocked about UK's standings.

Have you ever eaten English food?

[jessica.]

That's a really good point. When I went to Hinckley and London I was shocked about all the taxation that goes on. The people I was with just went on and on about taxes to park, to drive, to watch tv, etc.

[Heilage]

Yeah, I know. We kick ass. ^^

[Scarlet Fever]

Have you ever eaten English food?

I'm more concerned about the state of their beers!

[tofagerl]

Have you ever eaten English food?

Fish and chips taste exactly like their wrapping paper.

[Ish]

Have you ever eaten English food?


Yup! :)

[yg17]

Fish and chips taste exactly like their wrapping paper.

So in other words, it tastes better than American food.

[tofagerl]

Nah, American food tastes great! It just kills you.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Have you ever eaten English food?
Child's play compared to some of the things people eat, and actually enjoy, here in Norway, like rakfisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakfisk), gamalost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalost), smalahove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalahove), gravlaks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravlax) and lutefisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk).

[AmbitiousLemon]

Child's play compared to some of the things people eat, and actually enjoy, here in Norway, like rakfisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakfisk), gamalost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalost), smalahove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalahove), gravlaks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravlax) and lutefisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk).

Ah no fair, preserved foods from any culture can seem pretty disgusting if you haven't grown up on them.

[Heilage]

Child's play compared to some of the things people eat, and actually enjoy, here in Norway, like rakfisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakfisk), gamalost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalost), smalahove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalahove), gravlaks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravlax) and lutefisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk).

Damnit, you're scaring them away. Oh well, more oil money for me then. :D

[leekohler]

Have you ever eaten English food?

HAHA! Especially that scary breakfast thing. :eek::D

Sorry- I love you guys, but this is just messed up. :)

[yg17]

Child's play compared to some of the things people eat, and actually enjoy, here in Norway, like rakfisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakfisk), gamalost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamalost), smalahove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalahove), gravlaks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravlax) and lutefisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk).

We have baconnaise (http://www.baconnaise.com/) and Krispy Kreme burgers (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/03/broadcasts/main1680067.shtml). We win. :D

[chstr]

artic oil and low population equal= plenty of jingle in ur pocketz

[leekohler]

We have baconnaise (http://www.baconnaise.com/) and Krispy Kreme burgers (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/03/broadcasts/main1680067.shtml). We win. :D

Baconnaise rocks. Mayonnaise is awesome no matter what- especially when they put in on the fries you get on the street in Berlin. :)

[tofagerl]

Oh, here's something: Apple are actually pretty big in Norway. We don't have any applestores, but authorized resellers are popping up all over the place, especially in the last five years.
Oh, and the economic "crisis" is already over in Norway, the stockmarket is high and the unemployment low.

[Rt&Dzine]

I've been there. Beautiful!!! But things are expensive and they put corn on their pizza. :)

[leekohler]

I've been there. Beautiful!!! But things are expensive and they put corn on their pizza. :)

That actually sounds kind of good.

[anjinha]

Meh, they speak weird there. :p

[tofagerl]

Actually, we speak danish :)

True fact: The "original" norwegian language is now spoken only in Iceland, and the norwegian language is a merge between it at danish, with a lot of german and english words.

[leekohler]

Actually, we speak danish :)

True fact: The "original" norwegian language is now spoken only in Iceland, and the norwegian language is a merge between it at danish, with a lot of german and english words.

Sounds hot. :)

[Heilage]

I've been there. Beautiful!!! But things are expensive and they put corn on their pizza. :)

Yes, things are very expensive. But I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. :)

Tofagerl: You forgot to mention new-Norwegian, the artificial constructed language mandated by government to be taught to kids because some dude with VD decided to roam Norway and collect dialects and make a language out of it. We still have some way to go until everything is fine. :p

[tofagerl]

Tofagerl: You forgot to mention new-Norwegian, the artificial constructed language mandated by government to be taught to kids because some dude with VD decided to roam Norway and collect dialects and make a language out of it. We still have some way to go until everything is fine. :p

Yeah, that's for Norway 201, next semester ;p

[Doctor Q]

I'd love to go to Norway again but if I lived there I'd miss the horrible traffic jams, the noise, and the lack of a citywide metro system here in Los Angeles. I guess I'll also cancel my plans to move to Sierra Leone.

[Raid]

We're number four! We're number four! Yeah I think Iceland beat us out on the cheap geothermal energy... <insert joke about wanting to 'tap that' here> ;)

Grats to Norway! Next vacation I do want to do a circuit that will take me through Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and then Holland.

Looking at the list Afghanistan is second last! Here's hoping our troops are making it easier to climb that list.

[Don't panic]

The full standings:

GOOD

Norway
Australia
Iceland
Canada
Ireland
Netherlands
Sweden
France
Switzerland
Japan
Luxembourg
Finland
United States
Austria
Spain
Denmark
Belgium
Italy
Liechtenstein
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Germany
Singapore
Hong Kong, China (SAR)
Greece
Korea (Republic of)
Israel
Andorra
Slovenia
Brunei Darussalam
Kuwait
Cyprus
Qatar
Portugal
United Arab Emirates
Czech Republic
Barbados
Malta

OK

Bahrain
Estonia
Poland
Slovakia
Hungary
Chile
Croatia
Lithuania
Antigua and Barbuda
Latvia
Argentina
Uruguay
Cuba
Bahamas
Mexico
Costa Rica
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Oman
Seychelles
Venezuela (Bolivarian Rupublic of)
Saudi Arabia
Panama
Bulgaria
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Romania
Trinidad and Tobago
Montenegro
Malaysia
Serbia
Belarus
Saint Lucia
Albania
Russian Federation
Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of)
Dominica
Grenada
Brazil
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Colombia
Peru
Turkey
Ecuador
Mauritius
Kazakhstan
Lebanon

SO-SO

Armenia
Ukraine
Azerbaijan
Thailand
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Georgia
Dominican Republic
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
China
Belize
Samoa
Maldives
Jordan
Suriname
Tunisia
Tonga
Jamaica
Paraguay
Sri Lanka
Gabon
Algeria
Philippines
El Salvador
Syrian Arab Republic
Fiji
Turkmenistan
Occupied Palestinian Territories
Indonesia
Honduras
Bolivia
Guyana
Mongolia
Viet Nam
Moldova
Equatorial Guinea
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Cape Verde
Guatemala
Egypt
Nicaragua
Botswana
Vanuatu
Tajikistan
Namibia
South Africa
Morocco
São Tomé and Principe
Bhutan
Lao, People's Dem. Rep.
India
Solomon Islands
Congo
Cambodia
Myanmar
Comoros
Yemen
Pakistan
Swaziland
Angola
Nepal
Madagascar
Bangladesh
Kenya
Papua New Guinea
Haiti
Sudan
Tanzania, U. Rep. of
Ghana
Cameroon
Mauritania
Djibouti
Lesotho
Uganda
Nigeria

BAD

Togo
Malawi
Benin
Timor-Leste
Côte d'Ivoire
Zambia
Eritrea
Senegal
Rwanda
Gambia
Liberia
Guinea
Ethiopia
Mozambique
Guinea-Bissau
Burundi
Chad
Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
Burkina Faso
Mali
Central African Republic
Sierra Leone
Afghanistan
Niger

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I'd love to go to Norway again but if I lived there I'd miss the horrible traffic jams, the noise, and the lack of a citywide metro system here in Los Angeles. I guess I'll also cancel my plans to move to Sierra Leone.
Oh, if you get too home sick, just drive through Danmarksplass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danmarksplass) a couple of time during morning and evening rush hours, and you'll feel right at home... ;)

[shivermetimbers]

I'm more concerned about the state of their beers!

I with you on that one. Gotta have priorities...good beer is one of them.:)

Coolest place I've ever been was Christchurch New Zealand.....I'd live there in a heartbeat.

[anjinha]

Whoa, portugal just barely made the "good" list. :o

i canz move to London nao? :D

[arkitect]

Whoa, portugal just barely made the "good" list. :o

i canz move to London nao? :D

Can we swop? :) :o
I have switched on my SAD lamp today…

[smwatson]

Have you ever eaten English food?

Please tell me you're not American. American food is pretty much all disgusting. The only good food coming out of America is stuff that's been stolen from somewhere else, but ruined a bit.

And a full English breakfast is one of the greatest things in existence! How can you possible argue against sausages/eggs/bacon/beans/hash brown. The only thing you could question would be black pudding, which is delicious but some people hate it for some bizarre reason.

[sushi]

Congrats to Norway.

It's too objective, and there's really no point in combining the different indexes into one "uberlist" of "good countries".
I assume that you mean to subjective instead of objective.

Oh, here's something: Apple are actually pretty big in Norway. We don't have any applestores, but authorized resellers are popping up all over the place, especially in the last five years.
Interesting.

While I enjoy the Apple stores that I've visited, I also like many of the Apple resellers -- at least here in Japan.

[Rt&Dzine]

Please tell me you're not American. American food is pretty much all disgusting. The only good food coming out of America is stuff that's been stolen from somewhere else, but ruined a bit.

And a full English breakfast is one of the greatest things in existence! How can you possible argue against sausages/eggs/bacon/beans/hash brown. The only thing you could question would be black pudding, which is delicious but some people hate it for some bizarre reason.

and Yorkshire pudding . . . YUM!!! I'm getting hungry now.

[yg17]

Please tell me you're not American. American food is pretty much all disgusting. The only good food coming out of America is stuff that's been stolen from somewhere else, but ruined a bit.

And a full English breakfast is one of the greatest things in existence! How can you possible argue against sausages/eggs/bacon/beans/hash brown. The only thing you could question would be black pudding, which is delicious but some people hate it for some bizarre reason.

Other than the beans and black pudding, that's a common breakfast in the states too.

[foidulus]

some dude with VD decided to roam Norway and collect dialects and make a language out of it. We still have some way to go until everything is fine. :p

Am I missing something, or is there another meaning behind the abbreviation "VD"?

[leekohler]

Please tell me you're not American. American food is pretty much all disgusting. The only good food coming out of America is stuff that's been stolen from somewhere else, but ruined a bit.


Amazingly false. There's a lot of great American food. You can't use McDonald's/fast food as something to judge it. I'm especially proud of what a lot of our chefs do with vegan these days.

http://www.greenzebrachicago.com/menu.html

Just an example. I have tons more. I worked in several restaurants here in Chicago before I became a corporate mule.

Other than the beans and black pudding, that's a common breakfast in the states too.

And those nasty tomatoes. ;)

[dXTC]

The full standings:

...
BAD

Togo
Malawi
Benin
Timor-Leste
Côte d'Ivoire
Zambia
Eritrea
Senegal
Rwanda
Gambia
Liberia
Guinea
Ethiopia
Mozambique
Guinea-Bissau
Burundi
Chad
Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
Burkina Faso
Mali
Central African Republic
Sierra Leone
Afghanistan
Niger

I feel sad for Africa now. Geez, the "Bad" list is all Africa-based, with rare exception (Afghanistan, Timor-Leste).

Also, I call shenanigans. With all the crap going on in Darfur, how is it that Sudan gets rated "So-So"?