It is a matter of fact that no two countries are the same. While one country is known for its breath-taking views, another country is known for its people, a particular cuisine is a subject of pride for a nation and sometimes, the mere location of a nation makes it unique. Every country in this world has a thing or two to offer which probably you wouldn’t find elsewhere. In the end it is the USP of a country that makes it class apart. Although each and every country is distinct, a few of them emerge to be a little better, hence making it to the list of the ‘Top 10 Best Countries to live in the World’.
1. Australia
Kangaroos & Koalas! That’s the first thing that crops up into our heads when we talk of Australia. Officially known as Commonwealth of Australia, the country is the smallest continent and is known for liberal legislation, compulsory and free education, protected trade unionism, maternity allowances, sickness and old age pensions.
Aussies are friendly and pretty laid back, the world famous spots here are Ayers Rock, Bondi Beach, The Sydney Opera House, and The Sydney Harbor Bridge among many more places. A developed country, Oz has the 5th largest per capita income and ranks 2nd globally in the human development index. Having a Federal Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy form of government, it has a population of 23,177,462. Australia is a market economy with high GDP per capita and low rate of poverty.
Either as a holiday destination or a place to live in, Australia is one place that you just cannot ignore when we talk about the best countries on earth.
2. Denmark
Yet another small country but has so much to offer. The country whose capital city is Copenhagen is populated with just about 5.5 million Danes which have a Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy Government. The people of Denmark are avid nature lovers and unsurprisingly Denmark was the first country in the world to bring in the environmental law. Education is free and those aged 18 or above may apply for state educational support grants. Denmark has a universal healthcare system which runs with the help of taxes and not by social contributions, it is known worldwide for its generosity, it donates freely to nations who are in need.
Denmark, apart from its food and culture is known for its people. Other than being stalwarts, the great Danes are said to be the happiest people on earth, resulting in high life expectancy rate.
So if you want to be happy, you know where to head to!
3. Netherlands
Governed by a Unitary Parliamentary Representative Democracy under Constitutional government, Netherlands has two capitals one, The Hague, and the other, Amsterdam which is also the financial and business capital. Education in this country is compulsory between 4-16 years of age, while it is partially compulsory for 16-18 years of age. The nation has a maritime climate that brings in cool summers and mild winters.
The name of the country means ‘low country’, about half of the surface area is a little less than 1 metre above sea level. But that does not really take away the fact that Netherlands is one of the most beautiful countries on the face of earth.
Netherlands is a classic example for being a good economy; its trading and imports/exports; water management and for its tall people and their liberal nature. The world identifies Netherlands with flowers (especially tulips) ;windmills; canals; cheese(yum!) and not to forget ‘klompen’ (wooden shoes).
4. Sweden
Known for its timber an iron ore exports, Sweden is Europe’s third largest country. The largest and the capital city is Stockholm. Sweden has a temperate climate. The Government here is that of a Unitary Parliamentary Representative Democracy under Constitutional Monarchy. It is an export oriented mixed economy. Sweden is known for its high standard of living and low crime rate. Sweden finds its place in one of the top orders in life expectancy and potable drinking water.
A lot of importance is given to trade unions here that enforce workers’ rights and a good balance of work-live is prioritized, thus it is a common sight of seeing shops to pull down their shutters by 5 pm. If you’re an outdoor person who’s crazy about camping, hiking and picking berries, then Sweden is the place for you. The best part about this is that the Government has granted the right of public access to soak in the country’s nature.
Another interesting part, I bet you’re gonna love this, 480 days of paid parental leave is granted to parents. How cool is that?!
The country does not just have cold, dark wintry nights, but also has the same conditions prevailing during the day, that’s right! Sometimes there is no sunlight available to Swedes. By no sunlight, I mean zero hours of sunlight.
While people in Norway have sunlight at their disposal (irrespective of the time) during summers, I wonder how it is to go on for days without sunshine in Sweden.
5. Norway
Although a small country, Norway has a whole lot of things to offer. For one, it is ranked as one of the happiest countries to live in. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. The population of Norway is merely 5,063,709 which have a Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy type of Government. The nation has the credit of being the first independent country to introduce women’s suffrage. Also, based on its GDP, the country is counted among the richest countries of the world.
The Norwegian biodiversity boasts to be a real vast one. With just the insect species number running into thousands (16,000 species of insects alone are found in Norway) you can very well imagine the number of slightly higher evolved species. It’s not just that, Norway offers devastatingly gorgeous and startling views of landscapes and sceneries.
The Norwegian economy is a mixed one; also it is the world’s third largest producer of gas and the fifth largest producer of oil in the world. Thus contributing a 50% rise in the exports aspect.
We just cannot finish talking about Norway without discussing about Fjords. Fjords, probably the sole reason for travelers to visit because they offer a view which words just cannot describe. The people of Norway love being close to nature. A favorite sport among Norwegians is skiing, also a subject of national pride, skiing has been practiced on the Norwegian land for thousands of years.
The most common street food here is Waffles. Waffles-fermented dough that is cooked between two plates to give it a fancy shape is rolled in with sour cream and jam, giving it a dual taste.
One can’t praise Norway’s seafood enough, salmon; pickle herring and mackerel form a very important of the cuisine.
Ever thought of trying out something even wackier? Try Norway’s whale meat. People say it’s one to die for.
0 comments:
Post a Comment