The Happiest Place on Earth: Denmark

Adrian White, an analytical social psychologist at the University of Leicester in central England, has discovered the happiest place on Earth...Denmark. Close behind Denmark comes Switzerland, Austria, Iceland and the Bahamas. His research is based on data from 178 countries and 100 global studies from the United Nations and the World Heatlh Organization, excluding countries involved in conflicts, such as Iraq.

The British scientist stated that the results were dependant upon many factors, including the person's surroundings. "We're looking much more at whether you are satisfied with your life in general," White said. Calling his work the "first world map of happiness," White's factors taken into account were whether people were satisfied with their situation and environment, specifically healthcare, wealth and education.

The U.S. is 23rd, Britain falls into 41st place, Germany 35th and France 62nd. Last on the list is the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Burundi, Africa.

Also coming into play was the size and geography of the country. "Smaller countries tend to be a little happier because there is a stronger sense of collectivism and then you also have the aesthetic qualities of a country," White said.

White continued to say how the sense of community wasn't always a given. "We were surprised to see countries in Asia scoring so low, with China 82nd, Japan 90th, and India 125th. These are countries that are thought as having a strong sense of collective identity which other researchers have associated with well-being."

White conceded that the happiness study wasn't an exact science, but stood behind the methods used in predicting health and welfare results. Worldwide scientific studies using the same tests would grant researchers the ability to better understand the issues affecting happiness. White said he hoped every country would continue biannual checks in the future.