What country is the best in the world?

How about an answer with some kind of "official" status behind it
rather than just 'opinion.?'

"For the sixth year in a row, Canada ranks first among 175 countries
in the United Nation's quality of life survey. The Human Development
Index (HDI) examines the health, education and wealth of each nation's
citizens by measuring:

life expectancy;

educational achievement -- adult literacy plus combined primary, 
secondary and tertiary enrolment; 

standard of living -- real GDP per capita based on PPP exchange rates. 

...

Canada has the best educated people and the highest literacy rate in
the world. Canadians live longer than anyone on the planet, except
people in Japan and Iceland."

http://www.english-vancouver.com/canada-human-development/ - From
Vancouver English Centre

The United Stated ranks third, after Norway.

Search - Google
Terms - the best country in the world in which to live

Cheers
Digsalot

---

Clarification of Answer by digsalot-ga on 23 Sep 2004 08:03 PDT

Hi jtk8-ga

Thanks for taking time to rate the answer.  Sorry I didn't come up
with anything new for you.

I also see that this is your first question.  As you can tell, we
kinda, sorta, have some fun as well as provide information.

You have fallen in with an "evil" crowd. < - attempt at humor

We certainly hope to see you back, both as a maker of comments and as
an asker of questions and look forward to being of service again.

Perhaps the next time we will find something new and wonderous for you.

Maybe we can become a country of our own???

Cheers
Digs

I looked that info up myself before hand. I appreciated everyones'
comments though,and I liked the comments from the well travelled.
Personal experience over surveys/resaerch please me. Thank you all!

Hmmmmmmmm ...... Yeah but if you've ever been to Canada (as I have
several times) you would know that it gets pretty damned cold in
winter with snow up to your rooftops ... Moreover, do they play
cricket? No, they do not!

Me? I've been everywhere and I can honestly swear that the UK is the
tops and - Hell - we've got millions of illegal immigrants who agree
with me.

What is more even Steph53-ga has now quit Canada for the US of A. Will
she ever return? Who knows?

Brian:

www.canadacricket.com

Hi probonopublico-ga,

I believe the species homo-canasapian have adapted well to their
surroundings.  Does snow to rooftop = day off work ?  Bargain.  Paid,
I hope.  And (I guess) you don't need a fridge for the beer.  I
suppose, the real down side, would be the expense of keeping mulled
wine on the go.  And maybe eating freeze dried, rather than wind
dried, meat.  And the loneliness of the long distance snow mobile
machine user.

I believe there's a version of cricket over there that you can play on
frozen lakes during the winter.  It's hazardous.  Last score I heard
was 305 out for 2 (2 life boat/ice skeeter guys).  The ice cracks a
bit when you hit the wicket.  You get a happy feeling when you do it,
but you might die.

Just my little addition ....

This is easy...despite its faults and problems, the USA is still the
greatest country in the world and I am so lucky to be living here!!

Most of Canada is very cold in winter, but the West Coast, especially
Victoria, BC, Canada has milder winters than anywhere in the British
Isles. Day time highs of 68 degrees f = 20 decrees c are not unusual
even in January.   Neil

I love the United States, but I do have a special place in my heart
for Canada, since that fine nation produced the very best husband I
have ever had.

One good way to gauge the desirability of a country is to look at how
many people want to move there:

"Canada absorbs more immigrants per capita than any other country." 

http://www.how2immigrate.net/canada/

Do I trust any 'Official Survey'? No I do not!

I trust my own instincts which say 'Yes there may be an oasis on the
West Coast, but there's a lot more to Canada than that'.

Take Calgary, you could be sweltering in the sun one minute, drenched
in rain the next. Just like England. But it ain't England.

Why do you suppose Pink's husband left? He probably went as far as he
could before his money ran out. I reckon there's a real story there if
someone could winkle it out.

And, of course, Steph53 has stayed uncharacteristically quiet. If
Canada's most prominent GaWoman can stay quiet when there's a heated
debate in progress about her own country ... Well, my case rests.

I do hope that Steph is OK ... Maybe she's been snowed in?

As regards cricket ... I wasn't talking about an insect or anything even tinier.

Finally, if Canada really were the best in the world, would we have
given it away? No, we would not! We would have transplanted our King,
Queen, Bishops, Knights and Castles, too.

Believe me.

One who knows.

Yes Probo - weather in Alberta can change very rapidly and for little
or no reason.  One day it was so hot on the Alberta plains that a
wagon load of popcorn blew up.

A cowboy riding nearby was caught in the falling popcorn, thought it
was snow, and froze to death.

Discussing the best country in the world reminds me of a wonderful old
song written by Malvina Reynolds and popularized by Pete Seeger:

There's a country in the Pyrenees,
It's an independent state.
They spent less than five dollars on armaments,
And I think they're really great!
They didn't invest in a Tommy gun,
Or a plane to sweep the skies:
They bought some blanks for cap pistols 
To shoot on their fourth of July.

Oh I wanna go to Andorra, Andorra, Andorra,
I wanna go to Andorra, it's a land that I adore.
They spent four dollars and ninety cents
On armaments for their defense.
Did you ever hear of such confidence?
Andorra, hip-hoorah!

Wow1, Digs, You really dug deep for the Alberta story but should it
not have been listed elsewhere?

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=401121

Wow2, Pink

Yes I have been to Andorra ... but I had no urge to stay long or to
ever to visit again. The only reason that they (allegedly) don't have
a Defence Budget is because no one would invade. Of course, they might
have a rethink now that Georgie has strapped on his shooting irons.

I suspect the song you quoted was just a cruel hoax. 

Oh I don't wanna go to Andorra, Andorra, Andorra,
I don't wanna go to Andorra, it's a land that I abhor.

If Steph53 doesn't say a kind word for Canada within the next 24
hours, it means that she agrees with me.

Hi Jtk8,

Great question. I guess we all like to think that our own country is
best. I bet you get to keep your $2, as there will be no agreed
answer.

Australia is known as the Lucky Country for many reasons. Lucky we
survived the droughts, lucky that we can laugh at ourselves and start
again. She offers all tastes of climates; she has the support of you
other lucky buggers with trade, defence and tourism; she speaks
English, yet has the luxury of vast multiculturalism. From this, we
have the world around every corner. Not a bad innings for a country
inhabited by immigrants only a couple of hundred years ago. Yeah, some
of us were convicts. Some still are.

I am not well travelled. However, I had the opportunity to visit
Johannesburg. Razor wire, brick walls, guard dogs, military police,
machine guns. A 2-door Mercedes Benz parked 5 doors down from a broken
down hovel. Inequity of opportunity. Every move had to be deliberate
and planned. Cautioned that "those 3" are waiting to mug you. A beggar
asking for 3 Rand. Thought it Christmas when I gave him 50. Then I
come home. I can go where I want, when I want. No razor wire here.

There is no such thing as an Australian restaurant. Else we would be
serving meat pies, lambs fry and bacon then mashed spuds followed by
bread and dripping. No need for an Aussie restaurant when I can count
2 Italian, 2 Chinese, 1 Vietnamese, 2 Thai and 2 Middle Eastern all on
the same street.

We must have employed a stutterer and a palindromist at one stage to
name our towns. Wagga Wagga and Gumly Gumly come to mind. Then ..
Tumut and Glenelg .. I'm sure there are others.

We measure distance in hours or beers, not miles nor kilometres. We
changed to decimal currency in 1966, but we still use "quid" and "bob"
in our language. As in: "to earn a quid" or "he's not worth two bob".

Then we changed to the Metric system. Metres (that's English for
meters) and tonnes are often converted in conversation to imperial
yards and tons. We just can't seem to let go. And we laugh about it.

Australia is the best country. I'm lucky to be here.

Phil

Thinking further about this ...

It is, of course, entirely subjective.

Many folk now quit the UK for France, Spain, Portugal, etc. usually
seeking 'a better quality of life', whatever that may mean. Often it
means they can get more house for their money and a lower cost of
living. Many are seduced by having had a great holiday experience that
they want to recapture for the rest of their lives. Often these
excursions end in tears. (Reportedly 93% of UK folk who've sold up and
moved to Spain return.)

At the other extreme are the illegal imigrants who envy our welfare
state and try to get here by fair means or foul. Who knows what misery
they have left behind?

I'm very lucky in having had the opportunity to go to many countries
but my heart is right here in the UK because it provides me with the
quality of life that I appreciate: great libraries, easy access to the
National Archives, some lovely bookshops (Yes there are still some
left) and lots of great friends. Also, my two daughters live nearby.

What more could a man wish for?

Oh, yes, and Daisy lives here too ... I don't think that she'd be
happy in Oklahoma for example. I reckon that she'd soon get bored
chasing all those cats.

Jtk8,

Looks like I lost my bet on you keeping your $2. As Probo said, "It's
subjective". That's why I don't consider any answer, with due respect
to Digsalot's answer, as being conducive to "best".

"Best" is, like most things, one's perception of the definition. To
me, it's a balance of the good and not so good to more closely match
our needs. I like heat and lots of space. You may prefer cooler climes
and busy interaction.

Two questions ..

Would anyone care to comment on the thought that we may one day have a
single governing power, focused mainly on food production globally,
regardless of our continent of origin?

What right do I have to use my shoreline as a border to inhibit anyone
from entering "my" comfort zone?

In thought, Phil

Hi, Phil

Interesting thought but it's an impossible job trying to run just one
country, who on earth could possibly run the World? Him upstairs seems
to have washed his hands on us.

And how would we choose a leader? And monitor elections? And share the
World's wealth? And eliminate discontent? You have already contrasted
your own experience of South Africa with Australia ... but how would
you reconcile the competing interests in the Middle East?

Here in the UK, we still have 'problems' in Northern Ireland ... if we
can't sort out those after years of trying, who can?

And look at the Chechen problem and that recent terrorist atrocity!

Now, if we could only turn the clock back 150 years or so when
everyone knew their place: bring back the horse and sailing ships;
outlaw the Internal Combustion Engine, Electrical Generation Equipment
and all Weapons of Mass or Minimal Destruction; only allow birds to
fly ...

Yes, it's got great possibilities ...

Back to the Land!

Sadly, Queen Victoria has passed away (Did you hear?) but I am sure
that a GREAT LEADER can be found ...

Shane Warne, perhaps? Or Olivia Newton John?

There must be somebody ... WOW! That would make a great question ...

All the Best

And many thanks to jtk8 for a thought provoking question.

Bryan

Well while there is a good arguement for Australia in my humble
opinion and it is largely SUBJECTIVE as those  who suggest USA or
Britain is best,  it cant be denied that on purely OBJECTIVE measures,
being-:  climate, wages, cost of living, education facilities, working
conditions, state of health/heath facilities, safety, crime rate etc
etc, my city MELBOURNE has  come up  No 1( the title actually being
WORLDS MOST LIVABLE CITY), a number of times in last few years ahead
of  a city in Canada and  then Vienna I think. Survey was
 commissioned and oversighted by either OECD or UN as I remember

G'day John and Bryan,

I admit that I'd have to agree with you John. You also have the best
roads in the country, thanks to Jeff. I would argue your point on
climate though. Unless of course you enjoy 4 seasons in the one day.
:)

Yep Bryan, you're right. I don't suggest that global governing would
be easy. I don't suggest that we aim for it either. What I see is a
point in time where there may be a simple choice. Either we work
together, or annihilate one another. If resources diminish at an
increasing rate, followed by another world war, might those of us who
remain learn to take another path? Then again, I guess idealism is
only found in the fiction section of the library.

Shane Warne as leader???? Yeah sure !! Maybe Mr.Bean could be Head of 
Intelligence too.

Olivia .. absolutely. She can stay at my place for her term of office.
Even longer if she wants. :)

My vote for a great leader would go to Robin Williams. We would be
rendered incapable of harm due to stomach cramps. Laughter would then
top the list as the greatest cause of death.

Phil

I'm baaack from the beautiful US of A !!!

Although I live in Canada and am considered a Canuck, my heart rests
in the United States. I lived in CA in the early '70's and my daughter
was born there.
Canada is ok but, as was previously mentioned, the country lets too
many illegal "immigrants" in. My concern only............

Steph53

i had heard that Assam in india hasd the best climate in the world
with comfortable temperatere and slight rain.but the problem is the
political in stablity and terrorism in that region

but after six years Canada isn't voted the best country, nor the
second one! First one, and voted the best country by UN 4 times in a
row, is Norway! Second one Austria.

Ireland was also just voted as the best country to live in, followed
by Norway and Luxenbourg and other Scandinavian countries.

The main problem with all americans, beeing from North or south, is
their low knowledge to other countries! Newsflash, there is something
called Europe, and Scandinavia, and all theese countries are always
within the first one in each ranking made.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/07/10/so_whats_the_best_country/

The best is Canada. The best in Canada is Albeta. The best in Alberta is Calgary.
SkGold.
http://www.allaboutcalgary.com/