10 Most Happy Countries Around the World

Top Ten of The World’s Most Happy Countries:

10. Sweden

SWEDEN – The 10th of The Most Happy Countries

Sweden is one of the most happy countries in world, situated in the north of Europe.Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Oresund.

Life satisfaction score: 7.3 (5th)
Employment rate: 73% (5th highest)
Self-reported good health: 79% (9th highest)
Employees working long hours: 1.28% (3rd lowest)
Disposable income: $26,633 (11th highest)
Educational attainment: 86% (9th highest)
Life expectancy: 81.5 years (7th highest)

9. Luxembourg

luxembourg – The 9th of The Most Happy Countries

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the north as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland (“good country”) in the south.

Living in the worlds richest country inevitably puts a smile on your face! This small landlocked European country has an army of 800 people (yes, 800). They don’t have a navy nor an air force but together with Belgium they can afford to own 1 military cargo plane. Beat that US!

According to the Guinness Book of World Records Luxembourg holds the world record as the country that consumes most alcohol in the world per citizen.

8. Canada

CANADA – The 8th of The Most Happy Countries

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Canada is the world’s second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the world’s longest land border.

Life satisfaction score: 7.4 (tied for 4th)
Employment rate: 72% (7th highest)
Self-reported good health: 88% (3rd highest)
Employees working long hours: 3.91% (11th highest)
Disposable income: $27,138 (8th highest)
Educational attainment: 88% (5th highest)
Life expectancy: 80.8 years (13th highest)

7. Australia

Australia – The 7th of The Most Happy Countries

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world’s sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.

Life satisfaction score: 7.4 (tied for 4th)
Employment rate: 72% (9th highest)
Self-reported good health: 85% (5th highest)
Employees working long hours:13.99% (4th highest)
Disposable income: $26,927 (9th highest)
Educational attainment: 71% (12th lowest)
Life expectancy: 81.8 years (5th highest)

6. Finland

Finland – The 6th of The Most Happy Countries

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.

Life satisfaction score: 7.4 (tied for 4th)
Employment rate: 68% (14th highest)
Self-reported good health: 68% (15th lowest)
Employees working long hours: 3.66% (8th highest)
Disposable income: $24,958 (14th highest)
Educational attainment: 82% (14th highest)
Life expectancy: 80.2 years (16th lowest)

5. Austria

Austria- The 5th of The Most Happy Countries

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.

Life satisfaction score: 7.5 (tied for 3rd)

Employment rate: 72% (8th highest)

Self-reported good health: 69% (17th lowest)

Employees working long hours: 9.02% (10th highest)

Disposable income: $27,541 (7th highest)

Educational attainment: 82% (13th highest)

Life expectancy: 80.7 (22nd lowest)

4. Switzerland

Switezrland – The 4th of The Most Happy Countries

Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in western Europe, where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.

Life satisfaction score: 7.5 (tied for 3rd)

Employment rate: 79% (1st highest)

Self-reported good health: 87% (4th highest)

Employees working long hours: 5.87% (17th highest)

Disposable income: $27,756 (5th most)

Educational attainment: 87% (8th highest)

Life expectancy: 82.6 (2nd highest)

3. Netherlands

Netherland – The 3rd of The Most Happy Countries

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces.

Life satisfaction score: 7.5 (tied for 3rd)

Employment rate: 75% (3rd highest)

Self-reported good health: 77% (11th highest)

Employees working long hours: 0.68% (2nd highest)

Disposable income: $25,740 (13th highest)

Educational attainment: 73% (15th lowest)

Life expectancy: 80.8 (14th highest)

2. Norway

Norway – The 2nd of The Most Happy Countries

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe.

Life satisfaction score: 7.6 (2nd)

Employment rate: 75% (4th highest)

Self-reported good health: 80% (8th highest)

Employees working long hours: 2.66% (5th highest)

Disposable income: $30,465 (5th highest)

Educational attainment: 81% (15th highest)

Life expectancy:81.2 (10th highest)

1. Denmark

Denmark – The topof The Most Happy Countries

Denmark , officially the Kingdom of Denmark , is a sovereign state in Northern Europe, with two additional overseas constituent countries also forming integral parts of the kingdom; the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. Denmark proper is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.

Life satisfaction score: 7.8 (1st)
Employment rate: 73% (6th highest)
Self-reported good health: 71% (17th highest)
Employees working long hours: 1.92% (4th highest)
Disposable income: $23,213 (15th lowest)
Educational attainment: 76% (18th lowest)
Life expectancy: 79.3 (11th lowest)

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Top 10 Oldest Universities Around the World

The word university is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, roughly meaning “community of teachers and scholars”. The term was coined by the Italian University of Bologna, which, with a traditional founding date of 1088, is considered the first university. The following list of ten oldest universities in the world shows, through their brief histories and trend.

Here is a list of the Top 10 oldest universities in the world which are in continuous operation.

10. University of Valladolid (Valladolid, Spain, Founded in 1241)

University of Valladolid, Salamanca, Spain and Canary Islands

The University of Valladolid is a public university in the city of Valladolid, province of Valladolid, in the autonomous region of Castile-Leon, Spain. The university currently has 31,780 undergraduate students and more than 2,000 teachers.

At 10th position among the oldest universities in the world, The University of Valladolid (UVa) is a Spanish public university founded in 1241 as removal of studies at the University of Palencia, founded by Alfonso VIII of Castile, between 1208 and 1212. He is currently responsible for teaching higher education in seven campuses distributed through four cities of Castile and Leon: Valladolid, Palencia, Soria and Segovia.

One hypothesis is that its foundation is the result of the transfer of Palencia General Survey between 1208 and 1241 by Alfonso VIII, king of Castile, and Bishop Tello Téllez de Meneses.

9. University of Siena (Siena, Italy, Founded in 1240)

University of Siena in Arezzo, Italy

The University of Siena in Siena, Tuscany is one of the oldest universities and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called Studium Senese, the University of Siena was founded in 1240. The University had around 20,000 students in 2006 nearly half of Siena’s total population of around 54,000. Today, the University of Siena is best known for its Schools of Law and Medicine.

Originally called Studium Senese, was founded by Commune of Siena in 1240. In 1321, the studium was able to attract a larger number or pupils due to a mass exodus from the prestigious neighbouring University of Bologna. Closed temporarily in 1808–1815 when Napoleonic forces occupied Tuscany. On November 7, 1990 the university celebrated its 750th anniversary.

8. University of Toulouse (Toulouse, France, Founded in 1229)

Université Toulouse 1 Capitole – The Oldest Universities

The Université de Toulouse is a consortium of French universities, grandes écoles and other institutions of higher education and research, named after one of the earliest universities established in Europe in 1229, and including the successor universities to that earlier university. This article describes the institutions that have been called the “Université de Toulouse”.

The formation of the University of Toulouse was imposed on Count Raymond VII as a part of the Treaty of Paris in 1229 ending the crusade against the Albigensians. As he was suspected of sympathizing with the heretics, Raymond VII had to finance the teaching of theology. Bishop Foulques de Toulouse was among the founders of the University. Among its first lecturers were: Jean de Garlande, Roland of Cremona. Other faculties (law, medicine) were added later. Initially, the University was located in the center of the city, together with the ancestors of student residences, the colleges.

7. University of Naples Federico II (Naples, Italy, Founded in 1224)

The University of Naples Federico II is maybe one of the the oldest universities

Founded by Frederick II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

The University of Naples Federico II is a university located in Naples, Italy. It was founded in 1224 and is organized into 13 faculties. It is the world’s oldest state university and one of the oldest academic institutions in continuous operation. The university is named after its founder Frederick II.

The University of Naples Federico II was founded by emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Frederick II on 5 June 1224. It is the most ancient state-supported institution of higher education and research in the world. One of the most famous students of this university was Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher Thomas Aquinas.

6. University of Padua (Padua, Italy, Founded in 1222)

University of Padua. Department of Structural and Transportation Engineering

Founded by scholars and professors after leaving Bologna.

The University of Padua (Italian Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second oldest in Italy. As of 2010 the university had approximately 65,000 students.

The university is conventionally said to have been founded in 1222 (which corresponds to the first time when the University is cited in a historical document as pre-existing, therefore it is quite certainly older) when a large group of students and professors left the University of Bologna in search of more academic freedom (‘Libertas scholastica’). The first subjects to be taught were law and theology. The curriculum expanded rapidly, and by 1399 the institution had divided in two: a Universitas Iuristarum for civil law and Canon law, and a Universitas Artistarum which taught astronomy, dialectic, philosophy, grammar, medicine, and rhetoric. There was also a Universitas Theologorum, established in 1373 by Urban V.

5. University of Salamanca (Salamanca, Spain, Founded in 1218)

The University of Salamanca, Spanish higher education institution

The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid, in the autonomous community of Castilla and León. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European university in continuous operations. It was the first European institution to receive the formal title of “University” as such; it was granted by King Alfonso X in 1254 and recognized by Pope Alexander IV in 1255.

It is the oldest university in operation in Spain. Although there are records of the University granting degrees many years before (James Trager’s People’s Chronology sets its foundation date in 1134), it only received the Royal chart of foundation as “Estudio General” in 1218, making it possibly the fourth or even the third oldest European university in continuous operations. However, it was the first European university to receive the title of “University” as such, granted by king of Castile and León Alfonso X and the Pope in 1254. Having been excluded from the University in 1852 by the Spanish government, the Faculties of Theology and Canon Law became the Pontifical University of Salamanca in 1940.

4. University of Cambridge (Cambridge, England, Founded in 1209)

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldestuniversities

Founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute caused by the execution of two scholars in 1209, and royal charter was granted in 1231. The university takes 1209 as its official anniversary.

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after the University of Oxford), and the seventh-oldest in the world. In post-nominals the university’s name is abbreviated as Cantab, a shortened form of Cantabrigiensis (an adjective derived from Cantabrigia, the Latinised form of Cambridge).

The university grew out of an association of Cambridge scholars that was formed in 1209, early records suggest, by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with townsfolk. The two “ancient universities” have many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge. In addition to cultural and practical associations as a historic part of British society, they have a long history of rivalry with each other.

3. University of Oxford (Oxford, England, Founded in 1167)

Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

“Claimed to be the oldest university in the world, there is no clear date of foundation of Oxford University, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.” Teaching suspended in 1209 (due to town execution of two scholars) and 1355 (due to the St. Scholastica riot), but was continuous during the English Civil War (1642–1651) – the University was Royalist. All Souls College and University College have repeatedly claimed that they own documents proving that teaching in Oxford started in the year 825, but these documents have never seen the public light (allegedly, John Speed dated his famous 1605 Oxford maps based on these documents). However, it was not until 1254 that Pope Innocent IV granted to Oxford the University charter by papal bull (“Querentes in agro”).

2. University of Paris (Paris, France, Founded in 1150)

The Old Sorbonne on fire in 1670.

It was founded in the mid-12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1170 (or, possibly, as early as 1150). After many changes, including a century of suspension (1793–1896), it ceased to exist as such in 1970 and 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII) were created from it. The university is often referred to as the Sorbonne or La Sorbonne after the collegiate institution (Collège de Sorbonne) founded about 1257 by Robert de Sorbon. In fact, the university as such was older and was never completely centered on the Sorbonne. Of the 13 current successor universities, the first 4 have a presence in the historical Sorbonne building, and three include “Sorbonne” in their names.

1. University of Bologna  (Bologna, Italy, Founded in 1088)

The College of Bologna, founded in 1088, may be the earliest academic institution from the Civilized world. At top the Oldest Universities

The first university in the sense of a higher-learning, degree-awarding institute, the word university having been coined at its foundation. At top of the list of ten oldest universities in the world which are in continuous operation.

The Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna is a university located in Bologna, Italy founded in 1088. As of 2000 the University’s motto is Alma mater studiorum (Latin for “nourishing mother of studies”) The University has about 100,000 students in its 23 schools. It has branch centers in Imola, Ravenna, Forlì, Cesena and Rimini and a branch center abroad in Buenos Aires. Moreover, it has a school of excellence named Collegio Superiore di Bologna.

The date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088. The university received a charter from Frederick I Barbarossa in 1158, but in the 19th century, a committee of historians led by Giosuè Carducci traced the founding of the University back to 1088, which would make it one of the oldest universities in the world.

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10 Most Famous Cultural Monuments Around the World

A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture.

Everybody knows the most famous cultural monuments in the world, Anyhow, here you will find some if not all most famous monuments around the world as well as some not everybody knows. Each of these cultural icons is a symbol with various meanings, it may represent an epoch, an area, a belief, a culture, a country or a city. Below is a top 10 list of most Famous Cultural monuments in the world.

Top 10 Most Famous Cultural Monuments Around the World

1. The Kaaba (Masjid al-Haram) 

World’s Most Famous Cultural Monuments

The Kaaba (Masjid al-Haram) is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam, oldest and top the most Famous Cultural monuments in the world. The Quran states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), and his son Ishmael (Ismaeel in Arabic), after the latter had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qiblah.

One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so. Multiple parts of the Hajj require pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from above). This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). However, the most dramatic times are during the Hajj, when about 6 million pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.

2. The Taj Mahal 

Taj Mahal “crown of palaces”, world heritage site is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh,  India, seen from the banks of Yamuna river, with Mihman Khana or assembly hall (left) and Taj Mahal mosque (right), the two almost identical buildings on either side. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.It coveres area about 221 hectare (552 Acres) which include 38 hectare taj mahal and 183 hectare taj protected forest are. This world’s most Famous Cultural Monuments is also one of thewonders of the world.

3. The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.

Famous Cultural Monuments

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger, stronger, and unified are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, enhanced; the majority of the existing wall was reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty. One of the most Famous Cultural Monuments and Wonders of the world.

5. Angkor Thom (Big Angkor)

Angkor Thom is a 3km2 walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the Angkorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Baphuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them, adding the outer wall/moat and some of Angkor’s greatest temples including his state-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are five entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant faces. The South Gate is often the first stop on a tour.

6. The Acropolis hill

The Acropolis hill, so called the “Sacred Rock” of Athens, is the most important site of the city and constitutes one of the most recognizable monuments of the world. It is the most significant reference point of ancient Greek culture, as well as the symbol of the city of Athens itself as it represent the apogee of artistic development in the 5th century BC. During Perikles’ Golden Age, ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.

7. The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Republic of China (ROC).
The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square. The structure is framed on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall.

8. The Potala Palace

Famous Cultural Monuments

The Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical abode of Chenresig or Avalokitesvara. The Potala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India, during the 1959 Tibetan uprising.

Lozang Gyatso, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the Potala Palace in 1645 after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (d. 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between Drepung and Sera monasteries and the old city of Lhasa. It may overlay the remains of an earlier fortress, called the White or Red Palace, on the site built by Songtsen Gampo in 637. Today, the Potala Palace is a museum.

9. Liberty Enlightening the World 

Famous Cultural Monuments

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.

10. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Most Famous Cultural Monuments

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.

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