CBS Television's 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer first reported in February 2008, the main scientific survey of international happiness carried out by Leicester University in England ranks the U.S. a distant 23rd, well behind Canada and Costa Rica.

Safer reported "Over the past 30 years, in survey after survey, this nation of five and a half million people, the land that produced Hans Christian Andersen, the people who consume herring by the ton, consistently beat the rest of the world in the happiness stakes. "

According to Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at Leicester who developed the first "World Map of Happiness," Denmark is the happiest nation in the world.

White's research used a battery of statistical data, plus the subjective responses of 80,000 people worldwide, to map out well-being across 178 countries. Denmark and five other European countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland, came out in the top 10, while Zimbabwe and Burundi pulled up the bottom.

Why are Danes's so happy? There's a high level of education; public schools are top-quality and private ones are affordable. The low population gives the nation a strong sense of identity. And Denmark's physical beauty forms a great backdrop to daily life.

Learn More about Denmark
Business in Denmark
Business Etiquette in Denmark
The Economist ranks Denmark most peaceful country in Europe.
Global Information Technology Report on Denmark (2007-08)
Top Tourist Attractions in Denmark
20 Largest Cities in Denmark