Norway Ranked Best Country to Live In

OSLO, Norway — The United Nations ranked Norway as the world's best nation to live in for a sixth consecutive year, prompting aid minister to tell Norwegians to stop whining about wanting more.

Oil-rich Norway, with its generous welfare state, topped the U.N. Development Program's human development index, based on such things as life expectancy, education and income. Iceland was No. 2, followed by Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, Japan and the United States.

Despite wealth, high levels of education, low unemployment, and an economic boom, Norwegians often complain of high taxes and of weaknesses in their cradle-to-grave welfare state, such as waiting lists at hospitals, and a shortage of public care for both children and the elderly.

"There are unsolved problems in Norway, but let us battle this culture of whining, and look at the future with optimism," Aid Minister Erik Solheim was quoted as saying in an interview with the Norwegian news agency NTB.

According to the study, Norwegians earn 40 times more than the studies lowest ranked country, Niger, live almost twice as long and have nearly five times the literary rate.

Solheim said instead of complaining, Norwegians should work on solving those problems, and to share their wealth with poorer countries. Norway is already one of the world's most generous foreign aid donors per capita, giving nearly 1 percent of its gross national product.

"The top place should make us show humility," said Solheim in the NTB interview. "Norway should be seen as a modern, rich and successful society, but should also be seen as a generous country. The world must see us as rich and generous, not rich and miserly."

Norway, a nation of 4.6 million people, is the world's third largest oil exporter, after Saudi Arabia.

The five countries with the lowest scores were Guinea-Bissau in 173rd place, Burkina Faso as 174, Mali as 175, Sierra Leone as 176, and Niger 177. The report was not able to rank 17 countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, because there was insufficient data.

The Kid Rasta 8)

 

I actually know a brotha, this was around '98, who worked as a waiter at a TGIF around my way. One of the restaraunt waitresses was Norwegian. This brotha and this waitress dated for a few months then she went back home to Norway. They kept in touch.

This guy used to tell everyone who would listen that he was going to Norway to join his girl. Now as for her parents, not only did they approve...but her father apparently had lots of money. Her father wanted this guy to come to Norway and said he would have a cushy job waiting for him. Coworkers were skeptical. The guy was straight hood and had never really traveled. And nobody had heard of a black man going to Norway.

So this guy continues to work his shift, then one day he's gone. His coworkers thought he'd quit, but later learned he'd gone to Norway. I'm not sure but I think they are married now.

One thing is for certain, that brotha hasn't been seen around these parts since.

 

Interesting story. Actually, I've rolled thru Norway. Rather expensive. Beautiful, clean country. The women are hott...and they show a bruh lots of love.

The Kid Rasta 8)

 

Tell me I'm dreamin' here. Really. This is some of kind of fascinating ass article, and shaft2k4's story took the cake.

 

Nevermind. Maybe I'll just go live in Norway someday, but then again, I'll have to decide between Norway, and other nations in the world that also interest me.

 

Shaft gotta say that's a good story. I don't doubt that it's true. That brotha got it made. Hope he's happy up there. I'm not a fan of cold weather otherwise maybe I'd move there for a stretch if I didn't have anything keeping me tied here in the States.

 

I think he's probably doing well. I wouldn't mind following up on him out of curiosity, but the guy wasn't actually a friend of mine. I met him through one of TGIF's bartenders who I went to school with. A brother dating a fine ass Norwegian girl definately was THE topic around there. I think some of the "haters" still wake up screaming in the middle of the night about that one.

 

An interesting note about that particular restaraunt, S.G. is that although it's located in NYC, most of the staff was non local. You had young people from all over the States and abroad coming to work there. Many of them didn't really need the money, I think they just wanted the experience of living in NY for a while and exploring their independence. The local employees were the ones who were usually broke.

Then you had the sleazy management who had their own "selection" process to ensure the waitresses all looked like models. And if they knew their way around a restaraunt then that was an added bonus.

I wish I could find a way to put into words the racial dynamic that permeated the place. There were a few black people and "mixed" people, along with wasps and Foriegners all under one roof. It all made for a very interesting laboratory.

 

LOL...

 

I visited Norway myself a year ago. I enjoyed Oslo and yes it is definatly expensive but if you know someone and have the fortunate opportunity of dating a Norwegian girl,price is no object.

 

What this thread needs is some hot Norwegian women in it.

 

I've only being to Oslo once; i think 2002 it was.

 

Yes this thread and website needs more Norwegian women. Scandinavia is fantastic.

 

Shaft, hook up with that brother in Norway and ask him which norwegian website the women or the brothers go to?

 

Good ideas, Soulthinker.

 

I keep in touch with one of his former coworkers. I'll ask if he can put me in contact.

It may be a longshot, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

 

I look foward to it Shaft. Also I don't care if the site is in Norwegian.

 

Sorry, Soul. I asked. It seems he hasn't been heard from in years.


I suppose he's still over there doing his thing.

 

I'm disapointed. However, there is one more dice to play. Shaft,can you find his name and his girlfriend's name on http://www.google.no ? If he is not there then we tried.