Germany came out winning from a research project of more than 60 countries to see which was the best country in the world, reported usatoday.com.
Canada, USA and England follow up right behind. Sustainability, adventure, cultural influence, entrepreneurship and economic influence were key factors.
“Germany has this structured, organized way of dealing with things,” said Berit Gatoloai, a senior majoring in graphic design and peace building from Germany. “Having grown up in Germany I have the knowledge of how things can work best.
“‘Work best’ got down to a healthy balance of security, education and level of living.
“[Germans] are this really hard working people but also know how to relax, working hard Monday through Friday and then relax the weekends and go on vacations for four of five weeks a year. They have a pretty balanced lifestyle. Usually we don’t work longer than 5 p.m.”
Gatoloai added that the system in Germany works pretty well because people are invested in their jobs. She said, “People have respect towards the police and simply love the order of a clean system which they uphold.”
“Most people think Canada is a war-free country,” said Benjamin Charles Wilson, a sophomore majoring in accounting and business finance from Canada, the country that scored second place. “No wars have taken place in Canada, although it has participated in wars. But is not like a big deal like the United States or Germany of the Middle East.”
Wilson remembered never having to worry about locking doors as a child. However, he said that has changed in Canada recently. He said his homeland is a positive melting pot where lots of different cultures are represented, especially in the cities of Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
Although the study yielded mostly western developed nations among the top, many other countries scoring lower in the list show significant standards of living. Mexico is attractive because of the rich tourism, said Alejandra Mena from Mexico, a freshman majoring in elementary education and TESOL.
“We have a lot of wonderful tours. We are good cooks and we try to be super nice to help the visitors as much as we can.”
She said she considers the media’s image of Mexico, especially in regards to the border it shares with the United States, as very different from the country’s ambiance in general.
Gatoloai saw the problem in the lower scoring countries, such as South America and Africa, in their phase of development. “We wouldn’t have the same luxury there. When I traveled to South America I totally love it from the people’s perspective. They are amazing, open, warm, kind and happy. But I wouldn’t live there for my children to grow up because of the education. The education wouldn’t be recognized anywhere else than in South America. Also the health system isn’t really developed there.”
The general image of corruption and violence in South America is mostly false, said Mena. “When I served my mission in Santiago, Chile, I would say that it is a pretty safe country. My companion and I used to run every morning at five o’clock. Nothing ever happened to us. The fact that two ladies can go out of their house and run in the middle of the park shows it is really secure.”
Gatoloai said, “What I would say makes a country attractive is the health system and the school system. [In Germany] everything is included. You receive a very good school and the education is highly accepted pretty much everywhere in the world. When you go to the dentist, you only pay a very little part of it. In my three years here I haven’t gone to the dentist once because I can’t afford to pay for the stuff here. I cannot pay tuition, and housing and safety too.”
Mena concluded, “All countries are beautiful. Each of them has their own characteristics.”