The highest number of divorces is in the Maldives, the most generous people are in Myanmar, and the most responsive are in New Zealand. Gazeta.Ru has gathered the most unexpected facts about countries that few have visited. Let's find out how people live on other ends of the world.
South Korea: the fastest internet
In South Korea, people who cannot imagine their lives without the internet will feel even more comfortable than in their own apartment next to a Wi-Fi router. The internet here "flies" at a breakneck speed even outdoors.
According to an Opel Signal report, 4G network covers 95.7% of the entire country. In terms of speed, South Korea has surpassed Hong Kong and Japan.
Maldives: the highest number of divorces
Newlyweds usually go to the paradise islands of the Indian Ocean for their honeymoon. But as paradoxical as it may sound, it is this quiet corner with luxurious bungalows promising newlyweds a sweet life, at least for the duration of their vacation, that leads in divorces.
The divorce rate here is 10.97. Due to the high number of divorces, the Maldives even made it into the Guinness Book of Records.
The UN calculated that the average female resident of the country under 30 has already been divorced three times. What causes this remains a matter of speculation. According to one version, divorces are linked to the state religion of the country – Islam: because of the ban on sex before marriage, young people marry at an early age and often make a mistake in choosing a partner, while getting a divorce is relatively easy.
New Zealand: the most sociable people
New Zealand is famous not only for its green landscapes, among which the filming of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy took place. It is also home to the most sociable people. Sociologists from the Legatum research bureau came to these results after calculating the prosperity index. The study involves all countries of the world, which are evaluated in 100 categories: personal relationships, participation in community life, support for communication on social networks.
The top three also included Australia and Canada – there also live the most responsive and kind people. By the way, according to the annual Travel Awards survey (which involved 70 thousand people), New Zealand is considered the best country in the world.
Myanmar: the most generous people
Poor Myanmar turned out to be the most generous country in the world. According to last year's studies of the World Giving Index (WGI), 91% of Myanmar residents donated money to those in need, 62% helped strangers on the street, and 55% said they volunteered.
It is assumed that such results are related to the state religion of Myanmar: followers of Buddhism try to actively help those who lead a monastic lifestyle. It will count!
Bangladesh: the highest number of vegetarians
The number of vegetarians in Bangladesh is simply off the charts – here meat is eaten less than in all other countries of the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the average resident of Bangladesh consumes only 4 kg of meat per year.
One might assume that religion is again the reason, but no: Islam, which is practiced by 89.5% of the country's population, does not prohibit eating meat.
Suriname: the largest forest area
Nature lovers, and especially forest enthusiasts, should definitely go to Suriname. 95% of the country's area is covered by forests, according to open data from the World Bank.
The top five natural landscapes also include Micronesia (92%), the Seychelles, Samoa, and Palau with 88%.
Venezuela: the cheapest gasoline
In Venezuela, a liter of gasoline costs only $0.01. The data was published on the fuel analytics website globalpetrolprices.com. Recall that this is only 1% of the global average, which is $0.97.
And the country has produced as many as six Miss World winners, surpassing the UK, India, and the USA. So it can be assumed that the country is also home to the most beautiful girls in the world.
Costa Rica: the happiest people
To search for happiness, one should definitely go to Costa Rica. The World Happiness Index shows that the most life-loving people live here. This fact becomes especially interesting considering that traditionally the most prosperous countries are considered to be Switzerland, Denmark, and Australia. They ranked 24th, 32nd, and 105th respectively in the ranking.
Costa Rica has held its position for the second year in a row, ahead of Mexico and Colombia.
Mexico: the most hardworking people
Mexicans work the hardest in the world. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the average citizen works 43.2 hours per week. If we consider a five-day work week, the working day lasts almost 9 hours without a lunch break.
In addition, Mexico has the fewest official holidays – only 7 per year.
Iceland: the most feminist country
Iceland is currently experiencing a surge in gender equality. The data was published in a report assessing 145 countries on gender equality issues. Norway and Finland came in second and third place.
Iceland also leads in electricity consumption per capita, and is also considered one of the largest "producers" of carbon dioxide.