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USNationalParks

Living in the world's most

reputable countries
What people believe about a country can inuence everything from foreign policy to foreign investment to
whether or not people want to visit or live there.

ByLindseyGalloway
3August2016

Whatwebelieveaboutaplacecanoftenbemorepowerfulthanthehardfacts.Acountry'sreputationcan
influenceeverythingfromforeignpolicytoforeigninvestmenttowhetherornotpeoplewanttovisitorlive
there.
OnerecentstudybytheReputationInstitute,aconsultantandadvisoryfirmspecializinginreputation,
soughttoquantifytheideaofthemostwellthoughtofcountries.Theymeasured16differentfactors
includingbeingabeautifulandsafeplacetovisit,andhavingfriendlyandwelcomingresidents,progressive
policiesandaneffectivegovernmentviaanonlinesurveywithmorethan48,000residentsintheG8
countries,representingtheworldseightleadingindustrializednations.The55countriesratedaspartofthe
surveyincludethosewiththelargestGDPs,largestpopulations,andcountrieswithrelevantevents.
Tofindoutifthereputationmatcheduptothefacts,wetalkedtoresidentsandexpatslivinginthetopfive
reputablecountries.
Sweden
Newlyrankedasthemostreputablecountryintheworld(knockingoutCanada),Swedenhitsallthemarks
ofbeingsafe,welcomingandbeautiful,accordingtoitsresidents.ThecountyisalsouniqueinWestern
Europe,havingbeensparedfrommuchoftheimpactofWorldWarIIandremainingneutraltoday.

SwedenrecentlypassedCanadaasthemostreputablecountryintheworld(Credit:MichelSetboun/Getty)

"Swedesseemtobehappywiththisindependentstatus,whileatthesametimebeingoneofthemost
welcomingcountriesforrefugeesinallofEurope,"saidDrErnestAdams,anAmericanbornBritishcitizen
wholivesinSwedenparttimeasaconsultantandaseniorlectureratUppsalaUniversity."Thisisavirtue
theyhavehadforalongtimetheysavedalmostallofDenmark'sJewsduringthewar."
MostexpatsliveinStockholmwherethebusinessandgovernmenthubsarelocated.Englishiscommonly
spoken,thoughsomeexpatsinitiallyfeelthatresidentscanbestandoffish.
"Butafterbeinghereawhile,youbegintorealisethatpeopleliketokeepthemselvestothemselvesand
theyaffordthatrespecttootherstoo,forbetterorworse,"saidKatTrigarszky,currentresidentandauthorof
anAnEnglishMammainStockholm."It'squiteusualnottoknowyourneighboursatallwell."
Entertainmentandluxuryitemscanbequiteexpensiveinthecity(VATis25%,andresidentsregularly
complainaboutthehighpriceofalcohol,whichaveragesaround130kronaacocktail).Still,manySwedes
cookathome,andsaveoncarcostsbyusingthecountry'svastandaffordablepublictransportation
network.
Canada
Despitedroppingtosecondonthelist,Canadiansspeakmorepositivelythaneverabouttheirhome
country,especiallyasthegovernmentcontinuesan"armswideopen"approachtoSyrianrefugees.
"There'sanationalconcerntoensurethatthosewhohavesufferedsomuchcanrebuildthelivesthey
deserve,"saidJeremyArnold,anativeandfrequentQuoraauthoronlifeinCanada."Theaverage
Canadianisdefinedbytheirzealtoseeourinclusiveandcommunalwayoflifeprotected.Weloveseeing
thevideosofSyrianimmigrantsenjoyingtheirfirstCanadaDay."

PeoplerelaxonabeachwithaviewofthedowntownVancouverskyline(Credit:DavidPearson/Alamy)

Canadaalsoscoreshighforbeingoneoftheworldssafestcountries.Thatdoesn'tmeanit'swithoutits
problems."Itisn'tautopia.Wehavecrime.Wehavegangs,"Arnoldexplained."Butwealsohaveastrong
socialsafetynetandasharedcommitmenttovalueslikemutualrespectandjoyfulmulticulturalism."
AlmostallCanadianresidentsliveincitiesthatarewithin100milesoftheUSborder,makingitespecially
easyforAmericanexpatstocomeandgo."Wealsohavefairlyopenvisapoliciesformembercountriesof
theCommonwealthofNations,"Arnoldsaid.VancouverandTorontoareperennialfavouriteexpatspots,
butmanychoosetolivenearfriendsandfamilyorwherepreviousgenerationsofacountry'sexpatshave
settled.
WhilebothVancouverandTorontoareexpensivecitiesrelativetoworldprices,Canadaingeneralis
relativelyaffordablecomparedtomanyotherdevelopedcountries.Eventhebigcitiescanbenavigated
affordablybylivingalittlefurtherawayfrommainamenities,saidArnold.
Switzerland
Whilenaturalbeautymaybeamatterofluck,factorslikefriendlyresidentsandprogressivepoliciescome
downtoacountry'swealthandculture,bothofwhichSwitzerlandhasinspades,explainedJasonLi,who
livedinSwitzerlandforthreeyearsandnowlivesinCanberra,Australia.
"ItsneedlesstosaythatSwitzerlandisawealthycountry.Ithasalongtraditionoforganizedhospitalityever
sincethedaysofthegrandtoursoftheEnglisharistocracyandThomasCooksfirstorganizedtoursofthe
countryin1841,"hesaid."TwentypercentofSwissresidentsareexpats,andtourismisasignificant
industry,sothosewhoworkinhospitalityandtourismareaccustomedtodealingwithforeigners."

PeoplegatheronalawnintheSwissuniversitytownofLausanne(Credit:Hemis/Alamy)

WhilemanyexpatsendupinbusinesscentreslikeGeneva,BaselandZurich,Lifoundhimselfpartialto
Lausanne,locatedin60kmeastofGeneva.
"UnlikeZurichorGeneva,itisuniversitytownthatisnotdominatedbyindustry,"saidLi."Studentsfrom
UNIL[UniversitdeLausanne]andEPFL[colePolytechniqueFdraledeLausanne]providethe
energyandthrust,andithasoneofthebestnightlifescenesinSwitzerland."
DespiteZurichbeingconsistentlyrankedasoneoftheworld'smostexpensivecountries,residentswho
enjoyaSwisssalaryfinditmanageable,sincethereisrentcontrolanduniversalhealthcare.
Australia
Thelanddownunderislovedbyresidentsforitsfeelingsofsafety,securityandpeacefulness,drivenin
somepartbythecountry'sstanceonfirearms.
"Australiabannedgunsfewdecadesback,whichmeansthatgunviolenceisminimal,"saidGanesh
Krishnan,originallyfromIndiawhocurrentlylivesinMelbourne."HereinMelbournewecanbeassuredthat
wecanwalkfreeoffearanytime,nightorday,onthestreets."

Melbournehasbeenrankedasoneoftheworld'smostliveablecities(Credit:DavidHannah/Getty)

RetiredUSNavysailorPedroVasquezfeelssimilarlyfromhisthreeyearsstationedinCanberra,praising
theillegalityoffirearms."Thisisveryimportanttomebecauseassomeonethatvalueslife,Idonotwantto
putmineatrisk,"hesaid."IalsolikethatAustralianscaresomuchabouttheenvironmentandaboutanimal
welfare.Ofcourse,ithelpsthatAustraliansaresuchafriendlybunch."
Melbournehasbeenrankedasoneoftheworld'smostliveablecities,largelyduetoitsextensivepublic
transportationsystemthatcoversthecityandmuchofthesuburbs.FamilyfriendlyPerthandeconomichub
Sydneyalsotypicallytopthelistofcitiesthatattractexpatsfromaroundtheworld.
Thecountrytendstobeveryaffordabletolive,withuniversalandhighqualityhealthcareandgovernment
fundedtertiaryeducation.
Norway
Asasafeandsceniccountry,Norwaymorethanlivesuptoitsreputationaccordingtoresidents.
"TheprejudicesaboutNorwayarealltrue:thepeoplearebeautiful,genderequalityisanchoredindailylife
andthenaturalsceneryisbreathtaking,"saidBarbaraSchwendtner,anOsloresidentfromAustria,anda
guideforYourLocalCousin,atravelstartupthatmatchestravellerswithlocals.Norwayisalsoarich
country,andisbothinvestingoilmoneyindevelopmentandsavinginfundsforfuturegenerations.

PeopleenjoyfreshairatanoutdoorcafeinOslo(Credit:Maremagnum/Getty)

Expatsalsofitinhereeasilyresidentsdon'treallydistinguishbetweenlocalsandthosewho'vemovedfrom
abroad.MostresidentschoosetoliveinOslo,whichisnotaverybigcity,soactivitiesusuallycongregate
aroundthecitycentre.
Nomatterwheretheylive,Norwegiansspendplentyoftimeinthefreshair."Norwegiansarecrazyabout
theoutdoors!"Schwendtnersaid."Theylovetobeoutside,gocrosscountryskiinginwinterandhikingin
summer.Theactivitylevelofthepopulationisextremelyhigh,withgymmembershipsoftenofferedto
employees."
Thatlovefortheoutdoorscanbeagoodthing,especiallyasotheractivitiescanbequiteexpensive."While
onecandineoutseveraltimesaweekinothercountries,thesamelifestyleiscertainlynotrecommendedin
Norway,"Schwendtnersaid."Naturally,peopletrytofindleisureactivitiesforlessmoney,suchastrainingor
enjoyingnature."

Norwegiansenjoytheoutdoorsyearround,nomatterwhattheseason(Credit:robertharding/Alamy)

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