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Danes declared happiest people on earth: study

Crowds waving Danish flags gather during the official reception to celebrate Queen Margarethe II of Denmark's 40 years on the throne at City Hall on January 14, 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Chris Jackson/WireImage).
Crowds waving Danish flags gather during the official reception to celebrate Queen Margarethe II of Denmark's 40 years on the throne at City Hall on January 14, 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Chris Jackson/WireImage).

COPENHAGEN – Denmark, perhaps better known for its fictional, suicide-agonizing prince Hamlet and fierce marauding Vikings than being a nation of the happiest people, has just won that very accolade. Again.

The United Nations has made it official: It found Danes to be the happiest people on Earth, in a study of 156 countries.

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Knud Christensen, a 39-year-old social worker, knows one reason why his compatriots are laid-back – they feel secure in a country with few natural disasters, little corruption and a near absence of drastic events.

“We have no worries,” Christensen said smiling, as he stood on a Copenhagen street near the capital’s City Hall. “And if we do worry, it’s about the weather. Will it rain today, or remain grey or will it be cold?”

Canada was listed in sixth place, behind Switzerland in second spot, Iceland, Norway and Finland.

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– With files from The Canadian Press

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