In this celebratory season when most try to spread peace and good-will, I’m focused on disputes.  Go figure.

A couple of weeks ago I happened upon something called Territories and other external sub-national regions of the world (johnstonsarchive.net/other/count2b). Compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston and last updated in November of this year, it lists 17 troubled places in the world that are currently “disputed”. Two are apparently wanted by no one, and I’ve previously written about part of Antarctica & the Bir Tawil Triangle, the only areas on the entire planet that are completely unclaimed.

A maphead like Ken Jennings,when I first studied them, I realized that I knew only two of the 17 disputed territories somewhat well-Turkish Cyprus & South Ossetia.  The others I had zero knowledge about.

South Ossetia made international news in spring, 2012.   Russia recognizes its independence as a nation.  South Ossetia’s president, in fact, is a former KGB official.  The problem?  It’s within Georgia’s borders.  Trouble ahead.

The northern third of the island of Cyprus is claimed by Turkey.  However, only Turkey accepts this.    The international community of nations considers it occupied territory, hence disputed.   Among other considerations for travelers since it isn’t recognized, all flights, even charters, must first touch down in Turkey before proceeding on to Northern Turkey.  Since the International Air Transport Association doesn’t quite recognize it, it has an airport code, ECN for Ercan International Airport (ECN), but it’s not officially listed.   Ruth & I have a good friend who was born on Cyprus and goes back as often as she can.  For what it’s worth, Jane, who is well-traveled, considers Cyprus her favorite travel destination.  Trouble ahead.

Four Antarctic claims–Argentina’s, Australia’s, Great Britain’s, and Chile’s–are listed as disputed.  When I have relevant facts, I’ll report on this.

The other 12 disputed areas include 7 places where no one lives–Adelie Land, Ashmore & Cartier Islands, the Paracel Islands, Peter I Island, Queen Maud Land, Ross Dependency, and the Spratly Islands.  Part of Antarctica, Adelie is claimed by France, but most countries have not recognized its claim.  Ashmore is a reef administered by Australia that has no permanent dry land area.  Cartier has only offshore anchorage.  The Paracels are a bunch of islands almost exactly between Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China.  Both claim sovereignty.  Oil reserves and fishing rights are unsettled.  Trouble ahead.

The remaining 5 disputed places–Western Sahara, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabahk, Transnistria, and South Ossetia–are home to almost 1,500,000 people.  Abkhazia sees itself as an independent state on the east coast of the Black Sea.  However, only 6 nations, like Vanuatu, recognize it.  The rest of the world considers it part of Georgia.  Trouble ahead.

So, what is a seasonal connection?  Christmas is at least partially a time of love that erases a year of disputes and misunderstandings with a heartfelt gift exchange and lots of cookies.  So, Merry Christmas out there.  Now, like me, go into the kitchen and enjoy an oatmeal, pecan, and raisin cookie, or your seasonal favorite.

Hank

Yesterday I read a Gallup Inc. poll that supposedly measured national happiness.  Gallup contacted 1,000 people in 148 countries and asked them a series of questions like, “Did you laugh or smile a lot yesterday?”

According to the results, Panama is the happiest country in the world.  It’s followed by 7 other Spanish speaking countries like Costa Rica, said to be a pretty happy place by everyone I know who has been there, and Guatemala. Guatemala?  I have a friend who lived there for a couple of years, never felt safe, and couldn’t wait to leave.  So, why do you suppose that 8 of the ten happiest countries, including the world’s happiest, are in Central and South America?  Maybe the poll taker didn’t speak Spanish and confused triste and feliz.

There’s only one English-speaking country in Gallup’s top ten–Trinidad/Tobago.  The only people I’ve met from there were men and women who had left to better themselves, and none of them were smiling a lot.  In fact, one lady on her way back to Trinidad was really unhappy that she had to go.

Thailand ranks 5th happiest.   Within one minute of reading this I found a news release from the Australian Government dated November, 2012, that said if traveling there, “exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand due to the threat of terrorist attack….”  It listed 4 particularly dangerous provinces. travel.state.gov expressed concern too and concluded, “The political environment in Thailand remains beset by deep political divisions.”  I don’t think I’ll be heading there to check out the Thai’s 83% happiness index.  I suppose political revolution can cause laughter, but isn’t that after the fighting stops?

Gallup’s saddest countries include some understandable ones–Iraq, Yemen, and Belarus.  I postponed a trip to Belarus this year out of fear.  But the saddest place in the world according to Gallup is Singapore, the country with the world’s highest percentage of millionaires.  Draw your own conclusion.

Also on the sad list is Lithuania, one of my favorite destinations.  I have noticed a certain amount of angst among its citizens.  After all, anyone there under the age of 22 lived under harsh communism, and its neighbors include Belarus.

I quickly found another 2012 happiness poll conducted by The Los Angeles Times.  Its 10 happiest nations were totally different from Gallup’s.  Totally. According to The Times, Denmark is the world’s happiest country.  On its website 48 people have commented so far.  Reading their words made me happy in that I smiled or laughed.   Mark Stanley said, “Everybody is stoned in Denmark and prostitution is legal.  What’s not to like?”  Steve Ressel took exception, “I was just there!  It was crappy attitude all around….”  So there.

7 of The Times happiest countries are in Europe, including Finland.  I was just there and almost everyone I met was depressed about winter coming and commented on the country’s high suicide rate.

I’ve been to all ten of The Times happiest countries.  In fact, the countries Ruth & I travel to the most are both on the list—Canada and Australia.  Both seem to be somewhat happy places despite citizen complaints.

All of The Times unhappiest countries, except for Haiti and Bulgaria, are in Africa including the unhappiest–Togo.  And again, its 10 saddest countries are completely different from Gallup’s.

I must conclude, then, that happiness is relative and can’t really be measured by polls.  If it could, we’d all be booking vacations in Paraguay & The Philippines.

Hank