The South Pacific country of Vanuatu has been voted the happiest place in the world so what makes its inhabitants such a happy lot?

Not having to worry about money – the secret of Jean Pierre’s happiness (photo: James Mair)
Jean Pierre John is living the dream. That popular fantasy of owning one’s own island, complete with swaying coconut palms, coral sea and tropical forest, is his for real.

On the island called Metoma, in the far north of Vanuatu, Jean Pierre can look around and truly say that he is master of all he surveys.

This single fact would put Jean Pierre in an exclusive club, you would think, one made up of billionaire businessmen, royalty and rock stars.

But Jean Pierre is none of these things. In fact, he could not be more different.

On Metoma, Jean Pierre and his family live in thatched huts.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7427768.stm