5 Countries with the Tallest Men

Physical characteristics, for good or bad, have always been a significant factor in the choice of a partner. If most men are choosy about the looks and figures of their girlfriends, many women are equally careful not to be seen with men shorter than they are. Explanations for this have ranged from evolutionary genetics like height associated with better health and potential for procreation to the modern notion of height discrimination or the phenomenon where men of lower than average height are shown to be less successful in career and relationships in popular culture. If you are a woman and find yourself attracted to men who rise above a head and shoulder that their peers, here are five countries you may want to check out.

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1. The Netherlands
   
   The tallest guys in the world appear to come from the Netherlands where the average height of men is an incredible six feet. This is supported by the fact that the Dutch government was recently obliged to change building regulations to increase the height of doorways, as the population has grown so tall in recent generations. There could be a number of factors for the Dutch claim to tallest men in the world and a prime one is the fact that North European ethnicities seem to have preponderance towards taller men. In any case this makes Dutch men even more appealing, apart from their well-read, liberal persona as well as essentially polite behaviour.
    
2. Sweden
   
   Among the top five countries with the tallest men, Scandinavian nations seem to rule the roost and this is borne out by the presence of Sweden at number two. In this country the average height of guys is supposed to be a towering 5 feet 11 inches. Genetically they are the descendents of ancient Scandinavian stock with whom the hardy and physically powerful Vikings were related. Apart from the genetic heave-ho, Swedish men also seem to have made it on account of their high standard of living. In fact Sweden is ranked by the UN as the seventh most well-developed nation in the world and thus it is no surprise that Swedes enjoy a superior level of health and nutrition. Apart from this, The Swedish people love nature and both men and women greatly enjoy activities that involve hiking, biking or just a walk through the woods and mountains. Indeed the fascination of the Swedes for the outdoors extends to a kind of passion for fitness which makes it even less surprising that Swedish men should be one of the tallest in the world.
    
3. Denmark
   
   Another North European country to figure on the list of tallest men in the world is Denmark. Ancestrally, they are related to old Germanic stock and this gives Danish men the genetic advantage of great height and physique. In 2006, Danish men averaged an impressive 5’11.1” at least among military conscripts. And even though the national average is likely to be shorter, but can be reasonably surmised that Danish men are generally a little taller that most guys on the planet. Indeed even As far back as the Middle Ages, writers described the Norsemen as being extremely tall; evolutionary historians have skeletal evidence to suggest that men from this ethnic group were consistently an inch or two taller than many of their European counterparts.
   
   However modern social conditions have also contributed to making the Danish men one of the tallest in the world. Apart from enjoying a high quality of life, Danes are among the most physically active men on the planet. They are not only avid players of sports like soccer and handball but incorporate physical activity in their daily lives. One instance of this is its biking infrastructure which is one of the most advanced in the world since here lanes, paths, traffic laws and rentals are specially designed for the convenience of bikers. Thus biking in sunny weather along the lovely canals of Copenhagen or through any of its pretty parks can be a great way to get to know a tall, attractive Dane.
    
4. Norway
   
   Yet another country to benefit from tall Scandinavian stock is Norway. According to military conscripts, an average height for Norwegian men would be 5 feet, 10.7 inches. And even though the source naturally excludes older and shorter men, still an average of this statuesque height may be enough to put Norway on the list of countries with the tallest men in the world. Tall Norwegian men have two main factors to thank for, one is their heredity since Norwegian men have been extremely tall since the days of the Vikings and even before that. Secondly, good nutrition and a high quality of life seems to have given nature a fillip since standards of living in Scandinavian countries are generally very high, with Norway ranked by the UN as having the second-highest standard of living in the world.
    
5. Estonia
   
   Estonia is among the rare non-Scandinavian countries to figure on the list of the top five countries with the tallest men and this could largely be by default. This is because demographic data regarding physical traits of the population is hard to come by from former Soviet countries and Estonia could well take its place on this list because of scarcity of data. Anyhow, young Estonian men are believed to stand at aan above average 5 feet, 10.5 inches on an average. While a high quality of life may not seem to be a reason for tall Estonians, one important factor contributing to their height may be genetics. The nation does share an ethnic background with the Finns, suggesting there is a similar natural tendency to be tall based on North European physical characteristics. Another line of thought suggests that the Aestii who were the original settlers of Estonian and from whom the country probably derives its name, shared a preponderance for taller people like other Germanic groups. This could be the reason why they on an average, they were taller than their counterparts from Southern Europe and this ancient difference may have contributed to the attractive height Estonian men today.