Happiness is in your genes, it seems, according to a research that shows the morepeople ina country who have a particular gene, the happier the nation will be. The FAAHgene, the DNA in question, makes a protein that affects feelings of pleasure and pain.People with a particular version of it tend to be cheerier souls.

The researchers believe that the finding can help explain why some of the world'spoorest nations are also the happiest. The team from Bulgaria looked at whether there wasa connection between the level of the FAAH gene in a population and the number of peoplewho said they were very happy in the global study of life satisfaction. Sweden, one of thehappiest countries in Europe and in the world, has lots of happy DNA. Some 26.3 percent of Swedes have the happiness gene, compared t0 23 per cent of the British, 21 percent of the French and 20 per cent of Germans. The happiness gene is even rarer insouthern Europe, where it is found in 18 per cent of Greeks and just 12 per cent ofItalians. In contrast, the people in Iraq and Jordan are among the least likely to ratethemselves as very happy and also have the lowest levels of the gene.

But the gene and optimism don-t always go hand in hand.For instance, Russiansscore very low on happiness, despite having the right DNA, the Journal of HappinessStudies reports. Climatic differences are also found to be closely associated with nationaldifferences in happiness. Study co-author Michael Minkov said, "We can notice the highoccurrence of the gene in equatorial(赤道的) and tropical environments in South Americaand Africa, and the lower occurrence of it around the Mediterranean Sea than in NorthernEurope. "

“Genetics is not the only determining factor (因素) of happiness," A spokesman forthe journal's publishersaid, "The economic and political difficulties continuouslyexperienced by Eastern European nations contribute to the very low happiness scores ofRussians. Nations not blessed with the right DNA aren’t necessarily miserable---happiness can still rise and fall for other reasons. "