CNN RANKS JAMAICA THE WORLD’S THIRD COOLEST NATION!

Jamaicans in Half-Way-Tree Square, Kingston

(CNN) — Is it possible to call an entire nation cool? Is it fair to say one nation is cooler than another?

Given that most countries have their own share of murderers, tyrants and reality TV stars, the answer is unequivocally — yes.

To help sort the cool from the less fortunate, we’ve compiled this list of the hippest peoples on the planet. No easy task when faced with almost 250 possible candidates.

The main problem is, of course, every nationality in the world believes it is the coolest — with the exception of Canadians, who are far too self-deprecating for that sort of thing.

Ask a man from Kyrgyzstan which people cut the biggest dash and he will say, “the Kyrgyz.” Who knows (seriously, who would know?) he might be right.

Ask a Norwegian and he will carefully finish chewing his mouthful of Thai green curry, take a swig of Thai Singha beer, gaze wistfully across the Thai resort of Phuket at the sunshine that eludes his country for 10 months of the year, then mumble softly, with a semi-suicidal lack of conviction: “Norwegians.”

Equally perplexing is how to define cool. Are Italians cool because some wear tightly fitting designer suits? Are the Russians uncool because some favor outmoded sportswear and pro-wrestling hairstyles?

Are the Swiss too neutral to be cool or uncool?

Before you start punching your computer screen in nationalistic indignation at your own country’s omission from our cool list — or the lazy stereotypes it inevitably falls back on for cheap laughs — remember, if you care that much about being cool then you, valued reader, simply ain’t cool.

Usain icon of cool

There’s more to Jamaicans than reggae, including Rastafarian (the most kick-back religion ever invented), an accent that’s the envy of the English-speaking world and the planet’s most distinctive and recognizable hairstyle. Note to backpackers: dreadlocks only cool on actual Jamaicans.

Icon of cool: Usain Bolt. Fastest human ever timed and nine-time Olympic Gold medal winner.

Not so cool: High murder rate and widespread homophobia.

Ahead of Jamaica was Singapore and Brazil in second and first respectively.