If you’re looking to soak up the sun or find out new destinations where bad weather won’t spoil your outdoor lifestyle, then we’ve nailed down a list of some of the sunniest places in the world.
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Sunny days aren’t just good for your daytime activities. The benefits of healthy exposure to sunlight, triggers the production of vitamin D, which improves brain function and the absorption of important minerals. It’s also been observed that sunlight increases the brain’s production of the chemical neurotransmitter serotonin, which improves your mood and helps regulate bodily functions.
The sunniest places in the world are somewhat concentrated around North America in Canada and the United States. In Northern Africa, Egypt, northern Chad and Sudan tend to receive the most sunshine. European countries don’t see too much sun, with an average of 1,000 hours of sunlight a year.
Here are 9 of the sunniest places in the world:
1. United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi
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Sunny Abu Dhabi enjoys just about 10 hours of sun a day, which leaves lots of time to explore the Emirati capital!
2. USA
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America’s sunny states are Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The city of Yuma in Arizona is considered the sunniest in the world, receiving in excess of 4,000 hours a year and an average of 11 hours of sunlight a day. The state capital, Phoenix, isn’t too far behind. Sacramento in nearby California on the west coast also receives consecutive months of sunny days, clocking over 400 hours a month in the summer.
3. South Africa
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Most areas in South Africa average more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year, according to the South African Department of Energy. Upington in the Northern Cape receives over 3,700 hours of sunlight a year. Situated on the banks of the Orange River, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to splash around and keep cool.
4. Canada
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The large Canadian territory of Nunavut has between 300 to 500 hours of sunshine for a few months of the year. Being close to the North Pole, there are often entire days filled with sunshine. In the winter months, however, parts of Nunavut are in darkness, so it isn’t sunny all-year round.
5. Australia
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With over 3,500 hours a year, Tennant Creek in Oz’s Northern Territory is pretty sunny. It also borders the northern parts of Queensland, which is affectionately known as the Sunshine Coast.
6. Portugal
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Europeans can still enjoy the summer sun, but one of the best places to do so is Faro, in southern Portugal. On average, Faro can receive between 300 to 350 hours of sunlight per month between May and August, which is perfect for hours spent lazing about on the gorgeous beaches.
7. Egypt
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The city of Aswan, in Egypt, is not only one of the destinations you’ll stop at while cruising along the Nile River, but also happens to be one of the sunniest places in the world. Aswan receives about 3,800 hours of sunlight annually, so there’s plenty of time to take in the wonders of the ancient world.
8. Chad
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Not far behind is Faya-Largeau, a Saharan Desert city in northern Chad which sees over 3,700 hours a year. The surrounding landscape and Ennedi Plateau, while dry and desert-like, has incredible sedimentary rock formations and rock art.
9. Sudan
Abu Hamed and Dongola (or Dunqulah) in Sudan receive between 3,700 to 3,800 hours of sunshine a year, or about 10 hours a day on average. Dongola is not far from Old Dongola, which is famous for its conical, dome-shaped Sufi tombs called qubbas.
