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Where on Earth do people live much longer than average? Well, according to best-selling author Dan Buettner, there are five destinations in the world where populations live healthier and longer lives than others, areas he has identified as Blue Zones.

In each of these places people living to 90 or even 100 years old is common. But why is this so, and where are these modern-day Shangri-La's located?

Browse the gallery and take a look at the destinations where longevity is the norm.

▲Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, was the first place in the world to be identified as a Blue Zone.

▲The province of Ogliastra (much of which was incorporated into the province of Nuoro in 2016) is the least populous province of Italy. But it's a longevity hot spot where a substantial proportion of men reach 100.

▲The historical central-eastern region of Barbagia di Seulo was also identified for its aging population.

▲In fact, the mountain village of Seulo holds the record of 20 centenarians from 1996 to 2016 and is known as "the place where people live the longest in the world."

▲Ollolai, in the province of Nuoro, was included in the Blue Zone because it also numbers a population that includes men that have reached 100 years old. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

▲Common lifestyle characteristics shared by the populations of these destinations include strong emphasis on family values, which are put ahead of other concerns, less smoking, and semi-vegetarianism.

▲Some of the longest living peoples in the world come from the Japanese islands of Okinawa, in the Pacific Ocean.

▲Studies confirm that residents of this Blue Zone have less cancer, heart disease, and dementia.

▲The clues to longevity in Okinawa point towards constant moderate physical activity—an inseparable part of life—regular social engagement, and limited or no alcohol consumption, among other qualities.

▲Okinawan women live longer than anywhere else on Earth. They are also empowered socially and professionally from an early age.

▲Not only are Blue Zones geographical areas where people live significantly longer than average, they are also regions where the population generally enjoy a better quality of life. In Okinawa, engagement in spirituality and religion also plays a key role in day-to-day living.

▲The healthy Japanese diet—lots of fresh fish and seafood, plenty of vegetables, small portions of rice, and high soy consumption—is another factor as to why residents of Okinawa enjoy longevity.

▲Loma Linda, a city in San Bernardino County, California, is the surprise inclusion on the Blue Zone list—Loma Linda residents have one of the highest rates of longevity in the United States!(Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

▲Longevity is partly attributed to the fact that the population adhere to Seventh-day Adventist cultural health and diet practices.

▲The city strictly controls the sale of alcohol and has banned public smoking.

▲The Adventist emphasis on health, diet, and Sabbath-keeping are primary factors for Adventist longevity and, by definition, the long life enjoyed by the majority of Loma Linda residents.

▲The church-owned grocery store does not sell meat or meat products. The church also owns the Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company, a leading manufacturer of health and vegetarian-related products, most prominently Weet-Bix.

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This pocket of health and vitality in a nation known for excess is proof that even Americans can live long and healthy lives.

▲The isolated Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is another Blue Zone region that produces a high rate of centenarians.

▲Residents here suffer a fraction of the diseases that commonly kill people in other parts of the developed world.

▲Nicoya Peninsula residents share similar lifestyle characteristics to those living in other Blue Zones. Here, moderate calorie intake, a plant-based diet, and next to no alcohol all contribute to the population's long life expectancy.

▲Moderate, regular physical activity is again one of the reasons given as to why those living on the peninsula live long into old age. Exercise reduces stress, known to have harmful effects on the body.

▲Residents pursue a simple lifestyle based on family, social engagement, and life purpose. Theirs is a welcoming community. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

▲The longevity found among Nicoya's residents can also be attributed to the fact that they live as an isolated population with a related gene pool.

▲Anchored alone in the Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Ikaria (also spelled Icaria) has the highest percentage of 90-year-olds on the planet (about 1 in 3 are nonagenarians).

▲Residents of this idyllic Blue Zone have roughly 20% lower rates of cancer, 50% lower rates of heart disease, and practically no dementia.

▲This is due to a Mediterranean diet (lots of fish and legumes), healthy lifestyle, and genetics. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 2.0)

▲Many of Ikaria's elderly residents live without medication or disability.

▲An agreeable climate also plays its part. In fact, it's no coincidence that the five Blue Zones listed here all enjoy warm, sunny weather almost year-round.

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Ikaria has a tradition of producing strong red wine. Yet low alcohol consumption, especially of wine, is cited as another contributing factor in the longevity of the island's residents. In addition, purpose, religion, and meaning are three other lessons traditionally associated with the island.

Want to learn more about Ikaria? Check out the extraordinary story behind the island of long life.