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Culture / 3 days ago

Who is boycotting the Eurovision Song Contest?

A growing number of countries have announced they will withdraw in protest over the participation of Israel in the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. A growing number of countries have announced they will withdraw in protest over the participation of Israel in the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. At least five nations, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands, have formally declared their intention to boycott the competition if Israel remains in, following the decision by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to allow its participation.

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Culture / 2 weeks ago

Germanic languages in Europe: How history and modern politics are shaping linguistic identity in 2025

Europe’s linguistic landscape is shifting once again, and at the heart of this evolution are the Germanic languages, one of the continent’s most influential language families. Europe’s linguistic landscape is shifting once again, and at the heart of this evolution are the Germanic languages, one of the continent’s most influential language families. From the North Atlantic’s isolation to Central Europe’s dense multilingual corridors, the Germanic languages continue to evolve in ways that mirror Europe’s ongoing transformations.

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Culture / 2 weeks ago

Football or soccer? The world’s most familiar arguments reignited

Few debates last as long, or stir as much good-natured passion, as the question of what to call the world’s favourite sport. For some, it will forever be football. For others, it’s soccer, and they will defend that choice with the same energy fans bring to match day. Few debates last as long, or stir as much good-natured passion, as the question of what to call the world’s favourite sport. For some, it will forever be football. For others, it’s soccer, and they will defend that choice with the same energy fans bring to match day. A new global map, shared by The World in Maps, puts that playful divide into perspective in the most striking way yet.

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Culture / 2 weeks ago

France and Belgium’s hidden linguistic puzzle and why it matters today

France and Belgium may appear to be far as lands united by the French, but both countries are, in fact, composed of ancient dialects and regional languages. From Breton to Walloon in southern Belgium, from the fading echoes of Picard in the north to the bold resilience of Occitan in the south, these linguistic zones tell a story far older than either republic.

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Culture / 3 weeks ago

South America’s flag story: A mosaic of colours and continental ambitions

From the sweeping green and yellow of Brazil to the golden sun of Argentina, the flags of South America tell more than just national stories. From the sweeping green and yellow of Brazil to the golden sun of Argentina, the flags of South America tell more than just national stories. There are 12 sovereign states in South America, each with a distinctive flag that carries culture, history and identity.

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Culture / 3 weeks ago

Why school start times vary so widely across Latin America

Across Latin America, school start times range from 6 a.m. in Colombia to 10 a.m. in Uruguay. Across Latin America, school start times range from 6 a.m. in Colombia to 10 a.m. in Uruguay. While it might seem like a small detail, the hour a student begins class can make a big difference in how they learn, sleep, and grow. Sleep experts have long warned that early school starts clash with adolescents' natural rhythms. Teenagers biologically tend to fall asleep later and wake up later, making those pre-dawn routines a real struggle.

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Culture / 4 weeks ago

When love was still a crime: The 1966 U.S. map of interracial marriage bans

In 1966, the United States was still deeply divided on the most personal of civil rights, who you could marry. The map above shows how, even as much of the country had legalised interracial marriage, a swath of states, primarily in the South, still enforced laws that made it illegal for people of different races to wed.

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Culture / 4 weeks ago

Same effort, different score: The wildly uneven grading systems of South America

In a striking visual overview of educational systems across South America, the grading scales used by countries vary widely, reflecting the region’s complex histories and educational infrastructures. The map shows how school grades are awarded from “worst” to “best,” with ranges like 0–10, 1–5, 0–20, and even 1–100 appearing in different nations. While superficially this might look like a quirky oddity, it actually reveals deeper truths about how schooling and standards operate in Latin America.

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Culture / 4 weeks ago

The long road to independence: How Balkan states carved out their futures

From the crumbling of empires to modern-day politics, the countries of the Balkan Peninsula each followed distinct paths to statehood, and the map above captures a slice of that story, showing when these nations formally gained independence. Some declared sovereignty in the late 19th century, others only just broke away in the 2000s.

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Culture / 4 weeks ago

Faith and power: How religion still shapes the Middle East

From the Mediterranean coast to the Persian Gulf, the Middle East is a patchwork of belief, a living mosaic of faiths that have coexisted, overlapped, and at times collided for centuries. The sea of green across the map above represents Sunni Muslims, the largest branch of Islam, stretching from Egypt and Saudi Arabia through to Turkey and Jordan.

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