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culture
Culture / 1 week ago
Europe’s grading systems reveal as much about culture as they do about scores
Across Europe, the marks on one's report card say far more than "good" or "bad" — they’re steeped in national traditions, educational philosophies and the challenges of translating achievement across borders. From numeric scales of 0–20 in France to 1–5 in Austria, and 12-point systems in Ukraine, the continent’s grading landscape is vast and varied.
Maps / 1 week ago
A look at Europe’s many linguistic versions of London
A new linguistic map by The World in Maps shows how the name “London” changes across Europe. While English speakers know it simply as London, its name takes different forms depending on the language. In France, Spain, and Portugal, it appears as Londres. In Italy and Romania, it becomes Londra. Across Poland and Czechia, it’s Londyn and Londýn, while in Finland it’s Lontoo. Greek speakers use Λονδίνο, and in Welsh, the city is known as Llundain.
World / 2 weeks ago
What the world’s gun-per-capita map really shows
The global map of civilian firearm ownership reveals that a few nations hold the overwhelming majority of the world’s guns. According to the Small Arms Survey, civilians possessed an estimated 857 million firearms globally as of 2024, representing roughly 85% of all small arms in circulation.
Culture / 4 weeks ago
Did your country ever host a 'Human Zoo'?
Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several European countries hosted what were known as “human zoos.” These were public exhibitions where people from colonised regions — particularly Africa, Asia, and the Pacific — were displayed for entertainment under the guise of education or anthropology.
Culture / 6 weeks ago
The countries that look, feel, and act most like the United States
When people talk about America’s closest allies, they often focus on politics, trade, or military partnerships. But what about cultural DNA, the deep similarities in demographics, politics, infrastructure, and everyday life? According to the Country Similarity Index, a data-driven ranking that compares nations across five major dimensions, the United States’ closest cultural cousin is its neighbour to the north, Canada, with a striking similarity score of 79.2.
Culture / 7 weeks ago
Ireland’s Irish: A language of identity but not always of daily life
Despite being the Republic of Ireland’s first official language, Irish (Gaeilge) lives unevenly in daily life outside classrooms. The map above, based on the 2022 Census, shows how in many areas fewer than 5% of people speak Irish daily, while only pockets reach 20–60%. According to the Central Statistics Office’s Census 2022 Profile 8: The Irish Language and Education, nearly 1,873,997 people aged three or older declared they could speak Irish, about 40% of that age group. But of that number, only 71,968 said they spoke Irish daily outside the education system — a slight drop from 2016.
Culture / 7 weeks ago
Which nations are culturally closest to Turkey?
Turkey has long been seen as a country at the crossroads of continents, faiths, and trade routes, and a new Country Similarity Index shows just how unique yet interconnected it is. The index compares countries based on demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography, painting a nuanced picture of which nations most closely resemble Turkey’s social and institutional makeup.
Culture / 7 weeks ago
New index ranks Colombia, Venezuela, and Uruguay as most similar nations to Brazil
Brazil is often celebrated as a country like no other, as the land of samba, football, lush rainforests, and a unique Portuguese-speaking identity in a Spanish-speaking continent. Yet, new data shows Brazil might not be as culturally isolated as many believe. According to the Country Similarity Index, which evaluates nations across demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography, several Latin American countries share strikingly similar profiles.
Maps / 9 weeks ago
Explore the world's longest streets
A snapshot from World Visualized highlights the globe’s longest urban thoroughfares, ranking Yonge Street, Western Avenue, Avenida Rivadavia, Sunset Boulevard, and Broadway in descending order of length. In this engaging news feature, we delve deeper, combining the infographic with trusted insights from Civitatis to take you on a street-by-street worldwide tour.
Culture / 9 weeks ago
The global language of honking: How drivers talk without words
Car horns aren’t just about safety but part of culture. A recent visualization from The World in Maps highlights how honking habits differ drastically across the globe. In some regions, a honk is a polite nudge or a normal part of traffic rhythm, while in others it’s rare and often considered rude.
