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identity
Culture / 7 hours ago
One cross, many nations: What the Nordic flags say about unity, identity and security
One of Europe’s most recognisable symbols, the Nordic Cross stretches across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland and is echoed in regional flags from the Faroe Islands to Åland as the design is more than a shared aesthetic. One of Europe’s most recognisable symbols, the Nordic Cross spans Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. It is reflected in regional flags from the Faroe Islands to Åland, as the design is more than a shared aesthetic. The Nordic Cross dates back to Denmark’s Dannebrog, widely regarded as the world’s oldest continuously used national flag. Historical records trace its use to the 13th century, and its off-centre cross design later became a template for neighbouring states.
Culture / 6 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.
Culture / 7 weeks 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.
Culture / 8 weeks ago
Spanish dominates South America, but its linguistic map tells a richer story
Across South America, it’s the colour orange on the language map that stands out most. Spanish is the official language in most countries of the continent, with green marking the territory of Portuguese, namely Brazil. From Argentina to Venezuela, Spanish is the dominant official language. Brazil remains the notable exception, with Portuguese as its sole official language.
Culture / 10 weeks ago
What countries celebrate on their National Days
National days are more than holidays as they reflect how nations define their own identity. A new world map breaks down the reasons countries celebrate their national days, whether it’s independence, revolution, unification, the founding of government, or even a saint’s feast. Red marks countries that commemorate independence (the largest category). Orange shows nations that mark the formation of government. Yellow indicates unification moments, green reflects revolution, blue for saint days, purple for discovery, and pink for other reasons or when the reasoning doesn’t fit neatly into those categories. The striped pattern indicates where no data is available.
Culture / 13 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.
