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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.
Culture / 1 week 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 / 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 / 48 weeks ago
Papua new Guinea: The world's language capital
When considering the countries with the most languages, it’s natural to assume linguistic giants like China or India would lead the way. However, the unexpected champion is Papua New Guinea, a small island nation in the Pacific. According to the World Atlas, despite just 8.8 million people, Papua New Guinea is home to 840 languages. That’s nearly 12% of all the world’s languages spoken in an area roughly the size of California. This incredible linguistic diversity stems from Papua New Guinea’s unique geography and social structure. The country’s rugged mountains, dense forests, and isolated valleys have acted as natural barriers, keeping communities separated for centuries.
