Top 27+ Maps That Give Us A Peek Into Different Cultures

Maps can provide fascinating insights into how people in various countries around the world live their lives. While there are plenty of maps taught in geography classes at school, they only showed us where certain places were on the globe, they didn’t provide any information about different cultures, societal norms, and diversity, among other things. In light of this, we have gathered a range of informative and interesting maps that give you a greater idea of public consensus. Which of these maps did you find the most eye-opening? Let us know in the comments!

27. Are You A Morning Or Evening Showerer?

There’s truly no shortage of shower habits to analyze. Some people prefer quick showers to wake themselves up in the morning, while others like to relax and take their time with a soothing hot shower before getting into bed. There has been a debate for years over which is better, but in all honesty, it’s all down to personal preference and actually having a shower is the most important part. But it seems that not all of Europe is not on board with a daily shower…

We understand that there is a cost of living crisis in Europe, but this is a tad unhygienic! Less than 65% of the majority of citizens in European countries don’t shower daily, what the heck! Euro summers have become hotter than ever, so perhaps it’s time to make showers a priority. Shout out to the clean Italians though!

26. The Population Boom In All Continents

This map shows the population growth in six out of the seven continents. The consensus was taken over 18 years, and despite many experts suggesting that one of the greatest problems humanity will face in the coming years is population decline, there has been significant growth on most of these six continents.

As you can see on the map, Europe has the slowest increase with only 2.1% whereas Africa has a remarkable increase of 56.6%! Antarctica was left off this map but it has been reported that their population varies from 1,100 in the harsh winter to around 4,400 in the milder summer months of October to February.

25. Percentage Of Irreligious People In Europe

Many European countries are home to some of the most significant religious sites around the world. From magnificent Churches and Cathedrals constructed thousands of years ago, to religious ceremonies taking place in the streets of major cities, Europe is known to be more religious than other continents. The map shows that the Czech Republic has the most irreligious people with 72%!

Romania on the other hand is one of the countries closest to God (or Gods) with such a low figure of 1%. It is clear to see that Eastern Europe is far more religious than Western Europe. The urbanization of cities and developed countries have far more young people who are either atheists or don’t partake in any religion or religious practices.

24. Sorry Barbie, It’s Not Your Party

Barbie is fully on track to become the highest-grossing movie of the year and in the few weeks that it has been in movie theaters, it has already grossed over $774 million at the worldwide box office. Despite Barbie Mania sweeping over most nations, it seems that not everyone is jumping on this bandwagon. Vietnam, Russia, the Philippines, Iran, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have placed a ban on the movie due to its content related to LGBT themes.

Many of these countries believe that Barbie’s themes go against their country’s laws and beliefs which could affect children’s views on different behaviors. Unfortunately, not every citizen is entitled to live as they please around the world, they are subjected to harsh discriminatory laws from their governments and leaders.

23. We Have The Right To Refuse Entry

Just because you are an upstanding citizen with a clean record, doesn’t mean every country is going to grant you entry. It’s not about who you are, it’s about where you come from and the United States has strict laws about who can enter the country without a visa, and who is subjected to a long and drawn-out visa process. If you are European, Australian, or Canadian, the process is very simple, but for other countries, it is not as easy.

Being granted a visa is heavily dependent on what country you’re coming from, and what you plan to do with your time in the United States. The U.S. especially has gone to great lengths to prevent illegal immigration into the country, and one of the ways they clamp down on it is through a long visa process.

22. The Islands You Don’t Know About

When you think of certain countries you usually know immediately if they have islands surrounding them. Take Greece or Canada for example, they are known to have clusters of islands that are included with the landmass of the country. However, many countries have thousands of unknown or uninhabited islands, and different countries have different requirements to meet to be considered an island.

The Nordics, for example, deem any piece of rock to be an island that is at least 3 meters off the shore and at least 3–4 meters wide at its narrowest. This may account for the reason why they occupy the top 3 spots on this list. Perhaps if every country had the same rules of what requirements need to be met, the list could have been completely different.

21. What’s Your Preferred Smartphone?

There has been a long-standing debate over whether Apple’s iOS operating system is better than Google’s Android. They both have their pros and cons from Apple being more secure with your personal information than Android, while the latter is supposed to have better camera and app options. Judging by this map, Europe has made a clear choice over which smartphone is preferred.

Interestingly, the UK, Switzerland, Albania, and the Nordics are clearly team Apple, while the rest of Europe seems set on their Androids. Perhaps this is the reason why Whatsapp is frequently used in Europe, whereas iOS dominates in the U.S. If you’re in the States, we’re likely to only speak to you through iMessage.

20. Australia’s Climate Using Equivalent Places

Australia’s average population density is said to be 3.5 people per square KM of total land mass, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. The semi-arid and deserted outback of Australia attributes to most of the land, while cities are bustling around the coasts. If you were to find equivalent places to cities and states in Australia, this map shows what it would look like.

Perth lies on the west coast and is most commonly associated with the climate of Southern California, sunny all year round, while Melbourne and Canberra are most like England’s climate. Sydney is most like Louisiana with short and mild winters, hot summers, and year-round precipitation.

19. How India Protects Their Sacred Animals

In Hinduism, cows are considered to be a sacred animal, and with 79.8% of Indians practicing the religion, many people adhere to the laws of cattle slaughter and consumption. India is divided into 28 states and each of the regions has different laws on cattle slaughter. For example, the north has a full ban against all cattle slaughter, while their neighbors in the center have a ban on cows and calves but some bulls and bullocks are allowed to be slaughtered with a certificate.

In the south and east, it is said to be much more liberal and progressive, so the slaughter of all cattle is permitted in these places with a certificate. Interestingly, India is the largest exporter of buffalo beef in the world, but this kind of meat does not hold any significance in Hinduism.

17. The Great Italian Influence On The World

If you’ve ever been to New York, you will be very aware that the Italians definitely did not remain in Italy. There were two major diasporas in Italian history, the first began around 1880, 20 years after the Unification of Italy, and ended in the 1920 until the 1940s. Poverty became the main reason for immigration and many native Italians fled to the Americas. The second diaspora was after WWII and finished around the 1970s.

Today, there are roughly 5 million Italian citizens living outside of Italy, while around 80 million people around the world claim full or partial Italian ancestry. As you can see from this map, the vast majority of the Italian diaspora live in the Americas.

16. Japan’s Population Problem Keeps Growing

Japan has been dealing with an overpopulation problem for many decades, but even as there has been a decline in population growth, another issue has risen. In 2023, the Japanese Prime Minister issued a harsh warning that if the country’s falling birth rate does not improve, Japan will be “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions.”

This map portrays how the death rate has significantly overtaken the falling birth rate. The risk is so great that the government has gone to extra lengths to encourage people to have children! They’re even doubling their spending on child-related programs. With a rapidly aging society and shrinking workforce, there are not enough people to make up for the failing economy.

15. What Hosting The World Cup Really Costs

Bidding to host the world cup takes plenty of effort from each country. Each nation has to give a series of presentations to the 24 members of the FIFA executive committee, who then decide who will be the host of the tournament. This infographic shows the highest amounts spent by each country to host, and as you can see, Qatar won by a landslide!

Not only did the tournament have to be moved to winter because Qatar’s summer was too hot, but they also had to build seven new stadiums and renovate an eighth. Their spending on infrastructure was also massive due to having to accommodate all of the fans and teams attending from around the world. However, FIFA’s choice to allow Qatar to host was met with plenty of criticism.

14. How Many Languages Are Spoken In India

India’s population stands at around 1.4 billion, so it is not surprising that they have different languages spoken in the 28 different states. While the official languages of India are considered to be Hindi and English, the states all have contrasting mother tongues. It is perhaps even more impressive that within the states, the dialects are very different and although one language is spoken in a certain way, in the next it could be very inconsistent.

Even so, it has been said that natives who live outside of the Hindi region barely understand it, despite it being the official language of the country. The reason that English is considered an official language is because people will not accept the language of one region being imposed on another, so they had to bring in something universal. How interesting is that?!

13. The U.S Military Presence In Europe

Despite having the United Nations try and keep the peace between countries, many countries establish military bases abroad to enable that countries to project power and have influence on events that occur in those countries. The United States believes that its military bases around the world promote and strengthen democracy, essentially showing off its own values.

However, every U.S. President in the post-Cold War period has sought to close U.S. military bases overseas. One of the places that saw the most bases closing was in Europe. So, despite this map looking like the U.S. has well and truly established its presence, it has been reduced by quite a significant amount.

12. Where Foreign People Were Born In The U.S.

Despite many people in politics deeming immigrants to be a big problem, they are actually a really important part of creating a multicultural society. There are immigrants in every state of the U.S. who decided to raise their children in North America and give them the opportunities they never had as children. As you can see, the Mexican population is widely spread across the country while the Chinese population is much smaller.

Interestingly, the federal government chooses where to send refugees, so the reason why some places are more populated with a certain nationality than others is because the government decided where they went to live after they were displaced from their native countries.

11. The Not-Very Widespread Population Of Egypt

Egypt is home to around 109 million people, but its population density is merely 113 people per km**2!** Around 95% of the country’s population live along the banks of the Nile River and the Nile Delta, which have provided fertile land, transportation, food, and fresh water to Egypt for over 5,000 years. In these regions, there are around 1,540 people per km2, while the desert regions are clustered around the ancient trade routes.

The Egyptian government tried to move people away from the riverbanks through their policies of land reclamation and fostering new settlements in the desert, but the vast majority of Egyptians still live in the Nile Delta or Nile Valley.

10. Where The LGBT+ Population In Europe Live

Society has come a long way in accepting and embracing the LGBT+ community. There has been greater recognition of LGBT rights, mostly in the Western world, and the visibility of this group has become apparent in many countries around the world. Europe has always had quite a large LGBT+ population, more so in recent years. Spain seems to be leading with 14% of people aged 16-74 publicly identifying as LGBT+. Ireland and Poland on the other hand are at the bottom of the list with only 6%.

Despite these figures, millions of people have not disclosed their orientation or gender identity for various reasons. Perhaps if there was total transparency this map would look quite different?

9. Life Expectancy Around The World

Despite life expectancy having doubled for humans over the last century, there is still a noticeable gap in the difference between countries. Some of the most important factors for countries to have a high life expectancy include increased economic development, higher living standards, and greater access to healthcare. If you take a look at this map, it is evident that developed countries, particularly in the West, have a much higher life expectancy than developing countries.

Africa is the poorest continent in the world and their low life expectancy reflects these results. The lack of sanitation, vaccines, and preventative healthcare across Africa means that their citizens are more at risk to pick up disease and infection, therefore leading to a lower life expectancy.

7. The Greatest Density Of Security Cameras

Mass surveillance in countries around the world is used to fight terrorism, prevent crime or social unrest, uphold national security, and generally protect its citizens. Security cameras act as a strong deterrent for keeping crime at bay, while also being used as a useful tool to monitor public movement. Despite China taking the top spot for the most surveilled country, Delhi, London, and Chennai are the three cities with the highest number of cameras per square mile.

Feel safer yet? China has 11 cities on this list and the extreme amount of surveillance on cities across the country has led many governments around the world to question if Chinese citizens have been forced into giving up their privacy. Are they been OVER-tracked or OVER-protected?

6. The Languages Spoken In China

The official language spoken in China is considered to be Mandarin, also known as “Putonghua”. Despite more than 70% of the population speaking Mandarin, there are a significant amount of other dialects spoken around the country. Linguists have split Chinese into around seven to ten main language groups, and in these groups, there are several sub-dialects. So, even if you speak a certain language in China, someone else speaking the same dialect may be totally unintelligible to you.

In Shanghai, China’s most significant financial hub, schoolchildren are taught Mandarin, but in everyday conversation, they speak Shanghainese. In Nanjing, they are also taught Mandarin in school but speak Nanjinghua. Are you keeping up? Overall, the languages in each region can be extremely different from one another. Let’s just learn them all!

5. How Math Is Spoken Around Europe

Okay, stay with us for this one! Math is considered to be a universal language and the power of numbers brings people together around the world. There are no alternative options or opinions in math, but one different thing is the pronunciation of figures. Despite the numbers being written the same, they are spoken in a range of ways. Who knew!

As you can see from this map, Europe isn’t on the same page when pronouncing the number 92. Interestingly, Norway has an official policy regarding how numbers should be pronounced. Since 1951, the policy states that pronouncing 90+2 is the correct way, however many elderly people still pronounce it as 2+90. In addition, many Norwegians have admitted that because of people say it differently, the number never seems to be received correctly.

4. When Americans Are Asked To Pinpoint Iran

Americans don’t have the best reputation for having a wealth of knowledge about Geography. If you asked random people to pinpoint a certain place on a map, chances are the majority would not be able to identify it correctly. In this survey, Americans were put to the test and asked to locate Iran on the map. The results were extremely underwhelming. We’re not surprised…

Only 28% of respondents were able to successfully point out Iran’s location. As it turns out, Geography is not required in most US schools, so they do not study it. A mere 17 states require students to learn geography in middle school, while only 10 states require them to learn it in high school.

3. The Best-Looking Country In Europe

There’s something about a traditionally European look and charm that is highly attractive. When people in different European countries were asked which one has the most attractive people, it seems that they were pretty much in agreement across the board. There’s no denying that Italians have distinctly beautiful features and an elevated style that is highly sought after in many other places around the world.

Europeans voted Spain in second place as the Spanish people tend to have natural beauty and class that sets them apart from the rest. Interestingly, the Italians voted for Sweden, a typically blonde and pale look that is very different from their own. It seems opposites attract in Italy!

2. Votes For Women In Europe

Women’s suffrage began in the 18th century as many groups formed to change voting laws to allow women to vote. National and international organizations came together to form the International Woman Suffrage Alliance in 1904 in Berlin. Since then, Europe has seen one country after another allowing women to vote. Despite Norway being among the first to change legislation, only women with a taxable income could vote in 1907, before allowing all women to vote in 1913.

Power to the women! Interestingly, Switzerland was the final country in Europe to make the change and allow women to vote in 1971. After an initial referendum in 1959 which was rejected by 67% of Switzerland’s men, the second referendum in 1971 overturned the decision, finally giving women a voice in the country.