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World Cultural Profiles

Click a highlighted country or search by name, language, people, tradition or dish. Each profile brings together its timeline, cultural and ethnic heritage through the ages, local customs and cuisine. 66 profiles; countries without a profile are grey.

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54 of 54 profiles

AlgeriaAfricaAlgeria is the largest country in Africa: a narrow, fertile coastal strip on the Mediterranean, the Atlas Mountains and behind them the Sahara. Berber kingdoms, Rome, Arab dynasties and the Ottoman Empire all left their mark. After 132 years of French colonisation and an eight-year war the country became independent in 1962.
ArgentinaLatin AmericaArgentina stretches from subtropical areas to Patagonia and the southern Andes. Indigenous peoples have inhabited the area for millennia; Spanish colonisation, forced migration from Africa and substantial European immigration shaped modern society. The country is a federal republic with strong regional identities.
AustraliaOceaniaAustralia is an island continent with desert, tropical, temperate and coastal environments. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived there for tens of thousands of years and maintain diverse cultures; British colonisation, penal transportation, dispossession, migration and multiculturalism shaped modern society.
AustriaEuropeAustria lies in the eastern Alps and along the Danube. From the thirteenth century until 1918 it was the heartland of the Habsburgs, who governed an empire of dozens of peoples and languages from Vienna. After two world wars and seven years of Nazi rule it became a neutral republic in 1955; it has been a member of the European Union since 1995.
BelgiumEuropeBelgium lies at the intersection of Germanic and Romance language areas and has three official languages and regions. Since independence in 1830, it has developed into a federal state, with a history closely connected to European trade, industry and wars.
BrazilLatin AmericaSouth America's largest country includes the Amazon rainforest, savannah, highlands and a long Atlantic coast. Indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonisation, the forced arrival of millions of Africans, immigration and internal migration shaped its diverse population; slavery was abolished in 1888.
CambodiaSoutheast AsiaCambodia lies in the lowlands around the Mekong and the Tonlé Sap lake, which grows many times larger every rainy season. From the ninth to the fifteenth century Angkor was the centre of the Khmer Empire, which controlled a large part of mainland Southeast Asia. After French colonial rule, war and the mass killings of the Khmer Rouge the country has been a kingdom again since 1993.
CanadaNorth AmericaCanada stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Arctic regions. First Nations, Inuit and Métis are Indigenous peoples; French and British colonisation, treaties, immigration and the development of a bilingual federation shaped the modern country.
ChileLatin AmericaChile is a narrow strip of more than 4,000 kilometres between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, from the Atacama Desert to Tierra del Fuego; Easter Island also belongs to it. The Inca Empire reached into the north, while in the south the Mapuche held out against Spain for centuries. The country became independent in 1818; after the military dictatorship of 1973 to 1990 democracy returned.
ChinaEast AsiaChina encompasses varied landscapes and communities and has millennia of urban civilisation and dynastic state formation. Han Chinese culture is dominant, alongside recognised minorities, regional languages, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Islam and modern political change.
ColombiaLatin AmericaColombia encompasses the Andes, Caribbean and Pacific coasts, Amazon rainforest and Llanos. Indigenous societies and Afro-Colombian communities are essential to national history; Spanish colonisation and slavery transformed society. The republic has great cultural diversity and a prolonged internal armed conflict whose effects continue to be felt.
CubaLatin AmericaCuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with a history of Indigenous settlement, Spanish colonisation and plantation economies built on African slavery. Independence followed a long struggle; in 1959 the revolution established a socialist state. Cuban culture reflects African, Spanish and Caribbean connections and a large diaspora.
DenmarkEuropeDenmark consists of the Jutland peninsula and hundreds of islands between the North Sea and the Baltic. In the Viking Age Danish ships sailed to England and Normandy; later the kingdom controlled Baltic trade through the Sound and for centuries also ruled Norway. Today's Denmark is a constitutional monarchy; Greenland and the Faroe Islands belong to the kingdom as self-governing territories.
EgyptAfricaAt the crossroads of Africa and Asia, the Nile Valley and delta supported intensive agriculture and urban societies from an early date. Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic and Arab-Islamic periods have all shaped Egypt's modern heritage.
EthiopiaAfricaEthiopia encompasses highlands, lowlands and the Horn of Africa, with a long history of urban kingdoms and regional communities. Its many major languages and religious traditions, internal political change, foreign pressure and Italian occupation have shaped the modern state.
FranceEuropeFrance encompasses varied landscapes and regional cultures, from the Atlantic coast and Alps to the Mediterranean and overseas territories. The French monarchy and Revolution, the formation of the republic and colonial history have profoundly shaped the modern country.
GermanyEuropeGermany lies in Central Europe and encompasses diverse regional, religious and linguistic traditions. German unification in 1871, the Nazi dictatorship and its crimes, post-war division and reunification in 1990 are key turning points.
GhanaAfricaGhana lies on the Gulf of Guinea and includes coast, forest and savannah. The present territory is connected with diverse Akan, Mole-Dagbani, Ewe and other communities and historical states. European forts and the Atlantic slave trade made the coast a site of commerce and forced migration. Ghana became independent from Britain in 1957, the first colony south of the Sahara to do so.
GreeceEuropeGreece consists of a mountainous mainland and thousands of islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Ancient Greek political, philosophical and artistic traditions have had great influence, while Byzantine, Ottoman and modern Greek legacies also shape society.
HungaryEuropeHungary lies in the Carpathian Basin, where Magyar horse-riding tribes settled around 895. The medieval kingdom was one of the great states of central Europe until it was divided between Ottomans and Habsburgs in the sixteenth century. After 1920 the country lost two thirds of its territory; after four decades of communist rule it became a parliamentary republic in 1989.
IndiaSouth AsiaA large South Asian country, India has a history of ancient cities, regional kingdoms and religious and linguistic diversity. Adivasi communities, Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, colonial rule and the 1947 partition have all shaped contemporary society.
IndonesiaSoutheast AsiaIndonesia is an extensive archipelago of thousands of islands, many languages and strong regional identities. Austronesian communities, Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms, Islamic sultanates, Dutch colonial rule and the independence struggle shaped the republic; Jakarta is the capital while a replacement capital is under construction.
IranMiddle EastIran lies on the Iranian Plateau and includes mountain ranges, deserts and fertile coastal areas. The Persian empires and language have had broad regional influence; today the country is an Islamic republic with a diverse population and several regional languages.
IraqMiddle EastIraq lies between the Tigris and Euphrates and includes parts of Mesopotamia, a core region of early urban states and writing. The area was shaped by Babylonian, Persian, Islamic, Ottoman and British influence. The modern state became independent in 1932; wars, authoritarian rule and recent conflicts have had severe consequences for residents and cultural heritage.
IrelandEuropeIreland is an Atlantic island with Gaelic, Viking, Norman and British historical influences. Most of the island became a self-governing Irish state in 1922; Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom. Irish and English are official languages, and the Irish diaspora has a global presence.
ItalyEuropeItaly covers most of the Apennine Peninsula and has strong regional identities and dialects. Its Roman and Renaissance legacies have had worldwide influence; the present republic emerged after nineteenth-century unification and the fall of the Fascist regime.
JapanEast AsiaJapan is an archipelago with varied climates and regional identities. Indigenous Ainu and Ryukyuan histories, court and warrior governments, Buddhism, Shinto, modernisation, empire and post-war reconstruction have shaped the country.
KenyaAfricaKenya lies on the East African coast and includes highlands, savannahs, lakes and arid regions. The region has an ancient human history and centuries-old Swahili trading towns; British colonisation and land dispossession shaped the modern state. Independent since 1963, Kenya is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country with important urban, agricultural and pastoral communities.
MaliAfricaMali includes parts of the Niger bend and Sahara and has a long history of agriculture, trade and centres of learning. Mande and Songhai empires, Amazigh and Tuareg networks, Islamic scholarship and French colonial rule have shaped this multilingual and regionally diverse society.
MexicoLatin AmericaMexico includes deserts, highlands, tropical forests and long coastlines and was shaped by many Indigenous civilisations and communities. Spanish colonisation, forced African migration, independence and modern migration transformed society; Nahua, Maya and many other Indigenous peoples maintain their own languages and traditions.
MongoliaEast AsiaMongolia is a vast, sparsely populated land of steppe, mountains and the Gobi Desert between Russia and China. Nomadic herders founded several steppe empires here; in the thirteenth century Genghis Khan built from here the largest contiguous land empire in history. After Manchu rule and seven decades as a Soviet satellite it has been a democracy since 1990.
MoroccoAfricaBetween the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Sahara, Morocco has Amazigh, Arab, African and Mediterranean historical connections. Indigenous Amazigh communities, Arab-Islamic dynasties, Andalusian migration, European colonial influence and modern migration have all shaped its culture.
New ZealandOceaniaNew Zealand comprises two main islands and smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific. Māori communities developed distinctive societies and traditions; European settlement, the Treaty of Waitangi, migration and urbanisation have shaped the modern country.
NigeriaAfricaOn the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria includes savannah, forests and a densely populated coast. Historic trading cities and kingdoms, British rule and independence in 1960 helped shape a highly diverse society with hundreds of languages.
PakistanSouth AsiaPakistan encompasses the Indus plain, high mountains and the Arabian Sea coast. The Indus civilisation is one of South Asia's earliest urban cultures; diverse empires and sultanates followed. The state emerged in 1947 during the partition of British India; Bangladesh became independent in 1971. Pakistan is a federal republic with substantial linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity.
PeruLatin AmericaPeru includes the dry Pacific coast, Andes and much of the Amazon basin, each with distinct ways of life and cultural traditions. Quechua, Aymara and Amazonian peoples are Indigenous communities; Spanish colonisation, African slavery and later migration also shaped modern society.
PolandEuropePoland lies between the Baltic Sea and Central Europe and has a history of kingdoms, partitions and restored statehood. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a multi-ethnic political community; the twentieth century brought occupation, the Holocaust, shifting borders and profound population movements. Today's Poland is a parliamentary republic.
PortugalEuropePortugal lies on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Roman, Visigothic and Islamic periods preceded the formation of the kingdom; from the fifteenth century Portugal built an overseas empire tied to trade, colonisation and slavery. Today's republic also includes the autonomous island regions of Madeira and the Azores.
RussiaEuropeRussia stretches across Eastern Europe and northern Asia and encompasses many regions, languages and ethnic groups. Tsarist expansion, the Soviet period and the dissolution of the Soviet Union shaped the modern state; Russian culture exists alongside that of many Indigenous and regional peoples.
SenegalAfricaSenegal lies on the Atlantic coast of West Africa, with river deltas, savannah and Sahel. The region had successive states and trading networks; French colonisation changed government and the economy. Senegal has been independent since 1960. Wolof is widely used as a lingua franca, alongside French as the official language and many other national languages.
South AfricaAfricaSouth Africa's landscapes range from desert and savannah to forests and long coasts. Indigenous communities, colonial settlement, slavery, migration, apartheid and the democratic transition have shaped its diverse society and eleven official languages.
South KoreaEast AsiaSouth Korea occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, whose history was long shared with the north. Korean language and institutions, Buddhist and Confucian traditions, Japanese colonial rule, division and rapid economic and cultural change shape the modern country.
SpainEuropeSpain encompasses the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic and Canary Islands, and two cities in North Africa; its regional languages and identities are diverse. Roman, Islamic, Jewish and Christian legacies, imperial expansion and the transition to democracy after Franco have shaped its history.
SwedenEuropeSweden extends across the Scandinavian Peninsula, from southern farming areas to northern forests and tundra. Sámi communities live in Sápmi, a region spanning several present-day states. The kingdom grew into a regional power in the early modern period and later developed into a parliamentary democracy and welfare state.
TanzaniaAfricaTanzania encompasses the mainland and the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, with great ecological and cultural diversity. The East African coast was part of Swahili and Indian Ocean trading networks for centuries. German and later British colonial rule were followed by independence and the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. Swahili is an important national lingua franca.
ThailandSoutheast AsiaThailand includes mainland Southeast Asian mountains, central river plains and southern coasts. Tai-speaking communities, Mon and Khmer legacies, Buddhism, Muslim communities in the south and centuries of trade have shaped its culture; the country remained formally outside European colonial rule.
The NetherlandsEuropeThe Netherlands lies on the North Sea and has been shaped by river deltas, peat reclamation and centuries of trade. The Dutch Republic grew into a commercial power in the seventeenth century; today the country is a constitutional monarchy and a densely populated, multilingual society.
The PhilippinesSoutheast AsiaThe Philippines is an archipelago in South-East Asia with great linguistic and regional diversity. Before Spanish colonisation, maritime trade networks and varied political communities existed; Spanish and American rule, Japanese occupation and independence followed. The present country is a republic with Indigenous, Moro and diaspora communities.
TurkeyMiddle EastTurkey lies between Southeast Europe and West Asia and encompasses Anatolia, Eastern Thrace and coastlines on three seas. The region was home to ancient empires and Byzantine centres; the Ottoman Empire and the republic founded in 1923 shape its modern history.
UkraineEuropeUkraine lies between Central Europe and the Black Sea and includes steppe, forest-steppe and coastal areas. Kyivan Rus', the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian and Habsburg empires and the Soviet Union left distinct legacies. Ukraine restored its independence in 1991; since 2014, and especially since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the country has been affected by war.
United KingdomEuropeThe United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each with its own histories and cultural traditions. Parliamentary government, the Industrial Revolution and an extensive colonial history have shaped the country and the world; contemporary society is multilingual and diverse.
United StatesNorth AmericaThe United States includes a continental core as well as Alaska and Hawaii, with major regional and environmental differences. Indigenous nations, European colonisation, forced African migration, slavery, immigration and civil rights struggles have shaped this federal republic.
UzbekistanCentral AsiaUzbekistan lies between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, in the heart of Central Asia. Oasis cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva lay on the Silk Roads and were centres of trade and Islamic learning for centuries. The area was conquered by Russia in the nineteenth century, was a Soviet republic from 1924 to 1991 and has been independent since.
VietnamSoutheast AsiaVietnam stretches along the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula and has varied river deltas, highlands and coastal areas. Chinese rule, independent dynasties, French colonisation and wars shaped the state and society. Today's Vietnam is a socialist republic with a Kinh majority and dozens of officially recognised ethnic minorities.