What should every idiot know about your country?
November 9, 2010 4:57 AM Subscribe
As a tourist (or a global citizen), what 5 things should I know about your country?
This may be chatfilter but I'm really after a few nuggets of info about each country that one would be woefully ignorant not to know and that I can quickly learn and retain as I bounce around the globe.
For example, as an American, I would say that tourists or global citizens should know at the moment that:
- Barack Obama is our current President.
- The US is comprised of 50 states and roughly 4 regions: the NE, the South, the West, and the Midwest and there are very rough cultural, religious, political, and ethnic associations with each region.
- The US is an incredibly diverse country ethnically, religiously, economically, politically. We didn't all support Bush and we don't all support Obama.
- The US was first populated by Native Americans, then Europeans settled the country and European countries duked it out over the country, then American settlers fought back against England and won independence. A big part of the "American" identity involves our national story that we are free thinkers and willing to fight for freedom.
- There is an undercurrent in the US of racial problems and tensions, primarily surrounding* African Americans and Latino Americans.
Bonus points for India and Canada, the next two countries I expect to visit.
*What I mean by this is that there's a lot of racism directed at African Americans and Latino Americans. But also, a traveller might not realize that their ethnicity could trigger a response from an American depending on the two ethnicities involved. I.e. a white European might get a different reaction from an African American than s/he expected depending on what s/he says/does. Or an African traveler might get a different reaction from a white American, or an African American, etc. than s/he expected. There's an underlying tension brought about by a wrought history, that might be implicated in interactions with tourists.
This may be chatfilter but I'm really after a few nuggets of info about each country that one would be woefully ignorant not to know and that I can quickly learn and retain as I bounce around the globe.
For example, as an American, I would say that tourists or global citizens should know at the moment that:
- Barack Obama is our current President.
- The US is comprised of 50 states and roughly 4 regions: the NE, the South, the West, and the Midwest and there are very rough cultural, religious, political, and ethnic associations with each region.
- The US is an incredibly diverse country ethnically, religiously, economically, politically. We didn't all support Bush and we don't all support Obama.
- The US was first populated by Native Americans, then Europeans settled the country and European countries duked it out over the country, then American settlers fought back against England and won independence. A big part of the "American" identity involves our national story that we are free thinkers and willing to fight for freedom.
- There is an undercurrent in the US of racial problems and tensions, primarily surrounding* African Americans and Latino Americans.
Bonus points for India and Canada, the next two countries I expect to visit.
*What I mean by this is that there's a lot of racism directed at African Americans and Latino Americans. But also, a traveller might not realize that their ethnicity could trigger a response from an American depending on the two ethnicities involved. I.e. a white European might get a different reaction from an African American than s/he expected depending on what s/he says/does. Or an African traveler might get a different reaction from a white American, or an African American, etc. than s/he expected. There's an underlying tension brought about by a wrought history, that might be implicated in interactions with tourists.
This post was deleted for the following reason: This is cute but, yeah, it is pretty much chatfilter. -- cortex
1) Pakistan was a part of India until the British Raj ended in 1947. The history of Muslim rule of India, followed by British colonization, followed by the Muslim majority areas splitting away, has a huge role in defining the national psyche.
2) The vast majority of Pakistanis (over 95%) are Muslim, but define being Muslim in a wide variety of ways; a VERY small percentage identify with what the West would call fundamentalist Islam.
3) Pakistanis are one of the most hospitable peoples in the world (possibly even the most hospitable). People who come from cultures that are famed for hospitality remark upon it.
4) There are four provinces, plus a federal capital area, plus a federally administered tribal area. Each of the provinces is home to a variety of ethnic sub-groups, marked most clearly by different languages and/or dialects. Nevertheless, the national language is Urdu, which is native only to those people who migrated from what is now northern India. An awful lot of people know some English, whether they are educated or not.
5) People in Pakistan get angrier and angrier with the US government every single day, but that still does not outweigh 3) above, when it comes to dealing with individual Americans. Also, it in no way prevents them from independently getting angrier and angrier with their own government as well.
posted by bardophile at 5:24 AM on November 9, 2010
2) The vast majority of Pakistanis (over 95%) are Muslim, but define being Muslim in a wide variety of ways; a VERY small percentage identify with what the West would call fundamentalist Islam.
3) Pakistanis are one of the most hospitable peoples in the world (possibly even the most hospitable). People who come from cultures that are famed for hospitality remark upon it.
4) There are four provinces, plus a federal capital area, plus a federally administered tribal area. Each of the provinces is home to a variety of ethnic sub-groups, marked most clearly by different languages and/or dialects. Nevertheless, the national language is Urdu, which is native only to those people who migrated from what is now northern India. An awful lot of people know some English, whether they are educated or not.
5) People in Pakistan get angrier and angrier with the US government every single day, but that still does not outweigh 3) above, when it comes to dealing with individual Americans. Also, it in no way prevents them from independently getting angrier and angrier with their own government as well.
posted by bardophile at 5:24 AM on November 9, 2010
Australia doesn't have a president. It works under a modified Westminster system with a parliament and prime minister, but although the Queen is technically head of state, and appears on our money, we have a governor-general who stands in for her in most situations.
Australia has six states and two territories. English is spoken in all of them, however aboriginal languages are widely spoken throughout the interior and “Top End”.
Australia has very mild winters, and has very hot summers and lots of months where the weather is pretty middling. Come to the southern states in June expecting to ski – except for South Australia, whish is pretty much all desert – spectacular desert though.
Sydney acts like it's Australia (anything called "The Great Australia’s X" is likely to be in Sydney) but it isn't, that’s what Melbourne is for.
In Australia, we're inevitably somewhat interested in how the U.S. is doing, but it isn't our country and we're never going to care as much as you think we might.
posted by the noob at 5:26 AM on November 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
Australia has six states and two territories. English is spoken in all of them, however aboriginal languages are widely spoken throughout the interior and “Top End”.
Australia has very mild winters, and has very hot summers and lots of months where the weather is pretty middling. Come to the southern states in June expecting to ski – except for South Australia, whish is pretty much all desert – spectacular desert though.
Sydney acts like it's Australia (anything called "The Great Australia’s X" is likely to be in Sydney) but it isn't, that’s what Melbourne is for.
In Australia, we're inevitably somewhat interested in how the U.S. is doing, but it isn't our country and we're never going to care as much as you think we might.
posted by the noob at 5:26 AM on November 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
French people aren't all rude, but if you're in a touristy arrondissement in France, expect the occasional bitchy salesperson. Normally though, you'll be fine as long as you say "bonjour", "merci", and "au revoir" everytime you deal with anyone.
The French are prone to strike anytime the government tries to do anything at all controversial. This is part of the democratic process. However, it's important to remember that the people who make all the noise don't necessarily represent of the rest of the country.
General culture is very important to many French people. Being able to talk current events, literature, and philosophy intelligently is how one gets into the most prestigious institutions of higher education.
Sarkozy, the current president, is married to Carla Bruni, a singer-songwriter-former model.
Food matters in France.
posted by snoogles at 5:27 AM on November 9, 2010
The French are prone to strike anytime the government tries to do anything at all controversial. This is part of the democratic process. However, it's important to remember that the people who make all the noise don't necessarily represent of the rest of the country.
General culture is very important to many French people. Being able to talk current events, literature, and philosophy intelligently is how one gets into the most prestigious institutions of higher education.
Sarkozy, the current president, is married to Carla Bruni, a singer-songwriter-former model.
Food matters in France.
posted by snoogles at 5:27 AM on November 9, 2010
The United Kingdom doesn't have a president. We are the origin of the Westminster Parliament system, with a Prime Minister who is the leader of the party in government and day-to-day leader of the country, but not head of state and not elected by a popular vote. The Queen is our head of state.
The United Kingdom is a single state (as we understand modern, sovereign nation-states), but it is composed of four countries, each of which have semi-devolved legislatures of their own (this devolution is relatively recent, i.e. since the 1990's). The four countries in the UK are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom defies stereotyping in many ways, and it is a very hard place to generalise about. The variety of accents, lifestyles, prejudices, economic conditions, tastes and behaviours is mind-boggling to citizens of larger countries (the UK handily fits inside Oregon, for example) but part of the cultural and physical landscape to its people. Consequently we never tire of putting each other in boxes.
The UK has a broad history of immigration, with waves from different parts of the Commonwealth in the past (Afro-carribean, Indian, Pakistani) and an ongoing influx from the European Union at present. Opinions vary on the effect this has had on life in the UK, positive or negative, but there are ongoing arguments about it and it is an emotive topic for everyone involved.
There is a heavy strand of socialist/communitarian thinking in the UK that is the result of two world wars and the upheaval of social change throughout the latter half of the 20th Century. Consequently, while our left wing parties are increasingly mirror images of our right wing ones, the entire discourse is considerably to the left, economically and socially, of the United States. Healthcare is nationalised, televisions are licensed and the fee used to pay for public broadcasting and taxes are quite high (normally 40% of income and up, once local taxes and VAT are included).
posted by Happy Dave at 5:32 AM on November 9, 2010
The United Kingdom is a single state (as we understand modern, sovereign nation-states), but it is composed of four countries, each of which have semi-devolved legislatures of their own (this devolution is relatively recent, i.e. since the 1990's). The four countries in the UK are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom defies stereotyping in many ways, and it is a very hard place to generalise about. The variety of accents, lifestyles, prejudices, economic conditions, tastes and behaviours is mind-boggling to citizens of larger countries (the UK handily fits inside Oregon, for example) but part of the cultural and physical landscape to its people. Consequently we never tire of putting each other in boxes.
The UK has a broad history of immigration, with waves from different parts of the Commonwealth in the past (Afro-carribean, Indian, Pakistani) and an ongoing influx from the European Union at present. Opinions vary on the effect this has had on life in the UK, positive or negative, but there are ongoing arguments about it and it is an emotive topic for everyone involved.
There is a heavy strand of socialist/communitarian thinking in the UK that is the result of two world wars and the upheaval of social change throughout the latter half of the 20th Century. Consequently, while our left wing parties are increasingly mirror images of our right wing ones, the entire discourse is considerably to the left, economically and socially, of the United States. Healthcare is nationalised, televisions are licensed and the fee used to pay for public broadcasting and taxes are quite high (normally 40% of income and up, once local taxes and VAT are included).
posted by Happy Dave at 5:32 AM on November 9, 2010
coraline: "zadcat: How is Toronto not Canada?"
I think zadcat is saying that Toronto likes to think of itself as the be-all and end-all of Canada, but it is not a) all that or b) all that representative.
posted by Happy Dave at 5:33 AM on November 9, 2010
I think zadcat is saying that Toronto likes to think of itself as the be-all and end-all of Canada, but it is not a) all that or b) all that representative.
posted by Happy Dave at 5:33 AM on November 9, 2010
Although the queen is our head of state she has virtually none of the powers you would associate with a president and the role is largely ceremonial. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think "You don't like in a real democracy because the queen is like your president."
I'm pretty forgiving about people who don't understand the difference between Great Britain, the British Isles, the UK, etc. That does seem designed to confuse.
posted by rhymer at 5:39 AM on November 9, 2010
I'm pretty forgiving about people who don't understand the difference between Great Britain, the British Isles, the UK, etc. That does seem designed to confuse.
posted by rhymer at 5:39 AM on November 9, 2010
Could I add, for the UK one:
Contrary to popular perception, it does not rain all the time in the UK. Average annual rainfall in London is 23 inches, compared to 40 inches for Washington, DC.
posted by TheRaven at 5:46 AM on November 9, 2010
Contrary to popular perception, it does not rain all the time in the UK. Average annual rainfall in London is 23 inches, compared to 40 inches for Washington, DC.
posted by TheRaven at 5:46 AM on November 9, 2010
By the most generous estimates, a little under 5% of the UK population is Muslim. (I frequently hear US commentators speaking as if it were simply an unremarkable and obvious truth that the figure is closer to 50%, or perhaps even more.)
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 5:49 AM on November 9, 2010
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 5:49 AM on November 9, 2010
To Amercia, I would ad that we're generally ignorant about foreign countries, due to our own navel gazing and large geographic size. Whereas citizens of other countries can often and easily travel to different countries, that's harder to do for most Americans. So if we seem a liitle uncultivated, have patience please.
posted by nomadicink at 5:55 AM on November 9, 2010
posted by nomadicink at 5:55 AM on November 9, 2010
You might want to look into Zompist's Culture Tests
posted by The Whelk at 5:59 AM on November 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 5:59 AM on November 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
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Canada has ten provinces and three territories. English is spoken in most of them, but Quebec is officially only French-speaking, but French is spoken in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and elsewhere too.
Canada has very cold winters, but also has hot summers and lots of months where the weather is pretty middling. Don't come here in June expecting to ski.
Toronto acts like it's Canada (anything called "The Great Canadian X" is likely to be in Toronto or nearby) but it isn't.
In Canada, we're inevitably somewhat interested in how the U.S. is doing, but it isn't our country and we're never going to care as much as you think we might.
posted by zadcat at 5:08 AM on November 9, 2010 [2 favorites]