Why Japan is stuck in the past and other facts about the world that don't fit popular stereotypes

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The society has developed stable ideas about this world. True, sometimes these ideas are based on scattered facts, or even outright disinformation. In this review, a story about stereotypes that most people believe in today, although all this is purely untrue.

1. Snake charmers are prohibited by law in India

Considering how diverse and large India is, it's no surprise that stereotypes about it are also very diverse - from the notorious Indian programmers to spicy food and lots of cows on the road. Snake charmers are one such stereotype. Despite the fact that this art is more than one century old, in modern India it is prohibited. Pursuant to the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1972, the government banned the possession of snakes (especially king cobras) for any professional reason. In recent decades, another law has been passed that completely eradicated this practice. However, the stereotype persists.

2. People in the Netherlands don't smoke as much as everyone thinks

Perhaps almost everyone has heard stories about bars in Amsterdam where you can safely buy any kind of cannabis thanks to local loyal laws. The Netherlands is often cited as an example when talking about the need to legalize marijuana, and almost everyone assumes that the level of cannabis use in this country is one of the highest in the world. After all, if weed were legal, why shouldn't everyone smoke it at least once in a while. Surprisingly, the opposite is true.

There are quite a few smokers in the Netherlands - the country ranks 20th in the ranking of the use of light "substances", although no one bothered to find out why this is so. This may be due to the fact that coffee shops where you can legally buy cannabis have recently closed in more conservative parts of the country. Or maybe the Dutch just don't like weed.

3. A highly simplified map of the world

Usually, looking at a map of the world, no one wonders if it accurately shows the real sizes of different countries. It turns out that the map of the world is completely inaccurate and greatly exaggerates the size of the northern hemisphere. For example, if you look at Greenland, it seems almost the same size as the African continent. In fact, Africa is about 14.5 times larger. In fact, all continents below the equator are shown smaller than they actually are compared to their northern counterparts. The reason is this: the current map of the world is just a projection of the topography of the Earth, translated into a two-dimensional plane. The Mercator projection is commonly used, despite the fact that it is often criticized for exaggerating the size of Western countries (although it is unanimously mistaken for a real world map).

4. Most of Africa is not arid

Whenever it comes to Africa, people simply assume that it is mostly a solid desert, with the exception of South Africa, which is supposedly home to all the native wildlife. In fact, the desert is not even the most common type of terrain found in Africa. Only 25 percent of the continent (mostly in the north) is arid land. The rest is a vast and varied mixture of highlands, savannah and rainforest, among other types of terrain. Take the savannah, for example. Compared to 8.5 million.square kilometers of deserts, meadows cover more than 13 million square kilometers, which is almost half of all Africa. Therefore, it is statistically more accurate to represent Africa as the English countryside, rather than as the desert cities of Iraq.

5. Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt

Show at least one person who will say at least something about Sudan other than that it is a poor country in Africa. In fact, Sudan is a very important historical region. There are more pyramids here than in Egypt, including the pyramids of important Egyptian rulers and nobles who clearly preferred to be buried in Sudan over Egypt. Despite all the historical heritage, even one tenth of the tourists who go to Egypt do not visit the country. In principle, this is understandable, since the invariably difficult political situation in the country makes tourism difficult.

6. Buddhism and violence

Usually, in any conversation about religious violence, Buddhism is always cited as an example of a peaceful religion. But is it. If you dig a little deeper into the recent history of countries where Buddhism is the dominant religion, it is easy to understand that no one rebelles as much as Buddhists. Examples include Myanmar and Sri Lanka, where tensions between Buddhists and Muslims have often led to full-scale unrest. If anyone thinks, "It was self-defense," he is wrong. Many of these riots were instigated by local Buddhist groups. Radical Buddhism may sound like a joke, since many instinctively think that Buddhists are peaceful by default. But besides the really harmless Buddhist groups (and the majority of the local population, which does not approve of violence), there are also really radical groups.

7. Indonesia is more Islamic than the Middle East

What place on earth is most associated with Islam, one of the largest religions in the world. Given the local holy places and persistent stereotypes, everyone will surely say that this is the Middle East. And if you ask which country has the most Muslims, most will say that it is, for example, Iran or Saudi Arabia. Hardly anyone will name Indonesia, a country from Southeast Asia. But this is the country with the highest Muslim population in the world. Although islands like Bali are relatively less religious, the rest of Indonesia is more Muslim than most of the Middle East.

8. "Futuristic" Japan is largely stuck in the past

Who would argue that the country with the most technological innovations is Japan - the birthplace of games, robotics and anime. It is generally accepted throughout the world that Japan invents many technologies much earlier than the rest of the world. This is mostly true, but Japan prefers not to abandon its past at the same time. First, the country cannot stop using coal. It is the second largest coal importer after China. Second, the Japanese still prefer old technologies to new ones, although the country is a technology leader in many areas. This is perhaps the only place in the world where you can still see record stores because CDs are still in use throughout Japan.

9. Saudi Arabia gets camels and sand from Australia

Camels are only found in certain arid regions of the world, and Saudi Arabia sounds like a country where they should almost be given as a birthday present. Therefore, many will be surprised to learn that Saudi Arabia is actually short on sand and camels, and the country even imports both from Australia. And this is not only done by Saudi Arabia. Sand shortages are a problem throughout the Middle East, and many other countries have recently asked Australia to replenish their sand supplies.

10. Crowds of people roam in Machu Picchu

Anyone who has traveled to South America knows that the structures left behind by the once mighty Inca empire are some of the most beautiful in the world. Probably the most famous of their cities, Machu Picchu is a stunningly beautiful place surrounded by mountains and full of grandeur and loneliness. The fact is that this can only be seen in photographs, but in fact, Machu Picchu is one of the most crowded tourist destinations in the world. The ruins are so overcrowded with people that the authorities even began to allow tourists to Machu Picchu only for a certain time, after which they are asked to leave. Also, groups of only 16 people are allowed to enter the historical site.