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Someone Made 18 Stereotypical Maps Of Europe, And Some Of Them Will Probably Offend You
Yanko Tsvetkov (previously here) is far from being a professional cartographer, but he has quit a thing for maps. The Bulgarian-born graphic artist, who now resides in Spain, is acutely aware of both the serious inter-cultural debates and disputes gripping the world, and the ridiculous stereotypes we all hold against each other. His desire to reconcile the two culminated in the Atlas of Prejudice, a project which sees him drawing maps that combine history with hearsay in the most hilarious fashion.
One of the many chapters of this alternative atlas, entitled Tearing Europe Apart, examines the many cultural divides that seem to govern the continent. If you can swallow your pride and have a laugh at yourself (as well as your neighbors), scroll down to see which side of the dotted line your country falls on, and let us know in the comments if you agree with the author.
More info: Atlas of Prejudice | Facebook | Twitter
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#4
Sill Marien 8 years ago
you slice Poland in half which is kinda awesome cause it puts me in brown-ish part and I could not fix my own sink to save my life, nor would my brother I think ;)
#6
Benj 8 years ago
NORWAY, depressed?! Uh, I beg to differ - it was recently stated to be one of the happiest countries in the world. This one is way off.
Inga Auðbjörg 8 years ago
That the overall population is happy and to have the highest rate of depression doesn't necessarily counteract each other. Iceland is the happiest country in the world and one of the most depressed as well...
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John L 8 years ago
No Yvon. Its Climate that works on people. The sunnier and warmer things are, the happier we tend to be. Nationality has little to do with this. Would you rather live in good weather or bad weather?
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cornelis van der hoek 8 years ago
that the Dutch be melancholic, wish we were - haha. The Dutch are considered one of happiest of the world, for sure in Europe ... So define melancholic 👀
Kwj 8 years ago
Denmark has been stated to be the happiest country in the World numerous times, so this one is way off ;) - Best regards from the Dane :D
Manuela Simon 8 years ago
And Germans are not melancholic, but often depressed, because "we have it so difficult"blabla. But I believe it is easy to become depressed in the area where there is no sun in the winter
Marc Stroobants 2 years ago
With beer, wine and schnapps/vodka/akvavit/palinka/slivovitz, we're all euphoric!
Su Burbio 5 years ago
I lived in Norway a couple of seasons and it seems to me that Norwegians are reserved but not depressed and they do enjoy life doing a lot of outdoor stuff. I love Norwegian outdoor life (i used to, now I cannot go back anymore:( ). They have good income to make a living and lots of space. I would rather be Norwegian than Portuguese (which low salaries, unemployment, crisis, lack of native nature, lack of public natural space, horrible hot summers)....
Isog Sargent 7 years ago
So not true, the Scandinavian countries are among the happiest in the world. Finland regularly tops the list of happiest countries.
Soile Niittymäki 7 years ago
Finland tops the list of happiest countries in the world, so who says we are depressed?
Giorgio Giannakaris 7 years ago
You don't know what depression is until you visit the Greece of the financial crisis. Not the tourist places where everyone has a fake smile, but the real Greece where people have to live with 500€ while the cost of living is similar to the UK.
Fred Borloo 8 years ago
Total B******t. I loved Norway. Probably the happiest people on earth!
Ryan Rogers 8 years ago
The Nordic countries date usually ranked as the happiest places in earth. Economic stability and a tight knit community with shared ethics play a larger role in happiness levels than climate does.
João Mamede 8 years ago
Wrong, Portuguese are not Euphoric, we are either melancholic or Depressed, fix that.
Blue Cicada 8 years ago
In the US, we see a strong correlation between cultural origin and depression, leading to multiple studies of the genetic components of depression.
Blue Cicada 8 years ago
In the US the wealthy or retired often "head South" for the cold months.
Alicja Maciejewska 8 years ago
In Poland we are not melancholic. Usually we're just pissed off.
ViolinLover 8 years ago
https://www.google.no/amp/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN16R0BH
Fred Borloo 8 years ago
Absolute BS. People in the south pretend to be happy. People up north understand happy.
Glenys Vargas de Sorrentino 8 years ago
I find happier people in the north due to them being able to live their lives in peace without worrying about what people think, about money nor about getting a job. People in the south may be more vivacious and loud but there's a lot of anger there as well as loads of depression.
#11
Blue Cicada 8 years ago
Folks! Taste is soooo subjective! What might be delicious to you is gaggingly disgusting to me, and vice versa!
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What do you think ?
Wanda Queen 8 years ago
It wasn't meant to be. It was meant to be funny. They are stereotypes.
Load More Replies... John L 8 years ago
Many of these stereotypes are based on climate and how people were able to survive. Agriculture played a major part on such things as food, alcoholic beverages, and other staples. Oh, and Communism also played a major part. Many of them make perfectly good sense.
Anna Thouvenin 8 years ago
Not offended. Yet you can't make 29+ countries in just 2 or 3 categories. Some maps showed clear misunderstanding of a couple countries like France, Switzerland or Germany.
Fabian Borg 8 years ago
Malta and the Maltese classified as lazy oh that's so wrong. Sure the author missed the concept all together. Our blooming economy surely isn't the merits of lazing around.
João Salgado 8 years ago
I am portuguese and i honestly do not understand what Portugal is doing in Europe´s map. We are not europeans; we dont want to be. Since we are located in the southwest corner of Europe (wich can be both the beginning or the end of it) we have critical distance enough to understand that europeans are a enormous variety of tribes that have been killing each other since ever. Europe it´s the most violent continente of the world: the cradle of two world wars. In Portugal we fought against inquisition during the middle ages, we were one of the first countries in the world to abolish slavery, the very first one to abolish death penalty and we were able to make a smooth transition to democracy whithout having a bloody revolution. I´m not being nationalist. I dont think Portugal is better than any other country in the world. But we dont want to be a part of that map.
Suzanne Haigh 3 years ago
Whoever did this has no idea what i actually going on in the world, just presuming. Pity the idiot has nothing better to do
Lenka Hošková 8 years ago
As a European, I can take the joke without being offended :D And also, I actually feel most of these are accurate for me (not talking about other countries or even different people in my country, just me).
Joe Mrnka 8 years ago
The stereotypes are from the perspective of a East European. You can take the East European out of East Europe, but you can't take the East Europe out of him easily. And from that perspective I recognize the stereotypes. The olive /butter, tomato/potato and religion one are actually pretty good, even if the religion one is missing a religion. The stereotypes could have hit harder if the illustrator chose to use national borders instead of just simple curves. The Lazy thing is a really national phenomenon, where I could see the German perspective being that everyone outside of Germany/ Austria being lazy. The Czech perspective would have everyone to the East and South of Austria being lazy. The alcohol thing would be interesting, because Poland and majority of area of Slovakia like the hard liquor, Czechs, Germans and SW Slovakia likes beer. There are pockets of wine consumption all over these areas mentioned.
Fiona Messenger 8 years ago
"If you can swallow your pride and have a laugh at yourself", apparently not, as the last four are now hidden because they were voted down, because everyone is taken this FAR TOO SERIOUSLY. Stereotypes should make us think - and have a laugh.
Loki Volemangler 8 years ago
Humour. It's a wonderful attribute. So often lacking. I hee-hee'd out loud, which is like lolling but quieter. Anyone taking offence at this bit of harmless fun probably needs a humour transplant, possibly but not likely available on the NHS.
Pi... 8 years ago
Well, i haven't seen a single post that singlehandedly complimented AND insulted multiple nationalities in one shot, in a loooong time! :D
Blue Cicada 8 years ago
These are generalizations for humor's sake. Having traveled throughput Europe (before and after the Iron Curtain) and spent time with family and friends from all regions, there is some truth to each of these stereotypes. Some are more accurate than others. Rather than gripe and whine, if you disagree, why not redraw your own borders?
Wanda Queen 8 years ago
Ah....ok I take it back. I looked at some of the ones that were hidden and I can see how they are offensive.
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Wanda Queen 8 years ago
It wasn't meant to be. It was meant to be funny. They are stereotypes.
Load More Replies... John L 8 years ago
Many of these stereotypes are based on climate and how people were able to survive. Agriculture played a major part on such things as food, alcoholic beverages, and other staples. Oh, and Communism also played a major part. Many of them make perfectly good sense.
Anna Thouvenin 8 years ago
Not offended. Yet you can't make 29+ countries in just 2 or 3 categories. Some maps showed clear misunderstanding of a couple countries like France, Switzerland or Germany.
Fabian Borg 8 years ago
Malta and the Maltese classified as lazy oh that's so wrong. Sure the author missed the concept all together. Our blooming economy surely isn't the merits of lazing around.
João Salgado 8 years ago
I am portuguese and i honestly do not understand what Portugal is doing in Europe´s map. We are not europeans; we dont want to be. Since we are located in the southwest corner of Europe (wich can be both the beginning or the end of it) we have critical distance enough to understand that europeans are a enormous variety of tribes that have been killing each other since ever. Europe it´s the most violent continente of the world: the cradle of two world wars. In Portugal we fought against inquisition during the middle ages, we were one of the first countries in the world to abolish slavery, the very first one to abolish death penalty and we were able to make a smooth transition to democracy whithout having a bloody revolution. I´m not being nationalist. I dont think Portugal is better than any other country in the world. But we dont want to be a part of that map.
Suzanne Haigh 3 years ago
Whoever did this has no idea what i actually going on in the world, just presuming. Pity the idiot has nothing better to do
Lenka Hošková 8 years ago
As a European, I can take the joke without being offended :D And also, I actually feel most of these are accurate for me (not talking about other countries or even different people in my country, just me).
Joe Mrnka 8 years ago
The stereotypes are from the perspective of a East European. You can take the East European out of East Europe, but you can't take the East Europe out of him easily. And from that perspective I recognize the stereotypes. The olive /butter, tomato/potato and religion one are actually pretty good, even if the religion one is missing a religion. The stereotypes could have hit harder if the illustrator chose to use national borders instead of just simple curves. The Lazy thing is a really national phenomenon, where I could see the German perspective being that everyone outside of Germany/ Austria being lazy. The Czech perspective would have everyone to the East and South of Austria being lazy. The alcohol thing would be interesting, because Poland and majority of area of Slovakia like the hard liquor, Czechs, Germans and SW Slovakia likes beer. There are pockets of wine consumption all over these areas mentioned.
Fiona Messenger 8 years ago
"If you can swallow your pride and have a laugh at yourself", apparently not, as the last four are now hidden because they were voted down, because everyone is taken this FAR TOO SERIOUSLY. Stereotypes should make us think - and have a laugh.
Loki Volemangler 8 years ago
Humour. It's a wonderful attribute. So often lacking. I hee-hee'd out loud, which is like lolling but quieter. Anyone taking offence at this bit of harmless fun probably needs a humour transplant, possibly but not likely available on the NHS.
Pi... 8 years ago
Well, i haven't seen a single post that singlehandedly complimented AND insulted multiple nationalities in one shot, in a loooong time! :D
Blue Cicada 8 years ago
These are generalizations for humor's sake. Having traveled throughput Europe (before and after the Iron Curtain) and spent time with family and friends from all regions, there is some truth to each of these stereotypes. Some are more accurate than others. Rather than gripe and whine, if you disagree, why not redraw your own borders?
Wanda Queen 8 years ago
Ah....ok I take it back. I looked at some of the ones that were hidden and I can see how they are offensive.
Load More Replies... 
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