Look at southeastern Europe, Anatolia, the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, and one thing becomes clear: History here rarely belongs to only one civilization. For thousands of years, Greek-speaking states, Hellenistic kingdoms, the Roman and Byzantine empires, Turkic dynasties, the Seljuk Turks and eventually the Ottoman Empire repeatedly expanded across many of the same…
Look at a map of the United States and it is easy to assume that population is spread somewhat evenly across the country. It isn’t. A huge block of the American West and Great Plains—covering more than half of the country’s land area—contains only about 47.5 million people. Meanwhile, the rest of the country contains…
Italy today has a population of roughly 59 million people. Yet around the world, the number of people who can trace at least part of their family history back to Italy may be even larger. The Italian government has estimated that there are between 60 million and 80 million potential descendants of Italians worldwide. They…
Nearly 1.3 million Japanese citizens live outside Japan, but they are far from evenly spread around the world. According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an estimated 1,298,170 Japanese nationals were living overseas as of October 1, 2025. More than 416,000 were living in the United States alone, making America by far the largest destination….
For an institution followed by Catholics around the world, the geographic history of the papacy is surprisingly concentrated. Of the 267 papal reigns counted through Pope Leo XIV, the overwhelming majority are associated with places located in modern-day Italy. The map above assigns the birthplaces of popes to today’s countries and produces a striking result:…
Most international borders separate two countries. But scattered across Europe are unusual places where three countries meet at exactly the same location. These places are known as international tripoints. Some sit on remote mountain summits. Others are hidden in rivers or lakes. A few have elaborate monuments where visitors can walk around and seemingly step…
Cannabis laws in Europe are changing rapidly—but the continent is nowhere close to having one common policy. Cross a single border and the rules surrounding the same small amount of cannabis can change dramatically. In one country, an adult may legally grow several cannabis plants at home. In another, possession may technically remain illegal but…
For generations, one of the most familiar ways of preparing lobster has also been one of the most controversial: placing the animal directly into boiling water while it is still alive. Across Europe, however, there is no single rule governing the practice. In some countries, animal-welfare rules require lobsters and other crustaceans to be stunned…
More than 7 million Koreans live outside South Korea, forming one of Asia’s most geographically widespread diaspora communities. But they are far from evenly distributed around the world. According to South Korea’s 2025 Status of Overseas Koreans, there were 7,006,703 overseas Koreans living in 181 countries as of December 31, 2024. The United States alone…
When people picture transportation in Europe, metro systems are often one of the first things that come to mind. London has the Underground. Paris has the Métro. Madrid has one of Europe’s largest subway networks. Berlin has the U-Bahn, while cities such as Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Stockholm and Copenhagen all have extensive rapid-transit systems. But…
