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Why We Are What We Are

The 495m-high Lion Rock is topped by a huge granite outcrop that resembles a crouching lion (Credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy)
Why We Are What We Are

The giant rock that defines Hong Kong

By Gary Jones

Group of men at College Street book market, Kolkata
Why We Are What We Are
The secret of Bengali conviviality
By Tania Banerjee
A red fisher’s hut on the shore of the Åland Islands, Finland
Why We Are What We Are
Europe's most cooperative islands?
By Karen Gardiner
The art of romance is ingrained in French culture – although you rarely hear the words "je t'aime" (Credit: Fotostorm/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
Why it's hard to find love in France
By Sylvia Sabes
Paisa vasool is about finding extra value in every interaction (Credit: Peter Adams/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
The Indian way to 'maximise value'
By Nayantara Dutta
Singapore is renowned for its impeccable cleanliness and pristine public image (Credit: Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images)
Culture & Identity
The Asian city obsessed with hygiene
By Faris Mustafa
Muhibbah has been adopted as the unifying spirit of Malaysia to ensure acceptance and tolerance between communities (Credit: Xpacifica/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
Is this Asia’s most harmonious nation?
By Charukesi Ramadurai
In Bangladesh, life is played out on the 230 rivers that crisscross the nation (Credit: Mohammad Saiful Islam/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
A nation submerged under endless water
By Aysha Imtiaz
Hiraeth conveys a distinct feeling of missing something irretrievably lost (Credit: Alan Novelli/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
The Welsh word you can’t translate
By Lily Crossley-Baxter
In the Chinese-speaking world, astrology is a respected and important part of local culture (Credit: Too_R/Getty Images)
Culture & Identity
The Asian nation obsessed with luck
By Matt Jenkins
Nigeria is home to more than 370 tribes and 500 languages (Credit: peeterv/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
The country that loves to overachieve
By Rosie Bell
Aizawl is India's only "honk-free" city, where people follow traffic rules and don't blare their horns (Credit: Wildlife/Alamy)
Culture & Identity
A little-known 'country' inside India
By Zinara Rathnayake
Shemomechama happens when you are full but you continue eating anyway (Credit; yanadjana/Alamy)
Why We Are What We Are
Have you ever experienced shemomechama?
By David Farley
Residents of the Unesco city of Saint-Louis are particularly known for their culture of teraanga (Credit: Hemis/Alamy)
Why We Are What We Are
The country ruled by kindness
By Colette Coleman
In a special address to the nation in April, the Queen stressed the value of self-discipline and resolve during the coronavirus pandemic (Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Why We Are What We Are
How other countries perceive Brits
By Olivier Guiberteau
Easter Island is perhaps best known for its moai, monolithic human figures that were built by the Rapa Nui people (Credit: Marko Stavric Photography/Getty Images)
Culture & Identity
A Polynesian custom thwarting Covid-19
By Mark Johanson