What are the Most Diverse Countries in the World?

Over 7.8 billion people live on this planet, and each of them is incredibly diverse. People are unique in their own way, depending on their language, customs, ethnicity, religion, race, etc. Conclusion: There are countries with many different groups of people, which makes them diverse. So, what countries are the most diverse?

Diversity depends on ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and language. If you are looking for the world’s most diverse countries, this article will be perfect. We have prepared a list of countries and will discuss the major factors that make them diverse. So, let’s begin!

What Are The Most Diverse Countries In The World? 

Let’s divide the list of countries based on ethnic or racial diversity, religious diversity, cultural diversity, biological diversity, and linguistic diversity.

Ethnic Diversity

Here are some of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world.

1. Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is the world’s most ethnically diverse country. There are several ethnic groups in the country, and each one of them has its own customs, values, traditions, and language. There are more than 800 languages in Papua New Guinea, and none of them are related to each other despite their geographic proximity.

2. Uganda

Uganda, just another African country, is home to many ethnic groups. The largest ethnic groups out there include Buganda, with 16.9% of the total population, and Banyankole and Nasoga, with 9.5% and 8.4 % of the country’s population.

3. The Democratic Republic of Congo

With over 8 million population, DR Congo has more than 200 ethnic groups. They speak over 242 languages, and French is the official language there.

4. Tanzania 

Tanzania is a country with more than one hundred ethnic groups. Each group has a unique language. Apart from that, several foreign residents from other parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe also live in the country, making it more ethnically diverse.

5. Liberia

The world’s most diverse country is ranked as the fifth most ethnically diverse. The population of the country is more than 4 million. Almost all of the population of Liberia is made up of Indigenous African tribes. There are over twenty ethnic groups with their own language in the country. In addition, Liberian tribes are linguistically divided into three main groups: the Mande people, the Kru tribes, and the Mel.

African countries dominate the list except for Papua New Guinea. The dominance is related to the tribal culture in the country.

Religious Diversity

Well, East Asia is the most religiously diverse region in the world. The countries where religious diversity is at its peak are Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In fact, all of the world’s religiously diverse countries are in the East Asian and West African regions.

1. Singapore

Singapore is home to Buddhists mostly from China, Hindus from India, Muslims that are mostly from Malaysia, Christians from Europe, and mostly from South-East Asia. Religious diversity is rooted in the societal fibers of Singapore. Do you want to know the Tips 2021 for Doing Business in Singapore?

2. Taiwan 

Taiwan is the second-highest religiously diverse country in the world. It’s not just boasting the world’s major religions but a wide array of folk religions. Consequently, Taiwan scored 8.2 on a scale of zero to 10 for the Religious diversity index, trailing behind only Singapore, which scored 9.

3. Vietnam

Vietnam is another religiously diverse country after Singapore and Taiwan. Most of Vietnam’s population practices folk religion. Over 16% of the country’s population are Buddhists, 8% are Christians, and 30% are unaffiliated with any religion.

4. China 

China is also one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. People sometimes think that China is an atheistic nation; it’s not! It’s just the communist party trying to make it one. Besides, China has a great number of practicing Buddhists and religious folks. Christianity is also growing in China; over 5 percent of the country’s population is Christians. Over 1.8 percent are Muslims, which is 23 million people.

Biological Diversity

Here are the top three biodiverse countries in the world.

1. Brazil

Brazil is the topmost biodiverse country on this planet. From the Amazon rainforest to the Mata Atlantic forest, between the woody savanna-like cerrado and the massive inland swamp and the aquatic ecosystems, Brazil is leading the world in the plant and amphibian species counts. It holds second ranking in mammals and amphibians and third in birds, fish, and reptiles.

2. Indonesia

Indonesia has a wide array of marine ecosystems and land resources, including the third-largest rainforest and the famed Coral Triangle. The country ranks on the top list of most biodiverse countries as it has most of the mammal species of any country. There are rhinos, orangutans, elephants, bears, and tigers in Indonesia, the only place on Earth where they can all live in the same forest.

3. Colombia 

Colombia ranks in the top third on the biological diversity index because of its incredible bird, amphibian, and plant richness. With over 1800 different species, Colombia has more bird species than any other country on the Earth. The biological richness in Colombia is due to its wide range of ecosystems, including tropical forests in the Amazon and mountain habitats like the Sierra Nevada and the Andes.

Linguistic Diversity

Thousands of languages are spoken worldwide, but only a fraction is used globally. Here are the top countries with the greatest linguistic diversity.

1. Papua New Guinea

With just an 8.8 million population, Papua New Guinea comes with 840 languages spoken all across the country. More than twice the number of languages spoken in Europe can be found in PNG alone; from here, you can imagine how much linguistic diversity exists in the country. The isolation from modern life makes the country linguistically diverse. More than 80% of the country’s population lives in rural areas and is hardly connected to the other tribes and external influences. In fact, people cannot understand each other after a few kilometers.

2. Indonesia

Diverse ethnic groups populate Indonesia, and every group has its own language. With over 270 million people, Indonesia has 712 languages spoken. It ranks second after Papua New Guinea. Likewise, in PNG, a major factor that could explain the linguistic diversity in Indonesia is its geography.

3. Nigeria

Nigeria ranks third after Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The total population of Nigeria is over 201 million, and 522 languages are spoken in the country.

In addition, India, the United States, Australia, and China have 454, 326, 314, and 308 languages, respectively. It is very clear that a multitude of languages still exists; over 40% of the world’s languages are endangered. Above all, we lose a language every two weeks. Even in the regions where immense linguistic diversity remains, languages are dying with each upcoming generation.

Wrap Up

Let’s wrap up the discussion with a few positive words. Diversity has both positive and negative impacts on a country or society, but the thing is, we have to respect every culture and the values and norms of all ethnic groups. In addition, we need to focus on endangered languages and need to do something to save them.

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