Posts by tag Countries

The name Muhammad has become the most popular among newborns in Europe

According to the statistical service World of Statistics and national bureaus, the name Muhammad and its variants are confidently leading in the ratings of male names in the largest cities of the European Union and the UK.

According to the publication of the World of Statistics account on the social network X, the name Muhammad took first place among the names for newborn boys in London, Manchester, Berlin, Brussels, The Hague, Amsterdam and Oslo. At the same time, the traditional name Jan remains the most popular in Warsaw, which distinguishes the Polish capital from Western European metropolises.

Especially impressive statistics were recorded in the UK. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2024 in England and Wales, 5,721 babies received the name Muhammad (in this spelling) - this is 23% more than a year earlier. The name surpasses the traditional favourites Noah and Oliver for the second year in a row. Taking into account the different spellings (Mohamed, Mohammad, etc.), almost 3% of all newborn boys in the region receive the name of the prophet.

Austria became the record holder in terms of growth rates: for a quarter of a century, the number of newborns with this name increased by 732%. Today, every two hundredth Austrian baby is Muhammad. In Ireland, the increase was 372%, in France - 127%, in Belgium every hundredth newborn receives a name.

Nevertheless, it is obvious: the name Muhammad has firmly entered the European name, becoming one of the most striking markers of demographic changes on the continent.

Hue! I think everything is clear from the name. In this post, I'll tell you where to drop images and what rules to follow when drawing.

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Part 1. What to do with images

When you draw the picture, following the rules below, write me the basic information in the Pikuco messenger.:

1. The image itself
2. Title
3. Description

For example: Name: Tuvalu-sailor, description: the great maritime Empire of Tuvalu. (Image taken from the Polandball wiki!)

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Part 2. Mandatory rules

Rule 1. Do not use machine drawing. The circle and stripes should be drawn by hand. Rule 2. Don't circle the flag.  There should be nothing between the lines. Rule 3. DO NOT add hair (unless it is a wig), arms, legs, pupils, eyebrows and mouths. These are the basic rules of the genre. Rule 4. DO NOT insert ANYTHING ready-made. Draw even the most complex elements of the flag YOURSELF. Rule 5. The characters of Polandball (countryballs) are CIRCLES (balls). NOT squares, NOT triangles, NOT tape recorders, but CIRCLES. Rule 6. According to the canon, the flag of Poland is upside down. Rule 7. According to the canon, Britain wears a monocle and a hat. Rule 8. According to the canon, Nepal is drawn in the form of the Nepalese flag. Rule 9. Do not forget about other canons that I have not illustrated. The list of the main ones (not all) is below.

• All the unusual shapes of countries also relate to their ancestors.
• Kazakhstan is depicted in the form of a carpet (horizontal rectangle).
• Singapore and the Illuminati are depicted in the shape of a triangle.
• Bermuda is depicted in the shape of an inverted triangle.
• Jewish states/regions/cities are depicted in the form of a hypercube.
• The USA and Monaco are depicted wearing sunglasses.
• A reichangle is a vertical rectangle.
• Chad is depicted with black lenses with a white figure of eight in the middle.
• The Republic of Venice is depicted with tentacles.
• Romania has no shadow.
• All countries that have a coat of arms on the right or left have it depicted as an armband.
• Antarctica is depicted wearing a scarf and glasses to protect it from snow.

Part 3. Optional rules

What are optional rules for? Russia on the left conforms to all the rules and canons, but can it really compare with Russia on the right?

Optional rules are needed in order for you to try. Despite full compliance with the rules, Russia on the left will not enter the tournament. To do this, you need to follow at least two optional rules.
The list is below:

• It is better to use a brush than a pencil.
• It is better to use the colors of the real flag.
• Characters with hats look better.
• The white background doesn't look good.
• The eyes should express emotions.
• It is better to add shadows. (They are not in the image on the right, because it is night)
• Many countries are better than one.

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Do you want a poem from Germany? It's in Russian, I'm sorry.

Hello! In this post, you can learn something new about a country like the United States. all information is taken from the Internet and may not be accurate. Have a nice day!

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• 63% of US residents cannot find Iraq on the world map.
• There is no officially approved language in the USA. The most common is the American version of English.
• The US Declaration of Independence was written on cannabis paper.
• Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the world. It is located in the USA in Hawaii. The height of Mauna Kea is only 4,205 m above sea level, but measurements of the entire height (from the bottom to the top) have shown that it is as much as 2,000 m higher than Jomolungma (8,850 m).
• 13% of the U.S. population believes that the sun revolves around the earth.
• -57°C (Montana, January 20, 1954) - the lowest temperature ever recorded in the United States (not including Alaska). The highest temperature was recorded in the state of California, on July 10, 1913, and was +56°C.
• 67% of the population is overweight.
• Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. it is located in the state of Oregon. The depth of the lake is 589 m.
• At the moment, more than 8% of able-bodied Americans are not working or looking for work. Such a high percentage of the unemployed is due to huge government benefits.
• Gerald Ford was the only person who served as both president and vice president, but was not officially elected.
• The U.S. population is more than 314 million people.
• 9 out of 10 Americans cannot find Afghanistan on the map of Eurasia.
• During the American Revolution (1775-1783), inflation was so high that the price of bread increased by 10,000%, the price of wheat by 14,000%, the price of flour by 15,000%, and the price of beef by 33,000%.
• 32% of all land in the United States is owned by the federal government.
• The nominal GDP of the United States is more than $15 trillion, and the GDP per capita is $48 thousand. According to these two indicators, the United States ranks first in the world.
• every 8th married couple met online.
• The capital of the richest 1% of Americans exceeds the combined wealth of 90% of the country's population.
• 50% of Americans collectively own only 2.5% of the total wealth of the United States.
• Currently, only 51% of Americans are married. This is the lowest figure in the last 50 years. For example, in 1960, 72% of the U.S. population was married.

• One in seven Americans has more than 10 credit cards.
• Every hour, the US national debt increases by $150 million.
• The first cinema opened in Los Angeles in 1902.
• 40% of Americans do not believe Darwin's theory of evolution.
• Indiana is the first city in the world to be illuminated by electricity.
• Alaska has the longest coastline in the United States (10,686 km).
• 72 thousand pizzas are eaten daily in the USA.
• The Statue of Liberty was donated by France in 1884.
• Manhattan's Chinatown is home to the largest number of Chinese in the entire Western hemisphere.
• The King of Thailand was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Harvard is the first university in the USA. It was founded back in 1636.
• In the United States, women gained the right to vote only in 1920.
• when an American turns 16, he has the right to drive a car; at 18, he has the right to vote and carry a gun; only at 21 does he get the right to buy alcohol.
• George Washington's false teeth were made of whale bone.
• The Pentagon is the largest administrative building in the world.
• The total amount of all loans for higher education exceeds $1 trillion.

• In 1918, the flu epidemic killed 548,000 people in the United States.
• The city of Santa Fe was founded in 1610. it is rightfully the oldest in the USA.
• The United States has one of the largest tourism industries in the world. The country is annually included in the top 3 most popular destinations in the world.
• The average American uses between 80 and 100 liters of water every day.
• The first televisions appeared in New York in 1936.
• The tallest roller coaster in the world is located in Ohio.
• Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States.
• There are 3 times more livestock than people in Montana.
• In Nebraska, you can still see traces of wagons from 100 years ago.
• The largest popcorn factory is located in Iowa.
• According to unofficial data, 90% of New York taxi drivers are immigrants.
• There are more than 800 tornadoes in the country every year.
• Americans consume more ice cream than any other nation in the world.
• Every day, residents of the United States consume 150 million hot dogs.
• There are 556 officially recognized Native American tribes in the country.
• The average American spends 90% of his free time indoors.

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And that's it! Thanks for reading, I love it!💕

Background

There were several reasons for the creation of the union: The Hanseatic League, consisting mainly of North German cities, dominated trade in Scandinavia and hindered the development of cities in this region. Also, due to the Little Ice Age, the climate worsened, many noble Scandinavian families had possessions throughout Northern Europe, a common king would be a guarantor for them to preserve their possessions. Denmark alone could not continue its expansion in northern Germany and the Baltic States, and Norway seriously lacked resources. 

Before creating the union

 At one point, the situation turned out to be due to which the union was created. The daughter of Danish King Voldemar IV, Margaret, became the wife of the Norwegian king, and her son Olaf became the heir to Denmark and Norway, and soon inherited both states. However, the infant king could not rule the country, so his mother Margaret became regent, who outlived her son and became queen of Denmark and Norway. At that time, the Swedish nobility was dissatisfied with Albrecht of Mecklenburg, who ruled there (who was also from the German principality of Mecklenburg) and invited Margaret to overthrow him and become queen herself. In 1389, Margaret became the ruler of Sweden. 

Marguerite of Denmark

The Union

In 1397, at a meeting of representatives of the three kingdoms in the city of Kalmar (that's why the union is called Kalmar), it was decided to make Eric of Pomerania (Margaret's nephew) king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, forming a personal union. This meant that the three kingdoms remained independent, but they were ruled by a single king. 

Eric Pomeransky

The struggle between Sweden and Denmark

The Union did not exist peacefully. Denmark wanted to expand its influence to other lands and raised taxes in Sweden and Norway, which caused serious discontent in them, especially in Sweden. In the middle of the 15th century, it fought wars of independence. In 1448, after the death of the childless Christopher of Bavaria, Sweden elected its king and began the struggle for supremacy in the union. The confrontation continued for many years. 

The collapse of the union

  The Danish-Swedish union was finally abolished by the Peace of Stettin in 1570, according to the terms of which the Danish king renounced his claims to the Swedish throne, and the Swedish king renounced Norway, which remained subject to the Danes, although in fact the collapse of the union occurred earlier.  

Conclusion

Scandinavia was previously under a single government, but due to the different political interests of individual states, the union collapsed and ceased to exist. 

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The Kalmar Union in 1400

Possible union flag

Coat of arms of the Union

Background

At the beginning of the 19th century, Italy was divided into many states. They were economically backward, and were also influenced by the neighboring Austrian Empire, which owned Lombardy and Venice.

The first attempt

In 1848, the "Spring of Nations" began. Lombardy and Venice rebelled against Austria and received help from the King of Sardinia-Piedmont. Patriots from almost all over Italy rushed to support the uprising. However, in 1849, Sardinia was defeated in the Battle of Novara, and King Charles Albert abdicated in favor of his son Victor Emanuel II.

Victor Emanuel II

Unification of Italy

 In the 1850s, the Sardinian Kingdom grew in strength. It made a new attempt to unite Italy, handed over Savoy and Nice to France in order to conclude an alliance with it. In 1859, the war of France and Sardinia-Piedmont against Austria began. The former won, and the Sardinian Kingdom gained Lombardy. 
 
Shortly after the war, Tuscany, Modena and Parma first became puppets of Piedmont, and then became part of it. Romagna (part of the Papal Region) She also joined Piedmont. 
 
The last Italian state that did not join the revolution was the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Victor Emanuel II sent Giuseppe Garibaldi (who had previously become famous in the battles for the unification of Italy) to support the uprising in Sicily. Garibaldi, initially with very small forces, with the help of the locals managed to annex the kingdom of Both Sicilies to Piedmont. 

  Thus, by the end of 1860, all of Italy was under the rule of Piedmont, not counting the Papal Region (it was in the sphere of influence of France and the French king Napoleon III kept a serious army there, which made the invasion of Rome an adventure that would most likely lead to a war between Piedmont and France) and Venice. The Italian Parliament, which met in Turin on March 17, 1861, announced the creation of the Italian Kingdom, headed by the Piedmontese King Victor Emmanuel II. 

The territory of Italy in 1861

Further consolidation

In 1866, in order to liberate Venice, Italy accepted Bismarck's proposal to form a military alliance with Prussia against Austria, as a result of the Austro-Prussian-Italian War, Italy received Venice. In 1870, due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, the French garrison was withdrawn from Rome, thanks to which Italy was able to annex the Papal Region. The capital was moved to Rome.

That's all. I hope you enjoyed it.

Hello everyone

Unfortunately, I travel quite rarely. To be precise, almost never. But at the same time, I love reading various posts, articles and texts about the countries of the world. Reviews from those who live there, all sorts of economic reports or even just local news. And I thought, "What if we look at a map of the world? Which country would I find outright wonderful?". In short, he put himself in the place of an ordinary man in the street.

And I realized that there are several countries that are sufficiently overrated. And today I will tell you about seven of them.
But first, a disclaimer.

• 1) I don't want to say that any country is bad (except one). I even like some of the presented ones. However, I think they are godlessly overrated. 
• 2) Everything presented here is my subjective opinion under the sauce of the information that I was able to get. If you have other information, write in the comment (or reply post).
  
  And now, let's get started!

7th place - France

I've been deciding for a long time whether to include France here.

On the one hand, such a decision may be colored (even unconsciously) by the current political processes in the country. And there have already been five more serious candidates.
On the other hand, Napoleon's homeland leaves a very strong imprint on the mind. That's why such an unusual format is the top 7.

Speaking of France, almost everyone will have very strong images in their head. Eiffel Tower, baguettes, cheeses, beautiful Parisian autumn, Provence, etc. And this is certainly the case. You can also touch on the culture of France, which for centuries has been the standard for the entire civilization and the object of admiration and imitation.

However, we must try to look soberly. France is also a slum on the outskirts of cities. This is a bunch of migrants from Africa and the Middle East. This is not the most adequate government. This is dirt that is not very visible behind the facade of the well-groomed streets of Paris, Marseille or Toulouse.

And do not forget the protest traditions of this country. Riots are common here. The same football fans, migrants, leftists, rightists and anyone else. Many people rebel and they rebel often. 

However, the advantages, in my humble opinion, are somewhat outweighed. Therefore, only the sixth place.

6th place - China

In this post, it is about mainland China. 

On the one hand, China is history. The story is great and interesting, despite the fact that I am not particularly interested in the East. It's an art, a special charm and the like.

But at the same time, this culture can be very frightening for the least prepared person. I have come across the Chinese several times and I can say that the company is not for everyone. Among other things, China is quite dirty, not the most welcoming from an economic point of view, and very, very strict in terms of rules and restrictions.

Their "zero covid" policy alone is worth something. And you can also recall the limitations of the digital space and the general censorship of society.

And, of course, an excessive overestimation of China's power should be highlighted as a separate point. From the category of statements that the Celestial Empire will soon overtake the United States. There is a very interesting post by Akarakot on this topic, but I will try to briefly express my opinion.
China was not bad and developed through the distillation of almost free labor from villages to cities, as well as a relatively free economic policy. The current situation and the usurpation of power, which violates China's political institutions, also destroys the prospects for economic superiority.

Therefore, despite the general orgasming of our propagandists and "nationalists" on the topic of China's power, I am almost sure that he will lose the war (both literally and commercially) with the West. 

5th place - Egypt

Egypt, in fact, is still a hole and a cesspool. 

But besides the personal reasons for disliking this country (first of all, the heat), there are others, including such an unfair popularity of the country.

Egypt is a poor country, one might even say poor. Very dangerous. Not only is the terrorist threat high, but also the local population, which will not let you feel comfortable. And especially if you're a girl. Well, among other things, you need to remember that Egypt is a Muslim country. Remember the fucking rules.

But then why only fifth place? It's simple - they mostly go to Egypt for the sake of beach and hotel tourism. And it seems to be relatively well developed. At least it doesn't color the general shit much.

4th place - South Korea

Judging by the latest tests on Pikuko, it would be possible to put Korea higher. However, this phenomenon is undulating, soon there will be less K-pop (just in case, I have nothing against it), probably.

But what are Korea's problems? In general, they are typical for East Asia. There is very serious social pressure at all stages of life, the strong tightness of public life, the most serious social inequality and not so well-developed capitalist institutions (chaebols inherited create a very bad practice of oligopolies). 

Of course, Korea has done a very good job of promoting itself among the masses. Moreover, it is better than any country in the world (only two can compete with it). But behind this screen, Korea's common problems are hidden, which can be worse than even ours.

3rd place - UAE

The UAE is my sore point.

Every relatively major friend of mine has boasted at least once (and usually more than once) that he flew to Dubai. Our "elite" flies to the UAE, and sometimes lives there.

In my opinion, the UAE (namely Dubai and Abu Dhabi, because they usually do not fly to other emirates) is a standard of bad taste. Incongruous glass dildos in the middle of the desert mixed with the impoverished huts of workers from Pakistan. There is something similar in the cities of East Asia, but there it is at least a little aesthetically pleasing.

I can compare the popular part of the UAE with a shopping mall. There's nothing to do there for more than three or four days, unless you work there. Well, and the rest of the Emirates... tell me, have you heard a lot about holidays in Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah or, there, El Fujairah. So I'm not, so I'm only talking about the two most popular regions.

2nd place - USA

Yes, maybe I shocked someone. No, I didn't become a harsh hater of the Pendos. I still like American culture, history, and aesthetics, and I still consider the United States the greatest country in history (along with France and the Roman Empire). However, let's be honest.

That's how many times have you seen beautiful American images in movies, TV series, literature, YouTube videos? The already boring phrase "The American Dream" and a way of thinking based solely on an extremely competent policy of promoting the image of the country.

There are a lot of problems in the USA that I would never want to live there, even though I like this country (yes, paradoxically). The emphasis on cars, low-rise buildings (although, for many, this is rather a plus), very serious racial differences, tax and legislative policy, and just a completely different way of life, which takes a very long time to get used to. 

Therefore, I will probably always study the USA and enjoy the part of its culture that I like. But there is no way to live there on a permanent basis.

1st place - Japan

Although they have a somewhat local audience, but the images of Japan are probably stuck in their heads so that no ticks can get them out of there.

Sakura, anime, mountains, architecture, traditions, cuisine - all this can compete with such a monstrous machine of soft power as the United States. However, do not forget that there are also a number of problems in Japan.

In general, it is possible to copy the paragraph about South Korea, with the only condition that in Japan these problems are superimposed on even greater demographic and economic crises. Read something about Japan's lost decade. Yes, many countries have faced this, but not all have been selected and returned to the previous level (or even become better). 

Of course, I would like to visit Japan as a tourist. But if I were given a choice - to be born in Japan or in Russia, I would not ironically choose Russia. Because, of course, I don't want to downplay someone's problems, but if you think that society is putting pressure on you, then compared to Japan, you live in a happy world of progressivism and rainbow ponies.

Well, that's all for now. I hope it was interesting for you to read. 
If there are good ratings for this post, then I will release a part about the most underrated countries.

Hello again!

Most recently, I published a post with the most, in my opinion, overrated countries. And since he collected well, I'm writing a sequel - the most underrated countries in the world. Also, in my highly subjective opinion.
The disclaimer is the same. Everything presented here is my subjective opinion, which does not pretend to be academic. 

7th place - Vatican City

Actually, I was lying a little bit. This post will focus not so much on the Vatican, but on the Holy See, which governs the Vatican.

It would seem to be a religious, theocratic organization that owns a dwarf state and a couple of pieces of land around the world. However, it is worth paying attention to one small detail. Just the smallest thing. The head of this organization is, in fact, considered the main person for 1.3 billion people on the planet. Even more senior than the leaders of their countries.

And it is worth noting that the Vatican is one of the main places of pilgrimage, and the Pope is a moral reference point for many, as already mentioned. 
He is so low only because he has little actual power. However, he is too much underestimated, which allowed him to get on the list.

6th place - Bhutan

Yes. Bhutan is a poor, agrarian country, all located in the mountains and therefore not particularly interesting to anyone.

But the fact is that Bhutan has prospects. And very big ones. Not only is it located between two regional hegemons (China and India) and can maneuver between them, receiving preferences, but tourism is also on the rise there.

It is worth noting that before 1970, entry there was practically impossible at all. However, after the annexation of Tibet by China, Bhutan became one of the destinations of "Buddhist tourism", since there are a lot of attractions there, despite the modest size of the country.

But Bhutan is not exactly an ideal country. The road system is still poorly developed there, and although reforms are underway, they are extremely slow. From that, only the 6th place.

5th place - Mongolia

In general, Mongolia should be divided into two parts. Ulaanbaatar (the capital) and a couple of large cities where up to half of the population lives, as well as the rest of Mongolia. The rest ... It is there. Of course, it is important for the country's economy, but it is fundamentally no different from the provinces of similar countries. Maybe even worse.

But the main part of Mongolia (primarily its capital) is an extremely interesting place. Perceived by everyone as an absolutely empty and wild steppe, it is a fairly developed city with a powerful financial sector for countries of this level.

Well, the situation is a bit similar to Bhutan, since the country is located between two large states - Russia and China. Moreover, in the border regions, peoples related to the Mongols live there (in Buryatia or Inner Mongolia, for example).

And yet, as an interesting fact, the bulk of those who fled the Russian regime after February (and especially September) 2022 in the Far East fled to Mongolia, which promised and does not extradite those who came to it.

4th place - Armenia

Armenia, in my humble opinion, is undeservedly less popular than its neighbor Georgia. Although Armenia has a number of advantages.

It is slightly cheaper, more favorable to tourists and migrants from Russia, and there is much more of the Russian language we are familiar with there than in other countries of the Caucasus.

But even removing such personally subjective reasons, you can highlight a lot more. Armenia is an incredibly beautiful, quite democratic country (for its region). And considering that the conflict with Azerbaijan is close, if not to an end, then at least to a lull, the country becomes even more attractive.

3rd place - Serbia

The reasons are partly similar to those of Armenia. However...

Serbia is still Europe. It is close to joining the EU (which, by the way, is not a plus) and strong European integration, but at the same time it keeps the balance and is quite comfortable for people coming from Russia or other countries with Eastern and southern Slavs among the population.

But I must admit that I am extremely subjective (Kosovo, Serbia, ksta), therefore, it would be nice to find the disadvantages. The main one is the conflict with Kosovo and NATO, as well as some political upheavals that occasionally occur.

2nd place - Uruguay

A very large part of the population does not know about such a country at all. Even more people occasionally confuse it with Paraguay. And, by the way, in vain.

Uruguay is one of the two prosperous countries in South America. In addition to relative political stability and rare political conflicts, Uruguay is also quite developed from an economic point of view.

That is, so that you understand, GDP (PPP) per capita (the main indicator showing the well-being of the country and the population in it) Uruguay has 3 times higher than Russia, and is also noticeably higher than in, for example, Georgia or Montenegro. However, one South American country still beat Uruguay in many areas. But what is it?

1st place - Chile

Yes, those who are a little involved in economics, politics and history know about the Chilean economic miracle, and that it is the most successful country in South America. However, most people know at best that this is some kind of very elongated country.

In short, Chile, to some extent, can be compared with Europe in a number of social and economic indicators. Plus, Chile, unlike neighboring Argentina, did not prolong its historical chance, which makes the country more stable in such a maximally unstable region.

One of the disadvantages is a state with fairly high prices. By the standards of the region, for sure.

Well, that's all for now. It turned out to be somewhat less, since praising is not scolding. But I still hope it was interesting.