Meet People from Different Cultures Who Share Their Stories

If you are interested in learning about different cultures, we offer more than 160 personal accounts from people all over the world who describe their culture. People Are Culture shares insights from cultural stewards, indigenous artisans, pioneering activists and innovators, and dedicated preservationists.

We present personal stories and interviews that reveal the backstories of meaningful and fascinating heritage and traditions. People Are Culture's cultural narratives are all unique and produced from original reporting without the use of AI.

In each piece, people share powerful insights about their heritage, while also often revealing their own transformational life lessons and spiritual practices, world-changing ideas, dramatic adventures, and hard-won wisdom.

How Many Different Cultures Are There?

You might wonder how many different cultures around the world there are. This is difficult to quantify, as there are many ways to define different cultures.

According to the University of Minnesota, there are two main types of culture, material and non-material. Material culture refers to physical artifacts and objects. Non-material culture refers to intangible attributes.

LibreTexts Social Sciences reports that anthropologists recognize three levels of culture: international, national, and subculture. International culture refers to characteristics that have spread beyond geographic borders, such as the Olympics, United Nations, and World Cup. National culture means the beliefs, behaviors and values within a given country, and are symbolized by flags and national anthems. There are thousands of subcultures around the world, which are formed based on a wide variety of shared interests or circumstances and include ethnic and racial groups; cuisine, customs, hobbies, medical conditions, music preferences, political and religious beliefs.

Price's Atlas of Ethnographic Societies reports that more than 3,814 distinct cultures have been described by anthropologists, which, of course, refers only to the number of different cultures that have been studied.

The authors of the textbook Challenges and Opportunities in International Business refer to culture as the collective programming of our minds from birth, dictating how we distinguish one group of people from another. They make the point that we all belong to many cultures.

If you define different cultures based on the number of the world's countries, Encyclopedia Britannica cites the United Nations as currently recognizing 195 different countries.

If you use language as the basis for determining how many different cultures there are, the Linguistic Society of America reports that as of 2009, there were 6,909 distinct languages in the world.

Each generation could be considered as a different culture. According to the Family Nation, there are currently seven distinct generations in society today: Greatest; Silent; Baby Boomers; Generation X; Millennials; Gen Z; and Alpha. These range in size from 119,550 members of the Greatest Generation in 2023 to 71.6 million Baby Boomers. Gen Alpha, defined as those being born between 2010 and 2025, will be the largest generation in history at almost two billion.

Cultural Universals: Basis for Defining Different Cultures

To take a step back, it's helpful to consider the characteristics that all cultures have. These are called Cultural Universals. According to the textbook Introduction to Sociology, American anthropologist George Murdock (1897 - 1985) was the first to recognize the existence of cultural universals. He found that cultural universals are generally associated with basic human needs, like food, clothing, and shelter, or around shared human experiences, such as birth and death, or illness and healing. Through his research, Murdock identified other universals including language, the concept of personal names, and, funny enough, jokes.

Some examples of culture that are present in all communities include architecture, culinary arts, dance, festivals, folk art, language, and textiles.

While each and every culture shares in common 70 universal ways of being, how those cultural elements are practiced are different from culture to culture. We will break that down by looking at different cultures across 30+ countries spanning four continents!

Different Cultures in Europe

With the Arctic Ocean to its north, the Atlantic Ocean to its west, and the Mediterranean Sea to its south, Europe is the second-smallest continent in terms of land size but has the third-most people. There are 44 countries on the continent, each with a unique history, a diverse range of cultures, and a wide variety of different people.

Europe has a wide variety of stunning countries to explore especially for culture lovers. European culture is incredibly diverse and rich, reflecting the many different languages, traditions, and customs of the continent's people.

In our collection of more than 50 interviews and feature stories on the culture of Europe, we bring to life the history and cross-cultural influences that have shaped some of the world's most distinctive traditions and practices, ranging from Cornwall, Ireland and Scotland in the U.K., to Slovenia in Central Europe.

We also delve into the lifestyles of the Mediterranean with pieces that explore Croatia, Cyprus, France, and Malta.

Different Cultures in North America

North America is the third-largest continent in terms of land area, after Asia and Africa, and the fourth-largest in terms of people, after Asia, Africa, and Europe. The continent is home to 23 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and different island nations in the Caribbean and Central America.

It is known for its varied geography, including vast forests, deserts, mountains, plains, and coasts. But what it is also known for is its many different languages, traditions, and customs spread across the continent. Native American cultures, European colonialism, African American heritage, and immigrant traditions all have had impacts on North America. The region is a delight for culture lovers to discover a broad variety of cultural experiences from vibrant music and art scenes to historic landmarks and ancient ruins.

Discover the cultures of Mexico, Canada, and the United States through the eyes of the country's diverse people in our collection of more than 30 interviews and feature tales! People Are Culture presents artisans, pioneering activists and innovators, dedicated preservationists, spiritual seekers, global visionaries who bring the culture of the places to life by talking about their inspiration, process, techniques, and heritage.

Different Cultures in Central & South America

Central America and South America are two parts of the American continent that are south of North America. It is a home to various indigenous groups with unique rituals, language, and customs. These groups have a strong bond with the land, and their art, music, and dance show what they believe in spiritually and what their culture is like.

The colonial influence of Spain and Portugal Colonies reflects well in the architecture, language, and religion of the area. Along with its natural beauty, Central & South America also stands apart for its tasty cuisine, lively music and dance.

If you are someone who is curious about the cultures you'll appreciate this compilation of more than 18 feature articles and interviews of the best countries to visit in Central & South America with cultural icons from Columbia, Guatemala and the Caribbean. These interviews with cultural standard bearers will also reveal their own "aha!" moments, struggles, breakthroughs, and hopes for the future. At the heart of all cultures is the human situation, which we all share.

Different Cultures in Eurasia & Asia

Eurasia is the landmass that includes both Europe and Asia. The land is a home to many different religions in the area, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, etc. with its faith influencing the region's arts, architecture, writing, and social norms. We reveal this region with stories from people who share the history and meaning behind traditions like pottery, weaving, embroidery, drawing, calligraphy, spices and herbs, to the festivals that unite the ideologies of people and creates a common ground for celebration. Explore this region through a cross-section of perspectives.

People Are Culture offers more than 15 interviews that cover a wide range of countries, from one of the world's oldest, Armenia, to one of the world's most diverse, India. Explore the many different cultures of this region, and learn what many arts and traditions mean from the people here who work hard to keep them alive and beautiful. Join us to learn about the stories of Eurasia and Asia.