Linguistically, Liberian tribes are divided into three main groups, the Mande people, the Kru tribes, and the Mel. Uganda has been revealed as the most ethnically mixed country on the planet according to a new scientific study that blows apart misconceptions that western nations are the most racially diverse. Australia really outperforms when it comes to reptiles and fish, leading the world in both categories according to The Reptile Database and FishBase. In 2016, Colombia was home to 56,343 species (and many more have been discovered since then), of which over 9,000 were endemic (unique) to the country, and it is classed as one of earth’s 17 megadiverse countries. While most Americans probably think of massive cities when someone mentions “China” or perhaps the panda bear, the giant East Asian country is actually home to a staggering array of habitats, from tropical rainforests in Yunnan to the Gobi desert. DNA map of Ireland reveals the Irish have Viking and Norman ancestry and are far more genetically diverse than previously thought. The population of Liberia is around 4,503,000. When you rank cities within a country, you usually have the same methods of census across those cities. are “just” variations of people who migrated out of Africa via The Middle East at one point. In contrast, Ethiopia has to be the most genetically diverse country because it’s close to the Olduvai Gorge. The scale-crested pygmy tyrant lives in Central America and northern South America. Uganda has not been known to be racially or ethnically diverse and most of the time, Western countries usually come off as ethnically diverse countries.But, Uganda has surprised the world as the most ethnically diverse country. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, Jaguar in Colombia. Despite Africa representing the most human genetically diverse region on the planet, only 2% of genetic material used in medical research comes from the continent. Its strongest ranks come among birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants. A few caveats before we get to the list. Nor does it attempt to measure diversity of populations within species, levels of endemism, or intactness of ecosystems. Disagree with our ranking? People of African descent are more genetically diverse than Middle Easterners, who are more diverse than Asians and Europeans. Our EIN or tax ID is 45-3714703. That developed, painfully, over a very long time. Ethnicity can also refer to people united by a shared language, culture, history, or even nation. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com, Most Ethnically Diverse Countries In The World, The Least Linguistically Diverse Countries in the World. But Papua New Guinea is also listed as the most diverse country based on ethnic groups and I … The country — which spans the Andes-Amazon region and includes the Galapagos archipelago — outranks the U.S. in bird (1588 bird species in Ecuador versus the USA’s 844 species) and amphibian species (539 species versus 300 species). An ethnic group refers to people who identify with each other based on a common ancestry or genealogy. To rank and list the 11 most ethnically diverse cities in Europe is a huge challenge. Papua New Guinea, of course. Here are the results for each country presented alphabetically, taken from censuses and official surveys. Phenotype is connected to genotype through gene expression. Indigenous African tribes account for nearly 95% of Liberia's population. ... in which most large ethnic groups have a country of their own. Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform. According to this measure, Papua New Guinea is the most diverse country in the world, followed by Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. There are many ways to measure biodiversity. Contemporary immigrants typically settle in California, New York, Texas, and New Jersey, contributing to their diversity. Several factors encourage ethnic diversity in a country including large size, isolated populations, migrations from various other countries, etc. The greener countries are more ethnically diverse and the orange countries more homogenous. Native Americans possess the least-diverse genomes. A bacterium that divides every 20 minutes, accumulating genetic mutations along the way? In celebration of World Biodiversity Day, below is a look at the world’s ten most biodiverse countries as measured by species richness. Some of India’s best known species are charismatic megafauna: elephants, rhinos, lions, and tigers. The Americas are … Here is the full list — we were limited by time and data availability: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles , Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad-and-Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Some countries are more ethnically heterogeneous than others meaning that these coutnries are home to a great diversity of ethnic groups. The largest such groups include Baganda, Banyankole, and Basoga who account for 16.9%, 9.5%, and 8.4% of the country's population. While they may be polar opposites in terms of current political ideology, Venezuela and the United States have at least one thing in common: incredibly high levels of biodiversity. There are obviously major omissions: the system don’t account for insects and other invertebrates, fungi, microorganisms, and a number of other large groups of living creatures. The population of Tanzania is 55,572,201. Not Applicable (Africa) Pygmies and the bushmen of Africa are the most genetically diverse people on Earth. Between the Amazon rainforest and Mata Atlantica forest, the woody savana-like cerrado, the massive inland swamp known as the Pantanal, and a range of other terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, Brazil leads the world in plant and amphibian species counts. More than one hundred ethnic groups live in Tanzania. Update: 5/23/2016: Readers have asked what countries were included in the assessment. Colombia’s incredible bird, amphibian, and plant richness allow it to beat out Indonesia on … 5 Liberia 0.899. They know that Africans have the most genetic variation of any human population, and that in fact Africa has more genetic variation than the rest of the world combined. American Samoa, Aruba, Bermuda, and Comoros are among the top countries … (Nevermind about how Abyssinians believe they are descended on one side from the son of the Queen of Sheba, who came from the Arabian Peninsula thousands of years ago. The split gill mushroom is the most genetically diverse species on record. China ranks particularly well for birdlife, plants, and fish. With 26% of Australians being born overseas and 49% of people having at least one parent born overseas, Australia has 100 religions and 300 ethnic groups in our cultural melting pot. Africa is most genetically diverse continent, DNA study shows. Is planting trees as good for the Earth as everyone says? Eh, Switzerland has among the highest immigrant rates in the world and 4 different language regions... it's federally organsied because it's diverse, not the other wa round. There … Africa's dominance could be related to its tribal cultures that continue to thrive even today in relative isolation from the rest of the world. Brazil is the Earth’s biodiversity champion. Sub-Saharan Africa has the most human genetic diversity and the same has been shown to hold true for phenotypic variation in skull form. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, Angel Falls, located in Venezuela, is the tallest waterfall in the world. How different 2 human beings are can be measured by differences in their mitochondrial DNA (or y chromosomes), and it is generally accepted that Africans are the most genetically diverse of the human groupings. With a large landmass covering a range of ecosystems, India scores well across the board in terms of species richness. 1 Papua New Guinea 1.000. 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.933. Now he’s investigating them, Intimidation of Brazil’s enviro scientists, academics, officials on upswing, Thailand’s Indigenous Peoples fight for ‘land of our heart’ (commentary), Brazilian woman threatened by Amazon loggers wins global human rights award, Why I stand for my tribe’s forest: It gives us food, culture, and life (commentary), Reforesting a village in Indonesia, one batch of gourmet beans at a time, Restoring Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem, one small farm at a time, Indigenous Iban community defends rainforests, but awaits lands rights recognition. Unsurprisingly, three of the top six countries on this list are in South America, which is home of the world’s largest rainforest: the Amazon. DR Congo has a population of 81,680,000. are “just” variations of people who migrated out of Africa via The Middle East at one point. There are thousands of ethnic groups in the country, each with their languages and customs. Uganda, another country in Africa, is also home to a great diversity of ethnic groups. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, The giant monkey frog lives across the Amazon rainforest. Africans as a group are supposed to be very diverse. Colombia. It ranks second in mammals and amphibians, third in birds, reptiles and fish. Afghanistan Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimaks 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, others 4% With 1826 species, Colombia has more species of birds than any country on Earth. The current record holder, it turns out, may be a mushroom that lives on decayed wood. The first large-scale genetic study of people in Papua New Guinea has shown that different groups within the country are genetically highly different from each other. Whats the most diverse country phenotype/genotype wise in Asia? It ranks fourth with 1615 bird species, according to BirdLife International. The Great Barrier Reef and terrestrial ecosystems ranging from dry deserts to tropical rainforests give the continent-nation a boost in the rankings. What are the world’s most biodiverse countries? It would stand to reason then that the further you are from Africa, the more genetically distant you are. Nigeria – 521. The 5 Most Ethnically Diverse Countries in the World 1. Given that South Africa has a large contingent of Caucasians, it is probably the most genetically diverse of all countries. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, The Knobbed hornbill is found on Sulawesi. … Photo by Rhett A. Butler, UNEP-WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Casinos, condos and sugar cane: How a Cambodian national park is being sold down the river, Drugs and agriculture cause deforestation to skyrocket at Honduran UNESCO site, Deforestation ramps up in Cambodia’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, Cattle-driven clearing continues in Brazil’s Triunfo do Xingu protected area, Study confirms sightings of endangered blue whale in Philippine waters, On an island scarred by tin mining, mangrove planting preserves shrimp tradition, Latest mass stranding raises concerns for endangered Caspian seals, Popular opposition halts a bridge project in a Philippine coral haven, After gold miners shoot Yanomani people, Brazil cuts environmental regulation further, Indigenous in Salvador: A struggle for identity in Brazil’s first capital, Amazon deforestation jumps sharply in April, Karipuna people sue Brazil government for alleged complicity in land grabs, With British Columbia’s last old-growth at risk, government falters: Critics, Total’s East African oil pipeline to go ahead despite stiff opposition, Brazilian Cerrado savanna: Wildcat miners descend on Indigenous reserve, Brazil’s Bolsonaro vowed to work with Indigenous people. Spanning Meso-American rainforests, dry forests, mountain habitats, and deserts, Mexico scores well across most plant and animal groups. It ranks especially high when it comes to reptiles and birds. Several countries — Bolivia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Tanzania — narrowly missed the top 10. However Australia also has species-rich reefs on its western coast. In addition to this, several foreign residents live in Tanzania, many of whom are from other parts of Africa, Asia and Europe. The United States ranks near the middle, slightly more diverse than Russia but slightly less diverse than Spain. There are over 200 ethnic groups in the nation who speak about 242 languages. It is therefore biased toward big countries like Brazil, the U.S., Russia, and China. They say the most genetically diverse countries are African. The data below is based on a study conducted by Fearon, where 1 is the most culturally diverse and 0 is the least. The country is home to around 28 ethnic groups each with its own language. Colombia’s incredible bird, amphibian, and plant richness allow it to beat out Indonesia on our index. Nigeria, an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, known for its diverse culture. The demographics and socioeconomic distribution of distinct cultural groups in a country or territory is called ethnic fractionalization. African countries appear to rule the list with another African country Liberia ranking as the world's fifth-most ethnically diverse country. Papua New Guinea is the world's most linguistically diverse country, a fact that contributes to its status as the most ethnically diverse country in the world. According to WorldAtlas, island nations are the most culturally homogenous due to their inherent isolation. There are a few trends you can see right away: countries in Europe and Northeast Asia tend to be the most homogenous, sub-Saharan African nations the most diverse. 2 Tanzania 0.953. Argentina, the Comoros, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Rwanda and Uruguay rank as the world’s least diverse … The lynx, on the opposite end of the spectrum,… 7 Togo 0.883. Incredibly, there are languages in Papua New Guinea that have no relation to one another despite their geographic proximity. The rest of us (Asians, Europeans, Native Americans, Australian Aboriginals etc.) Author’s note: The data that underpins this post is updated on a regular basis on Mongabay’s rainforest site: Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Mammals, Reptiles, Vascular Plants. If we look at the table below, we will see that all but one of the world's 10 most ethnically diverse nations are African. French is the official language of the country. http://www.atlasandboots.com/worlds-most-diverse-country/. 6 Cameroon 0.887. about the fact that Australia is the most ethnically diverse country in the world. In fact, the world's 20 most diverse countries are all African. The only western country to break into the top 20 most diverse is Canada. ‘Bad science’: Planting frenzy misses the grasslands for the trees, A Malagasy community wins global recognition for saving its lake, Scientists in Costa Rica are growing new corals to save reefs, Relocating mangroves for Indonesian highway ‘not that easy,’ expert warns, Indonesian governor’s arrest in road project points to more tainted contracts, Papua deforestation highlights eastward shift of Indonesia forest clearing, Podcast: Omens and optimism for Sumatran orangutans. Each country is ranked by its percentage of species in each group relative to the total global number of species for each group. Based on his findings, the most diverse countries worldwide are: Chad; Cameroon; Nigeria; … This list focused on total biodiversity. Papua New Guinea. 4 Uganda 0.930. Colombia’s biological richness is a product of its variety of ecosystems, including tropical forests in the Amazon and Choco, mountain habitats like the Sierra Nevada and Andes, the grasslands of the llanos and páramos, and islands like Gorgona in the Pacific and San Martin in the Caribbean. The most ethnically diverse country in the world is Uganda. Africans are more genetically diverse than the rest of the world combined. For some plant and animal groups, some of these countries do make their respective top 10s, including South Africa for vascular plants and Papua New Guinea for animals. Most Racially Diverse Countries 2021 In the most comprehensive study of African genetic diversity to date, a team of international scientists, led by Dr Sarah Tishkoff from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, US, has revealed Africa to be the most genetically diverse continent on Earth. Africans as a group are supposed to be very diverse. Feel free to comment below. Modern humans evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago, and began moving … For some genetic traits they have as many as 17 variations, where the rest of the peoples of Earth have only two or three. The only exception is Papua New Guinea. Home News (Image credit: Shutterstock) What's the most genetically diverse species? This list takes a simplified approach, created a weighted index using five groups of animals — amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles — and one group of plants — vascular plants. Uganda is listed as most diverse based on the amount of different ethnic groups in the country. 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