# What's the most racially homogenous country in the world?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 29, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068 "2008-10-29T12:42:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/1 "2008-10-29T12:42:20Z")
So, what is it? My guess is Korea…
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### Author:  [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/2 "2008-10-29T12:59:52Z")
Japan or Iceland
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/3 "2008-10-29T13:06:44Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#):
>
> So, what is it? My guess is Korea…
North Korea is not a bad guess, although there are probably a decent number of Chinese there, so it depends on how you define “race”.
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### Author:  [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/4 "2008-10-29T13:10:18Z")
Not Iceland. At least 20’000 immigrants out of a population of 310’000 make a decent percentage.
Finland?
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### Author:  [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/5 "2008-10-29T13:11:44Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> North Korea is not a bad guess, although there are probably a decent number of Chinese there, so it depends on how you define “race”.
Yeah, it does. And I don’t know exactly how it’s defined. How would different possible definitions of race change the answer to this question?
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### Author:  [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/6 "2008-10-29T13:13:21Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#):
>
> Japan or Iceland
Japan? The reason I picked Korea is because it seems that Japan gets far more immigrants than Korea…
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### Author:  [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/7 "2008-10-29T13:13:46Z")
The term “race” can get fuzzy.
Korea, for instance, has mixed a little with the Chinese. I agree that culturally, it’s pretty homogeneous. I guess countries like Korea that generally frown upon interracial marriage are more homogeneous.
I bet you can find some island nation in the South Pacific which is more homogeneous–maybe one of the Samoas.
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### Author:  [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/8 "2008-10-29T13:16:16Z")
I would think it’s probably one of the microstates in Europe, like San Marino or Lichtenstein.
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### Author:  [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/9 "2008-10-29T13:49:11Z")
> [@Telperion](#):
>
> I would think it’s probably one of the microstates in Europe, like San Marino or Lichtenstein.
I doubt it. There, even one or two immigrants would make a huge difference, percentage-wise.
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/10 "2008-10-29T14:12:34Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#):
>
> Yeah, it does. And I don’t know exactly how it’s defined. How would different possible definitions of race change the answer to this question?
Well, if you group all black Africans as one “race” (as you might from a US perspective), that’s going to give you a different answer for many African countries than if you distinguish major groups among them. In addition, those people might distinguish each other by language or religion, rather than by race, just as Hispanics are distinguished by language in the US, but often called a “race”.
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### Author:  [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/11 "2008-10-29T14:21:14Z")
> [@Giles](#):
>
> Well, if you group all black Africans as one “race” (as you might from a US perspective), that’s going to give you a different answer for many African countries than if you distinguish major groups among them. In addition, those people might distinguish each other by language or religion, rather than by race, just as Hispanics are distinguished by language in the US, but often called a “race”.
You’re getting to the core of my question. I’m trying to figure out what is the most culturally and racially homogeneous society (as defined by its borders) in the world.
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### Author:  [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/12 "2008-10-29T15:40:11Z")
> [@guizot](#):
>
> I bet you can find some island nation in the South Pacific which is more homogeneous–maybe one of the Samoas.
I was thinking the same thing… unfortunately, the CIA factbook really uses a microfine definition of ethnicity. Observe their entry for the Federated States of Micronesia:
> **[Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell - CIA](https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/spotlighting-the-world-factbook-as-we-bid-a-fond-farewell/)**
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*Ethnic groups: \*\*
> Chuukese 48.8%, Pohnpeian 24.2%, Kosraean 6.2%, Yapese 5.2%, Yap outer islands 4.5%, Asian 1.8%, Polynesian 1.5%, other 6.4%, unknown 1.4% (2000 census)
Here is a factbook list of ethnic makeup for all countries:
> **[Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell - CIA](https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/spotlighting-the-world-factbook-as-we-bid-a-fond-farewell/)**
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/13 "2008-10-29T15:46:11Z")
Even in Korea, a country whose people are ethnicly homogenous, there is a division between people from the Gyeongsang region in the east and the people in Jeolla region in the west.
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### Author:  [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/14 "2008-10-29T15:46:32Z")
> [@mlees](#):
>
> Here is a factbook list of ethnic makeup for all countries:
>
> [https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...elds/2075.html](https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...elds/2075.html)
According to that list, the Koreas are the most homogenous.
Those being the only countries that are listed as homogenous. There are some other countries with one race/culture making up for more than 99% of the population though.
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### Author:  [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/15 "2008-10-29T16:03:53Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#):
>
> According to that list, the Koreas are the most homogenous.
>
> Those being the only countries that are listed as homogenous. There are some other countries with one race/culture making up for more than 99% of the population though.
I don’t know how the data for this in the CIA Factbook is collected. I imagine it is dependent on self reporting by the other countries. If the country doesn’t track that data, does the CIA “guess”?
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### Author:  [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/16 "2008-10-29T16:32:54Z")
> [@mlees](#):
>
> I don’t know how the data for this in the CIA Factbook is collected. I imagine it is dependent on self reporting by the other countries. If the country doesn’t track that data, does the CIA “guess”?
What, you mean the HumInt sources at the CIA don’t walk about counting people?
😃
I imagine they “guess”, considering how the setup of some of the countries is explained (eg Spain).
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/17 "2008-10-29T16:47:40Z")
> [@mlees](#):
>
> I don’t know how the data for this in the CIA Factbook is collected. I imagine it is dependent on self reporting by the other countries. If the country doesn’t track that data, does the CIA “guess”?
I don’t know how they collect it, but they’re still UScentric enough to list one “National Holiday” for Spain (October 12, which is actually a multinational holiday) and to have information on… our independence 😛 (which by the way and if you call it our unification instead is still off by over 300 years). Oh, and Felipe is our heir - apparent? Gosh, I’m sure the Casa Real would be surprised about that one. He’s “apparent” only inasmuch as his Pa still holds the job. In Spanish law, “heredero aparente” means one that hasn’t been confirmed as heir, not one who is waiting for the inheritance to come his way.
Sorry, but seeing information like that means that if someone from the CIA walks in drenched and complains about the rain, I will verify his data by looking out the window.
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### Author:  [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/18 "2008-10-29T17:04:23Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> I don’t know how they collect it, but they’re still UScentric enough to list one “National Holiday” for Spain (October 12, which is actually a multinational holiday) and to have information on… our independence 😛 (which by the way and if you call it our unification instead is still off by over 300 years). Oh, and Felipe is our heir - apparent? Gosh, I’m sure the Casa Real would be surprised about that one. He’s “apparent” only inasmuch as his Pa still holds the job. In Spanish law, “heredero aparente” means one that hasn’t been confirmed as heir, not one who is waiting for the inheritance to come his way.
>
> Sorry, but seeing information like that means that if someone from the CIA walks in drenched and complains about the rain, I will verify his data by looking out the window.
Hmm. Sure doesn’t inspire much confidence in their other data… sigh. Our Tax Dollars At Work.
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/19 "2008-10-29T17:07:56Z")
What about Scotland?
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### Author:  [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-racially-homogenous-country-in-the-world/470068/20 "2008-10-29T18:02:03Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> … our independence 😛 (which by the way and if you call it our unification instead is still off by over 300 years).
If you bothered to look up the term, you’d see that “independence” is defined as :
> [@CIA Fact book on their site](#):
>
> For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent “independence” in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation “none” followed by the nature of their dependency status. Also see the Terminology note.
And Granada was indeed conquered in 1492, wasn’t it? The quote refers to Muslim occupation from the 8th Century, and continues with “…the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492;”. Arguably Spain did exist prior to this but it sets that date as the endpoint of the process - It’s more detail than the two phrases France gets.
> [@](#):
>
> Oh, and Felipe is our heir - apparent? Gosh, I’m sure the Casa Real would be surprised about that one. He’s “apparent” only inasmuch as his Pa still holds the job. In Spanish law, “heredero aparente” means one that hasn’t been confirmed as heir, not one who is waiting for the inheritance to come his way.
Which is why they didn’t call him the ‘heredero aperente’. In English, “heir apparent” means someone who will accede to the throne as long as they don’t die or the monarchy fails. The distinction is between that and “heir presumptive”, which is someone who would succeed as monarch if it were to happen at this instant, but another heir could be born who would be in line in front of them.
I’m not sure exactly what is meant by the Spanish term — is it someone whose bloodline is in question, or is there a specific confirmation process to ensure that they can or will become the monarch?
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