Which animal do you think those countries in the world? - Page 2 - Historum

**fangqingming** · July 5th, 2012, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake10

I once saw the Chinese zodiac symbols appointed to different countries.

China was represented by the dragon.
Japan was the tiger.
Mongolia and Korea were the horse.
South East Asia was the rabbit.
Latin America was the rooster.
The Middle East was the ox.
Africa was the monkey.
Russia was the pig.
America, Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Australia were the dog.
Israel was the goat.
India was the rat.
Western Europe was the snake.

Basically, every area in the world was represented by one of the animals on the Chinese callendar.

why is japan tiger? confused.

south korean called them as tiger too, so they will querral to japanese.

and why is russia pig?

mongolia is horse, oh, so cool, i can see the reason.

i know there have another interesting words.

russia is bear. (strong and irritable )
australia is sheep.（because they have many sheep?）
india is elephant. (oh, i guess that indian must will agree it?)
france is Gaul chook. (why?)

**Jake10** · July 5th, 2012, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fangqingming

why is japan tiger? confused.

south korean called them as tiger too, so they will querral to japanese.

and why is russia pig?

mongolia is horse, oh, so cool, i can see the reason.

i know there have another interesting words.

russia is bear.
australia is sheep.
india is elephant.

I suppose a bear is an animal that the Russians would be happier with, but it's not a Chinese zodiac symbol. I think they made Russia the pig because Russia is big.

As for Japan, it had something to do with isolation. Japan isolated herself from the world, walking alone, just like tigers do. Tigers don't live in groups. They only get together to mate. Tigers are also fierce, which Japan was perceived as.

Maybe, as a Chinese person, you can explain why Latin Americans were the rooster?

**fangqingming** · July 5th, 2012, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacific_Victory

I can't blame them... I suppose a lot of American lists would lump together China/Japan/Korea/etc.

sure, sometimes we can't know each other so it is easy to lump together.

on the other hand, that is zodiac symbols, chinese symbols is not very many, so maybe it is the reason to lump together too.

**Pacific_Victory** · July 5th, 2012, 09:10 PM

Why was the ME the ox? I wouldn't think they'd be perceived as being particularly strong or hard working...

**Jake10** · July 5th, 2012, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacific_Victory

Why was the ME the ox? I wouldn't think they'd be perceived as being particularly strong or hard working...

One of the things mentioned was the oil in the Middle East. I don't know how it tied into this, but...

**fangqingming** · July 5th, 2012, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake10

I suppose a bear is an animal that the Russians would be happier with, but it's not a Chinese zodiac symbol. I think they made Russia the pig because Russia is big.

As for Japan, it had something to do with isolation. Japan isolated herself from the world, walking alone, just like tigers do. Tigers don't live in groups. They only get together to mate. Tigers are also fierce, which Japan was perceived as.

thanks, jake, i see now.

Quote:

Maybe, as a Chinese person, you can explain why Latin Americans were the rooster

i am sorry, but i don't know too.

i am very rare to see the zodiac symbol as symbol of country.

**The Imperial** · July 5th, 2012, 09:51 PM

It would be the tigers or the elephants for India. I think elephants are the better representative - 'big but never a bully' is the best character common between the elephant and India

**fangqingming** · July 5th, 2012, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Imperial

It would be the tigers or the elephants for India. I think elephants are the better representative - 'big but never a bully' is the best character common between the elephant and India

elephants are kind and strong animal too.

**The Imperial** · July 5th, 2012, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fangqingming

elephants are kind and strong animal too.

why tigers?

Because the Bengal Tiger is the national animal of India. Thats why. Might be the only reason too.

India is no tiger... Terms like agile, ferocious, predatory, swift etc don't define India well.

I had typed in 'kind and sweet', but couldn't get myself to hit 'enter', as there are certain isolated aspects of India which aren't 'kind and sweet'

But elephants are such kind, calm, serene, and loving animals. And damn patient too.

**Jake10** · July 5th, 2012, 11:09 PM

I guess the beaver would be a symbol for Canada. They're engineers, which may be why Canadians like them.