The word “language” comes from the Latin word for “tongue.” About 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today. Language is a central part of who we are and where we come from. What languages are spoken in your community? What language has the most speakers? Does this surprise you? What language would you like to learn most and why?

Feel like going abroad? You’re not alone. In 2009, international travelers made about 880 million trips. Why are so many top tourist destinations in Europe? Why do you think the U.S. was the 2nd most popular tourist spot in 2009? Which country on the graph would you most—and least— like to visit, and why?

Facebook was started in 2004 as a social network for students at Harvard University. It now has more than 500 million users worldwide—and has made its founders billionaires. Why do you think the U.S. has so many Facebook users? Why is China—which has the world’s largest population— not on the Top-10 list? Why do you think Facebook has become so popular? What are some of the positive and negative aspects of social networking?

This graph shows the countries with the highest ratio of prisoners to the general population. About 9.25 million people are imprisoned around the world. The U.S. has the highest prison population rate of any country. Which countries would you expect to be on the graph that aren’t? Which on the graph surprise you? What factors might explain why some countries have more prisoners than others?

From the earliest civilizations, people have organized their common beliefs into religions. There are thousands of religions practiced around the world. Which of the religions on the pie chart do you know the most about? Least? A recent study reports that half of Americans change their faith at least once. Why do you think that might be?

The data for this chart comes from Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires. Why do you think the U.S has so many billionaires? Why might there be such a large gap between the U.S. and other countries on the graph? Why do you think people are so fascinated with the super- rich? What other measures of success are there besides monetary wealth?

Ambitious builders are continually breaking the record for the world’s tallest skyscraper. As of January 2010, the title goes to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, one of the states in the United Arab Emirates. What does a tall building tell us about a country, if anything? Does it surprise you that the U.S. is not in the top 5?

This graph measures municipal waste—trash collected by cities and towns. Collecting and getting rid of garbage is expensive and has environmental implications. Does the amount of trash Americans produce surprise you? Why or why not? Why might some countries produce more garbage than others? Where does all the garbage we toss out go? What long-term problems does trash present?

Movies are America’s second-largest export. (Agricultural products are the first.) But it isn’t Hollywood that puts out the most movies—it’s Bollywood. That nickname for India’s main film center comes in part from Bombay, the former name of the city of Mumbai. Which do you think are more widely watched: American or Indian movies? Why? Snapshots compiled by Dwight Curtis, Veronica Majerol, and Ren Roome.