The National Identity

I suppose that every country has a few items that they are proud of and would like everyone to know. In Zambia, however, it seems like everyone has chosen the same few facts that they like to tell non-Zambians as many times as possible. When you first meet someone it is not impossible, in fact quite likely, that at any pause in the conversation they will ask "Did you know that Zambia is a peaceful country?" or "Did you know that Zambia has 72 tribes?" If one meets three people and has a conversation of any length with these people, it is highly likely that at least two will bust out these "national facts." It seems that those two facts have become fundamental to Zambia's definition of itself, or at least how it likes to define itself to outsiders. Not to say that these things aren't impressive achievements. When your country is surrounded by such pillars of stability and peace like Angola, DRC, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe it is quite something to say that you are a peaceful nation, or that you have successfully embraced 72 tribes peacefully into one nation state.

I wonder what Canada's "national facts" are. I guess one might be that we are a "multicultural society - a mosaic not a melting pot" (at least that is what we tell ourselves). At the same time, I can't say that I've ever felt that the fundamental fact that a visitor to Canada had to know was about our multicultural society. Weather might be another contender. The advantage to living through some cold winters is the ability to impress the world with the conditions you have survived.

By now I've heard the "national facts" a good number of times. I just smile and nod and say that yes, indeed, I did know that. People still find it important to tell me though. I guess they are just doing their national duty and making sure that I am up to speed on what is important to the identity of the country.