What do Pondicherry, Sydney and Kalmykia have in common? Each has a surprising history featuring immigration and little-known communities. In this article, we will prove that the country doesnât equal the language.
Did you know, for instance, that Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu in the South East of India has a significant French influence? Or that Sydney is home to 44 per cent of the Mainland Chinese-born population in Australia? Then thereâs Kalmykia, a republic based in Southern Russia, home to the Kalmyk people, the only European community whose official religion is Buddhism.
Read on to discover more about these fascinating communities which reveal just how globalised the world really is.
Pondicherry, ex-French colonial settlement
Tree-lined streets, mustard-coloured colonial villas and chic boutiques⊠Youâd be forgiven if you thought we were talking about Paris, or perhaps a quaint holiday resort in Southern France, not the French Quarter of a city in Southern India. In French, the city is known as PondichĂ©ry. In fact, it became the last French colonial settlement in India in 1954, when it officially became part of India as a union territory.
If you stumbled into the city as a traveller, you would come across âthe White Townâ, where you might even find some citizens that still retain their French citizenship. Moreover, youâd see street names in French, and even hear native Tamilians speaking fluent French.
Moreover, there are 6,500 French people registered as living in Southern India, 5,500 of which are in Pondicherry.
If you ever feel the urge to visit this fascinating city, there are many tourist destinations that might catch your eye. The so-called âwhite townâ is full of heritage buildings constructed by French colonialists, many of these have now been converted into luxury hotels. There are beaches aplenty for those looking to relax, and the area is packed with history. It includes a statue of Ghandi and an 19th Century lighthouse, which has now been converted into a museum.
Kalmykia, Buddhist Republic in Southern Russia
This fascinating republic located in Southern Russia is unique for the fact that it is the only region in Europe where the official religion of the people is Buddhism. So, how did Kalmykia come to be, and what makes it so significant?
The region of Kalmykia is home to around 300,000 people and is composed primarily of the Kalmyks, a people of Mongol origin. Its capital, Elista, is of note for hosting many international chess competitions.
Ancestors of the Kalmyks, including the Oriats, have lived in the area since the mid-17th century. They were granted republic status in 1935, after years of aiding the Red Army in the Soviet era.
Although they attempted to initiate a âSovietizationâ policy in Kalmykia, the Soviets did not choose to enforce an anti-religion policy as was common in most of the USSR. Instead, the Soviet leadership wanted to show that its treatment of Asian and Buddhist peoples in Russia could extend to its neighbours Mongolia and Tibet.
The major languages spoken in the republic are Russian and Kalmyk.
This goes to show that when launching a marketing campaign in Russia, you cannot presume your target audience will be exclusively Russian speakers. This point extends throughout Russia. The official language of the Soviet Union was Russian, but there are 35 languages in total which are considered official languages of Russia, spoken throughout this vast country.
There are more than 100 minority languages spoken in Russia, with the most widely spoken being Tartar; three per cent of the population of Russia are Tartar speakers. Others include Ukrainian, Bashir and Chechen. Many of the populations that speak these languages make up less than one per cent of Russiaâs total population. However, like Kalmyk, minority languages can be widely spoken in certain regional areas.
Sydney, home to 44 per cent of Chinese nationals living in Australia
The Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, St Maryâs Cathedral⊠Sydney is known for many things, but not necessarily its thriving community of Chinese nationals and generations of Chinese Australians born to Chinese emigrĂ©s from the mainland.
Chinese-born residents comprise 4.7 per cent of Sydneyâs population. This may not sound like a particularly high number. However, the next highest non-Australian nationality living in Australia is English, at 3.1 per cent. The influx of Chinese immigration to the city has skyrocketed during the past 25 years, as the number of Chinese-born migrants has surged by 500 per cent.
Census data also reveals that over a quarter of Australians were born overseas: 18 per cent of migrants living in the country have settled in the last five years and approximately 27 per cent of them do not speak English at home. This statistic is quite revealing, as it highlights that these migrants are more comfortable speaking their native language than English and would likely be more comfortable being communicated to in their mother tongue by brands looking to secure their business.
Hyper localised â a global, local approach
Just because you are going global doesnât mean you shouldnât think local.
In fact, if your company operates in territories far and wide, you need to go glocal. This shows you are considering global and local considerations.
Glocal, or glocalisation, is a portmanteau of the words globalisation and localisation, the implication being that when your company thinks globally, it needs to act locally and employ tactics devised for local markets.
Get in touch with us today to discuss our professional language translation services. Weâve been helping brands glocalise for almost 20 years.
