The world’s most underrepresented countries
To find the most underrepresented countries, we analysed five year's worth of articles from around the world and found out which country has the least media representation.
Disney’s tales of princesses, magic and far-away kingdoms have illuminated childhoods for generations.
In recent years, Disney embraced the changing face of society by shedding a light on the lives of princesses and characters from a range of backgrounds. From The Princess & The Frog’s Tiana, Disney’s first Black princess to Moana, the Polynesian princess who broke box office records.
Following in Disney’s footsteps, Club Med wanted to uplift and shine a light on some of the most underrepresented countries in the world. And so we’ve created a captivating collection of Disney princesses from Djibouti, Seychelles, Latvia, Dominican Republic and Mongolia, complete with traditional clothing, names and backstories to fully bring them to life. Because every person has a story to tell…
Although they each have their own unique vibrancy and colourful cultures, these 10 countries have the least amount of media representation. This could be due to their size and the low GDP of the countries. Many of them islands, news tends to stay localised within the country and so often goes unreported by the global media.
Another reason for the underrepresentation of these countries is that the cultures, customs and everyday life in these places is so unique, so sadly don’t receive widespread recognition in the media.
For example, the Federated States of Micronesia is the seventh most underrepresented country in the world with only 6,546 articles written about it in five years, despite the country comprising hundreds of islands.
However, it has one of the world’s most vibrant and interesting cultural and wildlife offerings. Its rich biodiversity sees the islands home to jellyfish and squid dwelling coral reefs, tropical rainforests and volcanoes. It’s a melting pot of Indigenous religions, cultural groups and languages. All of which create a unique world on each small island.
In comparison, many of the countries with the most media representation are all larger and have a higher GDP and strong tourism sectors. Four of the most represented countries have English as their official language which could be beneficial in terms of representation. Whilst China, France and Japan all have very distinctive cultures which are often seen in films, TV and fashion. Below are the top 10 countries with the most media representation:
1.India
2.China
3.United Kingdom
4.United States of America
5.France
6.Indonesia
7.Venezuela
8.Canada
9.Japan
10.Australia
Underrepresented Disney Princesses
To create our underrepresented Disney princesses, we delved into the wonderful worlds of the Seychelles, Latvia, Dominican Republic, Mongolia and Djibouti. All of these countries were largely underrepresented in the media so we chose to showcase their vibrant cultures and backstories.
Princess Fatouma of Djibouti
One of Africa’s least-known countries, Djibouti can be found in the horn of Africa and is the home of Princess Fatouma.
A melting pot of cultures with African, Indian Ocean and Arab influencers, Djibouti is a unique destination with a wealth of exotic wildlife.
Its vast landscape is scattered with natural hot springs, salt lakes and inactive volcanoes. Whale sharks swim freely in the beach waters and flocks of bright pink flamingos roam the land.
Like many people in Djibouti, Princess Fatouma enjoys reciting traditional poems, songs and folk tales, revisiting her country’s history through stories. Learning is one of her biggest passions in life and one she wants to share with women and girls across her country.
Working alongside UNICEF, she aims to help young girls get greater access to education and abolish it’s gender disparity.
On special occasions, Fatouma is adorned with gold jewellery and her hands and fingers have been decorated with dark henna in intricate patterns. She wears the Dirac, a lightweight flowing dress to keep her cool in the Djibouti heat.
Population: 973,560
Location: Africa
Language: Somali, Afar, Arabic, French
Number of articles: 31,356 - 95% less than average
Camilla, the Seychellois Princess
Princess Camilla lives a wonderful life in the tropical paradise of the Seychelles.
Music and dance are at the heart of Seychellois culture, with the people of the island being as vibrant as the landscape.
The East African island boasts towering palm trees and crystal clear waters inhabited by huge sea turtles, tropical fish and brightly coloured coral.
Although Camilla enjoys filling her days with long walks along the beach, with the warm sand sinking between her toes, a lot of her time is spent being a strong leader.
As the Seychelles is a matriarchal society, women tend to be the heads of the household. This is uncommon in many Disney tales, where the king or “Prince Charming” are usually the dominant characters. Our Seychellois princess Camilla has a unique responsibility that makes her stand out amongst the princesses from traditional tales. She certainly doesn’t need a handsome prince to save the day - she’s got everything under control!
Princess Camilla wears a Kazak (blouse) and Penwar (skirt) like many women on the island. With the colourful floral prints matching the island's lush greenery and flora.
Population: 97,625
Location: East Africa
Language: Seychellois Creole, English, French
Number of articles: 58,394, 91% less than average
Princess Marie of the Dominican Republic
Princess Marie lives in the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean country bursting with natural beauty. With its lush green rainforests, powdery beaches and turquoise waters, the Dominican Republic is a feast for the eyes!
The people of the Dominican Republic are passionate about their culture, infusing it with modern-day music, dance, art and literature.
All of Marie’s life, she’s been surrounded by strong women who’ve taught her countless, invaluable lessons. She’s never one to shy away from standing up for what is right, and knows how to use her voice to uplift others.
Her full length, ruffled dress is the colours of the Dominican Republic flag - showing the pride she feels towards her country, its customs and its culture.
Population: 10.74 million
Location: The Caribbean
Language: Spanish, Dominican Spanish
Number of articles: 94,248 - 86% less than average
Princess Inga of Latvia
In Latvia, the home of Princess Inga, centuries-old cultural practices are cherished and celebrated. For people in Latvia, the yearly festivals are a chance to wear traditional folk clothing, sing songs called dainas and enjoy folk dancing with friends and family. These traditions are passed down through generations, entwining the past with the present.
The Latvian landscape is as rich as its culture. Perched on the vibrant green mountains stand centuries-old medieval castles, and the dense pine forests feel like something from a fairytale.
Alongside her passion for Latvian folklore, Princess Inga loves martial arts, football and hockey, sports widely practised in the country.
Although she wears modern clothing daily, like many other Latvians, she wears traditional folk clothing for special occasions, religious holidays and cultural festivities.
Population: 1.92 million
Location: Europe
Language: Latvian/Lettish
Number of articles: 63,364 - 91% less than average
Enkhjargal, Princess of Mongolia
Our Mongolian Princess Enkhjargal lives in a vast, untouched landscape - a country bursting with adventure. Green mountains adorn the horizons and the densely packed forests are a joy to explore.
Enkhjargal splits her time between exploring the open landscapes and venturing into the city. She takes her education very seriously and cherishes the lessons on the culture and history of her country.
A fierce and capable rider, she loves horses, and like most people in Mongolia, learnt to ride when she was a small child. Herds of majestic wild horses wander the mountains and play a big part in the everyday lives of people in Mongolia. As the traditional saying goes - “A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings”. In fact, the country has more horses than people!
Mongolia’s diverse wildlife is part of the country’s charm. Sheep and goats roam around freely, grazing the lush green vegetation, their thick curly coats protecting them from the cold climate.
The weather means that Enkhjargal must wrap up warm, though for special occasions she wears a traditional dijan bursting with colour along with an embroidered headpiece called a loovuuz.
Population: 3.225 million
Location: North central Asia
Language: Mongolian
Number of articles: 73,043 - 89% less than average
Feeling inspired?
If our collection of Disney princess from underrepresented countries has inspired you to seek out of the ordinary adventures, explore our sun-soaked destinations for your next dream getaway.
Methodology
We analysed articles over a five year period for each country in the world. From this, we could find which countries were least represented in the global media.