f.Class Notes #22

• Although most migrants learn the language of the new location, they typically retain their religion.
• Reliable statistics on the number of adherents are difficult to obtain.
• Four largest religions:
• Christianity
• 2.2 billion adherents
• Islam
• 1.6 billion
• Hinduism
• 1 billion
• Buddhism
• 500 million
• Judaism
• Between 14 and 18 million adherents.
• In all but a handful of countries, the religion with the largest number of adherents is either Christianity or Islam. 
• Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in every country of the Western Hemisphere and in most countries of Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
• More than 90% of Latin Americans and more than 75% of Europeans and North Americans identify themselves as adhering to Christianity. 
• Islam is the most widely practiced religion in nearly every country of Southeast Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia.
• Muslims comprise more than 90% of the population of Central Asia and of Southwest Asia and North Africa.
• India is 80% Hindu, whereas Bangladesh and Pakistan are more than 90% Muslim.
• In China, the largest number of people are unaffiliated with any religion.
• Judaism is the most widely practiced religion in the State of Israel.
• Christianity has 3 major branches:
• Roman Catholic 
• Protestant 
• Orthodox 
• Roman Catholics comprise of approximately 50% of the World's Christians.
• Islam is the predominant religion of Central and Southern Asia and North Africa.
• Buddhism is clustered primarily in East and Southeast Asia.
• All Muslim argot derives from Arabic.
• Islam, "submission to the will of God".
• Muslim, "one who surrenders to God".
• Allah, "God".
• The countries with the most Muslims are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.