Countries represented in the founding collection:

Please note: the Pitt Rivers Museum uses current country names to geographically provenance its collections. This can cause problems when researching a historical collection like the founding collection. In this instance where possible modern country names have been identified and used; where a current geo-political country is not possible to identify (for example between North and South Korea, American Samoa and Samoa, Papua New Guinea and West New Guinea (Indonesia) or the Congo countries) a more historical name has been used (in these cases Korea, Samoa, New Guinea and Congo respectively).

Afghanistan = 4
Albania = 7
Algeria = 50
Andaman Islands India = 477
Angola = 11
Argentina = 261
Australia = 418
Austria = 33
Barbados = 5
Belgium = 35
Benin Republic = 14
Bolivia = 1 (possibly also Peru)
Botswana = 20
Brazil = 23
Bulgaria = 13
Cambodia = 2
Cameroon Cameroun = 13
Canada = 573
Cape Verde = 1
Chile = 120
China (including Taiwan) = 366
Colombia = 2
Congo = 42
Cook Islands = 22
Costa Rica = 12
Croatia = 49
Cyprus = 204
Czech Republic = 4
Denmark = 389
Easter Island Rapa Nui = 8
Ecuador = 49
Egypt = 229
Equatorial Guinea = 3
Ethiopia = 27
Fiji = 181
Finland = 9 (all possibly Sweden and Norway as well)
France = 1383
French Polynesia = 73
Gabon = 316
The Gambia = 13 (all possibly Senegal or Guinea-Bissau)
Gambier Islands French Polynesia = 1 (possibly Tubuai)
Germany = 77
Ghana = 48
Greece = 160
Greenland = 150
Guatemala = 1
Guinea = 4 (all possibly another Guinea)
Guinea-Bissau = 13 (all possibly somewhere else)
Guyana = 81
Honduras = 3
Hungary = 14
Iceland = 2
India including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan = 631 (excludes Andaman and Nicobars listed separately)
Indonesia & East Timor = 68
Iran = 23
Iraq = 22
Israel / Palestine = 11
Italy = 380
Ivory Coast = 1 (possibly Liberia)
Jamaica = 2
Japan = 367
Jordan = 5
Kenya = 1 (possibly Ethiopian)
Kiribati = 43
Korea = 15
Lesotho = 3
Liberia = 11
Libya = 15
Macedonia = 1 (possibly Greek)
Madagascar = 9
Malaysia = 59
Mali = 2
Malta = 17
Marquesas Islands = 34
Marshall Islands = 3
Mexico = 78
Micronesia, Federated States of = 2
Morocco = 1
Mozambique = 2
Myanmar (Burma) = 121
Namibia = 8
Nepal = 18
The Netherlands = 9
New Caledonia = 65
New Guinea = 273
New Zealand = 139
Nicaragua = 11
Nicobar Islands India = 251
Niger = 4
Nigeria = 110
Niue = 18
Norway = 99
Palau, Republic of = 3
Panama = 1
Paraguay = 2
Peru = 161
Philippines = 6
Pitcairn Islands = 2
Poland = 3
Portugal = 11
Russia = 93
Samoa = 38
Senegal = 13
Sierra Leone = 10
Singapore = 2
Society Islands French Polynesia = 26
Solomon Islands = 222
Somalia = 9
South Africa = 227
Spain = 70
Sri Lanka = 37
St Lucia = 2
St Vincent & the Grenadines = 1
Sudan = 185
Surinam = 1
Sweden = 92
Switzerland = 351
Syria = 6
Tanzania = 7
Thailand = 8
Tibet = 15
Tokelau Islands = 1 (possibly New Zealand)
Tonga = 60
Trinidad & Tobago = 2
Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia = 2
Tubuai Islands French Polynesia = 10
Tunisia = 2
Turkey = 57
Tuvalu = 4
Uganda = 2 (both possibly Sudan)
UK and Republic of Ireland = 7603
Ukraine = 29
USA = 681
Vanuatu = 112
Vietnam = 3
Yemen = 2
Zambia = 1 (possibly Congo)
Zimbabwe = 1 (possibly South Africa)

A total of 1367 entries have no known country.

Note that there are many overlaps between countries, for example many objects are marked as either USA or Canada and appear twice above therefore. Greenland is also often linked to USA or Canada as possible provenances. There are many other examples.

There are no objects from the following countries:

American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antiqua, Armenia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia, Brunei, Burkino Faso, Burundi, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chechnya, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Galapagos Islands, Georgia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Haiti, Heard & McDonald Islands, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lietchenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Melilla, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Puerto Rica, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Ross Dependency, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao Tome & Principe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, St Kitts Nevis, Sta Pierre & Miquelon, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Togo, Tristan de Cunha, Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, Uruquay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, Wallis & Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Western Samoa, Windward Islands, Wrangel Island.

Countries / Continental breakdown:

Note: some entries are only provenanced to continent and do not have identified countries of origin.

Africa = 9 per cent of founding collection

Algeria = 50
Angola = 11
Benin Republic = 14
Botswana = 20
Cameroon Cameroun = 13
Cape Verde = 1
Congo = 42
Egypt = 229
Equatorial Guinea = 3
Ethiopia = 27
Gabon = 316
The Gambia = 13
Ghana = 48
Guinea = 4
Guinea-Bissau = 13
Ivory Coast = 1
Kenya = 1
Lesotho = 3
Liberia = 11
Libya = 15
Madagascar = 9
Mali = 2
Morocco = 1
Mozambique = 2
Namibia = 8
Niger = 4
Nigeria = 110
Senegal = 13
Sierra Leone = 10
Somalia = 9
South Africa = 227
Sudan = 185
Tanzania = 7
Tunisia = 2
Uganda = 2
Zambia = 1
Zimbabwe = 1

Americas =  8.8 per cent of founding collection
Argentina = 261
Barbados = 5
Bolivia = 1
Brazil = 23
Canada = 573
Chile = 120
Colombia = 2
Costa Rica = 12
Ecuador = 49
Greenland = 150
Guatemala = 1
Guyana = 81
Honduras = 3
Jamaica = 2
Mexico = 78
Nicaragua = 11
Panama = 1
Paraguay = 2
Peru = 161
St Lucia = 2
St Vincent & the Grenadines = 1
Surinam = 1
Trinidad & Tobago = 2
USA = 681

Asia = 15 per cent of founding collection
Afghanistan = 4
Andaman Islands India = 477
Cambodia = 2
China (including Taiwan) = 366
India including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan = 631
Indonesia & East Timor = 68
Iran = 23
Iraq = 22
Israel / Palestine = 11
Japan = 367
Jordan = 5
Korea = 15
Malaysia = 59
Myanmar (Burma) = 121
Nepal = 18
Nicobar Islands India = 251
Philippines = 6
Singapore = 2
Sri Lanka = 37
Syria = 6
Thailand = 8
Tibet = 15
Turkey = 57
Vietnam = 3
Yemen = 2

Australia & Oceania = 8.7 per cent of founding collection
Australia = 418
Cook Islands = 22
Easter Island Rapa Nui = 8
Fiji = 181
French Polynesia = 73
Gambier Islands = 1
Irian Jaya (Indonesia) = 3
Kiribati = 43
Marquesas Islands = 34
Marshall Islands = 3
Micronesia, Federated States of = 2
New Caledonia = 65
New Guinea = 273
New Zealand = 139
Niue = 18
Palau, Republic of = 3
Pitcairn Islands = 2
Samoa = 38
Society Islands French Polynesia = 26
Solomon Islands = 222
Tokelau Islands = 1
Tonga = 60
Tuamotu Archipelago = 2
Tubuai Islands = 10
Tuvalu = 4
Vanuatu = 112

Europe = 58.2 per cent of founding collection
Albania = 7
Austria = 33
Belgium = 35
Bulgaria = 13
Croatia = 49
Cyprus = 204
Czech Republic = 4
Denmark = 389
Finland = 9
France = 1383
Germany = 77
Greece = 160
Hungary = 14
Iceland = 2
Italy = 380
Macedonia = 1
Malta = 17
The Netherlands = 9
Norway = 99
Poland = 3
Portugal = 11
Russia = 93 (also partly Asian)
Spain = 70
Sweden = 92
Switzerland = 351
UK and Republic of Ireland = 7603
Ukraine = 29

[1] Note: many entries are provenanced to more than one country because the objects are so badly documented. Therefore a single object might count against two or more countries and the count of countries totals will not work out to the total number of objects in the founding collection. They may therefore be taken as the maximum number of objects from any particular country as at 24.5.2010

AP, May 2010