Identity of a nation

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How much can you tell about a nation by the photos people take of their home country? Above are photos of the UK and Europe, assessed by a psychologist.

A rose, baby chicks, beach huts and an old man's hands. They're just some of 13,000 photographs taken by people as part of a new European project to represent - and celebrate - their home country.

One of the most surprising findings of the project - commissioned by Canon - was the almost total absence of traditional or iconic images, such as flags, national monuments or landmarks. Photographs of nature and the environment dominated the pictures from all countries.

The usual iconic images were rare

But despite this common ground the photographs still speak volumes about national identities, says psychologist David Lewis, who analysed the images.

"The lack of symbols of state power suggests Europe, at least as presented by these images, may have abandoned many of the nationalistic attitudes which led to two world wars.

"The emphasis on the beauty of nature suggests that an ever increasing number of Europeans yearn for a simpler lifestyle."

To find out more about what the pictures say about individual countries take a look the pictures above.