On the 11,883-square-mile island of Timor-Leste in Southeast Asia, you’ll find the shortest people in the world. The average height for Timorese men is just five feet 2.9 inches, while the average height for women is four feet 11.5 inches. Other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Laos and the Philippines, also made the list. Experts believe that these countries inherited a smaller stature from their ancestors, who adapted to withstand the intense heat in the region.
Interestingly, the United States and the United Kingdom did not rank among the 25 countries with the shortest people. In the US, the average height for men is five feet nine inches, while women stand at about five feet four inches. Similarly, in the UK, men have an average height of five feet six inches, while women average at five feet five inches tall.
The data revealing the shortest nations was compiled by Insider, using information from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a medical database linked to Imperial College London. This database separates average heights by gender for each country, and Insider calculated an average from those figures.
Scientists estimate that around 80% of an individual’s height is determined by inherited DNA sequences. In 2010, a team from Harvard Medical School identified hundreds of mutations that account for about 10% of the inherited difference in height. These mutations are found in various spots in the human genome and are associated with genes involved in skeletal growth syndromes and genetic growth regulators.
Timor-Leste’s situation sheds light on why its people are the shortest in the world. The small island, also known as East Timor, is separated into two parts. While the Portuguese occupied the eastern part and Indonesia’s capital, Kupang, shares the other part, it is the southeast region that is home to the shortest people. In the late 19th century, the native people’s average height did not exceed five feet. However, the arrival of settlers from Portugal and Indonesia in the 20th century led to changes in the appearance of the natives. Unfortunately, civil war in the 1970s caused a decline in height, as people were no longer moving around the island and mating with different ethnicities.
Laos, also in Southeast Asia, is home to the second group of shortest people. Known for its rolling hills, Buddhist temples, and breathtaking landmarks, the average height for men in Laos is five feet 3.19 inches, while women stand at four feet 11.55 inches. The Philippines, another Southeast Asian country, also made the list, ranking fifth.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Netherlands boasts the tallest population in the world. On average, men measure 5 feet 11.86 inches, while women are 5 feet 6.42 inches tall. Researchers suggest that the country’s leading healthcare system and low income inequality may contribute to the towering population.
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