Symbols of some of the more common religions. Top to bottom, left to right: Row 1. Christian, Jewish, Hindu Row 2. Islamic, Buddhist, Shinto Row 3. Sikh, Baha'i, Jain. A religion is a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people, often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. In the frame of European religious thought,[1] religions present a common quality, the "hallmark of patriarchal religious thought": the division of the world in two comprehensive domains, one sacred, the other profane.[2] Religion is often described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object, that is considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine, or of the highest truth. Moral codes, practices, values, institutions, tradition, rituals, and scriptures are often traditionally associated with the core belief, and these may have some overlap with concepts in secular philosophy. Religion is also often described as a "way of life". The development of religion has taken many forms in various cultures. "Organized religion" generally refers to an organization of people supporting the exercise of some religion with a prescribed set of beliefs, often taking the form of a legal entity (see religion-supporting organization). Other religions believe in personal revelation. "Religion" is sometimes used interchangeably with "faith" or "belief system,"[3] but is more socially defined than that of personal convictions. Religion by country North America Canada · United States · Mexico Cuba · Dominican Republic Trinidad and Tobago · Nicaragua South America Colombia · Peru · Bolivia Brazil · Argentina Europe Iceland · Ireland · United Kingdom Portugal · Spain · Italy · France Netherlands · Belgium · Germany Switzerland · Luxembourg · Austria Denmark · Sweden · Norway · Finland Poland · Lithuania · Moldova · Russia Albania · Serbia · Montenegro Bulgaria · Romania · Greece · Malta Middle East Egypt · Israel · Lebanon · Jordan Turkey · Armenia · Azerbaijan Iran · Iraq · Saudi Arabia Africa Nigeria · Sudan · Ethiopia · Seychelles Uganda · Zambia · Kenya · South Africa Asia Afghanistan · Pakistan · India Nepal · Sri Lanka · Vietnam China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan North Korea · South Korea · Japan Malaysia · Singapore · Philippines Oceania Indonesia · Papua New Guinea Australia · New Zealand · Fiji Demography of religions by country Full list of articles on religion by country Religion Portal   v • d • e