AFRICA

Nigeria
 A handshake with a warm, welcoming smile is the most common greeting.
 Wait for a woman to extend their hand first.
 While shaking hands, men may place their left hand on the other person’s shoulder.
 It is a sign of respect and devotion to bow your head when greeting someone who is older

ASIA
Thailand
 Making hand gestures during conversation gives the impression of anger and frustration
 “Wai” is the tradition greeting gesture. It is often used to express an apology and thank
you.
 In order to show respect and gratitude, younger people mostly greet the elders with wai.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Brazil
 The common forms of greetings are handshaking, kissing, hugging, patting, embracing
and holdings hands.
 Avoiding eye-to-eye contact shows respect.
 The touching of arms and backs is a normal and commonly recognized practice.

EUROPE
France
 As a sign of greeting, people tend to shake hands and kiss to say hello or goodbye.
 When kissing, it must be started from left to right for cross gender partner.
 Making eye contact while communicating is marked as a good manner.
 Staring is prohibited because it is considered impolite and inappropriate.
NORTH AMERICA AND OCEANA
Canada
 People frequently make eye contact to signify their sincerity, but do not keep it for a long
time to the extent where it appears to be suspecting.
 During casual conversation, they prefer not to touch each other that much.
 A man showing a lot of physical contact with a woman (especially in the workplace) can
be seen as a sexual assault.
 They frequently punctuate the term “eh” with sentences.