document_title: Google Play

question_text: how many apps are on the google play store

root

text: Google Play

text: Catalog content[edit]

text: Android applications[edit]

text: As of February 2017[update], Google Play features over 2.7 million Android applications.[1] Users in over 145 countries can purchase apps, although Google notes on its support pages that "Paid content may not be available in some provinces or territories, even if the governing country is listed above."[2] Developers in over 150 locations can distribute apps on Google Play, though not every location supports merchant registration.[3] To distribute apps, developers have to pay a one-time $25 registration fee for a Google Play Developer Console account.[4] App developers can control which countries an app is distributed to, as well as the pricing for the app and in-app purchases in each country.[5][6] Developers receive 70% of the application price, while the remaining 30% goes to the distribution partner and operating fees.[7] Developers can set up sales, with the original price striked out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends.[8][9][10] Google Play allows developers to release early versions of apps to a select group of users, as alpha or beta tests.[11] Developers can also release apps through staged rollouts, in which "your update reaches only a percentage of your users, which you can increase over time."[12] Users can pre-order select apps (as well as movies, music, books, and games) to have the items delivered as soon as they are available.[13] Some network carriers offer billing for Google Play purchases, allowing users to opt for charges in the monthly phone bill rather than on credit cards.[14] Users can request refunds within 48 hours after a purchase if "something you bought isn't working, isn't what you expected, was bought by accident, or you changed your mind about the purchase".[15] Apps meeting specific usability requirements can qualify as an Android Wear app.[16]

tag: p

text: Play Games[edit]

text: Google Play Games is an online gaming service for Android that features real-time multiplayer gaming capabilities, cloud saves, social and public leaderboards, and achievements. The service was introduced at the Google I/O 2013 Developer Conference,[17] and the standalone mobile app was launched on July 24, 2013.[18]

text: Music[edit]

text: Google Play Music is a music and podcast streaming service and online music locker. It features over 40 million songs,[19] and gives users free cloud storage of up to 50,000 songs.[20]

text: As of May 2017[update], Google Play Music is available in 64 countries.[21]

text: Books[edit]

text: Google Play Books is an ebook digital distribution service. Google Play offers over five million ebooks available for purchase,[22] and users can also upload up to 1,000 of their own ebooks in the form of PDF or EPUB file formats.[23]

text: As of January 2017[update], Google Play Books is available in 75 countries.[21]

text: Movies and TV shows[edit]

text: Google Play Movies & TV is a video on demand service offering movies and television shows available for purchase or rental, depending on availability.[24]

text: As of January 2017[update], movies are available in over 110 countries, while TV shows are available only in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom.[21]

text: News publications and magazines[edit]

text: Google Play Newsstand is a news aggregator and digital newsstand service offering subscriptions to digital magazines and topical news feeds.[25][26]

text: As of January 2017[update], the basic Newsstand service, with topical news feeds, is available worldwide. Paid Newsstand content is available in over 35 countries.[21]

text: Devices[edit]

text: Google Play, before March 2015, had a Devices section for users to purchase Google Nexus devices, Chromebooks, Chromecasts, other Google-branded hardware, and accessories. A separate online hardware retailer called the Google Store was introduced on March 11, 2015, replacing the Devices section of Google Play.[27][28]

text: History[edit]

text: Google Play originated from three distinct products: Android Market, Google Music and Google eBookstore.

text: The Android Market was announced by Google on August 28, 2008,[29][30] and was made available to users on October 22.[31][32] In December 2010, content filtering was added to the Android Market, each app's details page started showing a promotional graphic at the top, and the maximum size of an app was raised from 25 megabytes to 50 megabytes.[33][34][35] The Google eBookstore was launched on December 6, 2010, debuting with three million ebooks, making it "the largest ebooks collection in the world".[36] In November 2011, Google announced Google Music, a section of the Play Store offering music purchases.[37][38] In March 2012, Google increased the maximum allowed size of an app by allowing developers to attach two expansion files to an app's basic download; each expansion file with a maximum size of 2 gigabytes, giving app developers a total of 4 gigabytes.[39][40] Also in March, the Android Market was re-branded as Google Play.[41][42][43]

text: In May 2016, it was announced that the Google Play Store, including all Android apps, would be coming to Chrome OS in September 2016.[44][45]

text: User interface[edit]

text: Apart from searching for content by name, apps can also be searched through keywords provided by the developer.[46] When searching for apps, users can press on suggested search filters, helping them to find apps matching the determined filters.[47] For the discoverability of apps, Play Store consists of lists featuring top apps in each category, including "Top Free", a list of the most popular free apps of all time; "Top Paid", a list of the most popular paid apps of all time; "Top Grossing", a list of apps generating the highest amounts of revenue; "Trending Apps", a list of apps with recent installation growth; "Top New Free", a list of the most popular new free apps; "Top New Paid", a list of the most popular new paid apps; "Featured", a list of new apps selected by the Google Play team; "Staff Picks", a frequently-updated list of apps selected by the Google Play team; "Editors' Choice", a list of apps considered the best of all time; and "Top Developer", a list of apps made by developers considered the best.[48] In March 2017, Google added a "Free App of the Week" section, offering one normally-paid app for free.[49][50] In July 2017, Google expanded its "Editors' Choice" section to feature curated lists of apps deemed to provide good Android experiences within overall themes, such as fitness, video calling and puzzle games.[51][52]

text: Google Play enables users to know the popularity of apps, by displaying the number of times the app has been downloaded. The download count is a color-coded badge, with special color designations for surpassing certain app download milestones, including grey for 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 downloads, blue for 10,000 and 50,000 downloads, green for 100,000 and 500,000 downloads, and red/orange for 1 million, 5 million, 10 million and 1 billion downloads.[53][54]

text: Users can submit reviews and ratings for apps and digital content distributed through Google Play, which are displayed publicly. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale. App developers can respond to reviews[55][56] using the Google Play Developer Console.[57]

text: Design[edit]

text: Google has redesigned Google Play's interface on several occasions. In February 2011, Google introduced a website interface for then-named Android Market that provides access through a computer.[58] Applications purchased are downloaded and installed on an Android device remotely, with a "My Market Account" section letting users give their devices a nickname for easy recognition.[59] In May 2011, Google added new application lists to Android Market, including "Top Paid", "Top Free", "Editor's Choice", "Top Grossing", "Top Developers", and "Trending".[60][61] In July, Google introduced an interface with a focus on featured content, more search filters, and (in the US) book sales and movie rentals.[62] In May 2013, a redesign to the website interface matched the then-recently redesigned Android app.[63] In July 2014, the Play Store Android app added new headers to the Books/Movies sections, a new Additional Information screen offering a list featuring the latest available app version, installed size, and content rating, and simplified the app permissions prompt into overview categories.[64] A few days later, it got a redesign consistent with the then-new Material Design design language,[65][66] and the app was again updated in October 2015 to feature new animations, divide up the content into "Apps and Games" and "Entertainment" sections, as well as added support for languages read right-to-left.[67][68][69] In April 2016, Google announced a redesign of all the icons used for its suite of Play apps, adding a similar style and consistent look.[70][71] In May 2017, Google removed the shopping bag from the Google Play icon, with only the triangle and associated colors remaining.[72][73]

text: App monetization[edit]

text: Google states in its Developer Policy Center that "Google Play supports a variety of monetization strategies to benefit developers and users, including paid distribution, in-app products, subscriptions, and ad-based models", and requires developers to comply with the policies in order to "ensure the best user experience". It requires that developers charging for apps and downloads through Google Play must use Google Play's payment system. In-app purchases unlocking additional app functionality must also use the Google Play payment system, except in cases where the purchase "is solely for physical products" or "is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other music players)."[74] Support for paid applications was introduced on February 13, 2009 for developers in the United States and the United Kingdom,[75] with support expanded to an additional 29 countries on September 30, 2010.[76] The in-app billing system was originally introduced in March 2011.[77] All developers on Google Play are required to feature a physical address on the app's page in Google Play, a requirement established in September 2014.[78]

text: In February 2017, Google announced that it would let developers set sales for their apps, with the original price striked out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends. Google also announced that it had made changes to its algorithms to promote games based on user engagement and not just downloads. Finally, it announced new editorial pages for what it considers "optimal gaming experiences on Android", further promoting and curating games.[8][9][10]

text: Payment methods[edit]

text: Google allows users to purchase content with credit or debit cards, carrier billing, gift cards, or through PayPal.[79] Google began rolling out carrier billing for purchases in May 2012,[14][80] followed by support for PayPal in May 2014.[81][82]

text: Gift cards[edit]

text: The rumor of Google Play gift cards started circulating online in August 2012 after references to it was discovered by Android Police in the 3.8.15 version update of the Play Store Android app.[83] Soon after, images of the gift cards started to leak,[84] and on August 21, 2012 they were made official by Google and rolled out over the next few weeks.[85][86]

text: Google Play gift cards are currently available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.[87]

text: Subscriptions[edit]

text: Google introduced in-app subscriptions to Google Play in May 2012.[88][89] In June 2016, Google announced that subscriptions charged through Google Play would now split the revenue 85/15, where developers receive 85% of revenue and Google only takes 15%, a change from the traditional 70/30 split in years prior. The move followed Apple's then-recently announced change of the same model, although commentators were quick to point out that while Apple only grants the 85/15 revenue share after one year of active subscriptions, Google's subscription change takes effect immediately.[90][91][92]

text: Play Store on Android[edit]

text:
Play Store

Developer(s)
Google Inc.

Initial release
October 22, 2008; 8 years ago (2008-10-22)

Stable release(s) [±]

Android
8.2.32 / September 6, 2017; 13 days ago (2017-09-06)[93]

Android TV
8.0.28 / August 8, 2017; 42 days ago (2017-08-08)[94]

Android Wear
7.7.19 / May 1, 2017; 4 months ago (2017-05-01)[95]

Development status
Active

Operating system
Android

Type
Digital distribution

Website
play.google.com

tag: table

text: Play Store is Google's official pre-installed app store on Android-certified devices. It provides access to content on the Google Play Store, including apps, books, magazines, music, movies, and television programs.[96]

text: Play Store filters the list of apps to those compatible with the user's device. Developers can target specific hardware components (such as compass), software components (such as widget), and Android versions (such as 7.0 Nougat).[97] Carriers can also ban certain apps from being installed on users' devices, for example tethering applications.[98]

text: There is no requirement that Android applications must be acquired using the Play Store. Users may download Android applications from a developer's website or through a third-party app store alternative.[99] Play Store applications are self-contained Android Package files (APK), similar to .exe files to install programs on Microsoft Windows computers.[100] On Android devices, an "Unknown sources" feature in Settings allows users to bypass the Play Store and install APKs from other sources.[101] Depending on developer preferences, some apps can be installed to a phone's external storage card.[102]

text: Installation history[edit]

text: The Play Store app features a history of all installed apps. Users can remove apps from the list, with the changes also synchronizing to the Google Play website interface, where the option to remove apps from the history does not exist.[103]

text: Compatibility[edit]

text: Google publishes the source code for Android through its "Android Open Source Project", allowing enthusiasts and developers to program and distribute their own modified versions of the operating system. However, not all these modified versions are compatible with apps developed for Google's official Android versions. The "Android Compatibility Program" serves to "define a baseline implementation of Android that is compatible with third-party apps written by developers". Only Android devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements may install and access Google's Play Store application. As stated in a help page for the Android Open Source Project, "Devices that are "Android compatible" may participate in the Android ecosystem, including Android Market; devices that don't meet the compatibility requirements exist outside that ecosystem. In other words, the Android Compatibility Program is how we separate "Android compatible devices" from devices that merely run derivatives of the source code. We welcome all uses of the Android source code, but only Android compatible devices—as defined and tested by the Android Compatibility Program—may participate in the Android ecosystem."[104]

text: Some device manufacturers choose to use their own app store instead of - or in addition to - the Play Store. Examples include Amazon opting for Amazon Appstore instead of Google Play for its Kindle Fire tablet computers,[105] and Samsung adding Galaxy Apps for its line of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.[106]

text: Google Play Services[edit]

text: In 2012, Google began decoupling certain aspects of its Android operating system (particularly its core applications) so they could be updated through the Google Play store independently of the OS. One of those components, Google Play Services, is a closed-source system-level process providing APIs for Google services, installed automatically on nearly all devices running Android 2.2 "Froyo" and higher. With these changes, Google can add new system functionality through Play Services and update apps without having to distribute an upgrade to the operating system itself.[107] As a result, Android 4.2 and 4.3 "Jelly Bean" contained relatively fewer user-facing changes, focusing more on minor changes and platform improvements.[108]

text: History of app growth[edit]

text:
Year
Month
Applications available
Downloads to date

2009
March
2,300[109]

December
16,000[110]

2010
March
30,000[111]

April
38,000[112]

July
70,000[113]

September
80,000[114]

October
100,000[115]

2011
April

3 billion[116]

May
200,000[117]
4,5 billion[117]

July
250,000[118]
6 billion[118]

October
500,000[119][120]

December

10 billion[121]

2012
April

15 billion[122]

June
600,000[123]
20 billion[123]

September
675,000[124]
25 billion[124]

October
700,000[125]

2013
May

48 billion[126]

July
1 million[127]
50 billion[127]

2016

82 billion[128]

2017
February
2.7 million[1]

text: Google Play Awards and yearly lists[edit]

text: In April 2016, Google announced the Google Play Awards, described as "a way to recognize our incredible developer community and highlight some of the best apps and games". The awards showcase five nominees across ten award categories, and the apps are featured in a dedicated section of Google Play. Google stated that "Nominees were selected by a panel of experts on the Google Play team based on criteria emphasizing app quality, innovation, and having a launch or major update in the last 12 months", with the winners announced in May.[129][130]

text: Google has also previously released yearly lists of apps it deemed the "best" on Google Play.[131][132]

text: On March 6, 2017, five years after Google Play's launch, Google released lists of the best-selling apps, games, movies, music, and books over the past five years.[133][134]

text: In June 2017, Google introduced "Android Excellence", a new editorial program to highlight the apps deemed the highest quality by the Google Play editors.[135][136]

text: Application approval[edit]

text: Google places some restrictions on the types of apps that can be published, in particular not allowing sexually explicit content, child endangerment, violence, bullying & harassment, hate speech, gambling, illegal activities, and requiring precautions for user-generated content.[137]

text: In March 2015, Google disclosed that over the past few months, it had been begun using a combination of automated tools and human reviewers to check apps for malware and terms of service violations before they are published in the Play Store. At the same time, it began rolling out a new age-based ratings system for apps and games, based on a given region's official ratings authority (for example, ESRB in the US).[138][139][140]

text: In October 2016, Google announced a new detection and filtering system designed to provide "additional enhancements to protect the integrity of the store". The new system is aimed to detect and filter cases where developers have been attempting to "manipulate the placement of their apps through illegitimate means like fraudulent installs, fake reviews, and incentivized ratings".[141][142][143]

text: Application bans[edit]

text: Some mobile carriers can block users from installing certain apps. In March 2009, reports surfaced that several tethering apps were banned from the store.[144] However, the apps were later restored, with a new ban preventing only T-Mobile subscribers from downloading the apps. Google released a statement:[145]

text:
“
On Monday, several applications that enable tethering were removed from the Android Market catalog because they were in violation of T-Mobile's terms of service in the US. Based on Android's Developer Distribution Agreement (section 7.2), we remove applications from the Android Market catalog that violate the terms of service of a carrier or manufacturer.
We inadvertently unpublished the applications for all carriers, and today we have corrected the problem so that all Android Market users outside the T-Mobile US network will now have access to the applications. We have notified the affected developers.

”

text: In April 2011, Google removed the Grooveshark app from the store due to unspecified policy violations. CNET noted that the removal came "after some of the top music labels have accused the service of violating copyright law".[146] TechCrunch wrote approximately two weeks later that Grooveshark had returned to Android, "albeit not through the official App Market", but rather "Playing on Android's ability to install third-party applications through the browser, Grooveshark has taken on the responsibility of distributing the application themselves".[147]

text: In May 2011, Google banned the account of the developer of several video game emulators. Neither Google nor the developer publicly revealed the reason for the ban.[148]

text: In March 2013, Google began to pull ad blocking apps from the Play Store, per section 4.4 of the developers' agreement, which prohibits apps that interfere with servers and services.[149]

text: Application security[edit]

text: In February 2012, Google introduced a new automated antivirus system, called Google Bouncer, to scan both new and existing apps for malware, spyware, and trojan viruses.[150][151] At Google I/O 2017, this feature, and other safety measures within the Android platform (such as Android Device Manager, which was re-named "Find My Device"), were rebranded under the umbrella name Google Play Protect.[152][153]

text: Android apps can ask for or require certain permissions on the device, including access to body sensors, calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS, and storage.[154]

text: In July 2017, Google described a new security effort called "peer grouping", in which apps performing similar functionalities, such as calculator apps, are grouped together and attributes compared. If one app stands out, such as requesting more device permissions than others in the same group, Google's systems automatically flag the app and security engineers take a closer inspection. Peer grouping is based on app descriptions, metadata, and statistics such as download count.[155][156]

text: Security issues[edit]

text: In early March 2011, DroidDream, a trojan rootkit exploit, was released to then-named Android Market in the form of several free applications that were, in many cases, pirated versions of existing priced apps. This exploit allowed hackers to steal information such as IMEI and IMSI numbers, phone model, user ID, and service provider. The exploit also installed a backdoor that allowed the hackers to download more code to the infected device.[157] The exploit only affected devices running Android versions earlier than 2.3 "Gingerbread".[158] Google removed the apps from the Market immediately after being alerted,[159] but the apps had already been downloaded more than 50,000 times, according to Android Police's estimate.[157] Android Police wrote that the only method of removing the exploit from an infected device was to reset it to factory state, although community-developed solutions for blocking some aspects of the exploit were created.[159] A few days later, Google confirmed that 58 malicious apps had been uploaded to Android Market, and had been downloaded to 260,000 devices before being removed from the store.[160] Google emailed affected users with information that "As far as we can determine, the only information obtained was device-specific (IMEI/IMSI, unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices, and the version of Android running on your device)" as opposed to personal data and account information.[160] It also announced a new "remote kill" functionality, alongside a security update, that lets Google remotely remove malicious apps from users' devices.[160] However, days later, a malicious version of the security update was found on the Internet, though it did not contain the specific DroidDream malware.[161] New apps featuring the malware, renamed DroidDream Light, surfaced the following June, and were also removed from the store.[162]

text: At the Black Hat security conference in 2012, security firm Trustwave demonstrated their ability to upload an app that would circumvent the Bouncer blocker system. The application used a JavaScript exploit to steal contacts, SMS messages, and photos, and was also capable of making the phone open arbitrary web pages or launch denial-of-service attacks. Nicholas Percoco, senior vice president of Trustwave's SpiderLabs advanced security team, stated that "We wanted to test the bounds of what it's capable of". The app stayed on Google Play for more than two weeks, being repeatedly scanned by the Bouncer system without detection, with Percoco further saying that "As an attack, all a malware attacker has to do to get into Google Play is to bypass Bouncer". Trustwave reached out to Google to share their findings, but noted that more manual testing of apps might be necessary to detect apps using malware-masking techniques.[163][164]

text: According to a 2014 research study released by RiskIQ, a security services company, malicious apps introduced through Google Play increased 388% between 2011 and 2013, while the number of apps removed by Google dropped from 60% in 2011 to 23% in 2013. The study further revealed that "Apps for personalizing Android phones led all categories as most likely to be malicious".[165][166] According to PC World, "Google said it would need more information about RiskIQ's analysis to comment on the findings."[167]

text: In October 2016, Engadget reported about a blog post named "Password Storage in Sensitive Apps" from freelance Android hacker Jon Sawyer, who decided to test the top privacy apps on Google Play. Testing two applications, one named "Hide Pictures Keep Safe Vault" and the other named "Private Photo Vault", Sawyer found significant errors in password handling in both, and commented, "These companies are selling products that claim to securely store your most intimate pieces of data, yet are at most snake oil. You would have near equal protection just by changing the file extension and renaming the photos."[168][169]

text: In April 2017, security firm Check Point announced that a malware named "FalseGuide" had been hidden inside approximately 40 "game guide" apps in Google Play.[170] The malware is capable of gaining administrator access to infected devices, where it then receives additional modules that let it show popup ads. The malware, a type of botnet, is also capable of launching DDoS attacks.[171][170] After being alerted to the malware, Google removed all instances of it in the store,[171] but by that time, approximately two million Android users had already downloaded the apps, the oldest of which had been around since November 2016.[170]

text: In June 2017, researchers from Sophos security company announced their finding of 47 apps using a third-party development library that shows intrusive advertisements on users' phones. Even after such apps are force-closed by the user, advertisements remain. Google removed some of the apps after receiving reports from Sophos, but some apps remained. When asked for a comment by Ars Technica, Google didn't respond.[172]

text: Patent issues[edit]

text: Some developers publishing on Google Play have been sued for patent infringement by "patent trolls", people who own broad or vaguely worded patents that they use to target small developers. If the developer manages to successfully challenge the initial assertion, the "patent troll" changes the claim of the violation in order to accuse the developer of having violated a different assertion in the patent. This situation continues until the case goes into the legal system, which can have substantial economic costs, prompting some developers to settle.[173] In February 2013, Austin Meyer, a flight simulator game developer, was sued for having used a copy-protection system in his app, a system that he said "Google gave us! And, of course, this is what Google provides to everyone else that is making a game for Android!" Meyer claimed that Google would not assist in the lawsuit, and he stated that he would not settle the case.[174] His battle with the troll continued for several years, uploading a video in June 2016 discussing that he was then being sued for uploading his app to Google Play, because "the patent troll apparently owns the idea [sic] of the Google Play Store itself".[173] Android Authority wrote that "This scenario has played out against many other app developers for many years", and have prompted discussions over "a larger issue at stake", in which developers stop making apps out of fear of patent problems.[173]

text: Availability[edit]

text: Users outside the countries/regions listed below only have access to free apps and games through Google Play.

text:
Country/Region
Paid apps and games
Devices[175]
Magazines[21]
Books[21]
Movies & TV[21]
Music[21]

Customers can purchase[176]
Developers can sell[177]
Movies
TV shows
Standard
All Access

 Albania
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Algeria
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Angola
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Antigua and Barbuda
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Argentina
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Armenia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Aruba
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Australia
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Austria
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Azerbaijan
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Bahamas
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Bahrain
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Bangladesh
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Belarus
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Belgium
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Belize
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Benin
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Bolivia
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Botswana
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Brazil
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Bulgaria
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes

 Burkina Faso
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Cambodia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Cameroon
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Canada
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Cape Verde
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Chile
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 China
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Colombia
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Costa Rica
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Croatia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Cyprus
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Czech Republic
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Denmark
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Dominican Republic
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Ecuador
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Egypt
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 El Salvador
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Estonia
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Fiji
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Finland
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 France
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Gabon
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Germany
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Ghana
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Greece
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Guatemala
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Guinea-Bissau
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Haiti
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Honduras
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Hong Kong
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Hungary
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Iceland
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 India
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Indonesia
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Ireland
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Israel
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Italy
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Ivory Coast
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Jamaica
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Japan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Jordan
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Kazakhstan
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Kenya
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Kuwait
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Kyrgyzstan
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Laos
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Latvia
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Lebanon
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Liechtenstein
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes

 Lithuania
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Luxembourg
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Macedonia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Malaysia
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Mali
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Malta
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Mauritius
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Mexico
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Moldova
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Morocco
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Mozambique
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Namibia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

   Nepal
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Netherlands
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Netherlands Antilles
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 New Zealand
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Nicaragua
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Niger
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Nigeria
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Norway
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Oman
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Pakistan
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Panama
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Papua New Guinea
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Paraguay
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Peru
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Philippines
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Poland
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Portugal
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Qatar
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Romania
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes

 Russia
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Rwanda
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Saudi Arabia
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Senegal
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Serbia
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes

 Singapore
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Slovakia
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Slovenia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 South Africa
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 South Korea
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Spain
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Sri Lanka
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Sweden
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

  Switzerland
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Taiwan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Tajikistan
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Tanzania
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Thailand
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Togo
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Trinidad and Tobago
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Tunisia
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Turkey
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Turkmenistan
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Uganda
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Ukraine
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 United Arab Emirates
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 United Kingdom
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 United States[a]
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

 Uruguay
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Uzbekistan
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Venezuela
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

 Vietnam
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No

 Yemen
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

 Zambia
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

 Zimbabwe
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No


document_title: Driving licence in South Africa

question_text: at what age can you get a motorcycle license in south africa

text: Driving licence in South Africa

text: In South Africa, the driving licence is the official document which authorises the holder to drive a motor vehicle on a public road. Driving licences are issued by authorised driving licence testing centres, which are run by the municipalities under the supervision of the provincial and national Departments of Transport.[1] Since 1998, the driving licence has been issued in a "credit card format"; before then it was included in the holder's national identity document. The minimum age to hold a licence is 18 .Apply for a driving licence | South African with the exception of Code A1 for which the minimum age is 16.

text: Licence codes[edit]

text: Driving licences are issued with various codes that indicate the types of vehicle that may be driven with that licence; the codes are shown in the following table.[2]

text:
Code
Vehicle classes
Includes

Motorcycles

A1
Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cubic centimetres or less

A
Motorcycles with an engine capacity greater than 125 cc
Code A1

Light motor vehicles

B
Vehicles (except motorcycles) with tare weight of 3 500 kilograms or less; and minibuses, buses and goods vehicles with gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3 500 kg or less. A trailer with GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached.

EB
Articulated vehicles with gross combination mass (GCM) of 3 500 kg or less; and vehicles allowed by Code B but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg.
Code B

Heavy motor vehicles

C1
Vehicles with tare weight between 3 500 kg and 16 000 kg; minibuses, buses and goods vehicles with GVM between 3 500 kg and 16 000 kg. A trailer with GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached.
Code B

C
Buses and goods vehicles with GVM greater than 16 000 kg. A trailer with GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached.
Codes B and C1

EC1
Articulated vehicles with GCM between 3 500 kg and 16 000 kg; and vehicles allowed by Code C1 but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg.
Codes B, EB and C1

EC
Articulated vehicles with GCM greater than 18 000 kg; and vehicles allowed by Code C but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg.
Codes B, EB, C1, C and EC1

text: code c1/a

text: Obtaining a licence[edit]

text: Before applying for a driving licence, a prospective driver must first obtain a learner's licence.[1] The learner's test is a multiple-choice test that examines knowledge of vehicle controls, rules of the road, and traffic signs.[2]

text: The following criteria required:[citation needed]

text:
Rules of the road - There are 30 questions in this category with 22 being the pass mark
Vehicle controls - There are 8 questions in this section, the required pass mark is 6
Road signs, road markings and traffic signals - There are 30 questions in this category with a pass mark of 23

tag: ul

text: Three types of learner's licence are issued[3]:

text:
Code 1: motorcycles.
Code 2: vehicles (except motorcycles) with tare weight of 3 500 kilograms or less; minibuses, buses and goods vehicles with GVM of 3 500 kg or less; and articulated vehicles with GCM of 3 500 kg or less.
Code 3: all vehicles (except motorcycles).

text: The minimum age for a Code 1 or 2 licence is 17, and for a Code 3 licence it is 18. At the age of 16 a Code 1 licence limited to motorcycles with engine capacity under 125 cc may be obtained. Learner's licences are valid for 24 months, and, except for Code 1 licences, require that the learner be accompanied by a fully licensed driver.[2] It is not compulsory for a learner driver to have a big red "L" on the rear window, but it is recommended so that other drivers can have patience with the driver.

text: With the learner's licence, the prospective driver can take a driving test to obtain their driving licence. The driving test has two components: the first is the yard test, in which the applicant demonstrates various parking and turning manoeuvres in a specially constructed parking lot. If the yard test is successful, it is followed by the road test, in which the applicant demonstrates their driving ability on the public roads, following the instructions of the examiner.

text: Some errors on the test, such as a collision, speeding, or rolling backwards when moving off, will cause an instant failure of the test. Other errors cause the driver to lose points; if too many points are lost, this will also cause failure. If the applicant is successful, they will be issued with a paper Temporary Driving Licence, which is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. A permanent card licence will be available for collection at the testing station the applicant went to for the driving test within 4 – 6 weeks.


document_title: List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2014

question_text: what song was number one on march 30 2014

text: Chart history

text:
Key

Indicates best-performing single of 2014

text:
Issue date

Song

Artist(s)

Ref.

January 4

"The Monster"

Eminem featuring Rihanna

[8]

January 11

[9]

January 18

"Timber"

Pitbull featuring Kesha

[10]

January 25

[11]

February 1

[12]

February 8

"Dark Horse"

Katy Perry featuring Juicy J

[13]

February 15

[14]

February 22

[15]

March 1

[16]

March 8

"Happy" [1]

Pharrell Williams

[17]

March 15

[18]

March 22

[19]

March 29

[20]

April 5

[21]

April 12

[22]

April 19

[23]

April 26

[24]

May 3

[25]

May 10

[26]

May 17

"All of Me"

John Legend

[3]

May 24

[27]

May 31

[28]

June 7

"Fancy"

Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

[4]

June 14

[29]

June 21

[30]

June 28

[31]

July 5

[32]

July 12

[5]

July 19

[33]

July 26

"Rude"

Magic!

[34]

August 2

[35]

August 9

[36]

August 16

[37]

August 23

[38]

August 30

[39]

September 6

"Shake It Off"

Taylor Swift

[40]

September 13

[41]

September 20

"All About That Bass"

Meghan Trainor

[7]

September 27

[42]

October 4

[43]

October 11

[44]

October 18

[45]

October 25

[46]

November 1

[47]

November 8

[48]

November 15

"Shake It Off"

Taylor Swift

[49]

November 22

[50]

November 29

"Blank Space"

[6]

December 6

[51]

December 13

[52]

December 20

[53]

December 27

[54]


document_title: Cave painting

question_text: paintings of antelopes were found in the caves in

text: Cave painting

text: History of discovery[edit]

text: Age[edit]

text: Nearly 340 caves have now been discovered in France and Spain that contain art from prehistoric times. Initially, the age of the paintings had been a contentious issue, since methods like radiocarbon dating can produce misleading results if contaminated by samples of older or newer material,[3] and caves and rocky overhangs (where parietal art is found) are typically littered with debris from many time periods. But subsequent technology has made it possible to date the paintings by sampling the pigment itself and the torch marks on the walls.[4] The choice of subject matter can also indicate chronology. For instance, the reindeer depicted in the Spanish cave of Cueva de las Monedas places the drawings in the last Ice Age.

text: The oldest date given to an animal cave painting is now a pig that has a minimum age of 35,400 years old at Timpuseng cave in Sulawesi, an Indonesian island. Indonesian and Australian scientists have dated other non-figurative paintings on the walls to be approximately 40,000 years old. The method they used to confirm this was dating the age of the stalactites that formed over the top of the paintings.[5][6] The art is similar in style and method to that of the Indonesian caves as there were also hand stencils and disks made by blowing paint onto the walls. Cave paintings in El Castillo cave were found to date back to at least 37,300 years old by researchers at Bristol University, making them the oldest known cave art in Europe, 5–10,000 years older than previous examples from France.[7][8] This date coincides with the earliest known evidence for Homo sapiens in Europe. Because of the cave art's age, some scientists have conjectured that the paintings may have been made by Neanderthals.[9]

text: The earliest known European figurative cave paintings are those of Chauvet Cave in France. These paintings date to earlier than 30,000 BCE (Upper Paleolithic) according to radiocarbon dating.[10] Some researchers believe the drawings are too advanced for this era and question this age.[11] However, more than 80 radiocarbon dates had been obtained by 2011, with samples taken from torch marks and from the paintings themselves, as well as from animal bones and charcoal found on the cave floor. The radiocarbon dates from these samples show that there were two periods of creation in Chauvet: 35,000 years ago and 30,000 years ago. One of the surprises was that many of the paintings were modified repeatedly over thousands of years, possibly explaining the confusion about finer paintings that seemed to date earlier than cruder ones.[12] In 2009, cavers discovered drawings in Coliboaia Cave in Romania, stylistically comparable to those at Chauvet.[13] An initial dating puts the age of an image in the same range as Chauvet: about 32,000 years old.[2]

text: In Australia, cave paintings have been found on the Arnhem Land plateau showing megafauna which are thought to have been extinct for over 40,000 years, making this site another candidate for oldest known painting; however, the proposed age is dependent on the estimate of the extinction of the species seemingly depicted.[14] Another Australian site, Nawarla Gabarnmang, has charcoal drawings that have been radiocarbon-dated to 28,000 years, making it the oldest site in Australia and among the oldest in the world for which reliable date evidence has been obtained.[15]

text: Other examples may date as late as the Early Bronze Age, but the well-known Magdalenian style seen at Lascaux in France (c. 15,000 BCE) and Altamira in Spain died out about 10,000 BCE, coinciding with the advent of the Neolithic period. Some caves probably continued to be painted over a period of several thousands of years.[16]

text: The next phase of surviving European prehistoric painting, the rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin, was very different, concentrating on large assemblies of smaller and much less detailed figures, with at least as many humans as animals. This was created roughly between 10,000 and 5,500 years ago, and painted in rock shelters under cliffs or shallow caves, in contrast to the recesses of deep caves used in the earlier (and much colder) period. Though individual figures are less naturalistic, they are grouped in coherent grouped compositions to a much greater degree.

text: Subjects, themes and patterns[edit]

text: The most common subjects in cave paintings are large wild animals, such as bison, horses, aurochs, and deer, and tracings of human hands as well as abstract patterns, called finger flutings. The species found most often were suitable for hunting by humans, but were not necessarily the actual typical prey found in associated deposits of bones; for example, the painters of Lascaux have mainly left reindeer bones, but this species does not appear at all in the cave paintings, where equine species are the most common. Drawings of humans were rare and are usually schematic as opposed to the more detailed and naturalistic images of animal subjects. One explanation for this may be that realistically painting the human form was "forbidden by a powerful religious taboo."[17] Kieran D. O'Hara, geologist, suggests in his book Cave Art and Climate Change that climate controlled the themes depicted.[18] Pigments used include red and yellow ochre, hematite, manganese oxide and charcoal. Sometimes the silhouette of the animal was incised in the rock first, and in some caves all or many of the images are only engraved in this fashion, taking them somewhat out of a strict definition of "cave painting".

text: Similarly, large animals are also the most common subjects in the many small carved and engraved bone or ivory (less often stone) pieces dating from the same periods. But these include the group of Venus figurines, which have no real equivalent in cave paintings.[citation needed]

text: Hand stencils, made by placing a hand on the wall and blowing pigment at it (probably through a pipe of some kind), form a characteristic image of a roughly round area of solid pigment with the uncoloured shape of the hand in the centre, which may then be decorated with lines or dashes. These are often found in the same caves as other paintings, or may be the only form of painting in a location. Some walls contain many hand stencils. Similar hands are also painted in the usual fashion. A number of hands show a finger wholly or partly missing, for which a number of explanations have been given. Hand images are found in similar forms in Europe, Eastern Asia and South America.[19]

text: Theories and interpretations[edit]

text: Henri Breuil interpreted the paintings as being hunting magic, meant to increase the number of animals.

text: Another theory, developed by David Lewis-Williams and broadly based on ethnographic studies of contemporary hunter-gatherer societies, is that the paintings were made by paleolithic shamans.[20] The shaman would retreat into the darkness of the caves, enter into a trance state, and then paint images of their visions, perhaps with some notion of drawing power out of the cave walls themselves.

text: R. Dale Guthrie, who has studied both highly artistic and publicized paintings and a variety of lower quality art and figurines, identifies a wide range of skill and ages among the artists. He hypothesizes that the main themes in the paintings and other artifacts (powerful beasts, risky hunting scenes and the representation of women in the Venus figurines) are the work of adolescent males, who constituted a large part of the human population at the time.[21][verification needed] However, in analyzing hand prints and stencils in French and Spanish caves, Dean Snow of Pennsylvania State University has proposed that a proportion of them, including those around the spotted horses in Pech Merle, were of female hands.[22]

text: Locations[edit]

text: Southern Africa[edit]

text: At uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park, South Africa, now thought to be some 3,000 years old, the paintings by the San people who settled in the area some 8,000 years ago depict animals and humans, and are thought to represent religious beliefs. Human figures are much more common in the rock art of Africa than in Europe.[23]

text: Cave paintings found at the Apollo 11 Cave in Namibia are estimated to date from approximately 23,000–25,000 BCE.[24]

text: Horn of Africa[edit]

text: In 2002, a French archaeological team discovered the Laas Geel cave paintings on the outskirts of Hargeisa in the northwestern region of Somaliland. Dating back around 5,000 years, the paintings depict both wild animals and decorated cows. They also feature herders, who are believed to be the creators of the rock art.[25] In 2008, Somali archaeologists announced the discovery of other cave paintings in Dhambalin region, which the researchers suggest includes one of the earliest known depictions of a hunter on horseback. The rock art is in the Ethiopian-Arabian style, dated to 1000 to 3000 BCE.[26][27]

text: Additionally, between the towns of Las Khorey and El Ayo in Karinhegane, the site of numerous cave paintings of real and mythical animals. Each painting has an inscription below it, which collectively have been estimated to be around 2,500 years old.[28][29] Karihegane's rock art is in the same distinctive Ethiopian-Arabian style as the Laas Geel and Dhambalin cave paintings.[30][31] Around 25 miles from Las Khorey is found Gelweita, another key rock art site.[29]

text: In Djibouti, rock art of what appear to be antelopes and a giraffe are also found at Dorra and Balho.[32]

text: North Africa[edit]

text: Many cave paintings are found in the Tassili n'Ajjer mountains in southeast Algeria. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the rock art was first discovered in 1933 and has since yielded 15,000 engravings and drawings that keep a record of the various animal migrations, climatic shifts, and change in human inhabitation patterns in this part of the Sahara from 6000 BCE to the late classical period.[33] Other cave paintings are also found at the Akakus, Mesak Settafet and Tadrart in Libya and other Sahara regions including: Ayr mountains, Niger and Tibesti, Chad.

text: The Cave of Swimmers and the Cave of Beasts in southwest Egypt, near the border with Libya, in the mountainous Gilf Kebir region of the Sahara Desert. The Cave of Swimmers was discovered in October 1933 by the Hungarian explorer László Almásy. The site contains rock painting images of people swimming, which are estimated to have been created 10,000 years ago during the time of the most recent Ice Age.

text: Australia[edit]

text: Significant early cave paintings, executed in ochre, have been found in Kakadu, Australia. Ochre is not an organic material, so carbon dating of these pictures is often impossible. Sometimes the approximate date, or at least, an epoch, can be surmised from the painting content, contextual artifacts, or organic material intentionally or inadvertently mixed with the inorganic ochre paint, including torch soot.[4]

text: A red ochre painting, discovered at the centre of the Arnhem Land Plateau, depicts two emu-like birds with their necks outstretched. They have been identified by a palaeontologist as depicting the megafauna species Genyornis, giant birds thought to have become extinct more than 40,000 years ago; however, this evidence is inconclusive for dating. It may merely suggest that Genyornis became extinct at a later date than previously determined.[14]

text: Hook Island in the Whitsunday Islands is also home to a number of cave paintings created by the seafaring Ngaro people.[34]

text: Europe[edit]

text: Well-known cave paintings include those of:

text:
Magura Cave, Bulgaria
Cave of El Castillo, Spain
Lascaux, France
Grotte de Cussac, France
Pech Merle, near Cabrerets, France
La Marche, in Lussac-les-Châteaux, France
Les Combarelles, in Les Eyzies de Tayac, Dordogne, France
Chauvet Cave, near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France
Cave of Niaux, France
Cosquer Cave, with an entrance below sea level near Marseille, France
Font-de-Gaume, in the Dordogne Valley in France
Cave of Altamira, near Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, Spain
Cave of La Pasiega, Cuevas de El Castillo, Cantabria, Spain
Caves of Gargas, France

text: Other sites include Creswell Crags, Nottinghamshire, England, (cave etchings and bas-reliefs discovered in 2003), Peștera Coliboaia in Romania,[35] Magura Cave in Bulgaria, and Kapova Cave in Russia.

text: Rock painting was also performed on cliff faces, but fewer of those have survived because of erosion. One example is the rock paintings of Astuvansalmi in the Saimaa area of Finland.

text: When Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola first encountered the Magdalenian paintings of the Altamira cave, Cantabria, Spain in 1879, the academics of the time considered them hoaxes. Recent reappraisals and numerous additional discoveries have since demonstrated their authenticity, while at the same time stimulating interest in the artistry of Upper Palaeolithic peoples.

text: India[edit]

text: The Bhimbetka rock shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India; a number of analyses suggest that some of these shelters were inhabited by humans for more than 100,000 years. The earliest paintings on the cave walls are believed to be of the Mesolithic period, dating to 30,000 years ago. The most recent painting, consisting of geometric figures, date to the medieval period. Executed mainly in red and white with the occasional use of green and yellow, the paintings depict the lives and times of the people who lived in the caves, including scenes of childbirth, communal dancing and drinking, religious rites and burials, as well as indigenous animals.[36]

text: North America[edit]

text: Distinctive monochrome and polychrome cave paintings and murals exist in the mid-peninsula regions of southern Baja California and northern Baja California Sur, consisting of Pre-Columbian paintings of humans, land animals, sea creatures, and abstract designs. These paintings are mostly confined to the sierras of this region, but can also be found in outlying mesas and rock shelters. According to recent radiocarbon studies of the area, of materials recovered from archaeological deposits in the rock shelters and on materials in the paintings themselves, suggest that the Great Murals may have a time range extending as far back as 7,500 years ago.[37]

text: Native artists in the Chumash tribes created cave paintings that are located in present-day Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties in Southern California. They include well executed examples at Burro Flats Painted Cave and Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park.

text: There are also Native American pictogram examples in caves of the Southwestern United States. Cave art that is 6,000 years old was found in the Cumberland Plateau region of Tennessee.[38]

text: South America[edit]

text: Serra da Capivara National Park is a national park in the north east of Brazil with many prehistoric paintings; the park was created to protect the prehistoric artifacts and paintings found there. It became a World Heritage Site in 1991. Its best known archaeological site is Pedra Furada.

text: It is located in northeast state of Piauí, between latitudes 8° 26' 50" and 8° 54' 23" south and longitudes 42° 19' 47" and 42° 45' 51" west. It falls within the municipal areas of São Raimundo Nonato, São João do Piauí, Coronel José Dias and Canto do Buriti. It has an area of 1291.4 square kilometres (319,000 acres). The area has the largest concentration of prehistoric small farms on the American continents. Scientific studies confirm that the Capivara mountain range was densely populated in prehistoric periods.

text: Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for "Cave of the Hands") is a cave located in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, 163 km (101 mi) south of the town of Perito Moreno, within the borders of the Francisco P. Moreno National Park, which includes many sites of archaeological and paleontological importance.

text: The hand images are often negative (stencilled). Besides these there are also depictions of human beings, guanacos, rheas, felines and other animals, as well as geometric shapes, zigzag patterns, representations of the sun, and hunting scenes. Similar paintings, though in smaller numbers, can be found in nearby caves. There are also red dots on the ceilings, probably made by submerging their hunting bolas in ink, and then throwing them up. The colours of the paintings vary from red (made from hematite) to white, black or yellow. The negative hand impressions date to around 550 BC, the positive impressions from 180 BC, while the hunting drawings are calculated to more than 10,000 years old.[39] Most of the hands are left hands, which suggests that painters held the spraying pipe with their right hand.[citation needed]

text: Southeast Asia[edit]

text: There are rock paintings in caves in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Burma. In Thailand, caves and scarps along the Thai-Burmese border, in the Petchabun Range of Central Thailand, and overlooking the Mekong River in Nakorn Sawan Province, all contain galleries of rock paintings. In Malaysia the oldest paintings are at Gua Tambun in Perak, dated at 2000 years, and those in the Painted Cave at Niah Caves National Park are 1200 years old. The anthropologist Ivor Hugh Norman Evans visited Malaysia in the early 1920s and found that some of the tribes (especially Negritos) were still producing cave paintings and had added depictions of modern objects including what are believed to be cars.[40] (See prehistoric Malaysia.)

text: In Indonesia the caves at Maros in Sulawesi are famous for their hand prints. About 1500 negative handprints have also been found in 30 painted caves in the Sangkulirang area of Kalimantan; preliminary dating analysis puts their age in the range of 10,000 years old.[41][42] In October 2014 it was announced that the Maros painting had been dated as being about 40,000 years old. Dr Maxime Aubert, of Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, said that the minimum age for the outline of a hand was 39,900 years old, which made it "the oldest hand stencil in the world" and added, "Next to it is a pig that has a minimum age of 35,400 years old, and this is one of the oldest figurative depictions in the world, if not the oldest one."[43][44]

text: The Padah-Lin Caves of Burma contain 11,000-year-old paintings and many rock tools.

text: In the Philippines at Tabon Caves the oldest artwork may be a relief of a shark above the cave entrance. It was partially disfigured by a later jar burial scene.

text: East Asia[edit]

text: Originating in the Paleolithic period, the rock art found in Khoit Tsenkher Cave, Mongolia, includes symbols and animal forms painted from the walls up to the ceiling.[45] Stags, buffalo, oxen, ibex, lions, Argali sheep, antelopes, camels, elephants, ostriches, and other animal pictorials are present, often forming a palimpsest of overlapping images. The paintings appear brown or red in color, and are stylistically similar to other Paleolithic rock art from around the world but are unlike any other examples in Mongolia.