In a growing campaign to refer to November as “Movember,” men around the world are being encouraged to grow a mustache for 30 days to raise awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer. Men's website AskMen.com has come up with its list of the 10 most mustache-dense countries to mark the fund-raising campaign that is believed to have started in Australia in 1999. 1. India Some estimates suggest as many as 80 percent of men in southern India wear moustaches. Moustaches have long held an important place in Indian culture, seen as a symbol of virility. An Indian also holds the title of the world's longest mustache, measured at 12.5 feet. 2. Mexico Mexico has long had a very masculine culture, and icons such as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa may have had an influential role to play when it comes to growing moustaches. 3. Pakistan Pakistan has the second-largest Muslim population in the world, with around 173 million Muslims, and religion plays a role in the prominence of facial hair. Many famous Pakistanis have had moustaches, such as the former President Pervez Musharraf and the current incumbent Asif Ali Zardari. 4. Germany Germany's population of 83 million has a long and proud history of wearing moustaches, from the statesman Bismarck, to the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to Albert Einstein. 5. Iran Iran's population of 70 million has a very large Shi'ite Muslim majority. A lot of famous figures in Iran sport facial hair. The ayatollah and president both wear full beards. 6. Egypt President Nasser and President Anwar El Sadat may have helped to popularize the mustache as a facial accompaniment. 7. Turkey The mustache still plays an important role among in Turkish society. 8. United States It is estimated that around 10 million men in America currently sport a mustache. At the last World Beard and Mustache Championships, held in Alaska, in May 2009, the United States topped the medal table, winning in every one of the mustache competitions. 9. Hungary You know a country has a reputation for moustaches when it gets its own category of facial hair in the World Championships. 10. Bulgaria Bulgarians' love of the mustache is bettered only by their loves of music, soccer and volleyball.
