How close is the nearest distro to you?
Certain distributions reflect their regional origins, and some regions have their own distributions. Regionalization is a major share of the efforts needed in on-going work of linux.
For many, though, the tool isn't the source of joy as much as the community of fellow users. Imagine - hacking late at night on a small code change. Who stays up with you? Not your spouse, not your colleagues or buddies. It's those faceless masses...
