uncountable nouns

[Kooiu]

Please help to overcome confusion with uncountable nouns in the following sentences:

"The attributes and culture of places shape the lives of those who inhabit them." Why culture not plural since places may mean different societies with different cultures?

2. "Places have location, direction, and distance". Why not places have locations, directions, and distances?

3. "A place has location". Why not a place has a location?

4. "There is some evidence that judges in an international court are more likely to favor their national government when it is a party to a dispute". Since those judges may be from different countries, why national government not plural?

Please indicate the grammatical rules behind the usuage.

[Mister Micawber]

.
1. "The attributes and culture of places shape the lives of those who inhabit them." Why culture not plural since places may mean different societies with different cultures?-- Because it would offer ambiguity; the idea is that each place has one culture, not several.

2. "Places have location, direction, and distance". Why not places have locations, directions, and distances?-- Because they are uncountable qualities here.

3. "A place has location". Why not a place has a location?-- As above, #2

4. "There is some evidence that judges in an international court are more likely to favor their national government when it is a party to a dispute". Since those judges may be from different countries, why national government not plural?-- The judges are indeed from different countries, but as with #1, though not so necessary-- I would favour the plural here, too.
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's