25 Captivating Country Facts From Every Corner Of The Globe
"Scotland: National animal is the unicorn. Not joking."
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Reddit, the internet's melting pot of discussions and revelations, recently witnessed a captivating thread that shed light on the hidden wonders and quirky facts about different countries. Titled "What are facts about your country, which foreigners do not usually know about?" this thread became a treasure trove of intriguing insights, showcasing the diverse tapestry of our world.
From lesser-known historical anecdotes to peculiar cultural traditions, people from around the globe eagerly shared the unique aspects of their homelands. Let's take a journey through some of the most fascinating revelations that emerged from this enlightening exchange.
Image source: AlbiTuri05, Tambako The Jagua/Pexels (not the actual photo)
The Italian national animal is the wolf, yes, but it's usually not specified that it's the *female* wolf.
Image source: Seya_Ayanami, Halle Stoutzenberger/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Mexico is not yellow, and I'm tired of Hollywood always making Mexico yellow in their movies.
Image source: ZackInKC, 401(K) 2012/Flickr (not the actual photo)
The United States was formed by a bunch of aristocrats that didn’t want to pay their taxes.
Image source: ilikejamtoo
Most of the haggis sold for meat are farmed in Wales. Wild scottish haggis are practically extinct.
Image source: Rorschach_22, Ashleigh Bennett/Flickr (not the actual photo)
As a Canadian, I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT APPROACH THE GEESE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE.
Image source: blahblahrasputan, Phil Kates/Flickr (not the actual photo)
I feel like too few people are really prepared for how fast the Australian sun will burn them when they get off the plane...
If your SPF isn't 50+ it might as well go in the bin.
Retirement in Australia is basically skin cancer treatments.
Slip slip slap people.
Image source: pgraczer, Pedro Szekely/Flickr (not the actual photo)
New Zealand is colder than people expect.
Image source: BlueBabyCat666, Stock Catalog/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Iceland does not have a Mcdonalds. Not sure if this is a well known fact or not but I get asked by trourists sometimes.
Image source: madeleine-de-prout, Chad Davis/Flickr (not the actual photo)
French here.
Parisian don't hate you in particular.
They hate everyone.
They hate each other.
And most of them are not even born in Paris in the first place.
Image source: sodsto, Staffan Vilcans/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Scotland: National animal is the unicorn. Not joking.
Image source: ConstableBlimeyChips, crash71100/Flickr (not the actual photo)
One fact not even people who were born and raised know about: During World War 2 the Netherlands had one of the worst survival rates for Jews in all of the German occupied territories; only 5,000 out 105,000 survived the war. The extensive Dutch civil administration is often cited as a cause of this; once German police had access to the public records they knew exactly who was Jewish, and where they lived. Once they had that information, it was easy for them to target and deport any Jewish people living in the Netherlands.
While that is true, what is not often talked about is how much of the work tracking down Jewish people was done by Dutch people, many of whom benefitted financially from their actions. Police and civil servants got paid bonuses if they found Jews in hiding, notaries public would make a hefty commission on the sale of confiscated Jewish properties, even the national rail company got their cut charging the Germans for use of their trains to transport captured Jews to concentration camps.
Education about this aspect of the German occupation has gotten much better over the past ten years or so, but when I was a kid we were taught none of this. We only heard about the how the heroic resistance would oppose the Germans and try to hide Jewish people, when in reality there were more collaborators than there were ever members of the resistance.
Image source: Complex-Breadfruit88, Iain/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Ireland
1. We're not all drunk alcoholics.
2. We're not British.
3. There is more food and drink in Ireland than your stereotypes of potatoes, Guinness.
4. We don't like it when you claim your Irish through a long line of relatives.
5. The people here are not leprechauns. Some are just small or ginger.
Image source: fourangers, Kyle Lui/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Brazil: We have the biggest japanese community outside Japan.
Image source: OldSamSays, Cristian Ramírez/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Many people in the US do not carry firearms.
Image source: Potential-Friend-133, 5chw4r7z/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Oktober fest does not start in October.
Image source: wickedhobbitses, Rene Sibulangcal/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Good Filipino hospitality only works for foreigners. Towards fellow countrymen, most Filipinos are pretty selfish.
Image source: Wonderful-Section971, Aleksandar Pasaric/Pexels (not the actual photo)
When it comes to Dubai, 99% of people seem to be of the opinion that Dubai has no culture and little history.
Not so. When i moved there in the 80s (before it became a behemoth), the culture was very much evident.
Fishing from dhous, trading along the river, ancient traditions such as camel racing, falconry and, most impressively, creating successful nomadic communities that thrived for thousands of years in some of the most desolate areas on the globe.
And then oil was discovered.
Image source: I_love_pillows, Fabio Achilli / Flickr (not the actual photo)
Singapore has entire clusters of crammed foreign worker housing out in the fringes of the city in industrial areas, at the edge of forests, and along the sea.
Image source: Wappening, Patrick Nouhailler/Flickr (not the actual photo)
As a Norwegian, Norway likes the "we are forward thinking and accept all people" publicity, but in reality, Norway is incredibly racist and xenophobic.
A lot of Norwegians will get angry if you point it out too.
Image source: gfxdaniel, _ Harvey/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Amsterdam is not the only place in the Netherlands.
Image source: ToasterOven31, Ryutaro Tsukata/Pexels (not the actual photo)
In World War II Canada interned Japanese people.
Many people don't know this but what is now Strathcona and East Vancouver used to be Japantown which was a bustling Japanese community. They were taken from their homes and businesses. In fact if you visit some of the buildings in Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), you're visiting the very buildings they slept in; hundreds of cots, lined up with no privacy.
Image source: blacka-var, conticium/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Germany: The autobahn is just a mundane part of everyday life many of us don't really think about, and speed limits do exist.
Image source: Gentle_Capybara, Erik Cooper/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Brazil actually have strong laws against crime. We are just incapable of enforcing them. I think most Brazilians don't know this either.
Image source: karol256, Karolina Grabowska/Pexels (not the actual photo)
pierogi is already plural , no knead to call them pierogies.
Image source: theassassintherapist, Matthias Zomer/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Our elderly care is abysmal. Nursing homes in US costs $8-15k a month and most insurance companies don't cover it. Don't be old, kids!
#1
Image source: AlbiTuri05, Tambako The Jagua/Pexels (not the actual photo)
The Italian national animal is the wolf, yes, but it's usually not specified that it's the *female* wolf.
#2
Image source: Seya_Ayanami, Halle Stoutzenberger/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Mexico is not yellow, and I'm tired of Hollywood always making Mexico yellow in their movies.
#3
Image source: ZackInKC, 401(K) 2012/Flickr (not the actual photo)
The United States was formed by a bunch of aristocrats that didn’t want to pay their taxes.
#4
Image source: ilikejamtoo
Most of the haggis sold for meat are farmed in Wales. Wild scottish haggis are practically extinct.
#5
Image source: Rorschach_22, Ashleigh Bennett/Flickr (not the actual photo)
As a Canadian, I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT APPROACH THE GEESE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE.
#6
Image source: blahblahrasputan, Phil Kates/Flickr (not the actual photo)
I feel like too few people are really prepared for how fast the Australian sun will burn them when they get off the plane...
If your SPF isn't 50+ it might as well go in the bin.
Retirement in Australia is basically skin cancer treatments.
Slip slip slap people.
#7
Image source: pgraczer, Pedro Szekely/Flickr (not the actual photo)
New Zealand is colder than people expect.
#8
Image source: BlueBabyCat666, Stock Catalog/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Iceland does not have a Mcdonalds. Not sure if this is a well known fact or not but I get asked by trourists sometimes.
#9
Image source: madeleine-de-prout, Chad Davis/Flickr (not the actual photo)
French here.
Parisian don't hate you in particular.
They hate everyone.
They hate each other.
And most of them are not even born in Paris in the first place.
#10
Image source: sodsto, Staffan Vilcans/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Scotland: National animal is the unicorn. Not joking.
#11
Image source: ConstableBlimeyChips, crash71100/Flickr (not the actual photo)
One fact not even people who were born and raised know about: During World War 2 the Netherlands had one of the worst survival rates for Jews in all of the German occupied territories; only 5,000 out 105,000 survived the war. The extensive Dutch civil administration is often cited as a cause of this; once German police had access to the public records they knew exactly who was Jewish, and where they lived. Once they had that information, it was easy for them to target and deport any Jewish people living in the Netherlands.
While that is true, what is not often talked about is how much of the work tracking down Jewish people was done by Dutch people, many of whom benefitted financially from their actions. Police and civil servants got paid bonuses if they found Jews in hiding, notaries public would make a hefty commission on the sale of confiscated Jewish properties, even the national rail company got their cut charging the Germans for use of their trains to transport captured Jews to concentration camps.
Education about this aspect of the German occupation has gotten much better over the past ten years or so, but when I was a kid we were taught none of this. We only heard about the how the heroic resistance would oppose the Germans and try to hide Jewish people, when in reality there were more collaborators than there were ever members of the resistance.
#12
Image source: Complex-Breadfruit88, Iain/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Ireland
1. We're not all drunk alcoholics.
2. We're not British.
3. There is more food and drink in Ireland than your stereotypes of potatoes, Guinness.
4. We don't like it when you claim your Irish through a long line of relatives.
5. The people here are not leprechauns. Some are just small or ginger.
#13
Image source: fourangers, Kyle Lui/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Brazil: We have the biggest japanese community outside Japan.
#14
Image source: OldSamSays, Cristian Ramírez/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Many people in the US do not carry firearms.
#15
Image source: Potential-Friend-133, 5chw4r7z/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Oktober fest does not start in October.
#16
Image source: wickedhobbitses, Rene Sibulangcal/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Good Filipino hospitality only works for foreigners. Towards fellow countrymen, most Filipinos are pretty selfish.
#17
Image source: Wonderful-Section971, Aleksandar Pasaric/Pexels (not the actual photo)
When it comes to Dubai, 99% of people seem to be of the opinion that Dubai has no culture and little history.
Not so. When i moved there in the 80s (before it became a behemoth), the culture was very much evident.
Fishing from dhous, trading along the river, ancient traditions such as camel racing, falconry and, most impressively, creating successful nomadic communities that thrived for thousands of years in some of the most desolate areas on the globe.
And then oil was discovered.
#18
Image source: I_love_pillows, Fabio Achilli / Flickr (not the actual photo)
Singapore has entire clusters of crammed foreign worker housing out in the fringes of the city in industrial areas, at the edge of forests, and along the sea.
#19
Image source: Wappening, Patrick Nouhailler/Flickr (not the actual photo)
As a Norwegian, Norway likes the "we are forward thinking and accept all people" publicity, but in reality, Norway is incredibly racist and xenophobic.
A lot of Norwegians will get angry if you point it out too.
#20
Image source: gfxdaniel, _ Harvey/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Amsterdam is not the only place in the Netherlands.
#21
Image source: ToasterOven31, Ryutaro Tsukata/Pexels (not the actual photo)
In World War II Canada interned Japanese people.
Many people don't know this but what is now Strathcona and East Vancouver used to be Japantown which was a bustling Japanese community. They were taken from their homes and businesses. In fact if you visit some of the buildings in Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), you're visiting the very buildings they slept in; hundreds of cots, lined up with no privacy.
#22
Image source: blacka-var, conticium/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Germany: The autobahn is just a mundane part of everyday life many of us don't really think about, and speed limits do exist.
#23
Image source: Gentle_Capybara, Erik Cooper/Flickr (not the actual photo)
Brazil actually have strong laws against crime. We are just incapable of enforcing them. I think most Brazilians don't know this either.
#24
Image source: karol256, Karolina Grabowska/Pexels (not the actual photo)
pierogi is already plural , no knead to call them pierogies.
#25
Image source: theassassintherapist, Matthias Zomer/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Our elderly care is abysmal. Nursing homes in US costs $8-15k a month and most insurance companies don't cover it. Don't be old, kids!DE
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