25 Interesting Facts About Countries That Sound Fake But Are True

Are you ready to learn a few weird and wonderful things about the world? Home to nearly 200 nations, planet Earth is teeming with different customs, governments and quirks. 

#1 Sweden

Image source: botle, cookelma / Envato

17% of the surface is covered in blueberries.

#2 Canada

Image source: MommersHeart, Toubletap

Canada shares a land border with Denmark – Hans island.

For decades, Canadian & Danish patrols would visit the island alternately.

Each time, they would take down the other’s flag, raise their own, and leave a bottle of booze (Canada left Canadian whisky, Denmark left schnapps or aquavit) and baked goods. It became known as the “Whisky War”.

In June 2022, Canada and Denmark finally signed a deal splitting Hans Island down the middle, making it the world’s newest international land border.

Both sides celebrated with toasts of whisky and schnapps ending the world’s most polite territorial dispute.

#3 Germany

Image source: Ordinary_Fish_3046, artemp3 / Envato

In Germany, it’s illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn.

It sounds bizarre, but because stopping on the Autobahn (unless in an emergency) is a safety hazard, running out of gas is considered preventable negligence. Drivers can get fined, and in some cases even lose their license for it.

#4 Northern Ireland

Image source: DRSU1993, 117PXL

Northern Ireland: We have no flag and we’re officially described as either a province, region or country. (No one seems to know, in all honesty) Everyone born here has the right to choose both British and Irish nationalities. We have three different issuers of banknotes, all of which are private banks.

#5 Japan

Image source: villainless, Jessie Tarbox Beals

We have indigenous people, just like every country does, but ours are quite similar to Native Americans. The primary group is called the Ainu, who mostly resided in Hokkaido. Fishing and hunting were our (I am Ainu) main activities, and we worshipped nature. Our women would be tattooed on their arms and faces as protection from evil spirits. Our men had long facial hair.

Like Native Americans and other indigenous people, we were colonized and forced to assimilate. Japanese settlers banned all of our practices and tried to erase us. The Japanese government is so disgusting in its erasure that we only achieved official acknowledgement in 2019.

#6 Canada

Image source: madeleinetwocock, freepik

From a legal standpoint, saying “sorry” does *not* count as admission of guilt, since we Canadians overuse the word so much.

#7 Brazil

Image source: lucascla18, ivankmit / Envato

We have a mosquito factory.

We breed genetically modified mosquitoes that don’t carry diseases and release them in the wild where they’ll keep multiplying and “infecting” the others with this gene.

So in the future no mosquito here will carry any disease.

#8 Egypt

Image source: Flaty98, Getty Images

There were ancient Egyptian archeologists in ancient Egypt.

#9 New Zealand

Image source: Loretta-West, Karl Anderson

We have a parrot that eats sheep and car parts.

#10 New Zealand

Image source: JetpackKiwi, Amr Miqdadi

A bat won our “Bird of the Year” contest in 2021.

#11 Canada

Image source: redditlurker2025, James Wheeler f

Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.

#12 Australia

Image source: SpeedySnailSurfer, prostooleh / Envato

Sometimes you really do see kangaroos on the streets of our capital, Canberra.

#13 Canada

Image source: stag1013, Sara Gault

Our strategic Maple syrup reserve has been burgled.

#14 Scotland

Image source: Griffincorn, Spenser Sembrat / Unsplash

Our national animal is the unicorn.
Our national dish is sheep offal

It was from Scotland on Iona that Irish monks developed the techniques to spread Christianity back across western Europe after Rome fell.

We have the shortest flight in the world at 1.7 miles which takes 1 minute.

Until 2017, we were the only country in the world with a free market where a local soft drink outsold Coca Cola. That drink is the bright orange Irn Bru.

#15 Australia

Image source: t0msie, Simon Goetz

We have the most camels.

#16 Vietnam

Image source: sssssammy, Just Filip

Vietnam have fought against 5/5 of the UN permanent security council and won against 3 of them (The US, France and China)

Vietnam have established diplomatic relations with all 193/193 UN member state

Vietnam became a non-permanent member of UN Security Council back in 2020-2021 with a record breaking 192/193 votes in favor, highest in history.

#17 Iran

Image source: Individual-Pin-5064, Bakhtavary800

My country has one of the worlds oldest Churches.

#18 Finland

Image source: ContributionDry2252, nd3000 / Envato

Our entire population would fit in saunas simultaneously.

#19 Brazil

Image source: Simple-Perception208, Image-Source / Envato

There are more Lebanese here than in Lebanon.

#20 Australia

Image source: Zardicus13, National Archives of Australia

A prime minister disappeared while swimming, so we named a pool after him.

#21 Scotland

Image source: Sea_Pomegranate8229, Tom Richardson

We have what is probably the oldest extant stone circle in the world – about 600 years older than Stonehenge.

#22 Belgium

Image source: artparade, Jorge Fernández Salas

#23 Germany

Image source: MRNBDX, Georg Eiermann

We have an ongoing border conflict with Austria and Switzerland that will never be resolved because nobody cares.

#24 Australia

Image source: Elroyy_, Christian Bass

We lost a war against emus.

Germany kicked The Beatles out of the country cause 2 of the members set something on fire and another one was underage and wanted to work at a nightclub where he was too young for … so yeah.

Image source: Beautiful_Yellow_682 , PRESSENS BILD (Mikael J. Nordström)