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.
Someone recently asked, “What’s a fact about your country that sounds fake but is actually true?” Locals from different motherlands replied with unique aspects, whether it was absurd laws, weird trivia or confusing traditions. Each location seems rife with strangely questionable fun facts that may have been previously unknown to many before this thread brought them to light.
#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
We have the record of country without government , in peace time, for the longest period. 541 days.
#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.
#25 Germany
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.
Got wisdom to pour?
This list is fascinating! The fact about Sweden having a “lagom” philosophy (not too little, not too much) perfectly captures their cultural balance. Makes me wonder—do other Nordic countries share this mindset?
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Fascinating collection of facts! Speaking of unique country features, Myanmar has some equally incredible characteristics – it’s one of the few countries where you can still see thousands of ancient temples scattered across plains, and it has over 135 distinct ethnic groups, each with their own languages and traditions. The cultural diversity rivals what many of these countries have! Thanks for compiling this list – really enjoyed reading through these quirky facts.
The dino game, also called Chrome Dino, is a delightful discovery for anyone using Google Chrome without internet access. A tiny pixel dinosaur suddenly appears, ready to dash endlessly across a desert filled with hazards. Each press of the spacebar makes the T-Rex leap over cacti or duck under flying foes, keeping players engaged with increasing difficulty.