This nation in the middle of Africa is one of the three least light-polluted areas in the world, along with Chad and Madagascar. The exact date varies from year to year, but it always falls during the winter. There are estimated to be 72 million deaf people around the world. We'll have to wait and see. Every year, on the weekend closest to Feb. 14, Saint Valentin offers lovers the chance to marry in a rose-covered garden and pin love notes on the Tree of Vows. This island nation in the Caribbean Sea is the only country in the world thats named after a woman, in this case Saint Lucy of Syracuse. Some 5 to 10 percent of the indigenous population of this Oceania island nation have blond hair. Thanks, India. One of Maltas islands, Gozo, has a cave that is apparently featured in Homers Odyssey. Gozo serves as the Island of Ogygia in the epic poem and the cave in question is where Calypso the nymph held Odysseus as her prisoner of love for seven years. Men average just over 6 feet while women average 5 feet 6 inches. In terms of the likelihood of a natural disaster, this Middle East nation is the safest country in the world. AfrikaBurn is a cousin festival to the Burning Man festival in the U.S. Pew Research Center's surveys have shed light on public opinion around some of the biggest news events of 2022 - from Russia's military invasion of Ukraine to the overturning of Roe v. Wade to Americans' experiences with extreme weather events.Here's a look back at the past year through 15 of our most striking research findings, which cover these topics and more. Dukhan is a Sudanese tradition that involves a month-long series of smoke baths for brides-to-be that are intended to make their skin smooth and glowing for their wedding day. At 85 letters long, this is the longest place name in the world. The company finalized its exit from the world's largest country just five months after the war began. In the 1960s, the CIA tried to spy on the Kremlin and Russian embassies by turning cats into listening devices. A new Pew Research Center analysis finds that 79 countries and territories out of the 198 studied around the world (40%) had laws or policies in 2019 banning blasphemy, which is defined as speech or actions considered to be contemptuous of God or of people or objects considered sacred. Yes, they're technically the property of the government of China, according to Vox. Christopher Columbus named these Caribbean islands after himself (Kitts was the famous explorers nickname) and the Spanish word for snow (nieves), even though snow is the last thing youd ever find in a place with an average annual temperature of 82 degrees. Shibam is a 16th-century walled city in this Middle East nation thats known as the Manhattan of the Desert thanks to its impressive mud-brick highrises and grid layout. With around 200 countries and more than 7.8 billion people (plus plants, animals, and other organisms), the world is full of interesting, fun, and fascinating facts. The humble but delicious bagel was invented in this European country. This European country is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, whose iconic Don Quixote is considered the first modern novel. We rely on you. Its water resources are shared by 11 different countries, too. Time for some literal world facts: Earth's radius at the equator is 3,963 miles (6,378 km), according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Kimchi and rice are the two most important foodstuffs of this East Asian nation, and there is a common saying that if you have kimchi and rice then you have a meal. This reliance on kimchi and rice dates back up to 3,000 years. The U.S. Defense Departments Operation Christmas Drop started in 1952 on one of the many islands that make up Micronesia in the North Pacific Ocean. Depending on which government list youre reading from and which countries they recognize, its estimated that there are about 196 official countries in the world. The United Nations recognizes 193 countries plus two observer states, Palestine and the Vatican (Holy See). Although the vast majority of Bolivians are Catholic, they still hold many indigenous beliefs, such as sacrificing llamas to the goddess of the Earth, Pachamama. To find the bulk of the world's freshwater, you need to trek to the poles, as 68.7 percent of it is encased in ice caps, permanent snow, and glaciers. A traditional martial art called Moraingy was developed on this African island in the precolonial 17th century and remains wildly popular. 15 Interesting Facts About Countries Around the World - travelingmitch The Namib Desert, from which this African country gets its name, is the oldest desert in the world at 55 million years old. 1. It is undoubtedly one of Europe's most underrated attractions. The only known habitat of the dodo bird it of human-induced extinction fame (dont go the way of the dodo) was on this African island nation, although the cause of its demise is debatable. } else { And when the PyeongChang Winter Games were held in 2018, 2,952 athletes were expected to show up from a total of 92 countries. In the first few years of its existence, nearly 20,000 people relocated there. The courage of these jumps, according to religious symbolism, is directly tied to the success of the years yam harvest. With more than 1,000 species, it contains 60 percent of Africas birds and 11 percent of the worlds avian population. Fortunately, climate change experts believe that the ozone layer will recover to '80s status by the time we hit 2040, according to a 2022 report from the World Meteorological Organization. Unlike in many of its Middle East neighbors, women are allowed to vote and run for office in Bahrain. As one of the biggest waterfalls in the world, Victoria Falls is quite impressive. That meeting saw police and judicial representatives from 24 countries get together to improve contacts between police forces in different countries to increase the effectiveness of international investigations. This North American country is home to many pyramids built by the Mayans and other ancient civilizations. According to the BBC, a majority men and boys around the world share this name. They were so extensive that by their peak in the 12th century, they wouldve made up the largest empire on Earth. This South American country has only volunteer firefighters who are entirely unpaid. It was originally performed at funerals and is meant to reflect the cycle of life. The practice dates to before colonization and is quite progressive compared to the rest of the world. The mystery is enhanced by the fact that they are only visible from high above. The South American country has the unfortunate distinction of being the site of the worlds largest mass suicide. Our neighbors to the north boast 396.9 million hectares of forests, or 9 percenet of all of the forest area in the entire world, according to Natural Resources Canada. Burkinab revolutionary Thomas Sankara is known as the African Che Guevara for his efforts, as president from 1983-87, to rid the country of corruption and environmental degradation while empowering women and boosting education and health-care access. 15. These days, around 86 percent of adults around the world can enjoy a book on their own. The countrys 50,000 doctors working abroad bring Cuba some $11 billion annually. At 2,000 feet long, 1,400 feet wide and almost 500 feet tall, it is twice the size of Britains Wembley Stadium. Fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization likely also play a role. This West African nation is home to the largest church in the world, Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. When you turn your head, you can hear that motion. Landlocked inside Italy, San Marino is an ancient and tiny country with one very famous honorary citizen: Abraham Lincoln. Well, at the bottom of a 1.4 km core sample, which was taken in 1966 at Camp Century, researchers found "well-preserved fossil plants and biomolecules," which means that the massive sheet melted and reformed at least once in the last million years. India's railway network is rather massive Travel and Still life photography / Getty Images Trains, planes and automobiles. Crocodiles have a narrower snout than alligators and an extra tooth that sticks out the lower and powerful jaw. 3 since the inception of the Best Countries rankings, Canada finally climbed to the No. When Arthur Guinness signed the lease for the brewerys St. James Gate property in 1759, it was for 9,000 years at 45 per month. This tiny country sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland is the worlds top producer of false teeth. There is an opening called a fumarole on one of this Caribbean island nations numerous volcanoes that shoots hot sulphuric gas into a 200-foot wide body of water, creating the worlds second-largest natural hot spring. With around 200 countries and more than 7.8 billion people (plus plants, animals, and other organisms), the world is full of interesting, fun, and fascinating facts. One of the most iconic foods in this European nation is the tomato. Cucumbers are 95% water. The laws date to the introduction of gambling in the country in the mid-1800s to save the nation from bankruptcy. 24 Different Cultural Traditions Around the World - Tomedes The Limbo dance originated in the 1950s on this twin-island nation just north of Venezuela. Americans also happen to love furry friends, which is why more than half of all U.S. homes have either a dog or cat (or both). This is one of the things that make it one of the top 10 countries in the Caribbean. Co-residential living is also popular, and men and women both have multiple partners and children with different people over the course of their lives. Although their numbers fluctuate, there are around 1 to 10 billion queleas, which leads scientists to believe that there are more of them than any other bird on Earth, according to Audubon. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb. Belgium colonized this African country from 1908 to 1960, and one of the leftovers from this period is an obsession with mayonnaise. He published several other works but made almost no money off any of them. Sheep are a prized animal in the Muslim nation and are therefore very well taken care of. There are 23 different species. 25 travel facts that'll alter your view of the world - Lonely Planet 02 Britain remains the world's only country without a written constitution. Countries With The Most Summer Olympic Medals. Interesting Facts 01 As a multiethnic country, Nigeria has over 520 spoken languages among its residents. And although the country is located along the Tropic of Cancer, it has snowed once in recorded history. 100 Amazing Country Facts Around The World - Facts.net Do a little math and you'll find out that means there are approximately 250 births each minute, 15,000 each hour, and 360,000 each day. Amazingly, the boy's unimpressed teacher gave him a B-. If you're an avid rainbow gazer and want to get your fill of the beautiful phenomenon, look no further than the state of Hawaii. Without further ado, here's 25 travel facts that are certain to shock and surprise. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); In the town of Gao in this West African nation, one can straddle the prime meridian and have one foot in the Western Hemisphere and the other in the Eastern Hemisphere. Beef up your knowledge with these fascinating facts about every single country on Earth. Aside from each other, they share three other countries at their borders - Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and North Korea. Located east of the Philippines, Palau is a small island nation and one of the only places in the world that adheres to a strict matrilineal system in which kinship is traced through the mothers family line. Finland has one of the oldest school starting ages in the world, as well as one of the most successful education systems. Known as Swaziland until 2018, this southern African nation is one of the worlds last absolute monarchies. Thanks to the work of an amateur archaeologist in the early 2000s, residents and government officials in this former Yugoslavian republic in southeast Europe believe that a network of 12,000-year-old pyramids exists within the countrys borders. You might think you're accustomed to frigid air and blustery winds, but the average winter day has nothing on the coldest day ever recorded, which was -144 degrees Fahrenheit. And a large chunk of that number is alive right now. It gets about 15 inches of rain a year, compared to the global average of 3.8 inches. Does Absinthe Actually Make You Hallucinate? At the same time, there are 10 quadrillion (10,000,000,000,000,000) individual ants crawling around at any given time. Silence is golden, as they say. India gave the world its sweet tooth. There are also about 300 different sign languagesincluding American Sign Language and International Sign Languageas well as 41 countries that recognize them as an official languages. Country that Produces More Oxygen than Any Other - Russia: Siberia is home to approximately 25% of the world's forests that span an area larger than the continental United States, making Russia the largest converter of CO2 into breathable compounds. The three wealthiest families in the world have more assets than the combined wealth of the forty-eight poorest nations. Then after the war, Paraguay became a Nazi hideaway. Israel invented the modern cherry tomato, along with a variety that doesnt drip, one thats resistant to viruses and another that doesnt spoil even after a week on the counter. The game of chess is huge in this former Soviet republic located between Europe and Asia. Geography Facts That Will Blow Your Mind By Lissa Poirot, updated on October 18, 2022 Getty Images Whether you've just completed school or you graduated decades ago, there are likely many things you don't know about the extraordinary planet on which we live. Residents of this South American country cannot legally watch The Simpsons because their former president, Hugo Chavez, deemed it unsuitable for children. We are a movement of people from over 100 countries. But you know what? 25 Fascinating Country Facts from Around the World - Today I Found Out Religious edicts called fatwas encourage contraceptives, and both men and women are required by law to take a class on modern contraception before their marriage license will be issued. "top 10 amazing facts of the world" "25 strange facts" "25 fascinating Folklore and superstition reign supreme in this former Soviet republic. Some 80 percent of Africas gorilla population reside in this small country. 14. Our vision is a world where tribal peoples are respected as contemporary societies and their human rights protected. That's it for our list of world facts, but be sure to check back in with us soon for even more trivia! Which of these countries ISN'T landlocked? In 1893, this island nation in Oceania became the first self-governing country in the world to allow women to vote in parliamentary elections. The United Nations recognizes 193 countries plus two observer states, Palestine and the Vatican (Holy See). Theres a small city called Sialkot in this South Asian country that produces 40 percent of the worlds soccer balls. Spain was the second-most popular destination with 81.8 million visitors, followed by the United States (76.9 million), China (60.7 million), and Italy (58.3 million).