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“Scottish Haggis Are Practically Extinct”: 30 Interesting Facts About Countries Round The Globe
The world is wonderfully diverse. So many different countries and so many different cultures. Traveling can broaden our horizons, of course, but some things and experiences can still remain a mystery. That's why it's always interesting to hear from the locals: what they recommend, what they advise to avoid, and what fascinating facts we should know about their native place.
Someone was curious to know more about the latter, so they asked: "What are facts about your country, which foreigners do not usually know about?" People from all around the world started sharing their countries' wonderful secrets. From national animals to lesser-known achievements, all kinds of interesting facts came to light.
What about you, Pandas? Do you happen to know any strange facts about your homeland that you think foreigners should know, too? Let us know in the comments if you do!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
As a Canadian, I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT APPROACH THE GEESE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE.
RELATED:
#2
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.
gerard julien 7 months ago
wrong stereotype : actually parisians don't hate you, they just ignore you !
#3
Scotland: National animal is the unicorn. Not joking.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 7 months ago
The Lion and the Unicorn. Lion for England and Unicorn for Scotland. The ages old symbol for the United Kingdom. I may be a Yank but I know a few things.
#4
Brazil: We have the biggest japanese community outside Japan.
#5
The Italian national animal is the wolf, yes, but it's usually not specified that it's the *female* wolf.
#6
The United States was formed by a bunch of aristocrats that didn’t want to pay their taxes.
#7
Mexico is not yellow, and I'm tired of Hollywood always making Mexico yellow in their movies.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 7 months ago
THANK YOU! I always thought that was weird. I think it's because of the Spaghetti Westerns of the 70s and 80s. So Italians making movies about the USA and making the South West look yellow and orange to make it look hot. That's my theory at least.
#8
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.
Bartlet for World Domination 7 months ago
I am Dutch and when I was a kid in the eighties this was taught everywhere.
#9
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.
Rayne OfSalt 7 months ago
We play a game here in Oz called "Spot the Brit". It involves keeping an eye out for lobster red people in public. You see one, you've found the Brit. For some reason, Brits are the absolute worst at underestimating just how badly and how quickly the sun will burn them here. If you're travelling to Oz, don't bring sunscreen from your country - it's not formulated for our country and is effectively worthless. Buy some that's made here the moment you get off the plane and slather yourself in it before you step out of the airport.
Ample Aardvark 7 months ago
"BUUUUUT It's the same sun, I've never burned in my holibobs in Blackpool" ok Lobsterperson
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Littlemiss 7 months ago
Same on NZ, do not come here if you refuse to wear sunblock, hats, and cover up in summer. You will burn in our sun, the ozone layer hole covers us.
Auntriarch 7 months ago
I got burnt in Taranaki, I underestimated NZ sun coming from the Emirates. Hats and long sleeves all the way
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Jill Rhodry 7 months ago
Snowy mountains actually gets more snow than the Switzerland.
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Sam Skywalker 7 months ago
Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. Sing it with me fellow Aussies
Pandaroo 7 months ago
To any sydneysider reading this: Melbourne better, whatever you say. Thats it. All there is to say. Don't even try. You wont win.
Almost sunny 7 months ago
Seek shade and slide on sunnies. They added two more.
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Deborah B 7 months ago
Same goes for NZ. I live in the UK now, and it's just not the same. Even when it's summer here people just don't get the same sort of sunburn as they would at similar temperatures in NZ. Unless they're going to the beach or something, most people don't seem to bother with sunscreen much up here. I still use it like lotion after I shower, then reapply regularly on all exposed skin before going outside. My tip: if you're looking for sunscreen in the uk, look for sunscreen for infants - it absorbs better, doesn't irritate your skin, and is the only stuff you can find that's SPF50+
Bored something 7 months ago
Even in Tasmania mainlanders will catch the sun easier than at home.
Cowws 7 months ago
Yeah, I got pretty sunburnt there. Didn't expect it with 20 degrees
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Sam Skywalker 7 months ago
Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. Sing with me fellow aussies
Molly Whuppie 7 months ago (edited)
And remember, its not just about sunburn its about skin cancer. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. 2 out of 3 people will have it before they retire. Skin cancer can be caused by exposure to UV rays and it doesn't need to be sunny for you to be exposed. Even on a cloudy, overcast day you will be exposed to UV rays. So if you are going to be spending any time outdoors, wear a good sunscreen!
Rick Seiden 7 months ago
I'm a redhead. I don't mow the lawn in Western New York without 50+. I can't image what I would need to get the mail in Oz.
Tina Harnish 7 months ago
I thought it was slip, slap, slop? Slip on covering clothes, slap on a hat, and slop on sun lotion?
Jennifer Brown 7 months ago
It s the same with people from the West Coast of the US going to Hawaii...they have no idea how being closer to the equator will make them burn 3X as fast. They think that because its nice and sunny in LA they won't get burned in Hawaii
Vicki Perizzolo 7 months ago
it's so much worse than when I was there in the 70s.. and unfortunately all that sun screen is destroying the ocean.
Casey Ironmonger 7 months ago
I'm an Aussie and I don't use sun screen, my melanomas protect me from the sun.
Catherine Spencer-Mills 7 months ago
Grew up in Yuma AZ. Remember crying in the shower because my back was so sore from sunburn. 15 minutes in the sun is all it takes.
Rebecca Ferguson 7 months ago
Yep, please take care when in Australia. Our sun is very potent and skin cancer is a terrible thing to be blighted with especially since it can be prevented.
Downunderdude 7 months ago
Tsk. It's slip, slop, slap: slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. One of the most effective advertising campaigns ever.
Pieter LeGrande 7 months ago
The quickest I ever saw a Brit go bright red was a cousin who visited from Scotland. He arrived in Sydney in the pouring rain. Next day (still heavily overcast) we went snow skiing. Bright sunshine with no clouds and the bluest sky imaginable and not real cold. He went from white to red during the chairlift ride to the top station in Thredbo.
Charity Angel 7 months ago
People don't think about skiing as a danger for sunburn. I learned it from a book I read as a tween, but I've never really had cause to make use of the knowledge yet. And probably won't now, unless I find one of those accessible package holidays. I'm pretty sure I'd want to pay someone to get me and a sit-ski onto the slope, otherwise I'd be too exhausted to actually ski
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CaptainRusti (He/They) 7 months ago
You can find spf+100 in most stores, A lot of zinc as well, I mean you are still gonna get burnt down in AU, but might as well try
Peter Warholm 7 months ago
Slip, Slop, Slap => https://www.cancer.org.au/save-your-skin/five-sunsmart-steps
Rayne OfSalt 7 months ago
The ozone layer here is thinner than most other places, so UV radiation is a lot more intense.
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Winter 7 months ago
It was actually "Slip, Slop, Slap", and was to impress on everyone the NEED to slip on sun protective clothing, slop on water resistant, broad spectrum, SPF30 or higher sunscreen, and slap on a broad-brimmed hat. EVERY DAY in Summer, whether or not you were going to the beach. If you were gunna be outdoors, Slip, Slop, Slap!
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 7 months ago
We have lovely striped fur. Being so close to New Zealand, surely you have tasty birds, too?
Auntriarch 7 months ago (edited)
I'm not sure how to break this to you, but I met a white cat in New Zealand who had the edges of her ears and her nose tattooed black (previously pink) as she was in danger of skin cancer on just those little tiny bits of exposed skin
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Pamela Scott 7 months ago
Way to many people never bother to read the directions on the suntan lotion and think they can. Rub it on while they are in the sun. When you 1st put it on it is just lying on top of your skin and is really shiny. It's sort of like using a mirror to direct extra sun rays at your skin and instead of protection you quickly get cooked. You are supposed to stay out of direct sunlight for 20 minutes after applying suntan lorion.
Guess Undheit 7 months ago
During Australia's summer, the Earth is at its closest to the sun. No surprise that Australia leads the world in skin cancer cases.
Vix Spiderthrust 7 months ago
Britain has a dermatology exchange programme with Australia. It's brilliant because it gives British dermatologists the chance to study sun damage, and it gives Australian dermatologists the chance to study anything *except* sun damage.
#11
Iceland does not have a Mcdonalds. Not sure if this is a well known fact or not but I get asked by trourists sometimes.
#12
🇮🇪
1. We're not all drunk alcoholics.
2. We're not British.
3. There is more food and drink in 🇮🇪 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
Most of the haggis sold for meat are farmed in Wales. Wild scottish haggis are practically extinct.
#14
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.
#15
Many people in the US do not carry firearms.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 7 months ago
MOST. In fact the vast majority of us do not. At this point there are about 80 million gun OWNERS in the USA but there are almost 400 million guns. Most of us don't own any guns but the ones who do, own on average five guns each. Think about that. 2/3 of us own zero guns but the ones who do own guns, own around five. YOU ONLY HAVE TWO HANDS FFS. Gun culture is out of control.
#16
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.
#18
pierogi is already plural , no knead to call them pierogies.
#19
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!
#20
Germany: The autobahn is just a mundane part of everyday life many of us don't really think about, and speed limits do exist.
Surenu 7 months ago
It's technically true that there's no speed limit, as in there is no general speed limits like on every other type of road. However, authorities can and do enact speed limits if road conditions make one necessary. So don't expect to go blasting over the A43 at 300 kp/h for an hour or so. You'll likely be stuck in a traffic jam for that time.
#21
There are actually more than 3 Pyramids in Egypt.
Korrie Broos 7 months ago
There are more pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt. Over 200 in Sudan vs 118 In Egypt
#22
Brazil actually have strong laws against crime. We are just incapable of enforcing them. I think most Brazilians don't know this either.
#23
Canada is a well known place for animation. A lot of US studios farm out work here and it's subsidized by the provincial governments. The standards for children's animation is high and is easily exportable to other countries.
#25
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.
Glasofruix 7 months ago
Yeah, nowadays it's a sterile land full of influencers and luxury shops
#26
Good Filipino hospitality only works for foreigners. Towards fellow countrymen, most Filipinos are pretty selfish.
StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago
You could say that about numerous places around the world, tbf.
#27
Australia - has 15 ski resorts, though by international standards they're pretty lame...and expensive.
#28
Rick and morty is animated in ireland.
like... everything about that seems wrong.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 7 months ago
Lot of good animation studios in Ireland. Always has been going back to the 60s.
#29
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.
#30
South Africa, First human heart transplant took place here. Also, the Kreepy Krauly and cat's eyes were invented here.
What do you think ?
BravePanda 7 months ago
Yay BP. Learned some new things from this list, and it wasn't repeating frequently featured facts.
Corvus 7 months ago
Yeah, it was a nice surprise. I was expecting the see the inevitable "people don't get how just huge the USA is", but it didn't appear this time.
Load More Replies... Emma S 7 months ago (edited)
The UK has a wide range of accents and dialects. Considering its small area size people are often suprised as how diverse the UK sounds. Usually when non Brits talk about a 'British' accent they are thinking of the recieved pronunciation accent that you hear many famous British people speaking in the media, such as the Royal Family, David Attenborough, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons etc. Most of the UK does not speak with a RP accent as it's usually a sign of a private school education, which very few Brits have had given the cost of private schools. (To clear up another British sterotype I've come across: less than 1% of us went to boarding school). I think it's often taught at drama schools such as RADA and the Guildhall as well which is why so many British actors speak it. Scouse, Brummie, Geordie, Mancunaian, Cockney, Yorkshire to name just a few, all sound very different from each other and that's just in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have several different accents of their own as well. They are all British accents. If you tell us you love the British accent, we'll ask you which one?
UKGrandad 7 months ago
To further complicate things, accents can differ in a very small distance, within cities and towns, and even from village to village, for example. Sadly, regional and local accents are becoming less distinct because of the influence of media and increased social mobility.
Load More Replies...
Diolla 7 months ago
Late to the party, but another Netherlands factoid: our country really is "nether", much more than you might think. 40% or so is below sea level, mostly West and North. So if you're in Amsterdam or the tulip fields, you might actually be several meters under. Which is why we have dykes and windmills.
The Original Bruno 7 months ago (edited)
Son: "So what's a Frisian?" Me: "It's someone from one of the regions that made up what was known as the Netherlands, before the Netherlands became the name of just one country." Son: "So one of the nether regions?" Oh, he was perfectly deadpan, but he knew, he knew...
Load More Replies...
CanadianDimes 7 months ago
Canada has sales tax that's calculated at the till, not in the price on the shelf. The amount varies by province because provincial sales tax (PST) is set by the provincial government (in all provinces except Alberta and the three territories, which don't have PST). There is also goods and services tax (GST) which is country-wide. I tend to forget this when I visit now, and get confused as to why things are suddenly costing more than they were advertised.
CanadianDimes 7 months ago
Also, the elk are not nice and will hurt you. Do not go near them.
Load More Replies...
DeoManus Argentem 7 months ago
Same with the firearms post in the US but with cars - many people don't own either, but if you are an owner you likely own multiple, especially if you're counting by households - if you're middle-class and don't live in a big city you usually own at least one car per person over 15 years old living there (it's the standard 15/16 birthday gift). If you're doing well you often own a "daily driver" and at least one "fun" car (again, assuming you like cars).
Guess Undheit 7 months ago
The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is a desert, will all the fauna you'd expect, including turtles, reptiles, and rattlesnakes. [ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/okanagan-snake-varieties-tips-1.6848623 ]
Ken Beattie 7 months ago
Might have heard it before, but in case you haven't. Australia actually exports both sand and camels to the middle east. Camels were imported here way back when, some got free (or were deliberately released) now we have a sizeable feral camel population.
MaxMi 7 months ago (edited)
Italian food isn’t just pizza and spaghetti. We actually have probably the most complicated food policy, with strict rules we must observe when it comes to eat (in a house seat at a table with your family) with regards to kind of food, the way it’s cooked, the way it’s served and the order it’s eat, which varies depending the time of the day and even more severe some food might be eat togheter while some other can’t. Much more complicated than any other fashion wherever.
JayneDough 7 months ago
Haggis are not real animals. This is a joke that has been around forever. Why is Buzzfeed presenting it as a "fact"?
Kathy 7 months ago (edited)
Playing rather fast and loose with the term "facts" here, aren't we, BP? Some of these "facts" are just personal opinion, other are complete myth! I expected better of you, but BP has definitely gone downhill recently, very few of the truly fascinating articles I liked so much when I joined a few years back, and a lot more nonsense like this or just gossip and crass materialism than before. Pity, BP was my go-to site when I wanted something engaging and informative to read, but that's just not the case anymore.
UKGrandad 7 months ago (edited)
How impatient are you that you honk at a driver for stopping at a yield (a 'give way' in the UK)? It may have been a new or cautious driver or one who was unfamiliar with the area. There are many reasons that a driver might make a seemingly unnecessary stop, and if they are anything like me I can understand why they'd be annoyed at someone honking away because I delayed them by a couple of precious seconds.
Load More Replies...
BravePanda 7 months ago
Yay BP. Learned some new things from this list, and it wasn't repeating frequently featured facts.
Corvus 7 months ago
Yeah, it was a nice surprise. I was expecting the see the inevitable "people don't get how just huge the USA is", but it didn't appear this time.
Load More Replies... Emma S 7 months ago (edited)
The UK has a wide range of accents and dialects. Considering its small area size people are often suprised as how diverse the UK sounds. Usually when non Brits talk about a 'British' accent they are thinking of the recieved pronunciation accent that you hear many famous British people speaking in the media, such as the Royal Family, David Attenborough, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons etc. Most of the UK does not speak with a RP accent as it's usually a sign of a private school education, which very few Brits have had given the cost of private schools. (To clear up another British sterotype I've come across: less than 1% of us went to boarding school). I think it's often taught at drama schools such as RADA and the Guildhall as well which is why so many British actors speak it. Scouse, Brummie, Geordie, Mancunaian, Cockney, Yorkshire to name just a few, all sound very different from each other and that's just in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have several different accents of their own as well. They are all British accents. If you tell us you love the British accent, we'll ask you which one?
UKGrandad 7 months ago
To further complicate things, accents can differ in a very small distance, within cities and towns, and even from village to village, for example. Sadly, regional and local accents are becoming less distinct because of the influence of media and increased social mobility.
Load More Replies... Diolla 7 months ago
Late to the party, but another Netherlands factoid: our country really is "nether", much more than you might think. 40% or so is below sea level, mostly West and North. So if you're in Amsterdam or the tulip fields, you might actually be several meters under. Which is why we have dykes and windmills.
The Original Bruno 7 months ago (edited)
Son: "So what's a Frisian?" Me: "It's someone from one of the regions that made up what was known as the Netherlands, before the Netherlands became the name of just one country." Son: "So one of the nether regions?" Oh, he was perfectly deadpan, but he knew, he knew...
Load More Replies... CanadianDimes 7 months ago
Canada has sales tax that's calculated at the till, not in the price on the shelf. The amount varies by province because provincial sales tax (PST) is set by the provincial government (in all provinces except Alberta and the three territories, which don't have PST). There is also goods and services tax (GST) which is country-wide. I tend to forget this when I visit now, and get confused as to why things are suddenly costing more than they were advertised.
CanadianDimes 7 months ago
Also, the elk are not nice and will hurt you. Do not go near them.
Load More Replies... DeoManus Argentem 7 months ago
Same with the firearms post in the US but with cars - many people don't own either, but if you are an owner you likely own multiple, especially if you're counting by households - if you're middle-class and don't live in a big city you usually own at least one car per person over 15 years old living there (it's the standard 15/16 birthday gift). If you're doing well you often own a "daily driver" and at least one "fun" car (again, assuming you like cars).
Guess Undheit 7 months ago
The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is a desert, will all the fauna you'd expect, including turtles, reptiles, and rattlesnakes. [ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/okanagan-snake-varieties-tips-1.6848623 ]
Ken Beattie 7 months ago
Might have heard it before, but in case you haven't. Australia actually exports both sand and camels to the middle east. Camels were imported here way back when, some got free (or were deliberately released) now we have a sizeable feral camel population.
MaxMi 7 months ago (edited)
Italian food isn’t just pizza and spaghetti. We actually have probably the most complicated food policy, with strict rules we must observe when it comes to eat (in a house seat at a table with your family) with regards to kind of food, the way it’s cooked, the way it’s served and the order it’s eat, which varies depending the time of the day and even more severe some food might be eat togheter while some other can’t. Much more complicated than any other fashion wherever.
JayneDough 7 months ago
Haggis are not real animals. This is a joke that has been around forever. Why is Buzzfeed presenting it as a "fact"?
Kathy 7 months ago (edited)
Playing rather fast and loose with the term "facts" here, aren't we, BP? Some of these "facts" are just personal opinion, other are complete myth! I expected better of you, but BP has definitely gone downhill recently, very few of the truly fascinating articles I liked so much when I joined a few years back, and a lot more nonsense like this or just gossip and crass materialism than before. Pity, BP was my go-to site when I wanted something engaging and informative to read, but that's just not the case anymore.
UKGrandad 7 months ago (edited)
How impatient are you that you honk at a driver for stopping at a yield (a 'give way' in the UK)? It may have been a new or cautious driver or one who was unfamiliar with the area. There are many reasons that a driver might make a seemingly unnecessary stop, and if they are anything like me I can understand why they'd be annoyed at someone honking away because I delayed them by a couple of precious seconds.
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