Fun Facts About Different Countries Around the World

Each country has its own quirks and peculiarities and we help you discover them: from the most absurd laws to the stupid traditions of some countries, from national holidays to the strangest culinary habits. There are cultural habits and traditions that are not only “fun” to know, but also very important to avoid making a bad impression or offending someone when you are guests abroad.

How to know when to take off your shoes in Japan? Is it possible to eat cow meat in India? What happens if you glue the British postage stamp with the queen’s head upside down? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, it’s best to fix it! Continue to read and get to know different fun facts about different countries.

Fun facts

Netherlands

• The Netherlands are known for their tulips. However, not everyone knows that tulips are not native to this area, but come from Turkey. During the 17th century, a veritable “tulip mania” pervaded the country, causing fluctuations in the price of bulbs. Tulips only became a symbol of Holland after World War II, when the Dutch used bulbs as a food source. Today, these flowers have become a full-fledged part of Dutch culture and tourists from all over the world visit the country every year to visit the Keukenhof tulip gardens, the largest flower garden in the world.
• The first herring of the season is a real treat in the Netherlands: Hollandse Nieuwe, prepared in brine and eaten with chopped raw onions and pickles, are so popular that they consume 12 million kg every year!
• Numerous studies are currently underway to understand this astonishing growth in the Dutch population, but whether it is by natural selection, food or sheer genetic luck, the Dutch have an astounding average height of 184cm for men and 170cm women.
• If we think of an orange vegetable, the carrot immediately comes to mind. It is surprising, then, to discover that carrots have not always had this aspect. Originally, this vegetable was probably white or purple.
• Apparently beer is very popular in Holland, especially in the south of the country. It is estimated that a citizen of the Netherlands drinks an average of 75 liters of beer a year, giving a hard time to all the other heavy drinkers of Europe, such as the Germans.
• From the famous Van Gogh museum, to the gallery where the “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is kept, to the Jewish museum in Amsterdam and the Anne Frank house, Holland is a leader in the field of culture. For those who love visiting museums it will be like a huge playground, you will be spoiled for choice!

Australia

• The completely accidental discovery, which took place in 2013, was revolutionary: a handful of bacteria was enough to date the birth of life on earth a few millennia in advance, compared to previous hypotheses.
• In 1969, in the old tourist attraction of Victoria Cave (South Australia), the bones of huge animals were discovered: gigantic snakes and birds, lizards 6 meters long, wombats the size of rhinos, kangaroos another 3 meters.
• The Australian Reef is the largest living organism in the world, so large it can be seen from space. Thanks to its wonderful colors and the many species it hosts, it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981.
• Everyone knows this very particular animal as a symbol of Australia, but not everyone knows that at birth the baby kangaroo is only 1/2 cm large and remains snuggled in the mother’s pouch at least until the sixth month.
• The passion for cooking seems to be a hallmark of Australian culture; so widespread that in 2010 the debate between the two main candidates in the elections was less interesting than the Masterchef final.

Austria

• When, after the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the Turks fled the city, they left behind a large amount of coffee beans , thus launching the great Viennese tradition of the Kaffeehaus (coffee house). From the 19th century, the habit of frequenting cafes formed a fundamental part of the social and intellectual life of the Viennese middle class.
• Founded in 1752 as an animal menagerie by Emperor Franz Stephan, the Schönbrunn Tiergarten in Vienna is the oldest zoo in the world.
• The beloved Empress Elisabeth of Austria, famous as Sissi, most likely suffered from anorexia. Even after becoming a great-grandmother at the age of 57, Sissi cared more than ever about her figure and continued to diet and exercise daily to keep her weight under 50 pounds (and she was 173cm tall!).
• Vienna ‘s Ringstraße is one of the most unusual streets in Europe. This circular boulevard of magnificent public buildings, palaces and hotels was carved out of the fortifications that once protected Vienna from Turkish invaders in the 16th century.
• Takako Ishimitsu is the owner of Café Neko, the only cat café in Vienna. Inside, patrons can pet and play with feline friends or watch them walk or rest on the elevated walkways. Of course, dogs are not allowed in Café Neko.
• The Austrian cake tradition dates back several centuries and is characterized by fierce competition between cities for the title of best pastry chef – even within the small villages. Almost every Austrian city has its own distinctive cake. The most famous Austrian cake is the Viennese Sachertorte, a chocolate and jam cake invented by chef Franz Sacher for Chancellor Metternich in 1832.

Canada

• With an area of ​​almost 10 million square kilometers, Canada is second, by extension, only to Russia (which reaches almost 18 million).
• Canada is, in fact, still part of the British Commonwealth and recognizes the Queen of England as Head of State.
• To be exact, there are about 3 million lakes in Canada (counting even the smallest ones). The total exceeds the number of lakes scattered throughout the rest of the world. Another curiosity about Canada in this regard is that the country collects 20% of the world’s fresh water.
• A decidedly unexpected curiosity about Canada is that despite being the second largest country in the world, it has a smaller population than Italy: 37 million people currently live in Canada. This is explained by considering that 90% of the Canadian territory is actually uninhabited, covered with parks, mountains, lakes and forests.
• Although 60% of the Canadian population is native English speakers, a good 24% of the population speaks French as their mother tongue. French, in fact, is widespread in Québec, New Brunswick and in the north-eastern part of Ontario. Montreal – in Québec – is one of the largest Canadian cities and therefore has a very high number of French speakers.
• Built as part of the Canadian centennial celebration in 1967 in St. Paul, Alberta. Weighing just over 130 tons, this large concrete structure contains a time capsule to be opened in 2067  for the 100th anniversary of its construction. Memorable is the plaque placed near the structure, which invites humanity to learn to behave with tolerance and respect towards the diversity of men and the planet itself – a fundamental prerequisite for the discovery of space and other “peoples” to be at the ‘sign of collaboration and not of destruction.

Weird fun facts

Denmark

• Denmark has been named the happiest country in the world on numerous occasions and continues to top the United Nations ‘ World Happiness Report ‘.
• Given that Denmark’s conformation is particularly flat, riding a bicycle is not excessively strenuous. For this reason, and thanks to a well-organized network of cycle paths and lanes dedicated only to bicycles, many Danes also choose this means of transport to go to work every day. Despite the harsh and cold climate, the bicycle is also used in winter by 75% of Danes. In Copenhagen, more than 50% of citizens travel their daily commute from home to work by bicycle.
• There is no time of the year that is more awaited and desired. Danes love to decorate Christmas-themed rooms and create decorations to warm up any atmosphere. It is something that we could connect to the famous hygge ,  that feeling of well-being given by small things, by relaxing atmospheres, by hot chocolate with friends.
• A peculiarity of some Danish port cities is that the water, even at the port, is so clean that you can swim in it! Not only in Copenhagen, but also in Odense and Aarhus. In addition to sea water, the water in Danish homes is also very clean and therefore drinkable. Danes drink sink water daily, which is very cheap (considering the bottled water prices compared to Italy!) And, above all, eco-sustainable.
• Danish culture is imbued with a very strong sense of social equality. In Denmark, equal dignity is recognized for all professions and social respect is earned on the basis of one’s actions and not one’s title. There is even a law that affirms this principle, called ” Janteloven”. It is not to be confused with the principle “the law is the same for all”: this law states that professional success and material wealth do not determine the quality of an individual; they do not make him “better” than others.
• Have you ever wondered why the wireless device pairing system is called “ Bluetooth ” ? The name is a tribute to the Danish king Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, ruler of Denmark and Norway who unified the country and introduced Christianity to Denmark.
• The Danish flag “Dannebrog” officially dates back to 1219 and has never changed since. It is the state flag used continuously by an independent nation for the longest period in the world. Legend has it that the flag fell from the sky  and is a very important symbol in Danish culture, also used to signal festive events.
• The Danish language is said to be one of the most difficult to learn. This is not so much in terms of grammar, but above all of pronunciation. In Danish, there are many letters that are not pronounced within the word, or that are pronounced very differently from the main European languages. The relationship between pronunciation and writing is not transparent (often there are no real pronunciation rules!) And for this reason it can create many problems.

Finland

• The territory of Finland has a singular conformation: there are almost 188,000 lakes, concentrated especially in the south-eastern region (lake region ) and an almost incalculable amount of tiny islands, perfect to get around by ferry and by bicycle.
• The sauna, originally used in ancient times to warm up during the winter, is a fundamental part of Finnish culture. Many houses have a private one and the whole population considers it an essential component of their life.
• The sport of ” carrying the wife “, born from an ancient Finnish legend, consists in transporting one’s partner (not necessarily wife) through an obstacle course. This sport, in Finnish eukonkanto, has been so successful that the world championship takes place every year in Sonkajärvi. The prize for the fastest is an amount of beer equivalent to the weight of the partner.
• In Rovaniemi in Lapland, beyond the Arctic Circle, is the wonderful village of Santa Claus. Built starting in 1950, it is today one of the main tourist attractions on the planet.
• A curiosity about Finland that you surely did not know is that the Donald Duck comic (in Finnish Aku Ankka) enjoys incredible success in this country, to the point that in 2013 it was the best-selling Finnish magazine.
• Although these data are probably not connected to each other, it is curious to find that Finland, in addition to being at the top of the rankings of the happiest countries in the world, is also the first country for consumption of milk (and its derivatives) and coffee. It is estimated that Finns consume an average of 12kg of coffee per person per year.

France

• France is the largest country in the European Union: its territory measures approximately 551,000 km².
• The French language is more spoken in Africa than in France! Between Morocco, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and many other countries, there are almost 400 million African French speakers, while France does not reach 70 million inhabitants.
• With 87 million tourists welcomed each year, France holds the record for the most visited country in the world. In second and third place are Spain and the United States, while Italy is fifth, with 58 million tourists a year.
• Due to the colonial territories scattered all over the world, there are 12 time zones in France, more than any other country in the world.
• The longest land border of France is shared with… Brazil! This is thanks to French Guiana, an overseas region of South America.
• Thanks to a law of 1950, in France it is possible to marry the deceased partner, after the approval of the President of the Republic and the Minister of Justice. Approximately 20 post-mortem marriages are celebrated each year in France. In short, the formula “Till death do us part” has a very nuanced meaning for the French.
• It is strange to think that France, with its ideals of Liberté – Égalité – Fraternité, kept a nineteenth-century law in force for so long that, until its repeal only in 2013 (!), It prohibited women from wearing trousers.
• As part of the Nazi occupation, the maintenance workers of the Eiffel Tower made a gesture that has gone down in history: they tampered with the elevator, causing Hitler to abandon the idea of ​​climbing and conquering the Tower on foot. A few hours after the Führer’s departure, the lifts magically started working again.

Germany

• German remains the most widely spoken native language in Europe and has 35 dialects
• When John F. Kennedy uttered the famous phrase “ Ich bin ein Berliner ” a double meaning was created with the name of a typical creamy pasta called Berliner .
• Berlin is 9 times the size of Paris and has more bridges than Venice
• There are more than 300 types of bread in Germany
• There are over 1000 types of sausages in Germany
• There are more than 1500 types of beers in Germany
• The largest Beer Festival in the world is obviously Oktoberfest in Munich, Bavaria, where the glasses are not 500ml but one liter!
• The tradition of the Christmas tree (Tannenbaum) originated in Germany
• Germany has over 400 zoos, the largest in the world
• There is a Barbie version of Chancellor Angela Merkel
• The Chancellor’s office in Berlin is known as “the washing machine”
• Holocaust denial is considered a crime in Germany and Austria
• The narrowest street in the world is in Reutlingen, it is called Spreuerhofstrasse and is only 31 cm wide at the narrowest point

Japan

• The term “omiyage” is often translated as “souvenir”, but in reality it is much more than that. Unlike souvenirs, which are often bought for themselves , omiyages are something that people bring to their friends, family and co-workers after a trip. Omiyages are typically characteristic foods – usually treats – from different regions, packed in beautiful brightly colored boxes. Inside these boxes the food is in turn individually packaged, to facilitate sharing.
• This curiosity about Japan may really surprise, but it is easily explained. Christians represent only 2% of the Japanese population, so Christmas in Japan is felt more like a novelty than a religious holiday. Colorful and elaborate lights, as well as Christmas trees, are common, but most people celebrate Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. Also, Christmas Eve is considered a romantic evening , similar to Valentine’s Day. Couples go out for elegant dinners and exchange gifts.
• You probably already know that it is polite to take off your shoes when entering someone’s home in Japan. But it can be difficult to tell if they need to be removed in many other buildings, such as temples, shrines and restaurants. Fortunately, there are some clues to look for. For example, if slippers are placed around the entrance it is a clear indication that guests should take off their shoes and put them on.
• For centuries, blackening of the teeth, known as ohaguro, has been a common practice for Japanese women, especially married women and geishas. In addition to being considered attractive, it was believed that this practice could help protect teeth from cavities and other dental problems.
• It is quite common to see someone eating a packet of potato chips or sipping coffee while walking down the street in Western countries, but this is not the case in Japan. Even though it is no longer considered as rude as it used to be, eating or drinking while walking is still considered “lower class” behavior. Most Japanese, when buying food or drinks from a vending machine on the street, for example, consume everything while standing next to the car, to avoid consuming it while walking.
• Sumo may also be Japan’s national sport – and most people associate it with the country – but the sport most viewed and played by the Japanese is actually baseball. This sport was introduced to the country during the Meiji period and gained enormous popularity thanks to the large presence of Americans in Japan after World War II. Japan has two professional baseball leagues, as well as countless high school and college leagues across the country. Japanese baseball games are particularly notable because of their passionate cheering.
• Another interesting curiosity about Japan concerns the position of the chopsticks. In Japan, when eating, it is important to never leave chopsticks in food when you are not eating. This would actually resemble a funeral ceremony in Japan, and is considered a bad omen.

Fun facts to share

India

• The traditional Hindu rite of bathing in the Ganges  gathers, every 4 years, millions of faithful from all over the world. Since 2001, when 60 million people attended, it has become the largest gathering in the world and in 2013 it reached 100 million people.
• In the huge Indian metropolis about 7,000 tons of waste are produced a day, which is collected in countless open-air landfills. The population density reaches 20,000 inhabitants per km2 and the number of vehicles (with uncontrolled emissions) is very high. The apocalyptic picture of a city with a wildly growing population is completed with the perennial smog curtain that hangs over everything: spending a day in Mumbai is one of the least healthy things you can do.
• Here is a very special family-oriented curiosity about India. 3 9 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren (not to mention in-laws) would scare anyone, yet Ziona, the head of the Christian sect “Chana”, which practices (widely) polygamy, does not seem worried about his life. Everything works perfectly in the small village of Baktawng, where they all live together in an absolutely self-sufficient way with respect to the Indian government.
• Prahlad Jani is a 90-year-old Indian mystic with the vital signs of a 25-year-old who candidly claims he has n’t eaten or drink for 80 years. How? Thanks to the power of the goddess Amba. Although such a fact is scientifically impossible and despite the studies conducted on it by some Indian scientists, no one has yet managed to unravel its mystery.
• The curious initiative of 2007, created to combat the smuggling of cows from India to Bangladesh, as contrary to the principles of Hinduism, led to the actual issue of identity cards for animals, in great demand by border villages.
• Falling in love is not a walk in India: couples from different castes face Shakespearean obstacles to be together, sometimes with tragic results. Thus, to protect couples in love, Love Commandos was born, a voluntary association that deals with helping, legally and concretely, couples in difficulty.
• One of the best scammers in the world is of Indian descent, he has scammed shopkeepers, businesses and businessmen for millions of dollars and even tried to sell India’s most famous monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and Parliament.

Ireland

• Saint Patrick was born in 385 in Great Britain (Roman Britain at the time) and is thought to have been kidnapped and transported to Ireland when he was about sixteen. Knowing the Gaelic language and Celtic mythology, when he was entrusted with the mission of evangelizing Ireland he agreed to the spread of a “hybrid” form of Christianity, called Celtic Christianity. This explains the diffusion in Ireland of the Celtic cross, different from the Roman one.
• Guinness is usually synonymous with Ireland, but you might be surprised to learn that Britain and Nigeria actually buy more Guinness than Ireland itself.
• While shamrocks and shamrocks are often associated with Ireland, they are not the national symbol. This is, in fact, the Celtic harp, which became the national symbol in 1922, when Ireland separated from the United Kingdom.
• The story of Dracula takes place in Transylvania, however, the author of the famous book, Bram Stoker (who was Irish, by the way) is believed to have drawn inspiration for his famous story from the Irish legend of Abhartach. The Abhartach was an evil creature who, despite being killed multiple times, continued to rise from its grave and drink the blood of its victims.
• While Halloween, as we know it today, is a great tradition in North America, this celebration originated in Ireland. The origins of Halloween go back to the Samhain festival and go back thousands of years. The Celts thought that, on this day, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was very thin and the spirits (both good and bad) could pass through it.
• Captain Charles Boycott, land administrator, is responsible for the term “boycott” as we know it today. In 1880, the Captain opposed measures to improve the working conditions of the laborers of the lands he administered. In response, the entire community stopped interacting with him.
• Grace O’Malley (Grainne Ni Mhaille in Irish) was a pirate queen of Ireland who lived in the 16th century. Although she had a half-brother, she was Grace who took over as the lady of the O Maille dynasty after the death of her father. She was known as a fighter and known for her skills and the fame she had among the Irish.
• ‘Yes’ and ‘no’ are two of the most common words in most languages, but there is no direct translation for them into Irish. Instead, this language uses a verbal form to express affirmations and negations. For example, to the question: would you like to go to the pub? You would respond with “I would like” or “I would not”.
• Even if the number is only an estimate, because there are too many to count, there are probably at least 30,000 castles in Ireland. Some are quite large and famous, while others are just ruins. There are many smaller castles which have been converted into hotels.
• According to a 2016 census, more sheep than humans live on the Emerald Isle. For those who have been to Ireland, perhaps, the news will not be surprising: traveling from one city to another one does nothing but cross green valleys full of these cute animals.

Iceland

• The world-famous American fast food chain opened in Iceland in 1993, and then closed in 2009. Since then, there seems to be no desire to bring the American giant back to Elf Island (fast food, however, is not lacking in absolute terms).
• Before the arrival of the  Vikings, 40% of Iceland’s soil was covered with trees and forests. The Scandinavian people, however, needed timber to build their houses and ships, as well as needing cleared land to graze their animals. Today the percentage of trees and forests is 2%. There is, however, no shortage of initiatives aimed at reforestation.
• Regardless of the time of year you decide to travel to Iceland, it will be absolutely impossible to find mosquitoes and be plagued by them. One more reason to leave immediately!
• When a child is born in Iceland, he will not receive the “family name” (= the surname) of one of his parents, but their  first name – in line with the most ancient traditions. For example, if the little girl Björk has a father named Guðmundur, she will be named Björk Guðmundsdottir (meaning “daughter of Guðmundur”).
• A completely unexpected curiosity about Iceland is the Icelanders’ habit of leaving babies in their prams outside the premises. Mom and dad come in, the baby stays outside – even in the freezing cold of Icelandic winters. This custom (also widespread in Denmark ) is aimed at getting the body of children accustomed immediately to cold temperatures that they will have to endure all their life.
• Rotten shark (hákarl) is a traditional Icelandic dish with an incredibly strong flavor and smell. It is eaten raw, along with small glasses of local brandy (an equally strong alcohol) and is usually offered to tourists as a sickening challenge. Shark meat is normally toxic to humans, but it stops being toxic after special treatment. The animal is beheaded, cleaned of the entrails and buried underground for several months.

Norway

• All citizens resident in Norway must disclose three data: their annual income, the amount of taxes paid on this income and their personal assets. Until 2013, these data were public and accessible to everyone, while today a citizen is able to know who has looked at his data.
• More than a curiosity about Norway, this is a consolidated fact based on the statistics of the Human Development Index , which measures the levels of development of various economic and social indicators, such as GDP per capita, education, longevity. Norway was first in this index 9 times between 2001 and 2011 and second in 2007 and 2008.
• The Norwegian capital hosts the ceremony which, starting in 1901, on 10 December every year awards the Nobel Peace Prize. This is a curiosity about Norway, as all other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Norway managed to convince the Japanese to introduce salmon as a sushi variant. To succeed in this absurd enterprise, it was a Norwegian Delegation called Project Japan and sent to the Land of the Rising Sun in the 1980s. Today Norwegian salmon is one of the most popular dishes in Japan and in the world and the export of fish is one of the main industries of the Scandinavian country.
• There are two versions of the Norwegian language, or rather two written variants. Bokmål is used by the large majority of citizens, while Nynorsk is more common in rural areas and in the western region of the Fjords.

Cool fun facts

Portugal

• The Lusitanian country has a thousand-year history that has seen long periods of submission to its Spanish cousins ​​pass, but also moments of global grandeur, such as during the period of geographical discoveries. A country full of peculiarities, curiosities and interesting facts that still make it an essential destination for those who want to discover Europe.
• In 1494, Portugal and Spain divided the world in two, with the Treaty of Tordesillas, which granted Portugal half of the “New World”, including Brazil, Africa and Asia. The last colony to be abandoned by Portugal was Macao, which was ceded to China in 1999.
• One fact that may surprise you is that today over 236 million people around the world speak Portuguese, making it the eighth most spoken language in the world. The 9 countries where Portuguese is the official language are: Portugal (obviously), Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Principe, Sao Tome and Equatorial Guinea.
• This is a very curious fact about Portugal. Who could imagine that in Lisbon there is the oldest bookshop in the world? The Bertrand Bookshop was opened in 1732, and is still in business today, for the beauty of about 290 years! You can find it in the Chiado district.
• Another curiosity about Portugal that many ignore is that the Vasco da Gama bridge is the longest in Europe, with its six spans it crosses the Tagus River and stretches for almost 18 km.
• In February 2011, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara rode the highest wave ever, setting a world record. The wave, almost 25 meters high

United Kingdom

• From the Middle Ages to the 14th century, French was the official language of England and the British court, with difficulty supplanted by the Norman dialect introduced by William the Conqueror from 1066 onwards.
• The shortest war in history, unleashed for reasons of succession to the throne, was won by the English with an overwhelming advantage, after only 38 minutes Zanzibar surrendered to the English power.
• In the old English ” pygg ” meant “clay” and the population used to keep their savings in clay jars therefore called “pygg jars”, from here evolve the famous  pig-shaped piggy banks, now called “piggy banks”.
• A curiosity about the United Kingdom that makes you smile concerns the subjects of her Majesty. The Queen of England owns everything that swims within 3 miles of the English coast: sturgeons, whales and dolphins are her subjects as much as the inhabitants of the City.
• Apparently the classic Fish & Chips has not been very successful globally. Despite the many specialties of English cuisine, the citizens of the world seem somewhat wary of English gastronomy.

United States

• One of the most incredible curiosities about the United States is that they have banned the sale and consumption of the delicious surprise chocolate eggs, because they are considered lethal to American children. The reason for this incredible danger would be the risk of suffocation deriving from the union of chocolate (food product) with surprise (non-food product).
• Until about 1870, Christmas was illegal in the United States, because it was considered a pagan holiday: the anniversary was banned in 1660 and for almost 200 years celebrating Christmas was a real crime. Alabama was the first state to legalize it in 1836, followed by the other states, Congress in 1870, and finally Oklahoma in 1907.
• In 1893, an exalted congressman named Lucas Miller proposed to Congress to amend the constitution and change the country’s name to ” United States of Earth ” , since, he said, the United States would expand to encompass every nation of the country planet… The proposal was not very successful and Miller, unfortunately, could not redeem himself, since he never reached the second term.
• In the 1980s, while the apartheid regime collaborated closely with Reagan and Nixon, the American administrations did not look favorably on Mandela ‘s alleged closeness to the Communist Party. It is therefore to issues dating back to the Cold War that we owe the embarrassing mistake discovered in 2008: to enter the country the Nobel laureate had to request special authorization, since he was still on the “terrorism watch list” of the American government.
• National donut day is celebrated every year on the first Friday of June. The anniversary, dating back to the First World War, celebrates the initiative of the Salvation Army, which served donuts to the soldiers. The idea was successful among the members of the army and not only: 3 other holidays dedicated to donuts were born from 1938 to today.