Ten Things.................

[mrbojangles]

As the title says. 10 things you may or may not know about the countries in the World Cup. Today we will start with "A" Angola, Argentina and Australia.

Ten things you didn’t know about Angola

1. Located in south-western Africa, Angola was originally a Portuguese colony founded in 1575.

2. The nation gained its independence from Portugal on November 11 1975 but lapsed into a civil war that persisted until August 2002, which destroyed the country’s infrastructure and devastated large areas through the laying of millions of landmines.

3. The official language is still Portuguese and, as luck would have it, Angola is in the same World Cup group as Portugal – giving you ample opportunity to impress your friends by using the adjective lusophonic (which means Portuguese-speaking). Your friends, however, might remind you that only 58,000 Angolans speak Portuguese; the other 11 million speak African languages such as Umbundu.

4. The country’s largest ethnic group is the Ovimbundu who make up 37% of the population.

5. Angolans love their dance music. Kizomba, a slow, smooching dance for couples, is one the most popular styles. Top artists, according to angola.org.uk, include Don Kika, Paulo Flores, Eduardo Paim, Maya Cool and MC Dog Murras.

6. In 2001 a new landmark in Angolan literature was set with the publication of the first detective fiction book – Jaime Bunda, Secret Agent by Pepetela (according the website of state energy company Sonangol).

7. The country’s currency, the kwanza, is made up of 100 lwei.

8. The national anthem is called Forward Angola.

9. TAAG is the name of Angola’s national airline.

10. Want to visit? Make sure you have a certificate showing you have been vaccinated against yellow fever.

Ten things you didn’t know about Argentina

1. The name Argentina comes from the Latin word argentum, which means silver. The origin of the name goes back to the voyages made by the first Spanish conquistadores (conquerors) to the Río de la Plata. The shipwrecked survivors of the expedition mounted by Juan Díaz de Solís discovered Indians in the region who presented them with silver objects.

2. Argentina has an area of 2.77 million sq. km, which gives it a great variety of climates and landscapes. Known as the ‘land of ice and fire’ it can be simultaneously hot in one region and cold in another.

3. Laszlo Biro, the inventor of the modern ballpoint pen moved to Argentina in 1943 after fleeing anti-Jewish laws in home country of Hungary. He formed Biro Pens of Argentina and licensed his design to the British, to produce ballpoint pens for Royal Air Force aircrew, who found they worked much better than fountain pens at high altitude.

4. Many fans of Argentina's most popular soccer team, Boca Juniors, pledge eternal devotion to the club. Die-hard fans can even buy their own coffins decorated in Boca colours and symbols for between 2,000 pesos and 2,500 pesos ($650 to $800).

5. Argentina is the only country in the world where you can find both monkeys (in the North East jungles) and penguins (in Patagonia.)

6. In the 19th century a Welsh settlement began in Argentina. There is now an important Welsh-speaking colony in the province of Chubut, in Argentine Patagonia (Y Wladfa in Welsh).

7. The Falkland Islands are a self-governing and English speaking Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. In 1982 Argentina invaded the islands, resulting in the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Although the UK and Argentina since resumed diplomatic relations in 1989, no further negotiations have taken place and Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the islands.

8. In 1995, a skeleton of the largest carnivorous dinosaur was discovered in Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina. The Giganotosaurus Carolinii was 12.5 m (40 ft) long, and weighed 8 tonnes. Although it resembled the Tyrannosaurus Rex it was in fact taller and more heavily built than T-Rex.

9. A local law states that horses are required to wear hats in hot weather in Rasario, Argentina.

10. Juan Perón, three times President of Argentina was also married three times. His second wife, Eva Perón, was hugely popular with the people of Argentina and was immortalised in several books, films and stage plays. Juan Perón died in 1974 and was buried in Buenos Aires. In 1987 his tomb was broken into and the hands of his corpse were stolen. To this date, who did it and why still remains a mystery

Ten things you didn’t know about Australia

1. Its an offence to drive a dog or goat harnessed or attached to a vehicle in a public place.

2. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest organic construction on earth.

3. The stonefish, which lives off the coast of Australia, is the most poisonous fish in the world.

4. It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday.

5. Tasmania, Australia has the cleanest air in the inhabited world.

6. Australia is the only country to have monotremes. A monotreme is a mammal that lays eggs but suckles its young on milk once they have hatched (e.g. the platypus).

7. Australia is the only continent without an active volcano.

8. The smallest 'country' in the world to have its own top-level domain name is Norfolk Island, off the coast of Australia.

9. The longest hole on a golf course is the sixth hole at the Koolan Island Course in Australia. The hole measures 860 yards.

10. There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people. The kangaroo population is estimated at about 40 million.

[mrbojangles]

Today we have Brazil, Costa Rica and Croatia

Ten things you didn’t know about Brazil

1. Brazil is home to the longest buses in the world

2. Brazil is the only country to have played in every World Cup soccer tournament.

3. Brazil has the world’s greatest number of monkey species. Of about 250 known species, 80 are in Brazil.

4. Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. It borders every South American country except for Ecuador and Chile. It takes up 47.8% of South America

5. The national football team of Brazil was formed in 1914, and played their first game against the English club Exeter City in that year.

6. Pelé was Brazil's first black government minister

7. The national drink of Brazil is the Caipirinha

8. Brazil accounts for almost 1/3 of the world's coffee production, producing over 3-1/3 billion pounds of coffee each year.

9. Brazil is the location of the world’s widest road. 160 cars can drive side by side.

10. The most powerful electric eel is found in the rivers of Brazil and produces a shock of 400-650 volts.

Ten things you didn’t know about Costa Rica

1. As ratified by the International Game Fishing Association 84 of the world fishing records are held by fish caught from Costa Rican waters.

2. The Costa Rican Golden Beetle (Plusiotis Aurigans) is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful insects

3. At the turn of the millennium the Costa Rican banana industry was briefly the subject of an internet email hoax (read urban legend) which the stated that bananas from that country were infected with the flesh eating disease necrotising fasciitis which if caught causes your body to literally necrotise i.e die and rot. It was traced to a panic caused by an outbreak of the disease among Costa Rican monkeys.

4. Costa Rica has two active volcanoes, one of which, Irazu, erupted as recently as 1965.

5. Costa Rica has sent a man into space. Franklin Chang-Diaz has flown seven Space Shuttle missions.

6. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army.

7. One quarter of Costa Rica’s land area is protected or devoted to national parks and though it comprises just 0.01% of the planet’s landmass, it is home to 5% of its biological diversity.

8. The world record for a musician holding a single note is held by Costa Rican saxophonist Geovanny Escalante, of the local band Marfíl. In 1998, he held a steady 'A' for 90 minutes and 45 seconds, almost twice as long as the previous record held by the US saxophonist Kenny G.

9. Costa Rica has the highest literacy and life expectancy rate in Latin America.

10. Claudia Poll won Costa Rica’s first Olympic gold medal in the 200m freestyle.

Ten things you didn’t know about Croatia

1. To demand a beer in Croatia, aggressively approach the bar tender and state "Mogu li dobiti pivo ugoditi!"

2. Croatia is the mother country of the necktie created in the 17th century.

3. Daschunds originate from Croatia

4. Croatia is considered to be shaped like a croissant due to years of expansion by the Turkish empire.

5. Croatian pop group Riva won the Eurovision song contest in 1989.

6. Croatia mythology features Vila (fairies who appear in the shape of beautiful women) and Domaci (a good house spirit who lives in cupboards and under the stairs), supposedly both have influenced characters in Harry Potter.

7. Pag is the fifth largest island on the Croatian coast and is renowned for once being home to a concentration camp during World War II.

8. 2 Croatians Labo Slavruzicka, 1939 and Vladimir Grelog, 1975 both chemists have won the Nobel peace prize.

9. Croat Slavoljub Eduard Penkala became renowned for his inventions of the first mechanical pencil (1906) (then called "automatic pencil") and the first solid-ink fountain pen (1907) and the hot water bottle.

10. The Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia's most popular tourist attraction known for it's beauty including a series of breath-taking waterfalls which inter-connect it's 16 lakes. The park obtained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.

[Backpack_thailand]

Croat Slavoljub Eduard Penkala became renowned for his inventions of the first mechanical pencil (1906) (then called "automatic pencil") and the first solid-ink fountain pen (1907) and the hot water bottle.

So tell us something we don't know...!!!

[mrbojangles]

Croat Slavoljub Eduard Penkala became renowned for his inventions of the first mechanical pencil (1906) (then called "automatic pencil") and the first solid-ink fountain pen (1907) and the hot water bottle.

So tell us something we don't know...!!!

As stated at the top "10 things you may or may not know" Emoticons come in handy backpack

[mrbojangles]

And now Czech Republic, Ecuador and England

Ten things you didn’t know about the Czech Republic

1. Czech Republic’s Independence Day is: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia).

2. Wenceslas is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. At the beginning of the tenth century, Wenceslas was murdered by his brother, Boleslav.

3. Karel Capek, a famous early twentieth century Czech playwright, introduced the word "robot" to the English language. It was used in his play "R.U.R" (Rossum's Universal Robots). The word for robot comes from the Czech word "robota" which means servitude.

4. The Czech Republic has pushed back its target date for when it plans to adopt the euro to 2010. Its currency now is the koruna.

5. The sugar cube was invented in the Czech town Dacice in 1843.

6. The Prague Castle is the largest castle area in the world. Its three courtyards and a number of magnificent buildings cover over 7 hectares (18 acres).

7. The word "Czech" is an adjective and therefore should not be used as the abbreviated name of the country.

8. The Czechs are the number 1 beer drinking nation in the world, consuming the most beer per capita in the world (160 liters or 43 gallons). They have been drinking beer since at least 900 A.D.

9. Sigmund Freud was born and spent the first years of his life in what is now the Czech Republic.

10. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the prehistoric settlement of Dolní Vestonice in Southern Moravia is the oldest town in the world. It dates back to 27,000 BC, the Ice Age

Ten things you didn’t know about Ecuador

1. Under Ecuadorian law a woman can be returned to her parents if her husband finds out she is not a virgin on their wedding night.

2. Cotapaxi, just south of Quito is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

3. The wildlife-rich Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador. One of the strangest looking birds of the Galapagos is the blue-footed boobie whose webbed feet look like a pair of rubber flippers.

4. Mike Judge – the creator of Beavis & Butthead and King of the Hill was born in Ecuador.

5. Ecuador is a great place for culinary adventures. If you’re feeling up to it you can sample roasted cuy (guinea pig), tronquito (bull penis soup) or yaguarlocro (potato soup made with sprinklings of blood).

6. The night before the San Pedro and San Pablo festivals – held on 29 June each year – bonfires are lit in the streets and women wanting to become pregnant jump over them.

7. Ecuador is no bigger than the US state of Nevada.

8. Despite its tiny size birds Ecuador is home to 4,500 species of butterflies, 1,640 species of , 345 species of reptiles, 358 species of amphibians, and 258 species of mammals.

9. The Panama hat comes from Ecuador not Panama. The straw hats got their name because they were shipped through the Panama canal on their way to the US.

10. Ecuador won a gold medal at the 1996 summer Olympics in the Men’s 20km walk

Ten things you didn’t know about England

1. England is in fact, England – NOT Britain, Great Britain, United Kingdom, and certainly not Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. It is the most populous part of Great Britain, representing 84% of Britain’s population.

2. England derives its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe which settled in ‘England’ in the 5th and 6th centuries.

3. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the EU, second only to the Netherlands.

4. England’s longest river is the Severn, which rises in central Wales and flows through Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester in England to the Bristol Channel. It is 200 miles long.

5. No point in England is ever more than 75 miles from the sea.

6. English people drink more tea than any other nationality in the world.

7. The English village of Hay-on-Wye, while only having a population of only 1,300, has 40 bookshops.

8. England has not been a distinct entity since 1707, when the Act of Union formally united England with Scotland and Wales. The current “United Kingdom” came into being with the addition of Northern Ireland in 1927.

9. Since 2000, England has been the only part of the UK without its own ‘devolved’ parliament. This has led to an apparently anomalous situation whereby Scottish MPs sometimes vote for certain matters that apply to England only, while English MPs have no say over equivalent matters in Scotland. This is known as the West Lothian question.

10. While not a legal entity as such, the concept of England is very much with us. Apart from the fact that most foreigners muddle ‘English’ up with ‘British’ all the time, ‘England’ remains an important entity in some respects: For example, the Queen is technically the Queen of Great Britain, but this form is rarely used and she is more often known as the Queen of England. Similarly, the United Kingdom’s major financial dealings (e.g. setting of interest rates, commercial bank regulation, management of national gold supply, etc.) are handled by the Bank of England.

P.S. Are any of you finding these interesting? If not i'll stop posting them. I think they are

Edited June 12, 2006 by mrbojangles

[KhunMarco]

I enjoy the reading.

Thanks

[Backpack_thailand]

Are any of you finding these interesting? If not i'll stop posting them. I think they are

Keep 'em coming Jangles, good fun!

nothing wrong with improving one's general knowledge a bit.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER...!!!

[mrbojangles]

OK, today we have France, Germany and Ghana

Ten things you didn’t know about France

1. France’s motto, ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’, was not adopted until the Revolution of 1848.

2. Louis XIV (1462-1515) hated washing and only took three baths in his entire adult life. Not bathing was a sign of prestige at the time, and people covered up the stink with perfumes, oils and spices. More recently, a survey reported that the French wash less than any other Europeans.

3. Despite this, married men in France use more cosmetics than their wives.

4. For centuries, a rite of passage for French gourmets has been to eat the ortolan bird. These tiny birds are captured alive, force-fed, then drowned in Armagnac, then roasted and eaten whole, bones and all, while the diner draped his or her head with a napkin to preserve the aroma, their manners, and some say, to hide from God. It is now illegal to eat ortolan in France.

5. The battle of Agincourt was fought on October 25 1415 in northern France as part of the Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453). Henry V’s English army, although outnumbered, gave the French a good kicking – 12,000-18,000 French dead or wounded to a trifling 150-250 dead English.

6. During the First World War, the punishment for homosexuality in the French army was execution.

7. Louis XIX was King of France from breakfast until teatime on 2 August 1830, at which point he abdicated.

8. French poet Gérard de Nerval used to take a lobster for a walk on the end of a length of ribbon through the Palais Royal gardens in Paris. Not surprisingly, he ended up hanging himself from a lamp-post.

9. Frenchman Michel Lotito, known as Monsieur Mangetout, specialises in eating glass and metal. His diet included supermarket trolley, TV sets, aluminium skis, bicycles, beds, plates, razor blades, a coffin, and even a Cessna 150 light aircraft.

10. In some regions of France the locals still believe that if a bachelor steps on a cat’s tail, he won’t find a wife for at least a year.

Ten things you didn’t know about Germany

1. Legend has it that when the Germans constructed a false airfield during WWII the RAF called their bluff by dropping a wooden bomb on it.

2. In an amazing feat of engineering the Germans built a kilometre long water bridge over the river Elbe to link two canals.

3. Heidelberg is home to the world’s largest wine cask, the Heidelberg Tun which was built in 1751 from 130 oak trees. It is 28 feet deep by 23 feet high and holds 220,017 litres or 293,356 bottles worth!

4. Desperate zoo officials in Bremerhaven have flown in female penguins from Sweden in an attempt to entice six gay penguins away from their male partners.

5. The Berlin Museum at Check-Point Charlie received a complaint from actor David Hasselhoff who felt they had overlooked his part in reuniting East and West Germany by singing his song ‘Looking for Freedom’ from atop the Berlin Wall.

6. During World War II, W.C. Fields kept US $50,000 in Germany 'in case the little bastard wins'

7. A hotel in Norden, North Germany charges its guests by the kilo in an attempt to encourage overweight guests to consider slimming down.

8. The oldest living rose in the world climbs the walls of the Hildesham Cathedral in Germany and is thought to be over 1,000 years old.

9. The Germans obviously have a thing about practical footwear; the inventors of the Doc Marten boot, the Birkenstock sandal and the running spike were all German.

10. ZAM, the Centre for Unusual Museums in Munich contains a Chamberpot Museum, Corkscrew Museum, Ethnic Doll Museum, Easter Bunny Museum and the Guardian Angel Museum.

Ten things you didn’t know about Ghana

1. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence (1957) from Britain

2. Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

3. When a child is born it is not named until the eighth day, and is then given a name in reference to the day of the week on which he or she was born.

4. The modern country of Ghana is not the same as ancient Ghana. Today's Ghana was formerly known as the Gold Coast, on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. Ancient Ghana occupied parts of what are now Mali and Mauritania. The word "ghana" was a title meaning "war chief", and the area got its name from Africans from the north who would trade with "ghana".

5. There are approximately 30 castles situated along the coast of Ghana – a mere 350miles long. At the height of the salve trade there were over 60.

6. Kofi Annan, the current Secretary-General of the United Nations, is from Ghana.

7. The most sacred symbol of the Ashanti people of Ghana is the Golden Stool, a small golden throne in which the spirit of the people is said to reside. A major city is Kumasi - the 'City of the Golden Stool'. It's so sacred that not even the king is allowed to sit on it, and it's never allowed to touch the ground.

8. The Anokye Sword sticks out of the ground exactly where - according to legend - the Golden Stool descended from the heavens to mark the beginning of the Ashanti people. Legend has it that if the sword is ever pulled out, the Ashanti kingdom will disappear.

9. The largest tribe in Ghana is matrilineal.

10. Dogs and frogs (which can be made into a soup or roasted) are considered delicacies in parts of Ghana

[kayo]

thank you for these tidbits, Mr. BJ. I enjoy reading them.

[mrbojangles]

Pleasure Kayo. I like em too

Today we have Iran, Italy and Ivory Coast

Ten things your didn’t know about Iran

1. Formerly known as Persia, Iran was adopted as the country's official name in 1935.

2. The highest peak in Iran, Mount Damavand (5,604 m/18,386 ft high), is a volcano which last erupted in 500 AD.

3.The country is served by some 167,157 km (103,867 mi) of roads, of which 56% were paved in 1998.

4. In January 2002, in his first State of the Union address, US president George W. Bush referred to Iran as one of three countries operating as an “axis of evil” (alongside Iraq and North Korea) because of its development of long-range missiles. The statement was uniformly condemned in Iran and, indeed, travel guides report the country to be a pleasant place: “Axis of evil?” asks the www.lonelyplanet.com site, “most visitors, after experiencing this friendliest of countries, couldn't agree less.”

5.Jaam-e Jam, Iran’s large-circulation daily newspaper, translates as Jam’s Cup.

6. Iranians can vote in elections from the age of 15

7. The national emblem (a representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) appears in red in the white band of the Iranian flag (according to www.flags-flags-flags.org.uk).

8. The text on the Iranian flag, which appears in white on the green and red bands, repeats the words ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) 22 times. This number relates to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 which occurred on the 22nd day of the 11th month of the Iranian calendar.

9. The currency is the rial. According to www.lonelyplanet.com a double pack of toilet paper in Iran costs IR7,000 (about 43 pence).

10.Shiraz, in addition to being a pleasant variety of red wine, is a city in Iran with a renowned university.

Ten things you didn’t know about Italy

1. They omit number 13 from their lottery because of superstition.

2. It is an offence in the city of Milan to walk about without a smile on your face unless you are visiting someone in hospital or are going to a funeral.

3. In medieval Italy kisses weren't taken, or given, lightly. If a man and a woman were seen embracing in public they could be forced to marry.

4. It is illegal to be a prostitute in Siena, Italy, if your name is Mary.

5. In Milan, Italy, when an operator dialled a wrong number, the phone company fined the operator.

6. A survey in 2003 of young people in Italy found their heroes were not pop stars or footballers, but Mother Teresa and the Pope.

7. All gondolas in Venice, Italy must be painted black, unless they belong to a high official.

8. In Italy, it is illegal to make coffins out of anything except nutshells or wood.

9. A new Italian study has shown that couples with TV's in their bedrooms have sex half as much as couples who do not.

10. Norwegian pop group A-ha only managed to reach number 17 in Italy with mega album Hunting High And Low.

Ten things you didn’t know about the Ivory Coast

1. According to the UN, average life expectancy on the Ivory Coast is just 45 for men and 47 for women.

2. The Ivory Coast is the world’s largest producer of cocoa. It produces more cocoa than England, Scotland and Finland combined.

3. ‘The Ivory Coast’ is also the name of an American indie band.

4. Baring your legs is considered offensive in the Ivory Coast but there is no problem whatsoever with women going topless if they so wish.

5. ‘Foutou’ is the name of a traditional Ivoirian delicacy. It consists of pounded cassava and plantain, served up with stewed jungle rats. Nice.

6. Traditional hunters in the north of the country are known as Dozos. Africans believe that a Dozo cannot be killed by a bullet or knife since his mystical powers prevent metal from entering his body. For this reason they are frequently hired to guard abandoned vehicles, to direct traffic or to patrol sensitive religious sites.

7. The very first Blue Peter expedition in 1973 was to the Ivory Coast.

8. One of the smallest banknotes ever produced was the Ivory Coast 0.10 Franc, issued in 1920. The 32mm x 46mm note was actually a postage stamp pasted on cardboard.

9. Rapper LL Cool J was given the title of Chief Kwasi Achi-brou by the village elders of Grand Bassan for his contribution in helping the establishment of a hospital in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

10. The flag of the Ivory Coast is a mirror image of the Irish flag.

[mrbojangles]

Ok peeps. Today we have Japan, Mexico and Netherlands (Holland).

Ten things you didn’t know about Japan

1. Japan defeated Cuba in the World Baseball Classic this year to be recognised as the best baseball team in the world

2. The Japanese are very polite; ten days after a $5.4m bank robbery, the Fukutoku Bank received a note from the robbers saying: “Thank you very much for the bonus. We can live on this loot for life.”

3. Never stick your chopsticks upright in your bowl of rice, it’s the traditional Japanese way of offering food to the souls of the dead

4. Japan is the world’s 60th largest country, made up of over 6,000 islands and 70% of it is mountainous

5. A population of nearly 127 million makes Japan the 10th most populous country in the world, equal to the UK, France and Denmark combined.

6. Japan has the world’s oldest surviving monarchy. The first recorded emperor was Ojin who reigned from 270 to 310 AD although legend has it that the very first was Emperor Jinmu, 1000 years earlier.

7. Upon reaching the age of 60, Japanese men are presented with a red kimono which symbolises the fact that he is no longer an adult but an old man and can shun the responsibilities of youth.

8. The country’s Shinkansen bullet train network runs at speeds of up to 186mph and are usually on time to within the second!

9. Japanese students stand up and bow when their teacher enters the room and say’ “thank you for teaching us” at the end of the lesson.

10. Legend has it that the Mitsubishi Starion, a 1980s rival for the Ford Mustang got its name as a result of the Japanese mispronunciation of ‘stallion’. Mitsubishi was also forced to rename its ‘Pajero’ SUV in certain countries as it is the Spanish word for an onanist.

Ten things you didn’t know about Mexico

1. It is illegal to throw fireworks by hand during Holy Week.

2. The legendary ‘worm’ found in some bottles of mescal/ Tequila is actually a butterfly grub. It was originally added by the manufacturers as a publicity stunt.

3. Chocolate, in the form of the cacao bean, was used as money in pre-conquest Mexico.

4. Many poor Mexicans try to cross the 3,000-km border with the US in search of a job, and more than a million are arrested every year.

5. Forget modern "traditions" like the Baseball World Series, soccer, tennis and golf! By far the oldest ball game in the Americas is the little known game of Ulama! Amazingly, this game is still played in some regions of Mexico, where it is believed to have originated of Mexico more than 3000 years ago!

6. Many Anglo sayings and beliefs are subtly different in Mexico: Cats only have 7 lives, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky and April fools day is December 28th.

7. Its population, now numbering 100 million, represents about one-third of all the 330 million or so Spanish speakers in the world. Spanish is the majority language in nineteen other countries, besides Mexico, and is the world's third most spoken language, after English and Chinese.

8. Mexico is home to more than 50 species of hummingbirds

9. Mexican children are given both their father's last name and their mother's maiden name. This tradition helps preserve the heritage of both parents. Fathers would often weave a God's eye when their children were born. At each birthday for five years the father would weave another God's eye.

10. The first genuine tequila was distilled in western Mexico in the late sixteenth century.

Ten things you didn’t know about Holland

1. The Dutch national anthem, Wilhelmus van Nassouwe (William of Nassau), is the oldest national anthem in the world. Estimates suggest it was written between 1568 and 1572.

2. Holland is historically associated with cattle farming and in one particular region ¬–Friesland - there are as many cows as there are people.

3. The Dutch are reported to be the tallest people in the world, with the average man’s height standing at approximately 6ft 1in.

4. The Dutch celebrate two Christmas days: the first day, Eerste Kerstdag, and the second, Tweede Kerstdag.

5. A popular and common Dutch delicacy is Haring, or, for the non-Dutch among you, raw herring with raw onions. Eaters apparently pick the fish up by the tail and let it slide into their mouths.

6. Holland is home to the world’s longest ice skating race, the Elfstedentocht (Tour of the Eleven Towns). It is held when the climate is cold enough to allow, most recently in 1997. An estimated 16,000 skaters took part in 1986.

7. Holland’s highest point is 321 metres above sea level, and its “lofty” status means it officially constitutes a mountain in the country.

8. In March this year the authorities revealed a new, slightly racy, film to test immigrants applying to live in Holland on their appreciation and attitude towards the liberal Dutch culture. The first of its kind in the world, it featured two gay men kissing and a topless woman on a crowded beach.

9. In the 19th century, Amsterdam became besieged by what has gone down in history as the “Eel Riots”. The people rallied against the authorities after they put a stop to a popular carnival game which involved two people in boats fighting over an eel suspended on a rope above them.

10. Holland boasts twice as many bicycles as cars.

[OneeyedJohn]

Very enjoyable reading thx Mr bj

8. The Czechs are the number 1 beer drinking nation in the world,

consuming the most beer per capita in the world (160 liters or 43 gallons).

They have been drinking beer since at least 900 A.D.

Should be pretty p!ssed by now methinks

[mrbojangles]

Very enjoyable reading thx Mr bj

Your'e welcome oneeyedjohn

A few of my favourites upto now

Australia:- It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday Is that the blokes?

Ecuador:- Under Ecuadorian law a woman can be returned to her parents if her husband finds out she is not a virgin on their wedding night. ( i think there would be a high return of "goods" if that was in the UK)

France:- More recently, a survey reported that the French wash less than any other Europeans. Despite this, married men in France use more cosmetics than their wives

Italy:- It is illegal to be a prostitute in Siena, Italy, if your name is Mary.

Germany:- Legend has it that when the Germans constructed a false airfield during WWII the RAF called their bluff by dropping a wooden bomb on it.

[redrus]

Nice one Joe, I like this stuff........

3. Never stick your chopsticks upright in your bowl of rice, it’s the traditional Japanese way of offering food to the souls of the dead

In China, if you were to do the same to your enemy, it would mean death.

Cheers fella.

redrus

Edited June 15, 2006 by redrus

[mrbojangles]

OK folks. Today we have Paraguay, Poland and Portugal

Ten things you didn’t know about Paraguay

1. Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

2. Despite being entirely landlocked, Paraguay nonetheless boasts a navy of 21 ships.

3. Paraguay’s Itaipu dam is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. The amount of iron and steel used in its construction would build 380 Eiffel Towers.

4. The country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 until 1989, making him the longest serving dictator in the history of both America continents (he was “elected” President eight times).

5. Even though it has no coastline, the name Paraguay means “water that goes to the water”.

6. Paraguay remains the no. 1 country in the world for reported sightings of Adolf Hitler.

7. The Iguazu Falls, situated at the point where Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil meet, turned up in the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker as the setting for a typical piece of selfless 007 action: our hero sailed a boat over the waterfall before leaping from the craft replete with a ready made hand glider.

8. The most famous folk dance of Paraguay is the bottle dance, in which a female dancer embarks upon a self-consciously violent routine while balancing one or more water-filled vessels on her head.

9. The national drink of Paraguary is terere: shred dried leaves of the yerba maté tree (a species of holly) mixed with cold water and herbs. It is drunk through a metal straw.

10. The region of Paraguay called Presidente Hayes is named directly after US President Rutherford B. Hayes, who helped settle a boundary dispute in the 1800s.

Ten things you didn’t know about Poland

1. Poland has 9,300 lakes

2. The military two-fingered salute (no, not that one) originated in the Polish army

3. There is a Polish superstition that if you hear news of your own death, you will live to a great age

4. Despite being more commonly associated with Russia, vodka (or ‘wodka’) was invented in Poland more than 500 years ago.

5. Ignace Paderewski, one of the greatest concert pianists of all time, was also Prime Minister of Poland.

6. Bonnie Prince Charlie was half Polish

7. Poland's Stella Walsh (Stanislawa Walasiewicz) won the women's 100-meters at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first woman to break the 12-second barrier. When she was killed in 1980 as an innocent victim in a robbery attempt, an autopsy declared her to be a male, thereby earning her the immortal nickname ‘Stella The Fella’

8. Poland is the world’s biggest exporter of beetroot

9. Poland has the last wild bison in Europe

10. The Polish city of Zywiec is the last entry in the Rand McNally International Atlas.

Ten things you didn’t know about Portugal

1. Portugal is the largest cork producing and exporting country in the world.

2. In Portugal the maternal surname is often placed before the paternal surname. The result is that some people may have up to four different surnames. Adding the usual two forenames, you can end up with, for example: Jose Ricardo Ferreira de Sousa Silva Carvalho.

3. Portugal is the oldest ally of the United Kingdom.

4. The four o’clock tea was first introduced in Britain by Portuguese Catherine De Braganza, queen consort to King Charles II of England, in the 17th century.

5. Portugal discovered the sea route to India and Brazil in the 15th century. The sea discoveries made Portugal the biggest world empire in the 16th century.

6. Portuguese is the seventh most spoken language in the world, being the native language of over 170 million people. It is, among other countries, the official language in Portugal, Brazil and some Southern African nations.

7. Portugal has a very long history of winemaking, being the Douro the oldest demarked and controlled wine region in the World. Portugal is immensely rich in terms of grape varieties with now more than 200 different ones, some with very odd names like ‘Dog Strangler’ and ‘Fly Droppings’.

8. The Portuguese have 365 ways to cook dry cod.

9. In Portugal, there is usually a television in the coffee shops.

10. The unique Festival of the Trays, held in Tomar every four years, traces its roots to a pagan fertility rite, though officially it’s related to the saintly practices of Dona Isabel (Dom Dinis’ queen) and has been held in its present form since the 17th century. The high-light of the festival is a procession of about 400 young white-clad women (traditionally they should be virgins!) bearing enormously tall tray headdresses stacked with loaves, decorated with colourful paper flowers and topped with a white paper dove. The next one will be in 2007.

[OneeyedJohn]

Jose Ricardo Ferreira de Sousa Silva Carvalho.

he's left back for Chelsea ain't he.........

[mrbojangles]

Jose Ricardo Ferreira de Sousa Silva Carvalho.

he's left back for Chelsea ain't he.........

Could you imagine trying to say goodnight to that family of 5

[mrbojangles]

Today we have Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro and South Korea.

Ten things you didn’t know about Saudi Arabia

1. Saudi Arabia is the only country named after its ruling family. It is got its name from the ruling Al Sa'ud family, who came to power in the 18th century.

2. In 1985, Prince Sultan Ibn Salman, a nephew of the late King Fahd, travelled aboard the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the first Arab and first Muslim to travel in space.

3. A Saudi Arabian woman can apparently divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee.

4. Oil was first discovered in the country in 1938. Saudi Arabia is now responsible for more than 25 per cent of the world's oil production. It also grows one tenth of the world's date palms.

5. The Holy Mosque in Mecca was the first place of worship for Muslims. Non-Muslims are not allowed to visit although the British explorer, Richard Burton, went there in 1853, disguised as a Muslim.

6. Never use the “OK” hand signal in Saudi Arabia. The gesture is seen as an insult meaning "the evil eye".

7. In Saudi Arabia it is impolite to point the sole of the foot at the person to whom you are speaking.

8. It is also discourteous to ask about a man’s wife and daughters. One should ask after his "family and children".

9. The Saudi working week begins on Saturday and ends on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are the official days of rest.

10. It is not uncommon for Saudi Arabian men to walk hand-in-hand in public and is purely a sign of friendship.

Ten things you didn’t know about Serbia & Montenegro

1. Mila Jovovic is half Serbian

2. There is an asteroid (1554) named after Yugoslavia

3. Serbia grows about one-third of the world's raspberries.

4. Montenegrins are the tallest people in Europe with a male average above 1,90cm in some areas

5. In June 2005 thousands of tiny frogs rained on a town in north-western Serbia

6. Serbia has a different legal tender (Dinar) to Montenegro (the euro)

7. The country consists of 2 republics and 2 autonomous provinces

8. A popular contraceptive treatment in Serbia is electric shocks delivered to the testicles

9. Tara is the biggest canyon in Europe and the second biggest in the world

10. St. Sava temple in Belgrade is the largest Orthodox church still in use

Ten things you didn’t know about South Korea

1. The South Korean capital, Seoul, just means "the capital" in the Korean language.

2. When The Sound of Music was released, a South Korean cinema owner decided it was too long. He solved the problem by cutting out all of the musical scenes.

3. Always give or accept a gift from a South Korean with both hands. To do otherwise might risk offense.

4. On ferries heading in or out of South Korea, you'll see people wearing small pieces of sticking plaster behind their ears. This is kimitae, supposedly a cure for sea-sickness, available from local pharmacies.

5. When shaking hands with a South Korean, ensure that you support your right forearm with your left hand to show respect. When saying goodbye, a bow is usually sufficient.

6. Using over-enthusiastic hand gestures or facial expressions and talking or laughing loudly are considered rude in Korean culture.

7. When visiting a Korean family home for the first time it is vital to take off your shoes so as not to offend your host.

8. When eating, try to avoid stabbing your chopsticks into your food as many South Koreans believe this is a sign of impending death. Also, never write a Korean's name in red ink. This indicates that the person is deceased.

9. Don't blow your nose in public - Koreans find it disgusting. If the need arises, slip off to the toilet or find another private spot.

10. More than 20% of the Korean population has Kim as their surname and 15% of the population uses the surname Lee.

Edited June 17, 2006 by mrbojangles

[redrus]

3. The Dutch are reported to be the tallest people in the world, with the average man’s height standing at approximately 6ft 1in.

4. Montenegrins are the tallest people in Europe with a male average above 1,90cm in some areas

Holland will win.............

redrus

[mrbojangles]

Oki doki, today we have Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Ten things you didn’t know about Spain

1. The world’s biggest food fight, La Tomatina, is held every year in the town of Buñol in Valencia on the last Wednesday in August. Residents and visitors literally paint the town red by pelting each other with tomatoes.

2. Ernest Hemingway, who wrote about the Spanish Civil War in ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ and made famous the San Fermín festival in Pamplona – also known as ‘the running of the bull’ – in ‘The Sun Also Rises’ has a street in the city named after him, Avenida de Hemingway.

3. 94% of the population of Spain is Roman Catholic.

4. Spain’s patron saint, Saint James, is one of the twelve apostles and is said to be buried at Compostela in North West Spain.

5. Christopher Columbus, who many people believe to have been Spanish, was actually from Genoa in Italy. However, his famous voyage to 1492 was financed by Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.

6. Euskara, the language spoken by the Basque population, is one of the oldest living languages in the world and does not seem to be related to any other known language. However, with the number of people currently speaking Euskara about 700,000, its existence is under threat.

7. Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) was the author of ‘Don Quixote’, regarded by many as the first modern novel.

8. The most expensive seats at a bull-fight – Spain’s traditional and controversial sport – are those in the shade.

9. Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (1044-1099), otherwise known as El Cid, is a Spanish hero from Castile who fought the Moors in Spain. Legend has it that after El Cid died he was strapped onto a horse and ridden into battle. So afraid was the enemy of this invincible general that they fled.

10. Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, one of the founders of cubism, was greatly moved by the bombing of Guernica by the German Luftwaffe in 1937. When handing out photos of his famous Guernica painting to German Officers in Paris, one of them asked, “did you do this?” He replied, brilliantly, “no, you did.”

Ten things you didn’t know about Sweden

1. There are over 100,000 lakes in Sweden.

2. In their first three years, the Swedish pop group Abba sold more records than the Beatles.

3. An old Swedish law called ‘Every Man's Right’ means that it is legal to visit somebody else's land, to bathe in their lake, travel by boat on their river, and pick the wild flowers, mushrooms, berries, fallen cones, acorns and nuts you find there.

3. Sweden’s coastline is the longest in Europe, stretching 7,300 km.

4. Sweden is one of the top consumers per capita of ketchup in the world

5. All alcohol has to be bought in off-licences except for class A beers (less than 3%) which can be bought in supermarkets.

6. The Swedish chef featured in the muppet show did not actually speak Swedish at all but made up gibberish.

7. Contrary to popular belief, there are no polar bears in Sweden.

8. People in Sweden eat about 1 kg/person of ham each Christmas

9. Until 1965, driving was done on the left-hand side on roads in Sweden. The conversion to right-hand was done on a weekday at 5 p.m. All traffic stopped as people switched sides. This time and day were chosen to prevent accidents where drivers would have gotten up in the morning and been too sleepy to realize 'this' was the day of the changeover.

10. The name IKEA comes from a clever acronym using the initials of the founder, Ingvar Kamprad, who was from a family farm called Elmtaryd, which was near the village of Agunnaryd. The acronym is for a Swedish phrase but it turns out to be the same in English, Ingvar Kamprad's Economical Alternative.

Ten things you didn’t know about Switzerland

1. The last legal execution of a witch took place in Switzerland in 1782.

2. It was once against Swiss law to slam your car door.

3. In the Blind Cow Restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, guests feast in complete darkness while being served by blind or visually impaired staff.

4. Women were only fully granted the right to vote in all parts of the country in 1990.

5. Swiss law forbids you to mow your front lawn while dressed as Elvis Presley.

6. The oldest man to ever score a hole-in-one in golf was the Swiss 99-year-old Otto Bucher.

7. Every Swiss male citizen has to do military service, starting at 20 and ending at 42 - during which time they get to keep their guns at home.

8. Switzerland is currently building the longest tunnel in the world: the AlpTransit Link, which will be 57.07 km/35.46 miles long when finished in 2010.

9. For a country supposedly saturated with snowy peaks, Switzerland also plays host to one of Europe’s largest concentrations of kiwis, peaches, figs and scorpions.

10. The Swiss are not known for coming first at anything important. They were second to climb Everest, have the sixth highest life expectancy in the world, and remain the second to last country in the whole world to join the United Nations (which they did in 2002, leaving just the Vatican City out in the cold).

[mrbojangles]

Not many to go now chaps. Today we have Trinidad and Tobago, Togo and Tunisia

10 things you didn't know about Trinidad and Tobago

1. The islands of Trinidad and Tobago were first explored by Columbus in the late 16th century. They came under British control in the 19th century and independence was granted in 1962.

2. The total land area of the islands is 1,981 sq miles (5,131 sq km) and the total population is approximately 1,065,842.

3. Tobago’s answer to Ascot is the Easter goat and crab racing events. Indeed goat racing is one of the island’s most popular sports.

4. Trinidad’s Pitch Lake is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt.

5. Former face of News at Ten Sir Trevor McDonald was born in Trinidad in 1939.

6. The world’s first successful oil well was drilled in Aripero, Trinidad, in 1866.

7. One of the country’s most popular pastimes is what locals term as Liming, or talking for talking's sake.

8. A popular traditional beverage of the country is sea moss drink, which Trinidadians believe heightens a man’s sexual performance. Sea moss is mixed with milk and lime and served with ice.

9. Trinidad and Tobago is renowned as the place where Calypso music and Limbo dancing originated.

10. Although English is the official language of Trinidad and Tobago, a local patois has developed with many unusual words, including Yampee, which is a term in its own right for mucus in corner of the eyes.

Ten things you didn’t know about Togo

1. French Togoland became Togo in 1960 (Togo's full country name is the Togolese Republic).

2. Togoville in southern Togo is where Voodoo practitioners were taken as slaves to Haiti (which is now a major centre for the practice).

3. During the second week in September, the Guin Festival in Glidji (30 miles from Togo's capital city Lome) is a huge tourist draw because of the unusual celebrations which include rituals that are both sacred and profane. Voodoo is the local religion so seeing people going into trances is a common sight.

4. Togo's official language (and the language of commerce) is French, but African languages Ewe, Mina, Kabye and Dagomba are also spoken.

5. The best place to buy batiks, wooden sculptures, leather work and other art effects is in the villages off the beaten track; it's considerably cheaper than the city markets and hotels, and you can ogle local artists at work.

6. The Ewe people consider the birth of twins a great blessing and offer kola nuts and water as thanks if they're blessed. Conversely, the Bassari consider the birth of twins bad luck; they used to kill one or both of them.

7. Togo's Internet country code is .tg (yes, we're really struggling with Togo)

8. The Ewe people eat cat and abhor anyone who eats dogs, while the Kabye eat dog, but not cat.

9. Popular Togolese dishes include riz sauce arachide (rice with peanut sauce), abobo (cooked snails) and egbo pinon (smoked goat).

10. Some of the animals you might see in Togo (if you're lucky) are: waterbuck, duiker, oribi, bush pig, wart hog, hyena and vervet.

Ten things you didn’t know about Tunisia

1. The Tatooine scenes in Star Wars were filmed in Tunisia. The canyon near Sid Bouhlel is now named Star Wars canyon.

2. Carrying on the movie theme Tunisia was used as a stand-in for Egypt in Raiders of the Lost Arc.

3. Tunisia is the smallest country in North Africa

4. Men under the age of 20 are not legally allowed to marry but women only have to be 17.

5. Residents of Matmata live in cave-like underground dwellings. The only signs of people living there are tv aerials.

6. The Great Mosque at Kairouan is the oldest place of prayer in North Africa.

7. Tunisia is the third largest producer of the world’s olives.

8. The Marjadah is the only river in Tunisia which does not dry up in the summer.

9. The Tunisian flat-tailed scorpion is one of the most deadly scorpions in the world.

10. The Sahara desert covers approximately 40% of Tunisia’s surface area.

Edited June 19, 2006 by mrbojangles

[Donz]

One thing you will find out about Australia.

1. Australia the world cup 2006 winners

[mrbojangles]

One thing you will find out about Australia.

1. Australia the world cup 2006 winners

Donz, could we keep to FACTS, not daydreaming made up <deleted>

[mrbojangles]

Well people today is the last day as we have covered them all and we have Ukraine and last but not least USA. Hope you enjoyed reading them.

Ten things you didn’t know about Ukraine

1. Golda Meir (1898-1978), who became Israel's Prime Minister in 1969, and the world's second ever female Prime Minister, was born in Kyiv (Kiev)

2. If you give flowers to a Ukrainian, make sure there’s an odd number of blooms otherwise this will be considered to be bad luck

3. Famous Ukraninans or those of Ukrainian decent include actor Jack Palance, actress and model Milla Jovovich, Oscar winning actor Dustin Hoffman, actor Walter Matthau, artist Andy Warhol, ballet legend Vaslav Nijinsky, novelist Joseph Conrad, West Wing actor John Spencer, singer Michael Bolton and AC Milan footballer Andriy Shevchenko

4. Ukraine’s national anthem is rather optimistically entitled “Ukraine is Not Yet Dead”

5. Chicken Kiev, is not of Ukrainian origin as the name Kiev would imply. It was invented by the Frenchman who came up with the idea of storing food in tins and was called Chicken Supreme. The name Chicken Kiev was coined by early New York restaurants to try to please Soviet immigrants.

6. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukrainian republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) that produced a plume of radioactive debris that drifted over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia, took place on April 26, 1986, and was the worst nuclear power accident in history.

7. 95% of Ukraine is flat or nearly flat

8. When in Ukraine, don't place your thumb between your first two fingers – as it’s considered to be a very rude gesture.

9. The poisoning of Victor Yushchenko came to light during his presidential campaign in September 2004. Yushchenko, famed for his good looks, suffered a mysterious illness leaving his face disfigured, making him appear to age 20 years in a matter of weeks. After the Orange Revolution which led to repeat elections, Yushchenko easily won the Presidency and became the first non-Kremlin supported leader of Ukraine.

10. In 2003, Ukrainian Sergey Karjakin became the world’s youngest ever chess Grandmaster at the age of 12 years and seven months

Ten things you didn’t know about the USA

1. In Utah, it is illegal to swear in front of a dead person.

2. Hawaii is the only coffee producing state.

3. The world's largest McDonalds is located on I-44 at Vinita, Oklahoma. It goes from one side of the interstate to the other, passing over the interstate.

4. The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as needed because when it was built the state of Virginia still had segregation laws.

5. The last time American Green cards were actually green was 1964

6. Dominoes may not be played on Sunday in the state of Alabama

7. In Florida you may not fart in a public place after 6PM

8. Highest USA temperature: 134° F / 56.7° C, Death Valley, California, 10 July, 1913

9. The Population of the world can live within the state boundaries of Texas.

10. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.

[redrus]

Great stuff mate, thanks for those...........

redrus

[mrbojangles]

Great stuff mate, thanks for those...........

A pleasure Red. I enjoyed em, so i thought i'd share them.

On another note (also linked to what you might not know). I received an e-mail this morning, another one of those mathematical one's, interesting but probably meaningless

Brazil won the World Cup in 1994. Before that, they had won this title for the last time in 1970.

If you add up: 1970 + 1994 = 3964

Argentina won the World Cup for the last time in 1986. Before that only in 1978.

And 1978 + 1986 = 3964

Germany, though, won the World Cup in 1990. Before that, Germany won in 1974.

Look: 1990 + 1974 = 3964

This could lead us to guess the winner of the World Cup in 2002, since it should be the winner of the 1962 World Cup (In fact 3964 - 2002 = 1962).

And Brazil won the World Cup in 1962! (And, in fact, Brazil won the 2002 WC)

This numerology seems to work...

And now, who would be the winner of the 2006 world cup?

Let's see, 3964 - 2006 = 1958

And who won in 1958?....

Brazil!

[tom yum goong]

surely then England would have won the world cup in 1998?

3964 - 1966 = 1998

maybe i missed it?

[kayo]

that number thing applies to sept 11 as well somehow... num,bers can be wrangled though...

Mind If I throw in one or two.

Paraguay, the Iguazu falls were also used for a key scene in the rob de niro movie The mission, a few decades ago.

Holland. It is actually possible (I´ve done it) to have your bike stolen, and then buy it back from the drug dealer who stole it.

Twice.

Poland. Thailands most famous Pole is none other than my uncle and best thai friend, Kan win.

[mrbojangles]

Mind If I throw in one or two.

Absolutely not Kayo. Anyone else who knows something quirky are too most welcome to share with us.

Didn't know Kan Win was Polish

[Old Croc]

9. The Population of the world can live within the state boundaries of Texas.

Texas can fit into the State of Western Australia 3.6 times.