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Mauritius is
an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres off the southeast
coast of the African continent. The country includes the islands of Mauritius,
Rodrigues (560 kilometres east of the principal island), the islands of Agalega
and the archipelago Saint Brandon. Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos
Archipelago situated 1,287 kilometres to the north east; the United Kingdom
excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory prior to Mauritius'
independence and gradually depopulated it.
Did you know that:
1. Mauritius is the most densely populated country in Africa and the 17th most
densely populated country in the world.
2. The legendary dodo bird was found only in Mauritius before it became
extinct. Despite its extinction, the dodo remains Mauritius’ national animal.
3. Mauritius is an island created by underwater volcanic eruptions. The first
people to set foot on it were the Portuguese.
4. Mark Twain has been quoted as saying, “You gather the idea that Mauritius
was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
5. While many countries consider it polite to receive gifts with both hands,
Mauritians prefer to receive things with the right hand only.
Palestine is
a geographic region in Western Asia between the Mediterranean Sea and the
Jordan River. It is sometimes considered to include adjoining territories. The
name was used by Ancient Greek writers, and was later used for the Roman
province Syria Palaestina, the Byzantine Palaestina Prima and the Umayyad and
Abbasid province of Jund Filastin. The region is also known as the Land of
Israel, the Holy Land, the Southern Levant, Cisjordan, and historically has
been known by other names including Canaan, Southern Syria and Jerusalem.
Did you know that:
1. For centuries, ‘olives’ have been an integral part of the Palestinian culture,
tradition and ethos.
2. Bethlehem celebrates Christmas 3 times a year: Once on December 25 as per
western tradition, then on 6 January as per the Greek Orthodox Church and then
on 18 January, as per the Armenians.
3. Dead Sea, the lowest natural point of elevation on Earth, is in Palestine.
4. British archaeologist Dorothy Garrod was the first to fully examine the Old
Stone Age in Palestine. The study shows that at that time, Palestine was
culturally linked to Europe, and the recovered human remains showed that the
inhabitants belonged to the same group as the Neanderthal inhabitants of
Europe.
Saint Lucia
is a sovereign island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with
the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast
of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique.
It covers a land area of 617 km2.
Did you know that:
1. St Lucia has won no Olympic medals. Its largest team was six athletes at
Atlanta 1996.
2. Jacquot, or the St. Lucia Parrot, is a bird native only to these islands. It
is the national bird of St. Lucia, and its scientific name is Amazona
Versicolor.
3. The East Caribbean dollar (EC$) is the national currency of St. Lucia.
4. St. Lucia was known as the Island of the Iguanas by the Amerindian Arawak
and Carib people who are known to have been among the earliest settlers here.
5. The rules for driving in St Lucia officially state that roads should be
approached from the left hand side.
Greenland is
an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic
and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though
physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been
politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and
later Denmark) for more than a millennium.
Did you know that:
1. The official languages of Greenland are Greenlandic and Danish, but English
is also widely understood.
2. The capital of Greenland is Nuuk.
3. Greenland was discovered by Vikings in the 10th century. It is believed that
they named it Greenland in order to entice settlers.
4. Greenland is the world's largest island, in terms of area, which is not a
continent in its own right.
5. In Greenlandic, Greenland is known as ‘Kalaallit Nunaat’, meaning the Land
of People.
6. Kayak, anorak and igloo are Greenlandic words that have been adopted directly
by many other languages.
7. In Greenland, there are basically two ways of covering long distances -
aircraft/helicopter and ship. There are no roads connecting its towns.
8. Northern lights appear in Greenland throughout the year, but can only be
observed against a clear night sky.
9. July is the only month in which Greenland's temperature goes above the
freezing point.
