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Albania is
a country in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the
northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the
south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west and on the Ionian
Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto,
which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea.
Did you know that:
1. Mother Teresa (Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu) is generally celebrated as the only
Albanian to win a Nobel Prize, though born in Skopje in 1910 (now in Macedonia
but then in the Ottoman Empire).
2. Albania, Armenia and Vatican City are the only European countries without a
McDonald’s branch.
3. The most popular sport in Albania is soccer.
4. The official language is
Albanian, other languages used include Greek, Italian, Vlack, Macedonian,
Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Gorani, and Roma.
4. The cuisine can be a mixture of Greek, Turkish, and Italian influences, with
dishes including Tarator, Stuffed Peppers, fried Sardines and other seafood,
Dolma, Bakllasarem, and Baklava.
Latvia is a
country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia,
Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and by a maritime border to the west with Sweden.
Latvia has 2,003,000 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2.
Did you know that:
1. Historically, Latvia is known by the name Lettland. Lettland gets its name
from the natives ‘Letts’ or the Lettish people.
2. Riga Castle was constructed for the Livonian Order of Knights in 1330. In
the present time, the Riga Castle is the official home of the President of
Latvia.
3. The capital of Latvia, Riga is famous for some of the best Art Nouveau
architecture in Europe.
4. In the 17th Century, Tobago, one of the two Caribbean islands comprising the
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, was temporarily a colony of the Duchy of
Courland which is now a part of Latvia.
5. After Finland, Sweden and Slovenia, Latvia has the 4th highest portion of
land covered by forests in the European Union.
Réunion is
a French island with a population of 840,974 inhabitants (as of January 2013), located
in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres southwest of
Mauritius, the nearest island Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas
departments of France. Like the other overseas departments, Réunion is also one
of the 27 regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of
the Republic with the same status as those situated on the European mainland.
Did you know that:
1. Reunion Island was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century and
was uninhabited at that time.
2. The main exports of Reunion Island include sugar, seafood, rum, and vanilla.
3. Reunion Island is quite mountainous and volcanic in origin.
4. Reunion Island was the first region in the world to use the euro, mainly
because of being located in a time zone to the east of Europe.
5. Administratively, Reunion Island has been divided into 4 arrondissements, 24
cantons, and 24 communes.
6. Reunion Island serves as a useful stop for yachts sailing from the Mauritius
to South Africa.
7. Reunion Creole, derived from French, is the most widely spoken language in
Reunion Island but official language of Reunion Island is French.
Guam is an
organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the western Pacific
Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian
government. Guam is listed as one of seventeen Non-Self-Governing Territories
by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United Nations. The island's
capital is Hagåtña (formerly named Agana). Guam is the largest and southernmost
of the Mariana Islands.
Did you know that:
1. The official languages of Guam are English and Chamorro.
2. Bougainvillea spectabilis or Puti Tai Nobiu is the nation flower of Guam.
3. Mariana Trench, deepest part of the ocean in the world, is in the vicinity
of Guam.
4. The beaches of Guam are not covered with sand but ground coral, which means
this island, does not have sand!
5. Most part of Guam observe all the American holidays. However, it has two
specific national holidays, which are the Guam Discovery Day, held on the first
Monday in March and the Liberation Day, on 21 July.
6. Cultural traditions include galaide canoe making, making and playing the
belembaotuyan string instrument, different types of rituals and festivals, and
the preparation of various herbal medicines.
Pakistan is
a sovereign country in South Asia. Pakistan has a 1,046 km coastline along the
Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the
east, Afghanistan to the west and north, Iran to the southwest and China in the
far northeast. It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan
Corridor in the north, and also shares a marine border with Oman.
Did you know that:
1. Pakistan is the world’s second-largest producer of chickpeas behind India.
2. The name Pakistan means ‘land of the pure’ in Persian and Urdu.
The official currency of Pakistan is the Pakistani rupee.
3. Pakistan's national sport is field hockey. The country has had a lot of
success in the sport having won the Olympic gold medal 3 times in 1960, 1968,
and 1984, and the Hockey World Cup 4 times in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994.
4. The national drink of Pakistan is Sugarcane juice, called "roh"
the juice is usually only sold by roadside vendors throughout the country.
5. The Tharparkar Desert in the southern area of Pakistan stands as the only
fertile desert of the world.
6. Pakistan’s Shafay Thobani, at 12 years old, became the youngest
Microsoft-certified technology specialist.
The Faroe
Islands is an archipelago and autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark,
situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately
halfway between Norway and Iceland, at about 320 kilometres (200 mi)
north-north-west of mainland Scotland.
Did you know that:
1. There are 77 nationalities living in the Faroe Islands – and that’s from a
total population of only 48,000 – a real cultural melting pot!
2. The Faroe Islands are one of very few countries in Europe to have no McDonalds
outlets.
3. There is no prison on the Faroe Islands. Long-term prisoners get sent off to
Denmark.
4. The Faroese language, spoken by all Faroese people, is most similar to
Icelandic and the now extinct Old Norse language.
5. Fishing industry is the single most important industry providing more than
97% of the total exports. Tourism is the second largest industry.
6. On the islands, you are never more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the
ocean.
