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Luxembourg

piątek, 17 października 2014

Luxembourg is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. It comprises two principal regions: the Oesling in the north as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("good country") in the south.

Did you know that:
1. Luxembourg has the highest minimum legal salary in the Europe and the second highest in the world after Australia. In 2013, it was €1,874.90 ($2,404) per month or €10.8335 ($13.89) per hour for unqualified workers over 18 - higher even than in Monaco.
2. Luxembourg contributes to the highest sale of alcohol in European GDP.
3. German is the first language which is taught in schools of Luxembourg and is also used by the Church and media. However, all the businesses and official dealings are done in French.
4. The University of Luxembourg is the only university in the country.
5. Due to its banking secrecy laws, Luxembourg has attained the reputation of a tax haven.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab state in Western Asia by land area and the second-largest in the Arab world after Algeria. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen in the south. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast.

Did you know that:
1. Saudi Arabia is the only place on earth where beheading, amputation of hands and limbs, and stoning are not illegal.
2. It is illegal in Saudi Arabia to practice any form of sorcery or magic. The Saudis have a police unit set up specifically for catching witches.
3. It is strictly forbidden to carry and drink alcoholic beverages in Saudi Arabia.
4. In Saudi Arabia, a liter of potable water is more expensive than a liter of oil.
5. Women are basically banned from working in Saudi Arabia. For decades, that meant women were served by men in lingerie shops, which was a bit awkward.
6. Diyya, commonly translated as “blood money,” is a system for criminals to compensate their victims’ families financially. Doing so allows the person that committed the crime to be let off from normal criminal justice. It’s a formalized way of buying one’s freedom.

Burkina Faso

poniedziałek, 6 października 2014

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. Its capital is Ouagadougou.

Did you know that:
1. The official language is French, since Burkina Faso was colonized by France. Other languages spoken include Mòoré, Gourma, Fulfulde, Dioula, Tamasheq.
2. The Mossi is the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso.
3. Burkina Faso is home to 60 different ethnic groups, each with their own variety of folk music.
4. Burkina Faso is a leader in African art and culture and hosts the largest craft market in Africa.
5. The Bobo, one of the ethnic groups in Burkina Faso make large butterfly masks, painted in stripes of red, white and black which are used to invoke the deity Do in fertility ceremonies. The Mossi are known for their antelope masks. The Lobi carve wood.


Mayotte

sobota, 4 października 2014

Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeast Africa, namely between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique.

Did you know that:
1. Mayotte Island is geographically part of the Comoros archipelago, a small group of islands lying between the northern tip of Madagascar and East Africa in the Indian Ocean.
2. The island is surrounded by reefs and the main harbour at Dzaoudzi is very well-protected. There are many anchorages inside the reef and diving is excellent.
3. The climate is tropical, with two seasons: the dry season lasting from May to October, with an average temperature of 24°C, and the rainy season from November to April, when both temperature and humidity are higher. The cyclone season is from December to March.
4. The native languages of Mayotte are: Shimaore, a dialect of the Comorian language (a close relative of Swahili); Kibushi, a western dialect of the Malagasy language (the language of Madagascar) heavily influenced by Shimaore and Arabic; Kiantalaotsi, another western dialect of the Malagasy language also heavily influenced by Shimaore and Arabic; Arabic, essentially learned in the Quranic schools. But
the only official language of Mayotte is French.

Georgia

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi.

Did you know that:

1. The ethnic Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi.
2. The world’s deepest cave is the Voronya Cave in Georgia.
3. Georgia is considered as a transcontinental country as it spans more than one continent.
4. Wine making is the most notable old tradition of Georgia.
5. Georgia is considered to preserve one of the earliest evidences of human habitation. Archeological excavation has found skulls of pre-historic human being that date back to 1.7 million years.
6. The name of the capital of Georgia, T’bilisi has been derived from the Georgian word for warm.

Slovakia

Slovakia is a sovereign state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometers. Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south.

Did you know that:
1. Slovak women marry the youngest (average 24 years old) within the European Union, along with Lithuanian and Polish women.
2. Slovakia, along with the three Baltic countries, has the highest death rate for heart diseases in the EU.
3. Slovak is an official language in Vojvodina (a region in northern Serbia).
4. The country is such a small one that it could easily fit three times over into Minnesota.
5. Considering that it is such a tiny country, it has a whopping 300 castles. They tower over the stunning landscape almost everywhere you go.
6. Andy Warhol, the world famous pop artist was of Slovakian descent.
7. Slovakia is a car-country. With more than 100 cars per 1000 people we are the largest producer of cars if counted per person.

Lithuania

Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, one of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) to the southwest.

Did you know that:
1. The colors of the Lithuanian flag are the same colors as a stoplight. Not the same order, though.
2. Basketball is the country’s national sport, and the team is ranked third worldwide. Several players have even joined the NBA.
3. In Lithuania, the Easter Bunny doesn’t bring you Easter eggs. Easter Granny does.
4. The Lithuanian language is one of the oldest and existing languages of the Indo-European category.
5. The method of making vodka from corn was first discovered by the Lithuanians.