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Greece is a
country in Southern Europe. It is strategically located at the crossroads of
Europe, Asia and Africa. It also shares land borders with Albania to the
northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to
the northeast.
Did you know that:
1. No one in Greece can choose to not vote. Voting is required by law for every
citizen who is 18 or older.
2. About 7% of all the marble produced in the world comes from Greece.
3. According to Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon agreed that whoever gave
the city the best gift would become guardian over the city. Though Poseidon
gave the gift of water, Athena’s gift of an olive tree was deemed by the other
gods to be more valuable.
4. Greece is the leading producer of sea sponges.
5. Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world.
6. The saying “taking the bull by its horns” comes from the Greek myth of
Hercules saving Crete from a raging bull by seizing its horns.
7. The first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. The first Olympic champion
was a Greek cook named Coroebus who won the sprint race.
8. Greece’s currency, the drachma, was 2,650 years old and Europe’s oldest
currency. The drachma was replaced with the Euro in 2002.
Israel is a
country in Western Asia, situated at the southeastern shore of the
Mediterranean Sea. It shares land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria in
the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories comprising the
West Bank and Gaza Strip on the east and southwest, respectively, and Egypt and
the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south.
Did you know that:
1. There are over 100 sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv.
2. Israel was the first country to ban underweight models.
3. Israeli banknotes have braille markings on them.
4. The largest known dog cemetery in the ancient world was discovered in the
coastal city of Ashkelon.
5. The country has the most Bauhaus buildings in the world.
6. The first antivirus software for computers was created in Israel in 1979.
7. Israel has the world’s second highest per capita of new books.
Bhutan is a
landlocked country in South Asia located at the eastern end of the Himalayas.
It is bordered to the north by China and to the south, east and west by India.
To the west, it is separated from Nepal by the Indian state of Sikkim, while
further south it is separated from Bangladesh by the Indian states of Assam and
West Bengal. Bhutan's capital and largest city is Thimphu.
Did you know that:
1. Anyone found guilty of killing a highly endangered and culturally sacred
black-necked crane could be sentenced to life in prison.
2. Bhutan is the only nation in the world where the sale of tobacco is banned.
3. Plastic bags have been banned in Bhutan since 1999, and instead cotton bags
are used to help conserve the country.
4. The “takin,” a goat-antelope, is Bhutan’s national animal; a unique and
strange animal looking like a mix of a cow and goat.
5. The national sport of Bhutan is archery.
6. Bhutanese are forbidden to marry foreigners.
Mongolia is
a landlocked country in east-central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the
north and China to the south, east and west. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and also
the largest city, is home to about 45% of the population.
Did you know that:
1. You could fit the Netherlands into Mongolia 37 times!
2. Many dinosaur fossils still lie exposed. Tourists pick them up as souvenirs.
3. Snow leopards are native to Mongolia. A quarter of the world's population
lives here. (A snow leopard cannot purr or roar).
4. In a country where distances are far and communication can be difficult, it
is important to maintain a sense of community. People living in the Mongolian
countryside will always have a bowl of warm, salty milk tea ready for visitors.
5. Eagles are kept as pets by nomads.
Thailand is
a country at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is
bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to
the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman
Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include
Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India on
the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
Did you know that:
1. Thailand was actually known as Siam until 1939 (and again from 1945 to
1949).
2. Siamese cats are native to Thailand.
3. The largest living lizard is native to Thailand. The monitor lizard can grow
as long as 7 feet.
4. Muay Thai boxing, Thailand’s national sport, is known as “the art of eight
limbs”.
5. It is illegal to step on any Thai currency.
6. The Garuda is the national and royal symbol of Thailand.
