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Taiwan is a
state in East Asia and the first constitutional republic in Asia. Originally
based in mainland China, the Republic of China now governs the island of Taiwan
(formerly known as "Formosa"), which makes up over 99% of its territory,
as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other minor islands. Neighboring states
include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east and
northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Taipei is the political capital as
well as economic and cultural centre in Taiwan. New Taipei is the most populous
city.
Did you know that:
1. The country of Taiwan national sport is Baseball. Taiwan won the 1995 little
league world championship in the US. It is the first time they have one a World
Series in any sport.
2. Taiwan is world famous for its one production of Hollywood type movies. It
is famous for creating "City of Sadness"(1989). In 2001, Ang Lees
"Crouching, Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Are some of its best known titles.
3. Taiwan has the first woman ever to win a world Nobel Peace Prize presented
too Lu Hsiu-lein
4. Taiwan held the world Miss Universe pageant and that year Miss Taiwan never
made it past the semifinals for her country.
5. The national Government of Taiwan is a democratic go0vernment unlike most
countries in Southeast Asia which have a socialist view on their government
which makes Tawian, rare in the region.
Macau is
one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China
(PRC), the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl
River Delta across from Hong Kong to the east, bordered by Guangdong province
to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south. The
territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also
includes manufacturing.
Did you know that:
1. In addition to being Macau's largest natural beach, 4,000 year old ceramics
were also excavated from the the Hac Sa Beach or Black Sandy Bay beach.
2. It is the only place in China where gambling is allowed.
3. The Cathedral of St. Paul, built by Jesuits around 1580-1625 AD formed
Macau's 'acropolis' and was the largest Catholic church of its time in East
Asia.
4. It has its own dialect of Portuguese called "Macanese Portuguese"
and a distinctive creole generally known as "Patuá".
5. Portuguese egg tarts are Macau's most famous and popular local snack.
6. Trishaws now used for tourists were once the primary transport method in
Macau.
Hong Kong
is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of
China, the other being Macau. It is situated on China's south coast and,
enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its
expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 and a
population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely
populated areas in the world.
Did you know that:
1. The Peak Tram became the first cable funicular in Asia in 1888 and remains
one of the steepest and oldest cable railroads in the world. An average of over
11,000 people ride the Peak Tram every day or more than 4 million annually.
2. The 'father of fibre optic communications' and winner of the 2009 Nobel
Prize in Physics is Professor Charles Kao from Hong Kong.
3. Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005, is the third Disney theme park
outside the US and the first in China.
4. Mongkok has the world's highest population density with an average of
130,000 people per square kilometer.
5. It has the world's most affordable Michelin star rates dishes at less than
USD2 per dish.
6. A unique brand of Cantonese popular music called Canton-pop originated and
spread from Hong Kong to the rest of Asia.
Gabon is a
sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator,
Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north,
the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the
west. It has an area of nearly 270,000 square kilometres and its population is
estimated at 1.5 million people.
Did you know that:
1. The region was initially inhabited by the Pygmy peoples later the people of
the Bantu tribes immigrated to the place.
2. The climate of Gabon is mostly hot and humid owing to the fact that it lies
right on the equator.
3. Libreville, which means free town, is the capital of Gabon and was founded
in 1849 by freed slaves. It however was not declared the capital of Gabon till
1993.
4. Gabon has rich reserves of manganese, iron, petroleum and timber.
5. Almost 80-85% of Gabon is covered by rainforests, 11% of which has been
dedicated for national parks making these parks some of the largest nature
parks in the world.
6. The rainforests of Gabon are home to 777 species of birds.
7. Ogooué is the largest lake in Gabon and stretches over a distance of 1200
km.
8. The entire country of Gabon is just slightly smaller than the state of
Colorado in the United States.
Nauru -
officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island - is an
island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is
Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 kilometres to the east. Nauru is the world's
smallest republic, covering just 21 square kilometres. With 9,378 residents, it
is the second least-populated country after Vatican City.
Did you know that:
1. British Captain John Fearn, a whale hunter, was the first Westerner to visit
the island in 1798 and named it Pleasant Island.
2. The national currency of Nauru is Australian Dollar.
3. Life expectancy in this small island nation is 61-years-old.
4. Nauruan is the official language of the island, although English is also
widely spoken.
5. The climate of Nauru is a tropical one, with moderate summers and winters.
6. Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, covering just 21 km².
7. It is the only republican state in the world without an official capital.
8. A traditional activity enjoyed at Nauru is catching noddy birds, when they
return from foraging at sea.
Martinique
is an island in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land
area of 1,128 km2. Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France,
consisting of a single overseas department. It is directly north of St. Lucia
and south of Dominica.
Did you know that:
1. Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French
possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.
2. Most places already include their service charges on the final bill. The
majority of restaurants include a 15 % service charge on all bills, and hotels
on the island generally add 10 % on the final bill. But if you're feeling extra
generous and your service was outstanding, you can always tip a little more.
Taxi drivers may expect a tip, especially for longer trips.
3. There are few ethnic groups: African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%,
white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%.
Bahrain is
a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It
is an archipelago, with the largest island being Bahrain Island at 55 km long
by 18 km wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the
King Fahd Causeway. Iran lies 200 km to the north of Bahrain, across the Gulf.
The peninsula of Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain.
Did you know that:
1. Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002. The capital of this kingdom is
Manama.
2. The whole of Bahrain is divided into five regions known as governorates.
Since independence, there have been continuous conflicts between the ruling
Sunni tribe and the Shiite majority.
3. The official currency is Bahraini dinar (BHD). Bahrain is a very important
financial centre of the Arab world.
4. The official language is Arabic though Persian Farsi and Urdu are also used.
English is widely spoken and the principal language of commerce.
5. Bahrain exports petroleum and petroleum products, textiles and aluminum. It
imports chemical, machinery and crude oil. The natural resources mainly consist
of natural gas, oil and fish stocks.
Benin is a
country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, by Nigeria to the
east and by Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. A majority of the population
live on its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin. Benin covers an
area of approximately 110,000 square kilometers with a population of
approximately 9.05 million.
Did you know that:
1. In terms of geographical area, Benin is smaller than the state of
Pennsylvania.
2. The city of Cotonou in Benin enjoys the distinction of being the largest
city in the country.
3. The city of Ouidah in Benin, spelt Whydah in history books written in
English, is also known as the ‘Museum City’ because of its rich colonial
history. Whydah was once the stronghold of the British, French, and Danish.
4. Porto-Novo, the capital city of Benin, is also known as the ‘City with three
names’. This is basically because the city, apart from being known as
Porto-Novo, is also known as Adjatche and Hogbonou.
Djibouti is
a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the
north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The
remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the
east. Djibouti occupies a total area of just 23,200 km2.
Did you know that:
1. Djibouti is just a little smaller than the state of Massachusetts.
2. Djibouti enjoys proximity to few of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Apart from the closeness to the lanes, the country is also close to the Arabian
oilfields.
3. Not only is Lac Assal (Lake Assal) the lowest point in Djibouti, it is also
the lowest point in the continent of Africa.
4. Djibouti is a semi-presidential republic
5. Due to the curse of scanty rainfall in the country, agricultural production
is limited only to fruits and vegetables. Most of the food in Djibouti is
imported.
6. Djibouti is located within the limits of the Afar Triangle, one of hottest
and most isolated places on the surface of the earth.
The United
Arab Emirates sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE is an Arab
country in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf,
bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing
sea borders with Qatar and Iran.
Did you know that:
1. Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world.
2. In Dubai Emirates Mall, you can ski indoors while shopping.
3. Dubai has the largest shopping mall in the world, Dubai Mall.
4. Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building.
5. Eighty percent of the residents of Dubai are foreigners.
6. Dubai is the Middle East supply hub for the jewellery market.
7. Dubai has the first man-made island in UAE, the Palm Island.
8. There are no street addresses in Dubai.
9. Abu Dhabi is one of the largest oil producers in the world and significantly
contributes to the world's economy.
10. Abu Dhabi is one of the wealthiest states in the world.
