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Namibia is
a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It
shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east
and South Africa to the south and east. Although it does not border with
Zimbabwe, less than 200 metres of riverbed (essentially the Zambia/Botswana
border) separates them at their closest points.
Did you know that:
1. The Welwitschia Mirabilis, a fossil plant that can be found in the Namib
Desert, has a lifespan that can reach 2,000 years.
2. Around 14% of Namibia’s land area is protected zone.
3. The largest meteorite shower ever, the Gibeon meteorite shower, was
discovered in Namibia in 1838.
4. The longest cave system in Namibia is the Arnhem Cave.
5. Tsumeb Mine was once Africa’s richest source of lead and zinc.
6. Dragon’s Breath, located in Hariseb, is the world’s largest underground
lake.
7. The Namib Desert is known as the world’s oldest desert.
Slovenia is
a nation state in southern Central Europe at the crossroads of main European
cultural and trade routes. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north,
Croatia to the south and southeast and Hungary to the northeast.
Did you know that:
1. Although Slovenia's total surface area is only around 20,000 km2, it has
almost 10,000 km2 of forest.
2. Slovenia’s Adriatic coastline is 46.6 km long.
3. Over 400 brown bears make their home in Slovenia.
4. 216 square km of Slovenia is covered in vineyards.
5. In Slovenia, you can pay to stay in a prison cell at the Hostel Celica in
Ljubljana.
6. The official symbol of Ljubljana is the dragon which was said to have been
slayed by Jason (of Jason and the Argonauts).
7. Some scenes from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian were filmed in
Slovenia’s Soca Valley.
8. Old Vine in Maribor is over 400 years old and the oldest vine in the world.
It still bears between 35 and 55 kilos of red grapes annually from which wine
is produced.
Portugal is
a unitary semi-presidential republic. It is located in South-Western Europe, on
the Iberian Peninsula, and it is the westernmost country of mainland Europe,
being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the
north and east. Aside from continental Portugal, the Portuguese Republic holds
sovereignty over the Atlantic archipelagos of Azores and Madeira, which are
autonomous regions of Portugal.
Did you know that:
1. The world-famous Port wine (also known as "Porto"), a sweet Portuguese
fortified wine from the Douro Valley, has been imitated in several countries -
notably Australia, South Africa, India and the United States.
2. Over half of the world's cork is produced in Portugal.
3. The Festa do Colete Encanado, held in Vila Franca de Xira, features a
running of the bulls, like its more famous counterpart, the San Fermín in
Pamplona.
4. The first Pirate code was invented in the 17th century by the Portuguese
buccaneer Bartolomeu Português.
5. Portuguese language is spoken by about 230 million people around the world
(incl. 210 native speakers), and is the official language of 9 countries.
Guernsey is a British
Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. As a
bailiwick, Guernsey embraces not only all ten parishes on the Island of
Guernsey, but also the islands of Alderney and Sark – each with their own
parliament – and the smaller islands of Herm, Jethou and Lihou. Although its
defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick is not part
of the United Kingdom but rather a possession of the British Crown (British
monarchy).
Did you know that:
1. Guernsey is littered with these burial mounds – Le Dehus dates back to 3,500
BC and contains a mysterious carving…
2. Guernsey may be small and beautiful but she has a huge event programme: from
floral festivals and walking weeks to musical and cultural events, such as the
highly popular Literary Festival and Photography Festival!
3. Gâche is the local fruit bread served with gorgeous Guernsey butter.
4. Herm Island – a real ‘get away from it all’ island paradise of deserted
golden beaches, sand dunes and pink cottages is placed 20 minutes from Guernsey
by boat.
Jordan is
an Arab kingdom in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the River Jordan, and
extending into the historic region of Palestine. Jordan borders Saudi Arabia to
the south and east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north, Palestine and
Israel to the west, sharing control of the Dead Sea with the latter.
Did you know that:
1. It is widely believed that Mount Nebo in Jordan is the burial place of Moses.
2. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the city of Petra was literally
carved into rock 2000 years ago. It was only in the 19th century that the
Western world got to know of it. This city has to be entered through a narrow
gorge that is only 1.25 km wide.
3. The Dead Sea or the Salt Lake in Jordan is the earth’s lowest point and lies
402 meters below mean sea level. It has one of the most spiritual and breathtaking
landscapes on the planet.
4. It is considered polite to refuse a meal three times here before actually
accepting it.
5. Almost every single building in Amman is made of stone or concrete and clad
with thin, white limestone slabs. Thus there really are no landmarks and every
building looks almost identical.
Dominica is
an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea,
south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is 750
square kilometres and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins,
which has an elevation of 1,447 metres. The Commonwealth of Dominica had a
population of 71,293 at the 2011 Census. The capital is Roseau which is located
on the leeward side of the island.
Did you know that:
1. Dominica’s original name is Wai’tukubuli which means tall is her body.
2. Everywhere you go you see people walking with machetes, also called
cutlasses.
3. There are more active volcanoes here than anywhere in the world.
4. We see lots of African traditions here including Carnival which means
Masquerade.
5. There are 195 recorded species of fern, 75 kinds of orchids, 50 kinds of
butterflies and 176 species of birds!
6. Endangered giant leatherback turtles lay eggs here every year.
Swaziland
is a landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and
west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique. The nation, as well as its
people, are named after the 19th-century king Mswati II. Swaziland is a small
country, no more than 200 kilometres north to south and 130 kilometres east to
west. The western half is mountainous, descending to a lowveld region to the
east. The eastern border with Mozambique and South Africa is dominated by the
escarpment of the Lebombo Mountains.
Did you know that:
1. Swaziland is also known as Ngwane. It is the smallest country in Africa.
2. It is one of the well-watered areas of sub- Saharan Africa. Major rivers
include Ingwavuna, Makondo, Usutu, Ngwempisi, Lomti and Black Umbeluzi. It also
has minerals such as iron ore, asbestos, tin, kaolin, coal, gold, barite and
diamonds.
3. The royal & Legislative capital of Swaziland is Lobamba and the
administrative capital and largest city is Mbabane.
4. Swaziland is home to one of the world’s oldest mines. It was discovered in
Ngwenya, district of Hohho, in 1970 and is one of the top tourist attractions.
Iceland is
a Nordic island country marking the juncture between the North Atlantic and
Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about
320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2, which makes it the most sparsely populated
country in Europe.
Did you know that:
1. Life expectancy is 81.3 years for women and 76.4 for men– one of the highest
in the world.
2. Many Icelanders believe in elves.
Certain roads have been re-routed to avoid disturbing areas where elves
are thought to live.
3. An international study done in 2006 ranked Iceland as the “Fourth Happiest
Nation” in the world.
4. Among OECD nations, Iceland has the highest number of broadband internet
connections per capita.
5. More than 13% of Iceland is covered by snowfields and glaciers.
6. Icelanders have unique superstitions such as: “If the first calf born during
the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one” and “If you sneeze three
times before breaking fast on a Sunday, you will gain something in that week.”
7. Iceland’s main industry is fishing.
8. The eccentric pop star Bjork hails from Iceland.
9. Icelandic language has been virtually
unchanged for the past 1000 years.
