#1 Canada
For decades, Canadian & Danish patrols would visit the island alternately.
Each time, they would take down the other’s flag, raise their own, and leave a bottle of booze (Canada left Canadian whisky, Denmark left schnapps or aquavit) and baked goods. It became known as the “Whisky War”.
In June 2022, Canada and Denmark finally signed a deal splitting Hans Island down the middle, making it the world’s newest international land border.
Both sides celebrated with toasts of whisky and schnapps ending the world’s most polite territorial dispute.
In a world filled with misinformation and fake news, you'd be forgiven for wanting to fact check just about everything you read. And some of the facts listed in this compilation might be right at the top of your list of things to research.
Take the one about Finland, for example. Someone claimed that the population could fit into a sauna simultaneously... Hmmm. At first, we thought they meant the population was so small that everyone could climb into the same sauna at the same time.
But what the person meant was that the country has so many saunas that there are enough for everyone living there to be in a sauna, somewhere, at the same time. Let's break it down further. Finland has a population of about 5.5 million people. And according to the This Is Finland site, there are an estimated 3 million saunas in the country.
You see, the sauna is an institution over there. A way of life. Part of the culture.
#2 Japan
Like Native Americans and other indigenous people, we were colonized and forced to assimilate. Japanese settlers banned all of our practices and tried to erase us. The Japanese government is so disgusting in its erasure that we only achieved official acknowledgement in 2019.
#3 Canada
"In days gone by, they were the most practical place to wash during the long winters when there was no hot running water," explains This Is Finland. "You can still find people in Finland who were born in a sauna. Not when it was heated up, of course, but it was a sterile place where hot water was available."
The site adds that big companies and state institutions have their own saunas. Even the president has an official sauna, as does the prime minister. Saunas are everywhere it would seem, so it's not entirely impossible that the whole population could fit into saunas simultaneously... with a push.
#4 Germany
It sounds bizarre, but because stopping on the Autobahn (unless in an emergency) is a safety hazard, running out of gas is considered preventable negligence. Drivers can get fined, and in some cases even lose their license for it.
#5 Egypt
What about running out of fuel on the Autobahn in Germany? Is it really illegal? Yes, it is. But before we explain why, it's important to understand exactly what the Autobahn is...
If you've never heard of it, it's a high-speed, limited-access highway. You can drive as fast as you want on this national highway network that stretches more than 7,200 miles (12,000 km).
“The Autobahn in many people’s minds is a bucket list item,” says David Tracy, co-founder and editor-in-chief of automotive news outlet, the Autopian. “Car enthusiasts love the idea of an unrestricted roadway. Being able to actually put your vehicle to the test and really show its full potential is the ultimate.”
#7 Brazil
We breed genetically modified mosquitoes that don't carry diseases and release them in the wild where they'll keep multiplying and "infecting" the others with this gene.
So in the future no mosquito here will carry any disease .
#8 New Zealand
#9 New Zealand
According to CNBC, top speeds on Germany's autobahn have surged above 250 miles per hour. It would make complete sense then that the government wouldn't want stationery cars chilling around without fuel as others come whizzing by.
Especially if the driver could have avoided the entire situation by simply checking their fuel gauge and filling the tank as required.
If you're planning a trip to Germany, and want to drive while you're there, running out of fuel isn't the only thing that could land you in trouble on the autobahn. It's illegal to pass on the right side of the road, to stop on the shoulder, to forget to use your blinkers/indicators when you merge, and to make a U-turn.
#10 Northern Ireland
#11 Canada
#12 Scotland
Our national dish is sheep offal
It was from Scotland on Iona that Irish monks developed the techniques to spread Christianity back across western Europe after Rome fell.
We have the shortest flight in the world at 1.7 miles which takes 1 minute.
Until 2017, we were the only country in the world with a free market where a local soft drink outsold Coca Cola. That drink is the bright orange Irn Bru.
While Finland has saunas for days, the same can be said about Switzerland and nuclear bunkers. With a population of nearly 9 million, the country has more bunkers per capita than anywhere else in the world – enough to guarantee shelter space for every single resident in the event of a crisis.
According to the Guardian, Switzerland's policy to provide shelter to each resident in the event of a crisis was signed into law more than 60 years ago.
#13 Australia
#15 Australia
"Every new residential building must either include an on-site bunker, or else developers are required to earmark funds for a nearby public one maintained by the state. As a result, Switzerland is now host to 370,000 bunkers designed to protect civilians underground for anywhere from a few hours to two weeks," reports the media outlet.
The Guardian adds that the ventilation systems neutralize the effects of radiation, nuclear fallout, and all the other chemical and biological stuff that comes with a crisis of this nature.
#16 Germany
#17 Iran
#18 Vietnam
Vietnam have established diplomatic relations with all 193/193 UN member state
Vietnam became a non-permanent member of UN Security Council back in 2020-2021 with a record breaking 192/193 votes in favor, highest in history.
