Bored Panda
People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
CuriositiesFEB 25, 2024

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones

105
28
It can be surprisingly easy to forget that there are a lot of curiosities around the world that you would miss if you never traveled or interacted with other people. 
Someone asked “What's a crazy fact about your country?” and people from across the globe shared their best examples. We got in touch with veteran traveler Jayne Gorman to discuss learning more about the world. So get comfortable as you read through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to comment your own thoughts and opinions below. 
More info: Ourtravelhome

#1

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
UK.
During the ad breaks on certain TV shows, (such as Corrie), we have what we call the TV pick up, when the British National Grid gives an extra boost of power to manage the sudden influx of people getting up to switch on their kettles to make themselves a cup of tea. There are people whose jobs are to predict exactly when these pick ups will occur.
259points

#2

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
We've had a war with Denmark for the past 25 years over ownership of some random island. It's fought by exchanging alcoholic beverages and exchanging flags being planted on the island every once in a while.
unfortunately the war just ended this year.. :( we split the island down the middle... So disappointing of an ending to an epic war.
224points

#3

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
Belgium went 594 days without goverment and didn't become a crime ridden dystopia.
211points

Bored Panda got in touch with Jayne Gorman, from the travel blog Ourtravelhome to learn more about exploring the world and the things you might discover. First and foremost, we wanted to know, after years of traveling, what she would tell her younger self.

“Don’t overthink it, just do it. When I was younger I had a habit of turning things down if it wasn’t the right time or might have been complicated. I distinctly remember backpacking in Asia and deciding not to include Laos on the itinerary as I could always come back another time. Well, guess what, 15 years later an opportunity to pop into Laos has not presented itself! Now, as a 38-year-old mum with a 4-year-old and a mortgage, I look back at the freedom I had then and think I probably could have done a little bit more with it.”

#4

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
In Finland we have 5.5 million people and 3.2 million saunas.
Report
171points

#5

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
After we put the Indigenous people on reserves we allegedly wanted them to become farmers, but we didn't just teach them to farm the way White folks farmed with the 19th century technology that was current at the time. We had a "peasant farm" policy where we gave them rudimentary tools and made them farm with old timey techniques, ostensibly due to the belief that they had to "evolve" toward modern farming on their own, but actually so that they could not compete with White farmers and basically stayed farming at a subsistence level or failed at it altogether.
(Canada, if you're wondering.)
171points

#6

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
Believe it or not, Kazakhstan is the number one exporter of potassium in the world. All of your potassium supplements come from here. I would know, I own a potassium factory.
160points

When it comes to traveling, spending money sometimes isn’t a matter of convenience, it can actually affect your safety! So we asked Jayne Gorman to talk a bit about when it’s worth spending that little bit extra. “I think it’s all about working within your budget and making smart choices! Personally, I’ve always favored a mix of high/low travel. I’ll often fly with a budget airline on a short-haul flight so I can splurge on a boutique hotel in my destination. I’d definitely pay a premium for transport if it gives me more time at the destination. But I might self-cater my lunch that day to make up for it!”

#7

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
The Unicorn is our national animal.
160points

#8

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
Still my favourite fact is the fact one of our prime ministers probably drowned and to remember him we named a pool after him.
Another contender is the fact that in one of the world wars the game plan for if we were invaded (and lost) was to lead them into wildlife.
138points

#9

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
In Bulgaria shaking your head means "yes" and nodding means "no". My country is the only one in the world which has reverse meaning behind the shaking and nodding. So if you happen to spend your holiday in Bulgaria be prepared to not get confused by this. :D
133points

“Always research the options for airport transfers. In some destinations, Marrakech and Lisbon, for example, a taxi is much faster and just as affordable as public transport. But in Luxembourg, where I’m headed next, all public transport is free. Pre-planning your arrival saves time, money, and stress.” Indeed, Americans might be surprised that in most places there is dedicated transport to and from the airport. 

#10

I live in the only industrialized nation without universal healthcare and 14% of working age adults don't have health insurance.
133points

#11

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
Most of us stopped using the flags of our country in public or wearing the jerseys of our National team because nowadaya those things translate to supporting the president, who is f*****g stupid.
That's Brazil for ya
127points

#12

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
We made a commercial openly admitting we misunderstood a native word and ended up naming our country "village".
122points

We also wanted to hear if she had any extra advice for traveling somewhere completely new in general. “Start a collection on Instagram and save posts with top tips and things you’d like to do at your destination. Save points of interest to a Google map. I create a new list for every destination I visit and will save my hotel, popular restaurants, attractions, etc to a map in advance so it’s easier to plan my days and navigate the destination,” she shared with Bored Panda. 

#13

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
Our landmass looks like a boot and I think it must've kicked our biggest island at some point, because it's moving away from us by 1cm a year.
121points

#14

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
We ate our prime minister. Oh and we also ate his brother
111points

#15

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
We have more bikes than people
107points

“As data roaming with your own network provider can be very expensive, I recommend downloading an eSIM before traveling. I use a company called Airalo to buy a local eSIM and load it up with a cheap data package as I would literally be lost without my phone.” You can find more on her website or on her Instagram, and if you want to learn more about life in some countries, check out our article on people confirming or denying stereotypes

#16

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
The first King of England made a law that everyone had to be in bed by 8pm.
96points

#17

One of the many is, Denmark is the first country to legalize porn and the porn industry along with sex work such as prostitution/escorts (As long as you’re turned 18)
91points

#18

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
It’s illegal to handle salmon suspiciously
88points

#19

People Share Bizarre True Facts About Their Countries, Here Are The 45 Most Interesting Ones
Our country has the most number of vegetarians yet our chicken dishes are widely popular.
82points

#20

France.
We have the longest domestic flights : The first one is from French Polynesia to Paris ; The second one is from Reunion Island to Paris, their duration is respectively 16h and 12h.
Oh and our longest land border is with Brazil.
Report
80points
105
28