AIBU to ask for you to pick any country and share an interesting fun fact about it?

[1person100names]

I love learning about countries around the world, i am unable to explore physically due to covid so I would love to learn more fun interesting facts that you would kindly share!

Heres mine!

In Vietnam it is offensive to cross your fingers in a certain way, it is seen as an obscene gesture, akin to raising your middle finger and saying“F* You! It is also used to call people a derogatory name! Photo attached !

I will add more shortly =)

Whats yours?

Denmark has some odd flag laws. It's illegal to fly any other flag than the Dannebrog, and if you want to, you must apply for permission. If it's granted, it must be flown with the Dannebrog above it, and your flag must be smaller in size. I've heard of several people being reported to police by Danes for not following the rules. Eye roll

I suggest that if you don't want to cause offense, you don't mention this in the company of any Danes.

Denmark was occupied during WW2 and over 3,000 Danes died directly as a result of the occupation (and more died fighting with the Allies or sunk on Allied merchant ships). What is today Southern Denmark was also part of Germany from 1864 until 1920 - a time during which it was forbidden to speak Danish in this area and during which thousands of Danish men living in the area were conscripted into the German army to fight during WW1.

The people being reported to the police are usually Germans flying the German flag when they go on holiday to the Danish west coast and rent summer cottages. Every cottage has a flagpole, but flying a German flag on Danish territory is particularly offensive to many older Danes.

@Havanananana
And then there is Funen, denmark, for several years summer cottage owners had these flags because they had a dispute with the landowner .

@havanananana Yes, i'm well aware of the history. I'm married to a Dane and have lived in the country for many years. The flag reports i'm talking about have nothing to do with German's. There was a very well reported story recently of Dane's getting their knicker's in a twist about American's and their flag on the 4th of July.

I also have a Canadian friend whose neighbour became violent after she put a flag up to greet her parent's when they visited.

Norway has the safest driving record in the world*

*I haven't actually checked this - but the speed limit on most roads is 50 mph, there's always a massive gap between the cars and people get ridiculous fines for speeding, so it's probably true.

In Armenian schools, chess is a compulsory subject.

're the Finland lake/fake thing there is some word online internet conspiracy that Finland is indeed not real!

In South Africa crime, particularly against women, is so rife it is acceptable for women to go through a red traffic light.

Norway has the safest driving record in the world

I read some time ago that somebody from the Highways Dept was doing a national survey on road safety and fatalities and demanded to know exactly what measures the Scilly Isles had in place to reduce the number of road deaths in the islands. They reported back that, ever since the invention of the motor car, there had never been a single road death in the SI - and the only way they could possibly 'improve' on this would be if a woman gave birth in a moving vehicle, thus 'reducing' the total of deaths from zero to -1

Trinidad and Tobago
It was Trinidad and not Jamaica that started playing music on steel oil drums aka steelpan.
Trinidad is also home to one of only 3 pitch lakes in the world, Sir Walter Raleigh used it to caulk his ship in the 1600s. The ground is so nutritious that mangos don't have a season.

Pakistan
The flag is green and white. The green represents Islam, and the white minorities. Pakistan was literally created to support Muslims and religious minorities in India. The first president was partial to scotch (Pakistan is now a dry country). Powdered milk rather than fresh is considered best for proper Pakistani Chia (tea).

There are no moles in Ireland.

1500s, 16th century!

'Proper' Panama hats are made in Ecuador

The Indonesian government don't know how many islands there are.

In Iceland your surname is made up of your fathers first name followed by sdottir if you are a girl and sson if you are a boy

And first names for babies have to be taken from a preapproved government list

Dutch toilets have a 'shelf' in the bowl so you can inspect your poop. it was a way of checking for worms/health check back in the day. Quite a surprise when you aren't expecting it I can tell you

In Nepal, a Sherpa is not an occupation. It is a family name.

@blubberyboo

In Iceland your surname is made up of your fathers first name followed by sdottir if you are a girl and sson if you are a boy

And first names for babies have to be taken from a preapproved government list

Wow. But I find this though on t'internet -

Bjork : Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Ulrika : Ulrika Eva Jonsson

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:21st-century_Icelandic_actresses

Is it like the odd one does not have 'sdottir' for a particular reason?

@RockysMa the toilets are still like that in Hungary. Bloody irritates me when I go to visit my family in Hungary, even public toilets are like it. Especially when you flush and it’s still sitting there staring at you 💩

There is an area in Iran, around Ramsar, where background radiation levels are up to 80 times the world average: 250 mSv per year. The current annual safe limit for nuclear workers is 20 mSv a year.

Like natives of other high-radiation areas, the locals are particularly healthy and have low levels of lung cancer. The area has long been a a popular holiday location featuring medicinal hot springs.

Norway again.

The longest road tunnel is near Lardal. It's 15 miles long. It has rest areas you can pull into in case you get mesmerised by the tunnel.

We've done it a few times. And it's free to drive through.

The Norwegians love their tunnels

@SarahBellam it's the largest by surface area but Loch Ness is the largest by volume - Ness has nearly double the volume of all the lakes in England and Wales combined as it's so deep in places.

Manolin - d'you mean Ulrika Jonsson the TV presenter? She's Swedish not Icelandic.

The Faroe Islands only has three sets of traffic lights.

@Snorkelface

Manolin - d'you mean Ulrika Jonsson the TV presenter? She's Swedish not Icelandic.

The Faroe Islands only has three sets of traffic lights.

Ahh, that would explain it then.

Isn't she just a little bit Icelandic? [clutches at straws emoticon]

The Basque language is not related to any other in the world. It may be a remnant of the language in use before the Celtic tribes moved west.