Things you didn't know about (insert your countries name)

[Captain Ewok 1,891]

I thought it would be fun to list interesting factual pieces of information about you or your significant others home country. It is always neat to learn things we didn't know about other places in the world. For simplicity I will start with Singapore :

Interesting Facts:

English is Singapore's most widely spoken language, with most people also being bi(or tri)lingual in their native tongue (chinese, malay, tamil, etc).

Singapore is the second-most densely populated country in the world (4.6 milion people as of 2006).

Singapore's land area is 224 square miles (which if fit to a square would be 16.5 by 16.5 miles wide).

The Port of Singapore was the world's busiest port in 2005 in terms of shipping tonnage handled.

Singapore is the world's fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre after London, New York City and Tokyo. In 2008 it may overtake Tokyo.

Singapore became a self-governing state in 1959 and officially gained sovereignty on 9 August 1965.

The Singapore government and education system is heavily infuenced by it's British History.

[Fandango 1,439]

Well, I'll be state specific

In Florida, one can marry one's first cousin

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Morocco

Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school (age 15). Nevertheless, many children--particularly girls in rural areas--do not attend school. The country's literacy rates reveals sharp gaps in education, both in terms of gender and location; while country-wide literacy rates are estimated at 39% among women and 64% among men, the female literacy rate in rural areas is only 10%.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Arizona trout is found only in the Arizona.

Wyatt Earp was neither the town marshal or the sheriff in Tombstone, Arizona at the time of the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. His brother Virgil was the town marshal, who had temporarily deputized Wyatt, Morgan and Doc Holliday prior to the gunfight.

Petrified wood is the official state fossil. Most petrified wood comes from the Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona.

In Arizona, it is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water.

Arizona, among all the states, has the largest percentage of its land set aside and designated as Indian lands.

Oraibi is the oldest Indian settlement in the United States. The Hopis Indians founded it.

Petrified wood is the official state fossil. Most petrified wood comes from the Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona.

The bola tie is the official state neckwear.

[Alex+R 0]

Well, I'll be state specific

In Florida, one can marry one's first cousin

Ok, Minnesota is the home of spam (the quasi-edible kind, not the email kind)

[JODO 2]

Egypt is the second most populous nation in Africa and the most populated country in the Arab world.

Egypt is the gift of the Nile- About 95% of Egypt's 78,000,000 + population live along the Nile, on about 5% of Egypt's land.

Edited May 16, 2007 by JODO

[Mags 112]

Indiana ~

In Gary, Ind., persons are prohibited from attending a movie house or other theater and from riding a public streetcar within four hours of eating garlic.

Bathing is prohibited during the winter.

It is against the law to eat ice cream in the local airport with a fork.

[MaydayDas 1]

Romania

if you have time, just take a look here http://youtube.com/watch?v=YEdPoPkUsYc and let me know what you think

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Indiana ~

Bathing is prohibited during the winter.

peeyewwwwwww...

[almaty 19]

kazakhstan..

8th largest country in the world

kazakhs are the minority there...

Borat ' sister is the 3 best hooker in almaty...

[wong_watkins 1]

Indiana ~

In Gary, Ind., persons are prohibited from attending a movie house or other theater and from riding a public streetcar within four hours of eating garlic.

Bathing is prohibited during the winter.

It is against the law to eat ice cream in the local airport with a fork.

what??

[LuzyC 0]

Philippines

The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands lying between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Even though the Philippines lies just north of the world's largest Muslim state, Indonesia, it is about 94 percent Christian—mostly Roman Catholic. About five percent of Filipinos are Muslim, mostly living on the islands of Mindanao and Palawan—islands closest to the Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth.

Modern day Filipinos are of Austronesian descent, although there is a minority of Filipinos with Spanish, Mexican, American, Chinese, Arab, and Indian ancestry.

A former Spanish and United States colony, the Philippines has many affinities with the Western world including Spain and Latin America due to three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, and Filipino and English are the official languages.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Oklahoma

The world's first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is generally credited with originating the parking meter. He filed for a patent for a "coin controlled parking meter" on May 13, 1935.

There is an operating oil well on the state capitol grounds called Capitol Site No. 1

The town of Beaver claims to be the Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World

An Oklahoma Sylvan Goldman invented the first shopping cart

Okla is bordered by six states, Okla has more man made lakes than any other state, Okla has the largest Native American population of any sate in the U.S.

Clinton Riggs designed the YIELD sign first used on a trial basis in Tulsa

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Philippines

The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands lying between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Even though the Philippines lies just north of the world's largest Muslim state, Indonesia, it is about 94 percent Christian—mostly Roman Catholic. About five percent of Filipinos are Muslim, mostly living on the islands of Mindanao and Palawan—islands closest to the Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth.

Modern day Filipinos are of Austronesian descent, although there is a minority of Filipinos with Spanish, Mexican, American, Chinese, Arab, and Indian ancestry.

A former Spanish and United States colony, the Philippines has many affinities with the Western world including Spain and Latin America due to three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, and Filipino and English are the official languages.

I read where all the native languages have origins from what is now Taiwan, which is very interesting.

kazakhstan..

kazakhs are the minority there...

Brother Dean, who are the majority?

[Alex+R 0]

Philippines

The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands lying between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Even though the Philippines lies just north of the world's largest Muslim state, Indonesia, it is about 94 percent Christian—mostly Roman Catholic. About five percent of Filipinos are Muslim, mostly living on the islands of Mindanao and Palawan—islands closest to the Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth.

Modern day Filipinos are of Austronesian descent, although there is a minority of Filipinos with Spanish, Mexican, American, Chinese, Arab, and Indian ancestry.

A former Spanish and United States colony, the Philippines has many affinities with the Western world including Spain and Latin America due to three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, and Filipino and English are the official languages.

Oo got any more guys? I really want to learn more about the Phils...