Did You Know ... ? The world's first coins were minted in ancient Sardis where Croesus was king. The long-haired angora cat originated naturally in central Turkey and is regarded as a national treasure. Tulips and coffee came to Europe and the West via Turkey. The early church’s Nicene Creed
Did You Know...? More than 1,200 butterfly species flutter in Thailand. Thai waters are home to more than 200 species of coral. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation never ruled by a Western power. Thai paper money is really plastic. The word Thailand means land of freedom. Siam today
Did You Know ... ? There are 12 aboriginal tribes on Taiwan, accounting for only 2% of the population. The traditional Taiwanese language does not have a written form. The National Palace Museum harbors the world’s largest collection of Chinese art treasures. Written Mandarin Chinese uses more than 5,000 characters.
Did You Know...? French Polynesia has no poisonous snakes or insects. Tattoo is a Polynesian word. Fresh baguettes are delivered to French Polynesia twice daily. Vanilla, a major crop here, is the only edible fruit in the orchid family. Polynesian languages belong to the same family as the indigenous Hawaiian
Did you know ... ? Grand St. Bernard Pass gave its name to the well-known dogs. Davos at 5,118 feet is the highest town in Europe. Maienfeld and area provided the geographic setting for the “Heidi” books. The Red Cross symbol is the Swiss flag in reverse (not a religious
Did You Know...? The Sami (or Lapp) people have their own parliament, located in Kiruna. Sweden is host to the world's longest cross-country ski race (56 miles). Of the world’s 75,000 Sami people, 20,000 live in Sweden. The state religion was Lutheranism from about 1540 to 2000. There are 9,000
Did You Know...? This is the smallest island in the world shared by two sovereign governments. The Dutch-French pact establishing a shared island is the oldest treaty (1648) in force. The area’s Papiamento language is a mixture of Dutch, English and Spanish. Residents represent more than 75 nationalities. The two
Did You Know ... ? On a clear day, St. Lucia visitors can see Martinique to the north and St. Vincent to the south. Napoleon’s beloved Josephine spent most of her childhood in Soufriere. Control of St. Lucia passed between the French and British 14 times before ending with the
Did You Know ... ? St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas in both area and population. Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, was born on Nevis (Charlestown). The Citizenship Act of 1984 allows purchasers of property worth $350,000 or more to
Did You Know ... ? On discovering the island in 1493, Christopher Columbus named it for his brother, Bartolomeo. In 1784, France traded the island to Sweden for a warehouse in Gothenburg. The capital Gustavia is named for Sweden’s King Gustav III. St. Barts is less than an eighth the
