Did You Know...? Two independent countries lie within Italy’s borders: San Marino and Vatican City. Marco Polo did not bring pasta to Italy; the Italians had already thought of it. Turin was Italy’s first capital (1861), followed by Florence (1865) and Rome (1871). Italy is home to about one in
Did You Know...? Israel uses kosher glue on its stamps. The Dead Sea is evaporating; it loses about three feet of depth each year. Israel counts about 100 kinds of wild mammals, compared with 140 varieties in all of Europe. Israel has more cell phones than people. The same two
Did you know ... ? Gaeltacht refers to areas, mostly to the west, where the Irish language is common. Ireland’s Valentia Island is the westernmost point in Europe. Leprechauns of Celtic folktales are shoemakers for other fairies. University College Dublin houses more than 100,000 tales, myths and legends, the world’s
Did You Know ... ? India’s newspapers print in more than 90 languages and radio stations broadcast in 71. The world’s largest Hindu temple, Srirangam at Tiruchirappalli, occupies 50% more space than Vatican City. The world’s oldest continuing festivals (at least 5,000 years) are India’s Ganesh Chaturthi and Holi. Jamshetji
Did You Know ... ? The word geyser comes from one of Iceland’s own, named Geysir. Eldhraun is a rugged lava field where the Apollo 11 crewmen trained for their moon walks. Iceland’s parliament, founded in 930, is the world’s oldest national assembly. The first European child born in North
Did You Know...? Hungary boasts roughly 1,300 thermal springs. Real goulash is a kind of soup cooked on an open fire. Hungary exports more than 5,500 tons of paprika a year. Hungary’s inflation rate hit 12.95 quadrillion percent in 1946; prices doubled every 15.6 hours. Local names for Hungary are
Did You Know...? Roatan’s resident dolphins can earn their owners $4,000 an hour appearing in TV and film productions. Christopher Columbus made his first mainland Central American landfall at Trujillo (1502). American short-story writer O. Henry, running from the law, lived in Honduras in the 1890s. Honduras and El Salvador
Did You Know? Haiti was the world’s first post-colonial black-led nation (1804). Haiti’s 19th century Laferriere Citadel is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti claims more exhibited artists per capita than any other country. Roughly half the population practices voodoo. Haiti’s Ile a Vache was the scene of
Did You Know ... ? Guatemala is home to an estimated 720 bird species including migratory birds. Spanish is the official language, but 23 Mayan tongues are the first language of 40% of the population. The Tajumulco volcano, at 13,816 feet, is the highest mountain in Central America. Remittances from
Did You Know? Captain Bligh, of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame, brought the breadfruit tree to Grenada. Grenada has more spices per square mile than any other country in the world. By law, no building on Grenada can be taller than a full-grown coconut palm tree. The all-important nutmeg is