Fun Facts About Your Country

[Guifrog]

A lot of forum regulars come from different places, and I always find it fun to learn more! So this is a place to share something interesting about your country, that you think others might not know.

I'll start: as a Brazilian, I do not know a single person who owns a smartphone and does not use WhatsApp, here. It's the absolute primary means of communication, for individuals and businesses alike. I talk to my family and friends with it, speak to customer support through it, receive news about events in my home town from it, and find it super convenient.

 

[metatherat]

Here is a currently-topical tidbit:

Here in Finland we have a tradition where children dress up as witches (or nowadays often as just anything cute or funny) on Palm Sunday and knock at neighbours' doors while carrying pussy willow branches, which are usually decorated with colourful feathers. If accepted, they pronounce a blessing rhyme and leave a branch as gift, while receiving sweets in return. The tradition has fallen out of favor during the last decades and is considered to be increasingly old-fashioned, but still somewhat persists.

The whole thing is sort of a mixture of the Christian ritual of the palms and old pagan spring traditions.

 

[Marius Merganser]

The northern cardinal is the official bird of seven US states: Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

 

[unknownaspect]

England is named so because it is the land of the Angles, a people who settled here.

This means that if any of us are correct about something, we are technically a right angle.....I'm sorry.

 

[Thrashy]

Switzerland does not have a capital city.
The federal government resides in Bern, but no capital is defined juristically in it's constitution.

 

[Wuff-Wuff]

It also has multiple languages (Swiss german, french, italian and romansh). Swiss german also varies from standard high german in that it doesnt reaaaaally have any writing rules, resulting in many different ways people write certain words.

Thrashy may for instance write "gloube" while I would write "glaube"

 

[MooseHorns237]

Where I grew up the secondary language was French (just south of quebec), whereas most america has a secondary language of spanish. In my town currently here are so many Amsih that the seondary language is German in my immediate location.

The U.S has the third largest landmass of any country as well as the third largest population, spanning desert and arctic mountains.

This state has some of the most relaxed gun laws, and there are so many patriots here, and because everyone in this town are hunters I haven't talked to a single person that does not have a gun of some sort, and most conceal carry without a permit because it's legal and most the time are in the country side.

Also the state where I grew up (New Hampshire) has the highest amount of alcoholics, brewery's and alcohol consumption of any other state, as well as the lowest church-going population rate of any state. There seemed to be a little brewery in every town and beer served at every corner.

 

[Wuff-Wuff]

Thanks Moose! Isn't it scary though waalking around, knowing probably everyone has a gun with them o: ? Sudden mood changes in a conversatio would terrify me

 

[Thrashy]

Switzerland had the first electrified mainline railway in Europe (as distinct from light railway): the Burgdorf-Thun-Bahn (BTB) which opened in 1899

Generally, Switzerland pushed the electrification of it's railway system pretty early compared to other countries. The reason for that is simple: Without coal or oil, having non-electrified lines made the country's infrastructure dependent on importing fuel types.
To power these lines, hydropower was used, as Switzerland's geography is ideal for that. Even to this day, with now a practically completely electrified railway network, the power for the locomotives comes from 90% hydro power (with the goal of going through 100% in the next few years), making travelling by train here practically Co² free.
(To my knowledge, there's no diesel powered passenger trains here)

 

[Guifrog]

- While I can't speak for the entirety of Brazil, it's not uncommon to eat slices of cake with our hands in my area. Sometimes, we may use a napkin if it's available, or just the bare hands. Meanwhile, it's perfectly plausible to eat pizza with a fork and a knife.

- Cash money is on the verge of extinction here. I remember commenting with friends from FAF about the digital options being adopted countrywide, even in smaller cities like mine. Well... as it turns out, as of 2024, it seems all shoppers here now expect that I use my phone as the primary option to pay for something. Alternatively, they ask: "Credit, or debit?"

- It snows in the Southern region.

 

[MooseHorns237]

Thanks Moose! Isn't it scary though waalking around, knowing probably everyone has a gun with them o: ? Sudden mood changes in a conversatio would terrify me

Naw, not really. Idk, I know it scares some people to think about, but I'm not too worried. People mostly carry for self-defense which means they'll only attack if I did, so I won't. If someone tried to rob me, I'd rather it be at gun point than with a knife, tbh. <shrugs>

 

[Wuff-Wuff]

I guess it creates an environment where people have an unwritten agreement how to handle these things :D

 

[Ramjet]

It sucks dick, that's about it.

 

[Wuff-Wuff]

Awww, what about the nature out there in Canada Ramjet?

 

[Ramjet]

Awww, what about the nature out there in Canada Ramjet?

Oh that part is awesome, no doubt.
Especially the Rockies.

 

[Punji]

Don't let ol' grouch puss over there trick you, Canada's a cool place. :P

Canada has a very interesting biodiversity as well as a great geological history. Alberta's badlands are also very nice in spite of the name. It is a source of great paleontological interest from around the world, as it used to be a seabed a terribly long time ago. I once found a little piece of coal there!

Our current prime minister is also a master of disguise.

 

[Ramjet]

Don't let ol' grouch puss over there trick you, Canada's a cool place. :P

Canada has a very interesting biodiversity as well as a great geological history. Alberta's badlands are also very nice in spite of the name. It is a source of great paleontological interest from around the world, as it used to be a seabed a terribly long time ago. I once found a little piece of coal there!

Our current prime minister is also a master of disguise.

Do you pay your own utilities?

 

[Mambi]

In my part of Canada we have the highest tides on the planet, often around 30-40 feet every few hours! I've even been personally trapped by it...on an island that wasn't an island when I walked to it...with expensive camera equipment and furry tails. I told the story on the FAF forums...fun day! <eye roll>

Seriously though aside from that one incident it's awesome to watch the coastline shift so much. Docks have to be built on hinges that go vertical at low tides, boats have to accommodate the sudden loss of water when docking, houses need to be high off the water, etc.

 

[Punji]

Do you pay your own utilities?

Partly. Old place I did. Cost me less than my Internet bill!

Life is expensive. Not going to find much change anywhere else unless you move to Tinytown Nowheresville and buy a cheap old house. Canada isn't the problem.

 

[Ramjet]

Partly. Old place I did. Cost me less than my Internet bill!

Life is expensive. Not going to find much change anywhere else unless you move to Tinytown Nowheresville and buy a cheap old house. Canada isn't the problem.

It is though...
Canada has one of the most insanely expensive housing in the G7, it's not even close.
40 million in the second largest country on Earth with probably the most natural resources out of any of them. We literally should have the best standard of living and lowest costs out of them all.

But this place is run by retards.