The world is wonderfully diverse. So many different countries and so many different cultures. Traveling can broaden our horizons, of course, but some things and experiences can still remain a mystery. That’s why it’s always interesting to hear from the locals: what they recommend, what they advise to avoid, and what fascinating facts we should know about their native place.

Someone was curious to know more about the latter, so they asked: “What are facts about your country, which foreigners do not usually know about?” People from all around the world started sharing their countries’ wonderful secrets. From national animals to lesser-known achievements, all kinds of interesting facts came to light.

What about you, Pandas? Do you happen to know any strange facts about your homeland that you think foreigners should know, too? Let us know in the comments if you do!

• Read More: “Scottish Haggis Are Practically Extinct”: 30 Interesting Facts About Countries Round The Globe

#1

As a Canadian, I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT APPROACH THE GEESE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE.

Image credits: Rorschach_22

#2

French here.

Parisian don’t hate you in particular.

They hate everyone.

They hate each other.

And most of them are not even born in Paris in the first place.

Image credits: madeleine-de-prout

#3

Scotland: National animal is the unicorn. Not joking.

Image credits: sodsto

#4

Brazil: We have the biggest japanese community outside Japan.

Image credits: fourangers

#5

The Italian national animal is the wolf, yes, but it’s usually not specified that it’s the *female* wolf.

Image credits: AlbiTuri05

#6

The United States was formed by a bunch of aristocrats that didn’t want to pay their taxes.

Image credits: ZackInKC

#7

Mexico is not yellow, and I’m tired of Hollywood always making Mexico yellow in their movies.

Image credits: Seya_Ayanami

#8

One fact not even people who were born and raised know about: During World War 2 the Netherlands had one of the worst survival rates for Jews in all of the German occupied territories; only 5,000 out 105,000 survived the war. The extensive Dutch civil administration is often cited as a cause of this; once German police had access to the public records they knew exactly who was Jewish, and where they lived. Once they had that information, it was easy for them to target and deport any Jewish people living in the Netherlands.

While that is true, what is not often talked about is how much of the work tracking down Jewish people was done by Dutch people, many of whom benefitted financially from their actions. Police and civil servants got paid bonuses if they found Jews in hiding, notaries public would make a hefty commission on the sale of confiscated Jewish properties, even the national rail company got their cut charging the Germans for use of their trains to transport captured Jews to concentration camps.

Education about this aspect of the German occupation has gotten much better over the past ten years or so, but when I was a kid we were taught none of this. We only heard about the how the heroic resistance would oppose the Germans and try to hide Jewish people, when in reality there were more collaborators than there were ever members of the resistance.

Image credits: ConstableBlimeyChips

#9

I feel like too few people are really prepared for how fast the Australian sun will burn them when they get off the plane…

If your SPF isn’t 50+ it might as well go in the bin.

Retirement in Australia is basically skin cancer treatments.

Slip slip slap people.

Image credits: blahblahrasputan

#10

New Zealand is colder than people expect.

Image credits: pgraczer

#11

Iceland does not have a Mcdonalds. Not sure if this is a well known fact or not but I get asked by trourists sometimes.

Image credits: BlueBabyCat666

#12

🇮🇪

1. We’re not all drunk alcoholics.
2. We’re not British.
3. There is more food and drink in 🇮🇪 than your stereotypes of potatoes, Guinness.
4. We don’t like it when you claim your Irish through a long line of relatives.
5. The people here are not leprechauns. Some are just small or ginger.

Image credits: Complex-Breadfruit88

#13

Most of the haggis sold for meat are farmed in Wales. Wild scottish haggis are practically extinct.

Image credits: ilikejamtoo

#14

As a Norwegian, Norway likes the “we are forward thinking and accept all people” publicity, but in reality, Norway is incredibly racist and xenophobic.

A lot of Norwegians will get angry if you point it out too.

Image credits: Wappening

#15

Many people in the US do not carry firearms.

Image credits: OldSamSays

#16

In World War II Canada interned Japanese people.

Many people don’t know this but what is now Strathcona and East Vancouver used to be Japantown which was a bustling Japanese community. They were taken from their homes and businesses. In fact if you visit some of the buildings in Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), you’re visiting the very buildings they slept in; hundreds of cots, lined up with no privacy.

Image credits: ToasterOven31

#17

Amsterdam is not the only place in the Netherlands.

Image credits: gfxdaniel

#18

pierogi is already plural , no knead to call them pierogies.

Image credits: karol256

#19

Our elderly care is abysmal. Nursing homes in US costs $8-15k a month and most insurance companies don’t cover it. Don’t be old, kids!

Image credits: theassassintherapist

#20

Germany: The autobahn is just a mundane part of everyday life many of us don’t really think about, and speed limits do exist.

Image credits: blacka-var

#21

There are actually more than 3 Pyramids in Egypt.

Image credits: RevelationDelta

#22

Brazil actually have strong laws against crime. We are just incapable of enforcing them. I think most Brazilians don’t know this either.

Image credits: Gentle_Capybara

#23

Canada is a well known place for animation. A lot of US studios farm out work here and it’s subsidized by the provincial governments. The standards for children’s animation is high and is easily exportable to other countries.

Image credits: 1_art_please

#24

Oktober fest does not start in October.

Image credits: Potential-Friend-133

#25

When it comes to Dubai, 99% of people seem to be of the opinion that Dubai has no culture and little history.

Not so. When i moved there in the 80s (before it became a behemoth), the culture was very much evident.

Fishing from dhous, trading along the river, ancient traditions such as camel racing, falconry and, most impressively, creating successful nomadic communities that thrived for thousands of years in some of the most desolate areas on the globe.

And then oil was discovered.

Image credits: Wonderful-Section971

#26

Good Filipino hospitality only works for foreigners. Towards fellow countrymen, most Filipinos are pretty selfish.

Image credits: wickedhobbitses

#27

Australia – has 15 ski resorts, though by international standards they’re pretty lame…and expensive.

Image credits: Gregorygherkins

#28

Rick and morty is animated in ireland.

like… everything about that seems wrong.

Image credits: ee3k

#29

Singapore has entire clusters of crammed foreign worker housing out in the fringes of the city in industrial areas, at the edge of forests, and along the sea.

Image credits: I_love_pillows

#30

South Africa, First human heart transplant took place here. Also, the Kreepy Krauly and cat’s eyes were invented here.

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Image credits: Saffer13

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