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Showing posts from July, 2019

30+ Interesting Facts About Brazil

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Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. It has an area of over 8.5 million square km and a population of more than 210 million. It is also the 5 th largest country ( by area and population) in the world. Brazil hosts the highest number of uncontacted tribes  in the world. According to estimates, more than 100 uncontacted tribes still exist on  earth . At least 67 of these are present in Brazil. ( Source ) Brazil is the place of the world’s biggest bank robbery . On 7 th  August 2005, robbers looted money equal to nearly $70 million from the Banco Central in Fortaleza. ( Source ) Equator and Tropic of Capricorn pass through Brazil. It is the  only country  with this geographical feature. Brazil was  invaded last time in 1865 during Paraguayan War. The country has no unsolved disputes with any neighbors or other countries. Brazil is the  largest Portuguese-speaking  country in the world. It is one of the three countries (along with  Portugal  and Sao Tom

45+ Interesting Facts About Portugal

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Portugal is the westernmost country in mainland Europe. It shares a land border only with Spain  on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Portugal gained independence from the Kingdom of Leon in 1143. It makes Portugal the 5 th oldest country in Europe . ( Source ) In the 15 th Century, Portugal became the first commercial and  global maritime empire . In later centuries, the Portuguese empire colonized Brazil, East Timor, Macau, and parts of Africa and India. ( Source ) The Portuguese were the pioneers of the  transatlantic slave trade  in the 15 th  Century. The first public sale of Africans took place in Portugal in 1444. The Portuguese built the first permanent slave trading port in today’s Ghana in 1482. ( Source ) In September 2008, Portugal constructed the world’s first commercial  wave energy farm . This farm generates 2.25 MW of electricity, enough to power 1,500 homes. The target of this farm is to generate 21 MW of clean energy. ( Source ) The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance

50+ Interesting Facts About Spain

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Spain is a constitutional monarchy located in southern Europe. It is one of the two countries (the other being Portugal ) on the Iberian Peninsula . Despite being a monarchy, Spain is one of the only few full democracies in the world. According to the 2018 Democracy Index by EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit), Spain is at the 19 th spot in the world with a score of 8.08 (out of a total of 10). ( Source ) Spain has 48 UNESCO World Heritage sites. These are the 3 rd  highest number of UNESCO sites  in the world, just behind Italy and China (55 each). Before its construction in Paris in 1889, the  Eiffel tower was originally planned for Barcelona. However, the city rejected the proposal due to its eyesore-like design. ( Source ) In 2015, a town in Spain became the first in the world to grant same  rights to pets  (cats and dogs) as humans. ( Source ) Spain has allocated more than 10,000 km 2  of land to grow wine grapes. It is the largest  area dedicated to wine  in any country. ( S

35+ Interesting Facts About Bears

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There are eight extant species of bears. These include giant pandas, polar bears, spectacled (or mountain ) bears, sloth bears, sun bears, Asiatic black bears, American black bears, and brown bears. Bears are present in various habitats across the globe on the continents of Asia, Europe , North America, and South America. They are absent from Africa , Oceania, and Antarctica.  Six bear species are omnivores . Polar bears are carnivores, while giant pandas  have a herbivore diet (feed almost entirely on bamboo). In contrast to popular belief, bears are not true hibernators . Their sleeping behavior during winters (for 100 days or more) is called torpor. As opposed to hibernation, these animals can wake up during torpor in case of any danger. Pregnant female bears can also give birth during this period after waking up at the time. ( Source ) Four bear species  do not  hibernate . These include sun bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears, and giant pandas. The initial three species