Three Fun (And Not Fun) Facts About Every Country In Asia
First published: Wednesday January 18th, 2023
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Afghanistan
1. Afghanistan has the highest birth rate of any country in Asia, with the average woman birthing 3.9 children.
2. Rather ironically, Afghanistan also has the highest death rate of any country in Asia, with a rate of 12.70 out of 1000, the highest death rate outside of Europe and ranking 12th overall.
3. Afghanistan celebrates their New Year on the first day of spring, March 21.
Armenia
1. Armenia is the smallest of the 15 former USSR republics.
2. Armenia is home to the world's longest non-stop double-track cable car.
3. Though Armenia is an ethnically Armenian-majority country (98%) French is spoken throughout the country. "Merci" is used widely as a form of "thank you" and Armenia is actually a member of La Francophonie.
*extra fact: i was born here :D*
Azerbaijan
1. Azerbaijan was the first Muslim-majority nation to grant all women in the country the right to vote.
2. Azerbaijan has the highest concentration of mud volcanoes in the world.
3. In 1901, Azerbaijan's oil fields supplied >50% of the world's supply, and through WWII it supplied 75% of the USSR's supply.
Bahrain
1. Bahrain is the largest consumer of electricity per capita outside of Europe.
2. Bahrain is the smallest nation in the Middle East.
3. Bahrain was home to the first Grand Prix in the Middle East.
Bangladesh
1. Bangladesh is home to the world's largest river delta.
2. Bangladesh has the world's longest serving elected female leader.
3. Bangladesh is home to the world's largest mangrove forest.
Bhutan
1. Bhutan was the world's first carbon negative country.
2. Bhutan is the only country to recognize neither Taiwan nor China as a sovereign state.
3. Bhutan has the least diplomatic relations of any country in the world, having relations with only 54 of the 193 UN members.
Brunei
1. The first time Brunei participated at the Olympic Games was in the year 1988. The delegation was composed of a single official and no athletes. The first time the nation sent the athletes to compete was in 1996.
2. Brunei has the largest residential palace in the world. The Istana Nurul Iman is the formal residence of Brunei’s Sultan. The palace has 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, a mosque, a garage with space for 110 cars, 5 swimming pools, a massive banquet hall, and more.
3. The Sultan of Brunei is the longest reigning current monarch.
Cambodia
1. Cambodia's flag is the only one to feature a building on it.
2. Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world.
3. Cambodia has had more name changes than any country in the last 100 years.
China
1. The Forbidden City is the biggest imperial palace in the world.
2. Despite its massive size, China only uses one timezone.
3. Chinese people are the biggest travel spenders in the world. They spend US $260 billion every year, twice the spending of American travelers.
Cyprus
1. The Cypriot dessert wine Commandaria is recognized as the world's oldest named wine.
2. Mark Antony gifted Cleopatra the entire island of Cyprus.
3. At least 1.5 million cats live in Cyprus. That’s at least 300,000 more cats than people. In fact, there are so many stray cats in Cyprus that some luxury hotels have set up ‘Cat Hotels’ on the premises, where cats are fed, neutered and monitored.
It’s also the home to the world’s oldest cat.
East Timor
1. East Timor has the highest percentage of Christians of any country in not only Asia, but the world.
2. East Timor is the only Portuguese speaking nation in Asia.
3. East Timor was invaded by Indonesia only nine days after declaring independence from Portugal in 1975.
Georgia
1. Georgia is home to the world's deepest cave.
2. There are 33 letters in the Georgian alphabet, they have no capital letters, and there is no gender in the language. The language is not spoken anywhere outside of Georgia, and the writing system is used nowhere else.
3. Georgia is the least populous transcontinental nation.
India
1. India is the wettest inhabited place on earth (except for... NO! NO TIME FOR NAUGHTY JOKES!)
2. India has the highest rail bridge in the world.
3. The top three most populous subdivisions are all in India (Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar).
Indonesia
1. Lake Toba is the world’s biggest natural, volcanic lake and is located inside a super-volcano in northern Sumatra in Indonesia.
2. Indonesia is the only place on earth to observe the Komodo dragon in the wild.
3. Indonesia is home to the biggest Buddhist temple in the world despite being majority-Muslim.
Iran
1. Iran houses the largest Shia Muslim concentration in the world.
2. Homosexuality is fiercely prohibited in Iran and gender binarism is strictly enforced. However, transgender people are allowed to undergo gender reassignment surgery in Iran.
3. Iran is home to the only legal condom production factory in the Middle East. Iran is quite progressive when it comes to contraception, so much so that Iran also requires all men and women to take a class on contraception before receiving a marriage license in an effort to limit childbirth. The government provides free contraception to these people.
Iraq
1. The country is home to the world’s earliest system of writing, cuneiform script. It was invented by the Sumerians and was first used around the 31st century BC.
2. The common superstition of being afraid of black cats originally began here.
3. Iraq has two major rivers – the Tigris and the Euphrates. The region between the rivers, which is known as Mesopotamia, is considered to be one of the oldest civilisations in the world.
Israel
1. Israel has the cheapest high-speed smartphone data cost of any country in the world.
2. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world.
3. Israel is the only country in the world that has more trees today than it had 50 years ago.
Japan
1. Japan is the largest importer of seafood in the world. They eat more than 17 million tons of fish a year.
2. Japan requires that companies must measure their workers' waistlines if they feel that they are overweight.
3. The world’s largest seafood market is the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.
Jordan
1. Jordan is home to the natural wonder of Petra.
2. The capital, Amman, accounts for 36% of the country's population.
3. Jordan has by far the lowest oil production in the Arab world.
Kazakhstan
1. Kazakhstan is the largest salt consumer per capita in the world.
2. Kazakhstan is by far the largest uranium producer in the world.
3. Kazakhstan was the last country to secede from the USSR (even Russia did this before Kazakhstan) and was basically the entire USSR until December 16, 1991.
Kuwait
1. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world, worth 3.28 US dollars.
2. Kuwait has by far the most oil barrels per capita in the world, with the eighth largest oil reserve internationally.
3. Kuwait has the largest opera house in the Middle East.
Kyrgyzstan
1. Kyrgyzstan is further from an ocean than any other country in the world.
2. Kyrgyzstan possesses the highest high-altitude lake in the Eastern Hemisphere.
3. Kyrgyzstan is the second highest scoring one-word nation in Scrabble, other than Mozambique.
Laos
1. Laos remains as the most bombed country per capita in history.
2. Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia.
3. Laotians are the second shortest people in the world after East Timorese.
Lebanon
1. The country’s name is known to be the oldest in the world and has remained unchanged for over 4000 years.
2. The first ever law school was built in Lebanon.
3. Lebanon has more refugees per capita than any other country, with 1 in 5 Lebanese being a refugee.
Malaysia
1. Malaysia has the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers.
2. The largest roundabout in the world is located in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
3. Malaysia is the only country in the world to include territory on the mainland of Southeast Asia as well as on the islands that stretch between Asia and Oceania.
Maldives
1. Maldives is the flattest country in the world by average elevation.
2. Maldives has the highest rate of Islam adherence in the world at 100% because non-Muslims cannot be citizens.
3. The world's first underwater cabinet meeting was held here.
Mongolia
1. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world.
2. Mongolia is home to the world's oldest national park.
3. Mongolia has more horses per capita than any other country.
Myanmar
1. Myanmar is one of three countries that does not primarily use the metric system of measurement.
2. Kissing sounds in a Myanmar restaurant are typical because this is the sound they make to get the attention of the waiter.
3. The local currency is called kyat (MMK), but you can also use US dollars when you’re traveling through Myanmar.
Nepal
1. Nepal contains the tallest mountain in the world.
2. Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha.
3. Nepal is the dumbest country in the world by average IQ.
North Korea
1. You can only visit 28 government-designated websites on the Internet in North Korea.
2. Pyongyang has the largest sports stadium in the world.
3. In the 1970s, Sweden shipped 1,000 Volvos to North Korea, and North Korea has not paid for the cars to this day. The debt continues to rise, and Sweden asks every two years for the debt to be paid.
Oman
1. Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world.
2. Oman has the longest running royal family in the Middle East.
3. You need a license from the government to buy alcohol in Oman.
Pakistan
1. One town in Pakistan accounts for 55% of the world's soccer balls.
2. Pakistan has the highest polo ground in the world.
3. Pakistan has the largest canal-based irrigation system in the world.
Philippines
1. Philippines has the world's longest underground river.
2. Philippines is home to Asia's first Basketball League.
3. The flag should be turned upside down when the Philippines is at war.
Qatar
1. Qatar has the lowest crime rate of any country in the world.
2. Qatar has no forests.
3. Qatar has the highest GDP per capita of any country in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia
1. Saudi Arabia is the largest country with absolutely no rivers.
2. Saudi Arabia has the world's largest airport.
3. Saudi Arabia has the most oil of any country in the world.
Singapore
1. Chewing gum is banned in public places in Singapore.
2. Singapore is the most expensive city in the world.
3. There is an actual law against not flushing the public toilet after using it in Singapore, and you will be fined SGD 150 if you get caught.
South Korea
1. South Korea has a theme park called Jeju Love Land. It's about... it's about... um... yeah. Don't look up a picture of it.
2. South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world.
3. South Korea is still at war with North Korea; they are merely at ceasefire.
Sri Lanka
1. The oldest living tree planted by man is located in Sri Lanka.
2. Despite idiotic misguided JetPunkers arguing otherwise, Sri Lanka IS an island. The land bridge eroded hundreds of years ago.
3. Sri Lanka had the world's first female prime minister.
Syria
1. Syria is home to the oldest library in the world.
2. Damascus is the longest continuously inhabited place in the world.
3. The ancient city of Bosra in Syria houses an incredibly well preserved Roman theater, complete with tall stage buildings
Taiwan
1. Taiwan claims all of China and therefore has border disputes with countries such as Bhutan, India, Japan, Vietnam, and the Spratly Island dispute.
2. Only 2.3% of the population of Taiwan is native.
3. Taiwan is the only country in Asia where same-sex marriage is legal.
Tajikistan
1. Tajikistan is home to the world's longest glacier outside the polar regions.
2. Tajikistan is home to the world’s second-highest dam.
3. Tajikistan is home to the world’s second-highest road, the Pamir Highway. Also known as the M41, the Pamir Highway is renowned for its spectacular scenery and remote route.
Thailand
1. Thailand is home to the world's largest solid gold Buddha.
2. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized under European power.
3. It is illegal to not wear underwear in public and it is illegal to drive shirtless.
Turkey
1. The first coin that was purposed for monetary use was made in Turkey.
2. Turkey makes up the largest Facebook user base in the Eastern Hemisphere.
3. Turkey makes 80% of the world's hazelnuts.
Turkmenistan
1. Only white cars are allowed in Ashgabat and they do not import any other colors.
2. Your car also must absolutely not be dirty. Absolutely not.
3. The Darvaza Gas Crater or the Gates of Hell is a natural gas field that is constantly burning. The government plans to extinguish it out of concern for the environment.
United Arab Emirates
1. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world as of 2023.
2. It created the world’s first government ministry for artificial intelligence.
3. You can get gold from ATMs in the UAE.
Uzbekistan
1. Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly-landlocked nations in the world.
2. It is believed that turning bread upside down or placing it on the ground will bring you bad fortune in Uzbekistan.
3. The Aral Sea lying between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was once the fourth largest inland sea on Earth. However, from the 1960s, the lake has been gradually shrinking after the rivers were diverted to irrigate the cotton fields. Extensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers has further polluted the region. Today the lake has shrunk to half its former area and decreased by threefold in volume.
Vietnam
1. Vietnam is the world's leading exporter of dragonfruit.
2. Vietnam has the lowest obesity rate of any country in the world.
3. Of the Francophonie members, Vietnam is second in population only to Egypt.
Yemen
1. Yemen is the only country in the Arabian Peninsula that is not a monarchy.
2. Yemen is also the only country in the Arabian Peninsula that does not border the Persian Gulf.
3. Yemen has the second highest rate of civilian firearm ownership; just second to the United States.
I hope you enjoyed the blog. Please comment and tell me what you thought... okay. Bye. :)
please tell me someone noticed what i did with the colors of the dividers ;-;
yeah cool dividersi just replaced it
Wonder what happens if I turn it off.