Beyond the Blog

1. Human settlement in Brazil is thought to have begun at least 32,000 years ago. 2. Before the discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese, South American Indians had been living in the region for thousands of years. 3. On January 1, 1502, the first official tourist arrived in Brazil. The bay where they landed was named Rio de Janeiro (Bay of January). 4. Brazil was ruled by the Portuguese for more than 300 years. 5. And it finally attained independence from Portugal on September 07, 1822.

1. The word “Mexico” is a derivative of Mexica (pronounced “Me-shee-ka”). 2. What today is Mexico City was the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. 3. Mexico was a site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations – including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec. 4. The Mayans and Aztecs (nomadic people indigenous to Mexico: existed between 12th and 15th century) resided in Mexico some 13,000 years ago. 5. The Aztecs sacrificed about 250,000 people, or about 1% of their population, each year. They did this to please their gods. The sacrifices were usually slaves or prisoners.

1. Constitutional Monarchy: As history would dictate it, Spain is one of the oldest constitutional monarchies in the world. Spain’s former king, King Juan Carlos I came to power after General Franco – a ruthless dictator, died in 1975. Presently, former King Juan Carlos I abdicated his throne to his son. As of 2014, King Felipe VI is the new king of Spain. 2. The first ‘novel’ is attributed to a Spaniard: Spanish author, Cervantes’ is known for his Don Quixote novel which was written in 1605. Don Quixote is considered to be one of the first modern novels. 3. Spain has 47 World Heritage Sites: all throughout Spain, there are several pre-historic rock art, historic cities, and buildings. Additionally, there are also bridges, national parks and landscapes. Originally, Spain was known as Iber. 4. Spain’s connection to the modern stapler: According to records, the first known stapler was made in the 18th century in the Basque country for the French King Louis XV. 5. Contribution to modern s

1. Did you know Canadians eat more macaroni and cheese than any other country? It’s a strange fact and there’s no real reason for it, but it’s actually been proven with Kraft being their favorite. And the country has been in love with this food since before 1845! 2. Speaking of favorite foods, this country, known for Tim Horton’s, is also responsible for having the most donut shops per capita than anywhere else. Throughout the entire world there is not one country that surpasses them. So it’s definitely going to be a great place to get some breakfast. 3. They’re even known for the oldest brewery in North America and not only did they start it but the brewery is still running. Molson Coors Canada produced Molson Canadian beer and they are still making it right where they started in 1786. 4. While this may not be surprising, it’s still an interesting fact, that approximately 77% of the maple syrup produced in the entire world is made right in Quebec. Yep, they really do love their maple

1. Portugal was founded in 1128, making it one of the oldest nations in Europe.  Portugal is named after its 2nd largest city, Porto. 2. Did you know that Porto has the highest number of bridges in Europe crossing over the same river? There is a whopping 6 bridges: Dom Luis I Bridge (most popular), Arrabida Bridge (most controversial), Maria Pia Bridge (the city’s oldest bridge), São João Bridge (the futuristic), Freixo Bridge (the remoted) and Infante D. Henrique Bridge (the newest). The six bridges unite the cities of Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto. The people of Porto are not only proud that these are functional structures but also because they serve as true landmarks. 3. Portugal is a developed country. According to the Global Peace Index 2018, it ranks as the 4th safest country in the world. 4. The Green lane toll pay system and pre-paid mobile phone card are also Portuguese inventions, to name a couple. 5. Portuguese, the national language of Portugal is also spoken in Brazil, Mozam

1. The locals of Kiribati are called I-Kiribati. They pronounce ‘ti’ as ‘s’. Therefore, they pronounce ‘Kiribati’ as ‘Kiribas’. 2. Kiribati became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. The country is also a member of the IMF, the World Bank and the Commonwealth of Nations. 3. Kiribati is roughly the four-time of Washington, DC. 4. The Australian dollar is the national currency of Kiribati. 5. Kiribati’s capital city, Tarawa, itself is an island. The capital lies halfway between Hawaii and Australia.

1. Swimming is the term given to the activity where people use their entire body to move through bodies of water. In other words, swimming is maneuvering the human body through water. 2. Swimming is both a competitive and a recreational activity. 3. Different styles of swimming (or ways of maneuvering the human body) are referred to as a stroke. Currently, there are four types of strokes or official swimming styles. 4. As a matter of technique, competitive swimmers propel their bodies against both water and air. 5. Swimming is relatively unpopular. More people are unable to swim even a little than those who are able to. Even smaller is the number of people who swim well. Currently, studies indicate that only approximately 40% of Americans can swim even a little and approximately 4 billion worldwide cannot swim.

1. Hong Kong is among the richest cities in the world. It has more Rolls Royce per person than any other region in the globe. 2. Three quarters of the city’s landmass is rural. Major attractions in the rural areas include 24 parks, woodlands, reservoirs, hills and a beautiful coastline. 3. The name of the city is a Cantonese phrase that translates to fragrance harbor. 4. Hong Kong is the home city to the founder of fiber optic communications: Professor Charles Kao. 5. The third Disney theme park outside the United States was opened in Hong Kong in the year 2005.

1. Dussehra comes from the Sanskrit word Dash Hara, which translates to ‘the defeat of the Sun’ in English. According to Hindu scriptures, if Lord Rama had not defeated Ravana, the Sun would have never risen again. 2. Dussehra is celebrated in Ashwin, the 10th month of the Hindu Calendar. It falls sometime around October or November. 3. In some sub-cultures of Hinduism, Dussehra is also called Vijay Dashmi, which means victory on the tenth day. It is celebrated as Vijay Dashmi to mark the victory of Goddess Durga over the Demon King Mahishasura. 4. Mahishasura was the king of demons or asura, and was very powerful. He would torture innocent people. At that time, Shakti was created by the collective powers of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh to put an end to the evil doings of Mahishasura. 5. In Mysore, Goddess Chamundeshwari is worshipped on the day of Dussehra.