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.

1. Although nowadays the computer is applicable in every sector, the truth is that computers were first invented to solve a number-crunching crisis in the U.S. In the 1880s, the U.S population had grown so much that it took almost seven years to complete the tabulation of census results. As a result, punch-card based computers that took up entire rooms were invented that helped the government get the job done quickly and efficiently. 2. The first computer was very spacious and heavy. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) weighed about 27 tons and occupied over 1800 square feet. Regardless of the size of ENIAC, it proved very useful then. 3. The first woman to earn a PhD in computer science in the U.S. goes by the name of Mary Kenneth Keller. Before receiving her PhD, she had a good background in physics and mathematics. Mary Kenneth Keller has been a motivation for many women who want to pursue a career in computer science because she achieved a lot during her time. 4. T

1. Paper was invented from hemp by the Chinese, around 100 B.C. Later, they started creating paper using other forms of plant fibers such as bamboo and tree bark. Prior to the invention of paper, papyrus served as a writing surface. 2. The Chinese also are credited with being the first people to use paper currency and toilet paper. 3. The production of the paper focuses on softwood trees that account for approximately eighty-five percent of the form. The wood pulp in softwood trees contains cellulose fibers and is most preferred since they can produce adequate strength for paper. 4. The favorable softwood trees for papermaking include pine, fir, and spruce. Trees come in varied sizes, making it difficult to establish how a single tree can produce many sheets of paper. However, on average, one pine tree can make around 80,000 sheets of paper. 5. It can take five liters of water to make one sheet of paper. Although water and writing may sound like a bizarre combination, ninety-nine perce

1. It is no secret that diamonds come from underground, but many people are unaware of how far underground. Mined diamonds from below the Earth’s outer crust are approximately 100 miles deep in the upper mantle. The most bottomless hole to have been drilled only made it to about 7.5 miles. We require thirteen such holes to reach the prime depth of diamond-making. 2. The ancient Greeks and Romans supposed diamonds to be were tears from gods or splinters from falling stars. The Romans also believed that cupid’s arrows were sloped with diamonds, explaining the earliest relationship between diamond and romantic love. 3. Diamond is the only gem made of a single element: it is nearly 99.95 percent carbon, the commonly found element on the Earth. The other 0.05 percent can include one or more trace elements, which are atoms that aren’t part of the diamond’s essential chemistry.  With the immense pressure and heat far below the Earth’s surface, a single carbon atom forms chemical bonds with th

1. Thailand is one of the few nations where a monarch is still present. King Bhumibol Adulyadej is currently the world’s longest-serving head of state, with a staggering 70 years as king. He is certainly an inspiration for anyone who wants to live a king-sized life. 2. The King of Thailand wasn’t even born in Thailand. He was born in America and studied engineering in Switzerland. 3. The irony of Thailand’s history is that it never developed any major army, yet it was never colonized by European powers, unlike Asian giants such as India and China. In fact, the very meaning of “Thai” is “free man.” 4. There are more than 100 state-owned radio stations in all of Thailand. Private companies are given time slots in these stations’ shows. 5. Though the name of the country means “free,” on May 22nd 2014, the Royal Thai Armed Forces organized a coup and overthrew the government. It was the 12th coup since the first one occurred in 1932. Seems like Thailand likes to colonize itself!

1. Taiwan is an eclectic mix of enterprises and individuals, including governmental officials, farmers, small business owners, and artisans. The working class is one fifth of the population, and the middle class makes up another fifth. 2. Taiwan had a time period recently of economic reform that uplifted residents to the middle and upper classes. 3. Many students wear school uniforms. They are comfortable, athletic looking and have a fluorescent colour to them. 4. The condominiums resemble the average Taiwanese person in that they are vertical, tall, and skinny. Many people take the stairs to get up to their flats. Each apartment is typically quite small, and very expensive. 5. Most Taiwanese don’t like the rain. It rains often; however, walking in a bit of rain is a no no in the culture, even if it is only for a few seconds. This typically has to do with pollution and fears of acid rain on their skin.

1. The name Australia comes from the Latin, ‘Terra Australia Incognito’, which means the Unknown Southern Land. 2. It is astounding to note here that Australia is listed on the 58th spot in the index of internet download speeds. According to NetIndex, Australia is even behind Kazakhstan, Madagascar, and Vanuatu. Australian’s may have the most venomous snakes but not the fastest internet. 3. Australia is also known as ‘the sports capital’ of the world. The reason is – more than 70% of its capital participates in a recreational activity or sports, at least once in a week. 4. In the area (land); Australia is 32 times greater than that of the U.K, almost twice than that of Europe, and almost equal to that of the United States of America. 5. Australia has the lowest population density in the world—two people per square kilometer.

1. Santa Clause’s reindeer have a hard time delivering presents in New Zealand because it’s summertime during Christmas. A very odd thing to imagine for people living in the Northern Hemisphere. 2. The Mickey Mouse look-alike in the animal kingdom is found only in New Zealand. The Hector Dolphin, native to the southern island has two protruding ears, giving it a funny look. 3. Captain James Cook, the real-life captain Jack Sparrow, was a captain of the Royal Navy of Britain who discovered New Zealand for the West. The lack of fresh citrus fruits in his adventurous voyage led him to discover a cure for scurvy, the simple vitamin C. 4. The Great Barrier Islands in northern New Zealand, extensively used pigeon posts. During the early 20th century, it had two companies that “hired” healthy pigeons to deliver crucial information. It remains an important cultural symbol of the region. 5. The Auckland Volcanic Field is a hotspot for volcanic activity and geologists use the area to study glo

1. Interestingly, you can smoke Marijuana legally in North Korea. It is not even classified as a drug in the country. 2. On January 23, 1968, North Korea captured “USS Pueblo (AGER-2),” a Banner-class environmental research ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy. It is the world’s only nation to capture and retain a U.S. Navy ship to date. 3. North Korea does not use the Gregorian calendar, which is also known as the Western calendar and the Christian calendar. They have their own calendar in place. The Juche calendar was introduced in 1997 and is based on Kim Il-Sung’s date of birth: April 15, 1912. The year 2015 was the 104th year, as per their Juche calendar. 4. The North Korean city of Pyongyang has the world’s largest stadium, boasting a seating capacity of 150,000. This stadium is used for football, athletics and mass games. 5. Surprisingly, haircuts are also approved by the supreme leader, Kim Jong-Un, in North Korea. There are only 28 styles of approved haircuts from which to cho

60 Interesting Facts About Indonesia 1. “Srivijaya” is considered the first of the known Indonesian kingdoms, lasting until about 1400 A.D. 2. The Portuguese arrived in Indonesia in the early 16th century, mainly for spices. Due to huge demand for spices in Europe at the time, profits could be made selling them. Hence, the Portuguese seized the Moluccas, the chief spice-producing region. 3. The Portuguese, however, lost their dominance over the region to the Dutch. 4. Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, the world’s third-most-populous democracy, and the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. 5. More than 50% of the country is covered by forests.

Introduction: You are interested in starting a blog but you are lost on where to begin. Here are the questions we will be answering: 1: Getting Started With The Blog? Blogging is a great way to build your online brand. A blog is a great place to share your expertise and knowledge. It's also a great place to give your customers a personal look into your business. Blogging is a great way to get your name out there and build your online brand.

1.   There are a total of 28 Nobel Prize winners from Japan. 2. The worlds shortest escalator is in Japan. And yes, it is used as well. 3. Fleeing motorists in Japan are shot by police with paintballs. This technique helps them to identify the defaulters easily. 4. Train stations in Japan have staff people to shove people into the trains because there are so much of passengers. 5. The post-war Japanese constitution has forbidden Japan from having an army. As a result of being unable to invest in the arms race, the central government has poured money into trains. In fact, many people have dubbed the bullet train (“shinkansen”) research as Japan’s space race.