Another collection of a dozen little known facts about countries around the world.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Belgium colonized this African country from 1908 to 1960, and one of the leftovers from this period is an obsession with mayonnaise. They apparently put it on everything here.
Serbia: This former Yugoslavian republic was once the center of the Roman empire and it shows - there were 18 emperors born in what is now modern-day Serbia. The most famous of these was Constantine I, who founded Constantinople (Istanbul) and elevated Christianity to a state-level religion.
Ecuador: Mount Chimborazo in this South American nation is not the tallest mountain in the world, but it is the highest spot on Earth and thus closest to outer space. This is because the Earth is not perfectly spherical, but rather oblate.
Malaysia: Sarawak Chamber on the island of Borneo is the largest known cave chamber on Earth. At 2,000 feet long, 1,400 feet wide and almost 500 feet tall, it is twice the size of Britain’s Wembley Stadium.
Venezuela: Residents of this South American country cannot legally watch “The Simpsons” because their former president, Hugo Chavez, deemed it unsuitable for children. Confoundingly, it was replaced by “Baywatch.”
Camaroon: Often called “Africa in miniature,” Cameroon touts 1,738 different linguistic groups and more than 200 national languages.
North Korea: Both men and women in this East Asian nation can only choose between 15 state-approved haircuts. Punishment ranges from small fines to imprisonment.
Niger: The largest petroglyph (pre-historic rock carving) in the world can be found in this African nation. It depicts two giraffes, with the tallest one measuring nearly 18 feet. It was created 6,000 to 8,000 years ago.
Netherlands: Once considered some of the shortest people in the world, the Dutch are now the tallest. Men average just over 6 feet while women average 5 feet 6 inches.
Somalia: Camels are extremely important to the people of this African nation. Of the 14 million camels in the world, more than half reside in Somalia.
Cuba: The biggest source of revenue in this Caribbean island nation is not tobacco, sugar, rum or tourism — it’s doctors. The country’s 50,000 doctors working abroad bring Cuba some $11 billion annually.
Dominican Republic: Since being introduced in the 1880s, baseball has been an obsession in this Caribbean nation. Today, it has the most foreign-born players in America's Major League Baseball.
More? If you missed last Sunday's fun facts about countries, click here
Today's OGN Sunday Magazine articles:
Nominative Determinism or Aptronym? After the BBC sent Phil McCann to a petrol station to cover the fuel crisis, social media has had a field day.
Sweden is building the world's largest algae factory. Why? To create emission-reducing seaweed feed for cattle - the world’s most polluting animal.
Earthshot: Prince William and Sir David Attenborough host a documentary series on ideas that could help save the planet. It launches today.