Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

Vulture is the most famous scavenger among birds. It is present on all continents except Australia and Antarctica . Vultures are among the few land birds that can  remain in the air for long periods without flapping their wings. They do so thanks to low wing loading and low aspect ratio of wings. ( Source ) It is a myth that vultures circle dead or dying animals. They  sit and patiently wait for the death of a dying animal. They mostly circle high in the sky while searching for food. ( Source ) There are mainly two types of vultures according to their location. These are Old World vultures (present in Asia , Africa, and Europe ) and New World vultures (present in the Americas). The Ruppell’s griffon vulture is the  highest flying bird  on earth . It can fly at an altitude of 37,000 ft. (11,300 m). Bearded vultures and Andean condors are the world’s 6 th  and 7 th  highest-flying birds. They can achieve an elevation of 24,000 feet and 21,300 feet, respect...

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is the 5 th most populous country in Asia and 8 th in the world. Bangladesh has the world’s 7 th highest population density. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has been named the world’s 3 rd   least livable city . It has performed better than only Damascus (Syria) and Lagos (Nigeria). ( Source ) Bangladesh is the  most polluted country in the world. Its pollution index of 97.1 is far ahead of the 2 nd  most polluted country ( Pakistan with 74.27). Bangladesh has the world’s highest rate of  girls marrying before 15 years  of age. The country has the 2 nd  highest rate for girls marrying before 18 years. ( Source ) Bangladesh has the  2 nd  lowest obesity rate  in the world. Only 3.6% of adults in Bangladesh are obese. ( Source ) In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country to  ban plastic bags . Now, more than 80 countries have a full or partial ban on plastic bags.   ( Sourc...

There are around 18,500 species of butterflies on earth. They  are present on every continent except Antarctica. An important reason for the wide-scale distribution of butterflies on earth is their migration from one part of the earth to another. Painted lady and monarch butterflies are good examples that can migrate over long distances. The discovery of butterfly fossils indicate that this insect has been on earth since 56 million years ago . Butterflies are beneficial for plants as they assist in the pollination of those plants that they visit. Butterflies can carry a smaller amount of pollen than  bees , but they can take the pollen to longer distances. Butterflies also provide other benefits to plants. Harvester (a carnivorous butterfly) and a few other butterfly species  eat harmful  insects . Several birds, insects, amphibians, and other animals eat butterflies. Common  predators  of these insects are wasps, dragonflies, sparrows, parrots, f...

China, a country in East Asia, is the world’s most populous country . It is also the 3 rd largest country by area, the 2 nd largest country by land area, and the largest country wholly inside Asia . The process of making  silk cloth started in China around 2696 BC. The Chinese managed to keep this invention secret from the outside world until 550 AD. ( Source ) The world’s two  fastest trains  are in China. The maximum speed for Shanghai Maglev is 267 mph (431 km/hr), while Fuxing Hao can run at 249 mph. ( Source ) Chinese celebrate their New Year for 15 days. There are exclusive traditions to celebrate each day of the Chinese New Year. ( Source ) China has the 2nd highest number of  UNESCO World Heritage sites  in the world after  Italy . This Asian country has 56 sites: 38 cultural, 14 natural, and 4 mixed. The Chinese communist government opposes all religions. It is a crucial factor behind the high percentage of atheists in the coun...

Canada, the northernmost country in North America, is the 2 nd largest country by area in the world. Its total area is 9,984,670 km 2 . Canada is the 4 th largest country in the world by land area. It is because of the presence of numerous freshwater lakes in the country. Around 9% of Canada is comprised of freshwater lakes. Ice hockey is the national and most favorite sport in Canada. There are more than 620,000 registered ice hockey players in Canada, the highest number of registered players in  ice hockey  for any country in the world. The population of Canada is low compared to its vast area. Canada has one of the lowest population densities in the world. It is just four people per square km. Canada is the  coldest country  in the world by average yearly temperature. The annual temperature here is -7.14 C. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Canada is -63 C. ( Source ) Canada has the longest coastline in the world. Its length is 202,080 km wh...

With an area of 2,381,741 square km, Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the 10 th largest in the world. Algeria is also the 9 th most populous country in Africa, having a population of around 42 million. St. Augustine of Hippo played the most significant role in bringing the dominant position of Christianity  to the Roman Empire. He is also known as the  father of orthodox theology . The birthplace of this philosopher and theologian was Algeria. Algeria has the highest number of immigrants in France . 16% of the total immigrants in France are of   Algerian descent. Prominent Algerians in France are Zinedine Zidane (footballer), Rachid Arhab (journalist), and Azouz Begag (writer). ( Source ) Algeria was conquered by the  Umayyad Caliphate in the 8 th Century. This event initiated the Islamization of the area, which became a Muslim-majority in the 10 th Century. Algeria came under the rule of various local Berber dynasties after the fall of the Umayy...

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country  is located within the Alps and is highly mountainous . Only around 1/3 rd of its area is below 500 m (1,640 ft.). The Austrian capital Vienna was declared the  most livable city  in the world in 2018 and 2019. Vienna achieved this position by scoring 99.1 points out of a total of 100. ( Source ) Austria is the world’s first country to  publish postcards . This European country introduced the first postcard in 1870. A 19 th  Century Austrian monk, Gregor Mendel, performed several experiments in his monastery garden between 1856 and 1863. His research included crossing pea  plants  of various colors, seed shapes, pod shapes, etc. These experiments and their results were first presented in 1865 and resulted in the advancement of modern genetics. Therefore, this Austrian monk is known as the  father of modern genetics . Austria is the birthplace of the world’s oldest existing dail...