Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

Namibia is a scarcely populated country in southern Africa , bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Namibia is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa . Only 5% of its land is arable due to low precipitation, negligible groundwater, and the absence of permanent water bodies. Namibia is the second-least densely populated sovereign country after Mongolia . Its population density is around three people per square km. The German Empire took control of modern-day Namibia in 1884, where they committed the f irst genocide of the 20th Century from 1904-08. It happened after the uprising of the local population against colonial rule. The Germans killed thousands of Herero and Nama people and put others in concentration camps. ( Source ) South Africa took control of Namibia from Germany in 1915 during World War 1 . It became part of South Africa in 1920 after approval from the League of Nations. However, the UN rejected the South African occupation of South West Africa in 1946. In 1961,...

Emperor penguins are the largest living species of penguins. Males are slightly larger than females having 1.3 meters (51 inches) in height and up to 45 kg (99 lbs) in weight. ( Source ) Emperor and Adelie are the only two penguin species having a permanent presence on the Antarctic continent . Few other species breed on the Antarctic Peninsula or subantarctic islands. Emperor penguins are carnivores and have to feed in the open ocean due to the absence of suitable food on the Antarctic ice. Their diet includes fish , krill, and squid . The emperor penguin is the world’s deepest-diving bird . The deepest dive, 564 meters (1,850 feet), was recorded in 2006. However, most of their dives are less than 400 meters (1,312 feet). They can remain underwater for more than 20 minutes, while the maximum time was 32.2 minutes, recorded in 2018. ( Source ) There are several factors behind deep dives of emperor penguins. Their heart rate reduces during a dive to five beats per minute to lower oxy...

King cobra is a venomous snake in the family “elapid.” They are endemic to forests , grasslands, and swamps in South and Southeast Asia. The king cobra is the sole member of its genus, not related to true cobras. This name is due to its diet of other snakes , including cobras. Several species of cobra snakes spit venom and are known as spitting cobras. King cobras do not have this ability. The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake . Its average length is 3-4 meters (approximately 10-13 feet), while the longest snake reached 5.71 meters (18.7 feet). Like other venomous snakes in the London Zoo, this potentially dangerous king cobra was killed after the start of World War 2 . ( Source ) The primary diet of king cobras is other snakes, both venomous and non-venomous having a length of up to 10 feet. The king cobra can neutralize the venom of other snakes. Sometimes they eat rodents, lizards , and smaller king cobras. King cobras are unaggressive and usually avoid humans . It ...

There are around 150 species of cuckoos. Famous birds in this medium-sized family include common cuckoos, roadrunners, anis, koels, etc. Cuckoos are present in all continents except Antarctica . They prefer forests and woodlands in temperate and tropical regions. Most cuckoo species live in trees, while 15 species are terrestrial. Three ground-dwelling species are brood parasites: the pheasant cuckoo, the striped cuckoo, and the pavonine cuckoo. Two species of roadrunners are also among ground cuckoos. Most cuckoos have short wings and long tails. However, few migratory species have long wings, which assist them in migrating far away easily and quickly. In 2020, a cuckoo bird recorded one of the longest flights by any land bird. This cuckoo covered more than 7,500 miles (12,000 km) without stopping while migrating from southern Africa to Mongolia at 60 km/h. ( Source ) The favorite food of cuckoo birds is hairy caterpillars and other insects . Various species eat fruits, baby bir...

Chipmunks are tiny, striped members of the squirrel family . Their close relatives are marmots, prairie dogs, and other ground squirrels.  There are 25 species of chipmunks. Siberian chipmunks are present in northern parts of Asia and Eastern Europe , while all the other species are native to North America from Canada to Mexico . The color of their fur is from gray to reddish-brown. Their most prominent feature is light and dark stripes on their back and faces. Their long bushy tail accounts for nearly half of their body size. The  stripes provide camouflage  and protect diurnal chipmunks from birds and other predators. These stripes are similar to markings in the African striped mouse. Mice and rats split from  squirrels  70 million years ago, but stripes in both these mammals are unrelated. ( Source ) Chipmunks are terrestrial animals and usually live on land. However, they can climb trees and swim. Chipmunks differ in size according to species. Eastern c...

Cambodia is a country in the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It shares land borders with Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. The Gulf of Thailand is on its western side. Funan in Cambodia was the first prominent Hindu kingdom in Southeast Asia. Its area encompasses today’s Vietnam and Thailand also. This monarchy transferred Indian and Chinese influences to other parts of Southeast Asia. Khmer Empire was established in 802 and reached its zenith during the 12 th Century, controlling Cambodia and its neighboring countries. Hinduism was the initial religion of the empire, but it adopted Theravada Buddhism in later centuries.   Cambodia became a protectorate of France in 1863. Later, it became part of French Indochina alongside its neighboring countries. Japan occupied Cambodia in 1941 during WW2. The French reestablished their control in October 1945. Cambodia gained independence from France on November 9, 1953. After independence, the country became the Kingdom of Cambodia. T...

The Ethiopian wolf is a canine native to Ethiopia. It is solely present in six or seven isolated areas of the Ethiopian highlands . Their highest population is in the Bale Mountains. These wolves have several other names due to their similarity to other canids. These include the Abyssinian wolf, Simien jackal, red jackal, and Simien fox. Unlike many other canids, the primary food of Ethiopian wolves is small rodents , particularly the common grass rats and giant mole rats. They occasionally hunt in groups for large prey like hares, lambs, geese, and young antelopes. The Ethiopian wolf is the most endangered canid , with a population of around 500 individuals. The primary reasons behind its low population are hunting by humans, habitat loss, and hybridization with domestic dogs. ( Source ) The habitat of Ethiopian wolves includes grassland, shrubland, and rocky areas. It lives on mountains above 3,000 feet. Ethiopian wolves are one of the 190 mammal species that suffer from rabies ...

Chad is a landlocked country in north-central Africa . Its area is the fifth largest in Africa. Chad is the  largest landlocked country  in Africa and the 3 rd  largest in the world after Kazakhstan and Mongolia . Chad is named after Lake Chad , one of the most prominent wetlands in Africa . Some part of this lake is also present in Chad’s neighboring countries. Climate change and the increase in population have reduced 90% area of the lake since the 1960s. Lakes of Ounianga, a UNESCO world heritage site, are a combination of 18 permanent lakes in two groups, present inside the desert . There are both saline and freshwater lakes that support varying organisms. They display green, blue, and red colors due to the reflection of various chemicals. Chad was the place of discovery for the  oldest skull of a hominid  (member of the human family) in 2002. According to estimates, this skull is more than 6 million years old. ( Source ) The quality of roads  in Chad...

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, which shares borders with Russia on the north and China on the south. A narrow strip separates the central Asian country Kazakhstan from Mongolia. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated sovereign country in the world. Its population density is just over two people per square km. ( Source ) Mongolia is the second largest landlocked country after Kazakhstan . Its land area is more than 600,000 square miles. Mongolia experiences the long cold winters , while the short summer season remains very hot in some areas. Nearly 75% area of Mongolia is pastureland. The Gobi Desert is in the southern part of the country (Mongolia shares this desert with China), and the remaining is forests . Only a small portion of the country is suitable for crop growing. Ulaanbaatar is the Mongolia’s capital city . Nearly 50% of the Mongolian population resides in the capital. Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, is the world’s  coldest capital city . Its avera...