Around the World 1

Fun Facts Summary

Country Continent Fun Fact

Hong Kong Asia Dim sum is literally translated to mean “touch the heart”,
and is a common morning or early afternoon treat in Hong
Kong. It is made up of small plates of dumplings and other
snack dishes and is usually served in bamboo steamer
baskets at the table. The most common of dim sum delights
include Har gow (steamed prawn dumpling wrapped in a
thin rice wrapper), Siu mai (steamed pork dumplings with
mushroom) and Cha siu bao (barbecued pork buns)

Note: Hong Kong is not a country, but a Special

Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
Hong Kong was a British colony between 1842 and 1997. In
1997, the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to Chinese
sovereignty. However, Hong Kong maintains political and
economic autonomy from the rest of China.

Taiwan Asia Have you tried bubble tea? Bubble Tea originated in Taiwan.
Children would look forward to buying a cup of cold
refreshing tea after a long day of work and play in school.
Bubble Tea often comes with small chewy balls in the drink,
called boba/pearls. They are made of tapioca starch and are
well-loved by almost everyone who has tried them. Now,
bubble tea shops make drinks of all kinds (not just tea) and
they come in all colours and flavours too.

Note: There is disagreement and confusion about whether

Taiwan is an independent country. The Chinese government
sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will, eventually, be
part of the country again. Many Taiwanese people disagree
and feel that they are a separate nation. It has its own
government, democratically-elected leaders, and about
300,000 active troops in its armed forces.
In 1971, the UN switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing
and the Taiwan government was forced out. 14 countries in
the world recognize Taiwan as an independent country.
India Asia The Taj Mahal is a famous landmark in India. It is situated on
the banks of the river Yamuna. The name Taj Mahal means
‘Crown of Palaces’. It was built more than 350 years ago by
Shah Jahan, the then emperor of India, in memory of his
wife who had died while giving birth to their fourteenth
child. It was built using only the finest stones by 20,000
workers and took 22 years to complete.

China Asia Giant pandas (often referred to as simply “pandas”) are

black and white bears and they are the national animal of
China. In the wild, they are found in thick bamboo forests,
high up in the mountains of central China. A panda's daily
diet consists almost entirely of the leaves, stems and shoots
of various bamboo species. Bamboo contains very little
nutritional value so pandas must eat up to 38kg every day to
meet their energy needs.

South Korea Asia Sogo is a traditional Korean hand held drum, used in Korean
folk music. On the sogo is a tri-colour Taegeuk symbol which
is often associated with Korean tradition. The South Korea
national flag features a bi-colour Taegeuk. The Taeguek
symbol represents balance in the universe and the colours
red, blue and yellow signifies Earth, heaven and humanity
respectively.

Nepal Asia Nepal, the land of Himalayas, is home to more than 1310
mountains. The Himalayan mountain range measures
approximately 2,400 km long and stretches across India,
Pakistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, China. Mount Everest, the
world’s tallest mountain, is part of the Himalayan mountain
range. It stands at 8,849m currently and straddles the
border of Nepal and China.

Turkey Asia Cappadocia is an area in Central Turkey which spans across

five provinces. It is well known for its dramatic soft volcanic
rock formations shaped by erosion. Hot-air balloon rides,
overlooking the spectacular rock formations, are extremely
popular among tourists. Cappadocia also boasts of
underground cities, cave houses and rock-cut churches,
which are carved out from soft rocks of volcanic deposits.
These buildings and tunnels from the Byzantine and Islamic
eras can be found throughout the countryside.

Russia Asia Russian dolls, also known as Matryoshka dolls, are a set of
wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside another.
The name matryoshka translates to "little matron”. The first
Russian nested doll set was made in 1890. They are
normally made from Linden wood and represent family and
fertility.
Japan Asia Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish. The maki is a popular
type of sushi that consists of an ingredient, such as seafood,
egg omelette or vegetables rolled in rice and nori or
seaweed. The sushi roll is then sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Japanese restaurants. Sampuru are fake food samples that
are commonly used by Japanese restaurants as in their
display windows to showcase the dishes they serve inside.
These models are made from plastic, wax, resin and
handcrafted by skilled artisans. Custom-making a sampuru
may cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Egypt Africa Pyramids are famous monuments of ancient Egypt. These

enormous structures were built in the memory of Egyptian
kings. Of all the pyramids, the most well known one is the
Great Pyramid of Giza. It is the largest and most intact
pyramid, and is also one of the seven wonders of the
ancient world.Isn’t it amazing how people from thousands of
years ago could build such big structures without the use of
machines and electricity?

Kenya Africa The beaded handmade jewelry is a tradition from the

Maasai tribe, located in Southern Kenya. These necklaces
are not just decorative. They are made and worn to indicate
age, social status and to mark important events.
The colors of the jewels have symbolic values that are often
related to cattle. Cattle are the main food source of the
Maasai and they sustain a deep connection with them.
Red symbolizes bravery, strength and unity as it is the color
of the blood of the cow that is slaughtered when the
community comes together during celebrations.
Blue symbolizes energy and represents the sky. The sky is of
great importance because it provides rain for the cattle.
Green stands for the land, which grows food for the cattle. It
symbolizes health.
Orange and yellow represent hospitality because they are
the colors of the animal skins on guest beds.
White means purity, as it is the color of the milk from the
cows, considered by the Maasai as pure and holy animals.
Finally, black symbolizes the people and all the struggles
they must endure.
(From Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures)
Tanzania Africa Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest
mountain) and many of Africa’s wildlife such as the Big Five -
lion, leopard, buffalo, African elephant, rhinoceros - and
other wildlife such as giraffes or hippopotamus. They are
known as the Big Five, not because of their big size but
because they are the five most difficult animals to hunt on
foot. Tanzania is also home to the Great Migration where
millions of grazers such as the wildebeest, zebras and
gazelles make their way across the land, in search for water
and green pasture.

Nigeria Africa The Argungu fishing festival takes place in February every
year and marks the end of farming season and start of the
fishing season. The festival is a four-day cultural event. It
begins with an agricultural show, water sport displays,
traditional Kebbawa entertainments and ends with the
spectacular fishing competition in the Mata Fadan River. On
the final day, thousands of men participate in an one-hour
race to catch the largest fish. Competitors are only allowed
to use traditional fishing tools and many prefer to catch fish
entirely by hand
The winner can take home as much as $7,500 US dollars.
Some of the fish caught are truly enormous - in 2005, the
winning fish weighed 75 kg, and needed four men to hoist it
onto the scales!

Democratic Africa The Teke people from Democratic Republic of Congo are
Republic of well known for their artwork, specifically their masks. Teke
Congo masks are round flat disk-like wooden masks with abstract
patterns and geometric shapes painted in earthly colors,
mainly dark blue, blacks, browns and clays. The traditional
Teke masks all have triangle shaped noses. The masks have
narrow eye slits to enable the masker to see without being
seen. The masks are often used in traditional ceremonies
such as weddings, funerals and the initiation ceremonies of
young men entering into adulthood.

Madagascar Africa Madagascar is home to about half the world's 150 or so

species of chameleons. Chameleons are reptiles that are
famous for their ability to change colors. Contrary to
popular belief, a chameleon typically does not change colors
to match its surroundings. Instead, they change color to
convey emotions, defend territories, attract mates or to
adjust to changes in temperatures. The world’s smallest
reptile, a 13.5mm (or 0.5in) long chameleon was found in
Madagascar in 2021.
Morocco Africa Chefchaouen is a small town in Morocco and it’s best known
for the blue walls throughout the town. There are several
beliefs as to why the city’s walls were painted blue:
● To follow the Jewish culture as the color blue is
representative of the sky according to Jewish belief.
● Some locals believe that the blue shades repel
mosquitoes.
● Some locals say that the blue helps keep their
homes cool in the warmer months.
● To represent the color of water
● Blue is beautiful and has a calming effect

Australia Australia/ Aboriginal dot painting is a well-recognised style used by

Oceania Australian Aboriginal artists. Dot painting originated from
the time when Europeans arrived in Australia. The Aboriginal
people feared that the non-Indigenous people could
understand their secret knowledge. Double-dotting hid any
form of meaning but was still discernible to Aboriginals. The
Aboriginal dot paintings tell stories and pass on information
of the land, events and beliefs to preserve their culture.

New Zealand Australia/ Due to its isolated location in the south-western Pacific
Oceania Ocean, there are a number of animals that are endemic to
New Zealand. Endemic animals refer to animals that are
native to a country, island or a continent. If it is found
elsewhere, the animal is not considered endemic. In this
activity, you will learn the names of 5 animals that are
endemic to New Zealand and the fairy penguin which is
endemic to the region (South Australia and New Zealand).

Palau Australia/ Jellyfish Lake is Palau’s most famous attraction. This 12000
Oceania years old lake used to be home to millions of golden
jellyfish. The numbers declined drastically for many years
and the authorities closed the lake to the public.
Fortunately, there are now around 700,000 jellyfish back in
the lake and the lake is open again. The jellyfish in this lake
have two unique features: 1) they have evolved without their
stingers and this makes Jellyfish Lake the only place to swim
among jellyfish safely. 2) Only in this lake, the golden jellyfish
swim across the lake twice a day, following the arc of the
sun. They do this daily migration so that the algae on them
can get the most sunlight and grow. In exchange, these
algae provide the jellyfish with energy from photosynthesis.