THE 5 CONTINENTS - USEFUL INFORMATION

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Useful information

The 5 continents

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• https://verne.elpais.com/verne/2019/06/20/articulo/1561035211_849539.html
• https://onlyfunfacts.com/es/datos/datos-america-del-norte/

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In Bulgaria, be careful because they shake their heads for yes and nod their heads for no, unlike most other countries in the world.

Europe

In Switzerland, have your dictionaries at the ready. This country has 4 official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh). In Switzerland, if you're traveling in the North of the country, you might pass a town called Büsingen am Hochrhein. You should know that this is actually a German town, although it is completely surrounded by Switzerland.

In France, there's a Víctor Hugo street in every city in the country. Careful not to get confused when booking a hotel!

In Italy, if you see someone twisting their finger on their cheek, they're saying that something is very good. This video explains more gestures.

In Poland, there are a lot of Milk Bars. But they're not bars where you drink milk, like in A Clockwork Orange. At least not anymore. These social cafeterias of the communist era have become popular places to eat a lot and cheaply in Polish cities.

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In Canada, the minimum age for drinking alcohol varies by state. In some it's 18 and in others it's 19.

North America

Alaska crosses into the eastern hemisphere and is, therefore, both the most eastern and the most western state in the United States.

At 6,021 km, the Mississippi River in the United States is the longest in North America.

The modern flag of the United States was designed by a high school student in Ohio as a school project. His teacher gave him a B-.

In Canada, a society with great respect for multiculturalism, asking Where are you from? can be controversial. It's better to avoid this question.

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Colombia has over 30 different kinds of exotic fruits, such as the cherimoya, or sugar apple, and the guama, also known as the ice cream bean.

South America

Chile has around 2,900 volcanoes, around 80-90 of which are active.

The Spanish spoken in South America is quite different from the Spanish spoken in Spain. For example, Spanish people have to be careful about their use of the verb 'coger', which in their country means to take, as in some countries it means the act of sex, and can result in some interesting statements indeed!

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the only one where Portuguese is spoken.

Argentina's national drink is a herbal tea called yerba mate and is drunk from a special container through a metal straw.

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In Morocco you can ski in winter, in Oukaïmeden.

Africa

In Sub-Saharan Africa the use of mobile phones is very widespread and SIM cards with data plans are extremely cheap. If you can, bring an unlocked phone and get a local line. It's worth it.

In Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania, the production and use of plastic bags is prohibited. Bring some canvas bags for shopping.

In Kenya, the Maasai are used to seeing tourists on safari, and may well come up to you and ask you lots of questions. They're very curious!

If you're going on safari, it's best to avoid wearing certain colored clothes. White gets dirty from all the dust, and blue and black attract the attention of color-blind animals because they attract the tse-tse fly. Bright colors and bold prints create a lot of contrast. It's best to opt for pastel or neutral tones.

In Morocco and other Islamic countries, there are pharmacies whose symbol is a crescent moon instead of a green cross.

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In Japan, traffic lights are blue instead of green.

Asia

In Dubai, the weekend is Friday and Saturday (bear this in mind when planning visits and activities).Despite all the opulence, the tube here is cheap. There is a Gold Class in the first car, which is still cheap. Buying one of those tickets makes you feel rich.

In China, you might see some square dancing: a group of women who dance to routines in the city squares.

In Japan, hardly any streets have names.They use a system of 3 numbers to indicate a specific location, which tells you the district area, block, and building.For example, the Tokyo City Council (which is worth visiting; Blade Runner vibes) is at 2-8-1, Nishi Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku: in building 1, of block 8, in area 2 of the district Nishi Shinjuku in the Shinjuku neighborhood.

In Singapore, chewing gum is forbidden.And definitely don't throw cigarette butts or litter in the street. The Corrective Work Order (CWO) give out high fines and make offenders clean the streets. Although you're a tourist, best stay out of trouble!

In the Philippines, don't be surprised when you notice many locals don't pronounce the sound f or ph; in their language it's Pilipinas. The Spanish Empire named the country after their King, Phillip II.

In Japanese, the word for the color green (midori) didn't exist until 1,000 years ago. Before that, it shared the word for blue (ao), but Japanese people are still used to calling green ao...

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In New Zealand, no matter where you are, you can have a dip in the sea any day. Its furthest point from the sea is at 119km.

Oceania

In Australia, pay close attention to the ingredients if you don't want to eat kangaroo meat. The government has been encouraging people to eat it for years as there are twice as many kangaroos as there are people.

In Western Australia there are a few pink lakes, like Lake Hillier. One for the Instagram.

In New Zealana, remember that a kiwi can be a fruit, an animal, or a person.

In New Zealand there are many different species of animals, but almost none are poisonous: neither the snakes nor the scorpions, only some spiders.