SINGAPORE

1. Bridging the age gap

Singapores oldest bridge in use is so old the signs in front of it forbid cattle and horses
from crossing. Constructed in 1869, Cavenagh Bridge has switched from bearing cargo
and coolies to allowing people to cross safely to and from the concert halls, museums
and offices on the banks of the river.
2. Secret gardens
The first botanical gardens were at Fort Canning Hill. They were opened in 1822, closed
in 1829, reopened in 1836 and finally abandoned in 1846.
3. The name "Singapore" is derived from Sanskrit. What is the meaning?
LION CITY. Malay legend has it that a Sumatran prince saw a lion when visiting the island
where Singapore now stands. He took this as a good omen and decided to build a city.
4. What language is the medium of instruction in Singaporean schools?
English. Virtually everyone in Singapore is at least bilingual, and many people speak
three or four languages. Although around 70% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent,
there is no dominant mother tongue in Singapore. An amazing seven languages are
spoken as a mother tongue by more than five per cent of the population.
5. What nickname has the city unofficially been referred to as since the
1980s?
The 'fine' city. Many different kinds of behavior are frowned upon in Singapore.
The strategy the government has used is to impose fines on offenders. Singapore is
clean and almost crime free. There are fines on thousands of offences, such as
smoking in a public place, jaywalking, not flushing a public toilet, littering, eating on
public transport and even possessing chewing gum. Singapore truly is a fine city!
AFGHANISTAN
1. Afghanistan's national game is called Buzkashi, or in other words, goat-grabbing. It's
a sport where the players in two teams try to catch a goat while riding on a horse. It
has been played for centuries and it even got sponsors for it nowadays.
2. The country is rich in the vibrant blue stone, lapis lazuli, which was used to
decorate the tomb of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun.
3. The Minaret of Jam, in the Hari River valley, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
4. The Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as the Blue Mosque, is a mosque in
Mazar-i-Sharif,Afghanistan. It is one of the reputed burial places of Hazrat Ali,
cousin and son-in law of Muhammad.
5. The New Year in Afghanistan, called Nawroz, is celebrated on 21 March which is the
first day of spring.

BAHRAIN

1. Which of the following choices best describes what the word Bahrain
means in Arabic?
Two seas. The 'two seas' referenced by the name Bahrain may be the Persian Gulf
and the Gulf of Bahrain. The land area of Bahrain is approximately four times that of
the District of Columbia in the United States.
2. What important city in the nation of Bahrain has a name meaning 'Place
of the Ashes' in Arabic and was capital of the country until 1923?
Al Muharraq. The oldest sports club in the Persian Gulf region, Muharraq Club, is
located in Al Muharraq. The city of Umm Al Hassam contains a rather large Jewish
population and its name means 'Mother of Sea Shells' in Arabic. The city of Sitrah is
Bahrain's chief petroleum production locale.
3. Excessive Speeding Is Rampant
Bahraini drivers routinely drive at excessive speeds, 50-100 km/h above the posted
limit. The posted speed limits often seem lower than necessary. Penalties for
speeding are light, and at the discretion of the the officer who makes a stop.
4. Various and Sundry Facts
Prices are generally very low in Bahrain. There is no sales tax. There is no income
tax. One can purchase a designer haircut for the approximate price of $2.00. Pringle
potato chips come in ketchup flavor. Club soda comes in Coca Cola vending
machines, and fresh squeezed juice is available in all cafes.
5. What multiple dike-bridge combination connects the nation of Bahrain
with Saudi Arabia to the west?
King Fahd Causeway. Construction on the King Fahd Causeway began in 1982,
and it was officially opened on November 25, 1986. The total cost of the project was
about 1.2 billion United States dollars.
JAPAN
1. Japan has the highest density of robots in the world.
There are approximately 800,000 industrial robots in operation around the world, and fully
half of them in Japan. That's about 1 robot for every 310 people in Japan.
2. The longest river in Japan is the Shinano. Beginning in Nagano (the Japanese Alps)
it flows north and east 367 kilometers and enters the Japan Sea at the city of Niigata.
3. The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji.
Standing at 3,776 metres or 12,388 feet, it is probably the most easily recognized image of
Japan, Fuji-san is climbed by about 300,000 visitors each year. An active volcano, its last
eruption was in 1770. Japan is home to almost 10% of the world's 840 active volcanoes.
4. The largest Yakuza (Crime Syndicate) gang in Japan is the Yamaguchi-Gumi.
With more than 36,000 members, thats 43% of all Yakuza in Japan. The police can have
such good information about the Yakuza, because until recently the Yakuza operated quite
openly, with offices, newsletters, etc. However a new law has caused many yakuza to
relinquish "membership" in a gang, so the official numbers are far smaller than the real
numbers.
5. Japan is the World's biggest consumer of fish.
Japan took more fish out of the sea (almost 10 million tons) than any other country.
However, they remain the biggest consumers of sea food, consuming fully one third of all
seafood consumed in the world, importing 25% of the total world catch.

INDIA

1. India is the largest democracy in the world, the7th largest

Country in the world, and one of the most ancient
civilizations.
2. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways,
employing over a million people.
3. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by
Aryabhatta.
4. Many Indian wives will never say their husbands name aloud,
as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife
will use several indirect references, such as ji or look
here or hello, or even refer to him as the father of her
child
5. Dancing is one of Indias most highly developed arts and was
an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every
temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.

INDONESIA
1. It is the 4th most populous country in the world and the
16th largest. Its largest islands are Sumatra, Celebes,
Java, Halmahera and Ceram. Sumatra is the 6th largest island
in the world.
2. Rice is the staple food of Indonesia. Other key ingredients
in Indonesian cuisine are chili, fish, chicken and coconut
milk. This cuisine is highly influenced by Middle Eastern,
Chinese and Indian cuisine. Traces of European cuisine are
also significant.
3. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the largest economy. The
official language is Indonesian.
4. Globally, Indonesia is the biggest Islamic country. However,
the province of Bali almost entirely comprises Hindus.
5. Indonesia is home to the second highest level of
biodiversity globally. It thus comes as no surprise that
forests cover almost 60% of the nation.
LAOS
1. It is the only country in Southeast Asia which is landlocked, And because of being
landlocked, Laos does not have a navy.

2. The people of Laos are known around the world for their honesty and simplicity; mainly
the followers of Buddhism, these people have discovered joy in minimalism.
3. The Khone Papeng waterfall situated in Laos is the largest waterfall in whole of
Southeast Asia.
4. The Mekong River is also known as Mae Nam Khong, which translates to mother of all
rivers.
5. One of the few mystical creatures which reside in the wilds of Laos is one of worlds
longest venomous snakes, King Cobra, which measures fourteen foot in length. Along
with it, Irrawaddy Dolphins also are found in abundance here.
MALAYSIA
1. THE village of Wang Kelian in Perlis is the only place in the world where large-scale
cave tin-mining was conducted.
2. THE largest cave chamber in the world is the Sarawak Chamber in Gunung Mulu
National Park in Sarawak, which can easily accommodate a Boeing 747-200.
3. THE largest cave chamber in the world is the Sarawak Chamber in Gunung Mulu
National Park in Sarawak, which can easily accommodate a Boeing 747-200.
4. LEMBAH Bujang in the foothills of Gunung Jerai is believed to be the location of an old
Malay Langkasuka empire, holding ruins that may date back 1,500 years.
5. "TUN" is the most senior federal title and there can be no more than 25 living recipients
at any one time.
MONGOLIA
1. Mongolia has the oldest National Park in the world. Lying just South of Ulan Bator the
Bogd Khan National Park dates its origin to 1778
2. Genghis Khan could not read or write, but he commissioned the first Mongolian writing
system - the Mongolian script.
3. A 131-foot statue of Genghis Khan sits on the steppe about an hours drive from Ulan
Bator. He sits on the world's tallest statue of a horse
4. Some people drive ten-thousand miles in a car to get to Mongolia - it's called the Mongol
Rally. The rally finishes at a pub with a chilled beer waiting
5.
Chinggis Khaan (better known in the West as Genghis Khan) is perhaps the most
famous Mongol of all time and a very important figure to modern Mongolians. His real
name was Temujin, but what does Chinggis Khaan mean?

MYANMAR

1. The Irrawaddy River in Myanmar is believed to be a symbol of

Continuity.
2. Very small children wear holy thread around their neck or wrist for
protection from bad spirits or spells.
3. Babies names aren't chosen until 7 days after the birth.
4. Mohinga, rice noodles in fish soup, is widely considered to be Burma's
national dish.
5. Thanakha (botanical term is Limonia Acidissma Linn) is a favorite
cosmetic of Myanmar which comes in the form of yellow paste applied to
the face from the bark of the Thanakha tree. It is effective sun protection
by applying thickly and applying lightly can become tighter the skin and
prevent getting oily. Thanakha and mortar stone, with a shallow trough
along its rim are the necessary part for Myanmar Feminine society. For
Thanakha means not only a cosmetic for beautifying the face. It is also a
cleansing agent possibly without compare for uniqueness. It is a blessing
in tropical heat. It removes body odors. Because of such attributes,
Myanmar men and women use Thanakha.

ISRAEL

1. Israel is the 100th smallest country in the world, smaller than Wales! At
8.7 miles, the beachfront at Tel Aviv is only as long as the country is wide
at its narrowest point.
2. Tel Aviv is known as the city that never sleeps: 100,000 people the
equivalent of a quarter of the citys population are employed in Tel
Avivs bustling nightlife sector.
3. Israel has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, ranging from the stone
walls around the millennia-old city of Jerusalem to the White City of Tel
Aviv.
4. Both the Intel Pentium chip and USB memory card were developed in Israel.

5. The Israeli Army is considered one of the world's most professional, elite and effective
fighting forces. Its Air force, Special Forces, intelligence and engineering units have
pioneered and executed innovative campaigns that are studied by military tacticians all
over the world.

EGYPT
1. The shape of ancient Egyptian pyramids is thought to have been inspired by the
spreading rays of the sun.
2. An Egyptian father named his newborn daughter Facebook to commemorate
the role Facebook played in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Her full name is
Facebook Jamal Ibrahim
3. The famous Great Pyramid at Giza was built as a burial place for King Khufu
(2589-2566 B.C.) and took more than 20 years to build. It is built from over two
million blocks of limestone, each one weighing as much as two and a half
elephants. It stands about 460 feet (149 m) hightaller than the Statue of
Liberty. The base of the Great Pyramid takes up almost as much space as five
football fields.
4. In Egypt, both men and women wore eye make-up called kohl, which was made
from ground-up raw material mixed with oil. They believed it had magical
healing powers that could restore poor eyesight and fight eye infections
5. Egypts Nile River is the worlds longest, running 4,135 miles (6,670 km). Ancient
Egyptians would measure the depth of the Nile using a nilometer. The English
word Nile is derived from the Semitic nahal, meaning river. Ancient
Egyptians called the river iteru, meaning great river.

BANGLADESH
1. Bangladesh is sometimes called the playground of seasons because it has
six not four separate seasons, which it calls grismo (summer), barsha (rainy),
sharat (autumn), hemanto (cool), sheet (winter), and bashonto (spring).
2. Bangladesh is home to the worlds largest river delta and the worlds
largest mangrove.
3. Bangladesh follows the system a parliamentary democracy, with the elections
being held every five years
4. The name Bangladesh means the Country of Bengalis

5. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries of the world and has a
high rate of poverty and corruption.

PAKISTAN
1. Pakistan is the only Muslim Nuclear Country in World.
2. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the
world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the
Khunjerab Pass, at an elevation of 4,693 meters (15,397 ft).
3. Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Pakistan is the largest earth filled
dam in the world and is second largest by the structural volume.
4. Pakistan is notable for having one of the best trained airforce pilots in
the world.
Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam downed five Indian aircraft
in less than a minute the first four within 30 seconds establishing a world
record.
5. Pakistan has the world's largest Irrigation System.

PHILIPPINES
1. . Cagayan River in Luzon is the longest river, snaking for 353 kilometers
(221 miles) across the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Cagayan
before finally flowing into the South China Sea in Aparri in Cagayan.
2. After Happy Birthday, the song most sung in the Philippines is Lupang
Hinirang, the national anthem.
3. The world's largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in a giant
Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl
of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14 pounds and measures 9 1/2 inches long
and 5 1/2 inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$42
million. It is believed to be 600 years old.

4. The world's second deepest spot underwater is in the Philippines. This

spot, about 34,440 feet (10,497 meters) below the sea level, is known as
the Philippine Deep or the Mindanao Trench. The Philippine Deep is in
the floor of the Philippine Sea. The German ship Emden first plumbed
the trench in 1927. The world's deepest part of the ocean is the Marianas
Trench, which is over 11,000 meters below the seal level.
5. The Philippines is home to some of the world's most exotic birds. One of

the most endangered species is the exotic Kalangay or the Philippine

cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), which belongs to Psittacidae or the
family of parrots. Some cockatoos can live up to 50 years. They are
known for mimicking human voices. Most of them measure 33
centimeters in length and weigh 0.29 kilogram