More people than not look forward to the prospect of an excellent travel adventure. This is because there are a lot of unforgettable experiences and memories gained from any particular trip. While all destinations have their special identifying character, some places, complemented by unique activities, are just a little more profoundly defined than others. These destinations offer quite unparalleled experiences and unforgettable memories. Here are some traveling facts you may never have known about;
1. It is still 2013 in Ethiopia
While the rest of the world marked a new decade with the turn of this year, Ethiopia has a schedule of its own. With the citizens of this country in the Eastern part of the African continent recognizing their new year on August 29th or 30th, there is a clear difference compared to the dates used by the rest of the world in recognition of the proclamation of the birth of Christ. As opposed to the much more utilized Gregorian calendar, which provides periodic guidelines depended upon by the majority of the world’s population, the Ethiopian calendar is unique to their beliefs. It is remarkably eight years behind the Gregorian one.
2. There are more ancient pyramids in Sudan than Egypt
Egypt might be the most popularly referred to destination when it comes to pyramids. There have been numerous tales of ancient Egypt and the pyramids used as the eternal resting place of individuals of the highest societal standards along with their material riches. While Egypt has had much of the famous acclaim when it comes to pyramid recognition and identity, Sudan is home to more pyramids built in ancient times. It is believed that somewhere between 2500 BC and 300 AD, the rulers of the ancient Kushite kingdoms oversaw the laborious construction of an estimated 250 pyramid structures. This is almost twice the number of pyramids believed to be in Egypt.
3. “Hard-rock” currency
Currency has come in many forms and has had different definitions throughout our existence. It has been a common medium of transaction in different communities where it is offered in exchange for merchandise or services presumed to be of equal value to what is being offered. In a certain island called Yap, in the state of Micronesia, literal rocks have been used as currency during transactions. With determining reference to particular rocks’ history and physical size, a decision would be made on its worth in exchange for a specific good or service. Even though US dollars have of late gained favor as a preferred medium of currency, rocks are still being used for honorary as well as ceremonial purposes such as weddings.
4. Different pilot diets
The aviation industry has, over the years, endeavored to take every possible measure within its cognitive capabilities to ensure the absolute safety of passengers and flight crew alike. An interesting measure would be the fact that a pilot and his co-pilot cannot have the same meal before a flight. This is to limit the eventuality of food poisoning or any other complication arising from both pilots eating the same potentially contaminated food causing inadvertent hazardous situations. With these kinds of measures, it is safe to say the aviation industry takes safety as a priority during operations.
5. The US state of Texas can fit us all
Well, we would have to squeeze together really compactly to fit into Texas exhaustively, but it is possible to fit the entire world’s population into the state of Texas. It would mean a scenario looking more like New York City on steroids in terms of population density for Texas, but we would undoubtedly fit into this gigantic US state. Hopefully, there will never come a day when we will need to explore this option, but it makes for an intriguing fact to learn about.
6. All hail the power of Instant Noodles!
When it comes to inventions, many people tend to have pretty profound expectations concerning what a particular invention ought to achieve. If it significantly impacts on people and makes a realizable difference in their lives, then it is an invention worth worldwide recognition. It is perhaps for this reason that noodles were voted the greatest invention of the 20th century by the people of Japan. As is evident from a poll conducted by Fuji Research Institute in the year 2000, instant noodles were held in such high regard that they were voted the greatest invention of the 20th century ahead of karaoke.
7. Russian unorthodox alcoholic definition
Most people consider beer an alcoholic beverage capable of considerably impairing your judgment when overly consumed. This has not always been the case for Russians, however. Beer, along with any other beverage containing anything under 10% of alcoholic content, was not considered an alcoholic drink until 2011. It was not until 2011 that Russia officially recognized and classified beer as an alcoholic drink.
8. Alaska’s split geography
Apart from being unimaginably cold for most life forms on the planet, Alaska further defines itself as a special place, considering it is both the easternmost and the westernmost state in the USA. It is by geographical location, the only state in the US with a partial presence in the eastern hemisphere. Its the Aleutian Islands are, in fact, entirely on the western part of the 180th Meridian, which divides the eastern and western hemispheres.
9. India’s insane traveling population
Many a time’s people get frustrated by the transportation system in their hometowns or cities. It is particularly rough during rush hours or in the event of an unfortunate accident that translates to miles of traffic jams and congested roads. The situation in India is unprecedented by a large margin when it comes to the population on the railroads in a single day. It is estimated that a mind-boggling 23 million passengers are transported by trains across India throughout a single day. Not considering the traveling population on the road, this astronomical population comfortably matches, and in some cases, beats some entire countries’ populations. It is even estimated that the entire planet could be circled one and a half times by India’s railway network if the train tracks were laid out in a continuous straight line.
