Geography & culture facts to learn if you're bored

Summary

This video offers a fascinating collection of random geography and culture facts, from the ban on flying over 150 meters in Eswatini to Gaddafi's failed proposal to abolish Switzerland. It covers the brief existence of the United States of Central America, Singapore's presidential requirements, India's extensive constitution, and intriguing economic insights like Botswana's GDP growth and Masterworks' art investment success. The video also delves into quirky facts about Iceland's absence of McDonald's, Tuvalu's linguistic history, and the gravity anomaly beneath the Puerto Rico Trench, among other intriguing tidbits.

Takeaways

• 🚫 In Eswatini, flying above 150 meters is banned for witches, with violators facing a fine over $30,000.
• 🏰 In 2009, Muammar Gaddafi proposed to the UN to abolish Switzerland and divide it among neighboring countries, but the motion was rejected due to UN Charter violations.
• 🗺️ The United States of Central America was a short-lived nation formed by El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which dissolved 28 days after its constitution came into effect due to a military coup in El Salvador.
• 📜 Singapore's Constitution has stringent requirements for its president, including at least three years of high-ranking government or corporate experience with a company worth at least half a billion dollars.
• 📖 India holds the record for the world's longest written national constitution, with approximately 145,000 words.
• 🛍️ Moldova has a shopping mall named after the country itself, and Park City, Utah, has a city park named the 'Park City City Park'.
• 📈 In 2021, Botswana had the highest GDP growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa at 12.93%, but growth is expected to slow to 4% due to global inflation.
• 🎨 Masterworks, a company based in Manhattan, is revolutionizing art investing by offering investments in real physical paintings from renowned artists like Picasso and Bansky.
• 🍔 Iceland had its last McDonald's in 2009 after the Great Recession, and the last burger sold is preserved at a hostel in southern Iceland.
• 🍗 Andorra has the highest per capita number of McDonald's restaurants, with five outlets for its population of around 80,000 people.
• 🌋 Greece and Turkey practice 'earthquake diplomacy', agreeing to assist each other in the event of earthquakes regardless of political relations.

Q & A

Why is flying above 150 meters prohibited in Eswatini and what is the penalty for doing so?

In Eswatini, flying above 150 meters is banned, likely as a measure to control air traffic and safety. Anyone caught flying above this limit, presumably on a broomstick in a cultural or traditional context, faces a fine of over thirty thousand US Dollars.

What was Muammar Gaddafi's proposal to the United Nations regarding Switzerland and why was it rejected?

In 2009, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi proposed to the United Nations to abolish Switzerland and divide it among Germany, France, and Italy along linguistic lines. The proposal was rejected because it violated the United Nations Charter, which states that no member country can threaten the existence of another.

What was the United States of Central America and why was it short-lived?

The United States of Central America was a short-lived political entity formed by El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua in 1896. It was dissolved 28 days after its constitution went into effect on November 1st, 1898, due to a military coup in El Salvador.

What are the requirements for the president of Singapore as per the Constitution?

Singapore's Constitution requires the president to have at least three years of experience in a high-ranking government job or as the chairman of the board or CEO of a company worth at least half a billion dollars, or an important government company.

Why is India's National Constitution the longest in the world?

India's National Constitution is the longest because it contains approximately 145,000 words, which is significantly more than the constitutions of other countries.

What is unique about the mall in Moldova and why is it noteworthy?

The unique aspect of the mall in Moldova is that it is named after the country itself, which is an unusual naming convention for a shopping center and makes it noteworthy.

Why did Botswana experience a slowdown in GDP growth rate in 2022?

Botswana's GDP growth rate slowed in 2022 due to global inflation and its impact on the average person's investments, which were plummeting like the stock market.

What is the significance of Masterworks in the context of the video?

Masterworks is mentioned in the video as a company that has been helping over 650,000 people adapt to economic challenges by investing in real physical paintings from renowned artists. The company has paid out tens of millions in returns and has been featured in financial publications.

Why did Iceland close all its McDonald's restaurants in 2009 and what happened to the last burger sold?

Iceland closed its McDonald's restaurants in 2009 due to the Great Recession, which caused import prices to skyrocket. The last burger sold was kept by the buyer to see if it would decompose and is now housed at the Sinatra House, a hostel in southern Iceland.

What is the reason behind Andorra having more McDonald's per capita than any other country?

Andorra has more McDonald's per capita than any other country because it has five McDonald's restaurants for its low population of around 80,000 people.

Why did KFC attempt to join the United Nations under the name 'Grilled Nation'?

In 2009, KFC sent a letter to the United Nations asking for membership as 'Grilled Nation', representing 60 million people who had purchased its Kentucky grilled chicken. The aim was to promote their in-store free piece of grilled chicken event, but the 'Grilled Nation' was not admitted.