Ten
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know Before You Left When we leave our hometowns and set out to see the world, we learn many new things about different cultures, lifestyles, and history. However, there are some facts that we might never have heard of before, and they can be quite surprising. Here are ten surprising facts that you probably didn't know before you left: 1. Cat cafes are a real thing - In Japan, people can visit cafes where they can play with and pet cats. 2. Iceland has an app to prevent accidental incest - This country has a small population, and to avoid dating someone who might be related, there is an app that can show how they're related to someone before going on a date. 3. There are more public libraries in the United States than McDonald's restaurants - As of 2021, the US has over 16,000 public libraries, while McDonald's has around 14,000 locations. 4. The largest pyramid in the world is not in Egypt but in Mexico - The Great Pyramid of Cholula is said to be the largest pyramid in the world by volume, and it's located in Puebla, Mexico. 5. Humans share 50% of their DNA with bananas - The genetic makeup of humans and bananas is surprisingly close, and we share more than half of our DNA with these fruit. 6. The shortest war in history lasted for only 38 minutes - The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought in 1896, and the British forces defeated the Sultan's army in less than an hour. 7. Kangaroos can't walk backwards - Due to the shape of their hind legs and tails, kangaroos can only move forward or hop. 8. The longest word in the English language has 189,819 letters - The word is "Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylarginyl", but it's mainly used in scientific research and has no practical use. 9. The only letter that doesn't appear in any US state name is "Q" - Every other letter in the alphabet appears in at least one state name, but not "Q". 10 The world's deepest postbox is in Susami Bay, Japan - The postbox is located 10 meters underwater, and divers can send postcards from there. These facts might seem bizarre or unnecessary, but they give us a different perspective on the world and people around us. When we travel, we should keep our minds open to new experiences and knowledge, and we might discover even more surprising facts that we never knew before.
