Even in this age of instant downloads and information overload, we bet you are unaware of the mind-boggling travel facts we carefully curated for you from our resource pool.
From the nook and corner of the planet, Pathfndr has brought you 30 sensational travel trivia that will make you sit back and exclaim with a big “woah”!
So, buckle up and get ready for a joy ride across continents and oceans! If you want to impress your friends and family with more travel trivia, click on this link containing another 40 amazing facts!
1. Every Single ‘c’ in the Word Pacific Has a Distinct Pronunciation
The English language is difficult to fathom. It is no wonder that each ‘c’ in the word ‘Pacific’ has a different pronunciation.
2. Black Apples Are Found in Tibet
Straight out of fairy tales, black-coloured apples are a thing of reality in the land of Tibet, China. Locally called ‘black diamond apples,’ this prized variety belongs to the Hua Niu family of apples.
3. There Exists a Pig As Heavy as a Polar Bear
In southern China, a domesticated pig weighs more than a thousand pounds!
4. More Than 80,000 Disneylands Would Fit Inside Canada
Believe it or not! The world’s second-largest country, Canada, can accommodate more than 80,000 Disneylands.
5. Kangaroo Rats Need Not Drink Water
Can you imagine surviving without water? The spritely little rodent named the kangaroo rat does precisely that!
6. Living in Antarctica Will Shrink Your Brain
Considering taking a ship to the remotest continent on the planet? Make sure you are with others on that trip. Studies have shown that the extreme monotony and loneliness researchers experience in Antarctica results in decreased brain sizes.
7. Clams Actually Have Feet
Stunned by this revelation? We swear it is true! What looks like a tongue extending from its shell to probe the ocean floor is a clam foot.
8. All But Two Mammals Have the Same Number of Neck Vertebrae
Big or small, all mammals have the exact number of neck vertebrae -seven. However, two creatures stand out, with their exceptions – sloths and manatees.
9. Human Hearts can Beat Upto Three Billion Times in a Lifetime
Yes, that is right! The average human heart can beat almost three billion times, and on average, a heart beats more than one lakh times daily.
10. Minnesota Boasts a Longer Shoreline than Hawaii, Florida, and California Put Together
As strange as it sounds, a landlocked US state has a longer shoreline than three other coastal states! This is because Minnesota’s near-twelve thousand lakes give it the winner’s title in this race!
11. The World’s Most Expensive Hotdog is Found in Seattle
Guess where you will get to buy the world’s most pricey hotdog! You need to shell out a whopping 169 dollars at the Tokyo Dog food truck in Seattle, Washington State, USA, for a single piece of hotdog.
12. Canada has a Desert
The North American country known for its forests and snow-covered grasslands is home to a portion of the Sonoran Desert that runs down to Mexico!
13. It is Always Identical Quadruplets for Armadillos
The armadillo, exotic, always give birth to four babies. But that is not the end of it. Each time the litter consists of identical quadruplets.
14. The Largest Recorded Turtle Weighed Over a Tonne
A dead leatherback turtle weighing more than two thousand pounds washed up on the shores of the UK in September 1988. Scientists found out that at the time of its death, the giant turtle was around 100 years old and was almost nine feet long!
15. Tomatoes were Deemed Poisonous Until the Early 19th Century
Due to their bright red colour, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous until about the early 19th century in Europe. Only in the 1800s could the myth surrounding tomatoes’ toxic nature be eliminated.
16. Radioactive Materials from the Cold War Era Still Exist
During the high time of the Cold War in the 1940s and 1950s, several nuclear bombs exploded as part of tests. In a disconcerting discovery, scientists have discovered radioactive waste from these explosions in the deepest parts of the ocean.
17. The Scottish Language Has Over 400 Words for ‘Snow’
There are 421 expressions to signify ‘snow’ in the Scottish language! This revelation came into being during the compilation of the Historical Thesaurus of Scots.
18. Whales Ingest Almost Half a Million Calories in a Single Bite
According to the Journal of Experimental Biology, whales can swallow around half a million calories in one go. No wonder they are the most enormous creatures on the planet!
19. A Vast Surface of the Sahara is Covered in Gravel
The biggest desert in the world is not covered with sand, as many would believe, and most of it is covered with rocks.
20. Giraffes Have Two Feet Long Tongues
The tallest land animals have equally enormous tongues, and Giraffe tongues measure between 18 to 20 feet and help these majestic creatures sustainably.
21. Wasps Attack More Towards the End of Summer
Studies have shown that before the onset of winter, wasps become hyperactive. Therefore, one needs to be careful in August and September.
22. The Desire to Live Forever Ended Several Chinese Emperors’ Lives
Who wouldn’t want to become immortal? A handful of Chinese Emperors certainly thought of that! The so-called elixir of life actually contained harmful elements that caused the deaths of many of them.
23. A Fence Longer Than the Distance Between Seattle and Miami Exists in Australia
The Dingo-Proof Fence in Australia is almost 3,500 miles long and was built in 1885 to protect fertile land to the continent’s southeast from dingo attacks.
24. The National Animal of Scotland is the Unicorn
Straight out of a children’s fantasy novel, the unicorn happens to be the national animal of Scotland. Although long established to be an imaginary creature, it has maintained its position due to its purity, nobility, and good fortune.
25. There are no Rivers in Saudi Arabia
Strange as it sounds, Saudi Arabia is one of the 17 countries where not a single permanent river exists.
26. China Follows Only One Time Zone Despite Being Gigantic
Despite being enormously vast and spanning five geographic time zones, the Chinese government follows just one official time zone.
27. The Longest Name of a Country is that of the UK
The country with the longest officially recognised name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the UK.
28. Pizzas in Sweden Use Banana as Topping
We have all seen cheese and pepperoni toppings on pizzas. But in Sweden, a pizza with banana topping is quite a hit.
29. Sudan Has More Ancient Pyramids Than Egypt
The term ‘pyramids’ is closely associated with Egypt; however, Sudan houses more ancient pyramids than its northern neighbour.
30. The World’s Shortest Commercial Takes Less Than 2 Minutes
A flight between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray in Scotland takes less than two minutes to cover!
Discover More With Pathfndr
That concludes our compilation of 30 incredible travel facts that will surely make you gasp in wonder. To learn about travel jargon, click on this link now.