Games

D. Polynesian third-gendered person

Māhū is a name that originated in ancient Polynesia for a third-gendered person, that is, not male nor female, but both or neither.

C. Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump was directed by Robert Zemeckis for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director.

C. Great Britain

Gibraltar’s two square miles of limestone rock is a British Overseas Territory on the Southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Famous for its Barbary monkeys (not apes), Winston Churchill once said “As long as they remain, so will the British.” Churchill was determined to prevent the monkeys from disappearing from the Rock. He knew that the monkeys had become symbolically important to British morale; their disappearance might demoralize the populace, many of whom had been evacuated with possibility of an attack by Germany during WW II.

E. Tourism

Over 50% of Costa Rica’s annual income is derived from tourism.

D. La Traviata

Giuseppe Verdi was born in Italy in 1813, prior to Italian unification. Verdi produced many successful operas, including La Traviata, Falstaff and Aida, and became known for his skill in creating melody and his profound use of theatrical effect.

A. China

Gunpowder was invented in 9th-century China, attributed to experimentation in Chinese alchemy by Taoists in the pursuit of immortality, and is listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China. Gunpowder was first used for warfare about 904 A.D. by the reigning Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese. The Mongols were the first to be subjected to flying fire — an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and would propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. Chinese innovation actually included a rife made of bamboo. Gunpowder spread via the Silk Road and eventually to Europe where it changed warfare forever.

B. Kiribati

Kiribati tops the list with about 52.2% of the population identifying them as smokers. In this small country in the South Pacific, laws regulating tobacco are not strict and smoking is not prohibited in many public places. It is said that two-thirds of all men in Kiribati are smokers. The World Health Organization calls tobacco use in Kiribati an "epidemic."

Rank	Country	Prevelence of Smoking (%)
1	Kiribati	52.2%
2	Nauru	47.5%
3	Greece	42.4%
4	Serbia	41.6%
5	Jordan	41.0%
6	Indonesia	39.8%
7	Russia	39.1%

A. Los Cabos, Mexico

Los Cabos, Mexico is the most dangerous city in the world with a murder rate of 111.33 per 100,000 people. This city's position on the list of the world's most dangerous cities is indicative of the increase in crime that Mexico has experienced over the last year. In 2017 and 2018, the resort town made headlines news for a string of alarming murders. The majority of the violence in Los Cabos has mostly been related to the drug trade, and tourists have not been the target. Nonetheless, the instances of violence are still drastic, and have earned the popular vacation destination first-place of the world's most dangerous cities.

Rank	City	Country	Homicide Rate (Per 100,000)
1	Los Cabos	Mexico	111.33
2	Caracas	Venezuela	111.19
3	Acapulco	Mexico	106.63
4	Natal	Brazil	102.56
5	Tijuana	Mexico	100.77

The World Health Organization

B. India

India has 22 official languages, with Hindi by far the most spoken language in the country. The other major languages of the country are English, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, and Tamil.

Zimbabwe has 16 official which are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and sign language.

The United States technically had no official language at the federal level. America's Founding Fathers did not wish to establish an official language, and were happy to distribute documents like the Declaration of Independence in non-English languages (which at that time meant primarily French and German) to speakers of those languages, in order to win their support for the revolutionary cause. English today is the primary written language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties and federal court rulings. Recently, 32 U.S. states, as part of what has been called the English-only movement, have adopted legislation granting official status to English. Nonetheless, laws require documents such as ballots to be printed in multiple languages when there are large numbers of non-English speakers in the respective state. For example, Hawaii recognizes both English and Hawaiian as official languages, and Louisiana both English and French. English and twenty native languages are official in Alaska, and in New Mexico, although the state constitution does not specify an official language, laws are published in English and Spanish, and government materials and services are legally required (by Act) to be made accessible to speakers of both languages as well as Navajo and various Pueblo languages. New Mexico also has its own dialect of Spanish, which differs from Spanish spoken in the rest of Latin America.

The World Atlas

E. Tomatoes

• Tomatoes (170.75 million metric tons).
• Bananas (114.13 m.m.t.)
• Watermelons (111 m.m.t.)
• Apples (84.63 m.m.t.)
• Grapefruit (83.97 m.m.t.)

The Tomato has origins tracing back to around 700 A.D.  The word tomato is derived from the Aztec word xitomatl. The tomato most likely originated in the Andes mountains of Peru and spread to most parts of South and Central America and eventually to Mexico. The tomato was discovered by the Spanish Conquistadors while conquering the Americas, who brought it back to Spain in the mid-sixteenth century. The fruit was called “tomatl.” The first written account of the tomato in Italy dates to 1548 in Tuscany. The cuisine of Southern Italian peasants, who often lacked meats and other proteins, developed a diet in which tomatoes, olive oil, spices and vegetables were eaten with rice, polenta or on top of bread – creating something very close to the modern pizza. In Naples around 1800, a recipe was written about – pasta al pomodoro, which is the very first mention of tomatoes being married to pasta.

The odd thing is that the tomato became popular in Europe long before it came to be used in North America. Colonial America thought the tomato was a poisonous plant, a close cousin of Nightshade.

A. China

First paper, then paper money. This is pure logic. It is hardly surprising that the first notes or better, the first paper money, appeared in China. With the invention of paper and printing on its account, this country was almost destined to produce the first paper money.

For centuries the mulberry tree has been cultivated in the Valley of the Yellow River (Shang period, 18th to 12th century BC). The first traces of paper date back to the 2nd half of the 1st century BC but then it was not used as writing material. For their traditional calligraphy with brushes they used linen, hemp, bamboo (cane) and bark of the mulberry tree. Important progress has been made between the 2nd and 4th century AD: Thanks to the use of soaked bast of the mulberry the quality of the pulp significantly improved and paper became less heavy. The improvement was such that paper gradually replaced the former bamboomats. Clerical texts and reports for the Court were henceforth written on paper but still in a vertical direction. This centuries-old way of writing is probably a result of writing on strips of bamboo which were tied together.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) there was a growing need of metallic currency, but thanks to the familiarity with the idea of credit the Chinese were ready to accept pieces of paper or paper drafts. This practice is derived from the credit notes used by merchants for their long-distance trade.

— Museum of the National Bank of Belgium

B. Corn

Indigenous populations in present-day Mexico first domesticated corn around 10,000 years ago. Its long history there explains why it continues to be a staple food today. Nearly every typical Mexican dish revolves around corn in some way, and it is the main ingredient in maize tortillas, for example. With international trade, corn has been spread throughout the world and now makes up a major source of food in Africa, Europe, and the US. People boil and eat it whole, dry and pulverize it to make flour, and cook it in sweetened milk for dessert. It can be processed for other uses that include as ingredients in sweeteners (corn syrup), alcohol (whiskey), and cooking oil. Globally, humans get 19.5% of their calorie intake from corn.

Rank	Staple Food	Share of Global Caloric Intake From All Sources
1	Maize Corn	19.5%
2	Rice	16.5%
3	Wheat	15%
4	Cassava	2.6%
5	Soybeans	2.1%
6	Potatoes	1.7%

D. Thailand

According to the Credit Suisse report, the bottom 10% of Thais hold 0% of the wealth, being either in debt or having no documented household income. The poorest 50% of Thais now hold only 1.7% of the country’s wealth, while the richest 10% now hold a massive 85.7%.

D. Spain

Spain produces 5,276,899 metric tons of olive annually. Production of olive in Spain is mainly concentrated around the Andalucian region where about 75% of the total olive production in Spain is obtained. Major production provinces in this region are Jaén and Córdoba. The main varieties produced in the Andalucian region are Hojiblanca, Picudo, Picual, Lechin, and Verdial. About 14% of Spain’s olive production is done in the Castilla-La Mancha region which produces the Cornicabra variety of olive. Other olive producing regions are Extremadura, Catalonia, and Valencia. Olive oil is extracted from olives, and it is widely used for cooking purposes such as frying, baking and steaming in Spain. Spain’s main international olive markets are in the US, UK and France.

1	Spain	5,276,899
2	Italy	3,220,674
3	Greece	2,232,412
4	Turkey	1,292,072
5	Tunisia	841,524

— WorldAtlas

A. Cochin International Airport, India

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has drawn attention to the greenhouse gas emissions caused by air travel. In Sweden, she is credited for the spread of “flygskam”– flight shame – which reports say may have encouraged some Swedes to avoid traveling by plane. Perhaps she had never heard of Cochin International Airport. In 2015, it became the world's first airport to operate completely on solar power. The airport is located in Kochi, within the Indian state of Kerala. The airport serves approximately 10 million passengers annually, with more than 1,000 flights departing each week. Additionally, nearly 30 airlines fly in and out of Cochin International Airport, and it ranks as India's fourth busiest airport in terms of international traffic. The airport also features several restaurants and shops, all of which run on solar energy. In 2015, Cochin International Airport became the world's first airport to operate completely on solar power. The airport is located in Kochi, within the Indian state of Kerala. The airport serves approximately 10 million passengers annually, with more than 1,000 flights departing each week. Additionally, nearly 30 airlines fly in and out of Cochin International Airport, and it ranks as India's fourth busiest airport in terms of international traffic. The airport also features several restaurants and shops, all of which run on solar energy.

The use of solar power in Cochin International Airport began in 2013, initially as a test pilot that included the installation of 400 solar panels. Following the success of the test pilot, the airport dedicated 45 acres of land, which had been reserved for cargo handling, to the creation of a solar power plant, and installed a total of 46,000 solar panels. The airport generates 12 megawatts of power, which meets its own use of electricity needs, and any surplus is added to the state grid. The solar plant is anticipated to eliminate approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon, which is equivalent to planting about 3 million trees.

A. Apples

The apple originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European colonists.

The Columbian exchange, named for Christopher Columbus, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.

C. Nauru

While statistics vary, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru has the highest percentage of obese inhabitants in the world. The obesity rate ranges from 61% to 71.7%. In small Pacific Island nations approximately four of every five citizens are obese. The reason is almost all of the food in these island nations are imported and therefore expensive, but fast-food chains offer cheap high-calorie processed food which makes a convenient alternative.

The United States is the most obese country in North America with 36.2% of its population having a body mass index of over 30.0. Nearly 78 million adults and 13 million children in the United States deal with the health and emotional effects of obesity every day. According to the CDC an average adult is 26 pounds heavier now than in the 1950’s.

Life expectancy has fallen to 64 in Tonga. Tongan life expectancy used to be in the mid-70s. Up to 40% of the population is said to have type 2 diabetes. Tongan Royal Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who died in 2006, holds the Guinness World Record for being the heaviest-ever monarch at 440 lbs.

D. Nebraska

In an attempt to encourage tourism, the Nebraska Tourism Commission hired brand consultants to come up with a catchy, compelling slogan: “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”

C. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the United States with over 11.3 million recreational visitors in 2016. The Appalachian Trail passes through the center of the park on its route from Maine to Georgia. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

1	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	11,421,200
2	Grand Canyon National Park	6,380,495
3	Rocky Mountain National Park	4,590,493
4	Zion National Park	4,320,033
5	Yellowstone National Park	4,115,000
6	Yosemite National Park	4,009,436
7	Acadia National Park	3,537,575
8	Grand Teton National Park	3,491,151
9	Olympic National Park	3,104,455
10	Glacier National Park	2,965,309

D. The Philippines

With 9 in 10 Filipinos suffering tooth decay and only one in 10 of them willing and able to see a dentist once a year, oral health care is a crisis. A government survey, indicated that one in seven citizens are absent from work or school at least once a month and one in 10 fail to go to school or work at least twice a year due to aching tooth or gums. Two disturbing findings of the survey are that nine in 10 urban children have decayed tooth, and women have more missing teeth than men. Seven in 10 women have missing teeth, while it is five in 10 for men. Even the number of missing teeth, women trump men: An average eight missing teeth for females, while four for males.

1. The Philippines: This island nation located in between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea takes the cake (literally and figuratively) of the worst oral health in the world. The Philippines College of Dentistry found that nearly 90 percent of Filipinos suffer from tooth decay. Another astonishing finding is that nearly 100 percent of children between 3 and 5 years old have cavities.

2. India: With over a billion people, the subcontinent of India was bound to make the list. India’s National Oral Health Program reports that 95 percent of all adults have gum disease, and 50 percent of citizens don’t use a toothbrush. The program also noted that 70 percent of children under the age of 15 have dental caries.

3. Australia: This Western country may come as a surprise on this list, but its statistics earn it the number 3 spot. Nearly half of all 6-year-olds have tooth decay in their baby teeth. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between ages four and 15 are more likely to experience dental disease.

4. Bolivia: Nestled in the middle of South America, Bolivia has some of the worst oral health in the region. Twelve-year-olds have an average of four decayed, missing, or filled-in teeth. A study also suggests that only 50 percent of students own a toothbrush.

5. Poland: This Eastern European country has one of the highest tooth decay rates in the world. The average amount of decayed, missing, or filled teeth for children under 12 is a shocking four teeth. This country is considered to have the worst oral health in all of Europe.

1. France – 86.9 million visitors
According to a report published by the World Tourism Organization, France received more visitors than any other country in the world in 2017. More than 86.9 million visitors came to France to see such world-famous attractions as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Arc de Triomphe. Many of these major attractions are located in the capital city of France, Paris, which is also among the largest cities in Europe by population.

2. Spain - 81.8 million visitors
Tourism is a major industry in Spain, contributing nearly 11% to the national GDP of the country. The majority of visitors to Spain come from European countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany. Between the historical cities and towns of the country like Barcelona and Madrid, the world-class resorts at the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of the country, the popular festivals like the Carnival and the Running of the Bulls, 15 national parks, well-developed winter tourism facilities, and a bustling nightlife, Spain is a hotspot of tourist attractions. 13 Spanish cities are also regarded as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, attracting foreign visitors with their unique charm and significance.

3. United States - 76.9 million visitors
The United States is a vast country serving a large number of attractions to global travelers. Many of the U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas thrive with tourists all year round. Major natural attractions within the country include the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Alaskan subarctic wonders, Hawaiian beaches and more. In 29 states of the country, the tourism industry is among the first three industries generating the maximum number of employment opportunities. The US receives the greatest number of foreign tourists from Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom and its domestic tourism industry is also highly active.

4. China - 60.7 million visitors
The land of the Great Wall of China, the Five Sacred Mountains, the Shaolin Temple, the Huangguoshu Waterfall, the Forbidden City, the Three Gorges, and other naturally, culturally and historically important sites, China is indeed one of the most coveted tourist destinations in the world. The country received 55.6 million foreign visitors in 2014 and profited from a foreign exchange income of $45.8 USD in 2010. China’s tourist numbers are estimated to increase rapidly in the coming years with the World Trade Organization (WTO) estimating that by 2020 the country will rank number one in the worldwide tourism sector

5. Italy - 58.3 million visitors
For many, Italy is one of the dream destinations of their life. With 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, innumerable cultural artifacts, buildings, and archaeological sites from the Roman Empire and the Renaissance periods, along with the quaint Alpine villages and towns in the north of the country and fascinating Mediterranean coasts to the south, Italy is justifiably the 5th most visited country in the world. Some of its most visited cities include Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan, each with their unique attractions, history, culture and cuisine. Italy consistently ranks amongst the world's most-visited countries

6. Mexico - 39.3 million visitors
Mexico, a large country found in North America, is well-known for its pristine beaches and world-class resorts. In recent decades, the tourism industry in the country has experienced a whirlwind of substantial growth. With its wealth of culture and UNESCO World Heritage sites, it's no wonder to see why travelers love Mexico. The vast majority of visitors come from its neighbors to the north, Canada and the United States, although an increasing amount of travelers from Europe and Asia also pay a visit to the country.

7. United Kingdom - 37.7 million visitors
With a long and interesting history, as well as rich culture and well developed tourism facilities and infrastructure, the United Kingdom ranks as the 7th most visited country in the world. Tourists in the United Kingdom can generate an income of around $17.2 billion USD for the country. The majority of visitors arrive from other parts of Europe while tourists from the United States and Canada form the second largest group of foreign visitors to the country. The domestic tourism industry in the country is also thriving. London is the most visited city in the United Kingdom, and the Tower of London is the most popular attraction in the entire country.

8. Turkey - 37.6 million visitors
Turkey is a well-known tourist destination for its many seaside resorts with coastline on both the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea. The country also has a variety of historical sites including ancient monasteries and ruined cities. The city of Antalya is considered to be the country's tourism capital, although Istanbulis also popular for its many museums, bazaars, and historical sites. Although Turkey reached 41.2 million visitors in 2014, the tourism sector dropped substantially in the following years. Due to intense advertising, tourist numbers began to rise in 2017.

9. Germany - 37.5 million visitors
Germany receives a high number of tourists from all across the globe as well as from within the country. The tourism industry in Germany is estimated to contribute 4.5% towards the national GDP and 2 million employment opportunities are created based on travel and tourism related job requirements. Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg are among the most-visited cities in the country. Visitations to the country for educational and business purposes is also quite common. Several protected areas within Germany, such as the Saxon Switzerland National Park, the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park, and the Jasmund National Park, also attract millions of tourists every year.

10. Thailand - 35.4 million visitors
With its sunny, sandy beaches, tropical islands, rich wildlife, archaeological sites, temples and monasteries, Thailand is a global tourist hot spot. The vibrant and lively festivals of country, the thriving nightlife, world-class shopping facilities, and delectable Thai cuisine, are all major tourist attractants in the country. It is estimated that directly and indirectly, tourism generated revenue contributes nearly 20.2% of the national GDP of the country. It is also assumed that by 2032, Thailand will be receiving around 100 million visitors.

- World Tourism Organization

C. Bill Murray is an American actor, comedian, and writer; born September 21, 1950 in Wilmette, Illinois.

D. Pacific Ocean - 63,800,000 sq m

The Pacific Ocean covers an area of about 63,800,000 square miles and is the world’s biggest ocean. Its area represents 46.6% of the world's total water surface. The Pacific is located between Asia, Australia, Americas, and Antarctica, forming a coastline of 135,663 kilometers. The Pacific Ocean also has two divisions, the North and the South Pacific Ocean, which are separated by the equator. The ocean has an average depth of 3,970 meters and a volume of 669,880,000 per cubic kilometers, which makes up about half of the Earth’s total water.

D. Ecuador

The official currency in Ecuador is the American dollar. All fees, charges, and store prices throughout the city of Quito are noted with United States currency. The old currency, known as the sucre, stopped being used in 2000. Travelers from the U.S. won't have to exchange money when visiting Ecuador. Ecuadorian coins have different symbols but are of equivalent value to U.S. coins — there are nickels, dimes, quarters, and half dollars. You may have difficulty breaking larger bills in smaller towns. If possible, bring smaller bills to rural areas.

A. Cambodia enjoys 28 public holidays per year, the highest number of public holidays in the world.

A public holiday, a national holiday, or a legal holiday are terms meaning nothing more than a day in a year that is set aside to be a non-working day that has been established by the rule of law. There are many countries across the globe enjoying the privilege of having a large number of public holidays. These holidays generally constitute the anniversary of an important historical event, or religious celebration, or a holiday falling on a certain day of the week or following some calendar system, such as the Chinese or Lunar Calendar. The celebration of a particular day in a country, like the Children’s Day in Turkey, may also be marked as a public holiday at a different time than the same day is celebrated elsewhere.

Important Public Holidays From Around The World

1. Cambodia tops the list for the most public holidays with 28 public holidays observed annually.
2. Sri Lanka follows with 25.
3. India and Kazakhstan with 21,
4. Colombia, the Philippines and Trinidad and Tobago with 18
5. China and Hong Kong with 17

- www.worldatlas.com

1. Monaco - 89.52
2. Japan - 84.74
3. Singapore - 84.68
4. Macau - 84.51
5. San Marino - 83.24
6. Iceland - 82.97
7. Hong Kong - 82.86
8. Andorra - 82.72
9. Switzerland - 82.50

Our statistics come from the most recent data gathered by the CIA World Factbook. As of 2015, the country with the highest life expectancy is Monaco at 89.52 years; the country with the lowest is Chad at 49.81 years.

Answer : Switzerland
The Republic of Ireland has the strictest gun control laws in the world. Until recently, Japanese police were unable to carry guns, using martial arts and sticks as an alternative. When a bullet is fired in the line of duty it is carefully documented. In 2018 one bullet was fired.

Answer: Nims, France It’s in the name: De Nims (Fr: “of Nims”)

Tijuana, Mexico

Many people attribute the Caesar Salad’s birthplace to the nation of Italy. The creation of Caesar Salad is attributed to restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in both the U.S. and Mexico. Cardini lived in San Diego, but also worked in Tijuana where he could avoid the restrictions of Prohibition. His daughter, Rosa, recounted that her father invented the dish in 1924 on the Fourth of July after a rush of thirsty and hungry American tourists depleted the kitchen's stock in the wee hours of the morning. Cardini made do with what he had left in the restaurant’s refrigerator, adding the theatrical flair of the table-side tossing by the waiter.

Julia Child wrote that she had eaten a Caesar Salad at Cardini's restaurant when she was a child of nine-years-old in the 1920s -- thus making the creation world-famous.

The Panama Hat

A Panama hat, also known as an Ecuadorian hat or a toquilla straw hat, is a traditional brimmed straw hat of Ecuadorian origin. Traditionally, hats were made from the plaited leaves of the Carludovica palmata plant, known locally as the toquilla palm or jipijapa palm, although it is a palm-like plant rather than a true palm. Ecuadorian hats are light-colored, lightweight, and breathable, and often worn as accessories to summer-weight suits, such as those made of linen or silk. The tightness, the finesse of the weave, and the time spent in weaving a complete hat out of the toquilla straw characterize its quality. The term was being used by at least 1834. The popularity of the hats increased in the mid-19th century when many miners of the California Gold Rush traveled to California via the Isthmus of Panama and Pacific Mail Steamship Company. In 1906, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the construction site of the Panama Canal and was photographed wearing a Panama hat, which further increased the hats' popularity.

Shanghai's population of 24.1 million makes it the top populous city proper not only in Asia but in the world as well.

Shanghai strategically lies in the Yangtze River Delta and the city's port is ranked as the world's busiest having handled 37 million TEUs in 2016. Qinglong Town, founded in 746, preceded Shanghai and it grew as a trading port in Imperial China. Shanghai's economic potential made it a center of conflict in the 19th century as the British and French fought to control the city. The Japanese also invaded Shanghai during the 2nd World War. Shanghai is an economic and trading hub in modern day China, and it has reported double-digit growth since 1992 excluding the global recession of 2008 and 2009. Shanghai's top three service sectors are real estate, financial services, and retail while manufacturing accounts for about 40% of the total output. Shanghai hosts numerous industrial zones such as the Shanghai Hongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone. Shanghai attracts populations of local immigrants as well as foreign settlers from Japan, the US, and Korea.

- www.worldatlas.com

San Marzano

San Marzano tomatoes are grown primarily in the Campania region of Italy, at the base of Mt Vesuvius, in the Agro-Nocerino area. They are cultivated in the soils of the communes of Naples, Salerno and Avellino. These thin, pointy, sweet plum tomatoes are essential ingredients for an authentic Pizza Napolitana, according to the Verace Pizza Napolitana Association in Naples, Italy. These tomatoes require areas with good irrigation, and they will not thrive in hilly topography, or extreme temperatures. The soil in this area near Mt Vesuvius contains volcanic ash, phosphorous and potassium, and the climate is temperate with high humidity much of the year.

Courtesy L'Italo-Americano

The Netherlands: 6.03 feet

The Dutch are on average the tallest people on the planet. Just 150 years ago, they were relatively short. In 1860, the average Dutch soldier in the Netherlands was 5-foot-5. American men were 2.7 inches taller. Since 1860, average heights have increased in many parts of the world, but no people have shot up like the Dutch. The average Dutchman now stands more than 6 feet tall. And while the growth spurt in the United States has stopped in recent years, the Dutch continue to get taller. For years, scientists have sought to understand why average height has increased, and why the Dutch in particular have grown so quickly. Among other factors, the Dutch have a better diet than in the past, and they have better medical care. But Stulp and his colleagues have found evidence suggesting evolution is also helping to make the Dutch taller.

2. Montenegro: 6.01 feet
3. Denmark: 5.99 feet
4. Norway: 5.98 feet
5. Serbia: 5.97 feet

Serbia holds the fifth spot in the list, with its citizens exhibiting an average height of 5.97 feet across both genders. The combination of Slavic and Mediterranean gene pools are the source of these people's great natural heights. The predominant brachycephaly Dinaric trait has been identified as one of these factors. Slavic athletics and exercise from the time of childhood may be other factors influencing the growth spurts. Serbian meals are always rich in dairy products and protein from meat, and dining patterns exemplify meals being partaken of later in the day.

--- The World Health Organization

Marie-Antoinette

In 1780, fourteen year-old Maria Antonia (Marie-Antoinette) of the Habsburg Empire arrived in Versailles to marry Louis XVI. She introduced the French court to a new flaky crescent-shaped bread, called the kipfel (crescent/ croissant). The kipfel originated in 1683 as a comestible celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottomans at the siege of Vienna. The story follows that a baker, up early to make bread, saved the city when he heard the Turks tunneling underneath the city and sounded an alarm. The kipfel’s curved shape, said to mimic the crescent moon of the Ottoman flag, then would seem to pay poetic tribute to the indomitable spirit of a city that resisted a powerful invading force.

Source: www.smithsonianmag.com

Marlene Dietrich never won an Oscar

Those who did win:
Luise Rainer: (Born Germany) The Great Ziegfeld (1936), The Good Earth (1937)
Sophia Loren: (Born Italy) Two Women (1960)
Maggie Smith: Born England) (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
Charlize Theron: (Born South Africa) Monster (2003)