World Roulette: Fun Facts #7
Last updated: Saturday May 24th, 2025
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Welcome To World Roulette
We continue with the series that consists of spinning a roulette with all the recognized, non-recognized countries, and territories of the world, and there will be fun facts about each one! I hope that you like it and let's get started.
The 61st is...
● Grenada is the 186th biggest country in the world and the 181st in terms of population with 117,000 people.
● It's a good country to live in terms of HDI (73rd) with 0,793 which is considered "high".
● Grenada is home to the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park
A devastating hurricane
Hurricane Ivan’s devastating impact on Grenada in 2004 left a profound mark on the island’s infrastructure, culture, and trade. Approximately 80% of nutmeg trees were destroyed, the island’s principal export.
A tragic story featuring France
Back in the 1600s, the French ‘bought’ the island of Grenada from the indigenous Caribs. But not everyone on the island was happy about the transaction and the local population revolted. Eventually, the French cornered the rebels on top of a cliff in Sauteurs Bay. Instead of surrendering, the remaining Caribs jumped to their deaths off the cliff.
The 62nd one is...
● New Caledonia is a French territory that has an area of 18,575 km2 and a population of 271k people.
● If it were a country, it would be the 152nd in terms of size and 176th in terms of population.
● New Caledonia has the richest diversity in the world per square kilometre.
Home to the World’s Largest Lagoon
New Caledonia proudly hosts the world’s largest lagoon, an expansive body of water encircled by the New Caledonian Barrier Reef. This lagoon spans over 24,000 square kilometers.
Rich in nickel
New Caledonia owns around 25 percent of the world’s nickel ore reserves, among the largest ones in the world.
The 63rd one is...
● Bermuda is a British overseas territory that has an area of 53 km2 and a population of 63k people.
● If it were a country, it would be the 193rd in terms of size and 188th in terms of population.
● Bermuda is the northernmost place where coconut palms grow naturally.
Passion for golf
Bermuda’s love for golf is evident through its approximately 9 golf courses spread across the islands. That means that almost 8% of the territory are golf courses.
An island of inspiration
In 1980, Lennon and his family visited Bermuda for a sailing trip. During his stay on the island, Lennon reportedly found solace and creative inspiration, leading to the composition of songs such as “Woman,” “Watching the Wheels,” and “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).”
The 64th one is...
● Norway is the 68th biggest country in the world and the 118th in terms of population with 5,61 million people.
● It's the second best country to live in terms of HDI with 0,966 which is considered "very high".
● In the 1980s, Norway introduced the idea of salmon sushi to the Japanese as a way of promoting the export of salmon.
Be careful with the bears
In Svalbard, an island 2030 km north of Oslo, 1050 km south of the North Pole, it is required by law to be armed when you leave a settlement due to the danger of a polar bear encounter.
Different inventions
On the subject of inventions, the paper clip was patented by Norwegian Johan Vaaler in 1890, the most famous artwork to come out of Norway is Edvard Munch’s iconic «The Scream» and, also, Norwegians invented skiing some 4000 years ago.
The 65th one is...
● Republic of the Congo is the 64th biggest country in the world and the 111th in terms of population with 6,45 million people.
● It's a decent country to live in terms of HDI (149th) with 0,593 which is considered "medium".
● The Republic of the Congo is home to the world's deepest river: Congo River.
Congo's Loch Ness Monster
The Republic of the Congo is supposedly home to the legendary Mokele-mbembe known as "Congo's Loch Ness Monster". The beast is said to be a large reptile-like creature, with a long neck and long tail similar to Scotland's legendary monster.
Africa's first Marxist state
This country was Africa's first Marxist state. Following a 1968 military coup, the country was renamed the People's Republic of the Congo ushering in Africa's first Marxist-Leninist State (Angola and Ethiopia would later follow).
The 66th one is...
● French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France that has an area of 4,167 km2 and a population of 278k people.
● If it were a country, it would be the 167th in terms of size and 176th in terms of population.
● About 10% of the French Polynesia population today is Chinese. This is a result of the Chinese coming to the area in the mid-1800s to work on in fields and plantations.
Bread
Residents of Tahiti have letter boxes outside their homes, but they don’t receive letters. They receive bread! Fresh loaves of bread are delivered twice daily.
A different type of transport
Trucks were used as buses until relatively recent times. Currently, the make of vehicles for public transport is Mercedes-Benz due to an agreement with Brazil under which they were acquired. Trucks are still used on some islands, but mainly for school transport.
The 67th one is...
● Malawi is the 98th biggest country in the world and the 62nd in terms of population with 22,1 million people.
● It's a bad country to live in terms of HDI (172nd) with 0,508 which is considered "low".
● A fifth of Malawi is covered with water even though the country is landlocked.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, the ninth largest in the world by area and the second deepest in Africa.
A really old bone
In 1991, the oldest bone of an ancestor of modern humans was discovered in Malawi. It’s a jawbone that’s over 2.4 million years old.
The 68th one is...
● Hong Kong is a special administrative region that has an area of 2,754 km2 and a population of 7,4 million people.
● If it were a country, it would be the 170th in terms of size and 105th in terms of population.
● The world’s most affordable Michelin-starred meals are found in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has 71 Michelin-starred restaurants in total. Meals can cost $2 or less in some restaurants.
The Peak Tram
The Peak Tram began running in 1888 and was Asia’s first funicular railway. It remains one of the oldest –and steepest – tramways in the world.
It's more than a couple of islands
Hong Kong consists of more than Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It is 263 islands, with over 100 of them uninhabited. Some of the more remote islands are so isolated that they have developed their own unique dialects and customs.
The 69th one is...
● Chad is the 20th biggest country in the world and the 64th in terms of population with 20,8 million people.
● It's one of the worst countries to live in terms of HDI (189th) with 0,394 which is considered "low".
● Chad is the only country in the world whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel.
Babel Tower of the World
Chad is often referred as the "Babel Tower of the World" due to its remarkable cultural diversity. Home to over 200 ethnic groups, the country boasts more than 100 languages and dialects.
An old skull
French scientists discovered a human skull thought to be 6-7 million years old. Named Toumaï, it is believed to be the oldest fossil from a member of the human family.
The 70th one is...
● Burkina Faso is the 74th biggest country in the world and the 59th in terms of population with 23,9 million people.
● It's one of the worst countries to live in terms of HDI (185th) with 0,438 which is considered "low".
● The national animal of Burkina Faso is the white stallion which appears on the country’s coat of arms.
African Che Guevara
Thomas Sankara, who ruled Burkina Faso for four years from 1983, is known as the "African Che Guevara" due to his radical left-wing policies and mysterious death in 1987.
A series of droughts
Burkina Faso is prone to droughts with the country experiencing many serious droughts from the 1970s and 1980s.
