Does the Eiffel Tower really change size? 10 surprising travel facts
Mt Everest has gained height
Early measurements of Mt Everest missed an important feature. Credit: iStock
When it was first surveyed in 1852, Mt Everest was deemed to be 8839.8 metres above sea level. More recently, Nepalese and Chinese surveys came up with two more figures, one four metres lower than the other because it didn’t consider the summit’s permanent snows. Then in 2020 the two countries undertook a joint effort and finally agreed that Mt Everest is 8848.86 metres high, which includes its snow cap. See ntb.gov.np
Some countries have no army
Some countries are easier than others to invade.Credit: iStock
Costa Rica is usually cited as the nation with no armed forces and that’s true: it has done without a standing army since 1948. But there are over 20 other nations without armies. If you’re thinking of invading, head to various island-nations in the Caribbean or Pacific. Army-less Iceland is especially curious since it’s a NATO member. Some such countries do have paramilitary forces, ceremonial guards, coast guards and various security forces. See visitcostarica.com
It isn’t 2023 everywhere
Calendars look a little different in Ethiopia. Credit: iStock
It’s 1401 according to the Persian calendar used in Iran and Afghanistan. And only 2015 on the Ethiopian calendar. Both are official civic calendars. The better-known Hijri or Islamic calendar is used mostly for religious purposes but also frequently appears on government documents in many Islamic nations, and is the official calendar in nations such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The current year is 1444. Meanwhile, according to the Hebrew calendar, it’s 5783.
South Africa has three capitals
Cape Town is one of three capitals in South Africa. Credit: iStock
A handful of countries is undecided about capital cities, designating different places according to various functions. In Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is the executive capital and seat of parliament, but Putrajaya the administrative capital. Bolivia, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Sri Lanka also have dual capitals. But South Africa goes one step further, designating Pretoria as its executive and administrative capital, Cape Town as its legislative capital, and Bloemfontein as its judicial capital. See southafrica.net
The Vatican doesn’t have the highest crime rate
The Vatican is not as crime-ridden as some would have you believe. Credit: iStock
Many websites claim Vatican City is the crime leader, but this is misleading. Although the Vatican has seen murder, attempted assassination and financial crime, it records mostly minor offences such as shoplifting and pickpocketing. The per-person figure is skewed because it’s calculated on the Vatican’s 825 residents but ignores its millions of visitors. Figures from the World Population Review show that Venezuela, PNG and South Africa lead the crime pack. See vatican.va
France has the most time zones
French Polynesia – a far-flung possession of France. Credit: iStock
If a pub quizmaster says it’s Russia, expect a riot to erupt among avid trivia geeks. Russia has 11 time zones, but so does the United States if you count its islands in the Pacific. True, those are dependencies and not officially part of the USA. But France has 12 time zones and some of its far-flung possessions are now integral departments of France, no different from any other French region. See au.france.fr
Some countries have no rivers
Water flow is rare in arid Saudi Arabia. Credit: iStock
Twenty-two countries have no permanent rivers. Well done if you’ve worked out they’re either tiny island-states such as Nauru and Tonga, European microstates such as Monaco, or else located on the Arabian Peninsula. Only two countries don’t fit those definitions: Libya and Djibouti. By far the biggest river-less country is Saudi Arabia, which has 2.5 million very arid square kilometres whose wadis (or valleys) see only occasional water flow. See visitsaudi.com
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