41. Tyre, Lebanon

Birthplace of Queen Dido (Elissa), the legendary founder of Carthage, whose empire once rivaled Rome. Tyre itself became part of the Roman Empire in 64 BCE and its best-known landmarks are from the Roman period, including the Triumphal Arch and the largest Roman hippodrome (chariot racecourse) ever built.

40. Puerto Rico

Home of the coquí frog, Menudo and the world's largest radio telescope, at Arecibo Observatory. Arecibo is a centre for the SETI Institute's search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and perhaps someday extraterrestrial snow globes.

39. Prague, Czech Republic

Inside is St Vitus Cathedral, part of Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in the world. The cathedral was founded by Bohemian duke Václav I, better known in English-speaking countries as "Good King Wenceslas". St Vitus is the patron saint of comedians, dogs, epilepsy, snake bites and choreography.

38. London, United Kingdom

From London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, founded in 1828. Formerly the home of Jumbo, the elephant whose name originated the synonym for 'very large'. After 17 years at the zoo, Jumbo was sold to a circus. He died 3 years later in Canada after being hit by a steam train. 🐘

37. Giza, Egypt

Home of the Great Pyramid, the tallest structure on Earth for over 3,800 years and last building in Africa to hold the title. Africa now has the shortest tallest building of any continent besides Antarctica, the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, which is surpassed by 53 buildings in Dubai alone.

36. Lisbon, Portugal

Home of the world's oldest bookstore, Bertrand Livreiros, in business since 1732, and Europe's smallest bookstore, Livraria do Simão. Portugal is also the world's largest cork exporter, producing around half of global supplies.

35. Colombia

Home to more endemic species (species not native to anywhere else) than any other country, the second highest number of species overall (after Brazil), and the most varieties of amphibians, birds and land mammals. 10% of all species and 20% of all plant species can be found in Colombia.

34. Frankfurt, Germany

Birthplace of the Vienna sausage. The world's longest frankfurter was made in Paraguay in 2011, measuring 200 m to commemorate 200 years of independence.

33. Santa Fe, United States

Depicted is the nearby Taos Pueblo, founded circa 1000 CE, the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the US. Santa Fe meanwhile, founded in 1607, is the third oldest colonial city in the US, and the oldest one not on the Atlantic coast. It also has a Bugs Bunny art gallery, which can be found by taking a left turn at Albuquerque.

32. Holland, Netherlands

A region of the Netherlands (and informal name for the country as a whole) that includes the country's three largest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Most of Holland was created over the past 1,000 years out of the sea.

31. Pisa, Italy

Home of the Leaning Tower, the world's wonkiest wonder. Construction began in 1173 and the tilt became apparent after the addition of the second floor. To correct this, additional floors were built slightly taller on one side. This caused it to lean in the opposite direction.

30. Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda

A country of two similarly sized islands, though around 90% of the population lives in Antigua. Its third largest island, the uninhabited Redonda, is a notable micronation (like Seborga). Antigua's highest point is Mount Obama, renamed in 2009 after the US president.

29. Beirut, Lebanon

Despite being in Asia, Beirut has hosted the Miss Europe pageant more than any other city. The same pageant was also once held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

28. Sweden

Sweden has the most elk per capita of any country, mostly in its part of Sápmi (Lapland), a region that spans four countries. The world's first igloo hotel, the Icehotel, is in Swedish Sápmi, as is Kiruna Church, once voted Sweden's most beautiful building. Both are north of the Arctic Circle.

27. Nice, France

Nice was founded around 350 BCE as a colony of Greece, and was named after their goddess of victory, Nike. The English "nice" is unrelated, but comes from French, where it originally meant foolish. From 1888 - 1889, Nice was home to the world's largest telescope, until it was surpassed by a bigger one at Lick Observatory, California.

26. Everglades, United States

Florida's only world heritage site and the third largest national park in the US, after Death Valley and Yellowstone. It's also the country's largest wetlands region, and the only ecosystem on Earth where alligators and crocodiles co-exist. 🐊

25. Hohenschwangau, Germany

Home of Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria's most visited non-beer-producing tourist attraction. Built for King Ludwig II, who was later declared insane, Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle, replicated at all Disneyland resorts.

24. Saint Lucia

The parrot inside is a St Lucia amazon, a species unique to the island. St Lucia was once the largest supplier of bananas to Great Britain, a crop that accounts for 22% of their exports.

23. Utrecht, Netherlands

From the Miffy Museum. Miffy is the star of 24 books by Utrecht's Dick Bruna, the Netherlands' biggest-selling author. She is the world's richest bunny, with a franchise worth an estimated €265 million, twice the value of Vincent van Gogh's most expensive painting, Portrait of Dr Gachet. 🐰

22. Seborga, Italy

A village in the Italian Alps that styles itself as a principality, with its own (elected) monarch, currency (the luigino), and possibly Europe's highest cats-to-people ratio. It's one of the world's largest and most credible micronations (an entity that claims sovereignty without the means or desire to pursue actual independence).

Seborga is also associated with the Knights Templar, depicted in murals throughout the village, whilst their national holiday, St Bernard's Day on 20 August, is dedicated to the order's patron saint.

21. Ireland

Home of the leprechaun and 11 Nobel laureates, though mainly known for the former. Leprechauns are reputed to be excellent shoemakers, as they dance so much their shoes wear out quickly. The world's smallest park, Mill Ends Park in Portland, US, was created as a leprechaun sanctuary after a reported sighting in 1947, the same year as the alleged Roswell UFO crash. Coincidence? ☘️👽

20. Mount Fuji, Japan

An active volcano overlooking the world's largest city, Tokyo, in the world's most earthquake-prone country. Godzilla is the least of their worries.

19. Trier, Germany

Germany's oldest city, Trier is known for its well-preserved Roman ruins, in particular the Porta Nigra, the largest Roman gate north of the Alps. The city's Roman Bridge is the oldest functioning bridge in northern Europe. Its foundations are 1,800 years old.

18. Marrakesh, Morocco

Morocco is the world's largest exporter of tinned sardines. 91% of the Moroccan canning industry is dedicated to sardine processing. In southern Africa, sardines perform one of the largest migrations in the animal kingdom, known as the Sardine Run. Measured by biomass, it is comparable to the great wildebeest migrations of the Serengeti. 🐟🐟🐟

17. Menton, France

Home of the Fête du Citron, one of the French Riviera's premier annual events alongside the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix. It's the world's largest lemon festival, featuring large artworks made entirely from citruses. Until the 1930s, Menton was Europe's biggest producer of lemons. It remains the only lemon-growing region in mainland France, producing 150 tonnes annually, of which 145 are used for the festival. Menton has vowed to keep its lemon industry going until the bitter end.

Notably Menton is only a 15 minute train ride from two different foreign countries: Monaco and Italy. All domestic trains out of Menton must pass through foreign territory.

16. Albuquerque, United States

Home of the world's largest hot air balloon festival, held every October, and the world's largest collection of live rattlesnakes, housed at the American International Rattlesnake Museum. Also known for the Bugs Bunny catchphrase, "I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque".