Sunday, 21 May 2017

67. Bratislava, Slovakia

 
The only capital bordering two other countries (Austria and Hungary). The world's oldest-known emoji, a neutral face, appeared in a Slovakian document from 1635 alongside a drawing of a clown's hand. The 'clown's hand' emoji is yet to catch on. ๐Ÿ˜

Tuesday, 16 May 2017

66. Dolceacqua, Italy

A medieval village with a picturesque bridge. Besides tourism, olive-growing is a major component of the local economy. In Judaism, an olive is a unit for measuring volume. Consuming anything smaller is not considered eating, allowing a 'cheat' from normal kosher restrictions (and rabbinical Weight Watchers).

Monday, 15 May 2017

65. Egypt

Home of the camel since 525 BCE. Camels are responsible for a dispute over the world's only inhabitable unclaimed land. According to an 1899 boundary set by the British, the Bir Tawil region was part of Sudan. However, a 1902 map placed it in Egypt as their nomads used it for camel grazing. In exchange, the much more valuable Hala'ib Triangle was transferred to Sudan. Both Egypt and Sudan have backed their preferred map ever since, leaving Bir Tawil unclaimed.