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Depending
upon your definition, and whether or not you count Taiwan, there are
“approximately” 196 countries in the world as of this writing. So while
you may consider yourself to be a knowledgeable global citizen, and
we’re sure you are, given the dynamic and complex nature of our planet
there are certain to be at least a couple facts on this list that you
will find surprising. Here are some things that you wouldn’t believe
about these countries.
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The “country desert” – Libya
With 99% of the country covered in desert Libya is one of the most arid
places in the world and in some regions decades may go by without a
single drop of rain. |
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Least peaceful nation in the world – Somalia
Although for the last three years Iraq has been ranked as the least
peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index
Somalia overtook it this year for the top spot. |
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Produces most of the world’s oxygen – Russia
Siberia is home to approximately 25% of the world’s forests that span an
area larger than the continental United States, making Russia the
largest converter of CO2 into breathable compounds. |
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World’s largest opium producer – Afghanistan
Producing a whopping 95 percent of the world’s opium, not even 10 years
of occupation by American forces have slowed down the industry. |
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Most people behind bars – United States
When it comes to incarcerating its population, the United States is the
world’s uncontested leader. With 2.2 million people behind bars it has
5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s incarcerated
population. China comes in second place at 1.5 million and Russia comes
third at 870,000.
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Almost entirely covered in jungle – Suriname
With 91% of its land covered in jungle Suriname’s half-a-million
residents live primarily along the coast near the capital. Only 5% of
the population (mainly indigenous people) live inland.
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Almost entirely treeless – Haiti
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Haiti, a country that has been so
badly deforested that you can tell where it borders the Dominican
Republic by looking at a satellite image (Haiti is on the left in the
photo above).
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Largest country with no farms – Singapore
Although there are a number of small nations in the world that show no
hint of having an agriculture based economy, (take Vatican City for
example) Singapore is the largest of these urban city-states.
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