Quick question, quick answers about your country

Italy

1) Pasta, pizza, risotto, cheeses, winess & gellatti
2) Fashion : Gucci, Prada, Versace, Ferragamo, Zegna, Armani, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Cerutti, Fendi, Canali, Cavalli, Bulgari, Fornasetti, Forzieri, Trussardi, Ferre, and many more.
3) Roman Empire and its influence on the modern world (Roman alphabet, architecture, etc.)
4) Renaissance and Baroque cities (Florence, Venice, Rome, Verona, Pisa...)
5) Great painters, scupltors and inventors (Michelangelo, da Vinci, Bottcelli, Raffaelo...)
6) Mafia
7) Corrupted politicians
8) Beautiful nature and great weather
9) Sport cars (Ferrari, Bugatti, Maseratti, Lamborghini...)
10) Football
 
I am quite surprise at reading the above posts that some people make such mistakes about their own countries (Escaflowe => Eifel tower in America ; tha_rippa1be => Brussels capital of the UN !).

On the other side, I find that other people cite things that I wouldn't consider the most well-known world-wide (Silver_Angel, I guess most non-Canadian do not know more than Niagra Falls in the things you listed ; what about maple sirup, Toronto's CN tower or Quebec's chateau Frontenac, the Inuits, great mountains and vast forest... ).

Anyhow, I have decided to make a list of how people see the USA from outside. If you asked people in developing countries (Middle-East, South America or Asia), the 10 most famous things about the US would probably be :

1) US$
2) Hollywood
3) Coca Cola
4) McDonald
5) US army (marines)
6) Statue of Liberty
7) Skyscrapers
8) Marlboro cigarettes
9) White house, current US president
10) land of freedom

However, if you asked Continental (Western) Europeans, they'd probably say :

1) Hollywood
2) Grand Canyon
3) Cow boys & rednecks (no not the red skins, just red necks).
4) arrogant and patriotic people
5) Silicon Valley
6) Microsoft & Bill Gates
7) A few presidents + their opinion about each
8) NASA
9) New York related (skyscrapers, Wall Strett, Dow Jones, Wolrd Trade Center, 9/11, statue of liberty, Manhattan, Chinatown, "Friends", etc.)
10) US army and role in international affairs (maybe citing WWII, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, the Vietnam war, Gulf war, etc.)
 
London = Miserable people, miserable weather, and fish and chips. Oh yeah and the Queen. :D
 
London is GREAT!

London = Boy London + Nice cool weather + Tasty European pastries + Double Deckers + Covent Garden market + Museums + Oxford Circle + ....
 
Jean-Francois said:
London = Boy London + Nice cool weather + Tasty European pastries + Double Deckers + Covent Garden market + Museums + Oxford Circle + ....

Haha it's nice to visit London, but living here isnt so great.
Especially since everything is so damn expensive !! :(
 
Maciamo wrote....
Anyhow, I have decided to make a list of how people see the USA from outside. If you asked people in developing countries (Middle-East, South America or Asia), the 10 most famous things about the US would probably be :

But those are the last people who you should be asking to define the country. If they haven't been there all they know are the stereotypes and what they see in the movies. If someone asked me to define my list of things that defined France, for example, it would probably be a very stereotypical and inaccurate list because I've never been there and I don't know much about it.
 
Brooker said:
But those are the last people who you should be asking to define the country. If they haven't been there all they know are the stereotypes and what they see in the movies. If someone asked me to define my list of things that defined France, for example, it would probably be a very stereotypical and inaccurate list because I've never been there and I don't know much about it.

That was exactly the point of my list, i.e. showing the different perception of a particular country depending on the person's origin.

If you asked American people (well, there has been a few answer already), they will certainly cite things that are important in their daily life (for example, according to the state where they live) without always seeing the big picture or without being completely aware of what foreigners know about their country. E.g. many Americans I met thought that the USA were famous for jazz, blues or country music, whereas it is pretty much limited to the states (especially "country"). Others might cite Harley Davidson if they are motorbike ethusiasts, Thomas Jefferson if they like history or even rap music. But they are hardly the most representative of the US compared to other things listed.

The question which started this thread is "What are the most well-known things in your country worldwide". So that is interesing to see what people here think foreigners know.
 
Hell, I'm gonna do Vegas...

1. 24 Hour Wedding Chapels.
2. Elvis impersonators sometimes actually perform the wedding for you in those chapels.
3. Casinos!!!
4. Excellent weather all year round.
5. Beer is sold EVERYWHERE!
6. Cable is expensive, but DSL is cheap as hell and Faster than slick snot.
7. Area 51, right next door.
8. In 'n' Out Burger.
9. Vegas DOES NOT SLEEP!!!
10. B'z came here, and may come here again!

There you are. I know it isn't the whole country, but it's a hell of a place.

Ant
 
Okay, for Denmark:

1. H.C. Andersen, the fairy-tale author.
2. Carlsberg *BEER*
3. Liberal country.
4. LEGO.
5. ECCO shoes.
6. The oldest monarchy (from the Viking ages).
7. Flat-no mountains and earthquakes-we go skiing in Noway and Sweden!!
8. Great designers and architects: Utzon (Sydney Opera house), Paul Henningsen (expensive lamps), ArneJacobsen (architect and designer)...
9. The Little Mermaid.
10. cheese.
11. Aqua and Me and My pop groups (popular in Japan).
 
May I add for Denmark a few things more famous than Ecco shoes :

- Bang & Olufsen : best hi-fi equipment in the world
- Hamlet, in Shakespeare's story, is a Danish prince.
- King Canute (or Knud, 995-1035), king of Denmark, Norway and England.
- Danish Viking have invaded most of Western Europe, from England to Spain. They establish the "Danelaw" in Northern England and left the English language very common words like "house, window, knife, egg, husband or they/them/their". Many English (and thus also American, Canadian, etc.) people nowadays have Danish origins (most names in :"son" like Johnsson or Davidson).
Another group of Danish vikings took Paris and forced the king of France to cede them Normandy (land of the Norse !). William, Duke of Normandy, of Danish descent, became the first king of England of the current dynasty in 1066.
 
Croatia....
1)Adriatic sea!
2) we had war owe 10 years ago for our freedom!
3)many wines!
4)in guiness book of record.... las year we had the biggest breakfast!
5) althouh we are Republic now.... I can't say we are reach.... we are low developed country..
6) we have the city that would be the smallest in the world
7) one city is.. as the scientists sad ... center of world ... Ludbreg.... if all the continents would be together.
8) We stopped Turks to bridge in the Europe.. must Austria
9)we have many protected speaces... bears....
10)oh.. on Briuni island.. there are footprints of dinosaurs!

Maciamo.. did you read Beowulf?

Oh...
Johana Brlich Mazuranic- croatian tolkien!
 
Maciamo said:
May I add for Denmark a few things more famous than Ecco shoes :

- Bang & Olufsen : best hi-fi equipment in the world
- Hamlet, in Shakespeare's story, is a Danish prince.
- King Canute (or Knud, 995-1035), king of Denmark, Norway and England.
- Danish Viking have invaded most of Western Europe, from England to Spain. They establish the "Danelaw" in Northern England and left the English language very common words like "house, window, knife, egg, husband or they/them/their". Many English (and thus also American, Canadian, etc.) people nowadays have Danish origins (most names in :"son" like Johnsson or Davidson).
Another group of Danish vikings took Paris and forced the king of France to cede them Normandy (land of the Norse !). William, Duke of Normandy, of Danish descent, became the first king of England of the current dynasty in 1066.

I agree that B&O Hi-Fi is great....looks good and plays well....but very much expensive....
 
Arya said:
Croatia....
6) we have the city/town that would be the smallest in the world

How many inhabitants has this city. I know that Belgium claims the smallest city in the world, Durbuy, with just 400 people. It is considered a city/town ("ville" in French) because it was granted a chartered and the title of "ville" in 1331. Well, actually, Durbuy merged with other villages in 1977, so that the "commune" now counts 8000 people (but the town itself is still about 400 people).

Maciamo.. did you read Beowulf?

No, why ?

More about Croatia.

- Used to have an excellent basketball team
- Goran Ivanisevich and other famous tennis players.
 
Oh, I like Croatian tennis players.

Goran, Mario Ancic 👍

Karolina Sprem, Jelena Kostanic 😍
 
And Janica and Ivica Kostelic?! Did ou heard about them? And our football team was third in the world in third time before this time!

And yes! Go japan-football-girls! Exellent!

Maciamo said:
How many inhabitants has this city. I know that Belgium claims the smallest city in the world.

Hum.. thats the name and you read it as Hum, there is a legend about it. Gigants were bilding towns in Istra... that's part of Croatia... and with little rocks that left they builded it. It has: r 23 people that live there! elevation 349 m;
It is famous for one day when all men choses their mayor by carving its name in one stick called 'raboナ。' read: rabosh!
It is only place where you can get ''biska'', brandy of imela, mistletoe, maded by centuries old recepie. It has healing powers :-)

Happy :haihai: 😍

Quote:
Maciamo.. did you read Beowulf?

No, why ?

because.. you represented Denmark....


Thats Glagolitic Monks' Lane




Glagolitic Alley for wich is famouse for too!!


A picture of Hum....



Close to the town gate is the famous Istrian "konoba" (wine cellar and restaurant), frequented by numerous gourmands who appreciate traditional Istrian cuisine. Hum is the end point of the Glagolitic Monks' Lane, a memorial complex consisting of eleven monuments, which stretches along the 7-km long road leading from Roc to Hum...
 
Arya this place in Croatia looks really nice maybe I should go for one of my long walks over there.

Maciamo, is there a country you don't know of? And have you been to all the ones you talk about?
 
Arya said:
Hum.. thats the name and you read it as Hum, there is a legend about it. Gigants were bilding towns in Istra... that's part of Croatia... and with little rocks that left they builded it. It has: r 23 people that live there! elevation 349 m

But isn't it a village then ? Does Hum have any claim to being a town/city ? Now that I think about it, there are a few ghost towns in Australia (e.g. Coolgardie) and probably in other countries (US ?) too, where almost all people left after the gold mines ran out. As a result, the population which was of several thousands, fell to a mere dozen people. Now it depends if the smallest city should be in terms of population and size. 😌

Arya said:
Maciamo.. did you read Beowulf?

No, why ?

because.. you represented Denmark....

Beowulf is an Anglo-saxon story (so from England).

Legato said:
Maciamo, is there a country you don't know of? And have you been to all the ones you talk about?

There are hundreds of countries I don't know well or at all, but as a European, I find it normal to at least know about my country. Incidentally, I have never been to Denmark (or Croatia). As for the US, who doesn't know about the US ?
 
Maciamo said:
Beowulf is an Anglo-saxon story (so from England).
Both is true. It's an Anglo-Saxon poem with Scandinavian background. I think, there isn't one Anglo-Saxon mentioned in the whole story. Here is a good (but lengthy) synopsis with analysis.


About Croatia, I wonder, why none of you mentioned Dubrovnik. I thought that's the most famous place. AFAIK, it's even part of the UN's world heritage. Most famous Croatian: Tito!
 
There are hundreds of countries I don't know well or at all, but as a European, I find it normal to at least know about my country. Incidentally, I have never been to Denmark (or Croatia). As for the US, who doesn't know about the US ?

Well yea if you are European, it's understandable in fact I went to almost all the countries you mentioned myself and agree with you most of the time about what makes them famous even on France we have several things in common which surprised me; however many Europeans are far from knowing that much about the countries around them, not even their home country... I guess it's the same everywhere (thus the surprise, I hope you didn't take it as an offense). I remember when I was in France a lot of the students said about Americans that most students there didn't know where Canada is... oh well. And last time I checked there were about 196 countries, I don't know if it was in the UN or total and it might have changed but if there were hundreds left to see I would be despereate because my life already seems way too short to see them all. :D
 
This isn't what people necessarily know as outsiders, but what comes to my mind about the following places:

Toronto:

1. CN Tower
2. Sky Dome
3. Multicultural: Chinatowns, Little Italy, Koreatown, Greektown...
4. Taste of the Danforth (food festival)
5. Mega-city (amalgamated several townships into "Greater Toronto Area")
6. Harbourfront, Centre Island, Ontario Place
7. Canadian National Exhibition (held every August/Sept)
8. Sports - Leafs, Jays, Raptors
9. Ontario Science Centre (and the Metro Toronto Zoo)
10. Canada's Wonderland

Boston:

1. Big Dig!
2. Boston Garden and Commons
3. Back Bay and Beacon Hill
4. Filene's Basement/Downtown Crossing
5. Neighbour to Cambridge MA
6. Lots of universities (including my alma mater!)
7. Aquarium, Science Center
8. Symphony Hall, a world class venue
9. Lots of biomed/startup companies in the area
10. Charles River and the Esplanade (where the Boston Pops perform on the 4th of July each year).

Dublin:

1. High cost of living (Mercer rated it 14th in the world this year, higher than Paris and any German city; last week a study showed groceries in the Republic were 14% costlier than in Northern Ireland.)
2. Bad traffic problems - takes 1 hour to travel 12 km into or out of city centre.
3. Inadequate health care system
4. Incompetent government (mismanaged projects with taxpayer and EU-funded money)
5. Alcohol and drug abuse problems that clog the already tenuous emergency services and strain the police force.
6. Inherent xenophobia - June referendum gave government absolute control over refusing anyone citizenship, regular deportations occur of people refused refugee status though their lives would be in danger if returned to their places of origin.
7. VERY unaffordable housing (250K Euro for a 1bedroom apartment); high rent
8. Luas (tram) system - recent
9. Special Olympics (first country to host other than US since inception of these games, last year)
10. Church not separate from politics; Publicans also vastly overlap with politicians (bribery, corruption).

Ireland (generally what people think):

1. Beautiful scenery
2. Guinness and other alcohol products
3. Crystal products - Waterford, Galway...
4. Agrarian businesses (farming)
5. Rain
6. Friendly people
7. "Pub culture"
8. Islands and cliffs
9. Conflict with "the North"
10. Music - U2, Cranberries.

As you can tell, what I now associate with Dublin is quite disappointing, compared with what the ministry of Tourism would like people to think of when they hear about Ireland.
 
Legato said:
Arya this place in Croatia looks really nice maybe I should go for one of my long walks over there.
Ha ha! :D
True... but not only Dubrovnik but Split too! Dioklecian palace is werry famouse! Yust say if you want to know... about it! Word.. all I nead!

Maciamo said:
But isn't it a village then ? Does Hum have any claim to being a town/city ?
Look at this!

The Guinness Book of World Records lists HUM (with a population of
three families) which is in Istria, Croatia; as the smallest town in
the world.Today Hum is a memorial town, it is one of the few examples of the
urban development which is completely situated inside the walls of the
early Middle Ages. Hum got its present appearance in basic outlines already in the Middle Ages, in 11th century. It was then that on the remnants of an old fortification a Hum castle was built and next to it the first row of the future town窶冱 houses. At the time Istria belonged to the Empire of the Francs. As a part of the Empire, in 1040 it became a particular county.Ulrich I then reconstructs and builds a row of castles, among which is also the one in Hum. It was in 1102 that Ulrich II gave Hum along with several other castles as a feud to Aquilean patriarch.In the deed of gift it says it is a 窶彡astrum Cholm窶 (according to the old Croatian form Hlm) and that is the first time Hum is mentioned in its long history. With this act the history of Hum as a fortification actually begins. In the later historic sources up to XVII century Hum is mentioned as a 窶彡astrum窶? a fortification as a matter of fact, which emphasizes its role as a fortification.Today Hum is a memorial town, it is one of the few examples of the urban development which is completely situated inside the walls of the early Middle Ages. During almost the whole millenium, from XI till now, almost nothing has been built in Hum outside the town walls. Hum remained inside the frontiers which were set already in the early Middle Ages. Hum Castle was situated on the plateau on the western part of the town inside the defense walls, on the place where now the parish church in part, the parish castle and the extreme western part of the northern row of houses are situated. The ground-plan of the castle had the shape of a square of the size 35x30 m.
This is a picture of Glagolitic alphabet:


I don't know what to say else... it's the way it is....

Beowulf is an Anglo-saxon story (so from England).
True..... and not true.... it was writen in England but it was made in Denmark! Read it!


Incidentally, I have never been to Denmark (or Croatia).
I really do't understand what did you write here! Denmark or Croatia? u now it isn't same country.
But if you made yust example.... than O.K. ☝

About Croatia, I wonder, why none of you mentioned Dubrovnik. I thought that's the most famous place.
My bad, man!
Dubrovnik was founded in the first half of the 7th century by a group of refugees from Epidaurum (today's Cavtat). They established their settlement at the island and named it Laus. Slavs developed their own settlement under the name of Dubrovnik (named by "Dub" - type of wood). The settlements were separated by a channel which was filled in 12th century, present Placa or Stradun, and since than the two settlements have been united. At that time the city walls started to be built as a protection from different enemies ( Arabs, Venetian, Macedonians, Serbs, etc.), who wanted to conquer Dubrovnik.The Republican Constitution of Dubrovnik was strictly aristocratic. The head of the state was the Duke, elected for a term of office for one month. While the Republic was under the rule of Venice the Rector was Venetian, but after 1358 the Rector was always a Ragusan.
The length of the Rector's service was only one month and a person was eligible for reelection after two years. The rector lived and worked in Rector's Palace but his family remained living in their own house.
The government of the Republic was liberal in character and early showed its concern for justice and humanitarian principles, e.g. slave trading was abolished since 1418. Dubrovnik started its life as a free state that reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1526 Dubrovnik acknowledged the supremacy of the Turkish Sultan (annual tribute was paid to the Sultan). A crisis of Mediterranean shipping and especially a catastrophic earthquake on the 6th of April 1667 that killed over 5000 citizens, including the Rector, leveling most of the public buildings, ruined the well-being of the Republic.
With great effort the Republic recovered a bit, but still remained a shadow of the former Republic. In 1806 Dubrovnik surrendered to French forces, as that was the only way to cut a month's long siege by the Russian-Montenegrin fleets (during which 3000 cannon balls fell on the city). The French lifted the Russian-Montenegrin fleets and saved Dubrovnik for the time being. The French army, led by Napoleon, entered Dubrovnik in 1806 In 1808 Marshal Marmot abolished the Dubrovnik Republic.
Ivan Gundulić, the greatest Croatian 17th century writer, predicted the downfall of the great Turkish Empire in his great poem Osman. As freedom was regarded as the greatest value to Dubrovnik, he wrote these immortal verses that are performed till today on every opening of the world famous Dubrovnik Summer Festival:
" O you beautiful, o you dear, o you sweet freedom窶ヲ all the silver, all the gold, all human lives, can not pay for your pure beauty窶ヲ".


Is that enough???? 😌





Most famous Croatian: Tito!
hA HA..... MY DEAR.... Tito was a famous Yugoslavian. It's long story!

Here's link

By the way... in his time lived my mom and dad..... it was realy nice time..... Let's say it was beather than now. But, I love free Croatia... i love my land :-)
 
Arya said:
I really do't understand what did you write here! Denmark or Croatia? u now it isn't same country.
But if you made yust example.... than O.K. ☝

He was just saying that he's never been to either country. He knows that they aren't the same country. ;-) :p

And about Beowulf, I agree. It's a really good read. I got my hands on such a good translation that I couldn't put it down, and read it all in one night!
 
Arya said:
True..... and not true.... it was writen in England but it was made in Denmark! Read it!
That's not quite correct. Beowulf is very probably based on one or more traditional Scandinavian tale, but it was put together as it is in England. Esp. the "Christian" parts of the story are of English origin.


Is that enough???? 😌
I think so. :stan:
I only know Split from Hajduk (the football club). But Dubrovnik is particularly famous for its cultural heritage. Another city many people know would be Zagreb.


hA HA..... MY DEAR.... Tito was a famous Yugoslavian. It's long story!
Well, yeah, a Yugoslav from Croatia, that makes him Croatian, IMO. Hard to separate the one from the other, in his case.
 
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