Nations of the World

Belgium is known as “the Battlefield of Europe” because it served as a battlefield between many European powers and during the two World Wars. Maybe due the pains of war, it recognized the need for diplomacy. Now, the capital city, Brussels, is considered a center of the world economy and diplomacy, with headquarters of the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other organizations located in the city. It is known for its many beautiful sites as well as being the originator of many inventions. Maybe you know it as the “Chocolate Capital” – Think Godiva! ·       02:25 – Heart of the Nation (Doing Business through Travel)·       42:08 – Who Is?·       42:42 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Belgium is known as “the Battlefield of Europe” because it served as a battlefield between many European powers and during the two World Wars. Maybe due the pains of war, it recognized the need for diplomacy. Now, the capital city, Brussels, is considered a center of the world economy and diplomacy, with headquarters of the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other organizations located in the city. It is known for its many beautiful sites as well as being the originator of many inventions. Maybe you know it as the “Chocolate Capital” – Think Godiva! ·      00:00 – Intro ·      01:22 – Bare Bones·      02:25 – Heart of the Nation (Geography/Climate through Legal Issues) Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Belarus is the last country in Europe which still uses the death penalty and the last country in Europe run by a dictator. It is also the only country of the former USSR that has restored the Soviet flag (with minor changes). This is a country where every second child, instead of wanting to be an astronaut, wants to become a programmer, since it is considered a very prestigious profession, with earnings higher here than for programmers in all the neighboring countries. Listen to learn which popular computer game and apps were developed in Belarus.00:00 – Intro 00:27 – Heart of the Nation (Urbanism/Architecture through Travel)01:02:30 – Who Is? 01:07:04 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Belarus is the last country in Europe which still uses the death penalty and the last country in Europe run by a dictator. It is also the only country of the former USSR that has restored the Soviet flag (with minor changes). This is a country where every second child, instead of wanting to be an astronaut, wants to become a programmer, since it is considered a very prestigious profession, with earnings higher here than for programmers in all the neighboring countries. Listen to learn which popular computer game and apps were developed in this country.·      00:00 – Intro ·      00:27 – Bare Bones·      02:20 – Heart of the Nation (Geography/Climate through Economy) Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Barbados is the third-most developed country in the Western hemisphere. Although it is a tropical island in the Caribbean, it has managed to evade being hit by a hurricane in over 40 years. It is home to the world’s oldest rum, established in 1703. There are believed to be over 1,500 rum bars located on the island. This island’s shores at times are overrun with a severe volume of a certain seaweed which causes many problems including entangling sea turtles and dolphins. Learn why one of the remaining 18 Concorde airplanes (from a total all-time production of just 20) is parked on this island and more information on the relationship between the Concorde and this island nation.·      00:00 – Intro ·      00:27 – Bare Bones·      02:22 – Heart of the Nation·      01:01:01 – Who Is?·      01:08:15 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

This country seems to be obsessed with the color pink. Here you will find a pink sand beach which has earned the title, “Best Sand Beach.” The seat of government is housed in 3 pink buildings. Its national bird is the pink flamingo. Listen to learn why all these items happen to be pink in The Bahamas.·      00:00 – Intro ·      00:32 – Bare Bones·      02:18 – Heart of the Nation·      01:19:55 – Who Is?·      01:21:16 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, is the world’s most densely populated city. Although it has the longest uninterrupted beach in the world, discover why people are expected to swim at these beaches fully clothed, rather than in swimsuits. You can still spot a Bengal tiger in the wild here, and statistics show approximately 100 people per year are killed by tigers in the country. This country has the largest vegetarian population in the world.·      00:00 – Intro·      00:27 – Bare Bones·      02:12 – Heart of the Nation·      01:39:54 – Who Is?·      01:42:46 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Bahrain has two highly valued natural resources – pearls and oil. In fact, it was the first place where oil was found. It is no surprise that it has the world’s second highest valued currency unit. It is also the world’s least taxed country.  ·      00:00 – Intro·      00:27 – Bare Bones·      02:02 – Heart of the Nation·      01:16:59 – Who Is?·      01:20:26 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Azerbaijan is a country which is naturally on fire. It has natural gas reserves which supply the fuel for a 10-meter-long wall of fire that has been burning continuously since 1950. Find out which famous explorer first spotted these mysterious flames in the 13th century. Not only is this mountain of fire, but there is a spring which has a high Methane content which sets it on fire when ignited. ·      00:00 – Intro·      00:27 – Bare Bones·      02:27 – Heart of the Nation·      1:08:33 – Who Is?·      1:11:35 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

How did Vienna’s coffee house culture make it onto the UNESCO’s list of sites under the category “Intangible Cultural Heritage?” The Broadway musical The Sound of Music was based on the true story of the von Trapp family. How much of their history was portrayed in this musical? The oldest still-operating restaurant in the world is found in Austria. How old is it?  ·      00:00 – Intro·      00:35 – Bare Bones·      02:29 – Heart of the Nation·      01:21:38 – Who Is?·      01:30:55 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Is it possible for a group of British convicts to travel by sea on a voyage for 8 months to a new land and successfully farm it for food and to colonize it? Australia’s history says, “yes.” Today the founding of this nation is celebrated as Australia Day, but the original inhabitants of the land, the Aboriginal Australians, call it “Invasion Day.” Australia is a nation of many firsts, largests, longests, and oldests. Join me to learn more about what makes this country so interesting and unique.·      00:00 – Intro·      00:26 – Heart of the Nation (Urbanism/Architecture through Travel)·      01:13:16 – Who Is?·      01:14:32 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Is it possible for a group of British convicts to travel by sea on a voyage for 8 months to a new land and successfully farm it for food and to colonize it? Australia’s history says, “yes.” Today the founding of this nation is celebrated as Australia Day, but the original inhabitants of the land, the Aboriginal Australians, call it “Invasion Day.” Australia is a nation of many firsts, largests, longests, and oldests. Join me to learn more about what makes this country so interesting and unique.·      00:00 – Intro ·      00:25 – Bare Bones·      03:31 – Heart of the Nation (Geography/Climate through Economy)Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as the state religion. It is the proposed site of the biblical Garden of Eden. The people are known for their encompassing hospitality. Chess is part of the school curriculum, and the country has produced some of the world’s greatest chess players.·      00:00 – Intro·      00:25 – Bare Bones·      01:55 – Heart of the Nation·      01:25:06 – Who Is?·      01:27:39 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Discover how the tango first sprang to life in the brothels of Buenos Aires, and since has evolved into what is considered glamour and elegance in high society today. Argentina also has something you wouldn’t expect – one of the world’s most dynamic and accessible ice fields. How large is the world’s biggest-know dinosaur to date? A fossil from one of these pre-historic creatures was found in a desolate part of southern Patagonia, in Argentina.·      00:00 – Intro·      00:29 – Bare Bones·      03:03 – Heart of the Nation·      01:28:03 – Who Is?·      01:32:43 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.comSupport Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

See how this tiny dual-island nation – a year-round popular tourist destination in the Caribbean – is made up of one coral island, Barbuda; and one volcanic island, Antigua. There’s also a third uninhabited island – Redonda, which is entirely a national park. Discover how one enterprising man set up sugar plantations and ushered in 50 years of sugar cultivation on the island of Antigua. This also contributed to the diverse mix of ethnicity that make up the unique Antigua and Barbuda people.·      00:00 – Intro·      00:30 – Bare Bones·      02:54 – Heart of the Nation·      55:11 – Who Is?·      56:12 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Angola, in southwestern Africa, was a former Portuguese colony but gained self-rule in 1975. After 27 years of civil war, which ended in 2002, it is slowly emerging as a major economic powerhouse in Africa and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Yet, in an article from the New York Times in March, 2015 it said,” This is a country laden with oil, diamonds, Porsche-driving millionaires and toddlers starving to death. New Unicef figures show this well-off but corrupt African nation is ranked No. 1 in the world in the rate at which children die before the age of five." Does this nation have a plan to improve that number?·      00:00 – Intro·      00:28 – Bare Bones·      02:11 – Heart of the Nation·      01:16:20 – Who Is?·      01:19:58 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Andorra is a landlocked micro state in Southwestern Europe along the Pyrenees Mountains, neighbored by France and Spain. It’s the 6th smallest country in Europe and has a population of about 85,000. Andorra is the world’s only co-principality. One prince is the President of France and the other is the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain. See how this country was almost convinced to turn its government over to Boris Skossyreff, a Russian adventurer and international swindler, who attempted to proclaim himself as Boris I of Andorra.·      00:00 – Intro·      00:28 – Bare Bones·      02:32 – Heart of the Nation·      51:50 – Who Is?·      55:58 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Algeria is a nation which is 99 percent Sunni Muslim and Islamic traditions drive the nation in a large way. These traditions dictate a lot of humanitarian issues, especially regarding women, as well as many judicial decisions. There is a great mixture of French and Arabic culture, and there is also a population of indigenous people, the Berber, who have influenced the culture as well. Learn about the Barbary Pirates, who lived in Algeria preying on merchant ships of many nations, and how they even halted further growth in settling of the coastal Mediterranean for a time, due to their relentless attacks.·      00:00 – Intro·      01:20 – Bare Bones·      03:11 – Heart of the Nation·      01:09:43 – Who Is?·      01:10:27 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Albania has emerged from a communist state in 1991, and a completely isolated nation with no allies but China, to a parliamentary republic with several trading partners and currently pursuing a path of greater Euro-Atlantic integration. It is also becoming a desirable tourist location due to its pristine Mediterranean landscape. Learn about the many superstitious beliefs it traditionally holds. Also learn why more than one third of all Albanians live outside of Albania.  ·       00:00:00 – Intro·       00:01:07 – Bare Bones·       00:02:57 – Heart of the Nation·       01:06:24 – Who Is?·       01:08:25 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

This podcast series will take the listener on a journey to each and every nation of the world where you will learn not only factual points about a nation, but also fascinating details that make it unique. A new episode will be published every other week.Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn

Afghanistan, a nation of internal and external conflicts, is still trying to carve out its identity. It has experienced significant political and social upheaval over the past decades, most recently marked by the Taliban's return to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.·       00:00 – Intro·       00:31 – Bare Bones·       02:36 – Heart of the Nation·       01:18:58 – Who Is?·       01:21:00 – Who Would’ve Thought? Find Nations of the World Podcast:Email [email protected] https://nationsoftheworldpodcast.com/Support Me https://buymeacoffee.com/LoisEvelyn