Central African Republic is a nation in turmoil with armed militia and government-backed troops inflicting crimes on each other and on the citizens. It is the world’s second poorest country although it is rich in natural resources including diamonds, gold, oil, arable land, and timber. It’s also the world’s hungriest country. Life expectancy is the lowest in the world at 52.8 years. It is the focus of many humanitarian aid organizations, peace keeping missions, and military training...

Cape Verde is an island nation which was created by rising magma from the ocean. There is still an active volcano on one of the islands, and several other places where the ground is very warm or even hot. There are nearby underground volcanoes that have not yet reached the water’s surface and will likely add to these islands in the future. True to its volcanic nature, the smell of sulfur can be detected when the wind blows in the right direction, as the steam escapes from underneath the...

Being the 2nd largest country in the world, there are many things Canada has the most of or the largest of - such as having the most lakes in the world, having the highest tides and the place with the strongest current, having the most northern settlement, the largest wheat field, and the longest street. But it’s more famous for ice hockey, moose, maple syrup, and bears, especially grizzly and polar bears. In fact, in one city in Manitoba province, people make sure they leave their cars...

Being the 2nd largest country in the world, there are many things Canada has the most of or the largest of - such as having the most lakes in the world, having the highest tides and the place with the strongest current, having the most northern settlement, the largest wheat field, and the longest street. But it’s more famous for ice hockey, moose, maple syrup, and bears, especially grizzly and polar bears. In fact, in one city in Manitoba province, people make sure they leave their cars...

Cameroon has had a history of attacks by the Islamist terrorist group known as Boko Haram, who was responsible for the death of at least 1,000 in 2015. The country has one of the most diverse ecosystems in Africa. It has been confirmed by scientists that HIV originated here in wild chimpanzees. Some of its people practice spider divination, where the spider is deemed capable of answering questions depending on how it displaces cards stacked outside its burrow hole. ·      00:00...

Cambodia has the largest religious structure ever built within its borders and was built to the Hindu god Vishnu. It’s home to many interesting and unique animal species including the first (and currently the only) species of terrestrial mollusk known to be bioluminescent. It’s also where the Aspara dance originated – a dance which is such a symbolic feature of the culture that it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Prime...

Burundi has the world’s longest lake as its western border. And along that lake many have seen Gustave, a crocodile who is credited with eating hundreds of people over the course of his life which is estimated at being 60-100 years. The country has seen 2 mass genocides in its history. The people here enjoy banana beer, which is an important part of social gatherings. It’s generally placed in a large bowl and drunk communally through straws by all who are gathered. ·      00:00...

It is one of Africa’s largest producers of cotton, known as ‘white gold,’ by the local farmers. It has the largest elephant population in West Africa. The people are often called “the cowboys of West Africa” because of their love for horse riding. The white stallion is the country’s national symbol and indigenous people consider the horse to be a best friend, a wife, a colleague, and a car.  ·      00:00 – Intro  ·      00:27 – Bare Bones ·      02:40 – Heart of the Nation ·      01:05:53...

Bulgaria, full of ancient history, is home to the oldest European city, founded in 6000 BCE. Its culture includes folk songs often accompanied by bagpipes. This is such a significant cultural heritage that one such song was included in the infamous Voyager Golden Record, which journeyed into space onboard the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Its population (6.8 million today) is on a decline since its peak in 1986 of 9 million. It’s only one of two nations whose population is lower today than it...

Brunei has luxurious rainforests teeming with colorful flora and fauna. It also has a history of great oil production and natural gas reserves. The kingdom is tax-free, a subsidized society, and its people enjoy one of the highest per capita incomes on earth. The same family has ruled over the country for 6 centuries. The ruler, or sultan, has astounding wealth, living in a 172-room palace. He has a love for expensive cars and owns 500 Rolls Royces and 300 Ferraris.  ·      00:00...

Brazil is the largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) nation in the world and the only one in the Americas. Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. Brazil has more animal and plant species than any other country in the world and is at the top among the 18 megadiverse countries. It hosts between 15 and 20 percent of the world’s biological diversity. It contains about two-thirds of the Amazon Rainforest. The deadliest place on earth is Queimada Grande Island, also known as...

Brazil is the largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) nation in the world and the only one in the Americas. Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. Brazil has more animal and plant species than any other country in the world and is at the top among the 18 megadiverse countries. It hosts between 15 and 20 percent of the world’s biological diversity. It contains about two-thirds of the Amazon Rainforest. The deadliest place on earth is Queimada Grande Island, also known as...

Botswana was, in 2016, named by Lonely Planet, as the top destination for tourists. It is likely because about 40% of its land is reserved under government protection, as natural areas in the form of sanctuaries, reserves, wildlife management areas, and national parks. One special area is the Kalahari Desert, with a delta that supports many species of large mammals including rhinoceros, cheetahs, and lions. It is also famous for its large dazzle of zebras and meerkats. · 00:00 – Intro...

In 1984, Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted the Olympics, in the city of Sarajevo, making it the first ever Winter Olympic Games held in a socialist state and a Slavic language-speaking country. It was also the first Olympics to take place in the Balkans. The Sarajevo Sahat Tower is a historic timepiece which is said to be the only clock in the world that keeps lunar time. According to the World Tourism Organization, with over one million people visiting, the country has the third highest tourism...

Bolivia is a country with 36 indigenous people and 37 official languages. It has the world’s largest salt flat. Besides supplying salt, it contains several other minerals of use. It is so large that after it rains the standing water becomes the earth’s largest mirror making it ideal for calibrating the altimeters for earth’s satellites. Nearby you will find the Hotel de Salad, built entirely from salt blocks including the interior and the furniture. It is home to what was known as The Death...

Check out Nations of the World Podcast 1-Year Milestones. Learn the motivation behind producing Nations of the World Podcast. Also in this episode, listen to a personal experience on hosting a Ukrainian family from Mariupol. · 00:00 – Intro · 00:26 – Why Produce Nations of the World Podcast? · 04:39 – 1-Year Milestones · 05:07 – Upcoming Goals · 06:33 – Hosting a Ukrainian Family · 10:30 – Intro to Next Episode Find Nations of the World Podcast: Email...

Ukraine is known as the “Breadbasket of Europe” because of its extremely fertile soil, a black soil, called Chernozem. It has the deepest metro station in the world at 105.5 meters (346 feet). The largest airplane ever built was built here. It is a country responsible for many inventions and first successes such as hard disk drives, performing the first heart mitral valve surgery, the movable frame beehive, allowing beekeepers to extract honey without harming or killing bees, the first design...

Ukraine is known as the “Breadbasket of Europe” because of its extremely fertile soil, a black soil, called Chernozem. It has the deepest metro station in the world at 105.5 meters (346 feet). The largest airplane ever built was built here. It is a country responsible for many inventions and first successes such as hard disk drives, performing the first heart mitral valve surgery, the movable frame beehive, allowing beekeepers to extract honey without harming or killing bees, the first design...

Bhutan is a country that is very serious about the environment. In fact, it’s the first country to become carbon-negative, and one of 3 countries who can claim that title. Unlike most countries who measure their success via GDP, this country has a measure known as GNH - Gross National Happiness. This is based on 4 different indicators: sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, good governance, and a healthy environment. Even the nation’s constitution includes an...

Bermuda is group of limestone islands made from the protruding parts of a flat, extinct submarine volcano. It is a popular tourist destination known for its pink sand beaches, its abundance of golf courses, having more per square mile than any other country, and for the more than 300 shipwrecks just off its shores, which makes for intriguing underwater scuba diving adventures. It lies in the region of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, or Devil’s Triangle, where numerous airplanes and ships...

Benin is a country whose government’s aim is to educate future generations about its long history of human suffering via the slave trade. There are a couple of museums in place just for this purpose. Yet, due to great poverty in the country it is ironic that many parents in desperation, send their children to work as servants in the homes of the wealthy, both in their own country and in neighbouring countries. It is also the birthplace of Vodou, a practice which voodoo stems from. This is a...

Belize is an adventurer’s paradise. You can explore the wonders of the ocean in its barrier reef system, the second largest in the world. Here you will find the largest sinkhole in the world teeming with marine life. Almost half of the country is covered by rainforest with thousands of different animals and plants to see. It is home to hundreds of Mayan ruins which are accessible both via land and via water by entering underground caves. · 00:00 – Intro · 01:01 – Bare Bones · ...

Learn about a country which 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...

Learn about a country which 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...

This 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, where people here earn more than programmers in all the neighboring countries. Listen to learn which...