Facts About France:

Here are the top interesting facts about the country France, including the language, currency, flag and the world-famous Eiffel Tower, enjoy!

1. A person who can speak French fluently is known as a Francophone.
2. The entire country of France is divided into twenty-two different regions.
3. Denim clothing was originally developed in France in the city of Nimes.
4. It is estimated that 94% of French children know English as their second language.
5. The tradition of wearing a white dress for wedding days originated in France back in 1499.
6. April Fool’s Day was also originated in France after the nation started following the Gregorian Calendar but failed to communicate the change properly.
7. The Capital city of France is Paris.
8. Paris was originally named ‘Lutetia’.
9. It is estimated that there are between 200,000 and 1 million illegal immigrants in France.
10. There are over 130 television channels in France.
11. The Statue of Liberty in New York City, was a gift from the people of France to the US.
12. Mont-Blanc in the French Alps is the highest peak in Europe. It is nearly 4,810 metres high.
13. France produces over 400 varieties of cheese!
14. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel.
15. It is illegal to kiss on railways in France.
16. On 28th November 2002, the Eiffel Tower received its 200,000,000th guest!
17. The Official currency in France is the Euro.
18. Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood, were all written by a Frenchman named Charles Perrault.
19. France has an estimated population of 64.5 million.
20. It is against the law to take photos of police officers or police vehicles.
21. Grasse in France is known as the World’s Capital of Perfume.
22. The official name of France is The French Republic and its motto is ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’.
23. French is the official language of 24 countries in the world.
24. The French flag is blue, white and red. It is known as Le Drapeau Tricolore which translates to ‘The three-coloured flag’.
25. The French people call the English people les rosbifs, which translates to ‘The Roast Beefs’!
26. The Eiffel Tower is 324 metres high.

Proverbs:

He knows most who speaks last		The one who waits to listen to what others have to say before speaking has a better understanding of a situation
He that goes a-borrowing, goes a -sorrowing		Do not make borrowing a habit as you will suffer for it in the end
He that is master of himself, will soon be master of masters		Self-discipline will help you achieve greatness
He that knows nothing, doubts nothing		An ignorant person usually raises no questions because he is not aware that problems exist
He that plants thorns must never expect to gather roses		If you do evil, do not expect good to come to you
He who dares, wins		You can only win or succeed if you are willing to take risks
He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail		lack of preparation will cause you to lose or fail
He who hesitates is lost		You will lose opportunities if you are indecisive and not fast enough to grab them
He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know		It is an ironic situation when someone who should speak up does not while the person who should not, does
He who likes borrowing dislikes paying		People who tend to borrow often are usually slow in settling debts
He who lives too fast, goes to his grave too soon		If you do not allow yourself to rest once in a while when you lead a fast-paced life, you will suffer from stress, burnt out and illness
He who sleeps forgets his hunger		sleeping is a good way to forget you are hungry, especially when there is no food for you and you have no money to buy any
He who serves two masters must lie to one		You cannot effectively or fully serve two people as your attention, loyalty, commitment etc. will be split between the two
He who stands for nothing will fall for everything		A person with no principles or opinions of his own will tend to go along with anything anyone tells him, and can, therefore, be easily cheated
He who sups with the devil has need of a long spoon		If you keep company with or work for dangerous or evil people, you will need to be very careful
He who will steal an egg will steal an ox		A person who steals small things is likely to steal big things too
Health is better than wealth		It is better to be healthy than rich, as without a healthy body you can do nothing, and cannot enjoy your wealth
History repeats itself		People tend to repeat mistakes made by others over the generations, not learning from them

Honey catches more flies than vinegar		Use the right incentives to motivate people to do something
Hope for the best, expect the worst		Never lose hope, but be prepared with an alternative if things do not go as planned
Hope is life		To live is to always be hopeful
Hope is the last thing that we lose		People are by nature hopeful, and must always be so because when we lose hope, we lose the will to live
Hope springs eternal		Hope is something that never dies, and people should never lose hope
Hunger is the best spice		When you are really hungry, everything tastes good, and you eat up everything placed in front of you
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again		Never stop trying to succeed at something
If the shoe fits, wear it		If something said about you is true, you should accept it.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride		It is easy to wish for things, but wishes do not often come true
If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly		Cheap goods are usually not the best in terms of quality
If you buy quality, you only cry once		Items of good quality may be expensive, but they will last you a long time
If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen		If you cannot handle something, give it up
If you don't buy a ticket, you can't win the raffle		If you do not take the risk, you cannot expect success
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all		Avoid being negative
If you keep your mouth shut, you won't put your foot in it		Keep quiet, and you will say nothing wrong
If you want a thing done right, do it yourself		Do not rely on others to complete your work for you
If you were born to be shot, you'll never be hanged		You cannot escape your fate
If you're in a hole, stop digging		Do not create more trouble for yourself when you are already facing some

Amazing Facts About the Human Brain:

The brain is a complicated thing to understand, some scientists have spent their entire lives learning how the brain works.

1. The Brain has a joke center. Sometimes, patients with damaged frontal lobes are unable to ‘get’ jokes.
2. You can’t hear phone conversations in noisy rooms – The brain can’t distinguish background noise from the voice on the phone.
3. Yawning actually wakes you up – Yawning gets more air into the lungs, thus increasing oxygen to the brain.
4. We’re hardwired to remember annoying songs – ‘Sequence recall’ to learn daily routines also lets songs get stuck in our heads.
5. The brain uses less power than a refrigerator light – The brain uses 12 watts of power – 17% of the body’s energy.
6. Frequent jet lag can damage memory – Stress hormones released during jet lag can damage the temporal lobe and memory.
7. Altitude makes the brain see strange visions – Oxygen deprivation is likely to interfere with visual and emotional processing.
8. Shoot-’em-up computer games aid multitasking – Shooting multiple enemies spreads your attention and means you’re constantly reacting to events.
9. It is impossible to tickle yourself – The brain dulls expected sensations when we cause them ourselves.
10. Brain sunlight makes you sneeze – Crossed wires in the brain stem send signals from the eye via the nose.
11. The weight of the brain is about 1.36kg.
12. The brain is made up of roughly 75% water.
13. Your brain stops growing at age 18.
14. Your brain uses 20% of the total oxygen in your body.
15. Studies show that brain waves are more active while dreaming than when you are awake.
16. Excessive stress has shown to alter brain cells, brain structure, and brain function.
17. The brain can live for 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen, and then it begins to die. No oxygen for 5 to 10 minutes will result in permanent brain damage.
18. Reading aloud and talking often to a young child promotes brain development.
19. A newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year.
20. The human brain is the fattest organ in the body and may consist of at least 60% fat.

The Human Heart:

The heart is a truly amazing part of the human body. Without a working heart, we would stand no chance of living. The heart starts to beat before we are born, and will beat right up until our death.

1. The average heart beats 72 times a minute! This adds up to around 100,000 times a day, and 3,600,000 a year!
2. Every day the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles.
3. The heart starts to beat at around four weeks after conception and continues to do so until your death.
4. You’re more likely to have a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day of the week.
5. There’s a one in three chance that your first heart attack will be your last.
6. A babies heart contains the same number of cells as an adult heart but is only one-sixteenth the size!
7. A newborn has a much faster heartbeat, beating from 70 to 190 beats per minute.
8. A female's heart is smaller than male's by about 25%. Because of this, the female heart has to beat around six times more than a male heart to pump the correct amount of blood around the body.
9. The ‘thud-thud’ a heartbeat makes is the sound made by the four valves of the heart opening and closing.
10. The ancient Egyptians believed that the heart, along with other major organs, had wills of their own and could move around inside the body!

Facts About SpongeBob SquarePants

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants! If you love the show, check out these cool facts about your favorite sponge!

1. The creator of SpongeBob SquarePants is Steve Hillenburg.
2. SpongeBob’s original name was Sponge Boy but the name was already taken, so the creators went with SpongeBob.
3. He doesn’t have a middle name.
4. Patrick Star is SpongeBob’s best friend.
5. He owns a pet snail called Garry.
6. SpongeBob and Patrick enjoy going jelly fishing and blowing bubbles!
7. SpongeBob works at the KrustyKrab.
8. His job title is Fry cook.
9. SpongeBob is just an average sink sponge.
10. SpongeBob is yellow – just in case you didn’t know!
11. He is always cheerful.
12. His house is in-fact a pineapple.
13. He can never pass his driving test no matter how many times he tries!
14. He is ambidextrous.
15. He lives underwater.
16. SpongeBob owns a KrusyKrab play set with action figures and accessories.
17. He is afraid of the dark.
18. Even though SpongeBob lives in the sea, he can’t swim!
19. The creators of SpongeBob SquarePants tries to make you think of dolphins when SpongeBob laughs.
20. Nickelodeon television premiered SpongeBob SquarePants in 1999.
21. The creator of SpongeBob SquarePants was once a marine biologist and science teacher whom once worked as a fry cook at a seafood restaurant.
22. The reason Hillenburg put SpongeBob in a pineapple home is because he thought he’d like the smell; smell is a very important sense for sea animals and sea life.
23. SpongeBob has 27 holes.
24. There is SpongeBob SquarePants Lego!

SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Tune:

The SpongeBob SquarePants theme tune, this is how it goes:

Are you ready kids?

Aye aye captain!

I can’t hear you!

AYE AYE CAPTAIN!!!

Ohhhhhhh! Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

SpongeBob SquarePants!

Absorbent and yellow and porous is he!

SpongeBob SquarePants!

If nautical nonsense be something you wish!

SpongeBob SquarePants!

Then drop on a deck and flop like a fish!

SpongeBob SquarePants!

Ready?

SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob… SquarePants

Ahhha, ha, ha!

Fascinating Facts About Pineapples:

Who doesn’t love the taste of pineapples? They’re definitely one of the most unusual looking tropical fruits, but what facts do you know about them? Check out these top ten fascinating pineapple facts!

1. Originally, ‘pineapple‘ was a name used for pine cones, the first recorded mention of the word dates back to 1398.
2. When this tropical fruit was discovered in America, the Europeans named them pineapples because of the resemblance to what we now known as pine cones.
3. A pineapple is not an apple, or pine. It’s actually a berry!
4. In Spanish, pineapples are called piña – which you’ve probably heard of in reference to the piña colada drink.
5. In the wild, pineapple plants can live & fruit for up to 50 years.
6. You can actually grow pineapple plants by slicing off the top of a pineapple and planting it in soil.
7. The world’s largest pineapple ever recorded was in 2011, grown by Christine McCallum from Bakewell, Australia. It measured 32cm long, 66cm girth and weighed a whopping 8.28kg!
8. 75% of all pineapples sold in Europe are grown entirely in Costa Rica.
9. The Hawaiian word for pineapple is ‘halakahiki‘.
10. The Dole Plantation’s Pineapple Garden Maze in Hawaii has the record for the largest maze in the world, stretching over three acres!

Fruity Facts About Guavas:

The guava is still to me quite a foreign and intriguing fruit. The pink-fleshed jewel is supposedly the next “super-fruit” after packing quite the health-kick and as we all know this beauty has a delicious flavor. Here we’re going to look at 15 facts about this strange little fruit.

1. Guava is used, in some form or another, to treat an array of ailments including fever, constipation and diarrhea, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia and dysentery.
2. Guava wood is prized in the world of meat smoking.
3. Guavas contain 4 times more fiber than a pineapple and 4 times more vitamin C than an orange.
4. Guavas are known for their seedy flesh. In the center of a guava there are between 100-500 edible seeds.
5. Guavas grow on 20 foot high evergreen shrubs, with white flowers. The leaves of the shrub are a source of black pigment used in textiles.
6. The lifespan of a plant is 40 years.
7. The young guava leaves are boiled to make a tea to cleanse wounds.
8. The origin of the guava is unknown, but unofficially the claim is made by Central America or Southern Mexico.
9. There are around 150 varieties of guava not just the green oval shaped fruit we all picture.
10. In El Salvador, the wood of a guava shrub is used to make hair combs.
11. India has over 27,000 tons of the pink guava every year.
12. Columbia has an ancient recipe using guava, the fruit is made into a paste and combined with cheese and eaten with Columbian bread. The concoction sounds awful but it supposedly scrumptious.
13. Guavas do a take a while to grow so don’t think in a year they’ll be flourishing! An average guava can take between 2 and 8 years to grow fully.
14. At one point in Philippine mythology the guava was forbidden. This changed when a child prayed to the gods to make the inedible fruit delicious so he could feed a beggar.
15. The largest guava plantation is in Brazil’s Dom Eliseu municipality.

As you can see there are numerous facts about this beautiful little fruit, and the more you dig into the history and uses around the world the more wonders you reveal. One things for sure, whatever the case, the guava is going to be even more popular as time goes on and I’m sure as a result of this the price will soon enough sky rocket so be quick.

Cute Facts About Cats & Kittens:

They’re cute, furry and one of the most popular house pets in the Western world. They may be quiet and fond of their alone time, but there is much more to felines than meets the eye.

1. Americans really love their pet cats. There are approximately 14 million more house cats than dogs in the US.
2. Male cats are called toms and females are called queens or mollies.
3. The saying, ‘A cat always lands on its feet’ isn’t just an old myth. Some cats have fallen more than 320 metres onto concrete and come away unharmed.
4. There’s a reason why cats are likely to survive high falls – they have more time to prepare for the landing.
5. It’s not a flock, it’s not a herd – a group of cats together is known as a ‘clowder’.
6. According to statistics, cat owners are healthier than those without cats. The risk of heart attack is cut by a third among people who have a pet cat.
7. Just as a dog’s bark has several different meanings, a cat may purr because it is nervous, happy or feeling unwell.
8. It’s common knowledge that cats are fans of milk, but many of them are lactose intolerant. This means that they are actually allergic to milk.
9. Garfield, the lasagne-loving feline, was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most widely published cartoon.
10. Cats are thought to be pretty smart, and with a brain 90% similar to the human brain, it’s no surprise.
11. When Abraham Lincoln was US President, he had four pet cats which lived with him in the White House.
12. Felicette was the first feline to make a trip to space. She luckily survive the mission and was nicknamed ‘Astrocat’.
13. If you think of yourself as a ‘cat person’, you’re among 11.5% of people in the world.
14. If you’re a male with a pet cat, you’re more likely to find true love. This is due to the fact that people view cat owners are kind, trustworthy and sensitive.
15. The record for the largest number of kittens in the same litter was 19.
16. Over her lifetime, a cat called Dusty had a total of 420 kittens.
17. The oldest cat to give birth to kittens was called Kitty. She was 30 years old when she birthed her last kittens.
18. Bagpuss was a 1999 TV show which featured an old cloth cat. In 2001, it came fourth in a poll of the greatest kids’ TV shows.
19. While people dote over their cats in the West, around 4 million cats are killed and eaten over in Asia.
20. There are about 70 different cat breeds and a staggering 500 million pet cats in the world.
21. Ancient Egyptians worshipped a goddess who was half cat and half woman.
22. In Ancient Egypt, civilians would suffer a severe punishment if they hurt a cat.
23. Ever noticed your cat sleeping most of the time? On average, cats sleep for about 16 hours per day.
24. Kittens sleep even more often, since growth hormones are released when they are napping.
25. The front paws of a cat are different from the back paws. They have five toes on the front but only four on the back.
26. Some cats are known as ‘polydactyl’ and have extra toes. Some polydactyl have as many as eight toes per paw.
27. Unlike dogs, cats have no sense of what is sweet. No wonder they never seem happy with cakes!
28. Did you think the cat flap was an ultra-modern idea? Isaac Newton is credited with the invention of the cat flap – something which most cat owners now have.
29. Isaac Newton himself had a cat called Spithead, which influenced his invention. Spithead went on to have kittens, who all got their very own cat flap.
30. Many cat owners take their pets to the vet to be neutered, and by doing so, increase the life expectancy of their pets by 2-3 years.
31. Cats can see very well in the dark, which explains why they are always wandering around at night.
32. Adolf Hitler hated cats, so there’s another reason why you shouldn’t like him.
33. Taurine is an amino acid which can be found in cat food. Without this substance, your pet cat would eventually go blind.
34. House cats can run at a speed of 30 miles per hour.
35. The kidneys of a cat are quite amazing, since they can filter water before using it. This means that a cat can drink sea water and the salt will be filtered out.
36. Those cute furry bits inside a cat’s ear are called ‘ear furnishings’. They ensure that dirt doesn’t go inside and also helps them to hear well.
37. Cats have a great sense of hearing and can hear ultrasonic noises. They could potentially hear dolphins.
38. It’s not just humans who are right-handed or left-handed. Most female cats prefer using their right paw, while male are more likely to be ‘left-pawed’.
39. A ‘haw’ is the third eyelid of a cat, which can only be seen when the cat isn’t well.
40. They might have an extra eyelid, but they don’t have any eyelashes.
41. The original version of Cinderella in Italy featured a cat as the fairy godmother.
42. Dogs make 10 different sounds, while cats can make as many as 100 different noises.
43. Cats seem like such sweet creatures, but approximately 40,000 people suffer from cat bites every single year in America.
44. When you see a cat rubbing up against a human, it is being affectionate but also marking its territory to make other cats aware.
45. The cat family consists of many different animals, but the largest is the Siberian Tiger, which can be as large as 12 feet long.
46. The black-footed cat is the smallest wild cat, at just 20 inches long.
47. The wealthiest cat ever was Blackie, a multi-millionaire. It owned £15 million after its rich owner died.
48. London was the home of the first ever cat show. It took place in 1871 and started a trend which has continued ever since.
49. While cats like to catch mice and eat them, it’s not necessarily a good meal. They can contract tapeworm through eating these rodents.
50. Cats’ hearts beat at a rate of 110-140 beats per minutes – around twice as fast as the average human.

Facts About Elephants:

Most living creatures are amazing in their own different ways. But what most people don’t realise is, elephants are even more amazing when you discover some really awesome facts! You are about to make an exciting discovery about elephants which I’m sure will make you appreciate these amazing creatures much better.

1. If an Elephant dies, it’s family members take very good care of the bones.
2. On average, the ear sizes of an African elephant and an Asian elephant are very different. African elephant’s ears are three times larger than those of Asian elephants.
3. African elephants tend to use their long ears for reasons such as signalling others and protection.
4. The average adult elephant poops 80 pounds a day!
5. Both African and Asian elephants use their ears as an air conditioner.
6. During World War II, the very first bomb dropped on Berlin by the Allies, killed the only elephant in Berlin Zoo.
7. An elephant has been tried and hanged for murder back in 1916.
8. This large mammal can drink up to 80 gallons of water in one single day.
9. The smell of water is so familiar to them that they can recognise it from a distance of three miles!
10. Elephants are the only mammal that cannot jump.
11. Each elephant has completely unique ears.
12. They can swim for long distances.
13. They have a pulse rate of 27.
14. They have a poor hearing, despite having such large ears.
15. They are known to live for as long as 70 years.
16. An elephant will spend about 16 hours eating in a single day.
17. Elephants sleep very little. These mammals are known to sleep for about 5 hours in a night.
18. An elephant sleeps while standing.
19. Their trunk has no bones. Over 150,000 muscles and nerves provide the trunk’s flexibility.
20. An elephants skin is tough, and about 1 inch thick!
21. The elephant has enough control over their power to be able grasp and lift a raw egg with the trunk without breaking the shell.
22. Elephants use their finger-like projections at the end of their trunks to scratch itchy skin behind their ears, or to wipe dust away from their eyes.
23. An elephant’s trunk can also serve as a straw or a hose.
24. An elephant fills its trunk with up to 5 quarts of water and then empties it into its mouth in order to drink.
25. The elephant listens with its feet as well as its ears. When an elephant speaks, it creates a low-pitched rumbling sound that is nearly inaudible but sends vibrations through the earth.

Proverbs:

Every man has his price		If you offer someone enough money, he will be willing to do anything for you
Every man is his own worst enemy		A lot of people tend to hurt their own chance at success because of negative-mindedness, fear, ignorance, unresolved issues
Every man must carry his own cross		Everyone has to carry his burden or responsibilities in life
Every picture tells a story		Every situation has an explanation
Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die		Everyone wants to enjoy success, but few are willing to work hard or take the risks involved in achieving it
Example is better than precept		It is better to show by example than to advise, order or tell people to be upright
Experience is the mother of wisdom		You become wiser as you gain more experience in life
Facts are stubborn things		You cannot change the facts of a case
Failure teaches success		People can learn from their failures and mistakes
Faith will move mountains		Miracles will happen when you believe that they will
Familiarity breeds contempt		People tend to lose respect for people they are close to or in close company with all the time
Fear is stronger than love		Fear is often a stronger emotion or motivation than even love
Fear of death is worse than death itself		Fear is often a crippling emotion because it is so powerful
Fine feathers make fine birds		You can pretend to be rich, famous etc. by dressing the part
Fine words butter no parsnips		Just talking about something is not going to get the job done
First deserve, then desire		Before you begin to hope about possessing something, make sure you are qualified for it
First things first		Do the more urgent and important things first
First think, and then speak		Think about what you are going to say before you speak

Flattery brings friends, truth enemies		People like to hear good things said about them although they may not be the truth
Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me		You should be alert to people trying to get the better of you
Fretting cares make grey hairs		Worrying is a negative activity that can age you prematurely
Garbage in, garbage out		If the information or input you provide is wrong, the end result will also be below par or flawed
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime		It is better to teach people how to be independent by teaching them how to do things for themselves than to do everything for them
Give and take is fair play		You should be willing to give in partly to others if you want them to give in partly to you
Give credit where credit is due		Appreciate someone for the good work he ahs done
Give him an inch and he'll want a yard		Some people always take advantage of favor that is shown them
Good fences make good neighbors		Respect people's privacy and their territory
Good wine needs no bush		Products of good quality do not need a lot of advertising, as their quality alone shows their worth
Goodness is better than beauty		Inner beauty is more valuable than outer beauty
Grasp all, lose all		If you are too greedy and try to grab everything you see, you might lose that and everything you have too
Green leaves and brown leaves fall from the same tree		Everyone has a common beginning, and therefore, no one is above another
Happy wife, happy life		If you have a happy or good life partner, you will be happy and contented
Hard words break no bones		Ignore insults as they cannot physically harm you, and will only harm you emotionally if you let them
Haste makes waste		Things that are done in a hurry are usually done sloppily, and may contain careless mistakes
He is rich who owes nothing		A person who owes no one a debt is free of worry, and therefore, rich, in a sense
He is the best general who makes the fewest mistakes		A good leader rarely makes mistakes