SINGAPORE

1. Bridging the age gapSingapores oldest bridge in use is so old the signs in front of it forbid cattle and horses from crossing. Constructed in 1869, Cavenagh Bridge has switched from bearing cargo and coolies to allowing people to cross safely to and from the concert halls, museums and offices on the banks of the river.2. Secret gardensThe first botanical gardens were at Fort Canning Hill. They were opened in 1822, closed in 1829, reopened in 1836 and finally abandoned in 1846.3. The name "Singapore" is derived from Sanskrit. What is the meaning?LION CITY. Malay legend has it that a Sumatran prince saw a lion when visiting the island where Singapore now stands. He took this as a good omen and decided to build a city. 4. What language is the medium of instruction in Singaporean schools? English. Virtually everyone in Singapore is at least bilingual, and many people speak three or four languages. Although around 70% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent, there is no dominant mother tongue in Singapore. An amazing seven languages are spoken as a mother tongue by more than five per cent of the population.5. What nickname has the city unofficially been referred to as since the 1980s? The 'fine' city. Many different kinds of behavior are frowned upon in Singapore. The strategy the government has used is to impose fines on offenders. Singapore is clean and almost crime free. There are fines on thousands of offences, such as smoking in a public place, jaywalking, not flushing a public toilet, littering, eating on public transport and even possessing chewing gum. Singapore truly is a fine city!

AFGHANISTAN

1. Afghanistan's national game is called Buzkashi, or in other words, goat-grabbing. It's a sport where the players in two teams try to catch a goat while riding on a horse. It has been played for centuries and it even got sponsors for it nowadays.2. The country is rich in the vibrant blue stone, lapis lazuli, which was used to decorate the tomb of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun.3. The Minaret of Jam, in the Hari River valley, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.4. The Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as the Blue Mosque, is a mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif,Afghanistan. It is one of the reputed burial places of Hazrat Ali, cousin and son-in law of Muhammad.5. The New Year in Afghanistan, called Nawroz, is celebrated on 21 March which is the first day of spring.

BAHRAIN

1. Which of the following choices best describes what the word Bahrain means in Arabic? Two seas. The 'two seas' referenced by the name Bahrain may be the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Bahrain. The land area of Bahrain is approximately four times that of the District of Columbia in the United States.2. What important city in the nation of Bahrain has a name meaning 'Place of the Ashes' in Arabic and was capital of the country until 1923?Al Muharraq. The oldest sports club in the Persian Gulf region, Muharraq Club, is located in Al Muharraq. The city of Umm Al Hassam contains a rather large Jewish population and its name means 'Mother of Sea Shells' in Arabic. The city of Sitrah is Bahrain's chief petroleum production locale.3. Excessive Speeding Is RampantBahraini drivers routinely drive at excessive speeds, 50-100 km/h above the posted limit. The posted speed limits often seem lower than necessary. Penalties for speeding are light, and at the discretion of the the officer who makes a stop.4. Various and Sundry FactsPrices are generally very low in Bahrain. There is no sales tax. There is no income tax. One can purchase a designer haircut for the approximate price of $2.00. Pringle potato chips come in ketchup flavor. Club soda comes in Coca Cola vending machines, and fresh squeezed juice is available in all cafes.5. What multiple dike-bridge combination connects the nation of Bahrain with Saudi Arabia to the west? King Fahd Causeway. Construction on the King Fahd Causeway began in 1982, and it was officially opened on November 25, 1986. The total cost of the project was about 1.2 billion United States dollars.

JAPAN

1. Japan has the highest density of robots in the world.There are approximately 800,000 industrial robots in operation around the world, and fully half of them in Japan. That's about 1 robot for every 310 people in Japan.2. The longest river in Japan is the Shinano. Beginning in Nagano (the Japanese Alps) it flows north and east 367 kilometers and enters the Japan Sea at the city of Niigata.3. The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji.Standing at 3,776 metres or 12,388 feet, it is probably the most easily recognized image of Japan, Fuji-san is climbed by about 300,000 visitors each year. An active volcano, its last eruption was in 1770. Japan is home to almost 10% of the world's 840 active volcanoes.4. The largest Yakuza (Crime Syndicate) gang in Japan is the Yamaguchi-Gumi.With more than 36,000 members, thats 43% of all Yakuza in Japan. The police can have such good information about the Yakuza, because until recently the Yakuza operated quite openly, with offices, newsletters, etc. However a new law has caused many yakuza to relinquish "membership" in a gang, so the official numbers are far smaller than the real numbers.5. Japan is the World's biggest consumer of fish.Japan took more fish out of the sea (almost 10 million tons) than any other country. However, they remain the biggest consumers of sea food, consuming fully one third of all seafood consumed in the world, importing 25% of the total world catch. INDIA

1. India is the largest democracy in the world, the7th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. 2. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. 3. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

4. Many Indian wives will never say their husbands name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as ji or look here or hello, or even refer to him as the father of her child5. Dancing is one of Indias most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.

INDONESIA

1. It is the 4th most populous country in the world and the 16th largest. Its largest islands are Sumatra, Celebes, Java, Halmahera and Ceram. Sumatra is the 6th largest island in the world.2. Rice is the staple food of Indonesia. Other key ingredients in Indonesian cuisine are chili, fish, chicken and coconut milk. This cuisine is highly influenced by Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian cuisine. Traces of European cuisine are also significant.3. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the largest economy. The official language is Indonesian.4. Globally, Indonesia is the biggest Islamic country. However, the province of Bali almost entirely comprises Hindus.5. Indonesia is home to the second highest level of biodiversity globally. It thus comes as no surprise that forests cover almost 60% of the nation.

LAOS

1. It is the only country in Southeast Asia which is landlocked, And because of being landlocked, Laos does not have a navy.2. The people of Laos are known around the world for their honesty and simplicity; mainly the followers of Buddhism, these people have discovered joy in minimalism.3. The Khone Papeng waterfall situated in Laos is the largest waterfall in whole of Southeast Asia.4. The Mekong River is also known as Mae Nam Khong, which translates to mother of all rivers.5. One of the few mystical creatures which reside in the wilds of Laos is one of worlds longest venomous snakes, King Cobra, which measures fourteen foot in length. Along with it, Irrawaddy Dolphins also are found in abundance here.

MALAYSIA

1. THE village of Wang Kelian in Perlis is the only place in the world where large-scale cave tin-mining was conducted.2. THE largest cave chamber in the world is the Sarawak Chamber in Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, which can easily accommodate a Boeing 747-200.3. THE largest cave chamber in the world is the Sarawak Chamber in Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, which can easily accommodate a Boeing 747-200.4. LEMBAH Bujang in the foothills of Gunung Jerai is believed to be the location of an old Malay Langkasuka empire, holding ruins that may date back 1,500 years.5. "TUN" is the most senior federal title and there can be no more than 25 living recipients at any one time.

MONGOLIA

1. Mongolia has the oldest National Park in the world. Lying just South of Ulan Bator the Bogd Khan National Park dates its origin to 17782. Genghis Khan could not read or write, but he commissioned the first Mongolian writing system - the Mongolian script.3. A 131-foot statue of Genghis Khan sits on the steppe about an hours drive from Ulan Bator. He sits on the world's tallest statue of a horse4. Some people drive ten-thousand miles in a car to get to Mongolia - it's called the Mongol Rally. The rally finishes at a pub with a chilled beer waiting5. Chinggis Khaan (better known in the West as Genghis Khan) is perhaps the most famous Mongol of all time and a very important figure to modern Mongolians. His real name was Temujin, but what does Chinggis Khaan mean?

MYANMAR

1. The Irrawaddy River in Myanmar is believed to be a symbol of Continuity.2. Very small children wear holy thread around their neck or wrist for protection from bad spirits or spells.3. Babies names aren't chosen until 7 days after the birth.4. Mohinga, rice noodles in fish soup, is widely considered to be Burma's national dish.

5. Thanakha (botanical term is Limonia Acidissma Linn) is a favorite cosmetic of Myanmar which comes in the form of yellow paste applied to the face from the bark of the Thanakha tree. It is effective sun protection by applying thickly and applying lightly can become tighter the skin and prevent getting oily. Thanakha and mortar stone, with a shallow trough along its rim are the necessary part for Myanmar Feminine society. For Thanakha means not only a cosmetic for beautifying the face. It is also a cleansing agent possibly without compare for uniqueness. It is a blessing in tropical heat. It removes body odors. Because of such attributes, Myanmar men and women use Thanakha.

ISRAEL

1. Israel is the 100th smallest country in the world, smaller than Wales! At 8.7 miles, the beachfront at Tel Aviv is only as long as the country is wide at its narrowest point. 2. Tel Aviv is known as the city that never sleeps: 100,000 people the equivalent of a quarter of the citys population are employed in Tel Avivs bustling nightlife sector.3. Israel has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, ranging from the stone walls around the millennia-old city of Jerusalem to the White City of Tel Aviv.4. Both the Intel Pentium chip and USB memory card were developed in Israel. 5. The Israeli Army is considered one of the world's most professional, elite and effective fighting forces. Its Air force, Special Forces, intelligence and engineering units have pioneered and executed innovative campaigns that are studied by military tacticians all over the world.

EGYPT

1. The shape of ancient Egyptian pyramids is thought to have been inspired by the spreading rays of the sun.2. An Egyptian father named his newborn daughter Facebook to commemorate the role Facebook played in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Her full name is Facebook Jamal Ibrahim3. The famous Great Pyramid at Giza was built as a burial place for King Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.) and took more than 20 years to build. It is built from over two million blocks of limestone, each one weighing as much as two and a half elephants. It stands about 460 feet (149 m) hightaller than the Statue of Liberty. The base of the Great Pyramid takes up almost as much space as five football fields.4. In Egypt, both men and women wore eye make-up called kohl, which was made from ground-up raw material mixed with oil. They believed it had magical healing powers that could restore poor eyesight and fight eye infections5. Egypts Nile River is the worlds longest, running 4,135 miles (6,670 km). Ancient Egyptians would measure the depth of the Nile using a nilometer. The English word Nile is derived from the Semitic nahal, meaning river. Ancient Egyptians called the river iteru, meaning great river.

BANGLADESH

1. Bangladesh is sometimes called the playground of seasons because it has six not four separate seasons, which it calls grismo (summer), barsha (rainy), sharat (autumn), hemanto (cool), sheet (winter), and bashonto (spring).2. Bangladesh is home to the worlds largest river delta and the worlds largest mangrove.3. Bangladesh follows the system a parliamentary democracy, with the elections being held every five years4. The name Bangladesh means the Country of Bengalis5. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries of the world and has a high rate of poverty and corruption.

PAKISTAN

1. Pakistan is the only Muslim Nuclear Country in World.2. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an elevation of 4,693 meters (15,397 ft).3. Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Pakistan is the largest earth filled dam in the world and is second largest by the structural volume.4. Pakistan is notable for having one of the best trained airforce pilots in the world.Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam downed five Indian aircraft in less than a minute the first four within 30 seconds establishing a world record.5. Pakistan has the world's largest Irrigation System.

PHILIPPINES

1. . Cagayan River in Luzon is the longest river, snaking for 353 kilometers (221 miles) across the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Cagayan before finally flowing into the South China Sea in Aparri in Cagayan. 2. After Happy Birthday, the song most sung in the Philippines is Lupang Hinirang, the national anthem.3. The world's largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14 pounds and measures 9 1/2 inches long and 5 1/2 inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$42 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.4. The world's second deepest spot underwater is in the Philippines. This spot, about 34,440 feet (10,497 meters) below the sea level, is known as the Philippine Deep or the Mindanao Trench. The Philippine Deep is in the floor of the Philippine Sea. The German ship Emden first plumbed the trench in 1927. The world's deepest part of the ocean is the Marianas Trench, which is over 11,000 meters below the seal level. 5. The Philippines is home to some of the world's most exotic birds. One of the most endangered species is the exotic Kalangay or the Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), which belongs to Psittacidae or the family of parrots. Some cockatoos can live up to 50 years. They are known for mimicking human voices. Most of them measure 33 centimeters in length and weigh 0.29 kilogram