Doubles up as more of a history fact than a geography fact but...
Portugal is the only European colonial power to move its capital outside of Europe; during a time of anarchy and Napoleonic revolution, the Royal Court and therefore the capital of Portugal was moved to and located in Rio de Janeiro from 1808 until 1821.
It's an extremely rare case of a colony ruling the empire instead of the other way around.
Chile is the only country where you can set off from the east cost on a bearing due east and - without changing your bearing - make first landfall on the west coast (and vice versa).
And you can do it from two different places.
And yes, there many, many, many several countries where you can set off due east or west and land in the same country (the UK being one), but we don't consider west-facing and east-facing shores as coasts unless they are also coasts.
Because of its closer location to the equator, Mt Chimborazo (20,564ft / 6,263m) is closer to the moon than Mt Everest (29,031ft / 8,848m) and is in fact the closest point on earth to the moon.
Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt.
Point Nemo in the South Pacific is the oceanic pole of inaccessability; it is so remote that the closest human beings to it are astronaunts on the ISS when it passes overhead.
Aldi, for those who don't know, is a German supermarket that was originally one company. The two brothers split over the selling of cigarettes in the 1960s and since then there have been two independent chains: Aldi (Nord) in North Germany and Aldi (Süd) in South Germany. Aldi Süd retains some local branding such as Hofer in Austria and Trader Joe's in the US.
Aldi Süd reaches further North than Aldi Nord as well as further east and west.
Within Germany, there's a phenomenon known as the Aldi Equator (der Aldi-Äquator).
Even more interesting (to me, at least) is that Carrefour, a French chain that rivals Walmart, I’ve only even encountered in France… and China.
Also, up until a few years ago, the Asian supermarket Lotus’s (I hate that second s) was partnered with Tesco from the UK. That was until Tesco pulled out and Lotus’s (ugh) went solo. It’s still called Tesco by everyone I know.
Edit: @Liquid, that’s about 10 years before I knew it then. I was class of ‘99 so I must have been 15. (August birthday, youngest in the year)
Never knew where they came from until I saw the post about the German companies, but it turns out that Aldi grocers here in the US (locations in 40 states) are operated by Aldi Sud. It's a "discount" grocery, smaller than the big chain store supermarkets and usually cheaper. Products are on the shelf in their shipping boxes, they don't provide grocery bags (you bring your own,) and to use a cart you have to put a coin in the slot to release it, which you get back when you return the cart, which keeps carts from scattering across the parking lot and having to be retrieved.
to use a cart you have to put a coin in the slot to release it, which you get back when you return the cart, which keeps carts from scattering across the parking lot and having to be retrieved.
I really wish Aldi was a thing in Canada. The Australian Aldi has house brand versions of popular Australian stuff at a fraction of the price and equal or better quality in most cases.
Other Aldi news, they bought out Winn-Dixie, a large southern grocery chain (mostly Florida, but also Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana,) and are converting many Winn-Dixie stores to Aldi stores. Winn-Dixies that are fairly close to an existing Aldi get to remain Winn-Dixie.
Other Aldi news, they bought out Winn-Dixie, a large southern grocery chain (mostly Florida, but also Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana,) and are converting many Winn-Dixie stores to Aldi stores. Winn-Dixies that are fairly close to an existing Aldi get to remain Winn-Dixie.
This is old news. So old, in fact, that Aldi started selling back Winn Dixie stores to Southeastern Grocers investor group after they reorganized post-sale.
Miklos Horthy was an Admiral in the Austro-Hungarian navy when that nation did have access to the sea before the end of WW1. He was Hungary's de facto leader after WW1 until the latter stages of WW2.
Miklos Horthy was an Admiral in the Austro-Hungarian navy when that nation did have access to the sea before the end of WW1. He was Hungary's de facto leader after WW1 until the latter stages of WW2.
