The Geography Student

Image by  skeeze  from  Pixabay   Happy Madagascar Independence Day! Madagascar gained independence from France in 1960 and commemorates its liberation on the 26th of June. Though often associated with the movie Madagascar, it isn't just Lemurs who like to "move it." As usual, I have found ten facts about the culture of the island that I thought were fascinating.  1. It's astrologers who decide on the wedding day, or the stars I should say, for those of the Betsileos tribe. Madagascar has many unique customs when it comes to marriage, such as the Bara tribe's sacrifice of a cow to signify the marriage bond, and the Betsileos conducting of a lengthy analysis of their partner's family history before deciding on an engagement.  Image by  aga2rk  from  Pixabay   2. Quite admirably, despite the impact of colonization, globalization, and tourism, some Malagasy continue to wear traditional clothing, or a mix of western t-shirts and Malagasy wra...

Image by  David Peterson  from  Pixabay   Happy East Timor Independence Restoration Day! I know very little about this fascinating country, so I have been doing some and have picked out ten fun facts I thought I'd share. According to legend, the island was once a starving crocodile, rescued by a boy after being stranded on a beach. To return the favor, the crocodile allowed the boy to explore the world on his back. Eventually the crocodile died, transmuting into an island where the boy could live with his family. During extreme droughts some Timorese resort to eating the powder of palm trees. This is known as akar and is extricated by beating the bark of a palm tree. The most famous writer in Timor Leste is, in fact, the fifth prime minister. Talk about your talents taking you far! Unfortunately, I'm not sure this blog is going to be as successful :(. Xanana Gusmão's books detail the fight for independence as well as Timorese culture (well at least we've go...

Image by  Ansgar Scheffold  from  Pixabay The 27th April is the Netherlands' king's birthday, the national day of the Netherlands. To celebrate this day, I've found ten fascinating facts about the Netherlands.  1. The Netherlands is the 6th happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. I'm sure all teens will agree with me when I say teenage years are far from easy, but Dutch adolescents are ranked among the least stressed in the world. This is even more surprising when compared to other developed countries in Europe, where depression and suicide rates are increasing. So why are the Dutch so happy? According to de Roos, from the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), it is as simple as maintaining positive surroundings, in school, home, and with people. Also, Dutch children are more likely to eat breakfast, less likely to be overweight and less likely to have had underage sex. Children have more freedom and independence ...