27 most interesting facts about countries.

Interesting facts about countries.
The United States is the country with the highest percentage of people in prison. About a quarter of the world's prisoners are incarcerated here. Russia is in second place and Thailand is in third place.
The country with the largest number of obese people is the island nation of Nauru, here about 95 percent of the population suffers from overweight to some degree.
The country with the largest number of time zones is France, taking into account all its overseas territories. 12 time zones is a record. In the USA there are 10 time zones, in Russia - 7.
In the country of Guam, coral is used in the production of road pavement.
Canada has about 60 percent of the world's lakes. There are more than three million of them and they occupy 9 percent of the Canadian territory.
Libya is the world's driest country, 99 percent of its territory is desert.
The first place in the world in oxygen production belongs to Russia, thanks to its Siberian forests.
And the least forested country is Haiti. Almost all the trees there have been cut down.
The most fragmented country in the world is Somalia. There are half a dozen unrecognized states on its territory.
The most educated country in the world, judging by the percentage of people with higher education to the total population - Canada.
The largest city-state in the world is Singapore.
And the smallest is Vatican City (see interesting facts about Vatican City).
The most languages in the world in use in Papua New Guinea, here in use more than 820 languages, that is, more than 12 percent of all languages in the world.
Colombia ranks first in the world in terms of happiness and satisfaction, despite being a very poor country.
The cleanest country in the world is Iceland.
Also, Iceland is the most peaceful country in several ways.
It is also the friendliest. You only have to visit it once to be convinced of that
And the most unfriendly country to foreigners, according to the results of a survey of tourists - Bolivia. The second and third places in this rating are occupied by Venezuela and Russia.
The richest country is Qatar.
The lowest population density in the world - in Mongolia, there are only four people per one and a half square kilometers.
The country with the largest number of young population in the world is the African state of Niger, almost half of the local population is under sixteen years old.
Andorra is the only country in the world where sending mail is free.
Monaco has more national orchestra than army (see facts about Monaco).
And Costa Rica has no regular army at all.
The world's poorest country is the African nation of Togo.
And the poorest country in Europe is Ukraine.
The most densely populated country in the world is Monaco, with a population density of over 16,000 people per square kilometer.

110 interesting facts in geography.

1. It is still not clear why Lake Hillier in Western Australia is pink in color.
2. To protect against evil spirits, the people of the Akha tribe living in northern Laos, nail to the posts of the gate wooden models of Kalashnikov rifles and hand grenades. People are sure that no evil spirits will dare to pass through such gates.

3. The driest place on earth is the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, where there has been no precipitation for two million years.

4. The largest number of languages spoken by the population of Africa - the number of African languages exceeds two thousand. The rarest of them is the Bikya language. In 1998, only one 87-year-old woman from a village on the border between Cameroon and Nigeria spoke this language.

5. Holland is a province within the Netherlands that was the political and economic core of the state in the 16th and 18th centuries. Since then, the history of this province has become so fused with that of the whole country that the Netherlands has come to be called Holland.

6. At the geographical poles (North and South) time can be chosen at will as all meridians converge to one point, and therefore the concept of geographical longitude loses its meaning. Since calculation of time of day at any place on the Earth is connected with geographical longitude of this place, uncertainty of longitude at geographical poles leads to uncertainty of time of day at them.

7. Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located on two continents.

8. The oldest city in the world is Damascus, the capital of Syria. It flourished for several thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC.

9. The largest building in the world is the skyscraper Burj Dubai (“Tower of Dubai”). Its height is 828 meters (164 floors).

10. Costa Rica does not have a regular army.

11. Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.

12. Smallest states: Vatican City - approximately 0.44 square kilometers. Population 770; Monaco - approximately 1.9 square kilometers. Population of 32,000; Nauru - approximately 21 sq. km. Population of 13,000; Tuvalu - approximately 25 sq. km. Population - 12,000; San Marino - approximately 61 sq. km. Population of 29,000.

13. Streets in Japan do not have names.

14. Persia changed its name to Iran in 1935.

15. Austria was the first country to use postcards.

16. 10 percent of the Russian government's revenue comes from the sale of vodka.

17. Japan is 80 percent mountainous.

18. All 14 mountains that are higher than 8000 meters are in Asia.

19. The highest mountain in the world with a foot on the ocean floor is Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Its height is 10203 meters, but only 4205 meters are above sea level.

20. In Korea, it is considered inappropriate to keep your hands behind your back or in your pockets.

21. In Brazil, pulling down the lower eyelid of the right eye means that the listener doubts what you are saying.

22. The full name of Los Angeles is “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciúncula” and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of the original size: “LA”.

23. In 1980, there was only one country in the world without telephones - Bhutan.

24. The character Donald Duck was banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

25. In Saudi Arabia, a woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee.

26. 7% of Americans don't know the first 9 words of the American anthem, but know the first 7 of the Canadian anthem.

27. 5% of Canadians don't know the first 7 words of the Canadian anthem, but know the first 9 of the American anthem.

28. A West African Matami tribe plays soccer with a human skull.
29. The state of Papua New Guinea includes the islands of New Britain and New Ireland.
30. The Vermont state capital of Montpelier is the only state capital in the United States without a single McDonald's.

31. Montpelier, Vermont, is the smallest state capital in the United States. Its population is only about nine thousand residents.
32. Several buildings in Manhattan have their own zip code. And the World Trade Center even has several of them.
33. The cleanest sea on Earth is considered to be the Weddell Sea in Antarctica.

34. The farthest point from all the oceans on Earth is in China.

35. France, Italy and Chile have officially recognized the existence of UFOs.

36. The longest border between neighboring countries -8963 km, between the United States and Canada.
37. Unlike most African countries, Ethiopia has never been a European colony.
38. Lebanon is the only state in the Middle East that has no deserts on its territory.
39. On the edge of the Sahara, locals build their homes underground. Here they find fresh water and a safe haven from sandstorms.

40. There are only two countries in South America that do not have access to the ocean: Bolivia and Paraguay.

41. Amsterdam and Antwerp have 26 islands each, St. Petersburg has 101, and Venice has 118.
42. In the town of Calama, located in Chile's Atacama Desert, it never rains.
43. The widest street in the world is located in Brasilia (street “Monumental Axis”, width - 250 meters).
44. The inhabitants of the island of Lesbos are called lesbosians and lesbosians.

45. The Red Sea is the warmest sea on Earth.

46. Indonesia is located on 17,508 islands.

47. Saudi Arabia does not have a single river.
48. The Ob River has about 150,000 tributaries.
49. The national anthem of Greece has 158 versions. No one in Greece knows all 158 versions of their country's anthem.
50. In Malaysia, they believe that bathing a child in beer can protect him from all sorts of troubles and diseases.

51. Countries that have no constitution at all are Israel, Lebanon, New Zealand, Oman, and the United Kingdom.
52. The highest extinct volcano on Earth is Aconcagua, located in Argentina. Its height is 6960 meters.
53. Several buildings in Manhattan have their own postal code. And the World Trade Center even has several of them.
54. There is only one river in the world that originates at the equator and flows to the temperate zone - the Nile. For some obscure reason, the other rivers flow in the opposite direction.

55. The continent with the greatest number of borders is Africa-108.

56. In Thailand, it is still considered indecent to use a fork when eating. The fork is only used to transfer food from the plate to the spoon.
57. The North Pole is the only point in the northern hemisphere that does not participate in the daily rotation of the Earth around its axis. There is no change of day and night, no longitude, no east, west, or north direction.

58. 23 of the 50 U.S. states have access to the ocean.

59. On February 18, 1979, it snowed in the Sahara Desert.

60. There are 17 active volcanoes in Japan.

61. The first capital of the Russian state was Ladoga.

62. Cuba is the only Caribbean island that has railroads.

63. Nauru is the only state in the world without an official capital.

64. The world's largest ports: Rotterdam, Singapore, Kobe, New York, New Orleans.

65. The last eruption of the Japanese volcano Fujiyama occurred in 1707.

66. There are 336 rivers flowing into Lake Baikal, but only one (Angara) flows out.

67. Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) is considered the coldest capital in the world.

68. There was not a single telephone in Bhutan until almost the late 1980s.

69. Of the 25 highest peaks in the world, 19 are in the Himalayas.

70. Less than 1 percent of the Caribbean islands are inhabited.

71. There are as many as 3 cities in the U.S. Peru and 9 more Paris.

72. The Ganges has the largest delta of any river.

73. Japan includes more than 3,900 islands.

74. In the state of Togo, a man who compliments a woman is obliged to marry her.

75. In the central square of the Canadian town of Glandon towers its official symbol - dumpling height of 9 meters and weighing 2700 kg.

76. The eruption of the Mexican volcano Paricutin lasted 9 years (from 1943 to 1952). During this time the cone of the volcano rose to 2774 meters.

77. There are 5 nations in Europe that border only one other nation - Portugal, Denmark, San Marino, Vatican City, and Monaco.

78. The 7 largest countries in the world (Russia, Canada, USA, China, Australia, Brazil and Argentina) occupy half of the planet's landmass.

79. The richest monarch of modern times is the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Muda Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah (his palace has 1778 rooms).

80. The Philippines archipelago includes 7,107 islands.

81. The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses exactly 3901 bridges.

82. The Kingdom of Tonga is the only monarchy in Oceania.

83. The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper, and the fibers were used to weave the first American flag.
84. Numbering of houses was first adopted in London in the 18th century, before that the address was determined by the name of the owner.

85. In 1991, a monument to the axe was erected on a concrete pedestal in Canada. The weight of the monument was 7 tons.
86. Italy concentrates 60% of all cultural values of Western Europe. Any Italian city is an open-air museum.
87. In the city of Tegazi (Sahara) there are houses with walls made of rock salt. This is one of the driest places on Earth.
88. In Finland, Italy, Germany, England, France, Germany, England, and Spain, the number of cell phones exceeds the number of regular phones.
89. Visitors to the museum in Wuppertail are given identical postcards and asked to send from their city. They make up the exhibit.

90. In the town of Tombstone, men and women over the age of 18 are forbidden to smile if they are missing more than 1 front tooth.

91. The Ecuadorian Postal Service stamps envelopes with the following: Pyramid, located at the equator and dividing the world in half.

92. In England, 12 million end-of-life cell phones and 2 million televisions are thrown into landfills each year.
93. Singapore can be traveled from end to end by subway. The territory of this country stretches from north to south for 23 km, from west to east for 42 km. The total length of metro lines is 67 km. The local subway is the most modern in the world.
94. During the construction of the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, there was such a demand for Romanian marble that even tombstones throughout the country were made of other materials.

95. The most multinational and multilingual state of India - more than 500 nationalities and tribes speak more than 800 languages and 1600 dialects.

96. The largest island nation is Indonesia.

97. 450 kilometers north of the capital of Namibia lies Hoba, the largest meteorite on Earth. Its weight is about 50 tons.

98. There are more Barbie dolls in Italy than Canadians in Canada.

99. There are no clocks in Las Vegas casinos.

100. The only country with no births recorded for 1983 is the Vatican.

101. If all the steel cables of Akashi-Kaikyo, the largest suspension bridge in the world, were stretched out, they could girdle the Earth seven times.

102. The windiest place is Victoria Land in Antarctica. Wind speed here reaches up to 215 kilometers per hour.

103. Andorra is the only country in the world with free postage.

104. Scrolling a finger at the temple in Argentina and Peru means “I think”. In other countries, the same gesture means “crazy”.

105. In Japan, it is considered very indecent to kiss in front of witnesses.

106. The equator runs through 13 countries around the world.

107. In Iceland, tipping is considered an insult.

108. The world's oldest constitution still in force today is the U.S. Bill of Rights, adopted in 1789.

109. The world's largest fruit - the fruit of the Seychelles coco-de-mer palm weighs about 20 kilograms.

110. In Paraguay, registered blood donors can legally participate in duels.

50 Country Facts

1. Russia is the largest country in the world by area. It occupies more than one-eighth of the landmass and covers 11 time zones.

2. China is the most populated country in the world. The population of China is more than 1.4 billion, which is about 18% of the total population of the earth.

3. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world in both population and area. It occupies only 44 hectares and has about 800 inhabitants.

4. Bhutan, a small country in the Himalayas, does not measure GDP but national happiness. It is the only country in the world that does so.

5. Antarctica is the only continent without its own population. This continent, made up almost entirely of ice, is home to many countries' research stations.

6. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world that “forgot” 80 of its soldiers during the war and brought back 81 because they picked up an Italian “friend”.

7. Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world. For every square kilometer there are more than 18 thousand people living here.

8. Canada has the largest coastline of any country in the world, covering more than 202 thousand kilometers.

9. Australia is the only country that occupies the entire continent. It is also known for its unique fauna including kangaroos, koalas and marsupial devils.

10. Brazil is home to the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world, which is home to about 3 million species of animals and plants.

11. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world with a population density of about 2 people per square kilometer.

12. In Greenland, which is an autonomous country within Denmark, glaciers and ice fields cover about 80% of the area.

13. Bangladesh has the highest population density of countries that are not city-states. It is home to more than 160 million people.

14. Sudan is home to more pyramids than Egypt. Most of them were built for the kings of Kush who ruled the region in the 8th-4th centuries BC.

15. Japan is known for its cherry trees, which bloom each year in the spring during an event known as Hanami.

16. Finland is known as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes” because it has over 187,888 lakes - more than any other country in the world.

17. Belgium is known for its chocolate and produces over 220,000 tons per year.

18. Nepal is the only country with a non-four-cornered flag. Its two rectangles represent the Himalayan Mountains and the country's two main religions: Buddhism and Hinduism.

19. India is the second most populous country in the world. The Indian film industry, known as Bollywood, produces more movies per year than Hollywood.

20. New Zealand was the filming location for the Lord of the Rings movie saga. Scenes taking place in Middle-earth were filmed in various locations around the country.

21. South Korea celebrates “White Day” every year on March 14, when men give women gifts.

22. Chile is the longest country from north to south. It measures about 4,300 kilometers long but only 177 kilometers wide.

23. Bhutan is the only country in the world where smoking is completely banned.

24. Germany has more than 1,500 different kinds of beer.

25. Austria is the birthplace of the famous composer Mozart and is known for its musical culture.

26. Switzerland is known for its watches. Swiss watches are considered some of the finest and most accurate in the world.

27. Laos has 4.9 adult elephants per capita, making it the country with the highest proportion of elephants per capita.

28. Italy has about 3,000 historical museums and sites, making it one of the countries with the most cultural attractions.

29. Jordan is home to Petra, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. This archaeological city was carved right into the rock about 2,000 years ago.

30. Greece has almost 80% of its total land area covered by mountains, making it one of the most mountainous countries in Europe.

31. Morocco is the only country in Africa where English or French are not the official languages. Arabic and Berber are spoken here.

32. Iceland is one of the few countries in the world without armed forces. It is also considered the most peaceful country in the world by the Peace Index.

33. Mali is home to the ancient city of Timbuktu, which was a major center of learning in the 15th and 16th centuries.

34. Papua New Guinea has the greatest biodiversity of any island in the world.

35. The Netherlands is one of the flattest countries in the world. About 26% of its territory is below sea level.

36. Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea.

37. Panama is the only place in the world where you can see the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean and setting in the Atlantic Ocean.

38. Bolivia is home to the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt lake in the world.

39. Poland is the birthplace of Marie Skłodowska-Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize.

40. Afghanistan is home to the Bamiyan Valley, where two huge Buddha statues were destroyed in 2001.

41. В Ирландии есть более пабов, чем в любой другой стране в мире на душу населения.

42. Вьетнам является одним из крупнейших экспортеров риса в мире.

43. В Сенегале находится Остров Горькой, известный как место торговли рабами.

44. Португалия является старейшей страной в Европе, имеющей свои текущие границы.

45. В Эстонии больше метров на человека интернета, чем в любой другой стране в мире.

46. В Мексике находится самый большой пирамиды в мире по объему, Пирамида Чолулы.

47. Нигерия - самая населенная страна в Африке.

48. На Кубе запрещено продавать компьютеры всем, кто не получил специальное разрешение от правительства.

49. В Израиле находится город Иерусалим, который является святым местом для трех крупнейших мировых религий: иудаизма, христианства и ислама.

50. Кипр - единственная страна, чье национальное знамя содержит карту страны.

10 facts about the countries of the world

For thousands of years, people in different parts of the globe have developed in different conditions. Because of this, each nation has formed a distinctive culture, which could not completely erase even widespread globalization. The world has remained beautiful in its diversity, and it has something to surprise even experienced travelers. Unique architectural monuments, works of art, national traditions, natural riches, glorious deeds of great ancestors and achievements of outstanding contemporaries - all this makes the locals proud and awakens the interest of tourists. In this article we have prepared for you ten entertaining and unexpected facts about the countries of the world.

Ebenezer Place is the shortest street in the world: its length barely exceeds two meters! It is located in the UK in the Scottish town of Wick. It appeared thanks to the Mackays Hotel, located along the shortest part of its facade. At first, Ebenezer Place was not even put on maps of the city: it was not visible on them because of the scale. However, the development of satellite maps has solved this problem, and now the tiny street can be found by any tourist.

The oldest never-closed restaurant is located in Madrid. “Sobrino de Botín” has been welcoming guests since 1725. It is famous for its unquenchable stove and, of course, delicious dishes, which were praised in their works by writers Graham Greene, Benito Perez Galdos and Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway.

Along with the usual disciplines like physics and mathematics, the Armenian school curriculum includes chess lessons. The game appeared in the country back in the IX century and immediately won the hearts of the locals.

In Soviet times chess lessons became organized: specialized circles and clubs were opened all over Armenia, regular competitions were organized, books by foreign chess masters were actively translated into Armenian and Russian. All this led to the fact that Armenia gave the Soviet Union many outstanding grandmasters, among them the USSR champion Rafael Vahanyan and the world champion Tigran Petrosyan.

Chess was introduced into the official school program in 2012. Armenia became the first country in the world to make this subject compulsory.

The deepest swimming pool in the world is located in the Polish city of Mszczonów. 45.7 meters is about the height of a 14-storey building! The pool has an elaborate network of tunnels and caves. This was done so that scuba divers and freedivers could train there.

Darvaza is a Turkmen gas crater that has been burning continuously since 1971. It appeared after Soviet geologists discovered an underground void where a drilling rig had fallen through. Not knowing what to do with the natural gas that had accumulated in the resulting 60-meter hole, they decided to set it on fire.

Experts predicted that the gas should have completely burned out in a few days, but the crater is still burning to this day. Tourists call it the “Gates of Hell”. Turkmen officials prefer a more poetic version - “Shining Karakum”.

The oldest astronomical clock, which still works today, can be seen in the Czech Republic. The Prague chimes are located on the Old Town Hall. They were created in 1410 according to the project of astronomer Jan Schindel. Over the following years, the design of the clock was repeatedly modified. They were also badly damaged during World War II at the hands of the Nazis. However, later Czech craftsmen managed to restore the landmark. After the restoration, about 75% of the original parts remained in the Prague chimes.

In South Korea, the age of a person has always been calculated differently than in the rest of the world. One year was immediately added to the age of a newborn baby. Thus, the time he spent in the womb was taken into account. At the same time, on each first day of the new year according to the lunar calendar, a year was added. That is, a child born at the end of the last month of the lunar calendar, was considered two years old, although in fact lived only a few days. But this system caused a lot of confusion, so from June 2023, South Korea will use the global practice of calculating age.

The top of the ranking for the largest number of prisoners in the world is held by the United States. There are about 2.2 million people in American prisons, almost a quarter of the total number of incarcerated people in the world. By comparison, Russia, which is not even in the top ten, has less than half a million people serving prison sentences.

Japan is one of the few countries in the world where it is not customary to tip waiters and cab drivers. The fact is that there it is customary to serve any client to the highest standards and the cost of such service is already included in the final amount in the check. Money from above can be perceived as an insult or an oversight. There have been cases when Japanese waiters caught up with a customer who had left a tip and gave him the banknotes, thinking that he had simply forgotten them on the table.

Here are 15 interesting facts about Brazil:

1. **Fifth largest**: Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, covering about 8.5 million square kilometers.

2. **Brazil**: The capital of Brazil is Brasilia, which was built in 1960 as a planned capital, replacing Rio de Janeiro.

3. **Amazon**: Brazil is home to the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon, which covers about 60% of the country.

4. **Portuguese Language**: Brazil is the only country in South America where the main language is Portuguese, unlike most countries in the region where Spanish is spoken.

5. **Culture and Traditions**: Brazil is known for its diversity of cultures, including indigenous, Portuguese, African and European influences.

6. **Carma and Samba**: Brazil is home to famous carnivals, especially in Rio de Janeiro, where grand samba parades are held.

7. **Soccer**: Soccer in Brazil is not just a sport, but part of the culture. The country is a notable competitor on the international stage, winning the FIFA World Cup 5 times.

8. **Resorts and Beaches**: Brazil is famous for its beautiful beaches, with Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro being among the most famous.

9. **National Cuisine**: Brazilian cuisine is diverse and includes dishes such as feijoada (a black bean and meat dish) and Brazilian coffee, considered one of the best in the world.

10. **Animal Diversity**: Brazil is home to about 1/10th of all animal species on Earth, including jaguars, tapirs, capybaras and many species of birds and fish.

11. **Christianity**: Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world, but there is also a growing Protestant and neoconservative movement.

12. **Miracle of the World**: The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and a symbol of the city.

13. **Economy**: Brazil is the largest economy in South America and one of the fastest growing emerging markets.

14. **Climate**: Most of Brazil is in a tropical climate, but the climate varies from tropical to subtropical.

15. **Islands**: Brazil has more than 7.4 thousand kilometers of coastline and more than 4 thousand islands, including the famous island of Fernando de Noronha.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Top 20 busiest airports in the world: they serve 11.4% of global traffic

Airports Council International (ACI) published this week a ranking of the world's busiest airports. The list was compiled based on the latest traffic data of the largest air hubs, taking into account passenger, cargo and aircraft movements. Let's tell you more about which airports made it into this ranking.

The study, which Airports Council International (ACI) prepared for its World Airport Traffic Dataset 2022 report, analyzed traffic data from over 2,600 airports in more than 180 countries and territories. It should be noted that the traffic of Russian airports was not considered in the rating.

Atlanta International Airport ranked first in terms of passenger traffic, serving 93.7 million passengers in 2022, which is 23.8% more than a year earlier.
In 2nd place was Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with 73.4 million passengers last year, 17.5 more than in 2021.

In third place in the rankings is Denver International Airport, with passenger traffic of 69.3 million passengers, up 17.8 percent from a year earlier.

Fourth place - at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, it served 68.3 million passengers in 2022, 26.5% more than in 2021.

It should be noted that all four listed airports occupied similar places in the ranking, prepared on the basis of the results of 2021.

The top five ranking is closed by Dubai International Airport, with a passenger flow of 66.1 million, which is 127% more than the figures of the year before last. Thus, Dubai airport moved from 27th place in the ranking of the busiest air hubs in the world, which was compiled according to the results of 2021.

The top 20 busiest airports by passenger numbers also included:

Los Angeles Airport

Istanbul International Airport or Istanbul New Airport

London Heathrow Airport

New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport

Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City

Las Vegas International Airport

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Miami International Airport

Barajas International Airport in Madrid

Tokyo International Airport

Orlando International Airport

Frankfurt International Airport

Charlotte Airport in Douglas

 Mexico City International Airport

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

TOP 20 MOST LUXURIOUS AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD

1. Dubai International Airport

2. London Heathrow Airport

3. Hamad International Airport in Doha

4. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

5. Sydney International Airport

6. Singapore Changi Airport

7. Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Bangkok)

8. Hong Kong International Airport

9. Frankfurt International Airport

10. Narita International Airport in Tokyo

11. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport

12. Incheon International Airport in Seoul

13. Munich Franz-Josef Strauss Airport

14. Zurich Airport

15. Haneda International Airport in Tokyo

16. Los Angeles International Airport

17. Toronto International Airport

18. Beijing International Airport (Beijing Capital)

19. Kansai International Airport in Osaka

20. Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

New rules for visiting the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru

Since the legendary ruin complex of Machu Picchu first received UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983, tourist interest has grown every year and a visit to the Inca city is not without long lines for buses, entrance and attractions inside the complex.
“Lost City” is a must-see if you are planning a trip to South America and in particular to Peru. It is a very, very beautiful historical complex of ruins, it is large, interesting and inspiring. And yes, the current visit budget of $300-$350 (from Cusco) is absolutely worth its money.

Alas, as of July 1, 2017 and for a period of 2 years, new rules for visiting the Inca city come into effect, which affects our travel itinerary to Peru as well.
Separate entry times
Entry to Machu Picchu will be split into two entry sessions: entry from 6:00am to 12:00pm and entry from 12:00pm to 5:30pm.

Visitors must leave the complex within the time limits and cannot re-enter. Visitors and guides who do not leave within the time limit will be escorted out by security!
Visit only with an official guide
This is probably the most important rule. All visitors coming to Machu Picchu must be accompanied by licensed tourist guides. A valid accreditation or guide's license must be presented upon entering Machu Picchu.

Guides are allowed to accompany groups of up to 16 people. Guides must enter with the group and take all participants out. Guides will also be responsible for informing visitors of the rules for visiting Machu Picchu. How guides will accompany a group hiking Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu is currently quite unclear
Defined itineraries
Organized routes to see all the ruins in one entry session are in the process of being designed, but of course this is only possible at a fast pace. Routes will be created to separate the crowds and not create pandemonium of people. We await the map of movements around the complex with interest. This rule is saddening, as we had our own strategy to avoid crowds of tourists and plan to rest at viewpoints during the day. And of course we never left before 3pm.
Re-entry
The new rules also prohibit re-entry into Machu Picchu. That is, if you leave the ruins through the main entrance, you will not be allowed to re-enter. Currently, the only restrooms and cafes in Machu Picchu are located on the outside of the park in front of the entrance.

It is necessary to buy different permits for different routes, for example, to walk along the most prominent route and go to the top of Vaina Picchu Mountain.

In order to preserve the Machu Picchu complex for future generations, before these rules were introduced, the number of tickets was limited to 2500 visits per day. On certain peak dates, tickets are simply unavailable and are already sold out a year in advance. However, in reality, the number of people visiting Machu Picchu per day is over 2,500.

If you look at the different combinations of available ticket types, you actually get about 3,800 admissions. The new rules were implemented to control access in order to preserve the integrity of the site and its legacy for future visitors. Ironically, the new rules actually double the number of visitors per day.
Our solution to the situation
Buying a double ticket to Machu Picchu to be able to realize a one-day Inka Trail hike and reserve free time to explore the ruins on our own.

After all, it is so important to experience the place, walk at your own pace, do what you want and enjoy the moment without the pressure of time requirements and rule restrictions.