The funniest misconceptions and myths about different countries

There are so many different misunderstandings about various places across the globe and so many myths! It’s often tough to tell where reality stops and fantasy starts. Some biases are rooted in culture, while others are more difficult to explain.

On several online sites, many queries concerning this were recently posed. According to some user comments, despite all of the advancements in the internet era, many individuals still have strange and irrational ideas about numerous nations. The most ludicrous ones will be discussed later in the evaluation.

Funniest misconceptions and myths about different countries

Romania

It’s hard to believe a sane person, but a lot of people seriously think that we have vampires, a Romanian woman wrote. “But for 70 years of my life here, I have not seen a single one. I asked my friends who live with me in the castle. They haven’t seen anyone either, and they have been here longer than me,” she added jokingly.

Ireland

“It’s a shame that everyone thinks the Irish are the biggest drunkards in the world. This is very mean and not at all true! After all, we take only second place in drunkenness. We sincerely hope to become the first next year!” – said one Irishman.

United Kingdom

“All people think that the British are either prim nerds or football hooligans. There is a whole world between these social groups! Some of us don’t even like football. One of my friends DOESN’T EVEN DRINK TEA! I’m not sure why he is still my friend, to be honest,” wrote the British.

Australia

“I’m an Australian. Everyone thinks life here is so damn dangerous. You stick your nose out the door of your house, and you’re immediately attacked by a wild cat, a dog, a snake, or at least a poisonous spider. Of course, I will not be responsible for your safety if you meet the said animal who wants to poke him with a stick, for example. Otherwise, you’ll be fine. Aggressive echidnas, dervish spiders, sea crocodiles, and bears do not live in the suburbs. You have to go into the bushes to see a simple lizard. Truth be told, it too will run away as soon as it hears your footsteps or the sound of a car passing by.”

Japan

“This country is just incredibly efficient and futuristic… This is how they think about my country. I find it funny when I hear something like that. Yes, everything is so futuristic that I can’t even pay my bills online. If I want to set up automatic invoice payment, I need to request a form by mail, fill it out and then personally take it to the bank. Not to mention, I have to fax all of my monthly reports.”

USA

Ironically, America sounded: “We are not all overweight, wearing Old Navy T-shirts and khaki shorts. Only 60% of us.”

Scotland

“Well, okay, we are all drunken alcoholics who hate the British and run among the hills in our “skirts”, shouting “FREEDOM” – wrote the Scots.

Holland

One user joked about this country: “According to the popular belief, I should be a farmer who smokes weed, grows tulips, and lives in a windmill. Guess where I am from?” Idyll. It is a pity that this is not the case.

Kenya

“Everyone thinks Kenyans are good at long-distance running, live in huts, don’t speak English, and breed wild animals. I’ll debunk everything in turn. Only guys from one tribe called the Kalenjins run perfectly, which makes up about 15% of the population. Further, Kenya is still a poor developing country, but it has a lot of modern architecture. Then, the country is ranked 18th out of 100 in the English proficiency rankings. And finally: you can apply for a special permit in order to have, for example, a lynx. Wildlife conservation is serious business. It is not at all the fact that you will receive permission. Then the Kenya Wildlife Service will conduct regular visits to ensure that the animal is kept in appropriate conditions.”

Czech Republic

“It’s not exactly a myth, but to this day, a fairly decent number of people still think that Czechoslovakia exists. We split up in 1993… We are already the Czech Republic, not Czechoslovakia.”

Nigeria

“In short: not everyone here deceives people, and there are not so many princes here.”

Singapore

The Singaporean spoke seriously: “No, we are not part of China. We are not even in the same region. Yes, 60% of the population is ethnic Chinese, but that does not make us part of China, nor does the United States part of the UK. In fact, there is a problem of racism against mainland Chinese, as the locals are not inclined to see them as “real” Singaporeans. This is compounded by the fact that many Chinese from the mainland is quite pro-Chinese (human rights violations and all), while the local Chinese are not very fond of China. Culturally, we are closer to Taiwan.

Walking naked in your own home is not illegal. It’s just that this problem was born due to the fact that 90% of the population lives in state apartments. There were times when perverts loved to show off their charms by the window. This is how such a law appeared.

You can chew gum. Bring and sell too. It just often happened that hooligans literally glued the doors of trains with it, and this was a problem. The government put up with this for several months and then said that it was enough.

The government no longer penalizes people for every minor offense. It used to be that way, but over the past two decades, enforcement has become soft. In practice, this, unfortunately, means that where there used to be order, there are now heaps of garbage. However, you may not want to litter or spit in front of the police.”

Belgium

The Belgian wrote: “People usually think that if you are from Belgium, you must speak French. Although most of the country is French-speaking, the majority of the population is Flemish (Dutch-speaking). I mainly blame three factors for this misconception:

• people mainly come to Brussels (which is bilingual, but it has a French-speaking majority),
• Americans were mainly in the French-speaking part of the country during World War II,
• Hercule Poirot.”

Germany

“We have no sense of humor, and we only live to work … In addition, all Germans have some secret knowledge about World War II that they would like to share with others. I was often asked about this when I lived in London. How can I answer such a question, if even my parents were not in the world at that time? I know everything in the same way as you do – from the lessons of history,” one German wrote in annoyance.

South Africa

“Despite all the achievements of modern civilization and the general availability of education, many people think that Africa is a country. I live in South Africa. A huge number of people still believe that we have wild animals roaming around, people living in huts, and so on. It does happen in certain parts of Africa, but I live in the suburbs of Cape Town, we have a better Internet than some of the first world countries.”

Russia

“There are so many fables about Russia that it is difficult to choose one thing. The most important thing: not everyone here is constantly drunk from vodka, they play the balalaika, sitting in a fur hat, winking at the bears wandering around. Yes, there is a problem with alcoholism. And in which country are there no similar problems? I have never seen a bear, and I do not know a single person playing the balalaika. We’re not evil at all. We, like everyone else, are people with emotions. Earflaps are really cool and warm hats. Some people wear them, but not all. There are people who live in poverty. Again, where are they not? All the achievements of modern civilization are publicly available,” wrote the Russian woman.

Sweden

“The most widespread opinion is that Sweden is just a socialist paradise. In fact, this is not any socialism and not paradise at all. Although life in this country is quite pleasant, except for the weather,” the Swedes write.

Brazil

“Brazil, according to many people, is a huge tropical jungle inhabited by people who speak Spanish. In fact, there are also quite large cities and isolated settlements. For example, Sao Paulo is a huge, sprawling metropolis with the same population as New York and Los Angeles combined. There is snow in some southern regions of the country. Besides, we were a Portuguese colony, so we speak Portuguese.”

Egypt

“I am Egyptian, and I lived in Egypt. Incredibly, a large number of adults were seriously interested in me if I lived in a pyramid…,” one young man wrote about Egypt.