Before you travel to a certain country, you'd probably picture it differently than what it really is. Either due to what's on the Internet or how the country is depicted on movies, you would usually accept these as true. Here are common misconceptions about some countries and what they really are.
Third World Countries are normally associated with poverty and disease, while First World Countries are identified as luxurious states. In reality, however, such label refers to a certain country's ideologies during the Cold War. 'First World' has Capitalism, 'Second World' has Communism, while 'Third World' has ideologies that are neither Capitalism nor Communism.
Kenya is usually viewed as a wide wilderness where untamed animals wander, but in truth, it is a developed state of concrete jungles where the capital has over 3 million people. Another country thought to have this misconception is Madagascar. Thanks to the movies where strange animals are found to be in the country, Madagascar currently has shopping malls, five-star hotels and its very own airline.
In London, the tower called 'Big Ben' is actually called 'Elizabeth Tower,' while Big Ben refers to the huge bell inside such tower. England is also thought to be the place with the most rain but actually experiences less rainfall than Paris.
In Canada, most people would believe that the government pays for the medical treatment of citizens in public hospitals. In truth, the government pays for the treatment only, and citizens are expected to shoulder their own medication.
Australia is seen as a country with lots of wild animals in populated areas, not to mention there's a high chance that venomous snakes can make their way to the fridge. Sharks, crocodiles and other predators are sure to scare the life out of any traveller. But according to records of deaths involving animals, foreigners and locals should be more worried about horses and cows. These domesticated animals are more likely to kill humans due to accidents while handling them.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
