Sri Lanka has a land area of 25,332 square kilometres, which is slightly larger than the US state of West Virginia. Its wildlife, on the other hand, is extraordinarily diversified. It is home to 123 mammal species (including elephants, leopards, and crocodiles), 227 bird species, 178 reptile species, 122 amphibian species, and many more animal species.

Many poets have compared the flickering flame of a candle to the stunning effect of a diamond throughout history. Of course, creative writers weren't far off the mark. According to Wuzong Zhou, a chemistry professor at the University of St Andrews, a candle's flame contains approximately 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles. As a result, proposing during a candlelight dinner has even more significance.

On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from British rule, but the Portuguese refused to relinquish control of Goa. Goa's independence struggle was fought both within and outside the state, and on December 17, 1961, the Indian Army, air force, and naval forces invaded Goa and overpowered the under-prepared Portuguese army. The Portuguese governor officially surrendered on December 18th, and Goa became a part of India the next day! Every year on December 19th, Goa commemorates its second independence day.

If you notice yourself becoming more upbeat during the warmer months, you are not alone. For a 2011 study published in the journal Science, researchers examined the tweets of 2.4 million people from around the world over a two-year period. They discovered that when the change in daylight was positive (i.e., as the summer solstice approached), users tweeted considerably happier tweets than when the change in daylight was negative (i.e., as the winter solstice approached).

Because individuals who suffer from anxiety often struggle to stay in the present moment, it makes them often forgetful. People who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder struggle with worry and an inability to control the worry. When we worry, it’s often about something that hasn’t happened yet, meaning we are thinking about the future – where problems may occur. This is why people who suffer from anxiety often appear like they’re distracted, not listening, or just don’t care.

When developers purchase property from the Chinese government, they are required to build on it immediately. Of course, there aren't always purchasers for these hurriedly built projects, resulting in the uniquely Chinese phenomena of ghost cities. The ghost cities provide an intriguing and unsettling view into China's commodity housing industry, with completely vacant high rises and motorways that appear like a director's vision of the world post-zombie apocalypse.

The chia plant is fickle and requires highly specialised growth conditions. It cannot withstand frost, yet it need low temperatures to create large quantities of omega-3 fatty acids. Chia grows best between 23 degrees north and south of the equator. This region has some of the ideal conditions for growing chia seeds.

Hong Kong is the eighth most densely inhabited city in the world, with 68,400 inhabitants per square mile. However, the now-demolished renowned Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong was formerly the world's most densely populated area, with 3.2 million people per square mile! (From Wikipedia)

Only a small minority of authors receive big advances like those seen on television. People like Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey receive large sums of money. However, it is usually quite modest, and royalties from book sales will make their money. So, go out and get your favorite author's books!

 The lack of natural predators in their usurped habitat is why sea lampreys have been so successful in their penetration into the Lakes. This increases the urgency with which the administration must cope with the invasion.

Danielle Fernandes' formal name is Danielle Fernandes Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel, better known as Danielle Steel, is an American novelist who is the best-selling author alive today and the fourth-bestselling author of all time, with over 800 million copies sold.

Massive simians belonging to the genus Gigantopithecus have been discovered in China, India, and Vietnam. Some species of these guys weighed an estimated 1100 pounds and could reach heights of over nine feet; in their prime, they would have sent a silverback gorilla shivering. Most likely, Gigantopithecus perished around 300,000 years ago.

Chia was utilised by the Aztecs, Mayans, and other ancient cultures to maintain themselves during battles and lengthy running and hunting excursions. The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyon are one ancient tribe that still exists today. They are well-known for their ability to run large distances. They're also known to fuel their big runs with chia seeds.

Mimosa Pudica has excellent ornamental value since it serves as a fence to keep animals out of the garden and fulfils the decorative function of a garden.

Why do some survive traumatic events and come through seemingly unscathed? And yet others develop anxiety disorders like PTSD, Panic Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. One thing is certain: anxiety disorders and anxious temperaments seem to run in families. Studies also show that individuals who are genetically predisposed to anxiety are at a higher risk of developing anxiety after exposure to traumatic or stressful events.

The first train in India began service on April 16, 1853. Mumbai Locals are the world's busiest railroads, carrying over 2.2 billion people each year. Mumbai also features India's most out-of-date electric train network, established in 1925.

Publishing houses print a limited quantity of press copies (or ARCs/galleys) to send to reviewers such as Kirkus as well as their press contacts. These unfinished copies are costly to produce, but their function is to generate publicity. Keeping this in mind, presses are usually eager to send out early copies, especially when they receive polite, professional emails from reputable sources! 

The gastric mill is a grinding apparatus for breaking up food that looks like a set of teeth on their stomachs and is the size of a walnut in a one-pound lobster.

According to North Carolina State University researchers, the venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus can cause pancreatitis. One specific venom enzyme targets specific proteins in the gland, impairing their functionality and causing inflammation in the pancreatic cells. Researchers discovered that although acute pancreatitis caused by scorpions is typically temporary and self-limited, it may develop into hemorrhagic pancreatitis and result in death in a separate study of a related species (T. stigmurus).

Various people believe that chickens have poor vision and are colorblind. Still, they actually have greater color vision than humans, thanks to a well-organized eye with five different types of light receptors that allow them to see many colors in any given portion of the retina.

The Chapman University Survey on American Fears found that Democrats are about twice as likely to believe in astrology as Republicans. Democrats were also noted to believe in the paranormal more in general.

 

Tulsi leaves might aid with indigestion and appetite loss. They are also used to alleviate gas and bloating.

Because Brazil is a Latin American nation, travellers sometimes think that the majority of the population speaks Spanish. It is Portuguese, not Spanish, that is the official and most frequently spoken language in the country. Because of its 300-year relationship with Portugal, Brazil is the world's largest Portuguese-speaking country. Until the early nineteenth century, Brazil was a Portuguese colony.

We've all been caught jaywalking. You will NOT see jaywalking during your vacation here, even though it is rather widespread in other world areas. This is one of the fascinating facts about South Korea that may take some getting accustomed to. South Koreans are extremely conscientious about traffic and pedestrian restrictions, therefore they will always wait for visual confirmation that they are permitted to cross the street, even if the crossing is clear! Fortunately, in a densely populated city such as Seoul, this results in safer streets and fewer traffic accidents.