The misconceptions about countries around the world are as diverse as their culture.
A few weeks ago, Reddit user u/orionve posted a question to the platform, asking "What is a common myth about your country that is 100% false but many people still believe?"
The comments — of which there are nearly 40K — quickly proved that even though we live in the age of cheap flights and when information is more available than ever, people still have very wild and very wrong ideas about places across the globe.
Here are some of them.
#1
Romania. Many people believe we have vampires, but in my 700 years of living here, I haven't even seen one.I asked my mates back in the castle and they also haven't seen any, and they've been around for longer than I.
Image credits: zyppoboy
#2
That the Irish are the biggest drunks in the world, completely false and mean as we're only the second biggest drinker in the world but we hope to get first place next year
Image credits: LegendaryPQ
#3
When I started dating my now wife (who is from Oklahoma), she informed me that her friends and family were convinced that Canadians didnt have ice or toilet paper. They wanted her to ask me about it apparently because they were confused by that. I had never laughed so hard. I mean.. its Canada.. we are ice 70% of the year basically.
Image credits: SirensDeadlySong
#4
I live in South Africa.Many people still believe we have wild animals roaming around and people living in huts etc
That does happen in certain parts of Africa but i live in the suburbs of Cape Town, we have better internet than some first world countries.
Image credits: dat_boi_lit_fam
#5
Sweden is a socialist paradise.It's neither socialist, nor a paradise (though it is a nice country to live in except for the weather).
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#6
That Japan is incredibly efficient and futuristic. Major LOL. So futuristic here that I can’t even pay my bills online, and if I want to set up an auto paying bill I have to request a form by mail, fill it out, and then take it to the bank in person. Not to mention I have to send in all my monthly reports by fax.
Image credits: Ryoukugan
#7
That we are all are tech scammers and like eating cow dungguess which country
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#8
Not exactly myth but decent amount of ppl still think that Czechoslovakia still exists. We split apart in 1993... We are Czech Republic, not Czechoslovakia anymore.
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#9
That we say "shrimp on the barbie", it was an ad campaign to appeal to Americans, it was the most successful tourism campaign still to this day, but literally no one in Australia says that
Image credits: Fireo2sw
#10
Germany: We don't have humor and live to work
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#11
Scotland: We’re all ginger alcoholics who hate the English and run amongst the hills in our ‘skirts’ screaming “FREEDOM”
Image credits: notyurfuxkingwoman
#12
Oh so much, according to popular opinion I should be a weed smoking, clog wearing tulip farmer living in a windmill. Can you guess where I am from yet?
Image credits: Jealous-Proof5505
#13
I'm American but I lived in Egypt for a while. It's incredible that more than one American who wasn't a child asked me if I lived in a pyramid..
Image credits: BP_Oil_Chill
#14
Iceland was not named as part of some conspiracy to keep folks away from a good thing. The name comes from the fact that early settlers arrived during summer and then suffered horrible losses of livestock and people once winter hit and icebergs were seen filling the fjords. It was more of a warning than anything, that this place sucked. Greenland on the other hand was probably named as such to make it sound more hospitable
Image credits: MorrisonsLament
#15
All Germans have some secret knowledge of the Second / World War II they would love to share. I always found that interesting when I lived in London and esp English people 40+ would ask me of some first-hand experience of the War (keep in mind that not even my parents were born at that time) ?!?! Fact we know the same as you do from History classes etc.
Image credits: slazer2k
#16
I’ve never seen a mime in Paris
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#17
Australian here. Glad u asked. Everyone thinks it's as dangerous as f**k, that spiders, drop bears, snakes, feral cats and dogs will rip ya f**king heart out every time you step out the door. The truth is that unless you act like a halfwit, poke said snake/spider with ya finger then you'll be fine. Battle echidna, dervish spiders, saltwater crocodiles and drop bears don't live in suburbia; you need to go into the bush to even see a lizard which usually promptly f**ks off the moment a stone footed oompah loompa waddles past.
Image credits: Cletus_Spooge_pants
#18
That everyone in Japan works crazy hours and never has enough time or energy for things they want to do.People on average work longer hours than mainland Europe sure, but work less hours than the US so that's BS.
#19
Greece is not only beaches and Islands, we also have beautiful places for the winter. Many mountains and mainland attractions. Every corner have something interesting.#20
No Italian aren't all short, black haired, fat, mobsters that wear wine-stained tank tops and coppolas. We are loud tho#21
We aren't all overweight people wearing Old Navy American flag t-shirts and khaki shorts. Only, like, 60% of us.#22
That Africa is a country.#23
I feel like Russia is commonly hated especially lately (not that there are no reasons for that huh).I have a strong feeling that people simultaneously think that Russia is a dangerous shithole and that we all here love and support Putin and his government. Both of those things are not true.
Well, some parts of Russia are poor and I myself have friends from different places who have only 10-15k roubles monthly to spend ($150-200).
At the same time, even though I am pretty privileged being born and raised in Moscow in an upper middle class family, have a flat that I don’t need to pay rent/loan for (my husband’s family got it for free during the USSR period); my very first job ever pays me enough money to spend on anything I want except for big purchases like a new iPhone or a car; I have a degree (not for free but for reasonable money ($2500 a year)); and last year our free healthcare literally saved my life (yeah I know, taxes, I pay them, nbd).
Small quality of life things we have: I haven’t used any cash in years, everything can be paid via Apple/Google/Samsung Pay, even in the smallest shops. Our delivery services are on point, I can order any groceries I want via an app and they will deliver them in 7-15 minutes. Moscow is covered in carsharing cars and, even though we don’t have our own car, we don’t need it because parking prices are high and carsharing cars are literally on every corner here.
#24
The myth is that everyone here is always drunk on vodka and people all ride bears, play on balalaikas and dance the kazachok and that we're either drunk or mad.While there IS a problem with alcoholism, a lot of people don't drink, especially not vodka.
Funnily enough, bears do appear, but VERY rarely. And the people that ride bears or have them as pets? They're considered unusual by other Russians.
Balalaika is dead I know one person that plays it and thats it
We dance the kazachok only ironically at this point lol
We're not always mad. We're. Just people. With emotions :|
But, ushankas ARE great and warm, so people do wear them - not ALL of them though Also we're not all superpeople
#25
That sheep roam our highways (New Zealander here)#26
That we ride camels in Turkey Short answer: we don't#27
Indians don't speak English. I was asked once how I'm 'so good' at English. Like we are literally the second-largest English-speaking country.#28
That Brazil is a huge tropical jungle in which people speak Spanish.Brazil actually has several major cities and different environments. São Paulo for instance is a huge sprawling metropolis with as many inhabitants as New York and Los Angeles combined. In some southern areas of the country it actually snows.
And we were a Portuguese colony, so we speak Portuguese.
#29
That it is always hot in Australia. It's not.#30
Nigeria. that everyone here is into scamming people
Image credits: crzybrzy
#31
People generally assume that when you're from Belgium, you are French-speaking.While a big part of the country is Francophone, the majority population is Flemish (Dutch-speaking).
I blame this on mostly 3 factors:
People mainly visiting Brussels (which is bilingual, but has a Francophone majority)
Americans mostly having been stationed in the French speaking part in WWII
Hercule Poirot
Image credits: Alexthegreatbelgian
#32
Canada: Everyone drinks maple syrup, moose everywhere and saying "sorry" all the time
Image credits: Ugandan_Chungas
#33
Kenyans are all long-distance runners, live in huts, speak no English, and have pet wild animals. Ugh.So here goes: The long-distance guys are mainly from one community/ tribe called the Kalenjin that's about 15% of the population. Next, Kenya is still a developing nation with a lot of poverty, but there's a lot of modern architecture. Next, the country is rated 18 out of 100 on the English Proficiency Index. And lastly: you can apply for a special (and rarely-granted) permit for your bobcat named Babou, but keeping wildlife is not at all common. And the Kenya Wildlife Service will conduct regular visits to ensure Babou isn't being kept in Meowschwitz-like conditions.
#34
The world thinks German trains are always on time and the railway system is 100% reliable. I, a German, can assure you it's the complete opposite.#35
I think that myth about Polish people being thieves and alcoholics is still commonly believed. Of course we drink a lot but not every single one is alcoholic. And that myth about us being thieves is not correct. I live in Poland my whole life (30) and never got robbed or something. I never lock my car and I parked on a Street. Poland is really nice and when this fucking pandemic ends I highly recommend that everyone should consider to visit us.#36
I haven’t met the queen and I don’t like tea... I’m English#37
Contrary to popular belief, Portugal isn't Spain!#38
Anytime I travel out of the US or have a conversation with a foreigner, they automatically assume all Americans follow the NBA. I can’t even name 3 active players...#39
Brazil is a horrible place, with criminality rate at 63917% ,and we live in a forest.#40
That canadians are inherently nice and tolerant. We are not. So many are rude ignorant AH.#41
Many still believe chewing gum is banned in Singapore and if you are caught with it, you would get caned.The reality is that in the 1990s it used to be completely banned but today, only selling it is illegal. Dental chewing gum is also allowed in Singapore.
#42
We eat pasta every day, that's not true.. or is it? MAaMma mIA*and pizza every Saturday as a ritual
#43
Germany - WW2 is a huge taboo topic and everybody just pretends it didn't happen.I've had multiple US exchange students here in Germany ask me, if I knew about Hitler and the Nazi regime, and apparently they expected me to go "Huh, what? No, please educate me about my own history."
Apparently this stems from a misunderstanding about not being allowed to do a Nazi salute in Germany - which has a completely different reason.
#44
(Australia)A surprising amount of people (mostly tourists) think that the hoop snake is an actual thing considering the lethality of our wildlife.
#45
That the Netherlands is called Holland but Holland is only a piece of the Netherlands and that we are the inventor of the tulip it was turkey#46
Australia: I had to tell my little cousins in the UK that No, unfortunately we don't ride Kangaroos to school and work everyday!#47
If someone says "isn't Ireland part of the UK tho" one more time...#48
Finland doesn't exist.#49
People think British people are either stiff Upper lip public schoolboys or cockney brick layers/football hooligans. There's a whole world of people in between! Some of us don't even like football. One of my friends DOESNT EVEN DRINK TEA! Not sure why she's my friend to be honest.#50
That the only thing we care about is rugby and we all live in Hobbit Holes.I, for one, am absolutely terrified of rugby but I'm Kiwi as, bro
#51
Woo. Singaporean here.No, we're not part of China. We're not even in the same region. Yes, the population is 60% ethnically Chinese, but that doesn't make us part of China any more than it makes the USA part of Britain. As a matter of fact, there's a problem of racism against mainlander Chinese, since locals tend not to see them as "true" Singaporeans. This is exacerbated by the fact that lots of mainlander Chinese are pretty pro-China (human rights violations and all), while the local Chinese don't like China and the CCP very much. We're closer culturally to Taiwan.
It is not illegal to be naked inside your own home. You can be starkers while bathing or fucking if you like. You just cannot use "I am in my own home" as a defense against streaking or showing everyone your rude bits. 90% of the population live in government apartments and we don't need pervs flashing their dongs through their windows. Incidentally, this law came about because pervs were flashing their dongs through their windows. Singapore used to have a big flasher problem back in the 80s - times were weird.
It is not illegal to chew gum, only to import/sell it or bring it onto the trains. This is because dickheads used to literally gum up the train doors and make everyone late for work. The government put up with it for a few months and then said fuck it, no more gum for everyone, this is why we can't have nice things.
The government doesn't fine people for every little offence anymore. They used to, but enforcement has become lenient in the last two decades. Sadly, this means there's a ton of litter where the streets used to be pristine. Still, you might not want to litter or spit right in front of a police officer.
#52
We are all rudest if you don't speak French, we don't shower/shave, we all like wine/cheese/baguette and France can be summarized as Paris.#53
All of our country is just weed and red districts. Yes we have these things.. but the Netherlands has lots of culture!#54
French here. That we don't shower. We do, guys, we're not in the 1700s anymore. Also that French women don't shave. I mean, there are some that don't, but this has more to do with their personal choices and a general trend of having more and more women that don't shave around the world than their frenchness.We do eat frogs and snails though.
#55
Australia: That we all knew Steve IrwinLike sure thing we've all shared many-a bush chook tinnies with old mate Stevo down the local.
#56
That all guns are banned here in the UK.You can actually own a surprising range of firearms and shotguns, it is just handguns that are subject to a tight set of restrictions. This was due to public demand after a horrendous mass shooting in the 90s where a lunatic killed 15 toddlers.
#57
That all Australians drink "Fosters" beer. On the contrary, it's one of the least sold beers here, and tastes horrible#58
That President Juan Velasco Alvarado took the lands from the rich and screwed Perú by giving them to the peasants, in reality he gave freedom and rights to the peasants who were the slaves of the rich owners of giant haciendas.The movie "La Revolución y la Tierra" explains it clearly. Something that the wealthy side still does not want to recognize, one of the many reasons there is still inequality of rights and opportunities in my country.#59
The image most people outside of Europe have of Austria.Do you really think that we are always wearing Lederhosen and Dirndl? That we all are living in the alps and that we yodel from one mountain-hill to another to stay in touch with our neighbours?
Actually, would be pretty great tbh
#60
The whole world seems to think that Germany is a place run by very smart, efficient and hard working people. Truth is that there are little to no relevant innovations coming from here. We have missed the jump into the new era because of stubborn and conservative structures and ideas. The once high quality lable "Made in Germany" isn't worth a damn anymore either. Might still be better than some cheap ass shit from some other countries but it still is built to break.#61
There are more than two accents in the UK. It's not just Cockney and the Queen's English.#62
Everyone plays soccer and knows how to dance samba; there are monkeys in the streets; the capital is Rio de Janeiro.#63
That the pyramids of Giza are far away from everything else and is in the middle of uninterrupted dessert. My grandma lives a 10 minute drive away from them.#64
Dracula is often depicted as living in Transylvania. While he was imprisoned there for a while, he was actually the ruler of Wallachia (another historic Romanian province that neighbors Transylvania to the south). As for the rumor that we are vampires, I neither confirm nor deny this statement.#65
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