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21 Ways America Is Vastly Different From Other Countries

There's a ton of stuff that's incredibly commonplace in America that would be considered super bizarre anywhere else.

21 Ways America Is Vastly Different From Other Countries

January 02, 2021

One of the side effects of living in the United States is thinking that what you see around you is normal. But as it turns out, there's a ton of stuff that's incredibly commonplace in America that would be considered super bizarre anywhere else.

21

ELECTIONS Text UNITED RIDIN to 30330 In the U.S., races often start more than a year before the actual vote. In most other countries, campaigns last O — For details, read 7 Surprising Ways Democracy Is Totally Different Overseas

20

INDOOR SHOES 0000 You might be confused by the custom people in some countries have of taking off their shoes as soon as they enter a house. Those peo — Source: NY Times

19

ICY DRINKS Other countries chill drinks, and they throw in a couple ice cubes, but visitors to America are baffled by the tradition of filling a glass — Source: Smithsonian

18

BREAD To visitors from other countries, American bread tastes like cake. That's because manufacturers add a ton of h-fructose corn syrup-the stuff is — Source: BBC

17

TIPPING WASHinGTon T OF DEPATE 5 nea H. aiar'the immera D Treesuny 5 29.30 UTed 01 Tipping varies greatly from one country to the next. In many countr — For details, read 5 Foreign Rules of Etiquette That America Desperately Needs

16

DINNERTIME Since many middle-class Americans skip breakfast (or eat on the go) and eat lunch at their desk (if at all), they're ready for dinner as so — Source: The New Yorker

15

COLLEGE LOANS 21P STOP OUR the price of QUY DR UTURE Even keeping to where student loans are necessary, there's a big difference in how the U.S. and o — Source: Reuters

14

TWO PARTIES There are ten political parties represented in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. The Bundestag in Germany has six. Eleven in the Oireachta — Source: The Atlantic

13

SMILES There's nothing universal about the automatic smiles you get from a waiter or a cashier in America. In Russia, for instance, a polite smile is — For details, read 5 Foreign Rules of Etiquette That America Desperately Needs

12

LITTERING Even the biggest slob in America knows better than to throw trash all over the floor in a restaurant or bar. But in Spain, littering can be — For details, read 5 Foreign Rules of Etiquette That America Desperately Needs

11

GARBAGE DISPOSALS Only the U.S. has widely adopted in-sink garbage disposals. Because of how much water they use and the burden they place on the sewa — Source: Wall Street Journal

10

BLACKCURRANTS en Ribe Riben: BLACKCURRANT BLACKCURR CK CURRANT BLACK FRUIT TUICE SYRUP FRUIT JUICE SYRI FRUITJU ESYRUP Many people around the world en — For details, read 5 Cynical Reasons Everyday Foods Became Popular

9

INEQUALITY When it comes to income, the U.S. is one of the most unequal countries in the world. In 2014, for example, it ranked #1 (China has since ov — Source: BBC

8

Eggs

EGGS The FDA mandates that eggs be washed, which removes their natural protective coating and makes them more susceptible to spoilage. Other countries — Source: LA Times

7

COLLEGE SPORTS A. Every country loves sports, sure. College sports, though... the U.S. is unique in loving that SO much. In most states, the highest-p — Source: USA Today

6

The American Flag

THE FLAG Homes fly flags, malls fly flags, cars fly flags, and people stick flags all over their clothes. But to other countries, this looks like obse — Source: France24

5

STORE HOURS OPe 24 E S Stores staying open 24/7 is a thing in the U.S. and also in parts of Asia, but not at all in Europe. For example, in Germany, o — Source: OECD

4

PAPER SIZES A1 594x841 A0 420 420 841x1190 A3 A2 297 297x420 210 210 5 420x594 A5 148210 A4 2 A7 297x210 A6 Most of the world uses the A series of p — Source: Microsoft

3

Religion

RELIGION a az anca a1 Among developed countries, America is the most religious. A study by the Pew Research Center found that wealthy countries tend t — Source: Pew

2

Portion Sizes

PORTION SIZES American portion sizes are abnormally huge. Food servings from the average restaurant are 40-80 percent larger in American cities than - — Source: Reuters

1

WHITE TEETH Foreigners don't get why many Americans, even the ones who aren't celebrities, are SO obsessed with having perfectly straight, unnaturally — Source: BBC

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