Brazil

This world has almost 200 countries, plus other types of territories. This year, we'll be visiting the 50 largest in land area.

 Rank      Country     Population 2025

     5          Brazil           221,359,387

Square km           Square miles

8,515,767             3,285,862

Fun facts about Brazil [Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world]:

https://www.insightvacations.com/blog/30-fun-facts-about-brazil/

Take a Brazil quiz:

https://www.wanderlustmagazine.com/quiz/brazil-quiz/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/brazil/

United States of America

This world has almost 200 countries, plus other types of territories. This year, we'll be visiting the 50 largest in land area.

 Rank   Country        Population 2025
  4         United States   338,016,259
              of America   

Square km              Square miles
9,372,610                 3,618,783

Fun facts about United States [Library of Congress is the largest library in the world]:

https://www.rd.com/list/america-fascinating-facts/

Take a United States quiz:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/united-states-of-america-quiz-part-1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states/

China

This world has almost 200 countries, plus other types of territories. This year, we'll be visiting the 50 largest in land area.

Rank      Country     Population 2024

  3             China         1,416,043,270

Square km              Square miles

 9,706,961                3,747,877

Fun facts about China [it has only one time zone]:

https://www.thechairmansbao.com/blog/chinese-culture-facts/

Take a China quiz:

https://www.londonschool.com/young-adults/china-culture-quiz/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/

Canada

This world has almost 200 countries, plus other types of territories. This year, we'll be visiting the 50 largest in land area.

Rank      Country     Population 2024

2              Canada       38,794,813 

Square km              Square miles

  9,984,670               3,855,100     
 

Fun facts about Canada [it has the largest moose population in the world]:

https://www.travelsphere.co.uk/inspirations/north-america/30-canada-facts-you-didn-t-know/

Take a Canada quiz:

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/quiz/canada-quiz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/canada/

Russia

This world has almost 200 countries, plus other types of territories. This year, we'll be visiting the 50 largest in land area.

 

 Rank          Country          Population 2024

1              Russia       140,820,810

Square km              Square miles

  17,098.242      6,601,665     

 

Fun facts about Russia [it spans 11 time zones]:

https://www.globaladmissions.com/blog/30-fun-facts-about-russia

Take the Russia culture quiz:

https://www.londonschool.com/young-adults/russia-culture-quiz/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/russia/

 

New Year's Day

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been. Rainer Maria Rilke

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. Oprah Winfrey

The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. Melody Beattie

Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. Charles Kettering

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. Neil Gaiman

Christmas

Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas. Johnny Carson

What I don't like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day. Phyllis Diller

Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice. Dave Barry

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it. Pope Francis

We consider Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice. Pope Paul VI

And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. Jesus Christ