25 Popular Misconceptions About Countries, According To Locals

Some ideas catch on so strongly, that it can be hard to break the stigma even if it’s a fallacy. While it’s true that each country has unique traditions, history and behaviours associated with locals, sometimes these can be misunderstood by foreigners. 

#1

Image source: spicysanger, ArtPhoto_studio / freepik

That new Zealand is ‘clean and green’. Around 60% of the rivers are unswimmable due to pollution.

#2

Image source: Fit-Meal4943, freepik

Canadians are nice.

We are not nice. We are polite.

That means we say “ excuse me”, please” and “thank you” appropriately.

“Excuse me, could you please take all this 51st state b******t to a corner somewhere and f**k yourself with it? Thank you.”.

#3

Image source: childofhydrasteeth, freepik

Wales – Most of us have purely platonic feelings towards sheep.

#4

Image source: Edythir, freepik

“Iceland has an app everybody uses to see if they are related before having sex”. While it is true that it was an app, the app was made as a joke. Iceland has birth records so extensive and complete, I can trace my family back 33 generations to Úlfur Óargi who was born in 740.

So a group of students made a joke app called “Incest Spoiler” which used this data to give you how closely related any two people were, but nobody has seriously used it.

#5

Image source: Ratfor, EyeEm / freepik

Canada is not a frozen wasteland all the time. We have Summer here. It’s my favourite day of the year.

#6

Image source: Zealousideal_Link370, Julia Volk / pexels

Romania: that we have vampires…. Please, my friend Vlad has not seen a single vampire in the past 300 years.

Also, our national anthem literally begins with “wake up from your slumber of death”. :).

#7

Image source: Correct-Cow-5169, Ryan Klaus / freepik

French are not cowards and we do not surrender or run away in every war.
Countless military words have french etymology, because we were the dominant military power for centuries. It is true we collapsed in 1940 and disgraced ourselves, but that one event does not erase everything else
It is especially annoying coming from illiterate US simpletons who are not aware of the role the french military played in the American war of independence.

#8

Image source: GodsDrunkPlan, rawpixel.com / freepik

That America has a democracy.

#9

Image source: Rvaldrich, freepik

America was founded for religious freedom.  The Pilgrims were intolerant bigots, driven out of everywhere else because of their intolerance and zealotry.

They also didn’t start America.  The Jamestown Colony was the “start” and it was a ‘company town’.  So America was founded for corporate wealth expansion.

#10

Image source: zoidbergeron, Kiwistocks / freepik

The myth that America is the land of opportunity.

#11

Image source: dasaigaijin, freepik

Japan is not like what you see on the internet. Japanese are not the nicest most polite people. Japanese smile a lot do to social pressure but they are really thinking “I hate you”

The working culture here is really really bad with very little work life balance. The government is just as corrupt as Americas. It’s very crowded and fairly expensive to the point that people are no longer having babies.

It’s a great country to visit for like two weeks. But living here, it’s very difficult to survive ESPECIALLY if you don’t speak any Japanese.

Edit: Also, all that nerdy Anime s**t is also considered nerdy Anime s**t here too.

#12

Image source: VivHasATonOfProblems, Ron Lach / pexels

Well, I’d say that we don’t eat pasta on a daily basis, but we Italians absolutely f*****g do.

#13

Image source: Apocryph761, user21690384 / freepik

That British food is s**t.

It was probably true 20 years ago, but British cuisine has gone through a bit of a renaissance over the last decade and a half. We actually season stuff now. As evidenced by the fact that outside of Paris, the city with the most michelin-starred restaurants in the world is London.

One thing that *is* a bone of contention for me is that when I see memes about British food, it’s almost always pot-shots at our “poverty meals”. Beans on toast and stuff like that. We’ve never eaten beans on toast because we *like* it; we eat it because it’s literally cheaper than instant noodles.

It just feels very cheap to mock poverty food when 60 million Americans rely on food banks.

#14

Image source: fettoter84, Michael Coghlan / flickr

That Vikings had horns on their helmets. Thanks Wagner.

That polar bears roam our streets.

And my personal favourite: that the midnight sun is a physically different sun.

#15

Image source: VanillaAcceptable534, demanna / freepik

That the country is called Holland. Holland is just 2 of the 12 provinces, the only two most people visit.

#16

Image source: OdBlow, Emoscopes / Wikipedia

Scotland – many people think that Wild Haggis are a myth created to wind up tourists but they’re actually very much real animals although their numbers have declined quite significantly so I can see why they think it’s a myth. Luckily, you can see one on display in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum so hopefully that helps dispel the myth of their existence!

#17

Image source: Remote-Restaurant366, Sergio Arreola / pexels

Mexico. We eat tacos every 2 seconds. We all look like: have a mustache,sombrero,named Juan.

#18

Image source: GamemasterJeff, pressfoto / freepik

We are the land of the Free.

Reality: USA is a flawed democracy ranking in the high teens in the various freedom indices.

So perhaps some nuance to the 100% part unless you get technical.

#19

Image source: tombofVARN, wirestock / freepik

Australia and all the wildlife. The vast majority of the time, if you leave wildlife alone, they’ll leave you alone. Snakes and spiders are not particularly brave.

Usually this whole “aUsTraLiA iS sO dEaDlY” comes from people that have f*****g bears, wolves, mountain lions and more to worry about. I’m way more worried about those than a spider you can smash with a newspaper.

#20

Image source: Shuyuya, ansiia / freepik

Idk if it’s a myth but I’m tired of people associating berets with France. NO ONE wears that. NO ONE.

#21

Image source: neamhagusifreann, Pressmaster / pexels

Ireland. We’re not all alcoholics who eat nothing but potatoes.

#22

Image source: JackHardy182, jcstudio / freepik

UK – that we all love the royal family & are offended when other people insult them.

A large chunk of the population is in favour of having no royal family anymore (certainly compared to previous generations).

#23

Image source: Smart-Environment407, Brett Sayles / pexels

That all of Germany is like Bavaria (all of the German stereotypes only depict Bavarian traditions). Although the country is a pretty small one, people will have different traditions, customs and veeeery different dialects if you drive for only 2 or 3 hours. .

#24

Image source: Paul-McS, freepik

That we in the USA think we’re better than everyone. Some do but many have a deep respect for other cultures and a fascination to learn more.

(Our recent election may not support this but it’s 100% true!).

#25

Image source: zeekoes, picturepartners / freepik

The Netherlands – a majority of people do not in fact smoke pot on the regular, nor is it technically legal.

We also don’t wear wooden shoes, the country does not exist mostly out of farmers that are stuck in the 19th century (thank you for that one Marvel) and we do not have no-go zones in big cities.