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

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.

Image credits: farlos75

#4

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

#5

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

#6

Scotland: We’re all ginger alcoholics who hate the English and run amongst the hills in our ‘skirts’ screaming “FREEDOM”

Image credits: notyurfuxkingwoman

#7

We aren't all overweight people wearing Old Navy American flag t-shirts and khaki shorts. Only, like, 60% of us.

Image credits: SkippyNordquist

#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.

Image credits: foodwithnoob

#9

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

#10

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.

Image credits: kwnet

#11

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

#12

Nigeria. that everyone here is into scamming people

Image credits: crzybrzy

#13

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

#14

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.

Image credits: notsocoolnow

#15

Germany: We don't have humor and live to work

Image credits: Wichtel_Lotte

#16

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

#17

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

#18

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

#19

No Italian aren't all short, black haired, fat, mobsters that wear wine-stained tank tops and coppolas. We are loud tho

#20

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).

Image credits: avoere

#21

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

Image credits: helpmeimdanganronpa

#22

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.

Image credits: guiporto32

#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

If someone says "isn't Ireland part of the UK tho" one more time...

Image credits: miseroisin

#25

All of our country is just weed and red districts. Yes we have these things.. but the Netherlands has lots of culture!

#26

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

#27

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

#28

That we are all are tech scammers and like eating cow dung

guess which country

Image credits: Dissapointment45

#29

That Africa is a country.

#30

I’ve never seen a mime in Paris

Image credits: simon_0404