Cocos-Keeling is not a nation.
Evelyn C. Leeper <evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com> wrote:--
Cocos-Keeling is not a nation.Thanks. That would explain why I didn't find it. So I guess it's
just Jamaica whose national flag contains no red, no white, and
no blue.
I agree that far too many nations use the same set of colors.
Ideally, no two would use the same set.
How many distinct colors are there? Being male, I will say just ten.
I'll use the ones from the resistor color code, whose mnemonic is
"Bad boys rape our young girls behind victory garden walls." (Black,
brown, red (or maroon or crimson), orange, yellow (or gold), green,
blue, violet (or purple), gray, and white.) As such, there are 1024
possible distinct subsets of colors. 1023 if you exclude the empty
set. That's far more than enough for every nation, with room for
future expansion.
Then there would be juse one red, white, and blue flag. And just one
blue and yellow flag -- Ukraine can fight Sweden over who gets to
keep it.
Here's a new national trivia question: What do these nations all have
in common? Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lichteinstein, South
Africa, Tanzania, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and Zambia? (Gary,
please don't answer, as we discussed this at Philcon.)
Still waiting for an answer.
Here's a new national trivia question: What do these nations all have
in common? Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lichteinstein, South
Africa, Tanzania, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and Zambia?
HererCOs mine.
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most other countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most other >countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most
other countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
The US, Canada, and France.
You have to go pretty far back for that third one, though.
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Thailand, Ireland. East Timor.
And then there is Sweden where they used to drive on one side but
now drive on the other.
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most other
countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
The US, Canada, and France.
You have to go pretty far back for that third one, though.
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Thailand, Ireland. East Timor.
And then there is Sweden where they used to drive on one side but now
drive on the other.
--scott
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most
other countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
The US, Canada, and France.
You have to go pretty far back for that third one, though.
Was France ever part of the British Empire? There wasn't any British
Empire until the 1707 Act of Union.
You May be thinking of the Angevin Empire, which included both England
and parts of France. But people didn't drive on either side of the
road in those days, as cars hadn't yet been invented.
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most other
countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
The US, Canada, and France.
You have to go pretty far back for that third one, though.
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Thailand, Ireland. East Timor.
And then there is Sweden where they used to drive on one side but now
drive on the other.
--scott
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most other
countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
The US, Canada, and France.
You have to go pretty far back for that third one, though.
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Thailand, Ireland. East Timor.
And then there is Sweden where they used to drive on one side but now
drive on the other.
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
As you may know, most countries that were once part of the British
empire drive their cars on the left side of the road, while most other >countries drive on the right side of the road.
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire, >that drive on the right side of the road?
The US, Canada, and France.
You have to go pretty far back for that third one, though.
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Thailand, Ireland. East Timor.
And then there is Sweden where they used to drive on one side but now
drive on the other.
R
On 1/21/2026 10:30 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:
Can you name three countries that were once part of the British empire,
that drive on the right side of the road?
United States, Canada, Can't think of a third off hand
And conversely, can you name three countries that were never part of
the British empire, where they drive on the left side of the road?
Japan, don't know of others
I was living in Sweden when the switch happened. It was ...
interesting.
Keith F. Lynch wrote:
You may be thinking of the Angevin Empire, which included both
England and parts of France. But people didn't drive on either
side of the road in those days, as cars hadn't yet been invented.
Actually, the custom/rule of driving on the left goes back possibly
to the Romans, and certainly to the Middle Ages.
(Carts.)
I'm skeptical. How did Britain and the US end up driving on different
sides if they started out driving on the same side?
I expect that when traffic moved at a walking pace that there were no
rules, and everyone went every which way, as pedestrians still do.
Keith F. Lynch wrote:
I'm skeptical. How did Britain and the US end up driving on
different sides if they started out driving on the same side?
I expect that when traffic moved at a walking pace that there were no
rules, and everyone went every which way, as pedestrians still do.
Long before cars, horse-drawn vehicles moved at a faster pace and
couldn't get out of each other's way as easily as pedestrians.
According to a CNN article, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
Road, opened in 1795, had a rule to stay to the right.
Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
Keith F. Lynch wrote:
I'm skeptical. How did Britain and the US end up driving on
different sides if they started out driving on the same side?
I expect that when traffic moved at a walking pace that there were no
rules, and everyone went every which way, as pedestrians still do.
Long before cars, horse-drawn vehicles moved at a faster pace and
couldn't get out of each other's way as easily as pedestrians.
According to a CNN article, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
Road, opened in 1795, had a rule to stay to the right.
I just watched the Thoughty2 YouTube Video, "The London Underground
Has Secrets You Wouldn't Expect." It shows film and still photos of
what London traffic looked during the Victorian era. Sure enough,
it appears to be random. And at 3:17, two horse-drawn carriages are
driving on the right.
On 2026-02-10, Keith F. Lynch <kfl@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
Keith F. Lynch wrote:
I'm skeptical. How did Britain and the US end up driving on
different sides if they started out driving on the same side?
I expect that when traffic moved at a walking pace that there were no
rules, and everyone went every which way, as pedestrians still do.
Long before cars, horse-drawn vehicles moved at a faster pace and
couldn't get out of each other's way as easily as pedestrians.
According to a CNN article, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
Road, opened in 1795, had a rule to stay to the right.
I just watched the Thoughty2 YouTube Video, "The London Underground
Has Secrets You Wouldn't Expect." It shows film and still photos of
what London traffic looked during the Victorian era. Sure enough,
it appears to be random. And at 3:17, two horse-drawn carriages are
driving on the right.
The images might have been reversed. Is there any visible text showing?
I just watched the Thoughty2 YouTube Video, "The London Underground
Has Secrets You Wouldn't Expect." It shows film and still photos of
what London traffic looked during the Victorian era. Sure enough,
it appears to be random. And at 3:17, two horse-drawn carriages are
driving on the right.
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