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 COUNTRIES, TOWNS,  CITIES

                       

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America

Australia

Austria 

 ….. the FIRST country to abolish capital punishment - 1787

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Belgium

..... in 1835 the Belgian State Railway was the world's FIRST state-owned railway

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Canada

Conception Bay ..... Newfoundland ..... where the FIRST official English colony was established in 1610

Halifax ..... the FIRST British town in Canada

Hamilton ..... where the FIRST Empire Games were held in 1930

Czechoslovakia

….. the FIRST country to make the wearing of safety belts compulsory - 1969

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Dubai

..... in September 2003 it became the FIRST Arab country to host the annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund

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Egypt

Library of Alexandria ..... founded in 330 BC by Ptolemy 1 Soter, it was the world's FIRST state-funded scientific institution and comprised a museum, teaching facilities and a library that contained 700,000 scrolls. It was destroyed in 641 following the Arab conquest

Pharos - The ..... the FIRST lighthouse and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that was at Alexandria

England

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*** France

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Germany

 

 Avos autobahn ..... 1921 ..... Berlin - world's FIRST motorway

 

in 1966 their football team was the team which scored the FIRST-ever "Golden Goal" to win a major international final - European Championship

 

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Ireland

Stamford Lock ..... in 2008 the world's FIRST Tide Power Machine came into use at the Lock which has one of the strongest tidal surges in the world

Italy

Venice .....  the FIRST public opera house was opened there and in 1849 it was the FIRST city to be bombed

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Japan

Nagasaki ..... in 1570 it was the FIRST Japanese port to open to overseas trade

 Venus Fort ….. FIRST shopping mall exclusively designed for women. It opened in Tokyo Bay in August 1999 and had 137 shops selling cosmetics and designer label clothes

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Mauritius

 

Ibn Sina ….. FIRST Islamic and private university in Mauritius

 

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New Zealand

….. FIRST English speaking country to adopt the system of proportional representation for its voters

Norway

 ….. in 1912 it was the FIRST country to introduce compulsory third party motor insurance

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Pakistan

 ..... country which won the FIRST World Cup for men's hockey in 1971

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Saudi Arabia

Al Faisaliah Tower ….. built in Riyadh it was Saudi Arabia’s FIRST sky-scraper

Riyadh ..... the world's FIRST commercial dromedary dairy opened there in 1986 selling camel milk at £1.20 a litre

Scotland

..... in February 2002 it became the FIRST country in the UK to ban fox-hunting

..... Carron Ironworks ..... FIRST large scale integrated factory in Europe in the mid 1700s and was set up by John Roebuck, Samuel Garbett and William Cadell

..... Edinburgh ..... the FIRST lending library in the UK was set up there in 1726. In October 2004 UNESCO announced it as the world's FIRST 'City of Literature'

..... Falkirk ..... the Falkirk Wheel is the world's FIRST and only rotating boat lift

Spain

..... the FIRST country in Europe to pass a law specifically designed to combat domestic violence (2004). The new law will provide increased protection for victims and at the same time ensure that those guilty of carrying out abuse face tougher sentences

 ...... Costa Blanca TV ..... the FIRST English Language Community Access TV Channel in Europe when residents and visitors to the Southern Costa Blanca can view real local television with much of the content provided by the community

..... Onda Cero International ….. the FIRST English language radio station on the Costa Blanca to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week - 2001. It closed down on November 28th 2008 so that their wavelengths could be re-allocated to their national brand networks Onda Cera Radio and Europa FM

Switzerland

….. in 1999 it became the FIRST country in the world to wipe out rabies without quarantine restrictions

 ..... St Moritz ..... the FIRST bobsleigh run was built there in 1902

Syria

..... in 1930 the FIRST golden hamsters were found there

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U.S.S.R

..... by decree in 1920, it was the FIRST country to legalize abortion. In 1959 it became the FIRST country in the world whose flag was placed on the moon when miniature flags were dropped there from Luna 2, ten years before the first landing, when the US flag was erected

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Wales

 

Brynllys ..... the UK's FIRST organic dairy farm

Cardiff .....  home to the U.K’s FIRST Centre for Astrobiology. It combined research interests in astronomy and molecular cell biology to throw light on the emergence and development of life in the cosmos and planetary bodies

Cardigan Castle ..... 1176 ..... the very FIRST National Eisteddfod of Wales was held there under the patronage of Rhys ap Gruffydd

Chester ..... 1511 .....  the FIRST English race meeting was held on the course there

Oystermouth Railway  ..... 1804 ..... established by an Act of Parliament and in March 1807 became the FIRST railway to carry fare-paying passengers ( using horse-drawn wagons)

 

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Xativa (Jativa) ..... the FIRST paper factory in Europe was founded here in the 13th century and was brought by the Arabs from Egypt and China

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