LINKS Homepage of Castle Neuschwanstein (in English): https://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/palace/index.htm A kid explains the Berlin Wall (warning: includes reference to 200 people…

South Africa is celebrating Freedom Day on April 27, because on that day in 1994 it held its first democratic election. Anyone could vote, regardless of their race, and all voters were treated equally. Let’s find out how much has changed since the end of apartheid.

At a time when there’s so much news about war in the world, let’s learn some of the secrets of the peaceful Central American nation of Costa Rica.

France is in the news right now because it’s in the middle of a Presidential election. It’s expected to be a tight contest between the current president, a man called Emmanuel Macron, and his opponent Marine Le Pen, who is running on a platform of something called ‘far right nationalism’ – which includes being against things like immigration. Let’s learn more about this country that has more tourists each year than it does citizens!

Solomon Islands are one of Australia’s closest neighbours, and they’ve been in the news lately because of a security pact they’ve signed with China. We’ll learn about why that’s a big deal… but also about how kids in Solomon Islands get to school; how to speak some pijin; and who the Bilikiki Boys are.

Which came first, the bird or the country? We’ll explore this burning question, and go beyond the tragic headlines to learn more about this ancient country and its people.

Greece is having a big party on March 25, to celebrate Greek Independence Day. Don’t be surprised if you see the blue-and-white Greek flag flying in Australia, too—about half a million Aussies have Greek heritage, making Australia home to one of the biggest Greek communities in the world. So it seems to be the perfect time to find out a bit more about this ancient civilisation.

With all the flooding happening in Australia, we thought we’d travel to Europe this week to learn about “The Lowlands” – which is what “The Netherlands” means – and find out how they deal with having more than 1/3 of their country below sea level. The Dutch are serious experts when it comes to dealing with unwanted water. They’re also some of the world’s tallest people, have a thing for licorice, and, yes… we’ll talk about tulips.

Who doesn’t want to know more about a country that has the highest density of robots in the world, where taekwondo was invented, and where, when you take a photo, everyone says “kimchi”?

I’m Amanda Bower, and today on Squiz the World we’re visiting the Gold Coast. Not the one in Queensland, but the one in sub-Saharan Africa. We’ll learn why Ghana got a new name; what our names would be if we were born in Ghana; and how to pluck a guitar, African-style.