Gifts Given Between Countries - The Weird and the Wonderful!

Gifts Given Between Countries THE WEIRD AND THE WONDERFUL IIIIII---I-I- 20,000 Tulip Bulbs 1945 - Present As thanks for sheltering Princess Juliana and her daughters during Nazi occupation during WWII, the Dutch now send Canada 20,000 tulip bulbs yearly, with half coming from The Royal Family and half from the Dutch to Bulb Growers Association. The Netherlands Canada Christmas Tree 1947 - Present A focal point of London's Trafalgar Square during the Christmas period - the gift is donated to the people of Britain by the city of Oslo yearly as a sign of gratitude for British support of Norway during WWI. to Norway Britain The Statue Of Liberty 1886 The Statue Of Liberty, an iconic symbol of freedom, was financed and built by the French before being delivered to the US to commemorate the alliance between France and to the USA during the American Revolution. France USA 2 Giant Pandas 1972 Following Nixon's visit to China in 1972 two giant pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, were gifted to the US. The trend of the Chinese offering Pandas as diplomatic gifts has led to the term "Panda Diplomacy". to China USA Trojan Horse 1180 BC The historical accuracy of the Trojan Horse, a subterfuge that the Greeks "gifted" to the Trojans as a means of entering the city to end a 10 year siege, is disputed, however to this is definitely a present you don't want to receive! Greece Troy Stadium 2011 The $100 million Estadio Nacional in Costa Rica was funded and built by China as a gift. One of the most expensive gifts we have come across, reports state that it may have been part of an economic deal between the nations, to China Costa Rica Resolute Desk 1880 Queen Victoria gave President Hayes the desk, crafted from the timbers of HMS Resolute - a ship that became stuck in ice and was refurbished to and returned to Britain by the States at a time of political tensions between the countries. Britain USA Zarafa the Giraffe 1826 Given to Charles X from the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt as a means of persuading the French to stop supporting the Greeks in a fight against the Sultan of Turkey, Zarafa caused a huge stir in France and lived for 18 years. to Egypt France Whales Tooth (tabua) 1977 When the Queen visited Fiji, local chiefs performed a traditional ceremony of invitation, before offering her the most prized possession of any Fijian rules, a whales tooth (tabua). to Fiji Britain Sword Of Stalingrad 1943 The ceremonial longsword, forged and inscribed by George VI, was presented to Stalin by Churchill during the Tehran Conference as a token of appreciation to the Soviet soldiers who fought during the Battle of Stalingrad. to Britain Soviet Union Reset Button 2009 In an attempt to improve relations the US offered Russia the symbolic gift of a reset button. Unfortunately, they used the wrong Russian word for "reset", which instead read as to "overcharge". Oops! USA Russia A Camel (Or 2!) 2013 The camel given to France for liberating Mali met an unfortunate end as, when placed under the care of a family in Timbuktu, it was promptly killed and eaten in a stew. Mali ю reportedly then gave France a new camel, this time sent to straight to Paris. Mali France Noah's Ark 2010 From one infamous dictator to another - Mugabe planned to send then North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il pairs of exotic animals from Zimbabwe, before having to change his plans to due to fears over animal welfare. Zimbabwe North Korea Giant Grasshopper Shaped Wine Cooler 1972 Despite not having the political importance of other presents on this list, the grasshopper shaped wine cooler, given from President Pompidou to the Queen, makes the list through its sheer oddity! to France Britian ScanEagle Drone 2013 Iran gifted Russia a ScanEagle drone after reverse-engineering a captured US model - perhaps as a statement to the US and a show of to its technological capabilities. Iran Russia Straw Penis Sheath 2010 A tribe that live on the South Pacific island of Tanna and worship Prince Philip as a God gifted the man himself with his own penis sheath, however, it is unconfirmed whether the present is frequently part of his attire. to Tanna Britian DVDS 2009 The British press complained of offence when, in return for the gift of a pen holder crafted from the sister ship of the Resolute Desk, Obama gave Gordon Browna multitude of his to favourite movies as DVDS. To make matters worse the DVDS were unplayable due to regional restrictions! USA Britian iPod 2007 Obama doesn't seem like he has had much luck with gifts to the British as controversy, or bemusement, was caused when he offered an iPod to the Queen. Her favourite genre to of music and podcast topic has yet to be revealed. USA Britain Sources www.telegraph.co.uk www.wikipedia.org JUST THE FLIGHT www.theguardian.com www.nps.gov www.justtheflight.co.uk www.businessinsider.com