Near the end of WWII, the Third Reich hid their greatest secret within Poland’s Owl Mountains—a network of tunnels with a mysterious purpose. It was a bizarre project with the code name "Riese".

Discover American foods with surprisingly different names abroad, from zucchini and eggplant to pancakes and biscuits. Explore confusing food terminology in Britain, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking countries worldwide.

Some countries barely had time to design a flag before disappearing from the map. Throughout history, revolutions, collapsing empires, and independence movements have produced nations that survived only months, weeks, or even days. Some were genuinely independent, while others were provisional or unrecognized republics. Yet their brief existence sometimes changed borders, inspired independence movements, or left symbols that survive today. These are some of history's most fascinating short-lived states.