All of us know about the USA, but we really don’t know enough. For example, did you know that the state of Montana has three times as many cows as people? Or that there are three towns in the country called “Santa Claus”? Not many people know the following 15 facts about the USA; they will astonish you!

1 In the USA, any ransom payments you might make to a kidnapper are tax-deductible.

If, under some unfortunate circumstances, one were required to pay ransom to a bunch of kidnappers, it would do you well to realise that the IRS identifies ransom money as theft, along with blackmail, extortion, and embezzlement, and under the same laws that apply to them, ransom money is tax-deductible. You do, however, need proof of the money you have lost.(source)

2 You could buy a lifetime, unlimited first-class travel pass with American Airlines for $250,000 in 1981.

Introduced in 1981, this membership started at $250,000 and allowed members access to the Admirals Club and the airline’s VIP lounges; they also gained air miles every time they flew, besides the freedom to fly wherever they want to, whenever they want to. An additional $150,000 could land you the companion pass as well.(source)

3 American homes have more exotic animals than American zoos. 

At present, some states allow privately owning an exotic animal, without imposing any restrictions on the owners. 32% of these animals are reptiles while big cats constitute 19%, and primates 16%. However, commercially importing endangered animals has been restricted in the country since the early 1970s.

It is estimated that at least 5,000 tigers are being held captive in private homes, with no one licencing or regulating these pet owners.(source)

4 Facebook is cited as causing 1 in 5 divorces in the United States, and when it comes to providing online divorce evidence, 66 percent cite social networking sites as their primary source.

A survey conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers showed that 81% of the country’s attorneys claim to have seen a vast increase in the number of divorce cases that cite Facebook as a source of evidence, with 1 in every 5 divorce cases citing it as their primary source.(source)

5 There are 115,000 janitors, 83,000 bartenders, 323,000 restaurant servers, and 80,000 heavy-duty truck drivers in the States who hold Bachelor’s degrees.

The higher education bubble that appears to be prevalent in the country seems to be hinting at the possibility that college graduates under the age of 25 are more likely to take up jobs in Starbucks or a similar franchise or in a local restaurant than find work as engineers and scientists and the likes. In fact, today, at least 1 in 3 college grads are working as janitors, bartenders or waiters and waitresses, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.(source)