# "Beirut is the Paris of the Middle East" and its ilk **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951 "2015-01-16T01:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/61 "2015-02-04T16:55:03Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Thailand is a big carmaking country, ninth largest in the world as of 2012, and it’s become known as the Detroit of the East. Nitpick: Thailand has a large _passenger vehicle_ industry. It’s a relatively small carmaking country. The Wikipedia article (and the underlying sources) count things like buses and commercial vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/62 "2015-02-04T17:22:03Z")
In the 1700’s Lexington KY was known as the Athens of the West (though it called its college, the first west of the Appalachians, Transylvania.) I suppose based on the art scene Georgetown KY could be the Santa Fe of the East. And there’s a large gorge in the southeastern part of the state which, because it is full of trees, is sometimes called “the Grand Canyon with clothes on.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/63 "2015-02-04T17:45:20Z")
For decades before WW1, Serbia was referred to as “The Piedmont of the Balkans.” That was a political allusion, not a comparison of physical or geographical features. The idea was that, just as Piedmont had pulled together all of Italy into one nation, under King Victor Emmanuel, Serbia would unite all of the Balkans into one nation (Yugoslavia… which didn’t last as long as Italy). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/64 "2015-02-04T17:47:42Z")
Patriotic Russians have long called Moscow “The Third Rome.” First there was the city of Rome in Italy, then the Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople… and after the fall of Constantinople, Moscow became the New ROme, the city destined to rule the world. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/65 "2015-02-04T18:39:40Z")
This one is both an ethnic ID and an OP topic, said humorously: the Catskills (the Borscht Belt) in NY state is referred to as the Jewish Alps. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/66 "2015-02-04T18:50:11Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > China has many many canal cities but these are not on the ocean like venice. And, generally, these are _ahem_ pretty “fragrant” in warm weather _ahem_. So’s Venice. One reason to go there for Carnaval is that the air is breathable. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/67 "2015-02-05T03:13:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Nitpick: Thailand has a large _passenger vehicle_ industry. It’s a relatively small carmaking country. The Wikipedia article (and the underlying sources) count things like buses and commercial vehicles. However, they do make those here too. Just off the top of my head, I know Scania and Volvo have major truck and bus factories here. ---
**Author:** ![Waskov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e47c2d/32.png) [@Waskov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waskov)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/68 "2015-02-05T03:39:09Z")
Bennett Cerf claimed in one of his books from the 1950s or '60s that Rowayton, Conn., was known as “the Athens of south-central Fairfield County.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/69 "2015-02-05T03:45:38Z")
Poipet, Cambodia is often referred to as the Asshole of the Universe. Plains, Texas too. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/70 "2015-02-05T22:34:36Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Poipet, Cambodia is often referred to as the Asshole of the Universe. > > Plains, Texas too. Obviously by people who have never visited Luton, England… Torbay, home of _Fawlty Towers_ as well as flowery twats is often called The English Riviera. A couple of palm trees and a good tourist board probably… ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951/71 "2015-02-07T03:51:03Z")
Antsirabe is the the Malagasy Vichy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-is-the-paris-of-the-middle-east-and-its-ilk/709951.md?page=3)