Madagascar

Make Madagascar a "Japanese" sort of empire. Like take islands, invade bigger islands, invade big countries, etc. Post a screenshot and I'll react to it.

Vanilla...the famous bean that populates the palates of ice cream, cake, cookie, and milkshake lovers. Many know of Madagascar Vanilla, but is that where it comes from?

Answer: No

Vanilla is from Mexico! The bean was first discovered by the Spanish. Prior to them, the Aztecs used it in many rituals. Some time in the 1840s, the bean got into French hands, and arrived on the colony of Ile de Bourbon (now known as the French oversees thing called Reunion). There, the bean grew better than it did in Mexico. Eventually, the plant got to the nearby colony of Madagascar, where it grew better still. That's how Vanilla got to Madagascar.

Today, Madagascar is one of the biggest producers of a bean it is extremely well-known for, but didn't have for most of its existence.

In honor of this wonderful plant, go and have something with Vanilla in it. Maybe a nice bowl of ice cream or another sweet.

More facts to come!