Some countries make a fortune from some rather surprising (but legal) goods. From medical cannabis to blood to bull semen, we take a look at 30 unexpected items that some countries export around the world for a tidy sum.

In Iran the delicate saffron crocus blooms are like gold dust. They are grown, harvested and dried to make saffron. It can take over 15,000 blooms to produce 100g of saffron, which is why it is the world's priciest spice. Iran accounts for around 93% of its annual global production. In 2018, Iran exported 105 tonnes of saffron, a 40% increase on the previous year, and production is expected to increase further.

It might be a spice associated with Christmas and cold winter days, but the bulk of the world's cinnamon actually comes from a tropical Indian Ocean island. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of the cigar-shaped spice used in cooking and medicine. In 2018 the country reportedly exported $194.9 million (£147.9m) worth of cinnamon, which accounted for just over 28% of total cinnamon exports worldwide that year.

Coal mining is typically associated with cold countries, but the fossil fuel is actually one of Australia's biggest exports. The country estimates that it has enough coal supplies to sustain current black coal production rates for nearly 100 years. In 2018 Australia exported AU$67 billion (US$45.9bn/£34.8bn) worth of coal, but as awareness of climate change grows and renewable energies become more popular the market for fossil fuels such as coal is likely to slow.

Of course, Australia can't quite compete with the top black truffle exporters Spain (60 tonnes/year), Italy (30 tonnes) and France (no official figures), but it is a rather unexpected player in the market. This year, Australia is expected to harvest between 14 and 18 tonnes of the "diamonds in the dirt", which can retail for up to $1,300 (£986.4) per kg.

An idyllic coral archipelago in the Pacific, Tuvalu has a population of less than 15,000 and is one of the world's most remote countries. Tuvalu hit the jackpot, however, when it was given the internet suffix of .tv. With media companies across the world desperate to get their hands on a .tv domain, the country is now said to be earning over $2 million (£1.52m) a year from related deals.

Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha are tiny British territories in the South Atlantic Ocean, that were once struggling for money. A big source of income that these islands rely on now is postage stamps. As their populations are tiny, their stamps are rare. In the 1920s, when stamp collecting was at its peak, the islands were flooded with demands for their stamps and now a large percentage of the territories' income comes from the stamps.

While the Ivory Coast supplies 30% of the world's cocoa, making it the top cocoa exporter worldwide, surprisingly Germany is the country that exports the most chocolate. In 2018 Germany reportedly exported $5 billion (£3.8bn) of the cocoa-rich snack, accounting for 17% of global chocolate exports that year. Belgium wasn't far behind, with sales totalling $3.1 billion (£2.35bn).

Salt is one of the most common recipe ingredients in the world and it is also used to keep appliances running smoothly. The world's largest exporter of salt is the Netherlands. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the Netherlands exported over $292 million (£223m) worth of salt in 2017, the most recent data available, accounting for around 11% of the global salt export market. Germany came second, accounting for 8.6% of world trade.  

Chile is the largest exporter of sweet cherries in the world, shipping out 146,000 tonnes in 2018 according to a recent IndexBox report. The trades for this popular fruit are reported to have accrued $760 million (£578m) for Chile's cherry producers. The USA, which was the top cherry exporter the year before, had to deal with Chinese tariffs that saw cherry exports drop to 87,000 tonnes in 2018, the equivalent of $522 million (£397m) in sales.

The large Asian country of Kazakhstan is the world's largest exporter of radioactive chemicals. In 2018 Kazakhstan sold $1.34 billion (£1bn) worth of these potent materials to foreign countries, according to database TrendEconomy.com. Its other big foreign trading products include crude petroleum and refined copper.

Frogs' legs may be a popular dish on the menu of French and Belgian restaurants, but the majority of those eaten actually come from Indonesia. Many of these frogs are caught in Indonesia and then shipped to Europe. Conservationists are concerned that the insatiable demand for frogs’ legs could seriously impact on local frog populations in Asia and are calling for the European Union to limit frog imports, but that hasn't stopped France from being the biggest frogs' legs importer.

When you think of snails as a popular dish you typically, once again, think of France, but it's Bosnia and Herzegovina which is making a surprisingly profitable trade here, exporting $7.33 million (£5.6m) in 2017. Bosnian snails are different to French snails, as they are quite meaty, so the demand for them is expected to keep growing.

The yellow spice turmeric has been used in recipes for decades and India is the world's largest supplier of it, selling $175 million (£133m) worth in 2017 and taking up 68% of the global market, according to the OEC. There are many reports about the potential health benefits of turmeric, however although it has been used in various clinical trials for diseases across the world, to date the conclusions have either been negative or uncertain.

India has a flourishing trade in human hair. An international market for real hair wigs and hair pieces has increased demand, with many of the country's poorer citizens queuing up to sell their locks. In 2018 India exported $35.1 million (£26.7m) worth of human hair, a whopping 46.7% of the global market, the WTE reported.

Lamb is usually what first comes to mind when thinking about New Zealand's export business, but actually concentrated milk is the country's biggest foreign export. In 2017 the OEC reported that New Zealand exported $5.34 billion (£4.05bn) worth of the stuff, taking up 28% of the market. China and Hong Kong are the two largest importers of concentrated milk.

In 2017 quicklime contributed $95.4 million (£72.4m) to France's economy, reports the OEC, making the country the world's largest exporter of this product. Quicklime, also known as calcium oxide, is created by heating calcium carbonate found in natural limestone deposits. It is used to make cement and in other manufacturing processes. Probably not the first thing you’d associate with France.

One of the fastest-growing blood exporters in recent years, Ireland has overtaken the US as the world's top exporter. Used in medical research and treatments, there is always a high demand for human and animal blood and Ireland does a roaring trade in it. In 2018 the country made $30.5 billion (£23.2bn) from trading blood products, an increase of 53.1% on 2017, according to the WTE.

The tiny cocoons of the silkworm are used to create silk, jewellery and also for beauty treatments and Turkey is the world's largest supplier of them. In 2017, according to the OEC, Turkey made $532,000 (£404k) from exporting these tiny cocoons. The highest demand for them comes from China. China is the largest exporter of raw silk, making $333 million (£253m) in 2017, according to the OEC.

The tiny central European country of Liechtenstein makes a huge amount of money from exporting false teeth. Around one fifth of false teeth worn worldwide reportedly originate from this country. That means that about 60 million sets of fake pearly whites are packed and shipped from here every year.

The USA is on top in this market, with $31.6 billion (£24bn), but coming in second with $14.6 billion (£11.1bn) worth of gas turbine exports is the UK. Gas turbines are an essential component in a power station, as they are what helps to turn fuel into power. In 2017, according to the OEC, the UK made up 14% of the global market, more than any other European country.

Vietnam's cashew nut export trades amounted to $3.52 billion (£2.67bn) in 2018, making the country the world's top cashew exporter. According to the Vietnam Cashew Association, 391,000 tons of cashew nuts were shipped abroad, up 7.8% in volume compared to the previous year. The USA is the biggest importer of cashew nuts.

When St Kitts and Nevis was low on money, the country devised a plan: sell citizenships, but with a twist. Unlike most citizenships, you don't need to move there to obtain one. The Caribbean country requires an investment of between $250,000 (£190k) and $400,000 (£304k) in return for citizenship. A St Kitts and Nevis passport gives you visa-free travel to dozens of countries, making this scheme a huge money-spinner.

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Seaweed and algae are used in human food, health products, animal feed, fertilisers and cosmetics, and the Philippines are the world's largest exporter of it. The OEC found that the country made $13.7 million (£10.4m) from foreign sales of seaweed and algae in 2017, which was 29% of the global market. Mexico and Singapore are the biggest importers of it.

Much of the stone used in worktops, flooring, wall tiles and construction originates in Turkey. Turkey is the world's largest exporter of marble, travertine and alabaster. According to the OEC, Turkey exported $1.12 billion (£850m) worth of these materials overseas in 2017, accounting for 45% of the global market.

We might think of Chinese container ships being full of electronic products, but many of them actually probably contain chilli peppers. China is the world's biggest producer of chilli. In 2016 it reportedly sold $496 million (£376m) worth of chilli abroad. Nearly half of all chilli peppers sold globally originate from China and around 1.55 million hectares of Chinese land is said to be given over to the hot crop.

From the heat of chilli to the cold of ice, China is also the world's largest exporter of ice and water. The country reportedly accounted for 55.8% of total water and ice exports in 2018, which was worth $649.1 million (£492.6m), according to WTE. The USA was in second place, but it only accounted for 8.7% of ice and water exports globally.

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The South American country of Peru is the world's largest producer of the metal zinc. Used in construction and paints, Peru produced around 1.47 million tonnes of zinc in 2018, the same amount as in the previous year. According to Peru's central bank the metal earned $2.1 billion (£1.6bn) in foreign revenue in 2017.

Sugar netted Brazil billions, yes billions, in 2018. As much as $6.5 billion (£4.9bn) to be exact, according to WTE. Sugar is usually associated with the Caribbean and in 2017 its nations were top, with shipments totalling $14.3 billion (£10.7bn). However, the value of exported sugar fell by 24.5% between 2017 and 2018. Brazil has been able to capitalise on this and take control of 29.1% of the global sugar market. 

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Despite the substance being banned in the UK, the United Nation's International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) reported that the UK produced 95 tonnes of legal cannabis in 2016. This accounted for 44.9% of the world's total legal production, making the UK the largest cannabis exporter in the world. Canada, where it is now legal, was in second place with 80.7 tonnes. Many cannabis-based medicines are also illegal in the UK, although a substantial part of the UK’s cannabis goes towards producing a cannabis-based medicine called Sativex, which is prescribed for certain conditions.

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If you can't find a mate for your cows, Canada will sell you some bovine semen for artificial insemination. It's not the first thing that may spring to mind when you think about potential Canadian exports but, according to the OEC, Canada exported around $60.2 million (£45.1m) worth of bovine semen to foreign countries in 2017. The top importer was the UK.

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