A Quarter of the Netherlands Lives Below Sea Level
The Netherlands is so low-lying that 26 percent of its land area and most of its population sit below sea level. The Dutch joke that God…
Geography
22 facts
Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain—not Everest
When measured from base to peak, Hawaii's Mauna Kea stands over 33,000 feet tall, nearly a mile higher than Mount Everest.
The Pacific Ocean Is Larger Than All Land on Earth Combined
Spanning 60 million square miles from California to China, the Pacific Ocean is so vast that you could fit every continent and island on…
Africa Is Bigger Than the USA, China, India, Japan, and Europe Combined
With a land area of 30.37 million square kilometers, the African continent is vast enough to swallow the United States, China, India,…
Canada Has 62 Percent of All Lakes on Earth
Of the 1.42 million lakes worldwide larger than 0.1 square kilometers, Canada is home to a staggering 879,800 of them — roughly 62 percent…
Russia Spans 11 Time Zones Across 6,200 Miles
Russia is so vast it stretches across 11 different time zones, covering about 6,200 miles from end to end. When the sun reaches its highest…
The Gambia Is So Thin It Was Drawn Around a River by Two Colonial Powers
The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, is a narrow strip of land stretching 480 kilometers inland but only about 50…
Australia Is Wider Than the Moon
Australia stretches roughly 2,500 miles from its east coast to its west coast — wider than the Moon's diameter of about 2,160 miles. The…
Antarctica is the largest desert on Earth
Antarctica, covering 5.5 million square miles, is classified as a desert due to receiving less than 2 inches precipitation annually. It is…
The Great Wall of China is not visible from space
Despite popular myth, the Great Wall is not visible from low Earth orbit. Its width (15-30 feet) is too narrow to discern, and satellite…
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth's surface
The Dead Sea, at 1,410 feet below sea level, is Earth's lowest point on land. Its extreme salinity (10 times saltier than ocean) makes…
Coral reefs contain one quarter of all ocean species
Coral reefs, covering less than 1% of ocean floor, support 25% of marine species. This extraordinary biodiversity makes reefs among Earth's…
Venice is sinking due to groundwater extraction
Venice's historic sinking accelerated dramatically in the 20th century primarily due to groundwater extraction for industrial purposes,…
Antarctica temperatures can drop to minus 128 degrees Fahrenheit
Antarctica holds the record for the lowest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth: minus 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit at Vostok Station in…
China Uses Only One Time Zone for Its Entire Country
Despite spanning roughly the same area as the continental United States, which has four time zones, China operates on a single time zone:…
Istanbul Is the Only Major City Spanning Two Continents
Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, uniquely sits on both Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosphorus Strait.
Africa Is the Only Continent in All Four Hemispheres
Africa uniquely spans the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western hemispheres simultaneously.
Chile Is Longer Than the Width of the United States
Chile extends approximately 2,700 miles, making it longer than the width of the United States.