Geography

Continents shift at the same rate as fingernails grow.

Tectonic plates move about 1-10 cm per year, similar to the rate of human fingernail growth.

Earth is not a perfect sphere — it's a geoid.

Earth is slightly flattened at the poles and wider at the equator due to rotation. The actual highest point is Mount…

The Sahara was a tropical ocean 50 million years ago.

Marine fossils found in the Sahara desert confirm the region was covered by a sea.

Easter Island got its name from the day of its discovery.

Dutch explorers spotted and landed on the island on Easter Sunday in 1722, immediately naming it after the date.

The flag of Nepal is not rectangular.

It is the only non-quadrilateral national flag, featuring the shape of two overlapping pennants, representing the…

There is a city called Rome on every continent except Antarctica.

The original Rome inspired many settlers worldwide to name their new towns after the iconic Italian capital.

Australia is the only continent with no active volcanoes.

Because it does not sit on the edge of a tectonic plate, mainland Australia has been geologically quiet for thousands…

There is a river that appears to flow uphill.

The Green River in the USA creates an optical illusion that makes it appear to flow uphill. Geologists confirmed the…

Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers.

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world with no permanent rivers. Its dry climate means that any water flows…

Mexico City is sinking every year.

Built on the dry bed of Lake Texcoco, Mexico City is sinking between 10 and 15 centimeters per year as the ground…

The Dead Sea is so salty that human bodies float on the surface without effort.

With a salinity of about 34%, it is nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean. This dense water makes the human body…

The longest place name in the world belongs to Bangkok, Thailand.

The city's full ceremonial name is 169 letters long and translates to a long phrase describing the city's beauty and…

Greenland is home to the world's largest national park.

Northeast Greenland National Park was established in 1974 and covers about 972,000 km², an area larger than 163 of…

Egypt has only one railway station with high-speed trains.

Egypt's high-speed train station is located in Alexandria. The country has plans to expand the network, but currently…

The city of Saint Petersburg was built on 42 islands.

Saint Petersburg, Russia, is composed of 42 islands connected by more than 300 bridges. The city is crossed by canals…

Mongolia has the lowest population density in the world.

Mongolia has about 2 inhabitants per km², making it the sovereign country with the lowest population density in the…

The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar place on Earth.

Some weather stations in the Atacama have never recorded a single drop of rain. It is so arid and Mars-like that NASA…

The longest mountain range on Earth is almost entirely underwater.

The mid-ocean ridge is a continuous submarine mountain system that stretches about 65,000 kilometers across the…

The town of Boring, Oregon, is officially paired with the village of Bland, Australia.

Embracing their unfortunate and funny names, the two towns officially became 'sister cities' in 2013 to promote…

The border between Denmark and Canada is one of the most curious in the world.

Hans Island, a small uninhabited island in the Arctic, has been disputed by Denmark and Canada since 1973. The…

Australia's capital was built in the middle of nowhere because of a dispute.

Sydney and Melbourne were disputing the status of Australia's capital. To resolve the impasse, it was decided to…

The Great Blue Hole in Belize is a giant marine sinkhole over 120 meters deep.

Formed during the last ice age, this perfectly circular underwater sinkhole is a popular diving site known for its…

Japan has more registered pets than children under the age of 15.

Due to a declining birth rate and an aging population, the number of cats and dogs as companions has vastly…

The Panama Canal uses a system of locks that act like water elevators.

Ships are raised 26 meters above sea level to cross the continental divide and then lowered back down, saving them…