Summary
- Continents shift at about the same rate as your fingernails grow.
- Mt. Thor on Baffin Island, Canada, has Earth’s greatest sheer vertical drop.
- Ninety percent of Earth’s population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
- California has more people than all of Canada.
- Australia is wider than the moon.
- In the Philippines, there’s an island that’s within a lake, on an island.
- The Dead Sea is currently 429 meters below sea level.
- At certain times of the year, you could walk from the United States to Russia.
- Mount Everest can fit inside the Marianas Trench.
- Russia spans 11 time zones.
- Vatican City is the smallest country in the world.
- Africa is the only continent that covers four hemispheres.
The world is a mind-boggling place. With countless destinations to explore and fascinating discoveries to make, it’s no surprise that our planet has much to offer, rooted in simple yet intriguing geographic facts. Indeed, Earth is like a vast encyclopedia of knowledge, waiting to be unveiled. Below are some remarkable geographical facts about this planet we call home.
1. Continents shift at about the same rate as your fingernails grow.
2. Mt. Thor on Baffin Island, Canada, has Earth’s greatest sheer vertical drop (4,101 feet).
One step off the peak and you could plunge nearly a mile before encountering anything below.
3. Ninety percent of Earth’s population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
4. California has more people than all of Canada.
As of 2015, Canada had approximately 35.85 million residents, while California’s population stood around 39.14 million.
5. Australia is wider than the moon.
6. In the Philippines, there’s an island that’s within a lake, on an island that’s within a lake, on an island.
This statement might require a second glance to fully comprehend!
7. The Dead Sea is currently 429 meters below sea level and sinking about 1 meter a year.
8. At certain times of the year, you could walk from the United States to Russia.
Due to the proximity of Big (Russian) and Little (U.S.) Diomede, the two nations are merely about 2.4 miles apart at their closest points.
9. Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, can fit inside the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.
10. Russia spans 11 time zones.
This vast country has locations where it can be 7 in the morning at one end and 6 in the evening at the other.
