16 Amazing Geographic Facts

Do you know such fascinating geographic facts: how you can immediately be in four places at the same time or play soccer in different hemispheres of the Earth? And where will nobody find you on our planet? We offer you to read our article about some fascinating facts about earth.

1. Everest is not the highest point on our planet

Chimborazo Volcano is higher than Everest for 11 feet (3.4 Meters). Nevertheless, only if we measure the height of the mountain from the center of the Earth (3967 mi or 6384.4 km of Chimborazo versus 3965 mi or 6381 km of Everest from the center of the planet). In addition, not the height above sea level (here it is 5,5 mi or 8848 meters near the Jomolungma).

Thus, if we compare the height of Everest with the rest using this method, then the Chomolungma will not even get a place in the list of the 20 highest peaks of the planet.

2. Soccer teams can play against each other, being in different hemispheres of Earth

The Estadio Milton Correa stadium in Brazil is also known as the Zeran (Portuguese for “big zero”). Its name is due to the fact that almost in the middle of the field passes the equator – zero parallel. So we can assume that the teams that conduct matches on it defend not only their gates, but also a separate hemisphere of the Earth.

3. Point Nemo is the most inaccessible in the whole globe

In the Pacific Ocean there is a conditional point that is the most distant from any land. The nearest land is at a distance of 1670 mi (2688 km).

This place is also called the pole of inaccessibility

The nearest “pieces” of land are the uninhabited Dusi Atoll, Motu Nui Island and Maher Island.

The geographic point got its name thanks to the hero of the novel by Jules Verne “20 thousand leagues under the sea.”

It is interesting that the orbit of the International Space Station can pass over the Nemo point, so sometimes the nearest populated place is about 249 mi (400 km), not only on Earth, but in space.

4. There is a geographic way to be in four states at the same time

The Four Corners is a place in the United States where the borders of the states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico meet

Thus, you can visit four different states at the same time.

5. Glaciers contain most of the world’s drinking water

Ice covers about 10% of the surface of our planet. Glaciers cover 5791532 square mi (15 million square km) of Earth. And in these 10% contains 75% of all drinking water on Earth.

But if we consider only non-frozen drinking water, it turns out that as much as 20% of it is contained in only one lake, Baikal.

6. “Dingo fence” in Australia is longer than the Russian-Chinese border

In the 19th century, in Australia, sheep breeding was an important sector of the economy. In the 1880s, farmers decided to build a long fence that would protect sheep pastures from the invasion of wild dingo dogs. This fence has a length of 3,488 mi (5,614 km). For comparison, the length of the Russian-Chinese border is 2616 mi (4,209.3 km).

7. The largest desert on Earth is in Antarctica

The desert is not necessarily about the sweltering heat and sands. This is actually a dry geographic place with very little rainfall – less than 10 inches (250 mm) per year. Any precipitation is considered: rain, snow, fog.

So cold places where little snow falls are also considered desert

Thus, we can say that the Antarctic desert is the largest in the world, its size is 5328210 square miles (13.8 million square km), rainfall is less than 2 inches (51 mm) per year.

So the Sahara, of course, is the largest hot desert, but in general among the deserts of the planet it is still only the second after the Antarctic.

8. Pheasant Island changes owners every six months

This island in the middle of the Bidasoa River belongs to Spain for six months and to France for another six months. Administrations take turns replacing each other, administaring this geographic place. This has been going on for more than three centuries.

No one lives there, and the island is closed to visitors.

9. The Dead Sea is below sea level

The salty waters of the Dead Sea fall by 3,2 feet (1 meter) every year. Now it is 1410 feet (430 meters) below sea level.

10. In Canada there is an island with a lake, in which there is an island, on which there is also a lake, and in this lake there is an island

We are talking about Victoria Island as part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is here that the island is located on the island, which is located on the island. Its size is approximately 9,88 acres (4 ha). Besides, most likely, any person has never been to it.

11. The caves of Ervandun and Shondong are so large that each of them has its own microclimate

The depth of the Ervandun cave in China is 1447 feet (441 meters). It is so great that it formed its own microclimate and vegetation. Locals predict the weather based on observations of the cave. So, if fog comes from it, then people expect rain.

Shondong Cave is located in Vietnam. Its depth in some places reaches 656 feet (200 meters). There is an underground river in the cave, flooding some of its parts during rains. And the grass and trees grow in the cave.

12. The Appalachian mountains are declining, and the Himalayas are growing

The Appalachians are mountains in eastern North America. Their height is 6,7 feet (2,037 meters). This is not too much when compared with the Rocky Mountains (14432,41 feet or 4 399 meters) and the Himalayas (29029 feet or 8 848 meters).

However, this was not always the case: once the Appalachians were higher, even higher than the Himalayas. The fact is that the latter are younger than the Appalachian mountain system, and the Himalayas are growing to this day, since the plateau of India “pushes” Eurasia.
The Appalachians arose in a similar way, however, now there is no longer the force that would “push” these mountains up.

13. On the island of Mauritius there are dunes that consist of sands of seven different colors

Red, brown, violet, green, cyan, magenta and yellow – such a palette of sand can be seen near the village of Chamarel.

These sands are randomly located in different layers

If you take a handful and mix in the palms – surprisingly, but a fact – soon the sands will still be divided by color spectra.

14. One Anna Creek pasture in Australia is greater than the entire geographic territory of Israel

The Anna Creek pasture is the largest farm in the world. Its territory is 9142 square miles (23 677 square km), while the state of Israel covers an area of 8522 square miles (22,072 sq. Km).

The pasture was created in 1863.

15. Between the islands of Diomede about 2,5 miles (4 km), the state border and 21 hours time difference

These two islands are located in the center of the Bering Strait. The western one, Ratmanova Island, belongs to Russia, and the eastern one, Kruzenshtern Island, belongs to the USA.

There is the maritime border of Russia and the United States between them in the center of the strait

Along this strait there is a date line. For example, when on the American island it is 6:00 on Saturday, then on the Russian it is already 9:00 the next day – Sunday.

16. The Pacific Ocean is so huge that it contains the antipodes of himself

The antipode is a point on the earth’s surface that is diametrically opposite to this one. Surely each of us sometimes fantasized and thought: what if to dig a huge hole right in the place where I stand, across the globe, where in the world will I be? That is, we thought: where is the antipode for my geographic location?

And the Pacific Ocean is so huge that if you dived at one of its points and sailed through the core of the Earth, you would still have surfaced in the Pacific Ocean.