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The Sahara Desert witnessed its first-ever snowfall on February 18, 1979; the town of Calama in the Atacama Desert, Chile, remains the only place in the world never to have seen rain,... are some fascinating facts you might not know about world geography.
35 fascinating facts about world geography you may not know
1. The Kingdom of Tonga is an independent archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean.
2. The Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest railway line in the world, passes through exactly 3901 bridges.
3. The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands, of which only about 2,000 are inhabited.
4. The phrase “Allahu Akbar” (meaning God is great) in white Arabic script is repeated a total of 22 times on the flag of Iran (11 times along the bottom edge of the green stripe and 11 times along the top edge of the red stripe).
5. The seven largest countries in the world including Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Australia, Brazil, and Argentina collectively occupy half of our planet's landmass.
6. Only five countries in Europe share a border with only one other country: Portugal (with Spain), Italy (with San Marino), San Marino (with Italy), Vatican City (with Italy), and Monaco (with France).
7. The Paricutin volcano in Michoacán, Mexico erupted continuously for 9 years (1943-1952). During this time, the volcano grew by a total of 2,774 meters.
8. Similar to New York's Wall Street, London has Lombard Street (the financial and banking center of the city of London).
9. New York City is commonly referred to as the five boroughs, including The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan.
10. The largest desert in Europe is the Ryn Sands desert, situated between the Volga River and the Urals (in Kazakhstan and Russia).
11. Japan comprises over 3,900 small islands and 4 major islands: Honshu (occupying about 60% of the total area), Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku.
12. The Ganges River is one of the largest and longest rivers, and it is the sacred lifeline of Hinduism, the revered faith of nearly a billion people.
13. Among the world's 25 highest mountain peaks, 19 are part of the Himalayan range.
14. Ulan Bator (Mongolia) holds the title for the coldest capital city in the world.
15. There are 336 rivers and streams flowing into Lake Baikal, with only the Angara River flowing out.
16. Japan's most renowned volcano, Mount Fuji, last erupted in 1707 and has remained dormant since.
17. The world's largest ports are Rotterdam, Singapore, Kobe, New York, and New Orleans.
18. Cuba ranks fifth in the world for having only one railway.
19. The first capital of Russia was Staraya Ladoga.
20. The Sahara Desert experienced its first snowfall on February 18, 1979.
21. Despite being nearly on the same longitude, the time difference between New Delhi and Novosibirsk is half an hour.
22. In Thailand, putting chopsticks in your mouth while eating is considered impolite.
23. Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America, is located in western Argentina, standing at a height of 6960 meters.
24. The seven most populous countries in the world are China, India, the United States, Bangladesh, Russia, Brazil, and Japan.
25. Iceland is famous for its numerous geysers and hot springs. The most prominent among them is the Geysir geyser in southwest Iceland. Its eruptions can reach heights of up to 70 meters into the air.
26. Greece has the longest national anthem in the world, consisting of 158 stanzas written by Dionysios Solomos. However, the shortened version of Greece's national anthem is shorter than Uruguay's anthem (which lasts over 5 minutes).
27. Saudi Arabia has no rivers or lakes.
28. Indonesia archipelago is the largest archipelago in the world with 17,508 islands.
29. The Red Sea has the warmest water temperature of any sea in the world.
30. In the town of Calama in the Atacama Desert region of Chile, it has never rained in recorded history, and it is also predicted to never rain in the future.
31. Only two countries in South America do not border the sea: Bolivia and Paraguay.
32. Hong Kong is globally renowned for having the highest number of Rolls-Royce cars per capita in the world.
33. The Weddell Sea (Antarctica) is the cleanest oceanic region in the world.
34. One of Brazil's major cities, Manaus, is nestled amidst the Amazon rainforest, where the Rio Negro meets a major river.
35. One of the widest car lanes in the world is the Monumental Axis in Brazil, spanning 250 meters wide, capable of accommodating 160 cars driving side by side.
Source: Travelingmyself.com
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Reference: Travel guide by Mytour
MytourDecember 10, 2014
