Subj:
Interesting Geography
From: jbcary1 on 3/12/2007
Globe
from Steve Gibbs
|
 |
Alaska
More than half of
the coastline of the entire United
States is in Alaska.
Amazon
The Amazon rainforest
produces more than 20% the
world's oxygen supply.
The Amazon River pushes so
much water into the
Atlantic Ocean that, more than
one hundred miles
at sea off the mouth of the river,
one can dip fresh
water out of the ocean. The volume
of water in the Amazon
river is greater than the next
eight largest rivers
in the world combined and three
times the flow of
all rivers in the United States.
Antarctica
Antarctica is the
only land on our planet that is not
owned by any country.
Ninety percent of the world's
ice covers Antarctica.
This ice also represents
seventy percent of
all the fresh water in the world.
As strange as it
sounds, however, Antarctica is
essentially a desert.
The average yearly total
precip itation is
about two inches Although covered
with ice (all but
0.4% of it, i.e.), Antarctica is
the driest place
on the planet, with an absolute
humidity lower than
the Gobi desert.
Brazil
Brazil got its name
from the nut, not the other way
around.
Canada
Canada has more lakes
than the rest of the world
combined. Canada
is an Indian word meaning "Big
Village."
Chicago
Next to Warsaw, Chicago
has the largest Polish
population in the
world.
Detroit
Woodward Avenue in
Detroit, Michigan, carries the
designation M-1,
named so because it was the first
paved road anywhere.
Damascus, Syria
Damascus, Syria,
was flourishing a couple of
thousand years before
Rome was founded in 753 BC,
making it the oldest
continuously inhabited city in
existence.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey,
is the only city in the world
located on two continents.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles's full
name is El Pueblo de Nuestra
Senora la Reina de
los Angeles de Porciuncula --and
can be abbreviated
to 3.63% of its size: L.A.
New York City
The term "The Big
Apple" was coined by touring jazz
musicians of the
1930's who used the slang
expression "apple"
for any town or city. Therefore,
to play New York
City is to play the big time - The
Big Apple. There
are more Irish in New York City
than in Dublin, Ireland;
more Italians in New York
City than in Rome,
Italy; and more Jews in New York
City than in Tel
Aviv, Israel.
Ohio
There are no natural
lakes in the state of Ohio,
every one is manmade.
Pitcairn Island
The smallest island
with country status is Pitcairn
in Polynesia, at
just 1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.
Rome
The first city to
reach a population of 1 million
people was Rome,
Italy in 133 B. C. There is a city
called Rome on eve
ry continent.
Siberia
Siberia contains
more than 25% of the world's
forests.
S.M.O.M.
The actual smallest
sovereign entity in the world is
the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.).
It is located in
the city of Rome, Italy, has an area
of two tennis courts,
and as of 2001 has a population
of 80, 20 less people
than the Vatican. It is a
sovereign entity
under international law, just as
the Vatican is.
Sahara Desert
In the Sahara Desert,
there is a town named
Tidikelt, which did
not receive a drop of rain for ten
years. Technically
though, the driest place on Earth
is in the valleys
of the Antarctic near Ross Island.
There has been no
rainfall there for two million
years.
Spain
Spain literally means
'the land of rabbits.'
St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota,
was originally called Pig's Eye
after a man named
Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set
up the first business
there.
Roads
Chances that a road
is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in
Canada: 75%
Texas
The deepest hole
ever made in the world is in Texas.
It is as deep as
20 empire state buildings but only
3 inches wide.
 |
United
States
The Eisenhower interstate
system requires that
one-mile in every
five must be straight. These
straight sections
are usable as airstrips in
times of war or other
emergencies.
Waterfalls
The water of Angel
Falls (the World's highest)
in Venezuela drops
3,212 feet (979 meters).
They are 15 times
higher than Niagara Falls. |
Waterfall from Badger's
Animated GIF Gallery |
