Geography fun facts and oddities: Difference between revisions

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'''Geography fun facts & oddities'''
'''Geography fun facts & oddities'''
* [[Category:Geography]]
* [[Category:Geography bee]]


page organization t.b.a.  
page organization t.b.a.  
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=== sink holes ===
=== sink holes ===
[[File:Thor's Well (37588682016).jpg|Thor's Well (37588682016)|500px|border|right|thumb|Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon]]
[[File:Thor's Well (37588682016).jpg|450px|border|right|thumb|Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon]]
* Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon, that drains at high tides
* Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon, that drains at high tides


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=== directional extremes (north, south, east, west) ===
=== directional extremes (north, south, east, west) ===
'''United States'''
[[File:USA-Extreme-Points.svg|USA-Extreme-Points|right|400px|thumb|Extreme points in the contiguous 48 states: Northwest Angle (MN), Ballast Key (FL), Sail Rock (ME), Bodelteh Islands (WA)  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extreme_points_of_the_United_States]]
* northernmost state in the continental U.S.: Minnesota
* northernmost state in the continental U.S.: Minnesota
* northernmost point in the continental U.S.: Northwest Angle, Minnesota, known as "The Angle"
* northernmost point in the continental U.S.: Northwest Angle, Minnesota, known as "The Angle"
**  
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:50%">
** one of six "practical exclaves" of the U.S.
** when negotiating the US-Canadian border following the American Revolution (Treaty of Paris, 1783), negotiators used an inaccurate map of the border of present-day Minnesota and Canada, and thereby included the northwest portion of the Lake of the Woods as the border, while it actually lies within Canadian territory
** it was  
** thus The Angle is one of six "practical exclaves" of the U.S., as it is only accessible by land via Canada
** in 2010, it's population was 119
** see: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Angle  Northwest Angle (wiki)]
** see: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Angle  Northwest Angle (wiki)]
</div>
* '''Click EXPAND to read more about the Northwest Angle'''


== Resources & websites ==
== Resources & websites ==
* [https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/geographic-oddities atlasobscura.com Geographic Oddities]
* [https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/geographic-oddities atlasobscura.com Geographic Oddities]
* [https://www.joelstrait.com/geographical_oddities_of_the_united_states/#:~:text=%20Geographical%20Oddities%20of%20the%20United%20States%20,a%20portion%20of%20the%20border%20between...%20More%20 joelstrait.com Geography Oddities of the United States ]
* [https://www.joelstrait.com/geographical_oddities_of_the_united_states/#:~:text=%20Geographical%20Oddities%20of%20the%20United%20States%20,a%20portion%20of%20the%20border%20between...%20More%20 joelstrait.com Geography Oddities of the United States ]

Revision as of 23:08, 12 March 2021

Geography fun facts & oddities

page organization t.b.a.

  • just a collection of facts and oddities for how

Geography fun facts[edit | edit source]

  • Pitcaren Islands in Polynesia, are the least populated political entity in the world (67 residents)
    • Vatican City, for example, has 825 residents
  • Rio de la Plata is the widest river in the world (max width: 140 mi)
    • the Rio de la Plata is considered a river, estuary, gulf or "marginal sea"
    • it is fed by the Uruguay and Parana rivers at Punta Gorda ("fat point"

Geography oddities[edit | edit source]

sink holes[edit | edit source]

Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon
  • Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon, that drains at high tides

Enclaves & Exclaves[edit | edit source]

  • see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclave_and_exclave
  • enclave = a country or territory that is entirely surrounded by another country or territory
    • "enclave" is derived from the Latin "inclavare" for "to close with a key," meaning one property that is entirely surrounded by another proprerty
    • nation state enclaves:
      • Vatican City (within Italy)
      • San Marino (within Italy)
      • Losotho (within South Africa)
    • semi-enclave states are surrounded by another states by land but also have a water border, such as:
      • Monaco (surrounded by France and the Mediterranean Sea)
      • The Gambia (
      • Brunei (


      • several other enclave states exist politically independent but not recognized officially as independent
  • click on EXPAND
  • exclave = a territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory
  • examples

Geographic extremes[edit | edit source]

biggest nation[edit | edit source]

smallest nation[edit | edit source]

  • The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa
    • The Gambia is a semi-enclave surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean

directional extremes (north, south, east, west)[edit | edit source]

United States

Extreme points in the contiguous 48 states: Northwest Angle (MN), Ballast Key (FL), Sail Rock (ME), Bodelteh Islands (WA) See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extreme_points_of_the_United_States
  • northernmost state in the continental U.S.: Minnesota
  • northernmost point in the continental U.S.: Northwest Angle, Minnesota, known as "The Angle"
    • when negotiating the US-Canadian border following the American Revolution (Treaty of Paris, 1783), negotiators used an inaccurate map of the border of present-day Minnesota and Canada, and thereby included the northwest portion of the Lake of the Woods as the border, while it actually lies within Canadian territory
    • thus The Angle is one of six "practical exclaves" of the U.S., as it is only accessible by land via Canada
    • in 2010, it's population was 119
    • see: Northwest Angle (wiki)
  • Click EXPAND to read more about the Northwest Angle

Resources & websites[edit | edit source]