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'''Geography fun facts & oddities'''
'''Geography fun facts & oddities'''
* collection of geography facts, oddities and extremes
* see also:
* [[Geography bee|Geography bee]]
* [[Geography vocabulary|Geography vocabulary]]
* [[Category:Geography]]
* [[Category:Geography]]
* [[Category:Geography bee]]
* [[Category:Geography bee]]
page organization t.b.a.
* page organization t.b.d.
* just a collection of facts and oddities for how
== Geography fun facts ==
= Physical geography fun facts =
* Pitcaren Islands in Polynesia, are the least populated political entity in the world (67 residents)
* Pitcaren Islands in Polynesia, are the least populated political entity in the world (67 residents)
** Vatican City, for example, has 825 residents
** Vatican City, for example, has 825 residents
* Rio de la Plata is the widest river in the world (max width: 140 mi)
* 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"
** 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"
** it is fed by the Uruguay and Parana rivers at Punta Gorda ("fat point")
=== Ice Age geography ===
[[File:Global sea levels during the last Ice Age.jpg|thumb|Global sea levels during the last Ice Age]]
==== Doggerland ====
= Physical geography oddities =
== Caves ==
[[File:Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour.jpg|thumb|Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour|alt=Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour.jpg|World's longest "lava tube" in Cueva de los Verdes (wikipedia)]]
* '''Cueva de los Verdes ("the cave of Verdes")'''
** world's longest "lava tube" was created 3,000 years ago by the eruption of Monte Corona, Canary Islands
** lava tubes are formed when a lava stream cools and solidifies at the top, while lava below continues to flow, leaving a cave after full draining.
** the cave is 3.7 miles long on land and extends another 0.93 miles under water
** see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_los_Verdes Cueva de los Verdes (wikipedia)]
* Kirkhelleren, Træna,Norway
** an ancient cave that carved out by glaciation (glacier cycles)
** was inhabited at least 9,000 years ago
** has a large rock in the center which may have been used as an alter or for some form of worship
*** thus the cave is known as the "Nature's Cathedral"
** see:
*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C3%A6na
*** [https://partner.sciencenorway.no/cathedral-fram-centre/natures-cathedral-people-have-gathered-in-this-cave-for-at-least-10000-years/2071325 Nature's cathedral: People have gathered in this cave for at least 10,000 years (sciencenorway.no)]
File:Kirkehellern.jpg|thumb|Norwegian artist Anneli Drecker playing inside the natural cave Kirkhelleren on Træna, in the cave traces of human activity dating 9000 years ago has been found (wikipedia)
* see Tsunami section below for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
* '''2011 Virginia earthquake'''
* '''2011 Virginia earthquake'''
[[File:East vs West Coast Earthquakes USGS.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This map shows that East Coast earthquakes travel much farther than West Coast earthquakes of similar magnitude (wiki)]]
click EXPAND for details & video from top of the Washington Monument
** this 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Louisa County, Virginia, was felt as frar as New England, Canada, Michigan and Alabama and Florida
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
** this 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Louisa County, Virginia, was felt as far as New England, Canada, Michigan and Alabama and Florida
** the reason the tremors were so widely felt is that the U.S. East Coast has extensive bedrock that transmits shock waves across extensive distances, whereas less geologically stable areas do not transmit shock waves as far.
** the reason the tremors were so widely felt is that the U.S. East Coast has extensive bedrock that transmits shock waves across extensive distances, whereas less geologically stable areas do not transmit shock waves as far.
* See [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake Virginia earthquake, 2011 (wiki)]]
* See
=== Rocks ===
* [[https://www.nps.gov/wamo/learn/historyculture/earthquake.htm Earthquake at the Washington Monument (NPS.gov)]]
* '''Three Sisters''' or '''Three Sisters Islands''' (Washington, DC)
** [[https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=A5735DA1-1DD8-B71C-071A90282FBD5764 direct link to NPS video of the event]]
[[File:The Three Sisters islets, DC.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The Three Sisters islets, DC (wiki)]]
** [[https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=193B19FA-4CAA-49AA-AD1F-5B4B21301951 footage from the top of the Monument during the tremors, tremors start approx min. 1:45 (NPS.gov)]]
** three rocky islands in the Potomac River in Washington, DC
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake Virginia earthquake, 2011 (wiki)]]
* click EXPAND for legends behind the name of the rocks:
File:East vs West Coast Earthquakes USGS.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This map shows that East Coast earthquakes travel much farther than West Coast earthquakes of similar magnitude (wiki)
</gallery>
== Geysers ==
* Yellowstone, Wyoming is the largest geyser field in the world
** has 1,283 geysers that have erupted with 465 active per year
** Old Faithful geyser
*** "Old Faithful" erupts regularly between 44 minutes and two hours
** Steamboat geyser, Yellowstone
*** currently the tallest geyser in the world, reaching over 300ft
*** Steamboat does not erupt regularly, with intermittences of 3 days to 50 years
* Dolina Geizerov or "Valley of Geysers"
** second largest geyser field in the world
** located on Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
** has about 90 geysers
** it is very remote, reachable only by helicopter
* El Tatio, Chile
** "El Tatio" means "grandfather" or "oven"
** located on a volcanic belt that spans across the Chilean and Bolivian border
** it is the third largest in the world
** at 14,170 ft in altitude it is likely the highest large geyser field in the world
* Waimangu Geyser, New Zealand (extinct)
** was the most powerful geyser in the world between 1900 and 1904, its 1st and last observations of major eruptions
** its plume reached 1500 ft
** now extinct due to a landslide that changed the water table
File:OldFaithful1948.jpg|thumb|OldFaithful1948 at Yellowstone National Park (1948)
File:Steamboatgeyser1.jpg|thumb|Steamboat geyser at Yellowstone, the worlds tallest active geyser
File:Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs.jpg|thumb|Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
File:Valley of the Geysers.jpg|thumb|Valley of the Geysers, Kampchucka, Russia, the 2nd largest geyser field in the world
File:Géiseres del Tatio, Atacama, Chile, 2016-02-01, DD 01-02 HDR.JPG|thumb|"Géiseres del Tatio," Atacama, Chile, the third largest geyser field in the world
File:ElTatio-CerroSoquete-2004.jpg|thumb|The Andes rise behind El Tatio|alt=The steam plumes of the field at the feet of mountains, with higher snow-covered mountains far away
File:Waimangu geyser.jpg|thumb|Waimangu geyser, New Zealand, erupting in 1903. It went fully extinct in 1908.
* glaciers accumulate when winter snowfall does not melt during the other seasons
** because they accumulate from precipitation (snowfall), glaciers are made of "fresh" or non-salt water
* glaciers hold about 2.1% of the earth's water
* 10% of the earth is covered by glacial ice
* 69% of the earth's fresh water is held in glaciers
==== Hubbard Glacier ====
* located across U.S. Canada border in southeast Alaska
* a long glacier with two sources in mountains 11,000 and 18,300 feet high
** ice starting at the furthest source takes 400 years to reach the end point feeding into the Gulf of Alaska
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px>
File:Hubbard Glacier Alaska.jpg|thumb|Hubbard Glacier at the mouth, which is very dangerous for boats due to possibility of monster-sized chunks falling into the water|alt=The glacier relatively close
File:Baltoro glacier from air.jpg|thumb|With 7,253 known glaciers, Pakistan contains more glacial ice than any other country on earth outside the polar regions.[1] At 62 kilometres (39 mi) in length, its Baltoro Glacier is one of the world's longest alpine glaciers.
</gallery>
== Islands ==
"island" from old English ''igland'' or ''iegland'' + French ''isle''
* '''ieg''' is from PIE '''*akwa''', thus "island" means, literally "water land"
[[File:Mono Lake Tufa.JPG|thumb|right|Mono Lake's "South Tufa" area.]]
An ancient desert lake on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas that has no outflow and thus is highly salinated
* limestone columns, called "tufa towers," rise above the lake surface
* Mono Lake has two prominent islands, Negit Island, notable for its dark, lava origin, and Paoha Island, which was formed only in the 17th century by a series of volcanic eruptions.
[[File:View of Islands, Lake Cobbosseecontee, Me (67039).jpg|thumb|View of Islands, Lake Cobbosseecontee, Me (67039) Cobbosseecontee is a natural lake in the Winthrop Lakes Region, which has natural and man-made lakes along the Androscoggin River watershed region]]
[[File:MonmouthME NorthMonmouthMills.jpg|thumb|TexTech Industries manufacturers tennis ball felt in North Monmouth, Maine, using power from a dam that turned Wilson Stream into [[https://www.maine.gov/ifw/docs/lake-survey-maps/kennebec/wilson_pond.pdf Wilson Pond (1940 Maine government survey]]]]
=== Mill ponds ===
When small lakes or ponds are formed by dams built on a stream or river and used to power mills, the highest land points will become no longer hills above the stream but islands, as the water rises around them.
=== Porthmadog, Wales, United Kingdom ===
Recovered lowland from an estuary that was blocked off from the sea
Porthmadog presents an inverted lake, whereby the islands, which formerly protruded above the water surface became hills when the lake was drained.
* see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porthmadog
== Lakes ==
==== Recursive islands and lakes ====
[[File:1 taal volcano crater lake 2011.jpg|thumb|Taal Volcano crater lake 2011 (wikipedia) is a lake inside an island inside a lake]]
* = a lake or island inside an island or lake
** see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursive_islands_and_lakes
* '''Vulcan Point''' in the Philippines has an island inside a lake inside of an island inside a lake
== Mountains ==
* Kirkjufell, Iceland
** a mountain formed of volcanic rock, but not itself a volcano
** during Ice Age was a "nunatak" = a landform protruding above glaciers
** it's unique spiraling forms were shaped by glaciers
** known for it serene waters which reflect the mountain and beautiful seasonal waterfalls (thus the name)
** was location for two seasons of "Game of Thrones" series
** see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkjufell
* Vinicunca, Peru
* located in southern Peru, two hours from Cusco
* 17,100 ft, not the highest mountain in the region
* notable for its multi-colored soil content
** its 7 colored strips consist variously of red and white clay, quartzose, sandstone, calcium carbonate and iron ore, among others
* it was covered by an ice cap until the 1990s
* as the ice melted, its unique, colored stripes were revealed
File:Kirkjufell in Iceland.jpg|thumb|The Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland.
File:Rainbow Mountain Peru.jpg|thumb|The Colored stripes of Mt. Vinicunca, Peru, known in English as the "Rainbow Mountain"
</gallery>
== Rocks ==
=== Famous U.S. rocks ===
===== Devil's Tower =====
* a butte formation in Wyoming that abruptly juts out of the landscape 1,267 ft high
* the name comes from an English misinterpretation of the Native American name for it
** the native name is "bear's house" (among others) and was understood in English by a US Army expedition leader as "Bad God's Tower," thus "Devil's Tower"
** a Native American legend of its origin is that young girls where chased by bears, and their prayers for salvation were answered by the "Great Spirit" by lifting the rock they sat upon into the air, out of reach from the bears, whose claws scratched marks into the sides of the rock while trying to reach them.
* See [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower Devil's Tower (wiki)]]
===== Independence Rock =====
* famous for unique formation and 19th century graffiti
* a 130 ft high granite rock in Wyoming that sticks up out of the prairie
* located at the southeast end of the Granite Mountains
* served as a landmark for 19th century western settlers, some of whom carved their names on the rock and some of which are still visible
===== Pompy's Tower" (Pompey's Pillar National Monument) =====
* famous for inscription by William Clark from 1806
* rock formation rising from the Montana plain
* 150 ft tall, located near the Yellowstone River
* one of the smallest National Monuments in the US (21 acre site)
* famous for its graffiti,
** including an inscription by William ** William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1803-06) inscribed his name on the rock on July 25, 1806
* click EXPAND for Clark's journal entry of that day regarding the rock:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*** three Native American sisters who died crossing the river there while trying to rescue their brothers who had been kidnapped by another tribe
<pre>“This rock which I shall Call Pompy's Tower is 200 feet high and 400 paces in secumphrance… The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year.”
*** three Native American sisters who were banished to the islands after refusing the husbands selected for them by their father; the sisters cursed the spot, which is said to make an eerie sound whenever the River is about to take a life
* he named it "Pompy's Tower" after his nickname for the son of his translators, Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau</pre>
*** a 1925 novel included a story about three nuns who drowned at the spot
* sources
** [[https://www.nps.gov/places/pompeys-pillar-national-monument.htm Pompey's Pillar National Monument (National Park Service)]]
[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeys_Pillar_National_Monument Pompey's Pillar National Monument (wiki)]]
</div>
===== Three Sisters''' or '''Three Sisters Islands =====
* three rocky islands in the Potomac River in Washington, DC
** three Native American sisters who died crossing the river there while trying to rescue their brothers who had been kidnapped by another tribe
** three Native American sisters who were banished to the islands after refusing the husbands selected for them by their father; the sisters cursed the spot, which is said to make an eerie sound whenever the River is about to take a life
** a 1925 novel included a story about three nuns who drowned at the spot
See: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(District_of_Columbia) Three Sisters (wiki)]]
See: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(District_of_Columbia) Three Sisters (wiki)]]
File:Boulder, Madison, NH.jpg|thumb|The Madison Boulder, Madison, NH, the largest glacial erratic rock in North America
File:Schokland, zwerfsteen bij ingang museum-restaurant foto6 2013-04-28 13.02.jpg|thumb|Glacial erratics from Norway on Schokland in the Netherlands.
File:Erratics-Cascades-PB110028.JPG|thumb|Multiple erratics on the terminal moraine of the Okanogan Lobe. Cascade mountains in the background.
File:Doane Rock.jpeg|thumb|Doane Rock, at Cape Cod National Seashore
File:Yeager-Rock-Erractic-PB110039.JPG|thumb|Yeager Rock, a 400-metric-ton (440-short-ton) boulder on the Waterville Plateau, Washington. Although transported by a glacier, this boulder is not a true erratic because it is of the same lithology of the underlying, till-blanketed, bedrock. Note the glacial till below the rock.
File:Angular glacial erratic on Lambert Dome-750px.jpg|thumb|Angular glacial erratic on Lembert Dome.
File:A079, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, balanced rock, 2002.jpg|thumb|Bubble Rock, Acadia National Park, Maine
</gallery>
=== Sailing Stones ===
* [[File:Racetrack_Playa_(Pirate_Scott).jpg|thumb|Sailing stone in Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, California (wikipedia)]]also called "sliding rocks" or "walking rocks"
* the phenomenon usually occurs in dry lake beds
* "sailing stones" move locations when water around them freezes, then starts melting, leaving mud and ice fragments that allow for the rock to slides on the slippery ground when propelled by the wind or gravity.
* sliding rocks leave a trail, so when they stop their transit, they leave a trail that makes it look as if the rock had moved itself along the desert floor.
* '''Devil's Tower''' (Wyoming)
[[File:Racetrack_Playa_in_Death_Valley_National_Park.jpg|thumb|A sailing stone in Racetrack Playa (wikipedia)]]
** a butte formation in Wyoming that abruptly juts out of the landscape 1,267 ft high
=== Racetrack Playa ===
** the name comes from an English misinterpretation of the Native American name for it
*** the native name is "bear's house" (among others) and was understood in English by a US Army expedition leader as "Bad God's Tower," thus "Devil's Tower"
* probably the most famous sailing stones are found at "Racetrack Playa" in Death Valley, California.
*** a Native American legend of its origin is that young girls where chased by bears, and their prayers for salvation were answered by the "Great Spirit" by lifting the rock they sat upon into the air, out of reach from the bears, whose claws scratched marks into the sides of the rock while trying to reach them.
* the ground there is dried clay and while limited, there is enough precipitation, 3-inches per year, for water to collect in the basin and freeze, creating the conditions for the rocks to seemingly move by themselves, leavning a track behind them.
* See [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower Devil's Tower (wiki)]]
=== Sinkholes ===
== Sinkholes ==
* sinkholes are holes or caves in the ground caused by erosion or a collapse of a lower, below-ground surface, usually because of water drainage
* sinkholes are holes or caves in the ground caused by erosion or a collapse of a lower, below-ground surface, usually because of water drainage
* sinkholes may also be caused by a drainage of water, such as a water table decline
** sinkholes may also be caused by a drainage of water, such as a water table decline
* sinkholes are most common where limestone, sandstone, salt beds, or gypsum are prevalent
** sinkholes are most common where limestone, sandstone, salt beds, or gypsum are prevalent
[[File:Thor's Well (37588682016).jpg|250px|border|right|thumb|Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon]]
* '''Thor's Well'''
* Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon, that drains at high tides
** a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon, that drains at high tides
[[File:December_Giant_sinkhole_collapse_USGS_1972.jpg|250px|border||right|thumb|More than three acres of forest suddenly disappeared into this "December Giant" sinkhole in Montevallo, Alabama, USA.]]
* '''Golly Hole''' in Alabama is considered the largest sinkhole in the US.
* Golly Hole in Shelby County is considered the largest sinkhole in the US.
** also known as the "December Giant," it formed in 1972 after water drainage at a nearby quarry,
** it is 325 ft long, 300 ft wide, and 120 ft deep
** it is 325 ft long, 300 ft wide, and 120 ft deep
* source: [[https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-largest-sinkhole-united-states?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products What is the largest sinkhole in the United States? (usgs.gov)]]
* source: [[https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-largest-sinkhole-united-states?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products What is the largest sinkhole in the United States? (usgs.gov)]]
File:Thor's Well (37588682016).jpg|250px|border|right|thumb|Thor's Well: a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon
File:December Giant sinkhole collapse USGS 1972.jpg|right|250px|thumb|More than three acres of forest suddenly disappeared into the "Golly Hole" or "December Giant" sinkhole in Montevallo, Alabama, USA. (wiki)
</gallery>
== Tsunamis ==
* series of large waves caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, glacier breaks, or meteorites
** also known as "tidal waves," although tsunamis are not tides
** see [[File:NOAA Tsunami Animation-2016.webm||right|thumb|NOAA Tsunami Animation-2016]] for tsunami animation
*** or here [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3BDBAAAA7D4EB2DA NOAA Tsunami channel]] or [[https://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/animate.html#most NOAA Model Animations]]
* '''Lituya Bay, Alaska, 1957'''
** a narrow inlet, earthquake-induced tsunami waves reached 1,720 feet high
** see [<nowiki/>[[wikipedia:1958_Lituya_Bay,_Alaska_earthquake_and_megatsunami|1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska earthquake and megatsunami was the highest recorded Tsunami (wiki)]]]
* '''2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami'''
** 9.1 magnitude earthquake caused a 900-mile fault line between the Indian and Burnma tectonic plates
** as a result of the shift, the ocean floor rose upwards 10 feet, trigging up to 100-foot high tsunamis that spread across the entire Indian Ocean
* occurred on Dec 26, 2004, so is also known as the "Christmas" or "Boxing Day" earthquake and tsunami
click on EXPAND for more on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
[[File:2004 Indonesia Tsunami edit.gif||right|250pxthumb|2004 Indonesia Tsunami edit|alt=A sped-up animated graphic of Earth that shows tsunami waves as they ripple across the ocean, away from the earthquake epicenter (wiki)]]
[[File:Seisme Sumatra CADRE.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Epicenter and associated aftershocks]]
* the earthquake was the 3rd-largest and single longest (8-10 minutes) ever recorded
** it triggered other earthquakes around the world
* the epicenter of the quake was 100 miles off the coast of Sumatra (the largest island of Indonesia)
* the Indian Ocean floor rise was permanent and consequently the world's entire ocean surface rose by 0.004 inches
* 227,898 people were killed by the tsunami
** the Indonesian cities of Banda Aceh and Lhoknga, at the northwest corner of Sumatra, were completely destroyed
*** 167,000 people were killed in Banda Aceh and over 7,000 people in Lhoknga
*** the largest waves to hit Lhoknga were 98 ft high
[[File:PLTD Apong Ie Beuna.JPG||right|250px|thumb|Apung 1, a 2,600-ton vessel, was flung some 2 km (1.2 mi) to 3 km (1.9 mi) inland. In the years following the disaster, it became a local tourist attraction and has remained where it came to rest.]]
*** a large ship was carried almost 2 miles inland (and remains there as a memorial)
[[File:2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - affected countries.png|right|250px|thumb|Countries affected]]
* tsunami waves reached Sri Lanka, 1,100 miles away, two hours after the quake, killing approx. 35,000 people
* almost 8,000 people were killed in Thailand, 500 miles away
* the waves extended across the Indian Ocean, hitting India, Madagascar and the African mainland
* sources:
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (wiki)]]
** [[https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2004-indian-ocean-earthquake-tsunami-facts 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help (WorldVision.org)]]
** [[https://www.history.com/news/deadliest-tsunami-2004-indian-ocean The 2004 Tsunami Wiped Away Towns With 'Mind-Boggling' Destruction (History.com)]]
</div>
== Volcanos ==
* '''Mt. Mayon, Philippines'''
** a stratovolcano that has a near-perfectly symmetric, or "perfect", cone
** = the most active volcano in the Philippines
** traditionally worshipped
** see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon
* '''Mt. St. Helens, Washington (state)'''
** an active stratovolcano
** part of the "Cascades Volcanic Arc"
** lies 52 miles from Portland, OR
** erupted on May 18, 1980
** "lateral" eruption (sideways instead of straight up)
*** was triggered a 5.1 magnitude earthquake
** deadliest volcano in U.S. history
*** 57 people killed
*** destroyed 200 homes, 47 bridges, 185 miles of highway
** the eruption's thermal explosion equivalent was 24 megatons (1600 times the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb)
** as a result of the eruption:
*** mountain summit elevation dropped from 9,677 to 8336
*** left a 1-mile wide crater
*** Yakima, WA received 4-5 inches of ash
**** Portland, OR, only received about 1/2-inch of ash, as the winds blew the ash northeastward from the explosion
** researcher David Johnston and photographer Robert Landsburg were killed during the eruption
*** Landsburg had protected his camera and film with his body, which were recovered
*** another photographer, Gary Rosenquist and his companions were 11 miles away and survived the blast due to the land topography, which protected them
*** Rosenquist's photos have been compiled into a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIyBsPagro
** Mt. St. Helens was remained active until 2008, when a new lava dome emerged
* Volcano pranks
** '''Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka, Alaska''', 1974 April Fools Volcano Prank
** '''Great Blue Hill, Milton, MA''' 1980 eruption prank
** see https://school4schools.com/wiki/index.php?title=Famous_hoaxes#Geographic_hoaxes
*** the deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench, which is 28,900 ft at its max. deep point
</div>
* lowest point on the land surface:
** the Dead Sea (Israel, Palestine & Jordan), 1419 ft below sea level
** 2nd lowest point on earth: Turfan Depression (China), 505 ft. below sea level
*** this 2nd lowest point excludes other areas in the Dead Sea
** 3rd lowest point on earth: Lake Assal (Djibouti, part of the Afar Depression), 502 ft below sea level
** lowest point in US: Death Valley, 282 ft below sea level
** 2nd lowest point in US: Bombay Beach (California, along the Salton Sea, 226 ft below sea level
* click EXPAND for more on the Salton Sea
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*** the Salton Sea is a salt-water lake in Southern California at the Mexico border
**** the Salton Sea has been fed by the Colorado River, which currently flows to the east of the lake, but in its modern form was created by diverter water from the river in 1900, which created the lake on dry lake bed.
**** The Salton Sea is known as the fastest water for speedboat racing water in the world (see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea#Powerboat_racing Salton Sea#Powerboat racing (wiki)]]
</div>
** continent with the "highest lowest point": Europe
*** the Caspian Depression, location of the Caspian Sea is 92 ft below sea level
*** the lowest point in Europe is in the coastal area, Zuidplaspolder, in the Netherlands, which is 23 ft below sea level
* deepest cave: Krubera Cave (Georgia - the nation): 7,188 ft deep
* highest mountain on earth: Mt Everest: 29,031.7 ft
* highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram range: Mt. Tirich Mir (Pakistan), in the Hindu Kush
* highest mountain outside of Asia: Mt. Aconcagua (Argentina) 22,835 ft
* highest volcano: Mt. Ojos del Salado (Argentina & Chile), 22,615 ft
* tallest mountain from its base: Mt. Mauna Kea, Hawaii, has combined elevation of 33,480 from its base on the ocean floor
* lake
** highest lake: a water-filled crater on Mt. Ojos del Salado (Argentina & Chile), 22,615 ft
** highest "navigable" lake: Lake Titicaca (Bolivia & Peru), 12,507 ft
= Name origins (etymology) and unusual or odd names =
* etymology is the study of the origin of words
== Country names ==
* Literal Meanings of Country Names map
** a credit card travel service in Australia created a world map showing the "literal translation" of names of every country
** the original website is a sales site here: [[https://finty.com/au/research/world-map-literal-translation-country-names/ https://finty.com/au/research/world-map-literal-translation-country-names/ (finty.com)]]
*** downloads for the world map and separate continents can be found at the bottom of that page
*** here for the [[https://finty-au.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/01_Literal-Translation-Of-Country-Names_WorldMap.pdf direct link to the world map (finty.com)]]
*** here for articles on the map [[https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-literal-translation-of-every-countrys-name/ Mapped: The Literal Translation of Every Country’s Name (VisualCapitalist.com)]] or https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/map-literal-translation-country-names This map shows you the literal translation of country names (LonelyPlanet.com
*** here [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12QSXFBOLaNS05EdRXE6FsyBO8Noj-pSkr8LD0yTg3z0/edit#gid=0 a web-based spreadsheet with details of the word origins (etymology)]] from the makers of the map
=== America ===
[[File:Waldseemuller map 2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Universalis Cosmographia, Waldseemüller's 1507 world map which was the first to show the Americas separate from Asia (wiki)]]
* '''America''' is named for the Italian explorer and map-maker Amerigo Vespucci
** Vespucci was the first European explorer to recognize that the lands Christopher Columbus discovered were distinct regions from Asia
Click EXPAND for more on Vespucci and the Waldseemüller map which labeled part of the "new world" as "America"
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
** Vespucci was from Florence and went on two expeditions to the Americas in 1499 (for Spain) and 1501 (for Portugal)
** in 1503 and 1505 two accounts of his voyages were published using his name
*** his authorship and many of the details in them is doubted by historians
*** the booklets were wildly popular across Europe
*** Vespucci's accounts were the first to consider the Americas as distinct from Asia (Columbus insisted he had reached the "Indies")
*** Vespucci referred to Brazil, which he visited on his second voyage, as the "New World"
*** in 1507, the German cartographer (map maker) Martin Waldseemüller labeled "America" on a portion of his world map
*** he credited Amerigo Vespucci for the insight
**** the map was the first to show the Americas as distinct continents from Asia
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Waldseem%C3%BCller#1507_world_map Waldseemüller world map (wiki)]]
</div>
=== Central America ===
* '''Yucatan'''
** Yucatan peninsula was named by the Spanish
** theories of the origins of the name
*** when the Spanish arrived there, they asked the local Maya then name of the place and when the Maya replied that they didn't understand them, the Spanish thought that was the name of the place
click EXPAND for more details
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
**** the Maya replied either "Ma'anaatik ka t'ann" which means "I do not understand you" or "uh yu ka t'ann," which means "hear how they talk!"
**** the Spanish thought they said "Yucatan," so called it that
*** the other theory is that the Maya extensively cultivated "yucca" plants (or "cassava," a tuber, similar to sweet potatoes) and so named the region for that practice
**** it is possible, but the yucca plant and its name was common across all Maya regions
** also, Yucatan is the location of the " Chicxulub" asteroid that created the "Chicxulub crater"
** located in Webster MA, anglicized spelling of original Native American name
* '''Telluride, Co'''
** named for the mineral "tellurium"
** located amidst the largest concentration of 14,000 ft mountains in the U.S.
** the apocryphal origin is that, due to the treacherous mountains, miners warned those who wanted to strike gold there, "To Hell You Ride!"
= Political geography fun facts =
* countries that have no capital
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* Nauru
** an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, second smallest nation in the world
* Switzerland
** Bern is considered a "de facto" (in fact) capital, as it is the primary location for the national government, including the legislature and national courts
** however, the Swiss constitution does not stipulate (name) a capital, so de jure (in law) there is no capital
** the Swiss call Bern the "federal city"
** Bern is the 5th most populous city in Switzerland
</div>
* countries with multiple capitals and/or official seats of government
** some countries have official capitals
** others have an official capital and another city that serves as a prominent "seat" of the government
click EXPAND for a few countries with multiple capitals:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* Bolivia
** constitutional capital and seat judicial seat Sucre
** executive and legislative seat: La Paz
* Chile
** the official capital is Santiago
** the legislature is in Valparaiso
Honduras
* official capital: Comayagüela
* seat of government is in Tegucigalpa
* Netherlands
** the legal capital is Amsterdam, but the Hague is considered "the seat" of the government
** national administrative offices and the official workplace of the Dutch king, Noordeinde Palace, are located there
* South Africa
** three official capitals: Cape Town (legislative branch), Bloemfontein (judicial branch), and Pretoria (executive branch)
** official seat of government: Lobamba
** administrative capital: Mbabne
* for full list see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_multiple_capitals List of countries with multiple capitals (wiki)]]
* see also: ** [[https://online.seterra.com/en/p/countries-with-two-capitals Countries with two capitals (seterra.com)]]
</div>
* Freaky little places:
** Andorra
** Faroe Islands
= Political geography oddities =
>> to do: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vennbahn
== Enclaves & exclaves ==
[[File:Baarle-Nassau frontière café.jpg|thumb|Border in Baarle between Belgium and Netherlands]]
* enclave = a country or territory that is entirely surrounded by another country or territory
* 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
** "enclave" is derived from the Latin ''inclavare'' for "to close with a key," meaning one property that is entirely surrounded by another property
** nation state enclaves:
** nation state enclaves:
* click on EXPAND to see list of nation state enclaves:
* '''Vatican City''' (within Italy)
* '''San Marino''' (within Italy)
* '''Losotho''' (within South Africa)
** note: these nations are not exclaves since they are not separated from a mainland territory
==== semi-enclave states ====
* are surrounded by another state by land but also have a water border, such as:
** '''Monaco''' (surrounded by France and the Mediterranean Sea)
** '''The Gambia''' (surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean)
** '''Brunei''' (surrounded by the Malaysian state, Sarawak and the South China Sea)
** '''Singapore''' (surrounded by Malaysia and the Strait of Singapore
** Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Spain (a disputed semi-exclave that is on a rocky isthmus/ island in Morrocco and whose residents are all Spanish military personnel)
** several other enclave states exist politically independent but are not recognized officially as independent nations
=== exclave ===
* = a territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by one other country
* '''Madha''' (or "Wadi Madha"), territory of Oman, is located entirely within by Nahwa, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
** '''Nahwa''', territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman
** '''Musandam''' is an associated exclave of Oman with Madha
* '''Llívia''' is territory of Spain that is within France.
* '''Campione d'Italia''', territory of Italy is within Switzerland.
* '''Büsingen am Hochrhein''', territory of Germany is within Switzerland.
* Likoma and Chizumulu Islands in Lake Malawi are Malawi territory surrounded by Mozambique territorial waters.
====exclave within multiple nations====
** Nakhchivan, separated territory of Azerbaijan, is surrounded by Armenia, Turkey and Iran
* United Arab Emirates (UAE)
[[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emirats.png#/media/File:Emirats.png|right|350px|thumb|United Arab Emirates (wiki)]]
** is made up of seven "emirates," partly independent states that together form the nation of the UAE
** of these, Dubai (exclave: Hatta), Ajman (exclaves: Masfout & Manama), Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah have exclaves that are surrounded by another nation:
*** Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah (and Nahwa which is also an enclave)
==== semi-exclave ====
* = territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by another country and a large body of water
* Kaliningrad Oblast: Russian exclave territory 200 miles from mainland Russia that is surrounded by Poland and the Baltic Sea
** Kaliningrad was allocated to the Soviet Union at the Potsdam Conference in 1945, which divided Europe between the allied powers at the end of World War II
* Crimea: "de jure" (legally) Ukraine territory that is occupied by Russia and is therefore a de facto (in fact) Russian semi-exclave surrounded by Ukraine and the Black Sea.
==== U.S. state semi-exclaves====
* Alaska is a semi-exclave in that it is separated from the main country and surrounded by another country (Canada) and by a large body of water (Bering Sea and the Pacific and Arctic Oceans)
* Alburgh, VT is on the Alburgh Tongue on the tip of a peninsula from Canada that extends into Lake Champlain
* Hyder, AK is located
** Hyder is Alaska's easternmost town and can only be reached by road by passing through Canada. Hyder is not technically an exclave, in that it is connected to Alaska, although it lies at the tip of a peninsula created by the Salmon River
* Point Roberts, WA is located at the southern tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula, Vancouver, Canada and can only be reached by land from the U.S. by going through Canada
* note: Hawaii is not technically an exclave, as it has no borders with another nation, although, as an island, it is separated from teh mainland U.S.
==== places that are both enclaves and exclaves ====
** not independent countries, but part of one country that are surrounded by another
* Artsvashen, territory of Armenia, is within Azerbaijan
* Dahagram-Angarpota, territory of Bangladesh that is within India
* Baarle-Hertog, small territories of Belgium that are within the Netherlands
* Nahwa, territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman
==== India & Bangladesh: enclaves and counter-enclaves =====
** Bangladesh contains:
*** 102 enclaves of Indian territory
**** which have 21 counter-enclaves (enclaves within an enclave) of Bangladesh territory
**** and 1 counter-counter enclave of Indian territory
** India contains:
*** 71 enclaves of Bangladesh territory
*** which have 7 counter-enclaves
* until 2015, Bangladesh contained world's only counter-counter-counter enclave
** Dahala Khagrabari was Indian territory inside Bangladesh inside India inside Bangladesh
*** Dahala Khagrabari was extremely poor and lacked basic services due to the complicated territorial arrangements
click EXPAND for more on the India-Bangladesh enclaves
** a story of the origin of this complicated border is that it resulted from a bet on a card or chess game between a Raja and a Maharaja
*** this is likely not historical; more likely the enclaves were the result of arrangements and settled disputes between local kings and lords over time
*** the first historical treaty defining this border was in 1713 during the Mughal Empire
**** the 1947 "partition of India" further complicated the border
** For full list see: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_enclaves_and_exclaves#Enclaves_that_are_also_exclaves Enclaves that are also exclaves (wiki)]]
== Landlocked countries ==
* = countries that have no coastal borders
* click EXPAND to see a list of some prominent landlocked countries:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
** Afghanistan (South Asia)
** Austria (Europe)
** Ethiopia (Africa)
** Laos (Southeast Asia)
** Malawi (Africa)
** Mongolia (Asia)
** Paraguay (South America)
** Switzerland (Europe)
** Uganda (Africa)
</div>
* Double Landlocked countries'''
** = landlocked countries surrounded by landlocked countries
* click EXPAND to see a list of the only two double-landlocked countries:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
*** '''Vatican City''' (within Italy)
* Liechtenstein
*** '''San Marino''' (within Italy)
* Uzbekistan
*** '''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''' (surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean)
*** '''Brunei''' (surrounded by the Malaysian state, Sarawak, and the South China Sea)
*** several other enclave states exist politically independent but are not recognized officially as independent nations
</div>
</div>
* exclave = a territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory
* examples
== Geographic extremes ==
=== Largest & smallest nations, Highest & lowest populations ===
= Political geography extremes =
=== countries with most islands ===
# Sweden (267,570)
# Norway (239,057)
# Finland (178,947)
# Japan (120,729)
# Canada (52,455
* followed by Chile, U.S., Indonesia, Australia and Philippines
=== countries with most inhabited islands ===
# United States (10,000)
# Indonesia (6,000)
# South Korea (2,876)
# Philippines (2,000)
# Sweden (984)
=== largest archipelagic states ===
* archipelagic = made up of islands
** so, archipelagic states = countries that are island-based
# Indonesia (1,904,569 sq km)
# Papua New Guinea (462,840 sq km)
# Philippines (300,000 sq km)
=== largest nations by size ===
[[File:Fuller projection with largest countries.svg|thumb|Dymaxion map of the world with the 30 largest countries and territories by total area according to the table below, roughly to scale]]
* worldwide: 10 largest countries by size
# Russia
# Canada
# United States
# China
# Brazil
# Australia
# India
# Argentina
# Kazakhstand
# Algeria
* note
** if it were a country, Antarctica would be the 2nd largest
** if Greenland is included as part of Denmark, it would be the 12th largest country in the world
=== smallest nations by size ===
* worldwide: 5 smallest countries by size
# Vatican City (enclave in Italy; 0.19 sq mi)
# Monaco (enclave in France ; 0.77 sq mi)
# Nauru (Polynesia; 8.1 sq mi)
# Tuvalu (Polynesia; 10 sq mi)
# San Marino (enclave in Italy; 24 sq mi)
=== largest nations by population ===
* worldwide: 10 largest countries by population
# China
# India
# United States
# Indonesia
# Pakistan
# Nigeria
# Brazil
# Bangladesh
# Russia
# Mexico
=== smallest nations by population ===
* worldwide: 5 smallest countries by population
# Vatican City
# Tuvalu
# Nauru
# Pauau
# San Marino
=== Largest /small nations by size & population per continent ===
* click EXPAND for the answers
'''Africa'''
'''Africa'''
* '''Algeria''' is the largest country in Africa
* largest country in Africa by territory:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''Algeria'''
</div>
* second & third largest countries in Africa by territory:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* 2nd: '''Democratic Republic of the Congo'''
* 3rd: '''Sudan'''
</div>
* smallest country in mainland Africa:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''The Gambia''' is the smallest country in mainland Africa
* '''The Gambia''' is the smallest country in mainland Africa
** '''The Gambia''' is a semi-enclave surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean
** it is also a semi-enclave surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean
* '''Seychelles''' is the smallest country in Africa, including islands
</div>
* '''Nigeria''' has the highest population in Africa
* smallest country in Africa, including islands:
** '''Ethiopia''' as the 2nd highest population
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''Djibouti''' has the lowest population in mainland Africa
* '''Seychelles'''
* '''Seychelles''' has the lowest population in Africa among independent nations (territories excluded) and including island states
</div>
* '''Saint Helena''' the lowest population in Africa, including island states and semi-independent territories
country with highest population in Africa:
** '''Seychelles''' has the second lowest population in Africa, including island states and territories
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''Nigeria'''
</div>
country with 2nd highest population in Africa:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
** '''Ethiopia'''
</div>
country with lowest population in mainland Africa:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''Djibouti'''
</div>
country with lowest population in Africa among independent nations (territories excluded) and including island states:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''Seychelles'''
</div>
lowest population in Africa, including island states and semi-independent territories:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
* '''Saint Helena'''
</div>
second lowest population in Africa, including island states and territories:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
** '''Seychelles'''
</div>
''' Asia'''
''' Asia'''
Line 100:
Line 789:
* '''Australia''' is the largest and the smallest country in Australia
* '''Australia''' is the largest and the smallest country in Australia
** Australia is the only country to entirely occupy a continent
** Australia is the only country to entirely occupy a continent
''' Europe'''
* largest countries in Europe by territory
* smallest countries in Europe by territory
# 1
# 2
# 3
# Liechtenstein: 62 sq miles
** Liechtenstein has one of the highest per capital GDPs in the world
* largest countries in Europe by population
* Smallest countries in Europe by population
=== International border extremes ===
* longest border: U.S. and Canada
** includes the Great Lakes, so not a continuous land border
* longest continuous land border: Russia and Kazakhstan
* most crossed border: U.S. and Mexico
* longest border without military defense: U.S. and Canada
* shortest border: at Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, a Spanish exclave on coast of Morrocco, has a border 264 ft long
* most militarized border: North and South Korea
* highest border (hint: it's also the highest point on earth): China and Nepal at Mt. Everest
[[File:USA-Extreme-Points.svg|USA-Extreme-Points|right|200px|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]]
[[File:USA-Extreme-Points.svg|USA-Extreme-Points|right|200px|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]]
* easternmost point in continental U.S.: '''Sail Rock, Lubec, Maine'''
* 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"
* Click EXPAND to read more about the Northwest Angle:
* Click EXPAND to read more about the Northwest Angle:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
[[File:NORTHWEST Angle.png||right|250px|thumb|The Northwest Angle in Minnesota, bordering Manitoba, Ontario, and Lake of the Woods]]
** 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
** 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
** thus The Angle is one of six "practical exclaves" of the U.S., as it is only accessible by land via Canada
* [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 ]
* Guess the Google Street View location at www.GeoGuesser.com
= Geography jokes =
* see also [https://school4schools.com/wiki/index.php?title=Social_Studies_skills#History_jokes_.26_jokes_from_history history jokes (s4s wiki)]
Norwegian artist Anneli Drecker playing inside the natural cave Kirkhelleren on Træna, in the cave traces of human activity dating 9000 years ago has been found (wikipedia)
see Tsunami section below for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2011 Virginia earthquake
click EXPAND for details & video from top of the Washington Monument
this 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Louisa County, Virginia, was felt as far as New England, Canada, Michigan and Alabama and Florida
the reason the tremors were so widely felt is that the U.S. East Coast has extensive bedrock that transmits shock waves across extensive distances, whereas less geologically stable areas do not transmit shock waves as far.
located across U.S. Canada border in southeast Alaska
a long glacier with two sources in mountains 11,000 and 18,300 feet high
ice starting at the furthest source takes 400 years to reach the end point feeding into the Gulf of Alaska
Hubbard Glacier at the mouth, which is very dangerous for boats due to possibility of monster-sized chunks falling into the water
With 7,253 known glaciers, Pakistan contains more glacial ice than any other country on earth outside the polar regions.[1] At 62 kilometres (39 mi) in length, its Baltoro Glacier is one of the world's longest alpine glaciers.
An ancient desert lake on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas that has no outflow and thus is highly salinated
limestone columns, called "tufa towers," rise above the lake surface
Mono Lake has two prominent islands, Negit Island, notable for its dark, lava origin, and Paoha Island, which was formed only in the 17th century by a series of volcanic eruptions.
View of Islands, Lake Cobbosseecontee, Me (67039) Cobbosseecontee is a natural lake in the Winthrop Lakes Region, which has natural and man-made lakes along the Androscoggin River watershed regionTexTech Industries manufacturers tennis ball felt in North Monmouth, Maine, using power from a dam that turned Wilson Stream into [Wilson Pond (1940 Maine government survey]
When small lakes or ponds are formed by dams built on a stream or river and used to power mills, the highest land points will become no longer hills above the stream but islands, as the water rises around them.
Recovered lowland from an estuary that was blocked off from the sea
Porthmadog presents an inverted lake, whereby the islands, which formerly protruded above the water surface became hills when the lake was drained.
a butte formation in Wyoming that abruptly juts out of the landscape 1,267 ft high
the name comes from an English misinterpretation of the Native American name for it
the native name is "bear's house" (among others) and was understood in English by a US Army expedition leader as "Bad God's Tower," thus "Devil's Tower"
a Native American legend of its origin is that young girls where chased by bears, and their prayers for salvation were answered by the "Great Spirit" by lifting the rock they sat upon into the air, out of reach from the bears, whose claws scratched marks into the sides of the rock while trying to reach them.
famous for unique formation and 19th century graffiti
a 130 ft high granite rock in Wyoming that sticks up out of the prairie
located at the southeast end of the Granite Mountains
served as a landmark for 19th century western settlers, some of whom carved their names on the rock and some of which are still visible
Pompy's Tower" (Pompey's Pillar National Monument)[edit | edit source]
famous for inscription by William Clark from 1806
rock formation rising from the Montana plain
150 ft tall, located near the Yellowstone River
one of the smallest National Monuments in the US (21 acre site)
famous for its graffiti,
including an inscription by William ** William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1803-06) inscribed his name on the rock on July 25, 1806
click EXPAND for Clark's journal entry of that day regarding the rock:
“This rock which I shall Call Pompy's Tower is 200 feet high and 400 paces in secumphrance… The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year.”
* he named it "Pompy's Tower" after his nickname for the son of his translators, Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau
three rocky islands in the Potomac River in Washington, DC
three Native American sisters who died crossing the river there while trying to rescue their brothers who had been kidnapped by another tribe
three Native American sisters who were banished to the islands after refusing the husbands selected for them by their father; the sisters cursed the spot, which is said to make an eerie sound whenever the River is about to take a life
a 1925 novel included a story about three nuns who drowned at the spot
The Madison Boulder, Madison, NH, the largest glacial erratic rock in North America
Glacial erratics from Norway on Schokland in the Netherlands.
Multiple erratics on the terminal moraine of the Okanogan Lobe. Cascade mountains in the background.
Doane Rock, at Cape Cod National Seashore
Yeager Rock, a 400-metric-ton (440-short-ton) boulder on the Waterville Plateau, Washington. Although transported by a glacier, this boulder is not a true erratic because it is of the same lithology of the underlying, till-blanketed, bedrock. Note the glacial till below the rock.
Sailing stone in Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, California (wikipedia)also called "sliding rocks" or "walking rocks"
the phenomenon usually occurs in dry lake beds
"sailing stones" move locations when water around them freezes, then starts melting, leaving mud and ice fragments that allow for the rock to slides on the slippery ground when propelled by the wind or gravity.
sliding rocks leave a trail, so when they stop their transit, they leave a trail that makes it look as if the rock had moved itself along the desert floor.
probably the most famous sailing stones are found at "Racetrack Playa" in Death Valley, California.
the ground there is dried clay and while limited, there is enough precipitation, 3-inches per year, for water to collect in the basin and freeze, creating the conditions for the rocks to seemingly move by themselves, leavning a track behind them.
9.1 magnitude earthquake caused a 900-mile fault line between the Indian and Burnma tectonic plates
as a result of the shift, the ocean floor rose upwards 10 feet, trigging up to 100-foot high tsunamis that spread across the entire Indian Ocean
occurred on Dec 26, 2004, so is also known as the "Christmas" or "Boxing Day" earthquake and tsunami
click on EXPAND for more on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indonesia Tsunami editEpicenter and associated aftershocks
the earthquake was the 3rd-largest and single longest (8-10 minutes) ever recorded
it triggered other earthquakes around the world
the epicenter of the quake was 100 miles off the coast of Sumatra (the largest island of Indonesia)
the Indian Ocean floor rise was permanent and consequently the world's entire ocean surface rose by 0.004 inches
227,898 people were killed by the tsunami
the Indonesian cities of Banda Aceh and Lhoknga, at the northwest corner of Sumatra, were completely destroyed
167,000 people were killed in Banda Aceh and over 7,000 people in Lhoknga
the largest waves to hit Lhoknga were 98 ft high
Apung 1, a 2,600-ton vessel, was flung some 2 km (1.2 mi) to 3 km (1.9 mi) inland. In the years following the disaster, it became a local tourist attraction and has remained where it came to rest.
a large ship was carried almost 2 miles inland (and remains there as a memorial)
Countries affected
tsunami waves reached Sri Lanka, 1,100 miles away, two hours after the quake, killing approx. 35,000 people
almost 8,000 people were killed in Thailand, 500 miles away
the waves extended across the Indian Ocean, hitting India, Madagascar and the African mainland
the deepest spot on earth is 7,169.3 ft lower than Mt. Everest is high
Lowest spot on surface of the earth
underwater:
Mariana Trench
Location of the Mariana Trench (wiki)
located in the South Pacific Ocean, deepest landform on earth
1,580 mi long, 43 mi wide, max. depth 36,201 ft
click EXPAND for more on the Mariana Trench and other trenches
the lowest point is called "Challenger Deep"
it has been reached by humans six times
the 2nd deepest trench is the Tonga Trench in the Pacific with has max. depth of 35702 ft
other trenches in the Pacific Ocean are nearly as deep, including the Philippine Trench and the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench
Atlantic-trench (wiki)
the deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench, which is 28,900 ft at its max. deep point
lowest point on the land surface:
the Dead Sea (Israel, Palestine & Jordan), 1419 ft below sea level
2nd lowest point on earth: Turfan Depression (China), 505 ft. below sea level
this 2nd lowest point excludes other areas in the Dead Sea
3rd lowest point on earth: Lake Assal (Djibouti, part of the Afar Depression), 502 ft below sea level
lowest point in US: Death Valley, 282 ft below sea level
2nd lowest point in US: Bombay Beach (California, along the Salton Sea, 226 ft below sea level
click EXPAND for more on the Salton Sea
the Salton Sea is a salt-water lake in Southern California at the Mexico border
the Salton Sea has been fed by the Colorado River, which currently flows to the east of the lake, but in its modern form was created by diverter water from the river in 1900, which created the lake on dry lake bed.
when the Spanish arrived there, they asked the local Maya then name of the place and when the Maya replied that they didn't understand them, the Spanish thought that was the name of the place
click EXPAND for more details
the Maya replied either "Ma'anaatik ka t'ann" which means "I do not understand you" or "uh yu ka t'ann," which means "hear how they talk!"
the Spanish thought they said "Yucatan," so called it that
the other theory is that the Maya extensively cultivated "yucca" plants (or "cassava," a tuber, similar to sweet potatoes) and so named the region for that practice
it is possible, but the yucca plant and its name was common across all Maya regions
also, Yucatan is the location of the " Chicxulub" asteroid that created the "Chicxulub crater"
an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, second smallest nation in the world
Switzerland
Bern is considered a "de facto" (in fact) capital, as it is the primary location for the national government, including the legislature and national courts
however, the Swiss constitution does not stipulate (name) a capital, so de jure (in law) there is no capital
the Swiss call Bern the "federal city"
Bern is the 5th most populous city in Switzerland
countries with multiple capitals and/or official seats of government
some countries have official capitals
others have an official capital and another city that serves as a prominent "seat" of the government
click EXPAND for a few countries with multiple capitals:
Bolivia
constitutional capital and seat judicial seat Sucre
executive and legislative seat: La Paz
Chile
the official capital is Santiago
the legislature is in Valparaiso
Honduras
official capital: Comayagüela
seat of government is in Tegucigalpa
Netherlands
the legal capital is Amsterdam, but the Hague is considered "the seat" of the government
national administrative offices and the official workplace of the Dutch king, Noordeinde Palace, are located there
South Africa
three official capitals: Cape Town (legislative branch), Bloemfontein (judicial branch), and Pretoria (executive branch)
are surrounded by another state by land but also have a water border, such as:
Monaco (surrounded by France and the Mediterranean Sea)
The Gambia (surrounded by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean)
Brunei (surrounded by the Malaysian state, Sarawak and the South China Sea)
Singapore (surrounded by Malaysia and the Strait of Singapore
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Spain (a disputed semi-exclave that is on a rocky isthmus/ island in Morrocco and whose residents are all Spanish military personnel)
several other enclave states exist politically independent but are not recognized officially as independent nations
= territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by another country and a large body of water
Kaliningrad Oblast: Russian exclave territory 200 miles from mainland Russia that is surrounded by Poland and the Baltic Sea
Kaliningrad was allocated to the Soviet Union at the Potsdam Conference in 1945, which divided Europe between the allied powers at the end of World War II
Crimea: "de jure" (legally) Ukraine territory that is occupied by Russia and is therefore a de facto (in fact) Russian semi-exclave surrounded by Ukraine and the Black Sea.
Alaska is a semi-exclave in that it is separated from the main country and surrounded by another country (Canada) and by a large body of water (Bering Sea and the Pacific and Arctic Oceans)
Alburgh, VT is on the Alburgh Tongue on the tip of a peninsula from Canada that extends into Lake Champlain
Hyder, AK is located
Hyder is Alaska's easternmost town and can only be reached by road by passing through Canada. Hyder is not technically an exclave, in that it is connected to Alaska, although it lies at the tip of a peninsula created by the Salmon River
Point Roberts, WA is located at the southern tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula, Vancouver, Canada and can only be reached by land from the U.S. by going through Canada
note: Hawaii is not technically an exclave, as it has no borders with another nation, although, as an island, it is separated from teh mainland U.S.
places that are both enclaves and exclaves[edit | edit source]
not independent countries, but part of one country that are surrounded by another
Artsvashen, territory of Armenia, is within Azerbaijan
Dahagram-Angarpota, territory of Bangladesh that is within India
Baarle-Hertog, small territories of Belgium that are within the Netherlands
Nahwa, territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman
India & Bangladesh: enclaves and counter-enclaves =[edit | edit source]
Bangladesh contains:
102 enclaves of Indian territory
which have 21 counter-enclaves (enclaves within an enclave) of Bangladesh territory
and 1 counter-counter enclave of Indian territory
India contains:
71 enclaves of Bangladesh territory
which have 7 counter-enclaves
until 2015, Bangladesh contained world's only counter-counter-counter enclave
Dahala Khagrabari was Indian territory inside Bangladesh inside India inside Bangladesh
Dahala Khagrabari was extremely poor and lacked basic services due to the complicated territorial arrangements
click EXPAND for more on the India-Bangladesh enclaves
a story of the origin of this complicated border is that it resulted from a bet on a card or chess game between a Raja and a Maharaja
this is likely not historical; more likely the enclaves were the result of arrangements and settled disputes between local kings and lords over time
the first historical treaty defining this border was in 1713 during the Mughal Empire
the 1947 "partition of India" further complicated the border
easternmost point in continental U.S.: Sail Rock, Lubec, Maine
northernmost state in the continental U.S.: Minnesota
northernmost point in the continental U.S.: Northwest Angle, Minnesota, known as "The Angle"
Click EXPAND to read more about the Northwest Angle:
The Northwest Angle in Minnesota, bordering Manitoba, Ontario, and Lake of the Woods
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
![With 7,253 known glaciers, Pakistan contains more glacial ice than any other country on earth outside the polar regions.[1] At 62 kilometres (39 mi) in length, its Baltoro Glacier is one of the world's longest alpine glaciers.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Baltoro_glacier_from_air.jpg/267px-Baltoro_glacier_from_air.jpg)
![With 7,253 known glaciers, Pakistan contains more glacial ice than any other country on earth outside the polar regions.[1] At 62 kilometres (39 mi) in length, its Baltoro Glacier is one of the world's longest alpine glaciers.](/wiki/File:Baltoro_glacier_from_air.jpg)
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