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| | [[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]
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- 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
- 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