Geography fun facts and oddities

Geography fun facts & oddities

collection of facts and oddities

page organization t.b.a.

Physical geography fun facts

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"

Physical geography oddities

Earthquakes

2011 Virginia earthquake
- this 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Louisa County, Virginia, was felt as frar 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.
See [Virginia earthquake, 2011 (wiki)]

Rocks

Devil's Tower
click EXPAND for details on 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 [Devil's Tower (wiki)]

Independence Rock

click EXPAND for details on Independence Rock

- 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)

click EXPAND for details on Pompey's Pillar

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:
- William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1803-06) inscribed his name on the rock on July 25, 1806

Clark's journal entry of that day:

“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

sources
- [Pompey's Pillar National Monument (National Park Service)]

[Pompey's Pillar National Monument (wiki)]

Three Sisters or Three Sisters Islands

click EXPAND for info on & legends behind the name of the rocks:

- 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: [Three Sisters (wiki)]

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 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
Thor's Well
- a sinkhole on the coast of Cape Perpetua, Oregon, that drains at high tides
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
source: [What is the largest sinkhole in the United States? (usgs.gov)]
See also
- [SinkHoles (USGS.gov)]
- [Sinkhole (wiki)]

Name origins (etymology)

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/ (finty.com)]
  - downloads for the world map and separate continents can be found at the bottom of that page
  - here for the [direct link to the world map (finty.com)]
  - here for articles on the map [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 [a web-based spreadsheet with details of the word origins (etymology)] from the makers of the map

America

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"

- 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
see
- [Amerigo Vespucci (wiki)]
- [Waldseemüller world map (wiki)]

Central America

Atlantic islands

Antilles
"Madeira"

Europe

Iceland

Mid East

Levant
- "the Levant" is a region consisting of the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea
- "levant" = French for "rising" or "risen"
- "levant" is the past participle (past tense verb used as an adjective) of the verb "lever" (to rise)
- = a reference to the sun rising from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean

Indus, India, Indonesia

"Indus" is the name for the river that gives the name for India
- the Indus River is in Pakistan
- "indus" = indo-european word for "river
- "India" therefore is the "land of the River"
- "Indonesia" therefore "islands of India"

Greenland

Political geography fun facts

countries that have no capital

- 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
- Netherlands
  - the legal capital is Amsterdam, although much of the national government institutions are located in "the Hague"
  - the Hague is considered "the seat" of the government, as national administrative offices and the official workplace of the Dutch king, Noordeinde Palace, are located there.

Freaky little places:
- Andorra
- Faroe Islands

Political geography oddities

Enclaves & exclaves

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 property
- 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

click EXPAND for a list of semi-exclaves:

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
- 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
click EXPAND for a list of exclaves:

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)

[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
click EXPAND for a list of semi-exclaves:

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.

click EXPAND for a list of U.S. 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 penninsula creaed 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.

some places that are both enclaves and exclaves
- not independent countries, but part of one country that are surrounded by another
click EXPAND to see a list of some places that are both ENCLAVES & EXCLAVES

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
- For full list see: [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:

- Afghanistan (South Asia)
- Austria (Europe)
- Ethiopia (Africa)
- Laos (Southeast Asia)
- Malawi (Africa)
- Mongolia (Asia)
- Paraguay (South America)
- Switzerland (Europe)
- Uganda (Africa)

Double Landlocked countries
- = landlocked countries surrounded by landlocked countries
click EXPAND to see a list of the only two double-landlocked countries:

Liechtenstein
Uzbekistan

Physical geography extremes

Highest, lowest extremes

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

- - - 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

- - the deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench, which is 28,900 ft at its max. deep 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.
    - The Salton Sea is known as the fastest water for speedboat racing water in the world (see [Salton Sea#Powerboat racing (wiki)]

- Continent with the highest lowest point is Europe
  - the Caspian Depression, location of the Caspian Sea is 92 ft below sea level
  - the lowest point in the Netherlands is the coastal area, Zuidplaspolder, at 23 ft below sea level
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

Political geography extremes

Largest & smallest nations, Highest & lowest populations

click EXPAND for the answers

Africa

largest country in Africa by territory:

Algeria

second & third largest countries in Africa by territory:

2nd: Democratic Republic of the Congo
3rd: Sudan

smallest country in mainland Africa:

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

smallest smallest country in Africa, including islands:

Seychelles

highest population in Africa:

Nigeria

2nd highest population in Africa:

- Ethiopia

lowest population in mainland Africa:

Djibouti

lowest population in Africa among independent nations (territories excluded) and including island states:

Seychelles

lowest population in Africa, including island states and semi-independent territories:

Saint Helena

second lowest population in Africa, including island states and territories:

- Seychelles

Asia

Australia

Australia is the largest and the smallest country in Australia
- 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

Directional extremes (north, south, east, west)

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"
Click EXPAND to read more about the Northwest 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)

Economic Extremes

richest country by overall GDP
richest country by per capita GDP
poorest country by overall GDP
poorest country by per capital GDP
most industrialized country
most agriculture-based country (least industrialized)
most

Demographic Extremes

the only Hindu-dominant island in Indonesia
- Bali
most homogenous country
most diverse country
most languages
most dialects

Regional extremes