The Earth is everything but boring - from looming hilltops to inviting valleys, it is full of interesting places to see and to be in. And although looking at pictures of the most interesting geographical points of the Earth might already seem like an exciting enough thing to do, wait until you read our list of these incredible geography facts! So, yeah, this is our list dedicated exclusively to interesting geography, facts about geography, and all the gorgeous places we have here on our home planet.
Besides loads of unbelievable facts about things like mountains, rivers, and gorges, there’s also a category in our list that might be labeled as fun geography facts. And the thing that makes them entertaining is, for the most part, the factor of disbelief. Like, did you know that there’s a place that’s even higher than Mount Everest? Now that’s worthy of a chuckle! Well, at least to us, since we love to be astonished and discover something new about the Earth daily. So, treat these interesting geography facts both as learning material and a source of entertainment, but be careful of falling into a rabbit hole of extensive googling once you encounter a cool fact that basically mesmerizes you.
The best part is that you won’t have to scale mountains or cross oceans to find the most interesting geography trivia - it’s all here on this list. In fact, just a tiny little scroll below! Once you’re there, be sure to rank the interesting facts, so the most incredible ones find their way to the top of this list. And after that, just one more thing left - share this article with your friends!
#1 Lions Are Extinct In 26 Countries In Africa
Kings of the jungle, lions once ruled the continent of Africa and were even present on the European continent, before they were driven out. According to official records, lions are extinct not only in Europe but also in 26 African countries. It’s sad to imagine how much of the lion population has been wipped out.
178points
#2 The Largest Concentration Of Lakes Is In Canada, With Over 879,000 Lakes
Second by size but first with the number of lakes, Canada outmatches every other nation with the number of lakes it has. A survey found that Canada has the most lakes per square kilometer in the entire world. Canada is home to an astounding 62% of the 1.42 million lakes globally, with a size greater than 0.1 square kilometers.
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152points
#3 Sudan Has More Ancient Pyramids Than Egypt
There are a lot of interesting facts surrounding the pyramids. The Giza pyramids are just some of the oldest pyramids in the world. In fact, Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt.
Apparently, there are 138 pyramids in Egypt and 200–255 pyramids in Sudan. Interestingly, the pyramids in the latter were not built by ancient Egyptians, who may have moved further south.
137points
#4 There Are No Mosquitos In Iceland
Who likes mosquitoes? Probably no one. Lucky for you, Iceland is free of them. Although they are widespread in other nations, they aren’t in Iceland. Because of the chilly climate, mosquitoes can't enter Iceland and cannot deposit their eggs on the ground, preventing them from colonizing the island.
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133points
#5 A Town In Nebraska Has A Single Resident
It seems that one person can make a town. Located in Nebraska, Monowi might be the smallest town in the United States. The only resident of Monowi, Nebraska, is 84-year-old Elsie Eiler, who pays her taxes and issues her alcohol license.
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124points
#6 Diomede Islands 2.4 Miles (4 Km) Apart Are 20 Hours Apart
Time zones can be strange and create strange situations. The Diomede Islands are only separated by 4 km (2.4 mi), yet due to the International Date Line running across them, they are not only in different time zones but also 20 hours apart.
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123points
#7 Kentucky Has More Caves Than Any Other Place On Earth
While Kentucky might be known today as being the homeplace of Kentucky whiskey, it is also a host to more caves than any other place on Earth. The longest cave system, known as Mammoth Cave National Park, is located in this east coast state. So get your gear, get those tickets and go explore (with a guide, of course) just how deep this state goes.
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110points
#8 You Can Go Inside A Volcanic Magma Chamber In Iceland
Iceland — the volcano nation. If you ever visit this island, be sure to visit the volcanic magma chamber that is open to tourists. A volcano's magma chamber is frequently referred to as its heart. That is where all the "bad stuff" happens. The only notable exception to this is the Þríhnúkagígur volcano, where the magma in the chamber appears to have vanished.
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108points
#9 Papua New Guinea Has 840 Languages
Australia might have the largest number of rocks within its borders, but Papua New Guinea takes the title of having the most languages, with 840 active languages. Second place goes to Indonesia, which has 711 surviving languages. Nigeria comes in third with 520 surviving languages.
104points
#10 The Tallest Waterfall In The World Is Tugela Falls
In the KwaZulu-Natal Province of the Republic of South Africa, the Drakensberg of Royal Natal National Park is home to the complex of seasonal waterfalls known as Tugela Falls. With an uninterrupted leap of 411 m (1348.43 ft) and a total drop of 947 m (3106.96 ft), it may be the tallest waterfall on Earth, according to some measurements.
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98points
#11 The Largest Desert In The World Is Antarctica
Antarctica is the largest desert? Something is not right. Sometimes, a desert is not only composed of sand. Deserts can be described as being a dryish place with no possibility to survive for a long period. By this description, Antarctica has one of the largest deserts on Earth. Interesting geography facts like these only showcase how Antarctica is unique as a continent.
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96points
#12 Istanbul Is The Only Major City Resting On Two Continents
Situated on the entrance between the Black and Mediterranean seas, Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, but not the capital city. It is also located on two different continents — Europe and Asia. The city is united by a system of bridges, but both sides of the city are still quite different. The European side has banks and historical buildings, while the Asian side is a bit more relaxed.
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92points
#13 The World's Tallest Tree, Named Hyperion Is Found In The Redwood National Park, California
Sequoia sempervirens, found in California's Redwood National Park, is the tallest tree still standing. The coast redwood, known as Hyperion, was found by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor on August 25, 2006, and, in an effort to preserve it, its exact location is kept a closely-guarded secret.
89points
#14 Peru Has Floating Islands On A Lake
Seeing an island in the ocean is a common thing to see, but what about a floating island on a lake? Well, Peru has a number of them. The world's highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca, has a small area where the movable Uros Islands are located. It's safe to assume that nowhere else on the planet is like it.
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83points
#15 The World's Largest War Memorial Is A Road
When World War I came to an end, a lot of Australians returned home and took up local jobs to support themselves and their families. Some took up laying roads along the coast of Australia. One of the roads, completed in 1932 and spanning a total of 241.402 km (150 mi), became a memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers called the “Great Ocean Road”.
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81points
#16 Bangkok's Full Name Is 163 Letters
While the Sweden town of “Ö” takes the title of the shortest town name, Bangkok might take the title of the longest name with 163 letters. Ready?
Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.
Try remembering that.
80points
#17 The Most Remote Place On Earth Is Point Nemo
When the closest other person to you is an astronaut in space, then you know you are quite far from civilization. Point Nemo is as remote as remote can be. Whenever they fly over Point Nemo, astronauts on the International Space Station, which is 415.211 km (258 mi) distant, are the closest people to this point.
79points
#18 Yellowstone National Park Is Home To A Supervolcano
A simple volcano alone might be scary, but a supervolcano? Now, that is truly scary and amazing. Being the first natural park in the USA, Yellowstone is special. A big part of the park rests on top of a supervolcano.
While the last time the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted was 640,000+ years ago, one might just wonder what kind of power and destruction lies beneath this park.
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78points
#19 Jericho Is Believed To Be The Oldest Continuously Inhabited City In The World
Jericho is the world's oldest continually inhabited city. This area belonged to the ancient city of Palestine, which was founded 9,000 years before Christ and is situated on the Jordan River. Jericho is not only the oldest city in the world, but it is also the lowest due to its location of 258 m (282.152 ft) below sea level.
78points
#20 42 Buildings In New York Have Their Own Zip Codes
4 million people live on the island, thus a lot of mail travels through Manhattan every day. The ZIP code system is essential to completing the enormous work of getting all that mail where it needs to go. It's interesting to note that 42 buildings in Manhattan have unique ZIP codes.
71points