The Earth in geographical facts

“The Blue Planet” is a huge source of curiosities when it comes to its geography. The facts below are just a few examples: - Sudan’s GDP is about the same with that of the US state of Idaho (approximately 54 billion $). - The total world GDP reached 70 trillion $ in 2011. In comparison, the world GDP in 2010 was about 63 trillion $. - Approximately 40% of the total area of Brazil (or 3,3 million square km / 1,274 million square mi) is covered by the Amazon rainforest. - Indonesia is the country with the most active volcanoes (over 130). - In the last 100 years, Chile has experienced about 8 earthquakes rating at least 8.0 magnitude including the 1960 Valdivia earthquake which was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded on Earth rating a magnitude of 9.5. - There are 100 million privately owned cars in China. - There are over 6,300 ships that are registered in the country of Panama. - Lesotho is an enclave and a landlocked country that is completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. - The present Croatian city of Dubrovnik was known in the Middle Ages as the Republic of Ragusa. - Greenland is the world largest island and the least densely populated country or teritory in the world. - Russia and Bangladesh have the same number of inhabitans (approximately 142 million), but the area of Bangladesh is 115 times smaller than the area of Russia. - Armenia has one of the oldest Christian community in the world – it was the first country that adopted Christianity in 301 AD. - Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America (739 m / 2,425 ft). - With a depth of 3.4 km (2 mi), the Colca Canyon in the southern Peru Andes is the deepest canyon in the world. - The Earth has fourteen mountain peaks higher that 8,000 m (26,246 ft) and all of them are situated in the Himalaya Mountains. - The first permanent European settlement that was founded on the current area of New York was called New Amsterdam. - Approximately 36% of the population of New York is not born in the USA. - The Ganges Delta is the largest delta in the world. - Salar de Uyuni, in southwest Bolivia, is the world’s largest salt field (10,582 sq km / 4,086 sq mi). - The Bialowieska Forest is a primary forest located in Poland and Belarus. - The Canada – United States border is the longest border in the world (8,891 km / 5,525 mi).