"text":"Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating World Wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about environmental degradation including deforestation, energy and water shortages, declining biological diversity, and air pollution; and (h) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population continues to expand at a fast rate: from 1 billion in 1820 to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, 7 billion in 2012, and 8 billion in 2022. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine and agriculture) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war)."
"text":"<p>The surface of the Earth is approximately 70.9% water and 29.1% land. The water portion is the World Ocean, the single largest feature of the planet and one that connects all places on the globe. The continental landmasses divide this ocean into five major ocean basins, which are (in decreasing order of size) the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. <em>The World Factbook</em> describes these five as oceans. Because of the major ocean currents and the effects of the major air masses above them, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are generally divided at the equator into the North and South Pacific Oceans and the North and South Atlantic Oceans, creating seven major water bodies -- the so-called \"Seven Seas.\"</p><p>About97.5%oftheEarth'swaterissaltwater.Ofthe2.5%thatisfresh,abouttwothirdsisfrozen,mostlylockedupinmountainglaciersandtheAntarcticicesheets.Ifallthesurfaceiceonearthfullymelted,thesealevelwouldriseabout70m(230ft).</p><p>Earth'slandportionisdividedintolandmassescalledcontinents.Differentcontinentaldefinitionsarerecognizedincertainpartsoftheworld,withsomemoreheavilybasedonculturethanphysicalgeography.<br><br>Dependingontheconventionused,thenumberofcontinentscanvaryfromfivetoseven.Themostcommonclassificationrecognizesseven,whichare(fromlargesttosmallest)Asia,Africa,NorthAmerica,SouthAmerica,Antarctica,Europe,andAustralia.AsiaandEuropearesometimeslumpedtogetherintoaEurasiancontinent,andNorthandSouthAmericaaresometimesgroupedastheAmericas,witheitherusageresultinginacontinenttotalofsix(orfive,ifbothareused).</p><p>NorthAmericaiscommonlyunderstoodtoincludeGreenlandandtheCaribbeanislandsandtoextendsouthtotheIsthmusofPanama.TheUralMountainsandtheUralRiverareusuallyconsideredtheeasternmostpartofEurope,theCaspianSeaisthelimittothesoutheast,andtheCaucasusMountains,theBlackSea,andtheMediterraneantothesouth.AsiausuallyincorporatesalltheislandsofthePhilippines,Malaysia,andIndonesia.ThePacificislandsareoftenlumpedwithAustraliaanddesignatedasOceaniaorAustralasia.Africa'snortheastextremityisfrequentlydelimitedattheIsthmusofSuez,butforgeopoliticalpurposes,theEgyptianSinaiPeninsulaisoftenincludedaspartofAfrica.</p><p>Intotal,theUnitedStatesrecognizes197countries.Usingtheseven-continentmodelandgroupingislandswithadjacentcontinents,Africahasthemostcountrieswith54.Europehas49countriesandAsia48,withfivecountriesshared:Azerbaijan,Georgia,Kazakhstan,Russia,andTurkey.NorthAmericahas23,Oceaniahas16,andSouthAmericahas12.</p><p><strong>countriesbycontinent:</strong><em>Africa</em>(54):Algeria,Angola,Benin,Botswana,BurkinaFaso,Burundi,CaboVerde,Cameroon,CentralAfricanRepublic,Chad,Comoros,DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,RepublicoftheCongo,Coted'Ivoire,Djibouti,Egypt,EquatorialGuinea,Eritrea,Eswatini,Ethiopia,Gabon,TheGambia,Ghana,Guinea,Guinea-Bissau,Kenya,Lesotho,Liberia,Libya,Madagascar,Malawi,Mali,Mauritania,Mauritius,Morocco,Mozambique,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Rwanda,SaoTomeandPrincipe,Senegal,Seychelles,SierraLeone,Somalia,SouthAfrica,SouthSudan,Sudan,Tanzania,Togo,Tunisia,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe</p><p><em>Europe</em>(49):Albania,Andorra,Austria,Azerbaijan*,Belarus,Belgium,BosniaandHerzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,CzechRepublic,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,France,Georgia*,Germany,Greece,HolySee(VaticanCity),Hungary,Iceland,Ireland,Italy,Kazakhstan*,Kosovo,Latvia,Liechtenstein,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta,Moldova,Monaco,Montenegro,Netherlands,NorthMacedonia,Norway,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Russia*,SanMarino,Serbia,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain,Sweden,Switzerland,Turkey*,Ukraine,UnitedKingdom(*indicatespartofthecountryisalsoinAsia)</p><p><em>Asia</em>(48):Afghanistan,Ar
"text":"<p>the land boundaries in <em>The World Factbook</em> total 279,035.5 km (not counting shared boundaries twice), but the number is only an estimate because of the difficulty in precisely measuring natural features such as rivers<br><strong><br>note 1:</strong> 46 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czechia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> worldwide, about one quarter of interior (non-coastal) borders are rivers; South America with 43% leads the continents, followed by North America with 32%, Africa with 30%, Europe with 23%, and Asia with 18%; Australia has no interior national river borders<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> two nations, China and Russia, each border 14 other countries</p>"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> 95 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Baker Island, Barbados, Bermuda, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cabo Verde, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Taiwan, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna"
"text":"<p>most countries make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm</p>"
"text":"a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates is bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates"
"text":"McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica 0 mm (0 in)<br>Arica, Chile 0.76 mm (0.03 in)<br>Al Kufrah, Libya 0.86 mm (0.03 in)<br>Aswan, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in)<br>Luxor, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in)<br>Ica, Peru 2.29 mm (0.09 in)<br>Wadi Halfa, Sudan 2.45 mm (0.1 in)<br>Iquique, Chile 5.08 mm (0.2 in)<br>Pelican Point, Namibia 8.13 mm (0.32 in)<br>El Arab (Aoulef), Algeria 12.19 mm (0.48 in)"
"text":"Mawsynram, India 11,871 mm (467.4 in)<br>Cherrapunji, India 11,777 mm (463.7 in)<br>Tutunendo, Colombia 11,770 mm (463.4 in)<br>Cropp River, New Zealand 11,516 mm (453.4 in)<br>San Antonia de Ureca, Equatorial Guinea 10,450 mm (411.4 in)<br>Debundsha, Cameroon 10,299 mm (405.5 in)<br>Big Bog, US (Hawaii) 10,272 mm (404.4 in)<br>Mt Waialeale, US (Hawaii) 9,763 mm (384.4 in)<br>Kukui, US (Hawaii) 9,293 mm (365.9 in)<br>Emeishan, China 8,169 mm (321.6 in)"
"text":"a compilation of terrain extremes can be found in the World elevation entry; the world's ocean floors also display wide variation, as explained in the bathymetry and major ocean currentsentries under each of the five ocean entries (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern)"
"text":"compiled from Geography - note(s)under country entries<br><br><em>largest cave:</em> Son Doong in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam, is the world's largest cave (greatest cross sectional area) and is the largest known cave passage by volume; it currently measures a total of 38.5 million cu m (about 1.35 billion cu ft); it connects to Thung cave, but not yet officially -- when recognized, it will add an additional 1.6 million cu m in volume<strong><br><br></strong><em>largest ice cave:</em> the Eisriesenwelt (Ice Giants World) inside the Hochkogel mountain near Werfen, Austria, is the world's largest and longest ice cave system at 42 km (26 mi) <br><strong><br></strong><em>longest cave:</em> Mammoth Cave in west-central Kentucky is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 mi) of surveyed passageways<br><br><em>longest salt cave:</em> the Malham Cave in Mount Sodom in Israel is the world's longest salt cave at 10 km (6 mi); its survey is not complete, so its recorded length will eventually increase<br><br><em>longest underwater cave:</em> the Sac Actun cave system in Mexico is the longest underwater cave in the world at 348 km (216 mi), and the second-longest cave worldwide<br><br><em>longest lava tube cave:</em> Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep <br><br><em>deepest cave:</em> Veryovkina Cave in the country of Georgia is the world's deepest cave at 2,212 m (7,257 ft)<br><br><em>deepest underwater cave:</em> the Hranice Abyss in Czechia is the world's deepest surveyed underwater cave at 404 m (1,325 ft); its survey is not complete, and it could be 800-1,200 m deep<br><br><em>largest cave chamber:</em> the Miao Room in the Gebihe cave system in China's Ziyun Getu He Chuandong National Park has about 10.78 million cu m (380.7 million cu ft) of volume<br><br><em>largest bat cave:</em> Bracken Cave outside San Antonio, Texas, is the world's largest bat cave; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October, making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals<br><br><em>bonus \"cave\" - the world's largest sinkhole:</em> the Xiaoxhai Tiankeng sinkhole in Chongqing Municipality, China is 660 m deep, with a volume of 130 million cu m"
"text":"Denman Glacier (Antarctica) more than -3,500 m (in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific Ocean)"
"note":"<strong>top ten highest mountains (measured from sea level):</strong> Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,849 m; K2 (China-Pakistan) 8,611 m; Kanchenjunga (India-Nepal) 8,586 m; Lhotse (China-Nepal) 8,516 m; Makalu (China-Nepal) 8,485 m; Cho Oyu (China-Nepal) 8,188 m; Dhaulagiri (Nepal) 8,167 m; Manaslu (Nepal) 8,156 m; Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) 8,125 m; Annapurna (Nepal) 8,091 m; <br><br><strong>note:</strong> Mauna Kea (United States) is the world's tallest mountain as measured from base to summit; the peak lies on the island of Hawaii, but its base begins more than 70 km offshore and at a depth of about 6,000 m; total height estimates range from 9,966 m to 10,203 m <br><br><strong>top ten highest island peaks:</strong> Puncak Jaya (New Guinea) 4,884 m (Indonesia)*; Mauna Kea (Hawaii) 4,207 m (United States); Gunung Kinabalu (Borneo) 4,095 m (Malaysia)*; Yu Shan (Taiwan) 3,952 (Taiwan)*; Mount Kerinci (Sumatra) 3,805 m (Indonesia); Mount Erebus (Ross Island) 3,794 (Antarctica); Mount Fuji (Honshu) 3,776 m (Japan)*; Mount Rinjani (Lombok) 3,726 m (Indonesia); Aoraki-Mount Cook (South Island) 3,724 m (New Zealand)*; Pico de Teide (Tenerife) 3,718 m (Spain)* <br><br>* indicates the highest peak for that <em>Factbook </em>entry <br><br><strong>highest point on each continent:</strong> Asia - Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,849 m; South America - Cerro Aconcagua (Argentina) 6,960 m; North America - Mount McKinley (United States) 6,190 m; Africa - Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) 5,895 m; Europe - El'brus (Russia) 5,633 m; Antarctica - Vinson Massif 4,897 m; Australia - Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m <br><br><strong>highest capital on each continent:</strong> South America - La Paz (Bolivia) 3,640 m; Africa - Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 2,355 m; Asia - Thimphu (Bhutan) 2,334 m; North America - Mexico City (Mexico) 2,240 m; Europe - Andorra la Vella (Andorra) 1,023 m; Australia - Canberra (Australia) 605 m <br><br><strong>lowest point on each continent:</strong> Antarctica - Denman Glacier more than -3,500 m; Asia - Dead Sea (Israel-Jordan) -431 m; Africa - Lac Assal (Djibouti) -155 m; South America - Laguna del Carbon (Argentina) -105 m; North America - Death Valley (United States) -86 m; Europe - Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-Russia) -28 m; Australia - Lake Eyre -15 <br><br><strong>lowest capital on each continent:</strong> Asia - Baku (Azerbaijan) -28 m; Europe - Amsterdam (Netherlands) -2 m; Africa - Banjul (Gambia); Bissau (Guinea-Bissau), Conakry (Guinea), Djibouti (Djibouti), Libreville (Gabon), Male (Maldives), Monrovia (Liberia), Tunis (Tunisia), Victoria (Seychelles) 0 m; North America - Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Kingstown (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Panama City (Panama), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Roseau (Dominica), Saint John's (Antigua and Barbuda), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) 0 m; South America - Georgetown (Guyana) 0 m; Australia - Canberra (Australia) 605 m"
"text":"<strong>top ten largest natural lakes: </strong>Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 374,000 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,100 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 62,940 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,600 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,750 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,000 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,328 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,500 sq km; Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 22,490 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,568 sq km<br><br><strong>note 1:</strong> the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> Lakes Huron and Michigan are technically a single lake because the flow of water between the Straits of Mackinac that connects the two lakes keeps their water levels at near-equilibrium; combined, Lake Huron-Michigan is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> if ranked by water volume, the Caspian Sea would still be first, but it would be followed Lakes Baikal, Tanganyika, Superior, and Malawi; Lake Superior contains more water than the other four North American Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario) combined"
"text":"<strong>top ten longest rivers:</strong> Nile (Africa) 6,650 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Yangtze (Asia) 6,300 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,275 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,539 km; Huang He/Yellow (Asia) 5,464 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,410 km; Congo (Africa) 4,700 km; Amur (Asia) 4,444 km; Lena (Asia) 4,400 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> there are 21 countries without rivers: three in Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Libya), one in the Americas (Bahamas), eight in Asia (Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen), three in Europe (Malta, Monaco, Holy See), and six in Oceania (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu); these countries also do not have natural lakes"
"text":"a watershed is a drainage basin on an area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water; oceans ultimately take in the drainage from 83% of all land area; the remaining 17% of the land drains into internal (endorheic) basins<br><br><em>The World Factbook</em> lists 51 watersheds across 102 countries: <br>Asia - 18<br>Europe - 9<br>Africa - 9<br>North and Central America - 8<br>South America - 5<br>Australia - 2 <br><br>all watersheds with an area of at least 500,000 sq km have been included, along with a number of smaller, regionally significant watersheds; together, these represent the surface hydrology water flows that are the world's primary sources of fresh water for individual consumption, industry, and agriculture"
"text":"aquifers are underground layers of water-bearing permeable rock formations; groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well<br><br><em>The World Factbook</em> lists 37 major aquifers across 52 countries:<br>Africa - 13<br>Asia - 10 <br>North America - 5<br>South America - 3 <br>Europe - 4<br>Australia -2 <br><br>these aquifers contain the bulk of the stored volume of groundwater; this represents more than 30% of the world's fresh water; in the US, groundwater is primarily used for irrigation; globally, 70% of the groundwater withdrawn is used for agriculture; groundwater also supplies almost half of all drinking water worldwide"
"text":"six of the world's seven continents are widely and permanently inhabited; Asia is the most populous continent, with about 60% of the world's population (China and India together account for over 35%); Africa comes in second with over 15%, Europe has about 10%, North America 8%, South America almost 6%, and Oceania less than 1%; the harsh conditions on Antarctica prevent any permanent habitation"
"text":"large areas of the world are subject to severe weather and natural disasters (cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, etc.)<br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> this is a driver and consequence of plate tectonics, the physical process reshaping the Earth's lithosphere; the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, with over 500 of these erupting in recorded history; an estimated 500 million people live near volcanoes; associated dangers include lava flows, mud flows, pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gas emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior created a list of 16 \"Decade Volcanoes\" with great potential for destruction: Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy), Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (US), Merapi (Indonesia), Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (US), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini (Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua New Guinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)<br><br><strong>volcano statistics:</strong><br><br><em>countries with the most volcanoes:</em> (Holocene Epoch, the past 12,000 years*): United States (162), Japan (122), Indonesia (120), Russia (117), Chile (91); <br><br>*roughly 1,350 volcanoes have erupted over this time period; about 40-50 eruptions are ongoing at any one time; the frequency of volcanoes has not increased<br><br><em>longest erupting volcano:</em> Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala has been constantly erupting since 22 June 1922; the Yasur volcano on Tanna Island in Vanuatu has been in constant activity since Captain Cook observed it in 1774, but it is not cited due to lack of a clear start date; tephra stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating show that the Yasur activity may have begun ca. A.D. 1270<br><br><em>highest volcano </em>(above sea level): Nevado Ojos del Salado (6,893 m; 22,615 ft) on the Chile-Argentina border is the world's highest volcano above sea level and the highest peak in Chile<br><br><em>highest volcano</em><strong> </strong>(from base):<strong> </strong>Mauna Kea (US) is the world's tallest mountain, measured from base to summit; the peak lies on the island of Hawaii, but its base begins more than 70 km (43 mi) offshore and at a depth of about 6,000 m; total height estimates range from 9,966 m to 10,203 m<br><br><strong>earthquakes:</strong> the vast majority of earthquakes occur in three large zones; the <em>Circum-Pacific Belt</em> (known as the Ring of Fire) borders the Pacific and is the largest zone of volcanic and seismic activity, with about 90% of earthquakes (81% of the largest) and about 75% of active volcanoes; the belt extends northward from Chile along the South American coast, then through Central America, Mexico, the western US, southern Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands, to Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the southwestern Pacific, and New Zealand; the <em>Alpide Belt</em> extends from Java to Sumatra, northward along the mountains of Burma, eastward through the Himalayas and the Mediterranean, and into the Atlantic Ocean, accounting for about 17% of the largest earthquakes; the third belt follows the long Mid-Atlantic Ridge"
"text":"<p>The conquests of Alexander the Great (r. 336-323 B.C.) in the fourth century B.C. fostered the spread of Greek culture to the lands around the eastern Mediterranean and much of the Middle East, ushering in what is today referred to as the Hellenistic Period (323-31 B.C.). Hellenistic sightseers compiled guidebooks with outstanding monuments in those parts of the world, including Persia, Egypt, and Babylon. Seven sites were usually emphasized since that number was considered magical, perfect, and complete. Not all wonders lists from ancient times agreed, but six sites consistently appeared (the Walls of Babylon sometimes substituted for the Lighthouse of Alexandria). The “classic” Seven Wonders most often cited are listed below.</p> <p>1. <strong>The Great Pyramid of Egypt</strong><br>The oldest of the Seven Wonders, the Great Pyramid, is the only one that remains largely intact. Commissioned by the Pharaoh Khufu (r. ca. 2589-2566 B.C.), it is the largest of the three pyramids at Giza. It served as the ruler’s tomb and was built over a period of about 20 years, concluding around 2560 B.C. The pyramid is estimated to have been 146.5 m tall when completed and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years (until the 14th century A.D.). Most of the original limestone casing stones that formed the outer smooth surface of the pyramid are gone. Today, the pyramid’s height is about 139 m.</p> <p>2. <strong>The Hanging Gardens of Babylon</strong><br>This is the only one of the ancient Seven Wonders for which a definitive location has never been established. No surviving Babylonian texts mention the Gardens, nor have any archeological remains been discovered in today’s Iraq. According to tradition, the gardens were a remarkable feat of engineering, with an ascending series of mud-brick-tiered gardens containing a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines that, when viewed from below, resembled a leafy green mountain. The Gardens are frequently attributed to the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605-562 B.C.), who may have had them built for his Median wife, Queen Amytis, because she missed the green hills and valleys of her homeland.</p> <p>3. <strong>The Temple of Artemis (Artemision) at Ephesus</strong><br>This Greek temple at Ephesus (3 km southwest of Selcuk in present-day western Turkey) was dedicated to the goddess Artemis and was completely rebuilt twice: once after a 7th century B.C. flood and then after a 356 B.C. act of arson. In its final form, it was judged to be one of the Seven Wonders and survived for 600 years. The building was composed entirely of marble, with massive dimensions reported to be 130 m by 69 m, and included 127 columns, each about 18 m tall. The temple was damaged in a Gothic raid in A.D. 268, and Christians finally closed it in the early-to-mid 5th century. The structure was dismantled in succeeding centuries, and today almost nothing of the temple remains.</p> <p>4. <strong>The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus</strong><br>Constructed in about 350 B.C., the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was located on the site of the present-day city of Bodrum in southwestern Turkey. It was the tomb of Mausolus, a Persian ruler, and his wife -- the term \"mausoleum\"isderivedfromhisname.Thestructurestoodabout45mhighandtookabout20yearstocomplete.Aseriesofearthquakesbetweenthe12thand15thcenturiesA.D.devastatedthestructure,whichwasthelastoftheoriginalSevenWonderstobedestroyed.</p><p>5.<strong>TheColossusofRhodes</strong><br>ThisstatueoftheGreeksungodHelios,constructedattheentrancetoRhodes'harbortocelebratethecity'ssuccessfulrepulseofasiege,wasmadeofirontiebarstowhichbrassorbronzeplateswereattachedtoformaskin.Contemporarydescriptionslistitsheightatabout70cubits,or33m–approximatelythesameheightastheStatueofLiberty(34m)–whichwouldmakeitthetalleststatueintheancientworld.Completedinabout280B.C.,themonumentstoodforonlyabout54yearsuntil
"text":"<strong>note:</strong> the Earth is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, about one-third of the 13.8-billion-year age estimated for the universe; the earliest widely accepted date for life appearing on Earth is 3.48 billion years ago"
"text":"<strong>most-spoken language:</strong>English 18.8%, Mandarin Chinese 13.8%, Hindi 7.5%, Spanish 6.9%, French 3.4%, Arabic 3.4%, Bengali 3.4%, Russian 3.2%, Portuguese 3.2%, Urdu 2.9% (2022 est.) <br><br><strong>most-spoken first language:</strong> Mandarin Chinese 12.3%, Spanish 6%, English 5.1%, Arabic 5.1%, Hindi 3.5%, Bengali 3.3%, Portuguese 3%, Russian 2.1%, Japanese 1.7%, Punjabi, Western 1.3%, Javanese 1.1% (2018 est.) <br><br><strong>note 1:</strong> the six UN languages -- Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Castilian) -- are the mother tongue or second language of about 49.6% of the world's population (2022), and are the official languages in more than half the states in the world; some 400 languages have more than a million first-language speakers (2018) <br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> all told, there are estimated to be 7,168 living languages spoken in the world (2023); approximately 80% of these languages are spoken by fewer than 100,000 people; about 150 languages are spoken by fewer than 10 people; communities that are isolated in mountainous regions often develop multiple languages -- Papua New Guinea, for example, boasts about 840 separate languages (2018) <br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> approximately 2,300 languages are spoken in Asia; 2,140, in Africa; 1,310 in the Pacific; 1,060 in the Americas; and 290 in Europe (2020)"
"text":"six of the world's seven continents are widely and permanently inhabited; Asia is the most populous continent, with about 60% of the world's population (China and India together account for over 35%); Africa comes in second with over 15%, Europe has about 10%, North America 8%, South America almost 6%, and Oceania less than 1%; the harsh conditions on Antarctica prevent any permanent habitation"
"text":"large areas of the world are subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of biodiversity; soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion; ozone layer depletion; waste disposal; temperature change"
"text":"A biome is a biogeographical designation describing a biological community of plants and animals that has formed in response to a physical environment and a shared regional climate. Biomes can extend over more than one continent. Different classification systems define different numbers of biomes. <em>The World Factbook</em> recognizes the following seven biomes used by NASA: tundra, coniferous forest, temperate deciduous forest, rainforest, grassland, shrubland, and desert."
"text":"The tundra is the coldest of the biomes. It also receives low amounts of precipitation, making the tundra similar to a desert. Tundra comes from the Finnish word <em>tunturia</em>, meaning \"treeless plain.\" Tundra is found in the regions just below the ice caps of the Arctic, extending across North America to Europe and to Siberia in Asia. Temperatures usually range between -40°C (-40 °F) and 18°C (64°F). The temperatures are so cold that there is a layer of permanently frozen ground below the surface, called permafrost. This permafrost is a defining characteristic of the tundra biome. In the tundra summers, the top layer of soil thaws only a few inches down, providing a growing surface for the roots of vegetation. This biome sees 150 to 250 mm (6 to 10 in) of rain per year. Vegetation in the tundra has adapted to the cold and the short growing season and consists of lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, and shrubs, but almost no trees."
"text":"The coniferous forest is sandwiched between the tundra to the north and the deciduous forest to the south. Coniferous forest regions have long, cold, snowy winters; warm, humid summers; well-defined seasons; and at least four to six frost-free months. The average temperature in winter ranges from -40°C (-40°F) to 20°C (68°F). The average summer temperatures are usually around 10°C (50°F). 300 to 900 mm (12 to 35 in) of rain per year can be expected in this biome. Vegetation consists of trees that produce cones and needles, which are called coniferous-evergreen trees. Some needles remain on the trees all year long. Some of the more common conifers are spruces, pines, and firs."
"text":"Temperate deciduous forests are located in the mid-latitude areas, which means that they are found between the polar regions and the tropics. The deciduous forest regions are exposed to warm and cold air masses, which cause this area to have four seasons. Hot summers and cold winters are typical. The average daily temperatures range between -30°C (-22°F) and 30°C (86°F), with a yearly average of 10°C (50°F). On average, this biome receives 750 to 1,500 mm (30 to 59 in) of rain per year. Vegetation includes broadleaf trees (oaks, maples, beeches), shrubs, perennial herbs, and mosses."
"text":"The rainforest biome remains warm all year and stay frost-free. The average daily temperatures range from 20°C (68°F) to 25°C (77°F). Rainforests receive the most yearly rainfall of all of the biomes, and a typical year sees 2,000 to 10,000 mm (79 to 394 in) of rain. Vegetation typically includes vines, palm trees, orchids, and ferns. There are two types of rainforests: tropical rainforests are found closer to the equator, and temperate rainforests are found farther north near coastal areas. The majority of common houseplants come from the rainforest."
"text":"Grasslands are open, continuous, and fairly flat areas of grass. Found on every continent except Antarctica, they are often located between temperate forests at high latitudes and deserts at subtropical latitudes. Depending on latitude, the annual temperature range can be -20°C (-4°F) to 30°C (86°F). Grasslands receive around 500 to 900 mm (20 to 35 in) of rain per year. Tropical grasslands have dry and wet seasons that remain warm all the time. Temperate grasslands have cold winters and warm summers with some rain. Vegetation is dominated by grasses but can include sedges and rushes, along with some legumes (clover) and herbs. A few trees may be found in this biome along the streams, but not many due to the lack of rainfall."
"text":"Shrublands include chaparral, woodland, and savanna, and are composed of shrubs or short trees. Many shrubs thrive on steep, rocky slopes, but there is usually not enough rain to support tall trees. Shrublands are located in west coastal regions between 30° and 40° North and South latitude and are usually found on the borders of deserts and grasslands. The summers are hot and dry with temperatures up to 38°C (100°F). Winters are cool and moist, with temperatures around -1 °C (30°F). Annual rainfall in the shrublands varies greatly, but 200 to 1,000 mm (8 to 40 in) of rain per year can be expected. Vegetation includes aromatic herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano), shrubs, acacia, chamise, grasses. Plants have adapted to fire caused by frequent lightning strikes in the summer."
"text":"The most important characteristic of a desert biome is that it receives very little rainfall, usually about 250 mm (10 in) of rain per year. During the day, desert temperatures rise to an average of 38°C (100°F). At night, desert temperatures fall to an average of -4°C (about 25°F). Vegetation is sparse, consisting of cacti, small bushes, and short grasses. Perennials survive for several years by becoming dormant and flourishing when water is available. Annuals are referred to as ephemerals because some can complete an entire life cycle in weeks. Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants that live there need to adapt to compensate. Some, such as cacti, store water in their stems and use it very slowly, while others, like bushes, conserve water by growing few leaves or by having large root systems to gather water."
"text":"a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates is bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates"
"text":"McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica 0 mm (0 in)<br>Arica, Chile 0.76 mm (0.03 in)<br>Al Kufrah, Libya 0.86 mm (0.03 in)<br>Aswan, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in)<br>Luxor, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in)<br>Ica, Peru 2.29 mm (0.09 in)<br>Wadi Halfa, Sudan 2.45 mm (0.1 in)<br>Iquique, Chile 5.08 mm (0.2 in)<br>Pelican Point, Namibia 8.13 mm (0.32 in)<br>El Arab (Aoulef), Algeria 12.19 mm (0.48 in)"
"text":"Mawsynram, India 11,871 mm (467.4 in)<br>Cherrapunji, India 11,777 mm (463.7 in)<br>Tutunendo, Colombia 11,770 mm (463.4 in)<br>Cropp River, New Zealand 11,516 mm (453.4 in)<br>San Antonia de Ureca, Equatorial Guinea 10,450 mm (411.4 in)<br>Debundsha, Cameroon 10,299 mm (405.5 in)<br>Big Bog, US (Hawaii) 10,272 mm (404.4 in)<br>Mt Waialeale, US (Hawaii) 9,763 mm (384.4 in)<br>Kukui, US (Hawaii) 9,293 mm (365.9 in)<br>Emeishan, China 8,169 mm (321.6 in)"
"text":"there are 21 world entities (20 countries and 1 dependency) with multiple time zones: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, France, Greenland (part of the Danish Kingdom), Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Russia, Spain, United States<br><br><strong>note 1: </strong>in some instances, the time zones pertain to portions of a country that lie overseas<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> in 1851, the British set their prime meridian (0° longitude) through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England; this meridian became the international standard in 1884 and thus the basis for the standard time zones of the world; today, GMT is officially known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and is also referred to as \"Zulu time\"; UTC is the basis for all civil time, with the world divided into time zones expressed as positive or negative differences from UTC<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> each time zone is based on 15° starting from the prime meridian; in theory, there are 24 time zones based on the solar day, but there are now upward of 40 because of fractional hour offsets that adjust for various political and physical geographic realities; see the Standard Time Zones of the World map included with the World and Regional Maps"
"text":"some 67 countries -- including most of the world's leading industrialized nations -- use daylight savings time (DST) in at least a portion of the country; China, Japan, India, and Russia are major industrialized countries that do not use DST; Asia and Africa generally do not observe DST, and it is generally not observed near the equator, where sunrise and sunset times do not vary enough to justify it; some countries observe DST only in certain regions; only a minority of the world's population -- about 20% -- uses DST"
"text":"Australia dependencies: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island (6)<br><br>France dependencies: Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)<br><br>New Zealand dependency: Tokelau (1)<br><br>Norway dependencies: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard (3)<br><br>United Kingdom dependencies: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Turks and Caicos Islands (12)<br><br>United States dependencies: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island (14)"
"text":"the legal systems of nearly all countries are modeled on elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law), common law (including English and US law), customary law, mixed or pluralistic law, and religious law (including Islamic sharia law); an additional type of legal system -- international law -- governs the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another"
"text":"all UN members are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court; as of June 2025, 125 countries have also ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICCt), the treaty that established the ICCt (see the reference guide on International Organizations and Groups for differences between the ICJ and ICCt mandates)"
"text":"there are 27 countries with royal families in the world: most are in Asia (13) and Europe (10), three are in Africa, and one in Oceania; monarchies by continent are as follows: Asia (Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates); Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom); Africa (Eswatini, Lesotho, Morocco); Oceania (Tonga)"
"note":"<strong>note 1:</strong> Andorra and the Holy See (Vatican) are also monarchies of a sort, but they are not ruled by royal houses; Andorra has two co-princes (the president of France and the bishop of Urgell) and the Holy See is ruled by an elected pope<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the UK sovereign is also the monarch for the 14 Commonwealth countries (including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand)"
"text":"230 political entities have legislative bodies; of these, 144 are unicameral (a single “house”) and 86 are bicameral (both upper and lower houses); 33 territories, possessions, or other special administrative units have their own governing bodies"
"text":"a \"World\" flag does not exist, but the United Nations (UN) flag -- adopted on 7 December 1946 -- has sometimes been used to represent the entire planet; the flag displays the official UN emblem in white on a blue background; the emblem design shows a world map in an azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the North Pole, with the image flanked by two olive branches; blue was chosen to represent peace, in contrast to the red usually associated with war; the map projection includes all the continents except Antarctica",
"note":"<strong>note 1:</strong> the flags of 12 nations -- Austria, Botswana, Georgia, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Micronesia, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Switzerland, and Thailand -- have no top or bottom and may be flown with either long edge on top<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the most common colors found on national flags are as follows: red (~75%), white (~70%), and blue (~50%); these three colors are so prevalent that there are only two countries, Jamaica and Sri Lanka, that do not include one of them; the three next most popular colors are yellow/gold and green (both ~45%) and black (~30%)<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> flags composed of three colors are by far the most common type and, of those, the red-white-blue combination is the most widespread"
"text":"almost every country has a national anthem (and Denmark and New Zealand have two); most anthems have lyrics, which are usually in the official language or the most common language of the country; countries with more than one official language sometimes offer several versions"
"note":"<strong>note: </strong>the first anthem to be officially adopted (1795) was \"La Marseillaise\" (The Song of Marseille) of France; Japan claims to have the shortest anthem, \"Kimigayo\" (The Emperor's Reign), that consists of 11 measures; Japan's anthem has the world's oldest lyrics, dating to the 10th century or earlier; Greece has the anthem with the longest lyrics, \"Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian\" (Hymn to Liberty), with 158 stanzas; Uruguay has the anthem with the longest musical score, \"Himno Nacional\" (National Anthem of Uruguay), with 105 bars (almost five minutes)"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> a summary of each country's UNESCO World Heritage sites can be found in the national heritage data field, under the Government category for the country"
"text":"<p>the whole range of agricultural products<br><br><strong>top ten agricultural products by global production tonnage:</strong> sugarcane, maize, rice, wheat, milk, oil palm fruit, potatoes, soybeans, cassava, vegetables (2023)</p>"
"text":"<p>dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to these technological forces; the accelerated development of new technologies is complicating already grim environmental problems</p>"
"text":"the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services<br><br><strong>top ten commodities by share of world trade: </strong>crude petroleum, cars, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, gold, natural gas, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, packaged medicine (2022)"
"text":"<p>the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services</p> <p><strong>top ten - share of world trade:</strong> see listing for exports</p>"