Top 10 Geography Facts You Never Learned in School

1. Canada Has the Longest Coastline in the World

Stretching over 202,000 kilometers, Canada’s coastline surpasses that of any other country by a wide margin.

2. There Is a Country Within a Country

Lesotho is an independent nation completely surrounded by South Africa, making it one of the few enclaved countries.

3. The Dead Sea Is the Lowest Point on Earth

Located at about 430 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is also one of the saltiest bodies of water on the planet.

4. Africa Is the Only Continent That Touches All Four Hemispheres

It lies in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemispheres, making it uniquely positioned geographically.

5. The Amazon Rainforest Produces 20% of the World’s Oxygen

Known as the “lungs of the Earth,” the Amazon plays a vital role in regulating the planet’s atmosphere.

6. Russia Spans 11 Time Zones

Covering more than 17 million square kilometers, Russia stretches across nearly half of the world’s time zones.

7. Australia Is Both a Country and a Continent

It’s the smallest continent but the sixth-largest country by land area.

8. Mount Everest Grows Every Year

Due to tectonic plate movements, the height of Everest increases slightly over time.

9. Antarctica Is the Largest Desert on Earth

Despite being covered in ice, Antarctica is classified as a desert because of its extremely low precipitation.

10. There Are More Lakes in Canada Than in the Rest of the World Combined

Canada is home to over 31,000 lakes larger than three square kilometers.