From the deepest depths of the ocean to the highest mountaintops, the world we live in is filled with beautiful mysteries and magical landscapes. Take a virtual journey across the globe with these fascinating geography facts for kids!
Our Favorite Geography Facts for Kids
California’s population is larger than all of Canada’s.
The West Coast state has about 39.14 million people, while the entire nation of Canada has just 35.85 million.
Mount Thor has the greatest sheer vertical drop on Earth (4,101 feet).
The mountain on Baffin Island, Canada, has a 4,101-foot drop.
The Philippines has an island within a lake on an island within a lake … on an island.
You might want to read that again. Vulcan Point is an island within Main Crater Lake, which is located on Volcano Island, which is located in Lake Taal, which is located on the island of Luzon. Incredible!
There are more than 7,600 islands in the Philippines.
In fact, the archipelago is made up of 7,641 islands. This is one of the most mind-blowing geography facts!
Ninety percent of Earth’s population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
This fascinating graph demonstrates just how empty the world is south of the equator!
Africa is the only continent to sit in all four hemispheres.
Covering almost 12 million square miles (which is 6% of Earth’s total surface!), Africa is in the north, south, east, and west hemispheres.
Australia is actually wider than the moon.
The moon sits at 3,400 kilometers (2,113 miles) in diameter, while Australia is almost 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) from east to west. This makes Australia nearly 600 kilometers (373 miles) wider! Of course, in terms of surface area though, the moon has Australia beat!
The deepest place on Earth is in the Pacific Ocean.
Within the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth, there’s a small depression called the Challenger Deep, which reaches depths of 35,856 feet.
Mount Everest could fit inside the Mariana Trench.
That’s right, the world’s tallest mountain can be nestled within the deepest part of the ocean.
The Dead Sea is sinking at a rate of about a meter per year.
And it’s already 429 meters below sea level!
There are times when it’s possible to walk from the United States to Russia.
During the winter, when the Bering Strait freezes, you can theoretically walk the 2.4 miles from America’s Little Diomede Island to Russia’s Big Diomede Island. Although the trek would only take 20 minutes, because of time zones, it would be 21 hours later than when you started!
There are 11 time zones in Russia.
That means it can be 7 a.m. on one side and 6 p.m. on the other side at the same time.
There are more caves in Kentucky than anywhere else in the world.
Scientists have explored nearly 400 miles of Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave system and believe there are 200 more miles left to discover.
The smallest country in the world is Vatican City.
Located in the heart of Rome, it’s only 0.44 square kilometers (less than a quarter square mile)!
Istanbul rests on two continents.
The Turkish metropolis is located in both Asia and Europe (the Bosphorus Strait runs down the middle). Several other cities also span two continents, including Panama City, which is located in both North and South America.
The Pacific Ocean is shrinking.
Each year, North America and South America are moving westward while Asia and North America get closer. As a result, the Pacific Ocean shrinks by 2 to 3 centimeters.
Continents move faster under stress.
It’s typical for a continent to shift about 1 inch per year, but when the tectonic plates are under stress, they can move about 20 times faster. In fact, they start to move as quickly as our fingernails grow!
Mauna Kea is technically taller than Mount Everest.
Above sea level, there’s no mountain taller than Everest. However, when you include the base of Mauna Kea, which extends to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, it’s 32,808 feet. That beats Everest by more than 3,000 feet.
Los Angeles is actually east of Reno, Nevada.
Yes, Los Angeles is in the West Coast state of California, but when you look at the map, you’ll see that it’s actually almost 90 miles east of Reno!
Russia and China each touch 14 countries.
In alphabetical order, Russia borders Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine. Meanwhile, China borders Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, and Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
Three countries are landlocked by just one country.
How is that possible? The country of Lesotho is situated entirely inside South Africa while San Marino and Vatican City are both within Italy.
There’s a supervolcano inside Yellowstone National Park.
Sounds pretty ominous but there really is an active supervolcano in Yellowstone. What makes it a “supervolcano”? This is the term for volcanoes that have released more than 240 cubic miles of material during just one eruption.
There are more ancient pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt.
Egypt is home to 138 pyramids whereas Sudan has between 200 and 255 known pyramids!
Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
The oldest city has been continuously inhabited for at least 11,000 years and is currently home to 1.7 million people!
A large percentage of Earth’s oxygen comes from the Amazon.
It’s estimated that 20% of Earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest, which is exactly why we should protect it!
It snows in the Sahara Desert.
Snow and sand? It sounds unlikely, especially in North Africa’s Sahara Desert, where temperatures can top 136 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the average temperature is actually a more reasonable 86 degrees, and overnight it can dip down to 55 degrees. In the last 45 years though, the Sahara recorded snowfall on three separate occasions: in 1979, 2016, and 2018.
In New York City, 42 buildings have their own zip codes.
As you’ve probably guessed, some of those buildings include the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, MetLife Building, and the Woolworth Building. It’s not about size, though. Instead, earning your own zip code is based on the volume of mail a building receives.
Bangkok’s full name is 163 letters long!
The true name of Bangkok is 21 words long and is the lengthiest name of any place on Earth. Bangkok is officially called Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. No wonder it needs a nickname!
The United Kingdom has the longest name of any country.
The official name is United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which includes 56 characters!
People don’t sink in the Dead Sea.
Due to its high salt content—eight to nine times higher than other oceans and seas—the Dead Sea offers a buoyancy that allows people to float.
Alaska is home to most of the U.S. coastline.
It’s true that California’s coastline is lengthy, but Alaska has it beat—by a lot! In fact, more than half of the United States coastline is on Alaska’s shores. Including islands, Alaska’s coastline covers a whopping 47,300 miles.
What are your favorite geography facts? Share in the comments below!
For more fascinating facts, check out these 51 Amazing Animal Facts To Share With Your Students.
