Geography Facts for Kids
Cool facts about our planet
The River Rhine flows through six countries — Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands — before emptying into the North Sea.
The Panama Canal cuts across the narrowest part of Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and saving ships over 12,000 kilometres of sailing.
Contrary to popular belief, most of the Sahara is not sandy — only about 25% is covered in sand dunes, with the rest consisting of rocky plateaux, mountains, and gravel plains.
Alaska is by far the largest state in the United States — it is more than twice the size of Texas and contains more coastline than all other US states combined.
The Tropics are the region of Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn — the zone where the sun can appear directly overhead.
Dust blown from the Sahara Desert travels across the Atlantic Ocean and fertilises the Amazon Rainforest with vital phosphorus minerals.
The Ganges is the most sacred river in Hinduism and provides water for hundreds of millions of people across India and Bangladesh.
The Maldives is the flattest country in the world — its highest natural point is just 2.4 metres above sea level, putting it at serious risk from rising oceans.
Earth has five recognised oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and the Southern Ocean — the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica was officially named by the International Hydrographic Organisation in 2000.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's ten highest mountain peaks, including Mount Everest, making it the most mountainous country on Earth.