Geography Facts for Kids
Cool facts about our planet
Contrary to what most people imagine, only about 25% of the Sahara Desert is covered by sand dunes. Most of the desert is made up of rocky plateaus, gravel plains, and mountains.
Lake Victoria in East Africa is the world's largest tropical lake and the second-largest freshwater lake by area. It is shared by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
The Dead Sea is actually a lake, not a sea. Its water is about ten times saltier than regular ocean water, which makes most fish and plants unable to survive in it, hence its dramatic name.
Europe is the second smallest continent by area, but it has more countries than any other continent, with around 44 nations packed into a relatively small space.
Mexico City is literally sinking. Built on a drained ancient lake bed, parts of the city are sinking up to 50 cm per year as the soft clay and groundwater beneath it slowly compresses.
The Andes is the world's longest mountain range above water, stretching about 7,000 km along the entire western coast of South America through seven countries.
The Amazon Basin holds about 20% of the world's flowing freshwater. When the Amazon reaches the Atlantic Ocean, its freshwater pushes the salty ocean water back for more than 200 km.
The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are imaginary lines on the globe that mark the northernmost and southernmost points where the sun can shine directly overhead. They are about 47 degrees apart.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state where coffee is commercially grown. The volcanic soil and tropical climate on the Big Island create perfect conditions for Kona coffee, one of the world's most prized varieties.
Greenland is the world's largest island, covering about 2.1 million square kilometres. Despite its name, about 80% of Greenland is permanently covered by a massive ice sheet.