Amazing Global Facts

Top Ten : Most Intelligent Breeds of Dogs :
1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweller
10. Australian Cattle Dog

Contries with the Most Number of Cows (Indication in Million Cattle)
1. India
2. Brazil
3. China
4. USA
5. Argentina
6. Sudan
7. Ethiopia
8. Mexico
9. Australia
10. Russia

Higest Ice Cream Consumers (Points per capita)
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. USA
4. Sweden
5. Canada
6. Ireland
7. Norvery
8. Finland
9. Denmark
10. Germnay

Coffee Drinking Nations
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Norway
4. Belgium
5. Sweden
6. Austria
7. Switzerland
8. Germany
9. Netherlands
10. France

Chocolate Consumers
1. Switzerland
2. UK
3. Belgium
4. Germany
5. Ireland
6. Denmark
7. Norway
8. Austraia
9. Poland
10. USA

The most common causes of accidental death (Deaths per year)
1. Motor vehicle crashes - 43,200
2. Falls - 14,900
3. Poisoning - 8,600
4. Drowning - 4,000
5. Fires and burns - 3,700
6. Suffocation - 3,300

Best Selling Cars
1. Ford F-Series
2. Chevrolet Silverdo
3. Toyota Camry
4. Dodge Ram
5. Honda Accord
6. Honda Civic
7. Ford Explorer
8. Nissan Altima
9. Dodge Caravan
10. GMC Sierra

Top Ten Expensive Restaurants
1. Aragawa, Tokio
2. Arpege, Paris
3. Elgensinn Farm, Toronto
4. Sketch - Lecure Room & Library, London
5. Petermann's Kunstastuben, Zurich
6. Tetsuya's Restaurant, Sydney
7. Vitrum, Berlin
8. Steirereck, Viena
9. Yamazato, Amsterdam
10. Zalacain, Madrid

Top Ten Popular Dream Cruises
1. The Caribbean
2. Alaska
3. South America
4. The Baltic Sea
5. Panama Canal
6. Hawaii
7. Mediterraneam
8. The Galapagos Islands
9. The Disney Experience
10. Tahiti, Australia, Asia & New Zealand

Top Ten Best Honeymoon Destinations
1. Paris, France
2. ROme, Italy
3. Venice, Italy
4. Bahamas
5. Florence, Italy
6. Sydney, Australia
7. London, England
8. Tahiti
9. French Riviera
10. Fiji

Top Ten Best European Cities to Visit
1. Rome
2. Florence
3. Istanbul
4. Prague
5. Venice
6. Paris
7. Barcelona
8. Salzburg
9. Vieena
10. Krakow

Top Ten Cleanest Countries
1. Finland
2. Norway
3. Canada
4. Sweden
5. Switzerland
6. New Zealand
7. Australia
8. Austria
9. Iceland
10. Denmark

The World's Largest Lakes
1. Caspian Sea
2. Michigan & Huron
3. Superior
4. Victoria
5. Aral Sea
6. Tangayika
7. Baikal
8. Great Bear
9. Malawi
10. Great Slave

The Longest Rivers in the World (Length in Kilometers)
1. Nile - 6693
2. Amazon - 6436
3. Yangtze - 6378
4. Huang He - 5463
5. Ob=Irtysh - 5410
6. Amur - 4415
7. Lena - 4399
8. Congo - 4373
9. Mackenzie - 4241
10. Mekong - 4183

Deepest Oceans and Seas
1. Pacific Ocean
2. Indian Ocean
3. Atlantic Ocean
4. Caribian Sea
5. Sea of Japan
6. Gulf of Mexico
7. Mediteranian Sea
8. Bering Sea
9. South China Sea
10. Black Sea

Top 10 tallest buildings in the world

1. Burj Khalifa (formerly Burj Dubai), Dubai, The United Arab Emirates
2. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
3. World Financial Center, Shanghai, China
4. Petronas Tower 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
5. Petronas Tower 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
6. Greenland Financial Center, Nanjing, China
7. Sears Tower, Chicago
8. Guangzhou West Tower, Guangzhou, China
9. Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China
10. Two International Finance Centre, Hong Kong

LARGEST DESERTS OF THE WORLD

(SUBTROPICAL)
Sahara, North Africa 3,320,000 sq. miles
Arabian, Middle East 900,000 sq. miles
Kalahari, Southern Africa 360,000 sq. miles
Great Victoria, Australia 250,000 sq. miles
Syrian, Syria, Jordan, Iraq 200,000 sq. miles
Chihuahuan, Mexico, U.S. 175,000 sq. miles
Great Sandy, Australia 150,000 sq. miles
Sonoran, Mexico, U,S, 120,000 sq. miles
Thar, India, Pakistan 77,000 sq. miles
Gibson, Australia 60,000 sq. miles
Simpson, Australia 56,000 sq. miles
Mohave, S,W, USA 25,000 sq. miles

(COOL COASTAL)
Atacama, Chile SA 54,000 sq. miles
Namib, S.W. Africa 31,000 sq. miles

(COLD WINTER)
Gobi, China, Mongolia 500,000 sq. miles
Patagonian, Argentina 260,000 sq. miles
Great Basin, S.W. USA 190,000 sq. miles
Karakum, Turkmenistan 135,000 sq. miles
Colorado Plateau, Western USA 130,000 sq. miles
Kyzyl Kum, West Asia 115,000 sq. miles
Taklamakan, China 105,000 sq. miles
Dasht-e Kavir, Iran 30,000 sq. miles

(POLAR)
Antarctic 5,339,000 sq. miles
Arctic 5,300,000 sq. miles

WETTEST INHABITED PLACES

 
(Rain fall in inches per year)
Buenaventira, Colombia 267"
Monrovia, Liberia 202"
Pagp Pago, American Samoa 198"
Moulein, Burma (Myanmar 192"
Lae, Papua New Guinea 183"
Baguio, Philippines180"
Sylhet, Bangladesh 178"

DRIEST INHABITED PLACES

(Rain fall in inches per year)
Aswan, Egypt 0.02"
Luxor, Egypt 0.03"
Arica Desert, Chile 0.04"
Ica, Peru 0.1"
Antofagasta, Chile 0.2"
El Minya, Egypt 0.2"
Asyut, Egypt 0.2"

HIGHEST/LOWEST SURFACE POINTS

(Below Sea Level, On Each Continent)
Dead Sea, Asia -409 meters
Lake Assal, Africa -156 meters
Death Valley, North America -86 meters
Valdés Peninsula, South America -40 meters
Caspian Sea, Europe -28 meters
Lake Eyre, Australia -16 meters
Antarctica (ice covered) -2,538 meters

LARGEST METRO AREAS IN THE WORLD

Numbers shown are the population within the immediate surrounding area of the established border of the city, and also include the city limit population figures. Revised (05/11)
Toyko, Japan 35.6 million
Chingqing (Chungking), China 31.4 million
New York City - Philadelphia area, USA 30.1 million
Mexico City, Mexico 21.5 million
Seoul, South Korea 20.15 million
Sao Paulo, Brazil 19.9 million
Jakarta, Indonesia 18.2 million
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Japan 17.6 million
New Delhi, India 17.36 million
Mumbai, India (Bombay) 17.34 million
Los Angeles, USA 16.7 million
Cairo, Egypt 15.86 million
Calcutta, India 14.3 million
Manila, Philippines 14.1 million
Shanghai, China 13.9 million
Buenos Aires, Argentina 13.2 million
Moscow, Russian Fed. 12.2 million

LARGEST CITIES ON THE PLANET!

Numbers shown are the population within the recognized city limits, and do not include people living in the immediate surrounding area outside of the established border of the city. For the largest metropolitan areas refer to the list below this one.
Revised (10/01/04)
Shanghai, China 13.3 million
Mumbai (Bombay), India 12.6 million
Buenos Aires, Argentina 11.92 million
Moscow, Russia 11.3 million
Karachi, Pakistan 10.9 million
Delhi, India 10.4 million
Manila, Philippines 10.3 million
Sao Paulo, Brazil 10.26 million
Seoul, South Korea 10.2 million
Istanbul, Turkey 9.6 million
Jakarta, Indonesia 9.0 million
Mexico City, Mexico 8.7 million
Lagos, Nigeria 8.68 million
Lima, Peru 8.38 million
Tokyo, Japan 8.3 million
New York City, USA 8.09 million
Cairo, Egypt 7.6 million
London, UK 7.59 million
Teheran, Iran 7.3 million
Beijing, China 7.2 million

COUNTRY POPULATION (largest)

(February, 2006 numbers)
China 1,306,313,800
India 1,080,264,400
USA 295,734,100
Indonesia 241,973,900
Brazil 186,112,800
Pakistan 162,419,900
Bangladesh 144,319,600
Russia 143,420,300
Nigeria 128,772,000
Japan 127,417,200

COUNTRY POPULATION (smallest)

(February, 2006 numbers)
Vatican City 920
Tuvalu 11,640
Nauru 13,050
Palau 20,300
San Marino 28,880
Monaco 32,410
Liechtenstein 33,720
St. Kitts 38,960
Marshall Islands 59,070
Antigua and Barbuda 68,720

COUNTRIES (Lowest Density)

(people per square km)
Mongolia 2
Namibia 2
Australia 3
Botswana 3
Iceland 3
Suriname 3
Libya 3
Mauritania 3
Canada 3
Guyana 4

COUNTRIES (Highest Density)

(people per square km)
Monaco 16,205
Singapore 6,386
Malta 1,261
Maldives 1,164
Bahrain 1,035
Bangladesh 1,002
Vatican City 920
Barbados 648
Nauru 621
Mauritius 603

DEEPEST LAKES (By Greatest Depth)

Baikal, Russian Fed. (5,315 ft)
Tanganyika, Africa (4,800 ft)
Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (3,363 ft)
Malawi or Nyasa, Africa (2,317 ft)
Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan (2,303 ft)

MAJOR LAKES (By Size)

Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (371,000 sq km)
Superior, North America (82,100 sq km)
Victoria, Africa (69,500 sq km)
Huron, North America (59,600 sq km)
Michigan, North America (57,800 sq km)
Tanganyika, Africa (32,900 sq km)
Baikal, Asia (31,500 sq km)
Great Bear, North America (31,300 sq km)
Aral Sea, Asia (30,700 sq km)
Malawi, Africa (28,900 sq km)
Great Slave, Canada (28,568 sq km)
Erie, North America (25,667 sq km)
Winnipeg, Canada (24,387 sq km)
Ontario, North America (19,529 sq km)
Balkhash, Kazakhstan (18,300 sq km)

LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD

 Languages spoken by the most people
(Native speakers only)

Chinese Mandarin 1 billion +
English 512 million
Hindi 501 million
Spanish 399 million
Russian 285 million
Arabic 265 million
Bengali 245 million
Portuguese 196 million
Malay-Indonesian 140 million
Japanese 125 million
German 100 million
Korean 78 million
French 77 million
Chinese, Wu 77 million
Javanese 75 million
Chinese. Yue 71 million

TALLEST MOUNTAINS

On Each Continent)
Mount Everest 8850m (29035ft) Asia
Aconcagua 6959m (22831ft) S. America
Mount McKinley 6194m (20320ft) N. America
Mount Kilimanjaro 5963m (19563ft) Africa
Mount Elbrus 5633m (18481ft) Europe
Puncak Jaya 4884m (16023ft) Oceania
Vinson Massif 4897m (16066ft) Antarctica

TOP 10 TALLEST MOUNTAINS

 Mount Everest 8850m (29035ft) Nepal/China
Qogir (K2) 8611m (28250ft) Pakistan
Kangchenjunga 8586m (28169ft) Nepal
Lhotse 8501m (27920ft) Nepal
Makalu I 8462m (27765ft) Nepal
Cho Oyu 8201m (26906ft) Nepal
Dhaulagiri 8167m (26794ft) Nepal
Manaslu I 8156m (26758ft) Nepal
Nanga Parbat 8125m (26658ft) Pakistan
Annapurna I 8091m (26545ft) Nepal

The dormant volcano Mauna Kea (on the Big Island of Hawaii) could be considered the tallest mountain in the world. If you measure it from its base in the Hawaiian Trough (3,300 fathoms deep) to its summit of 13,796 feet, it reaches a height of 33,476 feet.

COUNTRIES WITH MOST LAND BORDERS

(The Most Neighboring Countries)
China (14)
Russian Federation (14)
Brazil (10)
Congo, Germany and Sudan (9)
Austria, France, Tanzania, Turkey and Zambia (8)

POOREST COUNTRIES

(GNP in USA Dollars)
Mozambique ($80)
Somalia ($100)
Eritrea ($100)
Ethiopia ($100)
Congo, DNC ($100)

RICHEST COUNTRIES

 (GNP in USA Dollars)
Luxembourg ($45,360)
Switzerland ($44,355)
Japan ($41,010)
Liechtenstein ($40,000)
Norway ($34,515)

YOUNGEST COUNTRIES

 South Sudan (July, 2011)
Montenegro (July, 2006)
Serbia (July, 2006)
East Timor (2002)
Palau (1994)
Czech Republic (1993)
Eritrea (1993)
Slovakia (1993)
Bosnia/Hertzegovina (1992)

OLDEST COUNTRIES

San Marino (301 AD)
France (486 AD)
Bulgaria (632 AD)
Denmark (950 AD)
Portugal (1143 AD)
Andorra (1278 AD)
Switzerland (1291 AD)

SMALLEST COUNTRIES (by land mass)

Vatican City 0.44 sq km, (0.17 sq miles)
Monaco 1.95 sq km, (0.75 sq miles)
Nauru 21.2 sq km, (8.2 sq miles)
Tuvalu 26 sq km, (10 sq miles)
San Marino 61 sq km, (24 sq miles)
Liechtenstein 160 sq km, (62 sq miles)
Marshall Islands 181 sq km, (70 sq miles)
Seychelles 270 sq km, (104 sq miles)
Maldives 300 sq km, (116 sq miles)
St. Kitts and Nevis 360 sq km, (139 sq miles)

LARGEST COUNTRIES (by land mass)

Russia 17,075,400 sq km, (6,592,846 sq miles)
Canada 9,330,970 sq km, (3,602,707 sq miles)
China 9,326,410 sq km, (3,600,947 sq miles)
USA 9.166,600 sq km, (3,539,242 sq miles)
Brazil 8,456,510 sq km, (3,265,075 sq miles)
Australia 7,617,930 sq km, (2,941,283 sq miles)
India 2,973,190 sq km, (1,147,949 sq miles)
Argentina 2,736,690 sq km, (1,056,636 sq miles)
Kazakhstan 2,717,300 sq km, (1,049,150 sq miles)
Sudan 2,376,000 sq km, (917,374 sq miles)

CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD

CONTINENTS (by size)

#1 Asia - (44,579,000 sq km)
#2 Africa - (30,065,000 sq km)
#3 North America - (24,256,000 sq km)
#4 South America - (17,819,000 sq km)
#5 Antarctica - (13,209,000 sq km)
#6 Europe - (9,938,000 sq km)
#7 Australia/Oceania - (7,687,000 sq km)

CONTINENTS (by population) 2006 est.

#1 Asia - (3,879,000,000)
#2 Africa - (877,500,000)
#3 Europe - (727,000,000)
#4 North America - (501,500,000)
#5 South America - (379,500,000)
#6 Australia/Oceania - (32,000,000)
#7 Antarctica - (0)

CONTINENTS (by the number of countries)

#1 Africa - (54)
#3 Europe - (46)
#2 Asia - (44)
#4 North America - (23)
#5 Oceania - (14)
#6 South America - (12)

MAJOR ISLANDS (by size)

Australia, (7,617.930 sq km) is widely considered part of a continental landmass, not officially an island. But without doubt it is the largest island on the planet, and when combined with Oceania, the smallest continent on Earth.
Greenland (2,175,600 sq km)
New Guinea (792,500 sq km)
Borneo (725,500 sq km)
Madagascar (587,000 sq km)
Baffin (507,500 sq km)
Sumatra (427,300 sq km)
Honshu (227,400 sq km)
Great Britain (218,100 sq km)
Victoria (217,300 sq km)
Ellesmere (196,200 sq km)
Celebes (178,650 sq km)
New Zealand (south) (151,000 sq km)
Java (126,700 sq km)
New Zealand (north) (114,000 sq km)
Newfoundland (108,900 sq km)

MAJOR SEAS (by size)

South China (2,974,600 sq km)
Caribbean (2,515,900 sq km)
Mediterranean (2,510,000 sq km)
Bering (2,261,100 sq km)
Gulf of Mexico (1,507,600 sq km)
Arabian Sea (1,498,320 sq km)
Sea of Okhotsk (1,392,100 sq km)
Sea of Japan (East Sea)
(1,012,900 sq km)
Hudson Bay (730,100 sq km)
East China (664,600 sq km)
Andaman (564,900 sq km)
Black (507,900 sq km)
Red (453,000 sq km)

OCEANS OF THE WORLD (by size)

Pacific (155,557,000 sq km)
Atlantic (76,762,000 sq km)
Indian (68,556,000 sq km)
Southern (20,327,000 sq km)
Arctic (14,056,000 sq km)

Note the Southern Ocean was approved in 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization. It is now the fourth largest ocean.

OCEANS' GREATEST DEPTHS
Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean 35,827 ft
Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic Ocean 30,246 ft
Java Trench, Indian Ocean 24,460 ft
Arctic Basin, Arctic Ocean 18,456 ft

DEEPEST OCEANS & SEAS

Pacific Ocean (35,827 ft) (10,924 meters)
Atlantic Ocean (30,246 ft) (9,219 meters)
Indian Ocean (24,460 ft) (7,455 meters)
Caribbean Sea (22,788 ft) (6,946 meters)
Arctic Ocean (18,456 ft) (5,625 meters)
South China Sea (16,456 ft) (5,016 meters)
Bering Sea (15,659 ft) (4,773 meters)
Mediterranean Sea (15,197 ft) (4,632 meters)
Gulf of Mexico (12,425 ft) (3,787 meters)
Japan Sea (12,276 ft) (3,742 meters)

Note that official depths for the Southern Ocean are still not available at this time.

THE EARTH

THE EARTH
Estimated Weight (mass)
(5,940,000,000,000,000,000,000 metric tons)

Estimated Age 4.6 billion years
Current Population 6,446,131,714
Surface Area (510,066,000 sq km)
Land Area (148,647,000 sq km) 29.1%
Ocean Area (335,258,000 sq km)
Total Water Area (361,419,000 sq km) 70.9%
Type of Water (97% salt), (3% fresh) 

Circumference at the equator (40,066 km)
Circumference at the poles (39, 992 km)
Diameter at the equator (12,753 km)
Diameter at the poles (12,710 km)
Radius at the equator (6,376 km)
Radius at the poles (6,355 km)

Orbit Speeds The earth orbits the Sun at
(66,700 mph), (107,320 km per hour)
Sun Orbit The earth orbits the Sun every 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds

To convert km (kilometers) to miles, multiply kilometers by: 0.621371

To convert sq km (kilometers) to sq miles, multiply kilometers by: 0.386102 

Fast facts about your body

The length from your wrist to your elbow is the same as the length of your foot.
Your heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 billion times and pump about 400 million litres (800 million pints) of blood.
It is impossible to lick your elbow. Well, for almost everyone… but a few can.
Your mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.
The human head contains 22 bones. More on the head and brains
On average, you breathe 23,000 times a day.
Breathing generates about 0.6g of CO2 every minute.
On average, people can hold their breath for about one minute. The world record is 21 minutes 29 seconds, by David
Merlini.
On average, you speak almost 5,000 words a day – although almost 80% of speaking is self-talk (talking to yourself).
Over the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialized nations increased by 10 cm (4 in).
In the 19th century, American men were the tallest in the world, averaging 1,71 metres (5’6″). Today, the average height for American men is 1,763 m (5 feet 9-and-half inches), compared to 1,815 m (5’10″) for Swedes, and 1,843 m (5’11″) for the Dutch, the tallest Caucasians.
The tallest nation in the world is the Watusis of Burundi: 1.98 m (6 feet 6 inches) tall.
If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you’ll feel thirsty.
It is impossible to sneeze and keep one’s eyes open at the same time.
55% of people yawn within 5 minutes of seeing someone else yawn.
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, suggested that a woman could enlarge her bust line by singing loudly and often.
A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.
You’ll drink about 75,000 litres (20,000 gallons) of water in your lifetime.
After a certain period of growth, hair becomes dormant. That means that it is attached to the hair follicle until replaced
by new hair.
Hair on the head grows for between two and six years before being replaced. In the case of baldness, the dormant hair was not replaced with new hair.
Men loose about 40 hairs a day. Women loose about 70 hairs a day.
In the Middle Ages the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow was called an ell.
A person remains conscious for eight seconds after being decapitated.
The first successful human sex change took place in 1950 when Danish doctor Christian Hamburger operated on New Yorker George Jorgensen, who became Christine Jorgensen.
The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second.
On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. Women blink twice as much as men.
A typical athlete’s heart churns out 25 to 30 litres (up to 8 gallons) of blood per minute.
24 of the known 118 elements are found in your body – see What the average human body contains
We have four basic tastes plus umami. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides; umami is a mixture of tastes sensed along the center of the tongue.
Not all our taste buds are on our tongue; about 10% are on the palette and the cheeks.
Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.
The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. The skin is the body’s largest organ.
On average a hiccup lasts 5 minutes.
Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
Your middle fingernail grows the fastest.
Your finger nails grow at 1 nanometre per second (0.000 000 001 m/s). Your hair grows at 4 nanometres per second (0.000 000 004 m/s).
It takes about 3 months for the transplanted hair to start growing again.
About 13% of people are left-handed. Up from 11% in the past.
In 1900, a person could expect to live to be 47. Today, the average life expectancy for men and women in developed countries is longer than 70 years.
A newborn baby’s head accounts for one-quarter of its weight.
King Henry I, who ruled in the England in the 12th century, standardized the yard as the distance from the thumb of his outstretched arm to his nose.
The bones in your body are not white – they range in color from beige to light brown. The bones you see in museums are white because they have been boiled and cleaned.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth.
Every person has a unique tongue print.
If all your DNA is stretched out, it would reach to the moon 6,000 times.
Approximately two-thirds of a person’s body weight is water. Blood is 92% water. The brain is 75% water and muscles are 75% water.
The colored part of the eye is called the iris. Behind the iris is the soft, rubbery lens which focuses the light on to a layer, called the retina, in the back of the eye. The retina contains about 125 million rods and 7 million cones. The rods pick up shades of gray and help us see in dim light. The cones work best in bright light to pick up colors.
We actually do not see with our eyes – we see with our brains. The eyes basically are the cameras of the brain.
Our eyes can detect sound.

See: Fast facts about your body