Alaska
More than half
of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska
Amazon
The Amazon rain forest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen
supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic
Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the
river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water
in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in
the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the
United States .
Antarctica
Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned
by any country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica
. This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in
the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is
essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is
about two inches Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it,
i.e.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an
absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.
Brazil
Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.
Canada
Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.
Canada is an Indian word meaning " Big Village ."
Chicago
Next to Warsaw , Chicago has the largest Polish population in the
world.
Detroit
Woodward Avenue in Detroit , Michigan , carries the
designation M-1, so
named because it
was the first paved road anywhere.
Damascus , Syria
Damascus , Syria , was flourishing a couple of thousand years
before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously
inhabited city in existence.
Istanbul , Turkey
Istanbul , Turkey , is the only city in the world located on
two continents.
Los
Angeles
Los Angeles 's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la
Reina de los Angelesde Porciuncula -- and can be abreviated to 3.63%
of its size: L.A.
New
York City
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the
1930's who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city.
Therefore, to playNew York City is to play the big time - The Big
Apple. There are more Irish inNew York City than in Dublin , Ireland
; more Italians in New York City than inRome, Italy ; and more Jews
in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel
Ohio
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio , every one is
manmade.
Pitcairn Island
The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia ,
at just 1.75 sq. miles/4,53 sq. km.
Rome
The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome ,
Italy in
133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.
Siberia
Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.
S.M.O.M
The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign
Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.). It is located in the city of
Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a
population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign
entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.
Sahara Desert
In
the Sahara Desert , there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not
receive a drop of rain for ten years. Technically though, the driest
place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island .
There has been no rainfall there for two million years.
Spain
Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits.'
St.
Paul , Minnesota
St. Paul , Minnesota , was originally called Pig's Eye after
a man named Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set up the first business
there.
Roads
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A. : 1%, in Canada : 75%
Texas
The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas . It is as deep
as 20 empire state buildings but only 3 inches wide.
United States
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every
five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as
airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
Waterfalls
The water of Angel Falls (the World's highest) in Venezuela drops
3,212 feet (979 meters). They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls
I
have always said you should learn something new every day.
Unfortunately, many of us are at that age where what we learn today,
we forget tomorrow. But, give it a shot anyway!............