You know that the highest mountain peak on the Earth is the Mount Everest, right? Well, this is not completely true! Mt. Everest does have a competitor, if you measure the distance between the base and the summit of the mountain. Mouna Kea, a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii beats Mt. Everest by about a mile, when measured from its underwater base. Interesting, isn’t it? Find more such amazing facts in Earth facts for kids.
Mosts and Leasts | Earth Facts for Kids
Let’s look at some other interesting mosts and leasts on our wonderful planet.
Lowest point
The lowest point on the Earth’s land surface is the Dead Sea basin which is about 420 meters below sea level. But, the lowest known point on Earth is the Challenger Deep in Mariana Trench. This point in the Pacific Ocean is about 10,900 m deep!
Driest place
The driest place on the Earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile, if you exclude the polar regions. This region has experienced extreme aridity for over three million years. Now let’s take a look at the wettest place on Earth. Mawsynram, a village located in Meghalaya, India has been awarded this title in the recent years. It receives an average annual rainfall of about 11,872 millimeters! So, did you soak that in?
Highest capital city
Let’s move on to the highest capital city in the world. It is La Paz in Bolivia, which is at an elevation of 11,913 feet above sea level. And, now we go to the lowest capital. Baku, which is the capital of Azerbaijan is lowest capital city in the world, lying at a height of 92 feet below sea level.
Shortest river
We all know that the Nile river in Africa is the longest river in the world. But do you which is the smallest river in the world? The Roe river that flows between Giant Springs and the Missouri River in the United States holds the Guinness world record for this. It is only 200 feet long! So, you can trace the entire river in just a few minutes! Hope you’re enjoying the Earth facts for kids.
Largest desert
Sahara is the largest desert (non-polar) in the world. This is something that you might be knowing already. But, did you also know that the Sahara region spans across 11 of the north African countries, and that it covers about 31% of Africa? Another interesting fact – if you install solar panels in about 1/4th the area of Sahara, it can serve the energy needs of the entire world!
Largest water resource
Brazil has the highest volume of renewable fresh water resources in the world, totaling approximately 8,233 cubic kilometers. Approximately 12% of the world’s fresh water resources is present in Brazil. On the other hand, there are many countries that have no renewable fresh water resources! Some of these water-stressed countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Malta, and Barbados.
Largest forest cover
The country with the largest forest area in the world is Russia. The forested land covers up to 45% of the country’s land area. The forest area of Russia is equal to the size of the entire continent of Australia! Amazingly green country, isn’t it? Did you know there are a few countries that have no green cover or forest area at all? Qatar, San Marino, Greenland, and Oman have no forested area on their land!
So, these were some of our interesting Earth facts for kids. Wait for more amazing news and facts about the world we live in, or check our Fascinating Facts section for other amazing facts.
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