Random Geography Facts That Rocked Our World (15 items)

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  (#1) Mexico City

  • Place

  Over the last six decades, Mexico City has sunk 32 feet - and it continues to sink 3.2 feet every year. This is because the city was built atop an enormous aquifer, which is also the source of most of its water. Currently, the Mexico City consumes twice as much water from the aquifer as it replaces.

  Due to land subsidence, major buildings like the Metropolitan Cathedral at Zocalo Square are now struggling to remain upright.
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  (#2) Bangladesh Has More People Than Russia, But Russia Is 116 Times Bigger

  The South Asian country of Bangladesh has approximately 168,472,000 people living in about 147,570 square kilometers. Russia has has approximately 146,962,000 people living in 17,125,000 square kilometers.
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  (#3) The Majority Of Canadians Live South Of Seattle

  The majority of the population of the United States' "neighbor to the north" actually lives south of a major American city. While the 49th parallel is often thought of as the border between the US and Canada, around 72% of Canadians live below it, and Seattle, WA. Canada's two largest cities, Toronto and Montreal are well south of Seattle, as is its fourth-largest city and federal capital, Ottawa.
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  (#4) If Alaska Were Split Into Two States, They Would Be The First And Second Largest In The US

  Alaska is the largest state in the United States, but most people don't realize just how big it is. Texas is the second-largest state. But if Alaska were to be divided into two, Texas would be the third largest. Alaska covers 664,988 square miles while Texas has 268,597. 
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  (#5) Pluto Could Fit Inside Russia

  NASA’s New Horizon mission flew by Pluto in 2015 and provided the most accurate measurements of the dwarf planet yet. Pluto's diameter was measured at 2,370 kilometers which would easily fit inside Russia's east-to-west-width of 6,000 kilometers, and its narrower north-to-south height of 3,000 kilometers.

  In spite of that, Pluto does have a slightly larger surface area than the earthly country, coming in at a recently adjusted 17,646,012 square kilometers versus Russia's 17,125,191 square kilometers.
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  (#6) France's Longest Border Is With Brazil

  French Guiana is located on the northern coast of South America, between Surinam to the north-west and Brazil to the south. Its border with Brazil is 730 kilometers. France's second-longest border is with Belgium at 657 kilometers.

  French Guiana is a fully integrated region of France, much like a state in the United States. The language is French, the head of state is the French president, residents are in the European Union, and their money is the euro.
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  (#7) Canada Has More Large Lakes Than All The Rest Of The World Combined

  The country of Canada has the most lakes in all the world. When it comes to bigger, more substantial lakes, Canada boasts 62% of the world's lakes that are 10 hectares or larger. The Canada and United States shared Great Lakes contain 18% of the world's fresh lake water.
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  (#8) Australia Moves About 2.7 Inches A Year

  All of the Earth's tectonic plates are continually shifting. But some move a little quicker than others. The plate that Australia sits on travels northward and with a slight clockwise rotation at a rate of around 2.7 inches a year, which leads to problems with GPS systems within the country. Every few years, those systems require an update to remain useable.
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  (#9) The Himalayas Are Getting Taller Every Year

  The Himalayas are a relatively young mountain range. They were formed between 40 and 50 million years ago at the collision of the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate. Those plates are still pushing against each other, causing the mountains to rise. Mount Everest is estimated to grow around a millimeter a year while mountains in the north of the range can grow around 10 millimeters a year.
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  (#10) A Patch Of Land In North Carolina Is Permanently Leased To England

  In May 1942, the HMT Bedfordshire was torpedoed by a German submarine off the coast of Ocracoke Island, NC. The entire crew went down with it, but only four men were washed ashore.

  Because the Americans didn't have the time or resources to ship the men back to England, they buried them on the island. This land was later leased to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission "in perpetuity" - making this effectively British soil.
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  (#11) There's No Place On Earth Farther From Land Than Point Nemo

  Located in the Pacific Ocean at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W, Point Nemo is the farthest distance you can be from land on Earth. As the National Ocean Service explains,

  [Point Nemo is] about 2,688 kilometers [1,670 miles] from the nearest land - Ducie Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands, to the north; Motu Nui, one of the Easter Islands, to the northeast; and Maher Island, part of Antarctica, to the south.
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  (#12) El Paso, TX Is Closer To San Diego, CA Than It Is To Houston, TX

  Texas is a very large state. Anyone driving from one end to the other can tell you that, especially anyone driving from Houston to San Diego. The rough mid-point, El Paso, is actually closer to San Diego than it is to Houston. From San Diego to El Paso measures about 724 miles driving and 626.82 in a straight line. From El Paso to Houston, the drive is about 745 miles and a 673.93 straight line.
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  (#13) Ireland Has "Palm Trees"

  We typically picture palm trees lining a tropical beach paradise. And while Ireland has its many charms, being a tropical getaway is not exactly one of them. Despite this, there are plants on some Irish coasts that appear so much like palm trees, they add a bit of seemingly tropical flavor.

  The cordyline australis, or cabbage palm, looks like a palm tree; however, it is technically not a tree, a palm, or a cabbage. It's a plant that is native to New Zealand and became popular in Irish gardens in the 1800s. They are able to thrive in Ireland's warm ocean currents.
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  (#14) There Are More People In California Than In Canada

  According to data compiled by World Bank, as of 2019, Canada has a population of approximately 37,589,262 people. The 2019 US Census data says that California comes in slightly higher with a population of 39,512,223.
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  (#15) Reno, NV, Is Farther West Than Los Angeles, CA

  While we naturally think that a city in a west coast state would be farther west than a city in its neighboring eastern state, we often forget about California's southern curve.  

  Reno is located at 119°49’ west, while Los Angeles is located at 118°14’ west.

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