Gyaan Bulletin - Bizarre facts relating to Geography, Geology and the Earth *(A Weekly Bulletin - for internal circulation only)* *Bizarre facts relating to Geography, Geology and the Earth* *Here are some bizarre facts relating to geography, geology and the earth. Hope you enjoy them.* *Our planet* is filled with many wonderful geographical and geological *anomalies and mysteries*. So many so, that we may never truly unlock all of the secrets that nature has tucked away. This is a list of 15 of the more unusual or outright bizarre facts relating to geography, geology, and the earth. *1. Shortest Place Name* *photo source* The* Shortest place name is Å* it is located in both *Sweden* and *Norway*. In Scandinavian languages, Å means *river*. The image above is one of the newly replaces road signs for the area - they are frequently stolen for their novelty value. *2. Largest City in the World (surface area)* China with Inner Mongolia highlighted in orange and Hulunbuir city highlighted in red *source * The largest city in the world - based on surface area, is* Hulunbuir*, Inner Mongolia (China) which is* 263 953 km sq *(*102 000 sq mi*). *3. Countries Completely Surrounded by One Other Country* Lesotho photo source *Lesotho, Vatican City*, and *San Marino* are the only countries completely surrounded by one other country. Lesotho is completely surrounded by *South Africa*, and Vatican City, and San Marino are both completely surrounded by *Italy*. *4. The Second Longest Geographical Name* *photo source* The *second longest geographical name* that is accepted in the world is *Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu* (*85 letters*) which is a hill in *New Zealand* - it is a maori phrase which translates to place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as land-eater, played his flute to his loved one. It was the longest until recently (though the Guinness Book of Records still regards it as the longest); it has most likely now been supplanted by *Krung thep maha nakorn amorn ratana kosin-mahintar ayutthay amaha dilok phop noppa ratrajathani burirom udom rajaniwes-mahasat harn amorn phimarn avatarn sathit sakkattiya visanukamprasit* in *Thailand* (*163 letters*). *5. The Coldest and Warmest Sea* Persian Gulf * photo source * The *White Sea*, in *Russia*, has the lowest temperature, only *-2* degrees centigrade. The*Persian Gulf* is the warmest sea. In the summer its temperature reaches* 35.6* degrees centigrade. *6. Worlds Oldest Constitutional Republic* San Marino *photo source* *San Marino* claims to be the worlds oldest constitutional republic - it was founded in* 301* by a *Christian stonemason* fleeing persecution under Emperor Diocletian. Its constitution of*1600* is the oldest written constitution in the world. San Marino is pictured above. *7. The Deepest Hole Ever Drilled by Man* *photo source * The deepest hole ever drilled by man is the *Kola Superdeep Borehole*, in *Russia*. It reached a depth of *12,261 meters* (about 40,226 feet or *7.62 miles*). It was drilled for scientific research and gave up some unexpected discoveries, one of which was a huge deposit of hydrogen - so massive that the mud coming from the hole was boiling with it. *8. Farthest Point From Earths Center & Lowest Place on Earth Crust* Mt. Chimborazo * photo source * Due to the bulge of the earth at the equator, the peak of *Ecuadors Mount Chimborazo*(*20,700 feet* or *6,310 meters*) is the point farthest from the center of the earth so the mountain claims the title of being the *highest point on earth* although *Mt. Everest* is still the highest point above sea level. Mt. Chimborazo is an extinct volcano and is about one degree south of the equator. The* Mariana Trench* is the deepest part of the worlds oceans, and the *lowest elevation* of the surface of the Earths crust. It is currently estimated to be up to *10,971 m* (*35,994 ft*) deep. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean, to the east of the Mariana Islands. *9. Longest Mountain Chain on Earth* *source* The* Mid-Atlantic Ridge* is the Longest mountain chain on earth (at *40 000 kilometers *or* 25 000 miles *). It is located along the middle of the Atlantic. *Iceland* is the only part of this chain that is above water. The *Andes* form the longest exposed mountain range at* 7 000 kilometers *(*4 350 miles*). *10. Vowel-Only Geographic Locations* Mt. Circeo *photo source * *Mount Circeo *on *Cape Circaeum* on the western coast of Italy was once called *Aeaea* (*5 vowels* in a row with no consonants). It was believed in mythology to be the home of the witch Circe. Two other vowel-only geographic locations are the town of *Aiea* in *Hawaii*, and*Eiao* - one of the *Marquise Islands*. *11. The Most Northern, Eastern and Western State in All of America* *source* *Alaska* is the most Northern, Eastern and Western state in all of America. It is the only state that enters the *Eastern Hemisphere* making it also the most eastern lying and western lying state. *12. Sea Without Coasts* *source* __,_._,The naming of the Sargasso Sea after the Sargassum seaweed traces back to the early 15th century Portuguese exploration of the Azore Islands where the seaweed was often present in the waters around the islands.[2] The Sargasso Sea was first crossed by the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492, who was amazed by the masses of seaweed he encountered.[3] [4] However, the sea may have been known to earlier mariners, as a poem by the late 4th century AD author, Rufus Festus Avienus, describes a portion of the Atlantic as being covered with seaweed, citing a now-lost account by the 5th-century BC Carthaginian explorer Himilco the Navigator .. *V. Kumar Goud* *Visit: goudsclub * *E-mail: vkumar.goudsclub@gmail *
Posted on: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 18:02:28 +0000
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