Expand your geographical knowledge with this essential reference flashcard deck covering the world's most significant physical features — the highest mountains, longest rivers, deepest ocean trenches, largest lakes, and key oceanic facts.
These facts are esse...
Expand your geographical knowledge with this essential reference flashcard deck covering the world's most significant physical features — the highest mountains, longest rivers, deepest ocean trenches, largest lakes, and key oceanic facts.
These facts are essential for geography competitions, quizzes, GCSE and A-Level examinations, and building an overall picture of Earth's physical geography. Cards also include continental records and key geographical extremes. Based on publicly available data from the USGS, National Geographic, and CIA World Factbook.
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Mount Everest — 8,849 m (29,032 ft). Located in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and Tibet (China). First summited by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.
1. Everest (8,849 m) — Nepal/Tibet. 2. K2 (8,611 m) — Pakistan/China. 3. Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) — Nepal/India. 4. Lhotse (8,516 m) — Nepal/Tibet. 5. Makalu (8,485 m) — Nepal/Tibet. All five are in the Himalayas/Karakoram.
Nile River — approximately 6,650 km (4,130 miles). Flows northward through 11 countries in northeast Africa, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. (Note: Amazon River is close — some studies give it priority.)
Amazon River — carries ~20% of all freshwater flowing into the world's oceans. Located in South America, flowing through Brazil. Drains the Amazon rainforest basin (~7 million km²).
1. Nile (6,650 km) — Africa. 2. Amazon (6,400 km) — South America. 3. Yangtze (6,300 km) — Asia (China). 4. Mississippi-Missouri (6,275 km) — North America. 5. Yenisei-Angara (5,539 km) — Asia (Russia).
Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, western Pacific Ocean — approximately 11,034 m (36,201 ft) deep. Located near Guam. Deepest known point on Earth's surface.
Pacific (largest — 165 million km²), Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic — recognized as 5th ocean in 2000), Arctic (smallest). The Pacific Ocean alone covers more area than all land on Earth.
Caspian Sea — 371,000 km² (technically a lake as it is landlocked). If only freshwater lakes: Lake Superior (82,100 km²) in North America. Lake Baikal (Russia) is the world's deepest lake (1,642 m).
A 6,000 km system of geological rifts running from northern Syria to Mozambique in east Africa. Contains many lakes: Tanganyika (world's 2nd deepest), Malawi, Victoria. Caused by the African and Somali plates diverging.
Asia (Russia — partly), Africa (Algeria), North America (Canada), South America (Brazil), Antarctica (no countries), Europe (Russia — partly), Australia/Oceania (Australia).
Asia: Everest (8,849m). South America: Aconcagua (6,961m). North America: Denali (6,190m). Africa: Kilimanjaro (5,895m). Europe: Elbrus (5,642m). Antarctica: Vinson Massif (4,892m). Australia/Oceania: Puncak Jaya (4,884m) or Kosciuszko (2,228m).
The Andes — approximately 7,000 km long, running along the entire western coast of South America through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
Antarctic Desert — approximately 14.2 million km². Most people say the Sahara (9.2 million km²) as the largest hot desert. The Sahara is the world's 3rd largest desert overall.
A vast drainage basin (~7 million km²) in South America drained by the Amazon River and its 1,100+ tributaries. Contains the world's largest tropical rainforest. Home to ~10% of all Earth's species.
Himalayas (Asia — highest), Andes (S America — longest), Rockies (N America), Alps (Europe), Appalachians (N America), Urals (Europe-Asia border), Atlas (Africa), Great Dividing Range (Australia), Caucasus (Europe/Asia).
A hypersaline lake on the Jordan-Israel border — the lowest point on Earth's surface at ~430 m below sea level. 10× saltier than the ocean — nothing can live in it. Shrinking due to water diversion.
The world's largest hot desert — ~9.2 million km² covering most of North Africa. Countries include Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania. Expanding southward (desertification) into the Sahel.
A ~40,000 km horseshoe-shaped zone around the Pacific Ocean with 75% of Earth's active volcanoes. Follows the plate boundaries of the Pacific Plate. Includes the Andes, Cascades, Japan, Philippines, and New Zealand.
Yangtze (longest in Asia, 6,300 km), Yellow River/Huang He (China), Mekong (SE Asia), Ganges (India), Indus (Pakistan), Brahmaputra (Tibet/India/Bangladesh), Ob-Irtysh and Yenisei (Russia/Siberia).
The world's deepest river (250+ m in places) and the second largest by discharge. Located in Central Africa. Flows through the Congo Rainforest — the world's second largest tropical rainforest.
