World - Geography

Geographic overview: The surface of the earth is approximately 70.9% water and 29.1% land. The former portion is divided into large water bodies termed oceans. The orld !actboo" recogni#es and describes five oceans$ which are in decreasing order of si#e% the &acific 'cean$ (tlantic 'cean$ )ndian 'cean$ *outhern 'cean$ and (rctic 'cean. The land portion is generally divided into several$ large$ discrete landmasses termed continents. +epending on the convention used$ the number of continents can vary from five to seven. The most common classification recogni#es seven$ which are ,from largest to smallest-% (sia$ (frica$ .orth (merica$ *outh (merica$ (ntarctica$ /urope$ and (ustralia. (sia and /urope are sometimes lumped together into a /urasian continent resulting in six continents. (lternatively$ .orth and *outh (merica are sometimes grouped as simply the (mericas$ resulting in a continent total of six ,or five$ if the /urasia designation is used-. .orth (merica is commonly understood to include the island of 0reenland$ the isles of the 1aribbean$ and to extend south all the way to the )sthmus of &anama. The easternmost extent of /urope is generally defined as being the 2ral 3ountains and the 2ral 4iver5 on the southeast the 1aspian *ea5 and on the south the 1aucasus 3ountains$ the 6lac" *ea$ and the 3editerranean. &ortions of (#erbai7an$ 0eorgia$ 8a#a"hstan$ 4ussia$ and Tur"ey fall within both /urope and (sia$ but in every instance the larger section is in (sia. These countries are considered part of both continents. (rmenia and 1yprus$ which lie completely in estern (sia$ are geopolitically /uropean countries. (sia usually incorporates all the islands of the &hilippines$ 3alaysia$ and )ndonesia. The islands of the &acific are often lumped with (ustralia into a 9land mass9 termed 'ceania or (ustralasia. (frica:s northeast extremity is fre;uently delimited at the )sthmus of *ue#$ but for geopolitical purposes$ the /gyptian *inai &eninsula is often included as part of (frica. (lthough the above groupings are the most common$ different continental dispositions are recogni#ed or taught in certain parts of the world$ with some arrangements more heavily based on cultural spheres rather than physical geographic considerations.

Area : total: <10.072 million s; "m land: 1=>.9= million s; "m water: ?@1.1?2 million s; "m note: 70.9% of the world:s surface is water$ 29.1% is land

Area - comparative : land area about 1@ times the si#e of the 2* top fifteen World Factbook entities ranked by size: &acific 'cean 1<<.<<7 million s; "m5 (tlantic 'cean 7@.7@2 million s; "m5 )ndian 'cean @>.<<@ million s; "m5 *outhern 'cean 20.?27 million s; "m5 4ussia 17$09>$2=2 s; "m5 (rctic 'cean 1=.0<@ million s; "m5 (ntarctica 1= million s; "m5 1anada 9$9>=$@70 s; "m5 2nited *tates 9$>2@$@7< s; "m5 1hina 9$<9@$9@1 s; "m5 6ra#il >$<1=$>77 s; "m5 (ustralia 7$7=1$220 s; "m5 /uropean 2nion =$?2=$7>2 s; "m5 )ndia ?$2>7$2@? s; "m5 (rgentina 2$7>0$=00 s; "m top ten largest islands: 0reenland 2$1@@$0>@ s; "m5 .ew 0uinea ,)ndonesia$ &apua .ew 0uinea- 7><$7<? s; "m5 6orneo ,6runei$ )ndonesia$ 3alaysia- 7<1$929 s; "m5 3adagascar <>7$71? s; "m5 6affin )sland ,1anada- <07$=<1 s; "m5 *umatra ,)ndonesia- =72$7>= s; "m5 Aonshu ,Bapan- 227$9@? s; "m5 Cictoria )sland ,1anada- 217$291 s; "m5 0reat 6ritain ,2nited 8ingdom- 209$??1 s; "m5 /llesmere )sland ,1anada19@$2?@ s; "m

Land boundaries : the land boundaries in the world total 2<1$0@0 "m ,not counting shared boundaries twice-5 two nations$ 1hina and 4ussia$ each border 1= other countries note: =@ nations and other areas are landloc"ed$ these include% (fghanistan$ (ndorra$ (rmenia$ (ustria$ (#erbai7an$ 6elarus$ 6hutan$ 6olivia$ 6otswana$ 6ur"ina !aso$ 6urundi$ 1entral (frican 4epublic$ 1had$ 1#ech 4epublic$ /thiopia$ Aoly *ee ,Catican 1ity-$ Aungary$ 8a#a"hstan$ 8osovo$ 8yrgy#stan$ Daos$ Desotho$ Diechtenstein$ Duxembourg$ 3acedonia$ 3alawi$ 3ali$ 3oldova$ 3ongolia$ .epal$ .iger$ &araguay$ 4wanda$ *an 3arino$ *erbia$ *lova"ia$ *outh *udan$ *wa#iland$ *wit#erland$ Ta7i"istan$ Tur"menistan$ 2ganda$ 2#be"istan$ est 6an"$ Eambia$ Eimbabwe5 two of these$ Diechtenstein and 2#be"istan$ are doubly landloc"ed

oastline : ?<@$000 "m note: 9< nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries$ they include% (merican *amoa$ (nguilla$ (ntigua and 6arbuda$ (ruba$ (shmore and 1artier )slands$ The 6ahamas$ 6ahrain$ 6a"er )sland$ 6arbados$ 6ermuda$ 6ouvet )sland$ 6ritish )ndian 'cean Territory$ 6ritish Cirgin )slands$ 1ape Cerde$ 1ayman )slands$ 1hristmas )sland$ 1lipperton )sland$ 1ocos ,8eeling- )slands$ 1omoros$ 1oo" )slands$ 1oral *ea )slands$ 1uba$ 1uracao$ 1yprus$ +ominica$ !al"land )slands ,)slas 3alvinas-$ !aroe )slands$ !i7i$ !rench &olynesia$ !rench *outhern and (ntarctic Dands$ 0reenland$ 0renada$ 0uam$ 0uernsey$ Aeard )sland and 3c+onald )slands$

Aowland )sland$ )celand$ )sle of 3an$ Bamaica$ Ban 3ayen$ Bapan$ Barvis )sland$ Bersey$ Bohnston (toll$ 8ingman 4eef$ 8iribati$ 3adagascar$ 3aldives$ 3alta$ 3arshall )slands$ 3auritius$ 3ayotte$ !ederated *tates of 3icronesia$ 3idway )slands$ 3ontserrat$ .auru$ .avassa )sland$ .ew 1aledonia$ .ew Eealand$ .iue$ .orfol" )sland$ .orthern 3ariana )slands$ &alau$ &almyra (toll$ &aracel )slands$ &hilippines$ &itcairn )slands$ &uerto 4ico$ *aint 6arthelemy$ *aint Aelena$ *aint 8itts and .evis$ *aint Ducia$ *aint &ierre and 3i;uelon$ *aint Cincent and the 0renadines$ *amoa$ *ao Tome and &rincipe$ *eychelles$ *ingapore$ *int 3aarten$ *olomon )slands$ *outh 0eorgia and the *outh *andwich )slands$ *pratly )slands$ *ri Dan"a$ *valbard$ To"elau$ Tonga$ Trinidad and Tobago$ Tur"s and 1aicos )slands$ Tuvalu$ Canuatu$ Cirgin )slands$ a"e )sland$ allis and !utuna$ Taiwan

!aritime claims : a variety of situations exist$ but in general$ most countries ma"e the following claims measured from the mean lowFtide baseline as described in the 19>2 2. 1onvention on the Daw of the *ea% territorial sea F 12 nm$ contiguous #one F 2= nm$ and exclusive economic #one F 200 nm5 additional #ones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing #one5 boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic #ones to a full 200 nm

limate : a wide e;uatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates F bordered north and south by subtropical temperate #ones F that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

"errain : the greatest ocean depth is the 3ariana Trench at 10$92= m in the &acific 'cean

#levation e$tremes : lowest point: 6entley *ubglacial Trench ,(ntarctica- F2$<<< m note: in the oceanic realm$ 1hallenger +eep in the 3ariana Trench is the lowest point$ lying F10$92= m below the surface of the &acific 'cean highest point: 3ount /verest >$><0 m top ten highest mountains %measured from sea level&: 3ount /verest ,1hinaF.epal- >$><0 m5 82 ,&a"istan- >$@11 m5 8anchen7unga ,)ndiaF.epal>$<9> m5 Dhotse ,.epal- >$<1@ m5 3a"alu ,1hinaF.epal- >$=@? m5 1ho 'yu ,1hinaF.epal- >$201 m5 +haulagiri ,.epal- >$1@7 m5 3anaslu ,.epal- >$1@?

m5 .anga &arbat ,&a"istan- >$12< m5 (napurna ,.epal- >$091 m

'atural resources : the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources$ the depletion of forest areas and wetlands$ the extinction of animal and plant species$ and the deterioration in air and water ;uality ,especially in some countries of /astern /urope$ the former 2**4$ and 1hina- pose serious longFterm problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address

Land use : arable land: 10.<7% permanent crops: 1.0=% other: >>.?9% ,200<-

(rrigated land : ?$2=<$<@@ s; "m ,200> est.-

'atural hazards : large areas sub7ect to severe weather ,tropical cyclones-5 natural disasters ,earth;ua"es$ landslides$ tsunamis$ volcanic eruptionsvolcanism: the world is home to more than 1$<00 potentially active volcanoes$ with over <00 of these having erupted in historical times5 an estimated <00 million people live near these volcanoes5 associated dangers include lava flows$ lahars ,mudflows-$ pyroclastic flows$ ash clouds$ ash fall$ ballistic pro7ectiles$ gas emissions$ landslides$ earth;ua"es$ and tsunamis5 in the 1990s$ the )nternational (ssociation of Colcanology and 1hemistry of the /arth:s )nterior$ created a list of 1@ volcanoes worthy of special study because of their great potential for destruction% (vachins"yF8orya"s"y ,4ussia-$ 1olima ,3exico-$ /tna ,)taly-$ 0aleras ,1olombia-$ 3auna Doa ,2nited *tates-$ 3erapi ,)ndonesia-$ .yiragongo ,+emocratic 4epublic of the 1ongo-$ 4ainier ,2nited *tates-$ *a"ura7ima ,Bapan-$ *anta 3aria ,0uatemala-$ *antorini ,0reece-$ Taal ,&hilippines-$ Teide ,*pain-$ 2lawun ,&apua .ew 0uinea-$ 2n#en ,Bapan-$ Cesuvius ,)taly-

#nvironment - current issues : large areas sub7ect to overpopulation$ industrial disasters$ pollution ,air$ water$ acid rain$ toxic substances-$ loss of vegetation ,overgra#ing$ deforestation$ desertification-$ loss of wildlife$ soil degradation$ soil

depletion$ erosion5 global warming becoming a greater concern

Geography - note : the world is now thought to be about =.<< billion years old$ 7ust about oneF third of the 1?.7<FbillionFyear age estimated for the universe

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