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Forests

The National Forests With The Most Elk

Which national forests have the most elk? From Colorado's White River to Wyoming's Bridger-Teton and Oregon's Roosevelt elk coast, the top US elk forests.

Cities

9 Best Towns In California To Retire Comfortably

The piece contrasts Hollywood’s glamor with quieter, affordable California towns offering cost-effective living, walkability, and charming communities.

County

The Difference Between A County And A Borough

One way or another, in order to rule an area effectively, it must at some point be divided, with clear boundaries. Here's how we got counties and boroughs.

State Parks

The State Parks With The Oldest Buildings Still Standing

These state parks didn't build their oldest buildings; they inherited them, from a 1772 gristmill to a Revolutionary War-era fort.

Lakes

How Many Lakes Are Big Enough To Be Seen From Space?

Most of Earth's 117 million lakes vanish from space. Meet the giants big enough to glow from orbit, from the Caspian Sea to Baikal and the Great Lakes.

Bodies of Water

The American Towns Built Directly Below A Dam

Nearly 17,000 US dams are rated high hazard, and the count is rising because towns keep building below them. Oroville, Midland, Rexburg and the risk they live with. (159, would trim)

Stories

Island Hopping Across Lake Erie

Island Hopping Across Lake Erie means ferry-hopping between Pelee, Kelleys, and the Bass Islands, a bi-national run of wineries and glacial grooves.

Lakes

The Largest Lakes West Of The Rockies

Saltier than the ocean, perched on an active earthquake fault, or ringed by polar bears, the largest lakes west of the Rockies defy the alpine postcard.

Travel

11 Small Towns on the Atlantic Coast with the Best Downtowns

From foggy Maine fishing harbors to a Florida reef town, these 11 Atlantic Coast small towns pair a walkable main street with a working waterfront.

Oceans

How Many Undiscovered Species Are In The Sea?

Scientists estimate that half a million to 2 million marine species remain unknown, while much of the deep seafloor has never been seen.

Animals

Caracal

Caracal is a reddish, tuft-eared cat of the dry country of Africa and Asia, built to spring more than ten feet up and pluck birds out of mid-air.

Animals

Serval

Serval is a slender African cat with the longest legs and largest ears of any feline, a sound-hunting rodent specialist that leaps to snatch its prey.

Ancient World

Where Did The Romans Come From And The Origins Of Rome

A wolf, a murder, and muddy huts on a hilltop: trace where the Romans really came from, from the villages above the Tiber to an empire of 70 million.

Animals

Mugger Crocodile

Mugger Crocodile is a broad-snouted freshwater crocodile of the Indian subcontinent, known for digging burrows, waiting out droughts, and trekking overland.

Space

Speed Of Sound VS Speed Of Light

Light is about 880,000 times faster than sound, but the real differences are stranger: what each needs to travel through, and what slows them down.

Ancient World

Similarities And Differences Between The Roman Republic And Empire

The Roman Republic and Empire looked alike in territory and culture but differed completely in who held power and how the army was used.

Geography

How Big Alaska Is Compared To The Lower 48

Alaska is one fifth the size of the Lower 48 and bigger than Texas, California and Montana combined. Why the maps you grew up with got it wrong twice.

Climate

The 10 US Cities With the Longest Summers

Some US cities barely see winter at all. Ranked by NOAA normals, here are the ten with the longest thermal summers, from Honolulu to Fort Lauderdale.

Travel

11 Small Towns in The Northern United States with the Best Downtowns

Some downtowns are worth the whole trip. Meet 11 northern US towns with brick storefronts, lakeside Main Streets, and walkable historic districts.

Animals

Banded Sea Krait

Banded Sea Krait is a venomous Indo-Pacific sea snake that hunts eels across the reef yet returns to land to rest, mate, and lay its eggs on shore.

Space

Which Planet Has The Longest Year?

As the rhyme goes, Mercury is the one, closest to the shining sun. But which planet is furthest, and which has the longest year?

Travel

10 Small Towns on the Pacific Coast with the Best Downtowns

Skip the famous coastal cities. These Pacific Coast small towns keep their best shops, theaters, and beaches within one walkable downtown.

Space

Which Planet Has The Deepest Canyon?

The deepest canyon in our galaxy is found on Mars, known as Valles Marineris, which plunges nearly seven miles deep and is 2,400 miles long.

Ancient World

Was The Trojan Horse Real?

The Trojan horse is among the world's foremost tales of trickery and deception, which culminated in the fall of Troy. But was it even real?

Ancient World

8 Strange Discoveries About Secret Societies in History

Secret societies have existed for centuries, from Yale University to 18th-century England, resulting in intrigue and rumors.

Space

Which Moons Are Bigger Than A Planet?

Ganymede and Titan are wider than the planet Mercury. Inside the buried ocean, the moon-made magnetic field, and the rule that makes them moons.

Stories

Britain’s National Archives Mark 250 Years of American Independence

Britain's National Archives Mark 250 Years of American Independence with the war seen from the losing side, drawn from the paperwork Britain filed and kept.

Industries

10 Countries with the Largest Uranium Reserves

Australia holds 1.67 million tonnes of recoverable uranium, but Kazakhstan mines the most. How the ten largest resource holders compare.

Religion

African Countries With Islam As The Religion Of The Majority

In 19 African countries, Islam serves as the religion of the majority.

Geography

Country Names With 10 Letters

18 countries have names that contain 10 letters, from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan. Discover what other countries make the list!

Society

Life Expectancy in Asia

Japan has the highest average life expectancy in Asia, as well as the world.

Geography

What Continent Is Hawaii In?

Although politically Hawaii is considered part of North America, geographically Hawaii is not part of any continent.

Geography

What Are The Contiguous United States?

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia share a boundary with at least one other state and jointly make up the contiguous United States.

Sports

The Largest Stadiums In Asia

The biggest stadium on Earth isn't in America or Europe. It's in Asia, alongside 14 more giants. See the largest stadiums in Asia, ranked by capacity.

Nature

What Is A Cloud Forest?

How cloud forests drink from the clouds, and why Kilimanjaro, Monteverde, Yakushima and the Appalachians all depend on the mist.

Climate

The Cities With the Lowest Annual Rainfall in the US

The Cities With the Lowest Annual Rainfall in the US are led by Yuma, Arizona, where barely three inches fall in a year, followed by Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Society

Countries That Use Their Own Calendar

In Ethiopia, it's not the year you think, and there are 13 months. Discover the countries that still run on their own calendars instead of the Gregorian one.

Society

Deepest Metro Stations in the World

Some metro stations plunge over a hundred meters underground, driven by challenging terrain, leading to engineering marvels with grand designs.

Forests

European Countries With The Most Forest Cover

Sweden has the most forest cover of any European country.

Climate

The 10 Most Hurricane-Prone States in the US

A look at the 10 U.S. states most often hit by hurricanes, with context on storm history, coastal risk, and conditions behind landfall today.