WorldAtlas Latest Articles

Forests

The Nut Trees Forest Wildlife Depend On Most

Acorns and nuts from trees are a large source of nutrients for forest wildlife. These are the nut tree species which contribute the most.

Oceans

The Most Dangerous Rip Currents On US Beaches

Rip currents on US beaches kill more than 100 people a year, with deadly clusters at Panama City Beach, Daytona Beach, the Carolinas, and Lake Michigan.

Cities

Italy's 8 Most Laid-Back Towns

Laid-back Italian towns from Atrani on the Amalfi Coast to Carloforte off Sardinia, where lemon groves, seafood lunches, and Romanesque churches set the pace.

Animals

Kea

Kea facts, from the only alpine parrot on Earth and its ape-level problem solving to its ground nests and Endangered status on New Zealand's South Island.

Space

What's the Farthest We've Ever Seen?

What's the Farthest We've Ever Seen? The James Webb Space Telescope confirmed a galaxy shining just after the Big Bang, near a wall no telescope can see past.

Ancient World

The Most Advanced Ancient Medical Practices

Ancient medical practices, including civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Imperial China, reveal early advances in surgery, wound care, dentistry, and more.

Cities

2026's 11 Most Scenic South Australia Towns

South Australia's 11 most scenic towns feature Hahndorf's German heritage, Tanunda's Barossa cellar doors, Robe's Long Beach, and Mount Gambier's Blue Lake.

National Parks

The Best National Parks In Alaska

The Best National Parks In Alaska include Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, and Kobuk Valley, from the highest peak to arctic dunes.

Rivers

The Most Dammed Rivers In America

The Most Dammed Rivers In America include the Columbia, Colorado, Snake, and Missouri, where dams power cities, water farms, and reshape river ecosystems.

Lakes

What Happens If Blue Mesa Is Drained To Save Lake Powell

Blue Mesa, Colorado's largest lake, has been drained to prop up Lake Powell. What that does to its record-low water, its marinas, and its famous kokanee salmon.

Mountains

How The Himalayas Compare To The Rockies

How the Himalayas and Rockies compare in height, length, age, glacier ice, earthquakes, and the rivers they feed, from Everest to the Continental Divide.

Bodies of Water

The Tribes That Hold the Oldest Colorado River Water Rights In The US

The Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and San Juan Southern Paiute hold senior Colorado River rights, but four Upper Basin states are blocking their settlement.

Travel

7 Small Towns in Pennsylvania with the Best Downtowns

In Pennsylvania, downtown Wellsboro glows under gas lamps, Lititz twists pretzels by hand, and Hershey lines Chocolate Avenue with Kisses, 7 towns in all.

Wildlife By Place

How Far North Armadillos Have Reached

How Far North Armadillos Have Reached. Breeding populations hold near the fortieth parallel, but one wanderer turned up in Indiana just shy of Michigan.

Animals

Green Bush Viper

Green Bush Viper facts, from its rough, dragon-like scales and variable colors to its nighttime ambush hunts in the rainforests of West and Central Africa.

Space

Why Evidence Suggests Dark Energy Is Weakening

Although our leading minds have barely more than a theoretical grasp on what dark energy is, it appears to be weakening.

Ancient World

Who Were The Roman Army’s Most Dangerous Enemies?

The Roman army met its match against Carthage, Parthia, the Sasanians, and the Germanic tribes, from Cannae in 216 BCE to the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE.

Animals

Gelada

Gelada is the only primate on Earth that lives almost entirely on grass, grazing the Ethiopian highlands by day and sleeping on cliff ledges at night.

Mountains

Why Denali Is Harder To Climb Than Everest

Lower summit, harder climb. Thin polar air, 100-pound loads, and rescue that can be days away make Denali a tougher test than Everest for most climbers.

Ancient World

Why Rome Could Never Conquer Nubia

Rome conquered many different civilizations but was never able to establish a permanent foothold in Nubia, a region of great significance in Ancient Egypt.

Travel

7 Underrated California Towns Worth the Drive in 2026

Seven California towns worth the detour, from Pioneertown and Solvang to Ojai, Tiburon, Sonoma, Solana Beach and Ramona in the San Diego back country.

Stories

The Island That Changed My Mind About Toronto

A ten-minute ferry from downtown Toronto reaches Center Island, with sandy Great Lakes beaches, a pier, rental bikes and the oldest lighthouse.

Travel

11 Underrated Ohio Towns Worth the Drive in 2026

11 Underrated Ohio Towns Worth the Drive in 2026. Ride a horse-drawn canal boat in Coshocton, see Sugarcreek's cuckoo clock, and find Christmas in Medina.

Space

What New Horizons Is Still Finding In The Kuiper Belt

NASA's New Horizons probe woke from a 321-day hibernation in June 2026, some 6 billion miles from Earth, and continues to study Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

Ancient World

10 Worst Byzantine Emperors

Ranking the Byzantine emperors whose cruelty, cost-cutting and failed schemes did lasting damage to the Eastern Roman Empire.

Space

Which Planet Could You Survive on Longest?

Mars gives a suited astronaut the best survival odds of any planet beyond Earth, while Venus's heat and the giant planets' crushing depths prove far deadlier.

Mountains

The Most Climbed Mountain In America

Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire draws around 125,000 climbers a year, with a 3,165-foot summit most hikers reach in a few hours and views across six states.

Mountains

How The Andes Compare To The Rockies

Mount Elbert is the highest point in the Rockies and would not make the Andean top fifty. How the two ranges compare, and the statistic that ends the argument.

GDP

The Richest Countries In Europe 2026

Europe has been an economic hub of the world for centuries. Strong banking and manufacturing sectors and embracing free trade have been key to its success.

Travel

10 Underrated South Carolina Towns Worth the Drive in 2026

Oyster roasts in Bluffton, dawn Thoroughbred workouts in Aiken, a 135-foot peach in Gaffney: 10 underrated South Carolina towns worth the drive in 2026.

GDP

The Richest Countries in North America 2026

In 2025, the U.S., Canada, and Panama lead North America in GDP per capita, reflecting diverse economic strengths and strategies.

Geography

How Much of America Drains Into the Mississippi River?

The Mississippi-Atchafalaya basin drains about 41% of the contiguous US, over 1.245 million square miles, and the Missouri subbasin alone supplies 43% of it.

Geography

How Much Of The World's Fresh Water Sits In North America?

North America holds roughly one-quarter of the world’s fresh surface water, with the Great Lakes alone accounting for about 21% of the global supply.

GDP

The Richest Countries In The World 2026

The richest country in the world is Luxembourg, followed by Singapore and Ireland, ranked by GDP per capita in PPP values, provided by the IMF for 2025.

Industries

The Busiest Cargo Ports

Cargo ports allow for mass transportation of goods by sea. Here are the largest and busiest cargo ports in various states.

Geography

How Big Lake Superior Is Compared To Entire States

Lake Superior spans 31,700 square miles, larger than 10 US states by total area and nearly the size of South Carolina, plus a 2,726-mile shoreline.

Geography

What Is The Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute

A border drawn more than a century ago still divides Thailand and Cambodia, with disputed temples and territory keeping tensions alive today.

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.

Religion

African Countries With Islam As The Religion Of The Majority

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

Society

Life Expectancy in Asia

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