WorldAtlas Latest Articles

County

The Counties Most At Risk Of Hurricanes

FEMA rates these US counties and Louisiana parishes at the highest hurricane risk in the country. Here is what put them there.

Mountains

Why Some Mountains Are Flat On Top

Grand Mesa, Table Mountain, Mount Roraima, and Herðubreið are all flat-topped, but four entirely different geologic processes made them that way.

Places

9 Old-Timey General Stores In Connecticut

Connecticut is home to many historic general stores, some dating to the 1780s, that still serve their small towns today as delis, museums, and gift shops.

Cities

The Safest Small Towns In Kentucky

Low violent crime rates place these Kentucky towns among the state’s safest, with historic landmarks, parks, and active local institutions nearby.

Cities

2026's 11 Best Small Towns To Visit In Texas

Eleven small Texas towns, from Wimberley in the Hill Country to Marfa in the desert, pair distinctive landscapes with outsized museums and history.

Oceans

The Deepest Dive Ever Made In American Waters

Sirena Deep is the deepest crewed dive in U.S. waters. In 2019, Vescovo and Jamieson reached 10,714 meters off Guam and spent 176 minutes on the floor.

Mountains

The Highest Mountain You Can Reach Without Climbing Gear

The Highest Mountain You Can Reach Without Climbing Gear is Argentina's Aconcagua, whose Normal Route reaches the summit on foot, with no rope or ice axe.

Bodies of Water

The Last Working Ferries In America

Five men still pull a ferry across the Rio Grande by hand. A 1953 steamship still burns coal. The last working ferries in America, and why each one survived.

Lakes

The Longest Rivers Flowing Out Of The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes drain to the Atlantic through just a handful of rivers, from the 744-mile St. Lawrence to the 28-mile Detroit River.

Bodies of Water

The US Ports That Would Stop A State's Economy

Some US ports are so vital their closure would halt a whole state's economy, from Alaska's Valdez oil terminal to Honolulu, LA/Long Beach, Houston, and Savannah.

Animals

Blue Whale

Blue Whale, the largest animal ever known to have lived, is a colossal baleen whale that filter-feeds on tiny krill across the world's open oceans.

Animals

Mozambique Spitting Cobra

Mozambique Spitting Cobra, one of southern Africa's most dangerous snakes, can spray venom into a threat's eyes and inflict a tissue-destroying bite.

Space

Which Moon Is The Coldest?

Triton is frozen almost beyond imagination, but Earth’s Moon hides an even colder secret inside craters untouched by sunlight.

Ancient World

The Worst Decisions Ever Made By Ancient Generals

Mistakes often define civilizations. This was particularly the case in the ancient world, where a single error could completely change the course of a war.

Animals

Scientists Discover The World’s Largest Snake Species

The green anaconda, now recognized as a separate species, is the heaviest and possibly longest snake, reaching over 21 feet and 200 kg.

Animals

Rinkhals

Rinkhals, a ring-necked spitting cobra of southern Africa, can spray venom into an attacker's eyes and will even play dead to escape a serious threat.

Animals

Pronghorn

Pronghorn, the fastest land mammal in North America, is a horned animal of the open plains built for endurance and often mistaken for an antelope.

Space

The K2-18b Biosignature Debate And What It Actually Means

Scientists found possible signs of life on K2-18b, but the evidence soon weakened. Here is what the latest research actually tells us.

Ancient World

Rome's Greatest Military Innovations

Ancient Rome’s military was one of the most formidable of all time. Rather than achieving victory through brute force, it utilized key innovations to win.

Travel

10 Amazing Weekend Getaways in Georgia for 2026

Gold-rush squares, Bavarian streets, working shrimp docks: ten Georgia towns with enough to fill a full weekend, from the Blue Ridge to the coast.

Space

Which Planet Is The Densest?

Earth is the solar system's densest planet at 5.514 g/cm³. See how mass, volume, and rocky composition determine planetary density.

Ancient World

Horrifying Facts You Need To Know About The Roman Empire

Learn about ancient Rome’s darkest realities: mass violence and slavery alongside political murder, brutal punishment, and civil war.

Ancient World

How Barbarian Soldiers Took Over The Roman Army

Roman soldiers were considered the best trained military force in the world. Over time, the makeup of their ranks would come to be dominated by "barbarians".

Stories

Sunsets & Stargazing in Southampton, Ontario

Southampton, Ontario sits on Lake Huron in Bruce County, pairing High Street shops and a wide beach with camping, trails and dark skies at MacGregor Point.

Stories

London’s West End Packs Four Centuries of British Culture

London's West End Packs Four Centuries of British Culture into a two-mile walk, and Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and Covent Garden are all free.

Space

What Is The Most Volcanic World In The Solar System?

Io has at least 400 active volcanoes, throwing lava fountains dozens of miles high. The cause is not tectonics but Jupiter's gravity.

Canyons

The Deepest Canyons In The United States

Cowboys, stampeding herds, and a beauty so immense that it drives some spectators to religion: canyons are an emblem of the grand American expanse.

Stories

Britain’s Own Bayeux Tapestry Is in Reading, and It’s Free

Britain's Own Bayeux Tapestry Is in Reading, and It's Free. A full-size Victorian replica of the famous embroidery, with no ticket or queue.

Travel

11 Small Towns in The Great Lakes with the Best Downtowns

Steps from the water, these Great Lakes small towns hide wine trails, lift bridges, and speakeasies in their compact, walkable downtowns.

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.

Mountains

The Most Isolated Mountain In The Lower 48

The most isolated mountain in the Lower 48 is Mount Whitney, 1,646 miles from any higher ground. Why the tallest peak wins, and how it differs from Mt. Rainier.

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.

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

Landlocked Countries In Asia

Twelve countries in Asia are considered landlocked, although some of them, like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, are along the Caspian Sea.

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.