WorldAtlas Latest Articles
The Last River Still Running Wild Through A Major City
Every large American city sits on a river somebody decided to control. One river escaped, and it still floods, moves gravel and rebuilds its own channel.
The Largest Military Bases In The United States
The largest US military bases by area, from White Sands Missile Range to Eglin. Why "largest" means something different when you count people instead of acres.
The Mississippi Delta Counties Time Forgot
Eight Mississippi Delta counties, from Issaquena to Leflore, offer bottomland forests, blues landmarks, civil rights history, and a slow, small-town pace.
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.
These 7 Nevada Towns Have The Best Historic Districts
Nevada towns, from Virginia City and Goldfield to Genoa and Boulder City, whose historic districts preserve mining, pioneer, and Hoover Dam-era streets.
Why Some North American Forests Have No Large Predators Left
North American forests from Yellowstone to Isle Royale lost their large predators to direct killing, habitat loss, vanished prey, roads, and isolation.
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.
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.
How Long Would It Take To Walk Around Lake Michigan
A 45-year-old from Battle Creek walked around Lake Michigan in 2009. It took 64 days, 1,019 miles, and one gallstone attack. How long it would take you.
The American Rivers With The Strongest Undertow
The American Rivers With The Strongest Undertow. Calm water on the Potomac, Colorado, and Mississippi can hide downward currents that pull swimmers under.
The Rivers Where Catfish Grow Largest
From the Mississippi near Natchez to Georgia's Altamaha, these American rivers have produced record blue and flathead catfish over 100 pounds.
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.
10 Worst Byzantine Emperors
Ranking the Byzantine emperors whose cruelty, cost-cutting and failed schemes did lasting damage to the Eastern Roman Empire.
Arapaima
Arapaima, one of the world's largest freshwater fish, is an air-breathing Amazon giant that surfaces to gulp air and can grow longer than a person.
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.
Who Were The Greatest Generals In Ancient Greece?
Discover how Ancient Greece’s greatest generals used strategy, diplomacy, and military innovation to change the course of the ancient world.
Why Were Roman Emperors Constantly Afraid Of Assassination
To be a Roman emperor meant great power and responsibility. However, it also came with a greatly increased likelihood of assassination.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The States With More Farmland Than People
Eight US states have more farmland than people, with farm operations covering over half their land and fewer than 100 residents per square mile.
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.
Cuban Boa
Cuban Boa is Cuba's largest native land predator and the only snake ever documented hunting cooperatively, blocking cave passages to trap bats in flight.
Why Parker Solar Probe Survives Touching The Sun
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has flown closer to the Sun than any spacecraft, using a carbon heat shield to pass through the corona and study the solar wind.
The Defeat That Changed The Roman Army Forever
Why did the Battle of Arausio matter? Explore one of Rome's worst military disasters and its consequences for Marius and the Roman Republic.
The Shortest Mountain Range In The United States
The Sutter Buttes rise about 10 miles across the Sacramento Valley, a worn-down volcano widely called the shortest mountain range in the United States.
11 Underrated Michigan Towns Worth the Drive in 2026
Michigan towns under two hours from a major airport, with a Dickens festival in Holly, a magic museum in Marshall, and the Polar Express locomotive in Owosso.
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.
Which Planet Has The Largest Core?
Earth has the largest core by volume of any rocky planet, while Mercury’s core holds the proportional record by occupying 85% of its radius.
How Did The Roman Empire Defend Its Borders?
Learn how walls and frontier armies worked with roads, fleets, and diplomacy to defend the Roman Empire across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The Highest Mountain In The United States That Isn't In Alaska
Mount Whitney in California is the tallest US mountain outside Alaska at 14,505 feet. Colorado's Sawatch peaks, Mount Rainier, and Mount Williamson follow.
Which Planet Is The Hardest To Land On?
Venus crushes landers, Mercury is nearly unreachable, and the gas giants have no ground at all. Which planet actually resists a landing the most?
The American Mountains With Roads To The Summit
Six US mountains, from Colorado's Pikes Peak to New Hampshire's Mt Washington, where a paved road and a toll booth replace the multi-day hike to the summit.
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.
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.
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.