WorldAtlas Latest Articles
10 Most Welcoming Towns In Texas Countryside
10 Most Welcoming Towns In Texas Countryside include Fredericksburg, Wimberley, Granbury, Jefferson, and Mason, where locals stop to say hello on Main Street.
How High The Highest Mountain Pass Road In America Really Is
The usual answer is 14,130 feet, except that road is a dead end. How high the highest mountain pass road in America really is, once "pass" has to mean something.
The American Dams Too Expensive To Remove
Hoover, Glen Canyon, and Grand Coulee dams could be removed, but replacing the water, power, and irrigation they anchor would cost billions.
7 National & State Parks In The United States You Have To Visit
The US attracts people from all over. It's one of the largest countries on Earth. Where to begin? A good starting point: these seven national and state parks.
12 Best Downtowns On The Gulf Coast
The US Gulf Coast is a laid-back, beautiful part of the country. For visitors wandering through the 10 best downtowns on the Gulf Coast, their charm is clear.
The Saltiest Rivers In America
Discover the saltiest rivers in America, ranked by mean dissolved solids, including Texas rivers with salinity levels approaching or exceeding seawater.
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.
Ethiopian Wolf
Ethiopian Wolf is Africa's most endangered carnivore, with fewer than 500 left, and in 2024 it became the first large carnivore recorded drinking nectar.
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 Highest-Elevation Rivers In The United States
The Merced River in California's Sierra Nevada starts at 13,114 feet, with Colorado's Lake Fork Gunnison, Blue, and Roaring Fork rivers close behind.
The Western Cities With No Backup Water Source
Phoenix can survive dead pool for generations. The western cities with genuinely no backup water source are small, sit on a reservoir, and never make the headlines.
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.
9 Small Towns in New England with the Best Downtowns
A true downtown stays active after the sun goes down. In the case of these small towns in New England, the town centers are thriving.
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.
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.
Escaping Into The Cultural Capital Of Transylvania
Escaping Into The Cultural Capital Of Transylvania. A writer returns to Brașov for gothic streets, Tâmpa summit runs, quiet cafes, and one bear encounter.
Why Grizzlies Are Gone From California
California grizzly bears were hunted for food, sport, and fur across the 1800s until they vanished, and the last one was killed in 1922 in Tulare County.
Goliath Grouper
Goliath Grouper was functionally extinct in Florida by the 1980s. A 1990 harvest ban revived it, and it was downlisted from Critically Endangered in 2018.
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.
9 Small Towns on the Gulf Coast with the Best Downtowns
Nine Gulf Coast towns in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi with walkable downtowns, from Apalachicola's working waterfront to Fairhope's bayfront streets.
Why Scorpions Stop At The Kansas Line
Why Scorpions Stop At The Kansas Line, or mostly do. Winters limit the striped bark scorpion, yet it reaches Nebraska and a hardier cousin lives in Canada.
What Were The Most One-Sided Battles In Ancient History?
Ancient warfare was bloody, and often, it was extremely one-sided. Here are the most one-sided battles of ancient history.
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.
The American Mountains With The Most Black Bears
The Cascades hold the most black bears, the southern Appalachians hold the densest, and Alaska has a third of them all. Where American mountain bears concentrate.
Which Planet Has The Strangest Sunrise?
Uranus has the strangest sunrise in the solar system: at either pole, the sun rises once and stays up for 42 years. Mercury and Venus are the runners-up.
Ancient Kingdoms History Nearly Forgot
Human civilization is built on the shoulders of giants, namely, ancient empires which made advances in culture and science. Here are some we almost forgot.
What Enceladus's Plumes Are Made Of
Enceladus fires water 6,000 miles into space, twenty times its own width. What Cassini found in those plumes, and why it matters for the hunt for life.
Who Were The Greatest Generals Of The Late Roman Empire?
The late Western Roman Empire produced Arbogast, Stilicho, and Aetius, generals who held the line as the state around them failed.
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.
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.
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.