WorldAtlas Latest Articles
Javan Rhino
Javan Rhino is widely regarded as the rarest large mammal on Earth. About 50 survive, all inside one Indonesian national park and none in captivity.
Sumatran Rhino
Sumatran Rhino, the smallest living rhinoceros and the only Asian species with two horns, is a critically endangered relative of the woolly rhino.
What Is The Largest Object In The Solar System After The Sun?
Jupiter isn't just the biggest planet; it's the largest object in our Solar System after the Sun, 11 times wider than Earth.
The Military Mistakes That Destroyed Great Empires
While they often occurred due to larger systemic problems within their respective societies, these errors frequently led to catastrophic consequences.
How Old Is The Average American Forest?
America’s forests look ancient, but much of today’s tree cover is surprisingly young, rebuilt after logging, fire, and decades of regrowth.
The Forests Growing On Old Lava Flows
Discover how forests reclaim lava flows across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California, from ancient tree casts to vegetation just starting to take hold.
How Many Counties Are There In The United States?
The US has 3,007 counties, but Louisiana parishes, Alaska boroughs, Virginia independent cities and Puerto Rico municipios change the count.
9 Best Attractions To Visit In The Pacific Northwest
9 Best Attractions To Visit In The Pacific Northwest include Mount Rainier, the Space Needle, Crater Lake, Multnomah Falls, and Craters of the Moon.
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.
How Lake Trout Were Brought Back To Lake Superior
How Lake Trout Were Brought Back To Lake Superior comes down to decades of sea lamprey control, stricter fishing limits, and steady hatchery stocking.
What Happens If The Soo Locks Shut Down
A Soo Locks shutdown could halt Great Lakes shipping, strain steel mills, and disrupt North American auto production within weeks.
8 Overlooked Towns In Tennessee Worth Visiting
Discover Tennessee’s hidden gems—from historic Jonesborough to scenic Sparta—offering unique attractions beyond the usual tourist spots
Where Los Angeles Would Get Water If The Colorado Failed
Los Angeles would not run dry. It would get water from the State Water Project, its aquifers, and its own wastewater, in that order, and everyone would pay more.
How Many US Lakes Are Actually Reservoirs?
Odds are close to a coin flip that your favorite lake is a reservoir. The biggest names hiding behind a dam, and where the natural lakes actually cluster.
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.
Olive Sea Snake
The olive sea snake's "attacks" on divers aren't attacks at all. Discover the venomous Great Barrier Reef serpent and the surprising truth behind its behavior
Platypus
Platypus is an egg-laying, venomous mammal of eastern Australia that hunts underwater by electric sense, one of the strangest animals on Earth today.
Which Moon Is The Largest?
Ganymede outsizes the planet Mercury and hides an ocean that may hold more water than all the seas on Earth's surface.
10 Small Towns in Queensland with the Best Downtowns
Discover 10 of Queensland's best small-town downtowns, where distinctive streetscapes reveal a different side of the Sunshine State.
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.
White Rhino
White Rhino is the largest rhino and, after the elephant, among the heaviest land animals, a grey grazer split between a recovery and a near extinction.
Which Planet Is The Least Dense?
Lighter than water despite its size, Saturn measures a mere 0.69 g/cm3. Here is why the solar system heavyweight is really its lowest-density world.
The Bloodiest Sieges Of The Ancient World
The sieges of Lachish, Tyre, Carthage, and Alesia ended in mass killing, enslavement, and the deliberate erasure of entire cities.
What if Earth Stopped Spinning?
See what would happen if Earth stopped spinning, from catastrophic winds and ocean surges to year-long days and a transformed climate.
The Strongest Ancient Navies Ever Assembled
Discover seven of the ancient world’s most powerful navies, from Athenian triremes and Roman fleets to Carthaginian warships and Han tower ships.
How The Alps Compare To The Rockies
The Rockies are 4x longer, but the Alps are taller and steeper, with a café at the summit. The Rockies counter with grizzlies. How the two ranges really compare.
What Happens If GPS Goes Down
Pretty much everything we do with a phone today incorporates GPS at some point. If we were to suddenly lose our skyward helper, it would cause many issues.
Battles That Destroyed Entire Ancient Civilizations
From the Achaemenid Persian Empire to Ptolemaic Egypt, several ancient civilizations fought in battles that precipitated their collapse.
The Tallest Mountain East Of The Mississippi
The tallest mountain east of the Mississippi is North Carolina's Mount Mitchell (6,684 ft), named for a scientist who died proving it. Yes, you can drive up.
A Summer's Day In Sandusky
A Summer's Day In Sandusky, where a Canadian visitor conquers Cedar Point, finds a downtown speakeasy, and rediscovers an underrated Lake Erie town.
The English Port City That Built Ocean Liners and Concordes
The English Port City That Built Ocean Liners and Concordes is Bristol, where Brunel's first ocean liner and the last Concorde sit a few miles apart.
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.
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.
African Countries With Islam As The Religion Of The Majority
In 19 African countries, Islam serves as the religion of the majority.
Country Names With 10 Letters
18 countries have names that contain 10 letters, from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan. Discover what other countries make the list!
Life Expectancy in Asia
Japan has the highest average life expectancy in Asia, as well as the world.
What Continent Is Hawaii In?
Although politically Hawaii is considered part of North America, geographically Hawaii is not part of any continent.
Landlocked Countries In Asia
Twelve countries in Asia are considered landlocked, although some of them, like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, are along the Caspian Sea.
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.