WorldAtlas Latest Articles

Forests

What Happens To A Forest When The Beavers Leave

What Happens To A Forest When The Beavers Leave, and why the loss of these keystone engineers can reshape an entire forest ecosystem over the years.

Cities

9 Safest Towns In New Mexico For Senior Living

Explore safe and welcoming New Mexico towns for seniors, with access to healthcare, outdoor recreation, historic attractions, and small-town living.

Lakes

The Next Invasive Species Threats Facing The Great Lakes

Invasive carp, hydrilla, flowering rush, snakehead and Phragmites: the five species federal scientists are watching in the Great Lakes.

Cities

This Quiet Oregon Town Is An Underrated Gem For Nature Lovers

The quiet Oregon town of Klamath Falls relies on the glamour of nature to provide its appeal to travelers, making it a true underrated gem.

Forests

How The National Forest System Began

How The National Forest System Began has no single founder. It runs from an 1873 warning about vanishing timber to the Forest Service created in 1905.

Lakes

How Many Great Lakes Beaches Close From Pollution Each Year?

Nearly 3,000 beach-days of Great Lakes closures hit in 2024. What triggers them, which beaches get hit hardest, and how to check before you go.

Cities

11 Stress-Free Towns In The Rockies For A Weekend Retreat

These towns in the Rockies offer everything from the Strawberry Park Hot Springs to the Orchard Valley Farms & Market, making for a relaxing stay.

Bodies of Water

5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Maryland

Meet the watersnakes, copperheads, and timber rattlesnakes living along Maryland's most snake-filled bays, rivers, and lakes.

Animals

Spotted Hyena

Africa's spotted hyena is a hunter first, scavenger second. Explore its jaws, female-led clans, range, diet and conservation status.

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.

Space

Which Planet Is The Most Tilted?

Uranus leans at 97.77 degrees, far more than any other planet. See why the seventh world spins on its side and what that does to its seasons.

Ancient World

From Ithaca to IMAX, Here’s The Real Geography Behind Homer’s Odyssey

From Ithaca to IMAX, Here's The Real Geography Behind Homer's Odyssey, tracing the hero's voyage across Turkey, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, and Greece.

Ancient World

The Dark Truth About Rome’s Greatest Emperors

From mass murder to religious persecution, even the best Roman emperors did things that would likely make them irredeemable in the eyes of many.

Animals

The Most Common Birds in the World

Which species are the most common birds in the world? The house sparrow, rock pigeon, and European starling all number in the billions.

Ancient World

How Aqueducts Made The Roman Empire Possible

How gravity-fed aqueducts brought fresh water to ancient Rome, filled its baths, and made a city of a million people possible.

Geography

What Are The Contiguous United States?

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia share a boundary with at least one other state and jointly make up the contiguous United States.

Stories

Traversing Michigan’s Pictured Rocks By Land & Water

Traversing Michigan's Pictured Rocks By Land & Water, one traveler runs a marathon on Grand Island, kayaks the sandstone cliffs, and hikes the dunes.

Bodies of Water

5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In New Jersey

5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In New Jersey, from the Mullica River's Pine Barrens to Lake Hopatcong, where water snakes and rattlers hunt.

Travel

6 Overlooked Towns In The UK Worth Visiting

No matter what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it at any of these overlooked towns in the United Kingdom worth visiting.

Animals

Saiga Antelope

The admittedly odd-looking saiga antelope's population fell by 95 percent after the fall of the Soviet Union, but is slowly recovering.

Oceans

What Happens To Your Body At The Bottom Of The Ocean

What Happens To Your Body At The Bottom Of The Ocean depends on salt and cold. Seawater works in days, while a cold lake can preserve remains for decades.

Mountains

The Longest Mountain Ranges in Asia

The Kunlun Mountains, in China, is the longest mountain range in Asia.

Ancient World

Why The Odyssey Is Still Relevant Today

Factors like its awe-inspiring nature, historical relevance, and universal themes all demonstrate why the Odyssey is still relevant today.

Animals

Which Animals Cannot Walk Backwards?

Neither Emus nor Kangaroos, which are both from Australia, can walk backwards. The Australian coat of arms features both of these animals as symbolism for moving forward.

Travel

9 Overlooked Towns In Northern Ireland Worth Visiting

Nine overlooked towns in Northern Ireland with Norman castles, working distilleries, rare oak woods, and porcelain well worth seeing.

Geography

Which Countries Border Italy?

Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia, plus the two microstates it completely encloses: San Marino and Vatican City.

Animals

White Tiger

White tigers exist due to a very rare genetic mutation found among Bengal tigers in India, but now exist only in captivity.

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.

Space

Does Space Ever Truly End?

See why the observable universe has a horizon and how space may be infinite or finite without ever reaching a physical edge.

Stories

Experiencing Michigan’s Bavarian Enclave

Experiencing Michigan's Bavarian Enclave means a day in Frankenmuth, with a riverboat cruise, glockenspiel bells, and the world's largest Christmas store.

Stories

Nottingham Has Europe’s Largest Cave Network, Step Inside

Nottingham Has Europe's Largest Cave Network, Step Inside a royal escape tunnel, a pub carved into a cliff, and Britain's only known underground tannery.

Space

Why JWST Keeps Finding Galaxies That Shouldn't Exist

The construction of the James Webb Space Telescope has led to continuous revelations about the universe, including findings of galaxies that shouldn't exist.

Space

What Would Happen if the Sun Disappeared?

What would happen if the Sun vanished? Explore how Earth’s orbit, temperatures, oceans, and surviving life would change in total darkness forever.

Society

Countries That Use Their Own Calendar

In Ethiopia, it's not the year you think, and there are 13 months. Discover the countries that still run on their own calendars instead of the Gregorian one.

Geography

What Are The Climate Zones Of The US?

Given that the contiguous United States spans the width of North America, it’s not surprising that the country has no fewer than nine unique climate zones.

Society

Deepest Metro Stations in the World

Some metro stations plunge over a hundred meters underground, driven by challenging terrain, leading to engineering marvels with grand designs.

Society

Which Country Has The Longest National Anthem?

Greece's Hymn to Liberty runs 158 stanzas, while Uruguay's anthem takes nearly five minutes to sing. Discover which country has the longest national anthem.

Forests

European Countries With The Most Forest Cover

Sweden has the most forest cover of any European country.

Economics

Which US States Trade The Most With China?

California dominates China trade, but state-by-state data reveal tariffs create uneven winners and losers across logistics, manufacturing, and energy.

Landforms

10 Famous Landforms In The U.S.

There are not many countries in the world that contain the same amount of beautiful landforms as the U.S. does. Their beauty is unmatched and will leave you breathless!