blknight3
Lifetime Member
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 1254
Location: Canada
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 Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:45 pm Post subject: Alphabetical Trivia |
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Not funny.... but interesting
Alaska
More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.
Amazon
The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply.
The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that you can still find fresh water in the sea more than one hundred miles beyond the mouth of the river.
The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.
Antarctica
It is the only land on our planet that isn't owned by any country.
Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world.
However, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. In fact, although all but 0.4% of it is covered with ice, Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than that of the Gobi desert.
Brazil
It got its name from the nut, not the other way around.
Canada
The country has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.
Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village."
Chicago
Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.
Detroit
Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere. ( Asphalt maybe )
Damascus, Syria
It was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.
Istanbul, Turkey
This is the only city in the world located on two continents.
Los Angeles
Its full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and this can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, i.e. L.A.
New York City
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the
big time - The Big Apple.
There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.
North America -vs.- Africa
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%. Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
Ohio
There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio. Every one is manmade.
Pitcairn Island
The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia. It is just 1.75 sq. miles (4.53 sq. km.) in size.
Rome
The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.
There is a city called Rome on every continent.
Siberia
Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.
S.M.O.M.
The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.).
It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts and, as of 2001, had a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.
Sahara Desert
In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt and it didn't receive a drop of rain for ten years.
Spain
Spain literally means "the land of rabbits."
St. Paul Minnesota
It was originally called Pigs Eye after a man named Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set up the first business there.
Roads
Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%. In Canada: 75%. Ummmm Have you ever driven on our Canadian Roads?!?!?!?!?!?
Texas
The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas. It is as deep as 20 Empire State buildings but only 3 inches wide.
United States
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
Waterfalls
The water of Angel Falls (the world's highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). This is fifteen times more than Niagara Falls.
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