Geography trivia

» "Exurbia" is the mostly rural residential area beyond the suburbs of a city.

» "Oceania" is a name for the thousands of islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes referred to as the South Seas.

» A bar of sand or other sediment linking an island to the mainland or another island is called a tombolo.

» Acapulco got its start as a major tourist destination during the early days of World War II. German U-boats threats off the eastern United States compelled the wealthy to find new places to vacation. At one time, one had to be a millionaire to enjoy Acapulco, but that hasn't been the case for years.

» According to research presented in National Geographic, Toronto’s name was derived from a Mohawk word meaning “poles in the water,” a reference to an old fish weir in the area.

» According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the first populated land where the Sun will rise on a new day is at Kahuitara Point (44° 16' S 176° 9' W) on Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands, a dependency of New Zealand.

» Afghanistan has been known by different names. It was called Ariana or Bactria in ancient times and Khorasan during the Middle Ages.

» Although "Holland" is a popular name for the Netherlands, North Holland and South Holland are actually two provinces in the Netherlands.

» A virtual underwater playground with its breathtaking coral, the Philippines draws thousands of divers from Japan, China, and Taiwan each year.

» Bangladesh is the most densely populated non-island region in the world, with more than 1,970 humans per square mile.

» Bhutan is derived from the Indian word Bhotanta, meaning "the edge of Tibet." It is located in Asia near the southern fringes of the eastern Himalayas.

» Ceylon became a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka.

» China produces about 70 percent of the world's silk supply.

» In Siberia, it can get so cold that the moisture in a person’s breath freezes instead of forming vapor. It can actually be heard when it falls to earth as ice crystals.

» In the southern part of Japan, it rarely snows to any great amount except for the mountains, but the northern part usually has plenty of snow in the winter. Autumn is by far the best time to visit Japan, as far as the weather goes.

» Israel is one-quarter the size of the state of Maine.