Geography Extremes

Physical Geography Extremes

What is the highest point on earth?

• The highest point on earth is Mount Everest, Nepal – Tibet, China with a recorded height of 8,848 m (29,029 ft) (measured as height above sea level).

What is the lowest point on earth?

• The lowest measured point on earth is the Dead Sea shore, Israel/Jordan.

What is the hottest place on earth?

• The hottest place on earth is Al ‘Aziziyah, Libya which recorded a temperature of 57.8 °C (136.0 °F) on 13 September 1922.
  Source: Global Weather & Climate Extremes ~ World Meteorological Organization

What is the coldest place on earth?

• The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth occurred was measured at -144°F (98° C) by satellite sensors in several spots on the East Antarctic Plateau which encompasses the South Pole.
  Source: Coldest place on Earth is colder that scientists thought. (2018, June 25). Retrieved from https://news.agu.org/press-release/coldest-place-on-earth-is-colder-than-scientists-thought/
• Vostok Station in Antarctica had a physically recorded low of -89.2 °C (-129 °F) on 21 July 1983.
  Source: Global Weather & Climate Extremes ~ World Meteorological Organization

What is the northernmost point on land?

• The northernmost point on land is Kaffeklubben Island, east of Greenland (83°40N 29°50W).  There are various shifting gravel bars that lie further north, the most famous being Oodaaq (83°40N 30°40W).

What is the southernmost point on land?

• The southernmost point on land is geographic South Pole (90°S) which is located on the continent of  Antarctica.

What is the Longest River in the world?

• This standard geography textbook question was always answered “The Nile”. Now, research, in part done through remote sensing, may change that answer to “The Amazon.”

Urban Geography Extremes

Most Remote Place on Earth?

Researchers at European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and the World Bank have mapped out the world according to its remoteness.  Their model looked at how long it would take to travel from any given point in the world to the closest city of 50,000 residents or more.  The model looked at all modes of transportation whether it be via foot, vehicle, boat or train.  The study found that less than 10% of the earth is more than a 48 hour journey to the nearest city.   The most remote area is in Tibet with areas that are more than three weeks journey to the nearest city.

Read more:

• Infographic of the Day: It’s a Small World, Afterall – Fast Company
• Where’s the remotest place on Earth? – New Scientist (Subscription required to read the entire article)
• Browse the maps

What is the Tallest Building in the World?

• The world’s tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Completed in January 2010 with 160 stories which gives it a height of 2,716 feet (828 meters).

The tallest building in each country has been painstakingly mapped for each country.  The KML file is available for downloading from Google Earth Hacks.  User blackdogprod describes his effort:

I have fanatically spent the last year thoroughly studying EVERY COUNTRY in the world to find the correct building. I’ve used every resource available on the internet to find and verify the tallest building in every country, with the most accurate height available. These are all buildings, NOT observation towers.

Related

• Geography of Extremes in the United States
• Geography of Tree Extremes
• The Highest Continent