The Mediterranean Sea used to be a vast empty basin-like depression until the Atlantic Ocean swelled sufficiently to overflow the Straits of Gibraltar  and fill it with water. This colossal event, known as the Zanclean Flood, happened more than five million years ago.

Mount Everest weighs around 350 trillion pounds. It grows in height by around a quarter of an inch every year.

Ten of the world’s 14 mountains that stand higher than 26,247 feet are found in the Himalayas.

The most volcanic region on the planet is Indonesia. This vast island nation is home to more than 13,000 volcanoes.

More than half a million gallons of water flow over the edge of Niagara Falls every second.

The world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall is Angel Falls in Venezuela. The falls themselves stand more than 3,000 feet tall, while the water flowing over them plunges 2,648 feet

If it were not classified as a continent, Australia would be the world’s largest island.

The world’s largest island is Greenland. At 840,000 square miles, it is more than twice the size of its closest rival, New Guinea.