World Geography Fact

Deepest Spot in the Ocean
The deepest spot in the ocean is called the Mariana Trench and is approximately 35, 797 ft (10,911 m) deep in the Pacific Ocean. That's deeper than the height of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, which is 29,035 ft (8,850 m) high.

Highest Navigable Lake
Lake Titicaca in Peru is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is about 12,500 ft (3,810 m) above sea level. This lake is also South America's second largest freshwater lake.

Lowest Lake
The lowest lake is the Dead Sea (it's considered a lake but called a sea), which is in the Jordan Valley of Israel. The surface of the water is 1,340 ft (408 m) below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the saltiest lake in the world. Almost nothing can survive in it besides simple organisms like green algae.

Largest Freshwater Lake
Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes and it's also the freshwater lake that covers the greatest surface area in the world. Lake Superior covers over 82,000 km� of land and there's enough water in the lake to fill all the other Great Lakes plus three Lake Eries.

Deepest Lake
Lake Baikal is the world's deepest lake and is located in Siberia, Russia, north of the Mongolian border. It is 5,369 ft (1,637 m) deep - more than one mile straight down.

Largest Ocean
The Pacific Ocean takes the award for being the largest ocean in the world. It covers almost a third of the Earth's surface and goes from the Bering Sea in the Arctic north to the icy waters of Antarctica's Ross Sea in the south.

Smallest Ocean
The smallest ocean is the Arctic Ocean, which is about 10 times smaller than the Pacific Ocean.

Longest River
The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river. It's 4,145 miles (6,671 km) long and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

Shortest River
The world's shortest river, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the Roe River. It is only 200 feet (61 meters) long and flows between Giant Springs and the Missouri River near Great Falls, Montana. There has been debate, though, about which river is really the shortest. The D River in Oregon has been measured as being only 120 ft (37 m) long. It connects Devil's Lake directly to the Pacific Ocean near Lincoln City. Because the D River flows into the ocean though, it's length changes according to the tide so has been measured at several different lengths.

Largest River
The Amazon Basin in South America is the largest river with the greatest water flow. This is because it flows through the Amazon rain forest - the largest and wettest rainforest on Earth.

Highest Waterfall
Angel Falls (Salto Angel) in Canaima National Park, Venezuela is the highest waterfall in the world at 3212 ft (979 m).


What Makes The Aquatic Biome Unique?
The aquatic biome is definitely the largest biome out there. Water covers nearly 75 percent of the earth's surface, in the form of oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. Just like all other biomes, the aquatic biome can be divided into two categories: freshwater regions and saltwater regions. There are also different types of freshwater and saltwater habitats.

Saltwater Habitats:


Oceans
Oceans are the largest ecosystems on earth.

Who Calls The Ocean Home?
Algae, sea snails, octopuses, fish, crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, etc.,) sea anemones, sharks, whales, seaweed and much, much more. Tons of bacteria and fungus also call the ocean "Home, Sweet Home."

Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are found as barriers along continents (for example, the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.)

Who Calls Coral Reefs Home?
Coral, (which does look rock but is actually an animal!) Fish, sea urchins, octopi and sea stars (a.k.a. star fish) also call coral reefs home.

Estuaries
An estuary is where a stream or river merges with the ocean. The mixing of fresh and salt water creates a unique salt concentration that is found nowhere else in the world.

Who Calls Estuaries Home?
A variety of worms, oysters, crabs and different kinds of waterfowl (like herons, ducks and geese).

Freshwater Habitats:


Ponds and Lakes
Ponds and lakes support similar organisms but ponds don't stick around for very long. Ponds are often seasonal, meaning they are created in the rainy seasons and often dry up after a few months. Lakes, on the other hand, will often survive for hundreds of years.

Who Calls Ponds and Lakes Home?
Both ponds and lakes are home to various aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians (frogs, salamanders, newts, etc.,) turtles, snakes and lots of birds.

Streams and Rivers
A stream or river can be started in a lot of different ways. Some are the product of a natural spring bubbling out of the earth. Others find their way out of a mountain lake. Then there are the streams and rivers started by melting snow.

Who Calls it Home?
Many freshwater fish can be found in streams and rivers, such as trout and salmon. Algae, fungi and other plant life can also be found here.

Wetlands
A wetland is a body of standing water that supports aquatic plants. Marshes, swamps and bogs are all forms of wetlands.

Who Calls Wetlands Home?
Frogs, lizards, snakes and birds like ducks, pelicans, herons, woodpeckers, etc.