Geography as a new branch of study developed more than 2000 years ago. Eratosthenes (2 cent BC) is considered to be the father of Geography.
Do you know these facts in Geography,
- The earth’s Geographic North Pole and the Magnetic North Pole are not located at the same point. Also, while the magnetic north pole is a scientific reality, the geographic North Pole is a imaginary point created for practical convenience.
- A Portuguese explorer Magellan’s (1480–1521) expedition was the first to circumnavigate the earth, there by practically proving that the earth is a sphere
- Water in a bath tub or sink drains in a clockwise direction in Northern Hemisphere and anticlockwise direction in Southern Hemisphere. However exactly on Equator water drains without any spin in a straight line.
- The Crust of the earth (which includes oceanic and continental crust) makes up less than 1% of the total mass of the earth. The Mantle and Core account for the rest of 99% of mass.
- The tallest mountain in the world is not Himalayas, but Mauna Kea, whose base is 6000 metres below sea level and 4000 metres above sea level.
- The surface of the earth is constantly in motion due to plate tectonics, we cannot perceive it because the rate of movement is very slow.
- The lowest point on land is Dead Sea, which is 420 Mts below Mean Sea Level. The deepest point in the ocean is Mariana’s Trench about 11,000 Mts deep.
- The earth’s magnetic north and magnetic south interchange their position over a period of time. This is called as Magnetic Reversal. They occur randomly and we still are not very clear about the causes and impacts of it.
- Although the age of earth is 4.5 billion years, the oldest mountain range on earth is 3.5 billion years only.
- The inclination of the earth causes different seasons on the planet. If the earth is not inclined, there will be no alternating summer and winter in any part of the earth.