In this article, we have collected some interesting facts about the most outstanding things, events, phenomena and creations of mankind and nature.

 

Click the button "MORE DETAILS" below the picture to learn more about each fact

 

Skyscraper with the largest slope

A unique building, the Capital Gate, has been built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi). This skyscraper entered the Guinness Book of Records as the building with the largest slope in the world.

Skyscraper with the largest slope

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With a height of 160 meters, this building has become one of the tallest in the city. The skyscraper is also known as the Abu Dhabi Leaning Tower.

The slope of the building to the west is 18 degrees. For comparison: the angle of inclination of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is only 4 degrees, that is, 4,5 times less.

A similar angle of inclination in the project was realized thanks to a peculiar engineering approach: the plates of the tower floors were superimposed on one another strictly vertically up to the 12th floor, above which they were located with gaps from 30 to 140 centimeters, providing a slope.

Read more about the architectural features of Capital Gate in our article

 

 

The world's largest airport

The largest airport in the world by area is King Fahd International Airport, located in Saudi Arabia. The area of ​​the airport is approximately 776 square kilometers (300 sq mi).

The world's largest airport

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This huge airport has only 2 runways 4 km long each and 3 terminals (passenger, cargo and royal).

Most of this area is occupied by a developed infrastructure, which consists of many restaurants, shops, hotels, entertainment centers and even a mosque that can accommodate about 2000 people.

Despite its size, King Fahd International Airport handles only about 10 million people a year. In comparison, the passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport, which covers an area of ​​only 14 square kilometers, is more than 80 million people a year.

 

 

The thickest tree

The thickest tree among all the trees in the world is the Tule tree. The tree trunk has a circumference of 42 meters and a diameter of 14 meters.

The thickest tree

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This tree grows in Mexico in the state of Oaxaca, in the city of Santa Maria del Tule on the square next to the church. This tree is Taxodium mexican or Mexican cypress.

Initially, due to the thickness of the tree, it was believed that these were several different fused trees, but then DNA tests confirmed the fact that it was still one tree.

The age of the tree is unknown and is, according to various estimates, from 1200 to 3000 years, and according to one hypothesis – about 6000 years. The Tule tree has been declared a natural monument by the Mexican government.

Photos and video review of the thickest tree you will find in our article

 

 

The smallest owl

The elf owl is the smallest owl in the world. This owl is the size of a sparrow: body length is about 12–14 cm, weight is about 44 grams.

The smallest owl

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These owls live in Mexico and parts of the southern US around the border. They live in gorges, canyons, plateaus, and on mountain slopes.

The habitats of these elf owls are closely related to the giant saguaro cacti. In the hollows of these cacti, located at a height of two or more meters from the ground, they nest. Sometimes together with other small owls and woodpeckers, which gouge out these nests. Because of this feature, the elf owl is also called the cactus owl.

Owls-elves have weak legs and claws, which makes hunting very difficult. Usually they feed only on insects: grasshoppers, locusts, moths, fly larvae, caterpillars, centipedes and cicadas, as well as scorpions and spiders. If the scorpion is intended for the chick, the parent first removes the stinger and then feeds the scorpion to the chick. Owls-elves hunt at dawn and at sunset, at dusk, and never during the day. Their flight is a bit like the flight of bats, and in flight they are very maneuverable, so they usually hunt on the fly.

 

 

The cleanest beach in the world

The cleanest is the 7-kilometer Whitehaven beach in Australia. This beach is known for its crystal white quartz sands and turquoise waters.

The cleanest beach in the world

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Whitehaven Beach is located on Whitsunday Island, which has the status of a national park and is protected by the state. This made it possible to preserve the original purity and nature here.

Whitehaven Beach was awarded Queensland's Cleanest Beach in the 2008 Keep Australia Beautiful Beach Award. In July 2010, the beach was named the best sustainable beach in the world by CNN. Dogs are not allowed on the beach and smoking is prohibited here.

The beach sand is 98% pure silica and, unlike normal sand, does not retain heat, making it comfortable to walk barefoot on a hot day.

 

 

The most versatile plant in use

This is coconut. It should be noted that the term "coconut" can refer to both the whole coconut palm and its fruit (coconut). Coconuts are known for their versatility and are used in a variety of products from food to cosmetics.

The most versatile plant in use

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The coconut palm is one of the ten most valuable plants for humans. One way or another, almost all of its parts are used.

An important product that is made from coconut is real coconut milk. It is an important element in many Asian cuisines, for example, the famous Thai soup “Tom Ka” is made from it.

Ropes, mats, brushes, etc. are made from the fiber of the shells of coconuts, as well as from the fibers of the leaves. Trunks are an excellent building material. Leaves go to weaving and serve as roofing material. Utensils are made from walnut shells.

Coconut substrate is widely distributed on sale – it is a product of industrial processing of crushed peel and coconut fiber. Coconut substrate is often used in horticulture. In addition, coconuts, especially coconut oil, are used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory, antiscorbutic, diuretic.

Read more interesting facts about coconuts and their uses in our article

 

 

What is the most dangerous profession?

What do you think, what profession is the most harmful in terms of stress load? It can be assumed that representatives of law enforcement agencies will come first, because their work is associated with constant nervous tension. However, there are more dangerous professions. This is evidenced by studies conducted by British and Canadian psychologists.

What is the most dangerous profession?

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English psychologists from the University of Manchester have compiled a "stress scale" for more than 150 professions. The degree of stress was determined by the frequency of heart attacks and other diseases, in particular, alcoholism, as well as the frequency of divorce and participation in traffic accidents among people of different professions.

Miners ranked first on this scale, with a risk score of 8,3.

But behind them were the police – 7,7. Psychologists rated the risk of builders and journalists at 7,5 points. Next, oddly enough, are actors – 7,2 points, political and public figures – 7 points. Experts explain a rather high risk indicator for the latter by the fact that they “work for the public”, and this is a psychologically burdensome task. Doctors scored 6,8, bus drivers 5,4, diplomats and farmers 4,8.

The quietest work is for employees of libraries and museums. Their score is 2,8 points.

 

 

The world's largest rock

The largest monolithic rock in the world is Mount Augustus, located in a remote part of Western Australia. Augustus is 2,5 times the size of Mount Uluru, which is also located in Australia and is known throughout the world as a chameleon mountain.

The world's largest rock

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Mount Augustus is located at an altitude of 1106 meters above sea level, and rises 860 meters above the surrounding wasteland. The rock covers an area of ​​about 47,95 km², and its crest stretches for more than 8 km.

The rock of this mountain is very ancient. The gray sandstone that opens up to our eyes is the remains of the seabed, which formed here about 1000 million years ago. And the rock hiding under the sandstone is granite, approximately 1650 million years old.

 

 

The most unusual casino hotel

The most unusual entertainment complex in the form of a black Egyptian pyramid is located in Las Vegas (USA). This magnificent hotel is called Luxor Las Vegas.

The most unusual casino hotel

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The Luxor Las Vegas Pyramid Hotel is 106 meters high and consists of 30 floors. More than 1500 slot machines and 87 gaming tables are at the service of visitors. The hotel complex consists of 4407 rooms.

At the top of the pyramid is a source of light with a power of more than 40 billion candelas – this is perhaps the most powerful beam of light on the planet. In clear weather from an airplane, it can be seen with the naked eye from a distance of more than 400 kilometers or from Earth's orbit.

Read more interesting facts about this unusual hotel-casino in our article