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

 

The most famous artificial islands in the world

People began to actively create artificial islands only in the 20th century. For about 100 years, a lot of artificial islands have been created around the world, but artificial islands created in Dubai have received the greatest global popularity.

Artificial islands in Dubai

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Of course, everyone has heard of Dubai and its amazing construction projects. But the most famous and ambitious project of this emirate was the archipelago of artificial islands, created by human hands in the Persian Gulf.

The complex of artificial islands will consist of three palm trees: Jumeirah, Jebel Ali and Deira. Between the palm islands there are also artificial archipelagos of the World and the Universe, consisting of small islands.

This whole ambitious plan has now been partially implemented and can be seen from satellite images taken over Dubai. These are the world-famous man-made Palm Islands (Jumeirah and Jebel Ali) and the Mir archipelago.

Read more about artificial islands in Dubai in our article

 

 

Deepest lake

The deepest lake on the planet is Lake Baikal, located in Russia. In addition, this lake is the largest natural reservoir of fresh water and the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia. The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 meters.

Lake Baikal

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The average depth of the lake is also very high – 744,4 meters. It exceeds the maximum depths of many very deep lakes.

Water reserves in Baikal are gigantic – 23615,39 km³ (about 19% of all world fresh lake water reserves). In terms of fresh water reserves, Baikal ranks first in the world among lakes.

The water surface area of ​​Lake Baikal is 31722 km² (excluding islands), which is approximately equal to the area of ​​countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands. The length of the coastline is 2000 km.

 

 

The largest jellyfish in the world's oceans

Jellyfish of the species Hairy cyanide (Cyanea capillata) usually do not grow more than 50–60 cm, but there are specimens with a dome diameter reaching 2 meters. The tentacles of such large specimens are capable of stretching for several tens of meters. The largest measured jellyfish has a tentacle length of 36,6 meters and a dome diameter of 2,3 meters.

Because of its appearance, this jellyfish also has such names: Jellyfish with a lion's mane, Giant jellyfish, Arctic red jellyfish, Hair jelly.

Hairy Cyanoea (Cyanea capillata), Lion's Mane Jellyfish, Giant Jellyfish, Arctic Red Jellyfish, Hair Jelly

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These jellyfish are common in all northern seas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, they are found in the surface layers of water near the coast.

Lion-maned jellyfish can vary greatly in size: while body diameters can reach over 2 meters, those found at lower latitudes are much smaller than their far northern counterparts, with a body diameter of around 50 cm. Larger specimens are usually further away. from the shore than the smaller ones.

The lion-maned jellyfish is named for its spectacular tentacles that resemble a lion's mane. While most jellyfish have a round body, the hairy cyanide's body is divided into 8 lobes that resemble an eight-pointed star, each lobe containing 70 to 150 tentacles arranged in four fairly distinct rows.

Most of the time, these jellyfish hover in the near-surface layer of water, periodically shortening the dome and flapping their edge blades. At the same time, the tentacles of the jellyfish are straightened and extended to their full length, forming a dense trapping net under the dome. Cyanees are predators. Long, numerous tentacles densely covered with stinging cells. When they are fired, a strong poison penetrates the victim's body, killing small animals and causing significant damage to larger ones. Extraction of cyanides – various planktonic organisms, including other jellyfish.

The lion-maned jellyfish is actually not as dangerous as portrayed in popular literature. The stings of this jellyfish are incapable of causing death in humans, although the rash can be painful and the toxins in the venom can cause allergies.

 

 

The largest spider

Tarantula spiders are considered the largest on the planet. Adults are characterized by very large sizes. In some cases, the size of their body exceeds 10 cm, and with straightened legs, the dimensions exceed 27 cm.

The largest representative of this species, the Goliath bird-eater (Theraphosa blondi) from South America, entered the Guinness Book of Records. It was discovered in Venezuela in 1965. The span of its paws reached 28 cm.

Goliath tarantula (Theraphosa blondi)

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The size of the body of the female Goliath tarantula reaches 100,4 mm, and the male – 85 mm, with legs straightened, the size of the spider reaches 28 cm, the weight is 175 grams. The body is painted dark brown, and the legs are covered with a mass of reddish-brown hairs.

This species is distributed in the tropical forests of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and northern Brazil. It lives in deep burrows, the entrance to which is lined with cobwebs.

Goliath tarantula is an edible spider. It is part of the local cuisine of northeastern South America and is made by singeing the hairs and roasting them in banana leaves. The taste has been described as "shrimpy".

It should be said that the goliath tarantula is the largest spider in the world in terms of body mass and length, but in terms of leg span it is inferior to the Giant hunter spider (Heteropoda maxima). The span of the paws of the Giant hunter spider reaches 30 cm, but it is noticeably inferior to the Goliath tarantula in terms of body size.

 

 

The smallest spider

After the previous fact, a logical question arises: what is the smallest spider?

Pat Marplesi (Patu marplesi) is considered the smallest spider in the world, since the span of the legs of the male is only 0,46 mm.

The smallest spider

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This spider lives only in the western part of Samoa (a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean).

The spider was first described by New Zealand zoologist Raymond Robert Forster in 1959.

According to some estimates, there is an even smaller spider of the species Patu digua from Colombia. It seems that adult males of this species reach a body size of only about 0,37 mm – about one-fifth the size of a pinhead.

 

 

The tallest tree in the world

A specimen of the evergreen Hyperion sequoia growing in Redwood National Park in northern California, USA, is considered the tallest known living tree in the world. Its height is 115,92 meters.

Sequoia evergreen

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This giant tree was discovered in the summer of 2006 by naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor in Redwood National Park. The tree was found in a remote part of the national park purchased in 1978 by the federal government of the Jimmy Carter administration (39th US President).

The Hyperion tree is estimated to contain 530 cubic meters of timber. The diameter of the tree at chest level is almost 5 meters. American botanists believe that this tree is about 700-800 years old.

It was decided not to publish the exact location of Hyperion so that the potential tourist flow would not destroy the ecosystem in which this giant tree lived for centuries.

According to the researchers, the further growth of the tree was prevented by woodpeckers, who damaged the trunk of Hyperion at its very top.

 

 

Highest waterfall

Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest continuous waterfall in the world. Its total height is 979 meters, the height of the continuous free fall of water is 807 meters.

Angel Falls

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The falls are named after pilot James Angel, who flew over the falls in 1933.

In 1949, an expedition of the National Geographic Society of the United States took place to the waterfall, as a result of the trip, the height was determined and a book was published. In 1994, UNESCO listed the Canaima National Park, which includes the falls, as a World Heritage Site.

The waterfall is located in the tropical forests of the Venezuelan state of Bolivar, in the Canaima National Park. Water overthrows from the top of the largest mountain Auyan-Tepui (its name means "mountain of the devil"). The height of the fall is so great that, before reaching the ground, the water is sprayed into tiny particles and turns into fog. Fog can be felt for several kilometers. Falling water falls into the Kerep River.

Angel Falls is located in the wilderness of Venezuela and can only be reached by air or river. Tours to the falls are sold in packages and include a flight from Caracas or Ciudad Bolivar to Canaima (the village that serves as the entry point to the national park), a subsequent trip on the water, food and other things necessary to visit the falls.

You can learn more about Angel Falls, as well as take a virtual trip to it in our article

 

 

The largest seaport in the world

The world's largest port in terms of cargo turnover is the deep sea and river port of Shanghai. It is located in close proximity to the large metropolis of the People's Republic of China – Shanghai.

The port of Shanghai handles over 40 million TEU per year. TEU (or twenty-foot equivalent) is a conventional unit of measurement for the capacity of cargo vehicles. One TEU equals one standard container 20 feet (6,1 meters) long, 8 feet (2,44 meters) wide and 38 m³.

port of shanghai

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Shanghai Port is located on the East China Sea, at the confluence of the Yangtze, Huangpu and Qiantang rivers. The port connects the northern and southern waters of China, by inland river routes along the Yangtze River it is connected to the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui. The developed road system connects the port with all regions of China. Shipping routes are laid to more than 300 ports of the world.

In 2010, the port of Shanghai overtook the port of Singapore to become the busiest container port in the world. The port of Shanghai handled 29,05 million TEU, while Singapore was half a million TEU behind. In 2019, the port of Shanghai handled 43,3 million TEU.

Shanghai Port is a critical transportation hub for the Yangtze River region and an important gateway for foreign trade. It serves the economically developed hinterland of the Yangtze of Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Henan provinces with their dense population, strong industrial base and developed agricultural sector.

 

 

The largest amusement park in the world

Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is the largest and most visited entertainment center in the world, covering an area of ​​approximately 100 square kilometers.

It is located in the town of Bay Lake, near the city of Orlando in Florida, USA. The creation of this amusement park has transformed Orlando from an inconspicuous village into a thriving tourist center.

Walt Disney World Recreation Center

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Disney World includes: four theme parks, two water parks, 24 themed hotels, numerous shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The park opened on October 1, 1971 and consisted only of the Magic Kingdom theme park. This park features Cinderella's castle, inspired by the fairy tale castle shown in the 1950 film. The park received 2019 million visitors in 20,9, making it the most visited theme park in the world for the thirteenth year in a row and the most visited theme park in North America for at least the past 20 years.

On October 1, 1982, the Epcot theme park was opened. It covers 123 hectares, which is more than 2 times the size of the Magic Kingdom park. Epcot is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of mankind, namely technological innovation. The park is represented by the spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere. Epcot hosted 2019 million guests in 12,444, making it the fourth most visited theme park in North America and the seventh most visited theme park in the world.

On May 1, 1989, Disney's Hollywood Studios Park was opened. The 55-hectare park is dedicated to the imaginary worlds of film, television, music and theatre, inspired by the golden age of Hollywood. The park received 2018 million guests in 11,258, making it the fifth most visited theme park in North America and the ninth most visited theme park in the world.

On April 22, 1998, Disney's Animal Kingdom zoological theme park was opened. It is the largest theme park in the world, covering an area of ​​230 hectares. It is dedicated to the environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney. Disney's Animal Kingdom is different from the rest of the Walt Disney theme parks in that it features traditional rides as well as hundreds of species of live animals. Special structures and adaptations have been introduced throughout the park to protect animal welfare. The symbol of the park is the Tree of Life, an artificial baobab 44 meters high and 15 meters wide. This park received 2019 million guests in 13,888, making it the third most visited theme park in North America and the sixth most visited theme park in the world. This is the most visited zoo in the world.