Geography Facts

World's smallest state

The world's smallest independent state is the Vatican City, with a population of about 1,000 - and a zero birthrate. The official seat of the pope of the Catholic Church since 1377, Vatican City was not declared an independent state until the Lateran Treaty of 1929.

Name of Canada

Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village". In August 1535, Jacques Cartier heard two Aboriginal youths refer to the village of Stadacona as kanata. Cartier wrote the name down in his journal as Canada. He applied this name not only to the village but also to the surrounding territory.

Most deadliest earthquake

The world’s deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557 in central China. It struck a region where most people lived in caves carved from soft rock. These dwellings collapsed during the earthquake, killing an estimated 830,000 people. In 1976 another deadly earthquake struck in Tangshan, China, where more than 250,000 people were killed.

Disney World area

Disney World in Orlando, Florida covers 30,500 acres (46 square miles), making it twice the size of the island of Manhattan, New York. The Magic Kingdom is 107 acres (7 acres larger than Disneyland); EPCOT is 300 acres; and MGM is 154 acres.

Aircraft over Taj Mahal

Airplanes are not allowed to fly over the Taj Mahal. An IAF cargo plane allegedly violated the no-fly zone over the Taj Mahal prompting the district authorities to urge the IAF to inquire into the incident.