FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT OUR PLANET

Africa is the only continent that lies in all four hemispheres: northern, southern, western, and eastern.

PHOTO: Pixabay

This unique position also makes it the only continent with land on both the Prime Meridian and the Equator.

Alaska is the westernmost and northernmost state in the United States, which makes sense when you look at a map. However, what’s surprising is that Alaska is also the easternmost state. Parts of Alaska extend so far west that they actually cross into the Eastern Hemisphere.

Lesotho, San Marino, and Vatican City are the only countries entirely surrounded by just one other nation. Lesotho is landlocked within South Africa, while San Marino and Vatican City are both surrounded by Italy.

Canada, the second-largest country in the world, is home to more than half of all natural lakes on Earth. In fact, an impressive 9% of the country's total area is covered by freshwater.

If the entire world were as densely populated as New York City, the global population would fit into an area of just 402,986 square kilometers. That means the entire world could live within the state of Texas!