Geography & Travel

Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.
Browse Subcategories

Featured content, December 10, 2024

9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes
How deep is your lake?
Is "Holland" the Same Place as "the Netherlands"?
Have you been using the wrong name?
Is Hong Kong a Country?
Learn more about Hong Kong.
Southeast Indian
Southeast Indian, member of any of the Native American peoples of the southeastern United States. The boundaries of this...
Antarctica
Antarctica, the world’s southernmost and fifth largest continent. Its landmass is almost wholly covered by a vast ice sheet....
Native American
Native American, member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, although the term often connotes only...
North America
North America, third largest of the world’s continents, lying for the most part between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic...

Geography & Travel Quizzes

Cleveland
Don’t think there is anything to know about Cleveland? Take this quiz and see how wrong you are.
Chicago
Do you think you know all there is to know about Chicago? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
Beautiful Borneo
Located in the southwest Pacific, Borneo is the world’s third largest island. The island is politically divided among Malaysia,...
U.S. State Mottoes
Each of the 50 states has a motto. Can you identify all of them? Test your knowledge of U.S. state mottoes in this quiz.
U.S. State Flags Quiz
Which state flag has displays a constellation? Which includes a Union Jack?
U.S. State Capitals Quiz
From Albany to Trenton, can you name them all?
World Capitals Quiz
Can you identify the world’s national capitals? In this quiz you’ll be shown the names of 195 countries, and you’ll need...
Countries and Capitals Quiz
Know the atlas backward and forward? Match over 190 capital cities to their countries.
Quick Quiz: Canada
Canada’s landmass is big, but this quiz is not. Test what you know about Canadian geography.
Know Your European Geography Quiz
What’s the longest river in Europe? Where is Gdańsk? Get ready to prove what you know about the geography (and history) of...
Image Gallery
Geography & Travel
Never Miss a Day in History
Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers delivered right to your inbox.

Geography & Travel Subcategories

Riyadh Cities & Towns
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Ukraine Countries of the World
Although there isn’t universal agreement on the question of what qualifies as a “country,” it is generally accepted that in order to be a country, a state must be a sovereign unit that has a permanent population, defined territorial boundaries, a government, and the ability to enter into agreements with other states. Even when these conditions are met, however, internationally recognized independence is not a given, and a territorial entity that declares itself to be an independent country is not always recognized as such by the rest of the world.
Articles
Roman Forum Historical Places
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Highways & Trails
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Distribution of North American Plateau peoples Human Geography
Since 1945 human geography has contained five main divisions. The first four—economic, social, cultural, and political—reflect both the main areas of contemporary life and the social science disciplines with which geographers interact (i.e., economics, sociology, anthropology, and political science and international relations, respectively); the fifth is historical geography.
Articles
Some of the pictorial signs used at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif. Languages
Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual, or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release.
Articles
Mount St. Helens volcano Physical Geography of Land
Earth’s geographic history has been one marked by significant overall change, with ice ages, continental drift, and other major disruptions ultimately shaping Earth's land into the landscape of mountain ranges, deserts, islands, and volcanoes that we see today.
Articles
Arctic Ocean Physical Geography of Water
Whether it's Lake Michigan, the Gulf of Panama, or the River Thames, bodies of water of all shapes and sizes can be found around the globe, and they play a critical role for human beings, who use such bodies of water as a source of drinking water, a means of transporting both goods and people themselves, or a place to engage in water sports, among a plethora of other possible uses. Additionally, many bodies of water provide striking scenes of natural beauty and house important marine ecosystems. Satiate your thirst for knowledge about Earth's oceans, lakes, seas, rivers, waterfalls, bays, and more.
Articles
Sequoia National Park Nature Reserves & National Parks
Nature reserves are areas set aside for the purpose of preserving and protecting plants and animals, particularly endangered species. National parks may effectively serve a similar purpose by shielding threatened species from hunters, but these parks can also be created for the purpose of public recreation, affording its visitors a chance to be immersed in a protected natural environment. Many national parks have been created in the last 100 years, including Yellowstone National Park, the oldest and probably the best-known national park in the United States.
Articles
flag of Queensland States & Other Subdivisions
Every nation has its own subdivisions to demarcate smaller political units within its territory. Counties, districts, oblasts, polis, nomos, unitary authorities, boroughs, and cities are all examples (among many others) of how land can be organized.
Articles
Big Ben Tourist Attractions
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
North Africa Geographic Regions
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Britannica Premium
Did you know you're not getting the full Britannica experience? Access unlimited content with none of the ads by becoming a Britannica Premium subscriber.