SECOND EDITION

CONTENTS
Senior editor Rachel Thompson
Senior art editor Rachael Grady
Senior cartographic editor Simon Mumford
US editor Karyn Gerhard
Designers Chrissy Barnard, Kit Lane
Managing editor Francesca Baines
Managing art editor Philip Letsu
Production editor Gillian Reid
Production controller Samantha Cross
Jacket designer Juthi Seth

FIRST EDITION

Land, sea, Living

Senior editor Rob Houston
Senior art editor Philip Letsu
Senior cartographic editor Simon Mumford

and air world

Editors Helen Abramson, Steve Setford, Rona Skene
Designers David Ball, Carol Davis, Mik Gates
Researchers Helen Saunders, Suneha Dutta, Kaiya Shang
Cartography Encompass Graphics, Ed Merritt
Illustrators Adam Benton, Stuart Jackson-Carter Introduction 6 Introduction 42
Dinosaur fossils 44
Creative retouching Steve Willis
Earth’s crust 8
Earthquakes 10 Predators 46
Picture research Taiyaba Khatoon,
Ashwin Adimari, Martin Copeland
Mountains 12 Deadly creatures 48
Jacket design Laura Brim, Natasha Rees
Jacket design development manager
Sophia M. Tampakopoulos Turner
Pre-production producer Rebekah Parsons-King Volcanoes 14 Alien invasion 50
Production controller Mandy Innes
Publisher Andrew Macintyre
Ocean floor 16 Bird migrations 52
Art director Phil Ormerod
Associate publishing director Liz Wheeler
Ocean in motion 18 Whales 54
Publishing director Jonathan Metcalf Rivers 20 Sharks 56
This American Edition, 2021 Craters and River monsters 58
Insects 60
First American Edition, 2013
Published in the United States by DK Publishing meteorites 22
Hot and cold 24 World of plants 62
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018

Rain and snow 26 Biodiversity 64

Copyright © 2013, 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
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All rights reserved.
Biomes 30 Endangered
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
Forests 32 animals 68
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mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without
Deserts 34 Extinct animals 70
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Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.
Time zones 38
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People and Engineering History Culture
planet and Introduction 134 Introduction 164

Introduction 74 technology Fossil humans

Prehistoric
136 Languages
Holy places
166
168
Where people live 76 culture 138 Tourism 170
Nomads 78 Introduction 114
Air traffic 116 Ancient Art 172
Young and old 80 empires 140 Statues 174
Health 82 Shipping 118
Railroads 120 Ancient Festivals 176
Pandemics 84 wonders 142 Television 178
Poverty 86 Roads 122
Tallest Mummies 144 Stadiums 180
The world’s gold 88
Billionaires 90 buildings 124 Medieval Motor racing 182
Internet wonders 146 Roller coasters 184
Food production 92
Food intake 94 connections 126 Medieval National flags 186
Satellites and empires 148
Literacy 96
Pollution 98 space junk 128 Castles 150

Garbage and Armed forces 130 Battlegrounds 152 Index 188

The last Acknowledgments
waste 100 empires 154 192
Clean water 102 Revolutions 156
Fossil fuels 104 Shipwrecks 158
Alternative Industrial
energy 106 wonders 160
Climate change 108
Wilderness 110
Land, sea, and air
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
The Atlantic Ocean meets the
edge of Africa’s Namib Desert
at the Skeleton Coast. Rainfall
here rarely exceeds 0.39 in
(10 mm) per year.
Introduction
Churning interior
The rocks in the mantle flow in currents that rise, flow
sideways, cool, and then sink. These currents can force
the plates of Earth’s crust apart or pull sections of the
crust back down into the mantle.

Earth is a planet in motion, spinning Ocean floor splits, while Continent is dragged

on its axis as it hurtles through space

mantle rock rises and creates along by the mantle
new crust in the gap moving beneath

around the sun. Warmed by the sun’s rays,

Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are always
on the move, while heat from the planet’s
core keeps the hot rock of the interior
constantly churning. All of this enables Mantle moves in slow Crust is destroyed

Earth’s surface to teem with life.

as it is dragged
circles, driven by the into the mantle by
core’s heat below the sinking current

Water cycle Earth’s structure

The sun’s heat evaporates sea water, causing it to become water If we could take a slice out of Earth, we would see
vapor in the air. As it rises and cools, the water vapor condenses that the planet is made up of layers. At its heart
into clouds of droplets or ice crystals. As the droplets or crystals lies a solid inner core, surrounded by a liquid outer
grow, they fall as rain or snow. If it falls on land, some runs off the core. Both are made mainly of heavy iron.
surface to form rivers and lakes, which return water to the oceans. The outer core is enclosed by a deep layer
A lot of rain seeps through gaps in the soil and rock. It is called of heavy, very hot, yet solid rock called
groundwater, and it may stay underground or trickle to the sea. the mantle. Heat from the core drives
This continuous circulation of water is known as the water cycle. currents rising through the mantle
that keep the rock moving
extremely slowly. The crust—
Rain and snow the mantle’s cool, hard
Plants fall, especially when air rises
lose water through over high ground and cools,
shell—is made up of a
evaporation from their leaves forming more water droplets number of rocky plates.

Clouds
form when water
vapor condenses
into water droplets

Atmosphere
is a blanket of gas
surrounding Earth

Groundwater may
travel through rock Mountains
Evaporation and end up back in form as the crust is
occurs when the ocean squeezed and folded
the sun heats
sea water, Rivers and streams
turning it into return water to oceans
water vapor Clouds of water droplets
form huge swirling weather
systems in the lower atmosphere

6 AN AVERAGE WATER MOLECULE SPENDS ABOUT 3,200 YEARS IN THE

 Land, sea, and air

The sun’s energy Angle of tilt

is 23.5° away from the sun
In the tropics, near the equator, the High latitudes (near the poles)
receive sunlight at a low angle, Arctic Circle
sun’s rays strike Earth at a steep angle, dispersing its heat energy over a
so the energy is very concentrated. But wider area than in the tropics
near the poles, sunlight hits the surface Tropic of Cancer
at a narrow angle. This spreads the
sun’s energy, giving a weak heating The tropics (near the
equator) receive sunlight at Equator
effect. The result is that polar regions
are much colder than tropical zones, a steep angle, so the heat
is focused onto a smaller Earth spins
allowing ice to form in the Arctic and area than at the poles once every 24 hours
Antarctic. The difference in the solar
heating at different latitudes sets
Antarctic Circle
bodies of air and seawater in motion,
Tropic of
driving winds and ocean currents. Capricorn
Axis of spin

Mantle temperature ranges

from 1,800°F (1,000°C) to Crust consists of plates
6,300°F (3,500°C) of thick, light, continental
rock and thinner, heavier,
ocean-floor rock

Convection currents
circulate through the mantle.
Their movement carries the
rocky plates of the crust over
Earth’s surface

Oceans cover
71 percent of the
planet, with an
average depth of
2.4 miles (3.8 km)

Solid inner
core is about
12,600°F
(7,000°C)

Plants, animals, Molten outer core has a

and other life make temperature of roughly
up the biosphere 7,200°F (4,000°C)

OCEAN BEFORE EVAPORATION RELEASES IT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. 7

 PLATE BOUNDARIES
When plates meet, the collisions
Eurasian Plate
can form new ocean trenches or
mountain ranges—or cause huge
volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.

Divergent or transform
plate boundary
Convergent plate boundary

Convergent plate
boundary creating
a deep-sea trench

Caribbean/North
American boundary
This transform
border is a region of
frequent earthquakes,
tsunamis, and
volcanic eruptions. African
Plate
Indian
Plate

Arabian
East African Rift Plate
This series of great
valleys fringed in
places by volcanoes
Himalayas
The Himalayan
is where the
mountain range was
African Plate is in
formed when two plates
the process of
of continental crust
splitting into two
collided. The land
new tectonic plates.
masses crumpled
and formed enormous,
jagged mountain peaks.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge
The African Plate is
moving northeast at
about 0.85 in (2.15 cm)
South
per year, creating the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge—
American a chain of volcanic
Plate mountains.

Scotia Plate

Types of boundaries
The huge slabs of rock that cover Earth Convergent boundary Divergent boundary Transform boundary
are called tectonic plates. Where the plates Where two plates collide. Where plates move apart, Transform boundaries are
meet, they form different kinds of boundaries, In some cases, one plate molten magma rises from formed where the two plates
is pushed under the other; the mantle to fill the gap, scrape past each other in a
depending on the type of crust they are made this is called subduction. building a mid-ocean ridge. sideways motion.
of and the directions in which they move.

8 RELATIVE TO ITS SIZE, THE EARTH’S CRUST IS THINNER THAN THE

 Land, sea, and air
Aleutian Trench
This deep trench is formed by
the Pacific Plate being pushed
under the North American North
Plate. Volcanoes have formed American
the Aleutian chain of islands.
Plate

Earth’s
crust
San Andreas Fault
A transform boundary,
where the Pacific and
North American plates
grind against each other.

Philippine
Plate Caribbean
The outermost shell of the Earth Plate
Cocos
is the crust. It is not an unbroken Plate
covering, but huge plates of rock
that drift over a deep layer of
semisolid rocks, called the mantle.
Peru–Chile Trench
Pacific Plate
As oceanic crust pushes
under continental crust,
deep trenches like this
form under the ocean.

Australian–
Indian Plate
THE OLDEST PARTS Nazca Plate
OF EARTH’S CRUST
ARE ABOUT 4 BILLION
YEARS OLD. East Pacific Rise
This boundary is
spreading about 5.9 in
(15 cm) per year—about
four times faster than
your fingernails grow!

Oceanic crust
The Pacific Plate is the
Antarctic Plate
largest plate that is made
entirely of oceanic crust.
Continental crust Oceanic crust is thinner,
The Antarctic Plate, like most plates, but denser (heavier),
contains an older and thicker type of than continental crust.
crust called continental crust. It is made
of lighter rock than oceanic crust and
sits higher, forming all the world’s land,
including Antarctica.

SKIN OF AN APPLE. SOME PARTS OF IT ARE ONLY 5 MILES (8 KM) THICK. 9

 Strongest earthquakes since 1900
1 Valdivia, Chile—May 22, 1960 2 Prince William Sound, Alaska—1964 4
Kamchatka, Russia—November 4, 1952
This earthquake measured 9.5 in magnitude. This 9.2-magnitude earthquake hit Alaska on This 9.0-magnitude earthquake sent a
It killed 1,655 people and caused a tsunami March 27. While it killed 15 people, it caused tsunami across the Pacific. In Hawaii, no
that hit Japan, the Philippines, and the US. a tsunami that killed another 113. human lives were lost, but six cows died.

3 Indian Ocean—December 26, 2004 5 Tohoku, Japan—March 11, 2011

Occurring at sea, this 9.1-magnitude This 9.0-magnitude earthquake and
earthquake caused a tsunami that killed tsunami killed more than 15,000 people
227,898 people and affected 1.7 million more. and destroyed a nuclear power plant.

KEY
Earthquakes are marked on
this map according to their
strength, or magnitude. An
earthquake with a magnitude
of 9.0 makes ten times larger
seismic waves than an
8.0-magnitude earthquake. 3

THE LAST 100 YEARS

Magnitude < 7.0
7.0–7.5
7.5–8.0
Greater than 8.0

THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Strongest on record
Deadliest on record

Earthquakes
Most earthquake zones are
at the edges of the tectonic 1
plates that make up Earth’s
crust. When the plates press
against each other, the pressure
builds until the plates move
with a jerk, sending out a
shock called a seismic wave.

10 THE ASTEROID IMPACT THAT WIPED OUT THE DINOSAURS 65 MILLION YEARS
 Land, sea, and air

1
2
5 1.3 MILLION
4
5
EARTHQUAKES
HAPPEN EACH YEAR—
BUT MOST ARE
TOO SMALL
TO BE FELT
3

Deadliest earthquakes
1 Shaanxi, China—January 23, 1556
Up to 830,000 people may have died in this
earthquake. Its magnitude is unknown, since
seismometers did not exist at the time.

2 Tangshan, China—July 28, 1976

The official death toll of this earthquake
is 242,769 but some observers think that
up to 655,000 people may have died.

3 Haiti—January 12, 2010

This 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed
316,000 people, but another 3.5 million
suffered shortages of food and clean water.

4 Antioch—May 21, 526 ce

Historical sources report that a huge
earthquake hit this Byzantine-Empire
city in what is modern-day Turkey.

5 Gansu, China—December 16, 1920

As well as killing 235,500 people, this
earthquake created major fractures in
the land and devastating landslides.

AGO MAY HAVE CAUSED AN EARTHQUAKE OF MORE THAN 10 MAGNITUDE. 11

 Denali (Mount McKinley)
20,310 ft (6,190 m)
Alaska

B r o o ks Range
Mack Rocky Mountains
enz n
ie M

a
Movements of the North

vi
ge o un
Ran

na
ka t American Plate and the

da
R

as Co

an
Al
ai
a
o

Pacific Plate created

Sc
ns
c
s

these mountains, which

t

k
M

stretch from Canada

ou

to New Mexico.
nt

Laurentian
M
ai

Mountains
ns

Mont Blanc
un

Mount Whitney Mount Rushmore 15,774 ft (4,808 m) lps

South Dakota A
14,505 ft (4,421 m) France/Italy
ta

Pyrene
es
California an
hi
ins
Sie vada

ac ains
Ne

l
rra

pa nt
Farthest Ap ou
M
Sierra M

from center las ns

At ntai
Sie
L ow

u
rra

Mount Chimborazo Mo
er C

Earth is a slightly squashed

adre
Ma

20,549 ft (6,263 m)
dr
ali

ball, with a bulge around the

Ori
eO

Ecuador
for

Ahaggar
cc

e n tal

equator. Mount Chimborazo

nia

ide

tal

Andes
n

in Ecuador sits on this bulge. Running from Venezuela

It is not as high above sea to Chile, these fold
level as Everest, but its mountains, topped by a
summit is farther from Pico de Orizaba string of volcanoes, formed
18,491 ft (5,636 m) when the South American
Earth’s center—by about a a
aw u
ta a

Mexico Guiana Plate collided with the

ien er

am tea
e n ra
tal

l
Or rdill

mile (2 km). oceanic Nazca Plate. d

cid le

Highlands A Pla
Oc rdil

Co
Co

Mount Everest Highest fold

Earth Earth’s
mountains
A n

3,966 miles center

(6,382 km) from These mountains form when two
d

Earth’s center plates of Earth’s crust collide. The

s
e

edges of the plates are slowly

Mount Planalto de crumpled and pushed upward.
ds

Chimborazo
an

Mato Grosso
hl

3,967 miles
ig

2 1 Mount Everest
H

(6,384 km) from

an

3 4 29,032 ft (8,849 m); Nepal/China;

ili

Earth’s center
az

highest mountain on Earth; first

5 1
Br

climbed in 1953
Equatorial
s

bulge 2 K2

Mountains
Aconcagua
d e

22,837 ft 28,251 ft (8,611 m); Pakistan/

(6,961 m) China; world’s second-highest
A n

Argentina mountain; first climbed in 1954

3 Kangchenjunga
28,169 ft (8,586 m); Nepal/India;
world’s third-highest mountain;
first climbed in 1955

Mountains typically form over

4 Lhotse
27,940 ft (8,516 m); Nepal/China;

millions of years, as rock is thrust

world’s fourth-highest mountain;
first climbed in 1956

up as a result of the slow movements 5 Makalu

of the Earth’s tectonic plates. Movements

27,838 ft (8,485 m); Nepal/China;
world’s fifth-highest mountain;

of tectonic plates can also lead to the

first climbed in 1955
Mount Everest

eruption of magma from under the Mount Vinson Peak 6,050 ft (4,892 m)
crust, forming volcanic mountains. Antarctica’s highest summit, which
forms the Vinson Massif in combination
with five other mountains.

12 THE TALLEST KNOWN MOUNTAIN ANYWHERE IS OLYMPUS MONS,

 Land sea, and air

ns
tai
oun
M Central Ch
er

ns
Siberian Plateau sk
yR
Himalayas ang

i
e
Ural Mounta
When the Indian Plate and
the Eurasian Plate met, ka
the impact pushed up the at

ch
Himalayas—home to the

Kam
world’s 30 highest
mountains.
Mount Elbrus ou lta i

A
KEY

M
Carp nt
Mounathia 18,510 ft (5,642 m) ain n
tai n
ns Russia s Mo n g o li a The colors on the
Plate a u land areas indicate
Ba
Di l k n Shan Q i l i an
n
Al a
a nM Cauc Tie the height of the terrain
p
ts . asu
s m irs Mounta
Pa ins above sea level
ric

Anatolia Elburz s K u nlun s

s

Mountain 2 M o u ntain
Za

Plateau
ndu
gr

M Hi ush of Tibet
os

Mount Etna ou Iranian K ft m

n ta Plateau
10,912 ft (3,326 m) in s Hi 4 8,000
m a1 5 3 25,000
Italy la yas 7,000
Sa

Shan
Mount Fuji
ra

20,000 6,000
wa

Plateau
12,389 ft
tM

Western

Tibesti 5,000
ou

(3,776 m) 15,000
nta

Japan
s

4,000
at
ins

Gh
Gha

Aïr
n

10,000 3,000
ter

Mountains
ts

Ethiopian
Eas

Highlands 2,000
mar s 5,000
Ah untain
Mo
Ba 1,000
ris

0 0
s

Highest volcanoes
an
ntain

M ou
mba Mou

Maoke
nt

Mou
Highest peak on
a

nta
The highest volcanoes are in the
in

ins
s
G re

Kilimanjaro Andes, where molten rock rises each continent

Puncak Jaya
M it u

at

19,340 ft 16,024 ft (4,884 m)

Ri

through Earth’s crust near the

ft

(5,895 m) Indonesia. This, the highest mountain in

Va l

Bié
Plateau Tanzania edge of the South American Plate. New Guinea, is politically in Asia. The
ley

highest mountain on the Australasian side

1 Nevados Ojos 2 Llullaillaco of the island (Papua New Guinea) is Mount

Gr
del Salado 22,110 ft (6,739 m); Wilhelm, at 14,793 ft (4,509 m).

ea
Chile/Argentina;

t
22,615 ft (6,893 m);

D
iv
Chile/Argentina; erupted in 1854,

id
1868, and 1877 Aoraki

in
erupted c. 700 ce
g
er

gR
(Mount Cook)
sb

Rwenzori
en

ak

ange
3 Tipas 4 Nevado 5 Cerro 12,218 ft (3,724 m)
Dr Mountains 21,850 ft (6,660 m); de Incahusai el Cóndor New Zealand
These mountains are Argentina; isolated, 21,722 ft (6,621 m); 21,430 ft (6,532 m);
block mountains—forced, little studied; no Chile/Argentina; no Argentina; no
as a block of rock, up recent eruptions
through the floor of recent eruptions recent eruptions
Africa’s Western Rift Valley.
n
er
th s
ou Alp

S
Highest versus tallest Mount Everest
29,032 ft (8,849 m) high 13,803 ft
A mountain’s height is measured from sea level. (above sea level) (4,207 m)
above sea
Everest is indisputably the highest mountain on level
Earth. Mauna Kea, in Hawaii, is nowhere near Mauna Kea
as high as Everest, but it is a volcano rising 33,500 ft 19,685 ft
(10,200 m) tall (6,000 m)
from the deep ocean floor. If measured from below sea
its base to its peak, Mauna Kea is Earth’s level
tallest mountain.

A VOLCANO ON MARS THAT IS NEARLY 16 MILES (25 KM) HIGH. 13

 Active Iceland
Iceland has many
active volcanoes, since
it sits on top of the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
where magma wells
up as the seabed
splits apart.

Alaska
Alaska and the Aleutian
Islands are located on
the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Hawaii
This chain of island
volcanoes has formed
as Earth’s crust passes
over a “hot spot” in
the mantle below.

How volcanoes
form
Molten rock (magma)
from Earth’s interior
may erupt where plates
pull apart, or force its 3
way to the surface
where plates collide.
Magma forms 5
Plates collide and and pushes
one is pushed upward 4
beneath the other

Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Volcanoes dot the
seafloor in the middle
of the Atlantic Ocean,
where two plates are
moving away from Largest eruptions
each other.
since 1800

Volcanoes
1 Tambora, Indonesia, 1815
Tambora threw so much ash into the
atmosphere that global weather was
disrupted and temperatures fell.

2 Krakatau, Indonesia, 1883

The explosion was heard 2,850 miles
(4,600 km) away. It destroyed
two-thirds of the island of Krakatau.
Earth’s crust is made up of Novarupta, Alaska, 1912
plates of rock that fit together
3
The largest volcanic blast of the 20th century marked the
formation of this new volcano on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
like a puzzle. Most volcanoes 4 Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991
occur where the plates meet, A plume of ash 250 miles (400 km) wide rose 21 miles
(34 km) into the sky, blocking out the sun for days.
but some erupt in hot spots 5 Santa Maria, Guatemala, 1902
in the middle of the plates. The explosion formed a 0.6-mile- (1-km-) wide crater.
Ash fell in San Francisco 2,500 miles (4,000 km) away.

14 BETWEEN 50 AND 70 VOLCANOES ERUPT EVERY YEAR, MOSTLY AROUND

 Land, sea, and air

KEY
The map shows
volcanoes above
sea level. Many
more volcanoes Other volcanoes,
erupt on the Recent volcano either single or in a
seabed. Most lethal Largest since 1800 active since 2006 cluster of up to six

Japan
Part of the Pacific Ring of
Fire, Japan has more than
70 active volcanoes.
Europe
There are few volcanoes
in Europe, which is on
the Eurasian Plate.

5 THERE ARE
ABOUT 1,500
KNOWN ACTIVE
VOLCANOES
4
ON EARTH
East African Rift 2 2
Volcanoes occur here 1 1
because the African Plate
is slowly splitting in two.

Pacific Ring of Fire

Volcanoes are common
along the edges of the
plates forming the floor
of the Pacific Ocean. Inactive Australia
Australia lies in the
middle of a plate and
has no active volcanoes.

Most lethal volcanoes dust engulfed the town of St. Pierre on the
Caribbean island of Martinique, killing all but
1 Mount Tambora, Indonesia, 1815 two of its inhabitants. In all, nearly 30,000
Falling volcanic ash destroyed plants and crops, people lost their lives.
leading to famine. More than 71,000 Indonesians
died, the majority from starvation. 4 Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, 1985
The eruption melted snow and ice on the volcano,
2 Krakatau, Indonesia, 1883 creating mudflows that killed about 25,000
The official death toll was 36,417, most of whom people in surrounding valleys.
died when tsunamis (tidal waves) created by the
explosion swept through the region. 5 Mount Unzen, Japan, 1792
Some 14,300 people died when, about a month
3 Mont Pelée, Martinique, 1902 after lava stopped erupting, part of the volcano
A rapidly moving cloud of glowing gas, ash, and collapsed in a landslide, triggering a tsunami.

THE EDGE OF THE PACIFIC. ABOUT 20 VOLCANOES ARE ERUPTING NOW. 15

 Trenches Mid-ocean ridges Seamounts
Rifts in the ocean floor that Underwater mountain ranges Undersea mountains often Iceland
form when Earth’s tectonic found at the boundary rising to 3,300–13,000 ft The largest of the East
plates meet. The deepest between two divergent (1,000–4,000 m) above the sea- islands created by
the Mid-Atlantic Greenland
places in the ocean and (moving apart) tectonic bed. They are volcanoes and Ridge, where the Basin
the lowest points on Earth, plates. They are all linked, many are hot spots of marine ridge’s volcanoes
about 26,000–36,000 ft making them the world’s life. Flat-topped seamounts have grown to break
(8,000–11,000 m) below longest mountain range at are called guyots, and smaller the ocean’s surface.
the surface of the ocean. 40,000 miles (65,000 km). mounts are sea knolls.

Trenches Mid-ocean ridges Seamounts e

dg
Ri

s
Labrador

ne
Aleutian Trench
ch

kja
This trench forms the border between Basin
en

Rey
n Tr the Pacific and North American plates.
i a It reaches a depth of 26,604 ft (8,109 m).
Aleut

d
Bi

nd k s
la n
Abyssal plain sc

ou B a n
d ay P
Tufts Plain l ain

g e
Abyssal plains are flat or very an f
G r ew
gently sloping areas of the deep of
N
ocean floor and are among the

id
world’s least-explored regions.

R
They make up about one-third in
Davidson c Great Meteor
ti
of the Earth’s surface.

ssa s
la
Aby attera
Seamount Seamount

lP
Haw n
Sea aiian-E ouisiana

a
s-L lf

H
mou mp xa She Mid-Atlantic

tl
nt C ero Cape Ridge
Te

hai r Nares

Mid-A
n Verde A very long ridge
Plain
Plain that extends
10,000 miles
Mi
ddl Cape (16,000 km)
eA from the Arctic
me Verde
ric Ocean to the
aT Basin South Atlantic.
Guatemala renc
East Pacific Rise h
This mid-ocean ridge
Basin
winds under the Pacific Guinea
from Mexico to the South Basin Basin
Pacific. It is the fastest- The oceans and their

R i d g e
P e
e

spreading mid-ocean vast underwater basins

ridge in the world. Brazil
s

cover about 71 percent

of Earth’s surface. The Basin
r u
i

basins contain ridges, Angola

Ango la
Peru
R

trenches, and other Basin

Bas i n
-

Tu features of the
C h i l e

am ocean floor.
c i f i c

ot

c
u R omez Ridge
Sala y G

n t i
idg
e

M i d - A t l a Namibia
Plain
T r e

Peru-Chile Trench
P a

Marks the point where Cape

the Nazca Plate is Arg enti ne Basin
n c

diving beneath South Bas i n

America—a movement
that also caused
h
t

the uplift of the Arg enti ne

Shel ian
s

Andes mountains. Pl ai n
on
f
a

Patag
E

Morni ng ton
Ridge Ridge
t arctic Abys s al
ndi
an
c- An Pl ai n -I
ifi ic
c nt
la
Pa At
So u t he a st
Pa ci f i c B a si n Weddell Plain

16 IF MOUNT EVEREST WERE PLACED ON THE DEEPEST PART OF THE OCEAN

Fram Basin Land, sea, and air
Gakkel Ridge Continental shelf Men
Nansen Basin
A continental shelf is the edge of a d
land mass that lies under the ocean.

ele
It slopes gently from the shore

v
toward the continental slope, where

Ri
the deep ocean truly begins.

dg
Kara Shelf

e
Canada
Bare nts Laptev Shelf Basin
S helf East Siberian
Sh e l f

Ocean floor
Chukchi
Shelf

Aleutian
Basin
The enormous mountain ranges, vast plains,
and deep trenches of the ocean floor were

ch
en
created by the constant shifting and
Emperor Seamounts

Tr
r

il
A chain of undersea
Ku Northwest
colliding of the plates that make
volcanoes stretching from
Pacific the seamounts at the end
Basin
up Earth’s crust.
of the Hawaiian chain all the
way to the Aleutian Islands.
Great
Yangtze
Bank Makarov
Seamount
M Haw
id
-P aiia
Philippine ac nR
if idg
Basin ic e

Tr a riana
Arabian S

h
Basin e
a

enc
M

m
o
Ninetyeast Ridge

u
n
Central

ts
Somali
M

Basin Pacific
id

Basin
-In d i a

Arafura Shelf

Mid-Indian
Basin Muirfield Christmas
Seamount Island Mariana Trench

Trench
Seamounts The deepest part of the
n

world’s oceans. Its lowest

point, the Challenger Deep
R

valley, is 36,070 ft (10,994 m)

id

ge
below the surface.

To ng a
d e
g

Ri
a n
di
In
e st C ro ze t
B a si n
S
o
w ut
he
th

as
t
ou

Ke Indi Campbell
rg an Ridge
S

ue Plateau
le
n
Pl
at

Sou th
ea

Ender by Plai n I ndi an Bas i n

u

FLOOR, ITS SUMMIT WOULD STILL BE 7,041 FT (2,146 M) UNDER WATER. 17

SURFACE CURRENTS
Surface currents are driven
by the winds. They carry cold
water to the tropics and
warm water to the poles.

Warm current North Atlantic

Warm water is
Cold current cooled by the ice
of the Arctic and
begins to sink.

Gyre
Surface currents, driven by winds
and by the spin of planet Earth,
often form circular patterns called
gyres. Gyres north of the equator
move clockwise, while those in the
south move counterclockwise.

Ocean in motion OCEANIC CONVEYOR

Surface currents and deep
ocean currents link up to form
a planet-wide conveyor belt
flowing at times across the

Ocean waters are constantly moving. Their movements,

ocean basins, then rising to
the surface, before sinking

called currents, are driven by wind and the Earth’s spin.

again to the deep ocean floor.

But ocean currents are also affected by the water’s

temperature and saltiness, as well as sea depth. Warm Cold

18 IT CAN TAKE UP TO 1,000 YEARS FOR OCEAN CURRENTS TO

 Land, sea, and air
Gulf Stream
The warm currents of the
How currents sink
Salt leaves the water when it
Gulf Stream make northern Warm surface freezes and makes the remaining
Europe’s climate warmer water flows in water saltier and heavier
than it would be otherwise. When currents reach the cold polar
oceans, some of the sea water
freezes. When it does this, it leaves
its salt behind. The salt mixes with
the remaining water, making it
saltier and heavier. This water then
sinks toward the ocean floor and
drives the currents that flow slowly
through the ocean depths. Where
these deep-water currents flow
Cold, salty water
back up to the surface, scientists sinks below the
call it “upwelling.” warm water and
flows away slowly

Great Pacific
Garbage Patch
Plastics and other
garbage carried by
currents collect
within this slow-
moving zone in the
center of the North
Pacific Gyre.

Deep water
current
The deep current
flowing across
the basin of the
Pacific begins to
rise, warming up
as it does so.

Friendly floaters
A cargo of plastic ducks
lost in the Pacific in 1992
has helped scientists learn
more about the speed
and direction of ocean
currents ever since. Some
of the ducks drifted over
17,000 miles (27,500 km).

Southern oceans
Cold, dense water flows
east across the deep ocean
floor in the Antarctic, then
heads north.

CARRY WATER FROM THE NORTH ATLANTIC TO THE NORTH PACIFIC. 19

Rivers Thames
Although only
215 miles (346 km)
long, it is England’s
most important
waterway.

M Great Bear
Yu ac Lake
ko ke
n nz
ie Great Slave
Lake

P e a ce Loire
The longest river Elb
Lake in France, it plays e
katc h e w an Winnipeg
as an important role

Rh
Mackenzie S

ine
in wine-growing
The longest river in Missouri Lake Superior Loire
Great Lakes in the area.
Canada, it freezes for Lake Huron
The five lakes cover
Lake Lake Ontario
about seven months na P la Michigan about 95,000 sq
S

ke tt e Lake Erie
of the year. miles (245,000 sq Tagus

Rivers help to
o A rkansas i km), which is an
rad

o
Oh
olo

i p pi
area larger than
C

shape the Earth,

the entire UK.

s
sis
Mis Mississippi–Missouri
Ri

wearing down
Gr
o

an
de Supplies drinking water for
more than 18 million people
mountains, carving in the US.

valleys, and laying Sen

eg

down soil and rocks to

a

Ni
l

ge
r
form new land. Lakes hold co
na

no
d ale

44 times more of the planet’s

Ori

Amazon
ag

The Amazon basin

M

Caq

fresh water than rivers.

ue t Río N (the area containing the river
á eg zon
ro Ama and all its tributaries) covers
ón about 2.7 million sq miles (7 million
añ s
n

ajó
Mar

sq km)—almost as large as Australia.

Amazo

ra

Tap
ei

d o
Ma isc
a
guai

nc
Fra

Congo
Ara

River volume
São

One of the deepest

Paraguay

rivers in the world,

A river’s size is measured by its discharge, or Madeira with depths of
Pi

volume flow rate. This is the average amount of The biggest more than than
lc

m
ná
o

ay
720 ft (220 m).
ra

water that flows into the sea in a given time. tributary of o

Pa

the Amazon.
RIVER FLOW, IN MILLIONS OF GALLONS PER SECOND
y
aná

(MILLIONS OF LITERS PER SECOND) ua Paraná

Par

ug

Amazon 57.9 (219) The Paraná’s Itaipú Dam

Ur

is the second-largest
Salado

hydroelectric power
Congo–Chambeshi 11 (41.8) station in the world.

Yangtze 8.4 (31.9)

Río de la Plata–Paraná–Paranaíba 5.8 (22)

Yenisei–Angara–Selenga 5.2 (19.6)

Longest rivers LENGTH IN MILES 0 310
Nile
Mississippi–Missouri 4.4 (16.8) Advances in GPS Amazon
technology mean Yangtze
Ob–Irtysh 3.3 (12.5)
that scientists can Mississippi–Missouri
now measure a river’s Yenisei–Angara–Selenga
Amur–Arqun 3 (11.4)
Yellow River
Nile 0.7 (2.8)
length much more Ob–Irtysh
accurately than they Río de la Plata–Paraná–Paranaíba
Yellow River could in the past. Congo–Chambeshi
0.7 (2.6)
Amur–Arqun

LENGTH IN KILOMETERS 0 500

20 RIVERS ARE EARTH’S MOST POWERFUL FORCE OF EROSION, CARRYING

 Ob’ Ends in the Arctic Ocean. Land, sea, and air
Yenisey
Freezes along its entire
length by mid-November
each year.
Danube
Flows through 10
countries on its way
to the Black Sea.

Ye
a

nis
lym
Olenëk Ko

Len
ey
Pech
Lo
No wer Tung

a
ora
uska
Dv rth yuy
in ern Ob
’ Vil
a
Lake
Onega Ob Lena
Lake ’ Angara A ldan
Ladoga Vo
lg a Lake
Irt Baikal
ys Amur
Ode h
D nie

r Do
pe n
r Vo Lake
Balkash
lg

Syr D
a

Aral ar
D an
Sea y Lake Baikal Amur
a

ube At about 25 million Part of the Amur provides a natural

Am

u
Da years old, by far the
ry boundary between Russia and the
a oldest lake on Earth. People’s Republic of China.
r
ive
Tig

Eu R
phr
s

Ye ll o w
ris

Indu

ate
s tze
Yellow River (Huang He)
B rahmaputra ng So-called because of the huge
Ya
amounts of mineral-rich silt
Ga it carries downstream.
nge
s ddy
Irrawa
le

Salwe e n
Ni

Yangtze (Chang Jiang)

One of the world’s busiest rivers,
it flows through the major Chinese
Me
kon cities of Shanghai and Nanjing.
g

Seasonal rivers
Nile Some rivers, shown in
Nil

Uban
About 90 percent
e

gi brown, flow only in the

Con
g of the people of Egypt wet season. Some of
Lake live close to the banks these flow only in
o

Victoria of the Nile.

Kas particularly wet years.
ai
Lake
Tanganyika Lake Victoria
The world’s second- Ganges
largest freshwater lake Holy river to
Lake
by area (after Lake the world’s
Nyasa 1.2 billion Hindus.
Superior), it provides
ezi water for the Nile.
mb
Za

THE AMAZON
Orange
R iv e r CARRIES ONE-FIFTH Da
rli
n g Murray–Darling
Makes up a large
river basin in

OF ALL THE FRESH WATER Mu

rra
y
southeast Australia,
connecting the
Snowy Mountains

EMPTIED INTO THE OCEANS to the Indian Ocean.

620 930 1,240 1,550 1,860 2,170 2,480 2,790 3,100 3,410 3,720 4,030

1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 5,500 6,000 6,500

22 BILLION TONS OF LAND SURFACE TO THE OCEANS EACH YEAR. 21

 Haughton
Nunavut, Canada METEORITES
Avak Meteorites are objects left over
US. Discovered by scientists looking after a small body, or meteroid,
for oil, this crater has been buried hits Earth. Sometimes, incoming
during the last 3 million years by objects are spotted falling as
a thin layer of rock. shooting stars, or meteors.
When someone finds the
fallen meteorite, it is
recorded as a “meteorite
fall.” More than 1,000 falls
have happened since
the 1950s.
Nicholson Major meteorite
Canada Clearwater
East and West falls since 2003
Steen River
Canada Deep Bay Canada
Canada
Carswell Mistastin
Canada Saint Martin Canada
Canada
Beaverhead Eagle Butte Manicouagan Canada Nördlinger
Canada The inner part of this Germany
US
Charlevoix 215-million-year-old Rochechouart
2 Canada crater now forms a France
IMPACT CRATERS Manson striking ring-shaped lake
US 40 miles (70 km) across.
The largest objects that Montagnais Guarda
hit Earth—asteroids and Canada Portugal
comets—can make such Ames Sudbury Basin
a violent impact that they US 4
are destroyed. A crater Canada
is left behind, however,
although over millions
of years it can be buried, Chesapeake Bay
Sierra US
worn away, and distorted
by the Earth’s crust Madera
moving. On the map are US
all the largest craters 3
scientists know about.
Chicxulub
Mexico

5.0–6.2 6.2–12.4
(8–10) (10–20) 12.4–31.0 31–62 Bosumtwi
(20–50) (50–100) Ghana
62–186
(100–300)
Largest known impact craters,
Serra de Cangalha
The Great Dying
by diameter in miles (km)

Craters and
Brazil
An asteroid probably killed off
the dinosaurs, but an even bigger
impact may have almost wiped out
Araguainha

meteorites
life completely, 250 million years
Brazil
ago. Called the “Great Dying,” this
disaster may have been caused by
Vista Alegre an asteroid impact some scientists
Brazil think they have discovered under
the Antarctic ice sheet.
Vargeão Dome
Brazil

Earth would be peppered with

craters like the moon if it weren’t
for wind, water, and Earth’s
moving crust covering them
up or wearing them away.
More craters can be seen in
old, quiet parts of Earth’s crust
such as in Canada and Australia.

22 AN ASTEROID HITTING ANTARCTICA 250 MILLION YEARS AGO MAY HAVE

 Land, sea, and air
Popigai
Mjølnir Russia
Chelyabinsk Meteor This giant crater, 62 miles (100 km) across,
Named after the hammer of Thor the The powerful blast from this
thunder god, this 25-mile (40-km) formed about 36 million years ago when Earth
asteroid, which broke up over
crater is on the floor of was struck by an asteroid 3–5 miles (5–8 km) wide.
Russia in 2013, was detected
the Barents Sea. by monitoring stations as
far away as Antarctica.
Siljan
Sweden Keurusselkä
Finland
Lappajärvi El’Gygytgyn
Finland Kara Russia
Logancha
Russia Russia
Puchezh-Katunki
Russia Tunguska Event
Ragozinka Before it hit the ground, a meteroid
Russia or comet exploded here in Russia
Karla in 1908 with the force of a nuclear
Russia bomb, flattening 80 million trees.
Objects not quite large enough to
Kamensk get through Earth’s atmosphere
Russia
Zhamanshin sometimes explode like this.

Boltysh
Kazakhstan
Fresh crater
Ukraine Barringer Crater, also called
Karakul Meteor Crater, in Arizona, is
Tajikistan well preserved because it is
so young—only 50,000 years
old. Most of Earth’s craters
Tai have been covered by layers
China of younger rock or reshaped
Oasis by wind, rain, and flowing water.
Libya Dhala
India
Aorounga
Chad
Gweni-Fada
Chad

Luizi
Democratic Greatest impacts
Republic 1 Vredefort impact structure, South Africa
of Congo Made 1.8 billion years ago by a 6-mile
(10-km) asteroid, this is Earth’s largest Strangways
Morokweng definite impact crater. Spider
South Africa Lawn Hill
Connolly Basin
2 Sudbury Basin, Canada Amelia Creek
This is the second-biggest confirmed Glikson Gosse’s Bluff
asteroid crater on Earth. The impact that Woodleigh
1 created it was so massive, it scattered Shoemaker
debris as far as Minnesota. Yarrabubba Tookoonooka
Vredefort
South Africa 3 Chicxulub, Mexico Flaxman
Acraman
Buried under the Gulf of Mexico and Yucatán
Australia Crawford
Peninsula is a crater 110 miles (180 km) Traces of many impacts dot
across, made 65 million years ago. Scientists Australia, because Earth’s
blame it for the death of the dinosaurs. crust here is very old.

4 Chesapeake Bay, US
A buried impact crater is at the heart of
Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of the US.
EARTH’S BIGGEST IMPACT
The impact made a tsunami so enormous, it
may have crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains. CRATER IS 180 MILES
(300 KM) WIDE
BEEN TO BLAME FOR KILLING OFF 96 PERCENT OF ALL SEA LIFE. 23
 Prospect Creek, US
At −80°F (−62.2°C), this
is the seventh-coldest
place on the planet.
Malgovik, Sweden
The coldest spot in
Sweden, with a record of
−63.4°F (−53°C).

Klinck Automated Weather

Station, Greenland
Snag, Canada Fourth-coldest spot on
Recorded temperature 2 Earth, at −93.3°F (−69.6°C).
of −81°F (−63°C), to
make it the coldest site
in North America.
Kebili, Tunisia
Recorded temperature
Furnace Creek, US of 131°F (55°C) in 1931,
The world's highest ever air tying for the third-
temperature, 134°F (56.7°C), hottest place ever.
was recorded here in 1913.
Mexicali area, Mexico
A 1995 record of
125.6 °F (52.0°C).

Daily differences
Many deserts are hot during the day but drastically
Al 'Aziziyah, Libya
cooler at night. With no clouds or mist in the way of the Cold mountains Lost its title as world's hottest
sun, the ground warms up fast during the day. With no The higher up you place in 2012, when weather
blanketing cloud at night, the heat escapes quickly. In are, the lower the air scientists found its 1922
humid climates, daily temperatures vary a lot less. pressure—and the record measurement was
temperature. The probably wrong.
Andes mountain range
is much colder than the
1 Luxor, Egypt land that surrounds it.
Luxor has a dry, desert climate. In June, the daily
temperature varies greatly, from an average maximum
of 105.8°F (41°C) down to 71.6°F (22°C) at night.

2 Singapore
IN 1924, THE
Singapore's climate is very warm and humid all year
round. In June, the daily temperature varies from
88.3°F (31.3°C) to a sticky 76.5°F (24.7°C) at night.
AUSTRALIAN TOWN OF
Blazing summers,
MARBLE BAR REACHED
freezing winters
In the middle of large continents, it is often hot in
100°F (37.8°C) OR
summer and very cold in winter. In coastal areas,
warm or cool winds and currents carried by the sea ABOVE FOR 160 DAYS
moderate temperatures. Without this balance,
inland areas can become extremely hot or cold. IN A ROW
1 Verkhoyansk, Russia
The world's biggest seasonal temperature differences
are found in Verkhoyansk. The highest temperature
ever recorded was 103.8°F (39.9°C) and the lowest
was −90°F (-67.8°C).

2 Regina, Canada
Regina's highest-ever temperature was 109.9°F Amundsen–Scott Station,
(43.3°C) and the lowest was -58°F (-50°C). South Pole
The second-coldest point on
Earth, at −117°F (−82.8°C).

24 THE "GULF STREAM" OCEAN CURRENT FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO GIVES
 Land, sea, and air
Verkhoyansk, Russia
Ust' Shchugor, Shares the coldest recorded temperature
outside Antarctica of −90°F (−67.8°C) with
Russia the nearby town of Oimyakon. These are the
Europe's coldest
world's coldest permanently inhabited places.
place, at −72.6°F
(−58.1°C).
Verkhoyansk range
These mountains are 1
probably even colder than
the town of Verkhoyansk,
but the weather is not
Tirat Zvi, Israel monitored closely in
This record, of 129.2°F these remote ranges.
(54°C), was set in 1942.

Basra, Iraq
The sixth-hottest place on
Earth, at 128.8°F (53.8°C).

32°C
KEY

90°F
Ahvaz Airport, Iran This map was made
Asia's hottest recorded temperature, by calculating average
at 129.0°F (54.0°C). temperatures, throughout
the day and night, over an
Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan entire year. It averages
Ties for Earth's seventh out the huge differences
hottest place, at 128.3°F in temperature that can
(53.5°C). occur in some locations,
1 either in a single day or

32°F

0°C
Genhe, Inner between the seasons.
Mongolia, China You can see clearly that
The coldest place in the hottest zones, on
Al Jazeera China, at −72.4°F average, are those
(−58°C). around the equator.
Border Gate, The zones get cooler
UAE the nearer they get
This top-ten record, to the polar regions.
of 125.8°F (52.1°C),
was set in 2002.
2
Mitribah, Kuwait

-45°C
-49°F
The fifth-hottest place on
Earth, at 129.0°F (53.9°C).

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Ties for tenth-hottest
temperature, at 125.6°F
(52.0°C).

Hot and cold

Whether somewhere is hot or cold
has mainly to do with how close it
is to the equator, but other
factors, such as sea currents and
altitude, are also important.
Vostok Research Station, Antarctica
Dome A, Recorded temperature of −128.6°F (−89.2°C),
East Antarctica Earth's coldest ever temperature.
Earth's third-coldest spot, at
−116.5 °F (−82.5°C).

NORTHWEST EUROPE WARMER WINTERS THAN PLACES FARTHER SOUTH. 25

 Snowiest place Largest snowflake Largest hailstone
contender 15 in (38 cm) 8 in (20 cm) across, nearly
53.4 ft (16.3 m) across; 1887, Fort 2 lb (1 kg) in weight; 2010, Greenland
yearly average; Mount Keogh, Montana Vivian, South Dakota About 80 percent of the
Rainier, Washington land is always covered
by snow and ice.

Wettest place
contender
452 in (11,500 mm)
yearly average; 2
Waialeale, Hawaii
Sahara Desert
4 Some places in the
Sahara do not see rain
for several years.

Heaviest snowfall (24 hours)

KEY 6 76 in (1,930 mm); 1921,
Scientists call rain and Silver Lake, Colorado
snow “precipitation.”
The bluest areas have Wettest place
the most precipitation.
contender
Highest 524 in (13,309 mm)
precipitation yearly average;
Lloro, Colombia
Fairly high
precipitation 2
3
Fairly low
precipitation

Lowest 5
precipitation

Driest place
contender Too much rain
0.03 in (0.76 mm) Nonstop rain can cause rivers to
yearly average;
Arica, Chile burst their banks and flood low-lying
areas. Other floods can be caused by
storm tides and dams bursting.

Flash floods
If a lot of rain falls in a short time it can 1 Yangtze River, China, 1931 4 Mississippi Flood, US, 1927
Caused by the Yangtze bursting The most destructive river flood in
result in “flash” floods, when torrents of its banks. Killed 3.7 million people the history of the United States,
water suddenly run off hills into valleys. directly as well as from disease and with 246 deaths reported.
starvation. China’s Yellow River also
flooded disastrously.
Tehran, Iran, 1954
1
A flash flood rushed through a gully 5 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2011
In 24 hours, the local weather
killing about 2,000 people who had 2 African floods, 2007
Some of the worst, most widespread service recorded more rainfall than
gathered for religious devotions. flooding in history, affecting a belt of was expected for the entire month;
countries from Senegal eastward to caused mudslides and 903 deaths.
2 Black Hills, South Dakota, 1972
Ethiopia and as far south as Rwanda.
There were 238 deaths in a matter of hours;
total damage was $165 million.
3 Bangladesh, 1998 6 Haiti and the Dominican
Two-thirds of the country was Republic, 2004
3 Darfur and South Sudan, 2007
covered with water, and 25–30 Torrential rains made the Solie
Flash floods left 750,000 homeless.
million people lost their homes. River overflow, causing floods and
Krasnodarskiy Kray, Russia, 2012 Many floods affect this low-lying mudslides that destroyed villages
4 country, which is mostly floodplain. and killed more than 2,000 people.
150 were killed in the worst flooding
and landslides in 70 years.

26 ANTARCTICA’S ICE-FREE DRY VALLEYS, IN THE CONTINENT’S

 Rain and snow
Land, sea, and air

197 IN
(5,000 MM) OF RAIN MAY
FALL IN ONE PLACE DURING Rainfall varies dramatically with place. Torrential
INDIA’S MONSOON SEASON rain drenches southern Asia during the monsoon
season, yet some desert regions have virtually
no rain at all. Near the poles, very little snow
falls, but the snow rarely melts, so
some land is permanently
under a layer of ice.

Heaviest rainfall (1 month, and 1 year)

370 in (9,300 mm) and 905 in (22,987 mm);
4 both 1860–61, Cherrapunji, India

3 Snowiest place contender

Arabian Peninsula 49.5 ft (15 m) yearly average;
As in the Sahara, Niseko, Japan
there is very little
rain in this largely
desert region.
Borneo
Many equatorial rainforests, such as
Heaviest rainfall (24 hours) those in Borneo, have no dry season,
71.9 in (1,825 mm); 1966, Foc-Foc, and it rains every day.
Réunion, during Tropical Cyclone Denise

Monsoon extremes
Chittagong, in Bangladesh, has almost no rain in the
dry season, but its monsoon rains are torrential. Paris,
in France, has much more even monthly rainfall.

inches Chittagong Paris millimeters

800
30
700

25
600

20 500
Australia
15
400 This is the driest
inhabited continent.
300 New Zealand
10 Rainfall is fairly high
200 and is spread evenly
throughout the year.
5
100 Driest place on Earth
0 in (0 mm) yearly average;
0 0 Antarctica’s Dry Valleys, which
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec are free of snow and ice.

INTERIOR, HAVE NOT SEEN RAIN FOR MORE THAN 2 MILLION YEARS. 27
 Cyclone
remnants
A cyclone may
travel thousands of
miles before it is
completely spent.

Hurricane Iniki, 1992

Iniki, which reached
Category 4, was the most
powerful storm ever to
strike Hawaii, where it
caused six deaths and
$1.8 billion of damage.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

More than 1,800 people
died when this Category 5
storm hit the US’s east
coast, producing $106
billion of damage.

Hurricane Patricia, 2015 Hurricane Harvey, 2017

With wind speeds of around 149 mph (240 This devastating Category
kph), Patricia was a Category 5 storm. It hit 4 storm hit Texas in late
Cuixmala, Mexico, killing two people directly August, and lasted a
and causing severe, widespread damage. record-breaking 117 hours.

TROPICAL CYCLONE STRENGTH

Big storms that rotate around a core of low-pressure air are called STORM TRACKS
tropical cyclones. The fiercest of these are hurricanes (also known This map shows the paths
as typhoons or just “cyclones”), with winds over 74 mph (119 kph). of some tropical cyclones. When
Their category number is linked to their intensity, or strength. they move beyond the tropical
regions, they become known as
“extratropical” cyclones. By this
Category Wind speed Effects time, they are much weaker.

5 Over 157 mph

(252 kph)
Buildings destroyed;
catastrophic flooding
Tropical cyclone
130–157 mph Roofs blown off; major
4 (209–252 kph) coastal flooding Extratropical cyclone/
111–130 mph Large trees uprooted; cyclone remnant
3 (178–209 kph) mobile homes wrecked
96–111 mph Some roof, door, and
2 (154–178 kph) window damage

Hurricanes
1 74–96 mph
(119–154 kph)
Minor building damage;
branches snapped
Tropical 38–74 mph No significant damage;
storm (63–119 kph) some flood risk
Tropical Under 38 mph No significant damage;
depression (63 kph) some flood risk
Unknown No recorded Various, sometimes
intensity wind speed data catastrophic

28 TROPICAL CYCLONES ROTATE COUNTERCLOCKWISE IN THE NORTHERN

 Land, sea, and air

Structure
of a hurricane
Winds blow in a spiral around the
calm, low-pressure center, or “eye.”
Immediately around the eye is a
dense bank of clouds—the eyewall—
where the winds are strongest.

Satellite view of Hurricane Katrina

The eye is clearly visible, surrounded
by a vast mass of swirling clouds.

Typhoon Tip, 1979

The largest, most intense
tropical storm ever, Tip’s winds
reached 190 mph (305 kph); 86
deaths were recorded. It had
weakened when it hit Japan.

Bhola Cyclone, 1970

This storm of unknown
intensity caused up to
500,000 deaths in what
is now Bangladesh.

Cyclone Idai, 2019

This Category 2 storm made landfall
near Beira, Mozambique, causing
severe flooding and over 1,000 deaths.

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones— Cyclone Marcus, 2018

swirling storms that form at sea in
Marcus was the strongest
tropical cyclone to hit Darwin,

tropical regions. Their deadliest

Australia, since 1974. It
caused an estimated $75

feature, causing 90 percent of

million worth of damage.

deaths, is the storm surge, when

Cyclone Winston, 2016
Category 5 Winston was the most

winds force huge waves ashore

intense tropical storm ever recorded in
the Southern Hemisphere, leaving 44

that batter and flood the coast.

dead and tens of thousands homeless.

HEMISPHERE, BUT CLOCKWISE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. 29

 Tropical broad- Tropical broad- Tropical Temperate broad- Temperate Boreal forest
leaved moist forest leaved dry forest coniferous forest leaved forest coniferous forest Also called taiga,
Also known as rainforest, These areas are warm Many migrating birds and The most common habitat Giant trees, such as the this is the largest land
these warm, wet woods all year round but have butterflies spend the of northern Europe and California redwood, biome on Earth. It is
support a huge variety a long dry season, winter in these warm, home to trees that lose thrive in these regions dominated by just a few
of animal and plant life. and many trees dense conifer forests. their leaves in winter. of warm summers types of coniferous trees.
lose their leaves. and cool winters.

Savanna Flooded savanna

A long dry season Birds are attracted
and short rainy periods to these marshy wetland
results in a grassland areas that are flooded
studded with trees and in the wet season but
herds of grazing animals. grassland at other times. Coral reef
The warm, shallow
waters of a reef support a
huge variety of life, from
sharks to tiny sea horses.

Marine
Biomes
Sea biomes are as
Temperate Mountain varied as those on
grassland grassland land. From beaches
Also known as prairie, The inhabitants of these to the darkest
steppe, or pampas, many remote, high habitats must Mangrove
ocean depths, On the shore, the
of these vast, fertile plains adapt to the cold and the
are now farmland. intense sunlight.
living things find mangroves’ thick, tangled
ways to survive roots slow the water’s
and thrive. flow and create a swamp.

30 TROPICAL RAINFORESTS COVER ABOUT 6 PERCENT OF THE LAND,

 Land, sea, and air

Mediterranean Desert and dry Arctic tundra Polar desert

shrubland shrubland A cold, dry biome Too cold and dry
Hot, dry summers can Desert inhabitants have where the soil stays for almost all plants.
lead to fires that actually to be able to survive on frozen at depth. This Only animals dependent
help the biome’s typical less than 10 in (250 mm) permafrost stops on the sea, such as
shrubby plants sprout. of rainfall per year. trees from growing. penguins, can live here.

A BIOME’S PLANTS
AND ANIMALS FORM
A COMPLEX AND
INTERCONNECTED
COMMUNITY

Biomes
A biome is an area that we
define according to the animals
and plants that live there.
They have to adapt to the
biome’s specific conditions such
as temperature, type of soil, and
the amount of light and water.

BUT ARE HOME TO NEARLY HALF OF ALL LIVING THINGS ON EARTH. 31

 Pacific coast
temperate
rainforest
Stretching from Białowieża Forest
Alaska to California, Located in Poland and Belarus,
this coniferous this is one of the largest existing
forest is wet and parts of an ancient temperate
relatively cool all broad-leaved forest that covered
year round. much of Europe.

Deforestation in Europe
Europe lost most of its forest
cover to crop-growing and
pasture long ago. Between
1100 and 1500, many trees
were cut down to provide
lumber for shipbuilding.
Amazon rainforest
Only the remote central
and northern parts of
the Amazon forest are Congo rainforest
untouched. Much of the rest This is the second-largest
has been logged (cut down tropical rainforest, home
for lumber) and regrown or to gorillas, chimpanzees,
turned into palm oil and and bonobos.
rubber plantations.

KEY
Boreal forest
Cool northern (boreal) regions
Tropical rainforest
Warm and wet climates
Temperate broadd-leaved forest
Atlantic rainforest Mild (temperate) climates
Just 7 percent of this Temperate coniferous forest
tropical rainforest in Mild (temperate) climates
Brazil remains, and
much of what is left is Original forest cover

Forests
in small fragments. Red areas show the full extent of
the world’s forest cover in the past,
before the effects of human activity

Types of forests
Forests differ according to
Forests are vital to life on Earth. climate. Each type of forest
has its own distinct collection
They make the air breathable, protect of trees, forest-floor plants,

the soil, and preserve fresh water

and animal life. Tropical
rainforests are the most
supplies. But they are disappearing— diverse—30 percent of all
plant and animal species live
and while efforts are being made to in the Amazon alone. Some

slow deforestation, about 25 million

tropical forests are evergreen, Temperate broad-leaved
while in others the trees lose Deciduous trees, such as oak

acres are still lost each year.

and beech. Herbs, ferns, and
their leaves in the dry season.
shrubs on the forest floor.

32 IN 2019, AN AREA OF TROPICAL RAINFOREST ABOUT THE SIZE OF

 Taiga Land, sea, and air
This vast belt of boreal forest
stretches right across northern
Europe and Asia. In the east, it is Disappearing forests
wilderness, but much in the west
is working forest, managed for With the world’s population growing, demand for
lumber and paper production. lumber and land for farming and towns has increased
the rate of forest clearance. Here you can see the
decline in Borneo’s forests from 1950 to 2010.

Borneo, 1950 1985 2010

Japan
Japan retains a lot of its original
woodland and is the most thickly
forested industrialized country.

Borneo
Home of most of the world’s

AT CURRENT orangutans, Borneo’s rainforest

has declined by more than
50 percent since the

RATES OF LOGGING, mid-20th century (see above).

New Guinea
Two-thirds of New Guinea is
IN 100 YEARS WE largely unspoiled rainforest,
with many unique species.
It is at risk from logging,

WILL NO LONGER HAVE mining, and agriculture.

ANY RAINFORESTS

New Zealand
The remote
Australia southwest of New
About 38 percent of Zealand is home to
Australia’s forests have unique temperate
been lost since European rainforests full of
Tropical rainforest Boreal forest settlers arrived around lush tree ferns.
As many as 300 tree species Hardy conifers, such as larch, 200 years ago.
per 2.5 acres (hectare). Often spruce, fir, and pine. Mosses
rich in forest-floor plants. dominate the forest floor.

A FOOTBALL FIELD WAS DESTROYED EVERY SIX SECONDS. 33

 Desert tortoise Caribou
Has shovel-shaped Mesquite A deer specialized in living in the cold,
forefeet that help it tree with a long high Arctic. Although it experiences the Greenland ice sheet
dig burrows, where taproot that can low rainfall of a desert, there is rarely a This region experiences the
it shelters from the grow up to 190 ft water shortage, because water collects in coldest and driest conditions
extreme heat of the (60 m) long, as it pools above the deeply frozen soil. There in the Arctic. Nothing can live
day and the cold searches for water is no hot sun to dry it up. on top of the ice.
of the night. deep underground.

Chihuahuan Desert Almería, Spain

Great Basin Northern Mexico Europe’s driest region is
USA
true desert in parts.

Spadefoot toad Syrian Desert

Mojave Digs a burrow with spadelike ridges
Desert Negev
on its back feet. It then makes a Desert
US watertight cocoon of shed skin and
waits—sometimes for months—for
Sonoran the next rains to fall.
Desert
US and Dromedary camel
Mexico Sahara
Native to Arabia but lives
throughout deserts of
Saguaro cactus north Africa. Can live on
Tall, treelike cactus that
Sechura Desert fat stored in its hump and
Peru survives for 2 weeks Sahel
grows in the Sonoran A belt of semidesert, also
Desert. Survives by without a drink.
known as arid savanna, or
storing water in its dry grassland.
fleshy trunk and stems Atacama Desert, Chile
when it rains. It lives Like the Namib, this is a Tsamma watermelon
off this water until the coastal desert, kept dry by a Wild ancestor of the watermelon. Grows
rains come again. cold ocean current nearby. in the Kalahari Desert and stores water
in its big, round fruits.
Patagonian
Desert,
Argentina Lithops, or “living stones”
Some experts Plants also known as pebble plants,
call this a dry because their single pair of round leaves
grassland looks like stones, camouflaging them
rather than against grazers. The leaves also help
a desert. the plants to save and store water.

Namib Desert
Namib desert beetle Namibia
Collects minute droplets of water from

Deserts
early-morning fog on its legs and hard wing
cases. When enough water forms, a droplet Kalahari Desert
rolls down the beetle’s body into its mouth. Botswana and
South Africa

Antarctica
Deserts are found from the icy poles to the One of the most arid parts of Earth’s largest
desert is its Dry Valleys region (right), the only
tropics. So while all deserts have low rainfall— area of Antarctica not covered in thick ice, and

less than 10 in (250 mm) a year, and often

where there is almost no snowfall. Cold, dry
winds blast down from mountain peaks and

much less—they are not always hot. Even in turn all moisture to water vapor.

hot deserts, the nights are often cold.

34 THE SAHARA TAKES UP 8 PERCENT OF THE EARTH’S LAND

 Land, sea, and air

Desert terrain
Deserts range widely in how
they look. Soil forms very
slowly and the land is
often bare rock or gravel.
Any loose, sandy soil may
be blown into dunes.
Sometimes, though, tough Dunes, or “sand seas” Rock and gravel Dry grassland Fleshy plants
grasses or fleshy plants Shifting mountains of sand Where no plants grow, the Desert grasses can form soil Fleshy, water-storing plants
bind the soil together. can prevent plant growth. bedrock is often visible. and provide food for grazers. may form thick vegetation.

Saxaul
Short, shrubby tree that grows in the deserts of
Asia. Its spongy bark stores water, and it holds
onto its water supply, because its tiny leaves
lose very little water by evaporation.
Central Asia
The deserts and semideserts
here are so dry simply because Turpan Depression,
they are so far from the ocean. China
Low-lying area hotter
Kyzyl Kum than the surrounding
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and regions.
Turkmenistan
Karakum
Turkmenistan
Takla Makan
Dasht-e Lut China
Iran Gobi Desert
Mongolia
Arabian Thar Desert and China
Desert Pakistan and India
TYPES OF DESERTS
Hot desert
Tends to lie in two bands, 15–35
degrees north and south of the
equator, where the atmosphere
tends to create weather systems
that produce no rainfall.
Thorny devil
This lizard of Australian
deserts collects dew on its Semidesert
This dry land type often lies at the
THE ENTIRE ANTARCTIC
body at night, then microscopic
grooves on its skin channel the edges of deserts and ranges from
water to its mouth. dry grassland to shrubland. Some
have short periods of rain, but no
CONTINENT IS A more than 20 in (500 mm) a year.

Cold deserts
DESERT—THE LARGEST Great
Sandy
Includes the Gobi in Asia and
the Atacama in South America.

ON EARTH Desert Freezing cold in some seasons

but may be very hot at other times.

Gibson Tundra
Simpson Treeless region of low-growing
Desert
shrubs. Qualifies as a desert due
Desert
to rainfall of less than 10 in (250
mm) a year, but low evaporation
means there is no lack of water.

Great Polar desert

Victoria Includes the driest, coldest parts
of the Arctic where few tundra
Desert
plants can live, and the ice sheets
on Greenland and Antarctica,
where almost nothing lives at all.

AND IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES! 35

Ice

AM
SOERI
Sea ice

UT CA
Sea ice is frozen sea. It

H
forms when the ocean’s
surface freezes in winter.
Where it lasts year round,
Ice covers one-tenth of Earth’s land it may be 20 ft (6 m) thick—

surface, mostly in the polar regions.

elsewhere it is thinner.
“Pancake ice” (right) is
At earlier times in Earth’s history, disks of sea ice up to
4 in (10 cm) thick.
when the climate was much cooler,
ice covered an area up to three
Summer ice Winter ice As the
The polar sea ice cover weather gets colder,

times larger than it does today.

shrinks in summer, but the polar sea ice
some sea always remains spreads far beyond
under a layer of ice. its summer limits.

f
Sea o sk ASIA eri
S i bn d s
an
Laptev
Sea
SEA I
CE, 1981-2010
Ka ra
Sea N ov aya Ze m l y
a
o t ER
Okh w a MM
S eve r n aya Fra
Ne Isl SU nz
E
OF Ze m l ya La Jo
DGE Ba
East E E nd se

U
G
AVERA f re
ian Se nts
Siber
Sea Sva
a
R
O
el lba
W r a n gd Nor th Pole rd
Islan

Gre P
IC
Chuk
Sea
chi
AR CT I C
Wa n d e l
Sea
enl
Sea and No E
rw
IF N ng S
t ra i t O CEAN Se egia
C Beri

P
A EA a n
C
O
Queen
beth G
Eliza s
re Iceland
Am Island en
un
ds la
en Da
G

nd
u vi
sS
lf

tr
ai
Ba t
ffi
n
Is
la
Land ice nd
Thick ice gradually Baffin
builds up on land as B ay
old, unmelted snow is
compacted by layers of La b ra d o r
fresh snow and turned Sea
into ice. Antarctica’s ice
AVE

sheet is up to 3 miles
Hudson
RA

(4.8 km) thick.

GE

Bay
ED

E
G

OF
WIN
TER
SE

NORTH
Ice sheet A vast Ice shelf A floating
A

layer of land ice that extension of an ice

IC
E,

has formed over sheet or glacier,

19

AMERI CA
thousands or even usually hundreds
81
-2

millions of years. of yards thick.

01
0

36 THE TALLEST ICEBERG EVER SEEN IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC ROSE 551 FT
 Land, sea, and air

Falkland
I slands Ker gu elen

ge
ssa SO U T H ERN
Pa

O CEAN
ke
D ra

Sc ot ia IN
Sea
AVE O D
AVER
AG
EE
RA
GE
E C I
DG Wed d ell E
A

DG
E

A
OF

E
SUM Sea

OF

N
ME
R

WI
SE
Fimbul

N
AI

NT
ER
C SE
Larsen E, Ice Shelf A
IC
Ice Shelf
19
81
Riiser-Larsen 19

E,
81
-2
Ice Shelf -2
01

B e l l i n gs haus en 01
0
0
Brunt
Sea Ice Shelf
PA

Filchner
Ronne
OC

Ice Shelf
Ice Shelf
CI
EA
FI

Amer y Ice
N
C

Shelf
Tr South Pole
an
sa
Am S

nt
ar

A
un ea

ct
ic I C
ds

M
CT
e

o
AR
n

Ros
s
She Ice T Shackleton
AN
un

lf Ice Shelf
ta
in
s

D av i s
Ross Sea
Sea

D u mo n t d ' U r v i l l e
Sea

Glaciers and ice sheets

Glaciers are bodies of land ice that usually
form on high mountains in many parts
of the world. These “rivers of ice” flow
slowly downhill until the end melts
or meets the ocean. As they flow,
they dramatically shape the
A

landscape by carving deep valleys

LT EA

in the rock over which they pass.

O

The largest glaciers are the ice

C
A

sheets that cover land in polar

N

regions, such as the Greenland

TI

and Antarctic ice sheets.

N
C

Glaciers

(168 M) ABOVE SEA LEVEL—HIGHER THAN A 55-STORY BUILDING! 37

 Time zones map
The map shows the time of day at 12 noon –11 –10 –9 –8 –7 –6 –5 –4 –3
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the base An imaginary line that sets
the boundary between one
from which all times are set. The columns are day and the next. Crossing
time zones labeled with the number of hours

Inter ate Line

it east to west, you go back
they are ahead or behind UTC. If you stood one whole day (24 hours),

D
halfway between the boundaries of a time zone and crossing it west to east, –4

natio
you go forward one day.
with your watch set to the correct time, at 12
noon the sun would be at its highest point.

Time
–3

nal
–5

–9
–7

zones
–8 –6

–4

–5 –31/2

As Earth rotates, some –7 –6

of it faces the sun and Hawaii
US
A total of five time zones
the rest is in darkness. Part of the US
but thousands of
are set on the mainland
US, including a separate
Since the sun is high miles from the
mainland, Hawaii
–7 zone for Alaska.

in the sky at noon, noon is UTC-10.

–6 –5

is at different times in –10 –4

different places. We
adjust by splitting the –4

Earth into time zones. Caroline Island, Kiribati

Eastern Kiribati is in the –6 –5
farthest forward time zone,
+13 +14 UTC+14. Caroline Island is its
easternmost island and the
–5

SU
Day and night
place where, technically,
–91/2 –4 –3
the sun rises first each day.

NR
On the globe of Earth, we can see day Now you know where to go
–10 to be the first to celebrate –4
and night divided by a straight line from –10
ISE
the New Year!
north to south. When the Earth is laid flat
as on the map here, the light and dark
–8
areas form a bell shape. –6

–4
Daylight –3
During the June solstice
(mid-summer in the north),
there is more sunlight in the
northern hemisphere than
the southern due to the tilt of
the Earth. At the December
solstice (midwinter in the
north), when the southern –4
hemisphere tilts toward
–3
the sun, this bell shape
would be upside down.
Northern summer
The Earth is tilted. When the North Pole
tilts toward the sun and the South Pole 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00
leans away, it is summer in the northern
hemisphere (northern half of the world)
and winter in the southern hemisphere,
as on the main map. –3

38 BEFORE TIME ZONES, LOCAL TIME WAS DECIDED BY THE TOWN TIME--
 Land, sea, and air
–2 –1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 –12
Norway–Russia border

Interte Line
At this point where Norway, Finland, and Russia Russia

Da
meet, you can be in three time zones at once. It’s As the country that spans the greatest distance

natio
the only place in Europe where that happens. west to east, Russia has the most consecutive
+1 time zones, with 10 (and 11 including Kaliningrad).
0

nal
+3

–1
+1 +7 +10

0 +11 +12
+2 +9
+1 +3 +5

+7 +8 +12
+3
0 +1 +4 –10
Greenwich, +10
London, UK +1 +2 +6
+4 +5
Where global +8
standard China
time was Some countries prefer not
first agreed. 0 +4 +5
+1 +3 +5 +8
to be divided by different
+9 time zones, even if they
+9
+2 +4 1/
2
cross more than one.
Though it spans five
+1 +31/2 +5 time zones, all of China
+6
+53/4 is at UTC+8 hours.
+2 +3 –11
+11
+6
0 +51/2 +61/2 +8
+4 +9
–1 +2
+1
0 +7
+12
0 +3 +51/2 +8 +10
+1 +8
+5
+7
+9
+2 +8 +10
+3 India
ET

+4
Some nations
NS

set their clocks +61/2

+1 to half- or even +12
SU

+2 quarter-hour time +11

+3 zones, so they can +91/2
be as close to the
+8 +13
+1 worldwide time +10
+2 zone as possible.
+91/2
+111/2
Prime Meridian

+10
The Prime Meridian is a line
of longitude running from the
These are the worldwide +12
North to the South Pole and +10
through Greenwich, UK. It is times according to the
the origin of worldwide time position of the sun in the
sky. Artificial time zones +123/4
and given a longitude value +5
of 0°. All time zones are measured often differ according to
from this, according to 24 other political borders, in order
lines of longitude corresponding to unite an area or an entire
to the 24 hours in the day. nation under one time.

10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 24:00

Day/ 20th
night at 1
2:00 UTC on June

KEEPER, WHO RECORDED 12 PM WHEN THE SUN WAS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. 39

 Living world
Humpback whales
Two humpbacks “breach” (leap
out of the water) off the coast
of Alaska. During winter,
humpbacks move south to
warmer waters.
Introduction
Birds
The power of flight allows birds to reach the remotest islands,
and some to live in different parts of the world in summer and
winter, migrating between the two. There is almost nowhere
on Earth that lacks birdlife. Here are their secrets.

Life exists in every corner of the planet— Lightweight bones Warming feathers
from high mountains to deep oceans, Most bird bones are hollow,
reinforced by bony struts.
Two layers of body feathers
keep the bird’s skin warm.
and from blazing deserts to the freezing Flight feathers Efficient lungs
polar regions. Each animal’s Wing and tail feathers
provide lift and steer
Bird lungs are far more
efficient than mammals’,
body, life cycle, and behavior the bird in fight. giving them the oxygen they
need for energetic flight.
is adapted to its particular
habitat, because this maximizes
its chances of survival. Plant species,
too, have their own adaptations
that help them thrive. Bald eagle
A North American bird
of prey, the bald eagle
snatches fish from lakes.

Marine animals Gills

Sea mammals must surface to
Living in water gives more support breathe, but fish take oxygen directly
than living on land, so many sea from the water using their gills.
creatures survive without strong
Smooth shape
skeletons. Sea water carries clouds Fast-moving marine animals have
of microscopic life-forms and dead a streamlined body, which helps
matter, and many sea animals can them move through the water easily.
afford to give up moving from place
Buoyancy aid
to place, fix themselves to the Some fish have an air-filled “swim
seabed, and “filter feed” by grabbing bladder” to help control buoyancy.
these passing pieces of food.
Bioluminescence
Coral It is dark in the ocean depths. Many
Tropical coral reefs are giant deep-sea animals produce light by
growths of filter-feeding life- chemical reactions in their bodies.
forms on the seabed.

Desert cacti
The waxy, fleshy bodies of
these desert plants store
water. The leaves are reduced
to spines, which lose less
water to the air. The roots of a
cactus may spread out over a
wide area, to absorb as much
water as possible.

Spineless cactus
A spineless variety
of the prickly pear.

42 THERE ARE PROBABLY AT LEAST 1 MILLION UNDISCOVERED SPECIES IN

 Living world

Polar regions
The sea in the Arctic and Antarctic is so Natural antifreeze
cold, fish are in danger of freezing. Above the Most polar fish have a chemical
in their blood that prevents ice
water it is even colder, and no large, cold-blooded crystals from forming in the body.
animals exist. Warm-blooded animals—those able to
retain body heat—predominate. Polar mammals often Small extremities
have two layers of fur: an underlayer of soft hairs that trap Polar bears and Arctic foxes have
small, rounded ears and muzzles
air warmed by the animal’s body close to the skin, and an that reduce heat loss.
outer coat of coarse hairs that keeps out the fiercest gales.
Legs and feet
Some animals have long legs
Polar bear that wade through snow or broad
This arctic mammal has a bulky, rounded body feet that act like snowshoes.
surrounded by fat and fur that keep it warm.

Western
brown snake
A venomous
Australian
desert species.

Desert regions
The driest parts of the world
challenge plants and animals, and
desert wildlife is not as abundant
as in wetter regions. Desert life-
forms must get enough water—
and keep what they have. Some
desert animals get all the water
they need from their food.

Plant adaptations Bo tree leaves

Nocturnal lifestyle
Many animals are active only at night.
In rainforests, plants are This fig tree with Gerbils and jerboas retreat into
in strong competition to drip-tip leaves grows in daytime burrows to stay cool.
the rainforests of southern Asia.
reach sunlight. They all
Large extremities
grow as fast as possible Fennec foxes have huge ears that
whenever there is an radiate heat away from the body.
Rainforest plants
opening allowing in the
To reach the sun, many rainforest plants Drinking dew
sun. In deserts, plants get are specialist climbers, and others are Insects and lizards drink dewdrops.
plenty of light, but they epiphytes, which grow on top of other plants. Larger desert animals that feed at
struggle to get enough Many rainforest leaves taper to a long point, a dawn take in dew as they eat plants.
water from the soil. “drip tip,” to help excess rainwater run off.

THE MUD OF THE DEEP OCEAN FLOOR—PERHAPS UP TO 100 MILLION! 43

 Ornithomimus
6

7 Tyrannosaurus

Barosaurus

Dinosaur
3 1 Coelophysis

fossils
Dinosaur fossils occur
in layers of rock that
formed millions of years
ago. Scientists
2 Eoraptor

excavate (dig up)

the fossils in
places where
the movement ZHUCHENG, OR DINOSAUR CITY, IN CHINA
of Earth’s tectonic
plates has forced HAS YIELDED MORE THAN 7,600 FOSSILS
these layers to
the surface. Major fossil sites Jurassic
Dinosaur National Monument, US
Triassic 3
Famed for long-necked sauropod
KEY Ghost Ranch, US dinosaurs, such as Barosaurus.
The dinosaur age spanned three 1
geological periods. Fossil sites Thousands of Coelophysis
found here in 1947. They died 4 Solnhofen, Germany
are colored according to period Archaeopteryx, an ancestor of modern
(mya = million years ago). when caught in a flash flood
about 215 mya. birds, was discovered here in 1861.
Cretaceous
2 Valle de la Luna, Argentina
Triassic (251–200 mya) Eoraptor—perhaps the first true 5 Liaoning, China
Jurassic (200–145 mya) dinosaur, from about 230 mya— Many birdlike dinosaur fossils have
Cretaceous (145–65 mya) was discovered here in 1993. been unearthed here, including the
turkey-sized Caudipteryx.

44 AS WELL AS BONES, NESTS, EGGS, AND TRACKS, FOSSILS INCLUDE

 Living world

Dinosaur footprints
Fossil hunters have found tracks
preserved in mud and sand that
later turned into rock. These
tracks can tell us how dinosaurs
walked, and whether they lived
Dinosaur Ridge Dinosaur State Park Purgatoire River site
alone or in groups. The sites Colorado. Hundreds Connecticut. One of the Colorado. Giant
shown here are all in the US. of prints unearthed largest track sites in sauropod prints
when building a road. North America. left on a lake shore.

4 Archaeopteryx

5 Caudipteryx

9 Hadrosaurus

8
Protoceratops

6 Dinosaur Provincial Park, Canada 9 Zhucheng, China

An entire Ornithomimus, from 75 Since the 1960s, over 55 tons
mya, was discovered here in 1995. of fossils have been found here. 10
Rich in remains of “duck-billed”
Leaellynasaura
7 Hell Creek, US dinosaurs such as Hadrosaurus.
Ancient rocks here have yielded a
range of dinosaur fossils—among 10 Dinosaur Cove, Australia
them, Tyrannosaurus. About 105 mya this was near the
South Pole. Until the discovery of
8 Flaming Cliffs, Mongolia Leaellynasaura here in 1989, no
The first Protoceratops fossils and one knew dinosaurs could live
dinosaur nest were found here. through cold, long, dark winters.

TRACES OF SKIN AND FEATHERS, AND EVEN DINOSAUR POOP! 45

 Americas 4. Boa constrictor Africa Eurasia
1. Bald eagle A large snake, the boa coils 7. African rock python 10. Polar bear
Stabs its sharp talons into around its prey and squeezes Growing up to 28 ft (8.5 m) Can kill with a single
prey and rips open the body until the victim suffocates. long, pythons prey on monkeys, swipe from one of its 40-lb
with its hooked bill. pigs, and birds. (18-kg) front paws.
5. Jaguar
2. Wolverine Unable to run fast for very 8. African lion 11. Golden eagle
Preys on rodents, other long, the jaguar relies on The females do most of the With its amazing eyesight, can
small mammals, and even stealth to creep up on prey. hunting. The male defends the spot prey 1.25 miles (2 km) away.
weakened reindeer. pride’s territory.
6. Piranha 12. Gray wolf
3. Coyote Using razor-sharp teeth, 9. African wild dog Packs can bring down
Eats almost anything, a shoal can reduce a deer Can chase down prey at 25 mph animals as large as
from insects and frogs to bones in minutes. (40 kph) for 3 miles (5 km) or more. reindeer or musk ox.
to calves and lambs.

10. Polar bear

On land and sea 11. Golden eagle
ice within the Europe, North
Arctic Circle America, northern
Asia, and Africa

1. Bald eagle
Throughout North
America 2. Wolverine 3. Coyote
Canada and From Alaska to
Central America
3,000–4,000:
northern US;
Scandinavia 19. Killer whale
and Siberia (orca)
Oceans worldwide
THE NUMBER OF 4. Boa constrictor
From Mexico to
TIGERS LEFT IN Argentina 20. Common dolphin
Cool and warm oceans
worldwide
THE WILD 21. Sperm whale
Worldwide, to the
edge of the polar ice
18. California sea lion
Pacific coast of 7. African
North America and the rock python
Galápagos Islands Africa, south of
the Sahara

Predators
5. Jaguar
Southwestern
US to northern
Argentina

22. Tuna
Cool and warm

Found on every continent and in

oceans worldwide

every ocean, predators are animals

that kill and eat other creatures.
With their incredible array of
hunting strategies and body parts 6. Piranha

adapted for killing, they include

North, central,
and eastern 23. Great
South America
some of the most fascinating
white shark
Cool and warm

species on the planet.

oceans worldwide

46 WHEN A PEREGRINE FALCON DIVES ON A PIGEON AT FULL SPEED,

 Living world

Oceans
13. Eurasian lynx 16. Tiger 18. California sea lion 21. Sperm whale
Furry ear tufts gather prey Camouflaged by its May hunt nonstop for 30 hours, May dive to 9,843 ft
noises in the dense forest, stripes, a tiger stalks diving for up to 5 minutes at a time. (3,000 m) deep in
where sounds are muffled. its prey and kills with a search of giant squid.
bite to the neck. 19. Killer whale (orca)
14. Peregrine falcon Many hunt sea lions, dolphins, 22. Tuna
Dives onto prey at 200 mph 17. Sunda clouded leopard and even whales. Can snatch Able to swim at 50 mph
(320 kph), making it the fastest For its size, this shy seals off the ice. (80 kph); hunts fish and
animal on Earth. forest-dweller has squid near surface.
longer canine teeth 20. Common dolphin
15. Eurasian badger than any other cat. Together, dolphins can 23. Great white shark
Eats worms, insects, birds, herd fish to the surface, Kills dolphins, seals, and big
frogs, lizards, and small where they are easier to catch. fish, including other sharks,
mammals, plus plants. with its jagged teeth.

12. Gray wolf

Much of Asia, parts of Europe,
and northern North America

14. Peregrine
falcon
Lives on every
continent except
Antarctica
13. Eurasian lynx
Europe (mainly
northern and
eastern parts) to
northern and
central Asia 16. Tiger
Parts of India,
China, Siberia, and
southeast Asia

15. Eurasian badger

Europe and Asia below Australasia
the Arctic Circle 24. Saltwater crocodile
Preys on water buffalo and
cattle on land. Spends much
of its life at sea, catching fish.

25. Tasmanian devil

This marsupial’s
strong jaws can crush
8. African lion the bones of birds, fish,
Africa, south and small mammals.
17. Sunda clouded leopard
of the Sahara Sumatra and Borneo in
southeast Asia

Food chains
A food chain shows how food
energy passes from one living
thing to the next. Food chains
start with plants, which use
Martial eagle
sunlight to make their own (top
food. Plants are eaten by predator)
9. African herbivores. Predators
wild dog eat herbivores Meerkat (predator)
Africa, south and smaller 24. Saltwater
of the Sahara crocodile
predators. Imperial scorpion (predator)
Southeast Asia and
Northern Australia
Grasshopper
(herbivore) 25.Tasmanian devil
A FOOD CHAIN IN THE Tasmania, an island off the
Grass AFRICAN SAVANNA southeastern tip of Australia

THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT MAY DECAPITATE (BEHEAD) ITS PREY! 47

 Polar bear Adder
Approaches human settlements, Britain’s only venomous
Grizzly bear and becomes dangerous, when snake, but bites from this
Causes 5–10 deaths a year, it is very hungry. viper are rarely fatal.
occasionally attacking
humans when surprised
or with cubs.

Honey bees
About 400
vulnerable people
die of bee stings
each year.
Black bear
Killed two people in the US in
2020 and 29 since 1900. They
rarely attack, but often live near
humans, so conflicts happen. Polar
bear
Cougar
Cougar attacks have caused
26 deaths in North America
between 1890 and 2020.
Great white shark
Humans are the same size as its Tsetse fly
natural prey—seals. Since 1876, Transmits sleeping
it has killed more than 80
Golden poison
dart frog sickness, which kills up
people, more than 10 of those

Deadly
Has the most potent Eastern diamondback to 10,000 people a year.
off the coast of California.
toxin in the animal rattlesnake
kingdom. Compared to any other
rattlesnake, it has the longest
fangs in proportion to its length.

creatures
Fer-de-lance
Irritable and fast-moving, this pit
viper causes three-quarters of
1 snakebite fatalities in Venezuela.

Electric eel
Multiple shocks can cause
breathing or heart failure,
or drowning.

Very few wild animals hunt people for 2

Mosquito
Causes more than half a
food, but many pose a danger when million deaths per year by
transmitting malaria.
they feel threatened—especially
those armed with venom. Banana spider
Also known as the Brazilian
wandering spider, the world’s
most venomous spider lives
close to humans and often hides
Venomous hunters in banana plants.

Many snakes, spiders, and other animals inject venom (poison) to Africanized bees
paralyze or stun their prey. This venom can also be deadly to humans. Aggressive hybrids known as “killer
bees.” More likely to sting but no more
venomous than other honey bees.
1 2 3

Anaconda
Can weigh as much as a heavyweight
boxer and occasionally attacks humans.

Inland taipan Banana spider Blue-ringed octopus South American rattlesnake

This snake kills small This spider’s jaws are This octopus’s venom Venom attacks human nervous
birds with venomous adapted to small prey, is 10,000 times more system more strongly than that
bites that would be so it rarely injects its toxic than cyanide, of other rattlesnakes.
fatal to humans. venom into people. and there is no cure.

48 ANIMAL TOXINS ARE USEFUL. SCIENTISTS HAVE ADAPTED THE

 Living world
SOME VICTIMS OF STONEFISH VENOM Defensive poisons
SAY IT’S GOOD FOR THEIR ARTHRITIS Many animals use toxins (poisons) against predators. The poisons
may be in spines or stings, or they may ooze from the skin.

Asp viper
Causes about 90 percent of all
snake bites in Italy, but only 4 1 2 3
percent of bites are fatal.
Pallas’s viper
0.004 oz Golden poison Pufferfish Stonefish
(0.1 gram) of dart frog The poison in puffers’ This fish’s spines stop
venom can kill The skin has enough skin and liver could kill predators, but also
a human, but toxin to kill 10 people. a human, but these endanger humans
European black
only strikes It is effective against fish make a prized who are pricked
widow spider dish in Japan. by accident.
Venom is 15 times stronger if threatened. its snake predators.
than a rattlesnake’s.

Fat-tailed scorpion
Most dangerous scorpion in North Tiger
Africa and the Middle East. Until recent improvements in tiger
management, hunted and killed Pufferfish
about 50 people every year in the Eaten as fugu in Japan and
Sundarbans mangroves of India. bok-uh in Korea, but some
Common krait parts highly poisonous.
Most venomous 2
Malayan Accidents happen when
land snake untrained people catch
in Asia. pit viper
Responsible for and eat the fish.
700 snakebites Box jellyfish
annually in Has enough toxin to kill 60 humans,
Puff adder Malaysia. and in the Philippines 20–40 people
Lives in heavily die each year from stings.
populated areas
and is the most Saltwater crocodile
dangerous Lionfish Makes frequent fatal
snake in Africa. Its venomous attacks on humans
spines can cause in New Guinea, the
Elephant African lion severe injuries, Solomon Islands,
Attacks Kills 70 people a breathing and Indonesia.
people year in Tanzania, difficulties, and
when either by hunting temporary
threatened them for food, or Asian cobra paralysis.
and kills in defense. Responsible for
more human Stonefish
nearly 300 Venom injected
people a Hippopotamus deaths than 3
Causes more than 300 any other snake. by spines causes
year. unbearable pain
deaths a year, sometimes
by upturning boats. and death in
Komodo dragon a few hours
Giant lizard that grows up to if not treated.
10 ft (3 m) long and may, very
rarely, attack and eat humans.

3 1

Blue-ringed octopus
Cape buffalo Enough toxin in its
Attacks when defending body to kill 26 adult
itself and kills more than humans. It can cause Tiger snake
200 people a year. respiratory failure. In humans,
60 percent of
untreated bites
Redback spider
Black mamba Also known as the Australian black
result in serious
Fastest snake on Earth and kills poisoning or
widow. Deaths are rare, but bites
any human it bites unless the death.
can result in fatal complications.
victim takes antivenom.

Six-eyed sand spider Inland taipan

Deadliest venom of any land snake, but Funnel-web spider
There is no antivenom for its Its extremely toxic venom
bite but (luckily) it is shy and snake scientists are almost the only
known victims. They recovered after could kill a small child in
has little contact with people. 15 minutes.
treatment with antivenom.

TOXIN FROM POISON DART FROGS TO PRODUCE A POTENT PAINKILLER. 49

 How the aliens invade
Stowaways Introduced by humans
Fleas and other parasites can hitch a ride via animal or human Some species are deliberately introduced by humans.
hosts. Rats, mice, and insects can travel hidden in This can be by hunters, for meat, fur, or sport; by
ships’ cargo. Some species sneak in when empty farmers; or for biological control, where a new species
cargo ships take on local seawater as ballast, is introduced to control native pests. Some invaders are
then pump it out at their destination. Every day, escaped pets, or plants washed out of home aquariums.
large numbers of marine organisms are A few have even been released by immigrants who
transported around the globe in this way. introduce familiar wildlife to remind them of home!
Black rat Cane toad

Common starling Stoat

European native bird Introduced to islands
released in New York off Denmark and
City in 1890 by
Racoon homesick English
the Netherlands, it
Since its introduction, eradicated the native
Zebra mussel settler Eugene water voles.
has devastated the
Traveled from the Schieffelin.
seabird population of
Canada’s Scott Islands. Caspian Sea to the Gray squirrel
Great Lakes of North This US import to Britain
America in the ballast competes for habitat with
water of ships. the native red squirrel.

Japanese knotweed
Dense thickets of this
Rainbow trout weed crowd out native
In California, this fish plant life on riverbanks
has endangered the Gypsy moth and roadsides in Europe.
Sierra Nevada This European native
yellow-legged frog. costs about $870
million each year in Chinese mitten crab
damage to US trees. A burrowing species that
Velvet tree Flowerpot snake threatens the US fishery
Known as the “purple Emigrated to the US industry by eating bait
plague of Hawaii,” it from Africa and Asia by and trapped fish.
threatens native rainforest stowing away in the soil
plant species. of exported pot plants.

Feral pig
In Mexico’s Revillagigedo Islands, American bullfrog
this former farm animal preys on Native to North America, it
the endangered Townsend’s is now a resident of more
shearwater bird. than 40 countries.
Fire ant
Threatens tortoises on
the Galápagos Islands by
Red-vented bulbul eating hatchlings and
A major agricultural pest attacking adults.
in Tahiti, it feeds on fruit
and vegetable crops.
Feral goat
Has caused serious Africanized honey bee
damage to native Specially bred for survival in the
vegetation on the tropics, this “killer bee” turned
Galápagos Islands. out to be too aggressive and
unpredictable for beekeepers.

ABOUT
90 PERCENT
OF THE WORLD’S ISLANDS
HAVE NOW BEEN Red Deer
Introduced from Europe
House mouse
With no predators on Gough Island,
to provide sportspeople non-native mice have grown to
INVADED BY RATS with game. three times their usual size.

50 INVASIVE SPECIES HAVE PLAYED A PART IN ALMOST HALF OF THE

 Alien
Living world
Invasive species are animals or plants that enter and
thrive in an environment where they are not native.

invasion
Native species (plants and animals already living
there) usually have no defense. The invading
aliens can wipe out native species by
preying on them or out-
competing them.

Signal crayfish Small Indian mongoose

Introduced from North America to Has destroyed seven native animal
Scandinavia for food, but carries “crayfish species on Japan’s Amami Ōshima
plague” which hits native crayfish. Island since 1979.
Chinese creeper vine
Introduced to India in World
War II to camouflage airfields,
“Warty” comb jellyfish it is now a rampant weed.
A recent arrival via tankers from
the US, it peaked at more than 95
percent of the weight of all living Arctic fox
things in the Black Sea. Its introduction to the Aleutian Islands
by fur hunters has been disastrous for
African land snail ground-nesting birds.
Brought to Taiwan as
human food, it carries
diseases, including Brown tree snake
meningitis. Accidentally introduced, it has caused
the extinction of most of Guam’s native
birds and lizards.

Water hyacinth
Kills fish and turtles in Papua New
Guinea by blocking sunlight and
starving the water of oxygen.

Cane toad
Australians are trying to control their 200
million cane toads (which were themselves
introduced to control beetle crop pests) by
culling and genetic engineering.

Giant sensitive plant Brown rat Polynesian

A serious weed in A threat to island- rat (kiore)
Thailand, it clogs nesting seabirds Stowed away
Nile perch with Māori
This fish has contributed irrigation systems everywhere, it was
and lowers eradicated from settlers.
to the extinction of more Eats nesting
than 200 fish species in crop yields. seven islands in
Fiji in 2010. seabirds.
Lake Victoria.
Yellow crazy ants
On Christmas Island, millions of
red land crabs have been killed
by these invaders.

European rabbit Common brushtail

More than 200 million rabbits overran possum
Australia, from an original 24 released by First brought to New
an English immigrant for hunting. Zealand to establish
a fur trade.
Dromedary camel
Originally brought in Northern
Prickly pear for transport, there
South Africa is looking Feral cat Pacific seastar
are now 1.1 million In Tasmania, volunteers
at biological methods of On the Kerguelen
feral (“gone wild”) organize “hunting days”
controlling this invasive Islands, cats kill
camels in Australia. to try to eradicate this
weed—for instance, 1.2 million nesting
by introducing the seabirds every year. Japanese starfish.
cactus moth, whose
caterpillars eat it. Wasps
Black swan Have reached plague proportions in
Introduced in 1864 to New Zealand
the beech forests of the South Island.
from Australia as an ornamental bird.

ANIMAL EXTINCTIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LAST 400 YEARS. 51

 The rufous hummingbird
migrates from Mexico to
its breeding grounds in
Canada and Alaska. Red knot
Each spring, red knots travel from the
tip of South America to their breeding
grounds in the Canadian Arctic. They
spend over half of the year on this
18,600-mile (30,000-km) round trip.

Rufous hummingbird In the Atlantic, Arctic

So that it can feed on terns take different
nectar during its journey, routes north and south,
the rufous hummingbird since they follow the
times its migration prevailing winds.
to coincide with the
blooming of flowers
along its flight path. 2 3

Golden-cheeked warbler Aquatic warbler

This endangered warbler breeds in just This rare songbird flies
a few patches of juniper-oak forest from eastern Europe to
in Texas. It winters in the pine-oak 1 winter in Senegal.
woodlands that stretch from southern
Mexico to Nicaragua, but these habitats

Bird
are threatened by deforestation.

migration Barn swallows

breed in North
America and
winter from Mexico
to South America. Arctic tern
In August, this tern leaves its summer

Many birds breed in one location

breeding grounds in the Arctic to fly to
the other end of the world for the start

during summer and then fly off

of the Antarctic summer. Because it
experiences two summers, it sees

to spend winter somewhere

more daylight than any other animal.

warmer. The following year,

they return to raise the next Some Arctic terns
generation. These annual fly up to 49,700
miles (80,000 km)
flights, or migrations, may per year.

cover thousands of miles

and require incredible stamina.

52 IN A LIFETIME THAT CAN SPAN MORE THAN 30 YEARS, AN ARCTIC

 Living world
Red-breasted goose
After wintering on the Black Sea coast,
the red-breasted goose heads north to
raise chicks on the Russian tundra.

Barn swallows that

spend winter in India
fly north to nest in
northern Asia. A bar-tailed godwit may
travel up to 286,000
miles (460,000 km)
Ferruginous duck during the course
This widespread duck breeds on of its life.
marshes and lakes and makes
Barn swallows of relatively short migrations.
southern Africa fly Ferruginous ducks that breed
to Europe to breed. in western China and Mongolia
winter in India and Pakistan.

4
ARCTIC TERNS FLY FROM
Sociable lapwing
THE ANTARCTIC TO
In 2007, the sociable
lapwing’s migration
route from east Africa Barn swallow
GREENLAND
to Kazakhstan and
IN 40 DAYS
Each year, huge flocks
Russia was revealed migrate between northern
for the first time by Australia and eastern
satellite tracking. Russia. These birds can
catch insects on the wing Aided by strong tailwinds at
and drink by scooping high altitude, the godwits
water from lakes. can make the return
journey to New Zealand
in just over eight days.
Migration bottlenecks
Places that lie on the flight paths of many
birds are known as migration bottlenecks.
They are especially important for soaring
birds such as storks and birds of prey.
These birds can’t fly far over water, so Bar-tailed godwit
Bar-tailed godwits fly from New Zealand
they rely on routes with the shortest sea to breed in Alaska. On the return trip,
crossings. Millions of birds may pass at one was tracked flying 7,258 miles
these favorite spots. (11,680 km) nonstop over the
Pacific Ocean—the longest continuous
1 Panama journey ever recorded for a bird.
About 3 million birds of prey use this land
bridge between North and South America.

2 Strait of Gibraltar
Soaring birds fly to Europe from Africa on
this sea crossing of only 9 miles (14 km).

3 Sicily and Malta

These islands are “stepping stones” for
birds flying from Italy to Tunisia and Libya.

4 Egypt
Egypt has several bottlenecks—such as
Suez, Hurghada, and Zaranik—for birds
This flock of white storks flying over Spain
flying between Africa and Europe or Asia.
reached Europe via the Strait of Gibraltar.

TERN MAY FLY THE EQUIVALENT OF THREE ROUND TRIPS TO THE MOON! 53
 1. Gulf of Alaska
Humpbacks make “bubblenets.” They blow a curtain
of bubbles around a shoal of fish. This causes the
fish to cluster tightly, making them easier to catch.
1
4. Western North Atlantic
There are only about 450 North Atlantic
right whales left. Most spend the
summer feeding in the waters from
2. Sea of Cortez New York to Nova Scotia. They head
Humpback whales in the Sea of Cortez
south in winter to breed in the warmer
can often be seen breaching (launching
waters off Georgia and Florida.
out of the water) and slapping their fins
and tails on the surface. Whales are
social animals, and this behavior
may be a form of communication.
4
2
3

3. Baja California, Mexico 5. Brazil

The gray whales here are exceptionally friendly, From June to November
approaching boats to let whale-watchers touch each year, more than
them and even scratch their tongues. The whales 300 southern right whales
migrate between Baja California and Alaska. gather off the state of Santa
Catarina to mate, calve, and
nurse their young.

Whales 5

Graceful swimmers, superb

divers, and powerful predators,
whales and orcas (killer whales) 7. South Africa
are among the most impressive
6 Each June, southern
right whales arrive off the

ocean creatures. They were once

coast of South Africa from
their Antarctic breeding

hunted near to extinction. Today,

grounds, giving whale-
watchers a chance to

thousands of people take whale-

6. Patagonia, Argentina enjoy their spectacular
Orcas snatch elephant seals and sea lions acrobatic displays.

watching trips to see these majestic

from their colonies. They surge ashore on
the surf and grab prey in their jaws as they

marine mammals in the wild.

land on the beach, before maneuvering
back into the water with the next wave.
If they misjudged the attack, they would
become fatally stranded on the beach.

54 THE BLUE WHALE IS THE LARGEST ANIMAL EVER TO HAVE LIVED

 Living world

Migration 1 MILLION SPERM WHALES WERE

Whales travel to cold waters near the poles to feed, then
move to warmer waters closer to the equator to breed. Few KILLED BEFORE HUNTING THEM
species migrate across the equator, so there can be separate
populations in the northern and southern hemispheres. WAS BANNED IN 1981

KEY
Breeding areas Warmer waters for giving birth
Feeding areas Cooler waters that are rich in food
Migration routes Breeding-to-feeding areas and back
Site of spectacular whale behavior

10
10. Northwest Pacific
In winter, the humpbacks of the western Pacific
mate and calve in warm, subtropical waters from
the Philippines to Japan. Summer sees them
8 traveling to feed in the extreme north of the
Pacific, around the Aleutian Islands.

8. Sri Lanka
Between December and April,
Dondra Point, on Sri Lanka’s
southern tip, is the best place
to see blue whales. Unlike most
populations of blue whales, this one
does not migrate to polar waters to
feed. These northern Indian Ocean
blue whales both breed and feed
year round in tropical waters.

11

11. Kaikoura, New Zealand

This one of few places in the world where
9. Antarctica sperm whales can be seen year round. They
Antarctic orcas often are attracted by an underwater canyon
hunt in teams, herding close to the shore that has abundant
their prey together marine life, including the giant squid
before attacking from that the whales hunt.
different angles. They
will also tip over ice
floes to knock penguins
and seals into the water.
9

ON EARTH. ITS TONGUE ALONE CAN WEIGH AS MUCH AS AN ELEPHANT! 55

 SOME SHARKS GROW Freshwater sharks
UP TO 30,000 TEETH Some shark species are found
in freshwater habitats. The
bull shark, for example, lives
IN THEIR LIFETIME in warm coastal waters
worldwide, but it sometimes
swims up larger rivers and
into lakes. Bull sharks are
very territorial, so if they find
humans swimming in their
river, they may attack them.

Potomac River
Mississippi River Bull sharks up to 8 ft
One bull shark (2.4 m) long have been
reached Alton, caught in the Potomac.
Illinois, 1,150 miles
(1,850 km upstream.

Lake Nicaragua
Bull sharks
reach the lake
Nicole via the San Juan River.

In 2003–04, a female great

white shark, nicknamed
Nicole, made the longest Amazon River
known migration by a shark. There have been
Nicole swam from Africa to sightings of bull
sharks 1,200
Australia and back—more than miles (2,000 km)
12,400 miles (20,000 km)—in from the sea.
9 months. She mostly swam
at the surface, but at times
she reached depths of up
to 3,200 ft (980 m).

Nicole’s route was tracked using

an electronic tag fitted to her fin.

DISTRIBUTION OF SHARKS WORLDWIDE

Some shark species cruise almost all the world’s
oceans, while others have a more limited range,
preferring either cooler or warmer seas.

Whale shark Great white shark Port Jackson shark

The largest fish in the sea, reaching Found in the majority of the world’s seas, A reef-dweller from around southern
lengths of 40 ft (12 m) or more, the whale shark the great white has made the most recorded attacks Australia, this shark has wide, flat teeth that crush
prefers warm waters. It feeds mainly on plankton. on humans. It can swim at more than 25 mph (40 kph). hard-shelled prey such as oysters, snails, and crabs.
Basking shark Great hammerhead shark Pygmy shark
At 30 ft (10 m) long, this is the second- Often found near tropical reefs, the At 8–10 in (20–25 cm) long, this is one of
largest fish. Found in temperate seas, it swims great hammerhead preys on stingrays, using its the smallest sharks. It hunts squid at depths of up to
open-mouthed, filtering plankton from the water. hammer to pin down the fish before biting them. 6,000 ft (1,800 m) in subtropical and temperate seas.

56 A GREAT WHITE SHARK’S SUPERB SENSE OF SMELL CAN DETECT TINY

 Sharks
Living world

Fast, powerful, and armed with razor-

sharp teeth, sharks are superb predators.
They are much feared, but attacks on
people are relatively rare. Humans, in
contrast, kill 100 million sharks per year. Subarctic species
Piked dogfish inhabit temperate and
cool seas, venturing as far north as
the edge of the Arctic Circle.
Ganges River
In the Ganges and
Brahmaputra, the
bull shark is often
mistaken for the rare
Ganges shark.

Wide distribution
Zambezi River The great white shark has one
Bull sharks are of the greatest ranges of any
known to attack shark species. However, it is
young hippos. not found in polar waters.

Nicole’s route
The trip from South Africa to Australia
took Nicole the great white shark
99 days. After about 3 months, she
set off again on the return journey.

Pacific angel shark Frilled shark Bull shark

This shark of the eastern Pacific lies With its flat head and eellike body, this This shark is one of the most dangerous
on the seabed and ambushes passing fish. It is frilled shark looks very different than other sharks. to humans. It preys on sharks, rays, and other fish,
superbly camouflaged by its mottled, sandy back. It lives near the seabed in deep water. as well as squid, turtles, and crustaceans.
Ornate wobbegong Longnose sawshark Piked dogfish
Elaborately patterned and with fleshy The longnose lives off southern Australia. Its snout Once among the most abundant sharks, the piked
projections around its jaws, this shark inhabits is a long, sawlike projection edged with rows of dogfish is now threatened as a result of overfishing.
tropical waters, mainly around the Australian coast. large, sharp teeth. It gathers in shoals by the thousand.

DROPS OF BLOOD IN THE WATER FROM 3 MILES (5 KM) AWAY. 57

Americas Eurasia
4. Electric eel 7. Arapaima 9. Wels catfish
1. North American The adult fish relies on Uses its fins to
white sturgeon Generates huge electric shocks to
stun prey and ward off attackers. air-breathing, not gills, to get oxygen. capture prey before
Similar to sturgeons living 100 million But its need to come to the surface swallowing its catch whole.
years ago, this fish depends heavily on 5. Redtail catfish makes it vulnerable to hunters.
its sense of smell. Stops feeding to 10. Beluga
shed its skin like a snake. 8. Amazon river sturgeon
2. American paddlefish dolphin The world’s
Takes its name from its long, 6. Spectacled Hunts in the largest river fish, it spends some
paddle-shaped snout. murky water by sonar and uses its
caiman of its life in salt water. Extra-large
Named after long snout to catch prey hiding in beluga no longer exist due to
3. Alligator gar the bony ridge underwater plants. Females are persistent overfishing and
Hides in aquatic between its eyes. normally larger than males. poaching of the species.
plants to ambush its prey.

A LARGE CROCODILE CAN

GO FOR MORE THAN 1
North American 1
YEAR BETWEEN MEALS
a
bi

white sturgeon Colu m

20 ft (6.1 m)
Columbia River
3 Alligator gar
8–10 ft (2.4–3 m)
pi

Mississippi River
ip
iss
Miss

Redtail catfish 11
4.3 ft (1.3 m)
5 Essequibo River
American paddlefish 2
7 ft (2.2 m) 6
Mississippi River Spectacled caiman Marbled
Electric eel 4 8.2 ft (2.5 m)
rin
oco
Essequibo River lungfish
6.7 ft (2 m) 6.6 ft (2 m)
q u ibo
O

Orinoco River River Nile

se

Es
Amazon

go
Becoming giant

on
C
12
The sizes of river monsters shown here Arapaima 7
are mainly extreme historical records. 8.2 ft (2.5 m)
Amazon River
It has always been rare for them to reach
8 Amazon river
such sizes, but is especially so these days, dolphin
since most are overfished and several 8.2 ft (2.5 m)
are critically endangered. Amazon River
Goliath tigerfish
Length (ft) 4.9 ft (1.5 m)
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 Congo River
Chinese giant
salamander
Beluga
sturgeon

Australasia
22. Saltwater crocodile
The largest reptile in the world, it can kill and
eat prey as large as horses and will not hesitate
Saltwater crocodile to kill humans who invade its territory.
Amazon river dolphin
23. Freshwater crocodile
Human Much smaller than its saltwater relative,
it will not attack humans unless provoked.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Length (m)

58 IN ANCIENT JAPANESE FOLKLORE, A GIANT CATFISH, NAMAZU,

 Living world

Africa Asia
11. Marbled lungfish 14. Giant devil catfish 17. Chinese giant salamander 20. Taimen
In the dry season, digs itself into This rare species has The world’s largest living The largest of the salmon family, also
a mud cocoon for up to 2 years. sharp teeth similar to a shark’s. amphibian. called the “Mongolian terror trout.”

12. Goliath tigerfish 15. Wallago 18. Giant freshwater stingray 21. Giant
Fierce fish known Human remains have Finds its prey using an electric pangasius
to attack humans. been found inside its stomach. field sensor. Also known as
the “dog-eating catfish.” Another
13. Nile perch 16. Gavial 19. Kaluga critically endangered fish.
When brought to live in An endangered Cannibalism is
new rivers and lakes, crocodilian with a common among
it can kill so many fish that it causes long, thin snout, good for catching these sturgeons of the
the extinction of native fish species. fish. Rarely grows to 23 ft (7 m). Russian Far East.

Wels catfish
9.8 ft (3 m)
River Danube
19 Kaluga
9 Amur 18.6 ft (5.6 m)
Amur River
Chinese giant
Da salamander
nu 6.6 ft (2 m)
be
Giant devil catfish 14 Mekong River
Black 6.6 ft (2 m)
Sea
Great Kali River Taimen
Caspian 17 20
Sea 6.9 ft (2.1 m)
Wallago 15 Amur River
10
Beluga sturgeon 7.9 ft (2.4 m)
24 ft (7.2 m) Rivers of Southeast Asia
Black Sea tze
ng
Gr Ya
Kaeat
al li
Chamb
le
Ni

Me
kon

Giant pangasius
g

21 9.8 ft (3 m)
Phraya
Chao

16 Mekong River
Nil

18
e

Gavial
23 ft (7 m) Saltwater crocodile
Chambal River 20 ft (6 m)
13 Northern Australia
Giant
freshwater
stingray
Nile perch 16 ft (4.9 m)
Chao Phraya 22
6 ft (1.8 m)

River
Nile River Freshwater
crocodile
13 ft (4 m) 23
Northern
Australia

monsters
KEY
River monsters belong
to different groups.

Fish

Hiding in the muddy waters of the world’s greatest

Mammal
Reptile

rivers are some of the largest and most ferocious Amphibian

freshwater creatures in existence. Many can grow

larger than an adult human—and some are man-eaters.

LIVES IN THE MUD UNDER THE SEA AND CAUSES EARTHQUAKES. 59

 KEY
Some insects are found the world over, Types of swarms
and some survive only in specific When insects form a large
habitats and locations. The insects group that moves as a single
shown in this map are in locations
where they are frequently found. unit, it is called a swarm. Insects
sometimes migrate in swarms,
or they swarm when looking for
Insect swarms a new home, a mate, or for food.
Insect record-breakers

Rhyniognatha
Earliest.
A 400-million-
year-old fossil was 10
found in Scotland
in 1919. Scientists
believe it may have
been winged.
1 6

Mayflies
2 Shortest adult life.
5 Mayflies spend most of their lives as water-living
Maricopa harvester ant nymphs. They transform into winged adults that live
Most venomous. just long enough to mate and lay eggs. The most
12 stings can kill a rat. 4
extreme example is the American sand-burrowing
3 mayfly, whose adult life lasts just a few minutes.

Fairy wasp
Smallest.
Swarming insects 0.006 in (0.14 mm)
11
long. Only visible Termite queen
1 Asian ladybug under a powerful Longest life.
Swarm through Oregon microscope. Can live up to
in the fall, looking for 45 years.
somewhere to hibernate
for the winter.

7 Army ants
Goliath Beetle
2 Army cutworm moths Heaviest larva.
Six- to eight-week Found in Central and South
migration from eastern America, swarms are called 7 Weighs up to
plains of Colorado “raids” made up of 100,000– 3.5 oz (100 g).
to the mountains. 2,000,000 adults.

3 Monarch butterfly 8 Africanized bees

The long migration from Aggressive hybrid first
the northern US to Mexico released in São Paulo, Brazil. 8
lasts generations—no one Swarm in thousands when
butterfly makes the forming new colonies.
entire journey.
9 Dragonflies
4 Termites A single swarm in Argentina
In New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1991 was estimated to
termites build colonies by contain 4–6 billion 9
invading people’s homes. migrating dragonflies. 12 Mosquito swarms
In May 2012, immense swarms of mosquitoes
5 Cicadas 10 Flying ants hatched from a lake near Mikoltsy, Belarus.
In the eastern states of the Swarm annually in Britain
US, cicada swarms have as part of a mating ritual. 13 Locusts
13- or 17-year cycles. Young The largest swarm recorded was in Kenya in
cicadas, known as nymphs, 11 Driver ants 1954. It covered 77 sq miles (200 sq km) and
mature, mate, and then die. Found in central and east involved an estimated 10 billion locusts.
Africa, vast swarms kill
6 Mayflies animals in their path. People 14 Midges
Annual mass hatching who cannot move out of the The midges that form mating swarms start
from Lake Erie. They mate, way, such as the sick or out as underwater larvae in lakes. Once they
reproduce, then die. injured, can be killed. can fly, they take off and try to find a mate.

60 AT ANY ONE TIME, THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 10 QUINTILLION

 Living world

Honey bees Monarch migration Midges

Bees swarm when they Every year, by instinct Huge swarms appear
leave their hive to find alone, millions of monarch over Lake Victoria in
a new home. Once a butterflies travel up to Africa during the annual
small number of special 2,500 miles (4,000 km) mating season, as
“scouts” have agreed from northern parts of thousands of dancing
on the most suitable America to warmer male midges try to attract
site, the queen and the climates as far south as females. Swarms are so
main cluster of bees fly Mexico, before they big, they look like giant
to the new location. return north in spring. brown clouds.

Froghopper
Highest jumper.
Jumps 28 in (71 cm)—150 times its own
height, which is comparable to a human
12 jumping over a 60-story building! Stink bug
Smelliest.
Toxic odor can be smelled
by humans about 3.3–5 ft
(1–1.5 m) away.

Himalayan cicada
Loudest.
Calls at up to 120
decibels—as loud Flea
as an ambulance siren. Longest jumper.
Can jump more
than 200 times its

SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE
body length.

4–20 MILLION
TYPES OF INSECTS HAVE
YET TO BE DISCOVERED
13 Chan’s megastick
Longest.
14 22.3 in (56.7 cm).
Dung beetle
Strongest. Only six specimens
Can pull 1,141 times have ever been
its own body weight—the found, all on the
equivalent to an average island of Borneo.
human pulling six double-
decker buses full of people.
Australian tiger beetle
Fastest runner. Giant weta
5.6 mph (9 kph). Equivalent Heaviest.

Insects
to a human running at Weighs up to 2.5 oz
480 mph (770 kph). (70 g)—heavier than
a sparrow.

Horsefly
Fastest flyer.
We know of more than 1 million different Maximum speed
recorded briefly on
types of insects, and more are identified takeoff at 90 mph
(145 kph). The

every year. They have fascinating habits, and next fastest are
dragonflies and

their strange appearances can be seen with

hawk moths, at
arbout 30–35 mph

the help of microscopes and special cameras.

(50–55 kph).

(10,000,000,000,000,000,000) INDIVIDUAL INSECTS ALIVE. 61

 European yew
Europe. All parts are poisonous,
White snakeroot including the seeds inside the
Eastern North America. bright red, berrylike cones.
Poisons can travel in the
food chain through cattle
Water hemlock to humans, causing
North America and Europe. “milk sickness.”
One of North America’s
most toxic plants.

Aloe vera
Cobra lily North Africa. Long valued
Northern California and Oregon. for its medicinal properties,
Like other pitcher plants, it attracts it has a gel in its leaves that
insects into its pitchers—jug-shaped is said to help heal damaged
body parts full of digestive juices. skin and aid digestion.
Venus flytrap
Trumpet pitcher North and South Carolina.
Southeast US. Uses a drug in its nectar to Closes its jawlike traps on
make insects slip into its pitchers. 3 prey in 0.1 seconds.

Resurrection fern 2

The six floral kingdoms Southeast US. Can survive for 100
years without water. Appears to die
Plant geographers divide the world into but is quickly revived by moisture.
six “kingdoms.” Each kingdom has its own
unique collection of native plant life. Some
Manchineel
kingdoms span more than one continent. Florida, Central
The Cape kingdom, however, covers just America, and the
the southern tip of Africa. Caribbean. Milky-white
sap causes blisters
on human skin.

1
Sensitive plant
Boreal Neotropical Palaeotropical Central and South
kingdom kingdom kingdom America. A type of
Mimosa and one
North America Mexico to Most of Africa,
of the few plants
and Eurasia. Native southern South southern Asia, and capable of rapid
plant families include America. Characteristic Polynesia. Umbrella movement. The
rose (above), birch, native plant families thorn acacias (above) leaves fold and
brassica, primrose, include bromeliads and baobab trees are droop when
saxifrage, and buttercup. and cacti (above). native plants. touched. They
reopen after
a few minutes.

Genlisea
Africa and Central and
South America. Traps prey
in the soil with its strange
Australian Antarctic Cape kingdom underground leaves.
kingdom kingdom A small yet
Australia. Many Southern South highly diverse
Australian plants are America, New Zealand, region around the Cape
completely unlike those and Antarctica. Francoa of South Africa, with
elsewhere in the world. herbs (above) form one about 9,000 plant
Bottlebrushes (above) of the few uniquely types, including the
are an example. Antarctic families. king protea (above).

62 THE LIFESPAN OF THE WEIRD WELWITSCHIA IS THOUGHT TO BE UP TO

 Living world
Butterwort Monkshood
Boggy parts of Europe, Mountains of the northern KEY
North and South hemisphere. Also known as
America, and Asia. Poisonous plants Carnivorous plants Incredible plants
aconite, it is a source of a deadly Some plants contain These plants trap Four amazing plants
Sticky hairs on its poison contained in the seeds.
leaves trap insects. toxic chemicals. The and consume insects are highlighted on
map shows eight of and other small the map, but there
the most poisonous. creatures. are many thousands
more worldwide.

Sundew
Worldwide in boggy places.
Traps insects with droplets
of glue coating its leaves.

Waterwheel plant
Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Freshwater plant a little like an
underwater Venus flytrap.
Deadly Nepenthes rajah
nightshade Borneo. This giant pitcher plant may
Europe, north sometimes catch rats or lizards to eat.
Africa, and
west Asia
Rosary pea
Castor oil plant Indonesia. Toxins are
East Africa, Mediterranean, and used in herbal medicines
India. Origin of the poison ricin. of southern India.
Welwitschia
Namib Desert. Has just two straplike
leaves. They can grow up to 20 ft (6.2 m)
long over several centuries.

World
of plants Rainbow plant
Australia. Catches
insects on its
sticky leaves.

Terrestrial
bladderwort Scientists estimate there are at least
Worldwide.
Grows on wet, 400,000 species of plants on Earth—
rocky surfaces
and catches and possibly many thousands more. Some
parts of the world have a rich diversity of plant
tiny prey in
bladderlike traps.

life; in others, such as Antarctica, plants are scarce.

1,500 YEARS, BUT IN THAT TIME IT GROWS ONLY TWO GIANT LEAVES. 63
 Barren Arctic
Plants grow very slowly in the
cold Canadian Arctic, so there
Total number is not a lot of food to go round.
of life-forms
Vegetation is ground-hugging,
with little variety of homes for
There are many small animals—unlike forests.
Biodiversity is low.
thousands of species
of vertebrate animals,
such as birds and
reptiles. But these
numbers are dwarfed
by the amazing number
of other life-forms,
particularly insects. Rich Amazon
The Amazon is the largest
and most diverse tropical
forest on Earth. In general,
NUMBER OF KNOWN SPECIES IN EACH GROUP large, continuous areas of
habitat support the greatest
13,000 Algae
diversity of species.
74,000 Fungi
17,000 Lichens
320,000 Plants
85,000 Mollusks (squid, clams, snails, and relatives)
47,000 Crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, and relatives) Deserted Sahara
102,000 Arachnids (spiders, scorpions, and relatives) There are hardly any
amphibians in this dry
1,000,000 Insects environment, but the few
71,000 Other invertebrates (without backbones) that survive here are
62,000 Vertebrates (animals with backbones) uniquely adapted to the
conditions. Preserving
70,000 weevils areas of pristine Sahara
Weevils form only one family of beetles, yet there are more would ensure the survival
of some rare creatures.
different types than all the world’s vertebrates.

Unique Atlantic Forest

What remains of the rainforest region
in Brazil is not only rich in species.
Giraffe-necked Cratosomus Eupholus Because it is isolated from other
weevil roddami, a weevil linnei, a weevil rainforests, many of its species
are also found nowhere else.

Biodiversity KEY
This map shows the pattern of biodiversity across the
world’s land, combining measures of 5,700 mammal
species, 7,000 amphibians, and 10,000 species of birds.
This gives an overall measure, because the variety of
Richness of different life-forms, or species, these three groups usually mirrors the total biodiversity,
including the numbers of different insects and plants.
is called biodiversity. Places such as Scientists know biodiversity in the oceans is lower
than on land, but it is not shown on the map.
tropical rainforests are naturally high in
biodiversity. Harsh environments have
fewer species, but those species might Lowest Highest

be unique and equally precious. BIODIVERSITY (SPECIES RICHNESS)

64 SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THAT GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY HAS FALLEN TO 84.6

 Living world

A few tough species

Only a few animal species
have what it takes to
survive in cold habitats
such as the Russian Arctic.

Diverse tropical Asian forests

Tropical rainforest is the most biodiverse habitat.
It has abundant water and no shortage of food. The
trees provide a multitude of animal homes, from
their roots up to their crowns. The climate changes
little. All these things allow plants and animals to
diversify by evolution into thousands of species.

Borneo
Scientists found an amazing 1,200 tree
Himalayas and Hundu Kush species here within a tiny plot of rainforest.
This mountainous region is home
to 25,000 plant species, or nearly
10 percent of the world’s total.

Varied African highlands

Mountains are diverse places because they
contain a range of different conditions at
different heights. At each height lives a
different community of plants and
animals adapted to those conditions.

LIFE ON LAND IS AS MUCH

AS 25 TIMES AS VARIED
AS LIFE IN THE SEA
POISON-DART FROGS
There are 175 species in the poison-dart frog family,
which lives in the tropical rainforests of Central and
South America. They are all related, but each has
evolved slightly differently.

Mimic poison-dart frog Granular poison-dart frog Three-striped poison-dart frog Yellow-banded poison-dart frog Brazil-nut poison-dart frog Golden poison-dart frog

PERCENT OF ITS LEVEL BEFORE PEOPLE CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE. 65

 California
A Mediterranean-type climate
Unique wildlife
Some parts of the world are home to animals and
results in some unique forests
featuring the world’s largest

plants that live nowhere else. These places are often

living organism—the giant
sequoia, a gigantic species

remote islands, where life is cut off. In other cases,

of coniferous tree.

they are patches of unusual habitat, complete with

the unique wildlife that depends on it.

Western Mediterranean
Europe’s hot spot of unique wildlife.
One species of midwife toad lives only
on Majorca, and Barbary macaques
live only on Gibraltar and in patches
Mexican pine-oak forests of habitat in Morocco and Algeria.
These forests on Mexican
mountain ridges are patches
of habitat not found anywhere
else nearby. There are nearly
4,000 endemic plants and Canary Islands
unique birds such as the Rich in endemic plants, the
Montezuma quail. Canary Islands off Africa gave
their name to the bird that
lives only here and on nearby
Atlantic islands—the canary.

Caribbean Islands
Each island has its
Hawaii and Polynesia own versions of
Only certain life-forms many plants and
have reached these animals. This Cuban
remote islands. Hawaii knight anole lives
has no ants, but has 500 only on Cuba.
species of unique fruit
flies, all evolved from a
single species blown
ashore 8 million years
ago. Some of them are
flightless and have taken Galápagos Islands
up antlike lifestyles. These islands were
Hawaii also has many made famous by Charles
unique plants, including Darwin for their unique
the strange Hawaiian wildlife, including their
silversword, endemic giant tortoises.
to its mountaintops.
Tropical Andes
Perhaps the richest region on Earth,
these mountains are home to 664
species of amphibians, 450 of which
are in danger of dying out. Of 1,700
bird species, 600—including this Atlantic Forest
fiery-throated fruiteater—are This thin strip of rainforest
found nowhere else. is cut off from the Amazon
rainforest, so it has its own
set of wildlife, including
the endangered golden

75 PERCENT OF THE UNIQUE lion tamarin.

PLANTS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

ARE ENDANGERED
66 NEARLY 7 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S PLANTS ARE UNIQUE TO THE
 Living world

ENDEMIC HOT SPOTS BIOMES

Scientists have shown that these
regions have the greatest number Tropical dry Tropical moist Steppe Arctic tundra
of plant species living only within broad-leaved forest broad-leaved forest
a small area. They call these
species “endemic” to that area. Tropical coniferous Boreal forest Mountain grasslands Polar desert
In these hot spots of unique forest and shrublands
plants, scientists tend to find
lots of endemic animals, too. Temperate broad- Savanna Mediterranean Mangroves
leaved forest shrublands
Temperate Flooded savanna Desert and dry
Region rich in coniferous forest shrublands
endemic species

Mountains of
southwest China
Each ridge of mountains
has its own distinct wildlife.
Endangered species, such
as the Yunnan snub-nosed
Eastern Mediterranean monkey, live only here.
The Cedar of Lebanon lives only in
a small area, including Lebanon, Philippines
Israel, Palestine, and parts of Of this country’s
Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. 1,000 types of orchids,
70 percent grow
nowhere else.

Wallacea
This region is named after 19th-century
naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who
noticed its unique wildlife such as the
piglike babirusa.

New Guinea
This large island is home to
many unique birds of paradise and
Ethiopian several endemic tree kangaroos,
Highlands including this species, the ursine
These highlands tree kangaroo.
are home to 30 East Melanesia
endemic bird This string of islands has
species and the 3,000 endemic plant species
endangered and spectacular birdwing and
Ethiopian wolf. Sri lanka and swallowtail butterflies. This
Western Ghats is a Ulysses swallowtail.
This hot spot is
Madagascar home to 5,000
Ninety-eight percent species of flowering
of Madagascar’s land plants, 139 mammal
mammals, 92 percent species, 508 birds, and
of its reptiles, 68 179 amphibian species.
percent of its plants,
and 41 percent of its
breeding bird species
exist nowhere else on Sundaland
Earth. All 16 mantella Naturalists outline this region
frogs are also endemic because its wildlife is distinct
to the island. from next-door regions.
One bizarre plant unique to
Sundaland is Rafflesia, the
East African Highlands stinking corpse lily.
These islands of high ground in a sea
of savanna support unusual plants such
as this giant lobelia that grows on the
slopes of Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro.
Western Australia
Like the South African Cape
Cape region region, this is a “habitat island” of New Caledonia
This is a small area of amazingly Mediterranean-type shrubland, Nothing like the strange,
distinctive plantlife, including 6,000 full of plants found nowhere else, flightless kagu bird is
endemic species such as this including the odd “kangaroo paw.” found anywhere else
pincushion protea. in the world.

TROPICAL ANDES, WHICH COVER ONLY 0.8 PERCENT OF THE LAND AREA. 67
 Kittlitz’s murrelet
Alaska and Russian Far East

Maui
parrotbill Vaquita
Hawaii Gulf of
California

Iberian lynx
Spain

Blue iguana
Grand Cayman
Island, Caribbean Lamotte’s
Hawaiian roundleaf bat
monk seal Mount Nimba (border area
Hawaii of Guinea, Liberia, and
Côte d’Ivoire)
Variable harlequin frog
Maui parrotbill Costa Rica
In danger because of the
loss of its forest habitat— Short-tailed chinchilla
only about 500 now survive. Mountains on the Bolivia–
Chile border
Hawaiian monk seal
Once hunted for its skin
and oil, today many become
tangled in fishing nets or die
because of pollution.

MORE THAN 7,000 Western

gorilla
Glaucous macaw
Argentina, Uruguay, ANIMAL SPECIES ARE Congo
rainforest
Paraguay, and Brazil
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
In the red
Animals on the Red List—a list kept by the IUCN (International Union for
the Conservation of Nature)—are in varying levels of endangerment. Those Blue-eyed
black lemur
that are “critically endangered” may soon die out completely in the wild. Madagascar

Vaquita This porpoise is the Short-tailed chinchilla Lamotte’s roundleaf bat Indian vulture
world’s most endangered sea Hunted for its soft gray This African mammal has Many of these birds died after
mammal; scientists estimate fur, this rock-dwelling rodent become endangered mainly feeding on cattle that had
only about 10 are left. is now almost extinct in the wild. through the loss of its habitat. been given drugs to
help them work longer.
Kittlitz’s murrelet Glaucous macaw Greater bamboo lemur
Thousands of these seabirds Became rare because so many Less than 100 have Bactrian camel
have been killed by sticky oil, were caught and sold as pets. been spotted in 20 Fewer than 1,000
spilled from giant tankers. Only sighted twice in 100 years. years of surveys. survive in the wild.

Blue iguana Iberian lynx Blue-eyed black lemur Irrawaddy river shark
This lizard lives only on Grand If it dies out, it will be the first Like many other lemurs, this As no one has seen this species
Cayman Island. Numbers are big cat species to go extinct one could soon die out due for many years, it may be
increasing due to conservation. in 10,000 years. to loss of its forest habitat. extinct in the wild.

Variable harlequin frog Western gorilla Russian sturgeon Sumatran orangutan

One of several harlequin frog Many of these apes are killed This fish has been killed Just 15,000 of this species
species critically endangered for their meat, or have died for its roe (eggs), known are left, since their forest
due to a fungal disease. from disease. as caviar. is being cut down.

68 PEOPLE ARE WORKING HARD TO SAVE THE WORLD’S FEW REMAINING

 Endangered animals
Living world

Our world has thousands of species, or kinds, of animals. Many are in

danger of dying out, mainly because humans are destroying
their habitats, or homes. Some animals have
not been seen in their habitats for
50 years or more and can
Russian sturgeon
Caspian, Black, and
Bactrian camel be declared “extinct in
the wild.”
Gobi Desert of Mongolia
Azov seas; Ural, Volga, and China
and Danube rivers

Indian vulture
Pakistan and India

Sumatran
orangutan
Sumatra,
Indonesia

Southern bluefin tuna

These large, bony fish are dying out because
too many have been caught by humans for food.

Kakapo (owl parrot)

These giant, flightless parrots were hunted by
David’s tiger
the first humans to settle in New Zealand. Today,
Greater butterfly only about 200 survive.
bamboo Philippines
lemur
Madagascar
Attenborough’s
Irrawaddy long-beaked echidna
River shark New Guinea
Around the mouth
of the Irrawaddy Javan rhinoceros
River, Myanmar Java, Indonesia

Woylie
Javan rhinoceros Western
Today, only about 50 adults Australia
survive in the remaining
rainforest on Java.

David’s tiger butterfly

One of the world’s most
endangered butterflies, found
only in the Philippines.

Attenborough’s
long-beaked echidna
One of three critically endangered
echidna (spiny anteater) species.
Southern
Woylie bluefin tuna
This marsupial has recently Throughout
declined dramatically and fewer southern oceans Kakapo
than 5,000 survive in the wild. Islands off the coast
of New Zealand

KAKAPO—EVERY BIRD IS PROTECTED, AND EACH ONE HAS A NAME! 69

 Americas Eurasia
Passenger pigeon Labrador duck Great auk Baiji
A flock of this once- Its extinction was not Hunted by humans mainly River dolphin that died
common species could caused by hunting, as its for its meat and feathers. out when its habitat was
contain 2 million birds. flesh reportedly tasted horrible! taken over by industry.
Eurasian aurochs
Laysan rail Pinta Island tortoise Massive cattle Japanese sea lion
This bird’s Hawaiian The last tortoise on this species wiped out Killed by fishermen to
habitat was taken over by Galápagos island, Lonesome by overhunting. prevent them from
non-native rats and rabbits. George, died in 2012. competing for fish.
Yunnan lake newt
Xerces blue butterfly Red-bellied gracile opossum Became extinct due Woolly mammoth
Its habitat of sand dunes Its Argentinian forest to the introduction of Lost much of its habitat
in California was replaced habitat was turned into exotic fish and frogs. when the Ice Age ended.
by growing cities. grazing land for cattle.

Golden toad Falkland Island wolf

Its extinction may have Hunted to extinction
been caused by habitat by human settlers.
loss or a fungal disease.

Passenger pigeon
Extinct by 1914

Xerces blue Great auk

butterfly Last one killed
Extinct by 1943 in 1852

Labrador duck Quagga

Extinct by 1878 Extinct by 1883

Laysan rail
Extinct by 1944 Golden toad
Last seen in 1989

Red-bellied
gracile opossum
Last seen
in 1962 Elephant bird
(Madagascar)

Extinct
Extinct since
17th century
Pinta Island
tortoise
Extinct in 2012

animals
The animal species on this map died out, or
became extinct, quite recently and probably as
a result of the actions of humans. But extinction
has been happening naturally in the animal
Falkland Island wolf
Presumed extinct in 1876

kingdom for millions of years.

70 ANIMALS ARE GOING EXTINCT TODAY AT LEAST 1,000

 Living world

Africa Australasia
Quagga Elephant bird Lesser bilby King Island emu
Its very distinctive Huge flightless Probably wiped out by Wiped out by sealers
markings made it an bird that was wiped cats and foxes. and their hunting dogs.
easy target for hunters. out by hunting.
Eastern hare wallaby Tasmanian wolf
Aldabra banded snail Dodo Extinction was partly due
Hunted and trapped
A sudden decrease in rainfall, This flightless bird became to the introduction of
by human settlers in
possibly caused by climate change, extinct within only 100 cats, which hunted them.
Tasmania—its last
spelled extinction for this species. years of humans
Desert-rat kangaroo hiding place.
and their domestic
Large sloth lemur animals arriving Thought extinct, recovered,
Gorilla-sized species that on the island then declared extinct Moa
died out in Madagascar of Mauritius. again in 1994. Victims of overhunting
about 400 years ago. and loss of habitat.

Woolly mammoth
Extinct by c. 1700 bce

Eurasian aurochs
Extinct by 1627

Baiji
Last confirmed
sighting in 2004

Yunnan lake newt

Last seen in 1979

Japanese sea lion

Last confirmed
sighting in 1951

Desert-rat kangaroo
Last confirmed sighting in 1935, although
sightings reported until the 1980s
Aldabra banded snail Eastern hare wallaby
(Aldabra Island, Indian Ocean) Extinct by about 1890
Last seen in 1997

Large sloth lemur

Extinct by about 1600
Moa
Extinct by
Lesser bilby about 1400
Dodo Reported sightings
(Mauritius, Indian Ocean) until the 1960s
Extinct by 1690

ABOUT 26 PERCENT
OF ALL MAMMALS ARE IN
DANGER OF EXTINCTION King Island emu Tasmanian wolf
Extinct by around 1802 Presumed extinct in 1936

TIMES FASTER THAN THE NATURAL EXTINCTION RATE. 71

People and planet
Sprawling city
Los Angeles, California,
stretches as far as the horizon
in this photo taken from
Mount Hollywood. The
skyscrapers of downtown
LA can be seen on the left.
Introduction Human impact
The human “footprint” on planet
Earth is deep and broad. We have
transformed the landscape—

Humans, together with animals and other living

clearing forests to produce food,
digging minerals and ores from

things, form what is called the biosphere—the the ground, and channeling and
storing water to meet our needs.
living part of the world. Since modern humans first Our living space is concentrated

appeared in Africa about 200,000 years ago, we

into larger and larger cities, but
these cities are hungry for food

have colonized virtually the entire world—even hot and energy taken from
the surrounding land.
deserts and the ice-cold Arctic. As we have done so,
our impact on the biosphere has been far-reaching.

Renewable energy
New ways of harnessing the energy of sunlight and
wind are reducing our use of fossil fuels. Unlike
fossil fuels, these energy sources will never run out.

Natural resources
Buried within Earth’s crust there are limited
supplies of minerals, metal ores, and fossil
fuels (coal, oil, and gas). Once these reserves
are exhausted, they cannot be replaced. Burning
these fuels also damages Earth’s atmosphere
and is contributing to global warming.

Population
7.8 billion

Growing bigger, fast

For most of humanity’s existence, The period since the late
6 billion

the human population grew relatively 1950s has seen the human
5 billion

population more than double.

slowly. In 10,000 bce, there were
4 billion

only 1–5 million people on Earth. By

1000 bce, after farming was invented,
the population had increased to
3 billion
2 billion

about 50 million. Since reaching the

1 billion

1 billion mark in 1804, during the

early Industrial Revolution, the
population has expanded much
more quickly than ever before.
19 59
18

19

19
19
19

20
74
04

87
99
27

21

74 SINCE 1965, THE WORLD’S POPULATION HAS

 People and planet

Agriculture Pollution Conservation Using water

In 1700 ce, about 7 percent of Earth’s Vehicle exhaust gases, smoke and To protect the plant and animal life of We build dams and reservoirs to store
land area was used for growing crops waste chemicals from factories, and unique habitats, many countries set up water. We need it for drinking, for use
and raising farm animals. Today, that oil spills all poison the environment, conservation areas, where no farming, in industrial processes, and to irrigate
figure has risen to about 50 percent. threatening plant and animal life. industry, or new settlement can occur. crops and generate electricity.

Successful species
Part of the success of humans is due to our
ability to use the materials around us to give
us protection and shelter. This ability opens
up nearly every part of the globe for human
living space, no matter how harsh the
environment. Even thousands of years ago,
the Inuit of the North American Arctic made
coats from the fur of caribou (reindeer) and
waterproof boots from seal skin. They found
a way to live on the meager resources
of the high Arctic.

Inuit boat
The umiak is a type of traditional open
boat used by Inuit people. The frame
is made of driftwood or whalebone,
with a walrus- or seal-skin covering.
These boats are still used, since the
law allows whale hunting only with
traditional Inuit tools.

DOUBLED, BUT ITS WEALTH HAS MULIPLIED BY SEVEN. 75

 Iceland
Glaciers, mountains,
and volcanoes make
Canada much of Iceland
Most of the 37.7 uninhabitable.
million Canadians
live below the
Arctic Circle. 4

United Kingdom
About 84 percent of the
UK’s 68.2 million people
live in urban areas.

New York City, New York Spain

Mexico City, Largest population in the Population has risen
Mexico United States. More than half by 50 percent in
North America’s of the US’s 331 million people the last 50 years.
largest city. live in the eastern states.

Suriname
Dense jungle covers
most of this country.
Cairo, Egypt
Africa’s largest city, with
5 21.3 million people.
Colombia Sahara
Second-most Almost deserted, since
populous country in there is not enough
South America, with water for crops
51.2 million people. or pasture.
Nigerian cities
These spikes highlight
that Nigeria has the
largest population in
Coastal Brazil Africa, at 211 million.
Santiago, Chile Contains most of the
About 40 region’s large cities.
percent of Chile’s To the north is the Namibia
19 million people Amazon Rainforest, The very dry conditions
live here. with few roads and in the Namib and
almost no towns. Kalahari deserts make
human life difficult.
2
São Paulo, Brazil
Patagonia, Argentina Largest city in South South Africa
This cold, dry region America, home to nearly The population of
is sparsely populated 22 million people. 60 million people is mainly
and largely grazing concentrated in the east.
land for sheep.

Biggest cities KEY

The map shows population density, or how
More than half the world’s people now quickly and have been dubbed “megacities,” closely people are packed together. Denser
live in towns and cities, rather than in with more than 10 million people in a places, such as cities, appear as red mountains.
the countryside. Many cities have grown metropolitan area. Below are the 10 largest.
37,435,000

POPULATION DENSITY
Tokyo

People per sq mile People per sq km

29,400,000

26,320,000

21,850,000

Mexico City
21,670,000

more than 5,200 more than 2,000

São Paulo
Shanghai

21,320,000

20,280,000

20,190,000
Delhi

20,040,000

19,220,000
Mumbai
Dhaka
Cairo

Beijing

3,900 1,500
Osaka

2,600 1,000

1,300 500

650 250
260 100

76 IN 1800, THE WORLD’S POPULATION WAS LESS THAN 1 BILLION PEOPLE.

 Where people live
People and planet

Siberia, Russia
Few people live here, since the
climate is too cold to grow
crops. Some spikes show the
location of cities based around
extracting oil and gas from
under the frozen tundra.
The world’s 7.8 billion people are not spread evenly across
Moscow, Russia
Home to 12.5 the globe: most live where there are natural
resources and fertile land for farming.
million people.

Some places are too

hostile for humans
to thrive.
Mongolia
Kolkata, India Little of the land is good for
Center of growing crops and many people
eastern India. are scattered in small communities
of nomadic herdspeople.

Shanghai, China
China’s largest city.

1
Beijing
The capital
of China.

Tokyo, Japan
The largest city in the
world since the 1960s.
Delhi, India Osaka, Japan
India’s capital The second-largest city in Japan.
sits in the densely Eastern China
populated Ganges Most of China’s 1.4
River basin, home
to 650 million
people packed
billion people live here.

Manila, Philippines
IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES,
in at nearly
1,000 per sq mile
(400 per sq km).
Dhaka,
Bangladesh
Not including its
outlying districts,
this is the world’s most
ON AVERAGE 296 PEOPLE
The world’s most
densely populated,
continuously
built-up area.
densely populated city.
LIVE IN AN AREA THE SIZE
Mumbai, India
Fast-growing
entertainment
OF A SOCCER PITCH
hub of India.
Jakarta, Indonesia
Of all Indonesia’s islands, Java is by
far the most crowded and contains
the booming capital, Jakarta.

3 Australia
Australia’s center
is too dry to support
farming and very few
people live here.
Most sparsely populated countries
total people people per
population per sq mile sq km Auckland, New Zealand
About one in three New
1 Mongolia 3,278,000 5.5 2.1 Zealanders live here.
Melbourne, Australia
2 Namibia 2,541,000 8.0 3.1 Most of Australia’s
3 Australia 25,500,000 8.6 3.3 population lives on the
southeastern coast, in cities
4 Iceland 341,000 8.8 3.4 including Melbourne.
5 Suriname 587,000 9.7 3.8

ESTIMATES SUGGEST IT WILL BE CLOSE TO 10 BILLION BY 2060. 77

 Sami
Northern Scandinavia
and Finland
Pavee
Inuit Ireland
Arctic parts of
Alaska, Canada, and
Greenland, beyond the
northernmost trees.
Beja
Sudan, Eritrea,
and Egypt

Tuareg
Sahara Desert

Awá
Rainforests of Fulani
northern Ecuador and West Africa
southern Colombia
Nukak-Maku
Tropical forests of the
Amazon Basin

Ayoreo
Dry lowlands of
Bolivia and Paraguay Toubou
Tibesti mountains,
Chad
Karamojong
Northern Uganda

San
THERE ARE UP TO Kalahari Desert—
Botswana,
Namibia, and
40 MILLION NOMADS South Africa

AROUND THE WORLD

Americas Europe Africa Gabra
Inuit Pavee, or Irish Travelers Beja These herders make
For 4,000 years, the Inuit The Pavee have strict moral Only some Beja clans their dome-shaped
have roamed the region they beliefs laid out in “The are nomadic. houses out of acacia
call Nunavut, “our land.” Travelers’ Code.” roots and cloth.
Tuareg
Awá Sami In Tuareg culture, men Afar
The Awá speak their The Sami reindeer herders rather than women The Afar live by rivers
own ancient language and fur trappers have wear the veil. in the dry season and
called Awa Pit. existed for over 5,000 years. head for higher ground
Toubou in the wet season.
Nukak-Maku Roma The Toubou are divided
The Nukak people are expert There are 2–5 million into two peoples: the Karamojong
hunters who were entirely Roma worldwide, mostly Teda and the Daza. This name means
isolated until 1988. in Europe. “the old men can
Fulani walk no further.”
Ayoreo Nenets The Fulani traditionally
The Ayoreo mix a hunter- Every year, Nenets move herd goats, sheep, and San
gatherer lifestyle with huge herds of reindeer up cattle across large The San are famous for
agriculture. to 620 miles (1,000 km). areas of west Africa. being excellent trackers
and hunters.

78 MOST NOMADS LIVE IN DESERT, STEPPE, OR TUNDRA—DRY PLACES THAT

 People and planet

Roma Asia Kazakhs

Central and Kazakhs Bakhtiari There are still many
eastern Europe Kazhakstan Bakhtiari means nomadic Kazakhs left
and other parts “bearer of good luck.” in Xinjiang, China.
of northern
Nenets
Arctic Russia Some still move
central Asia pastures with Bedouin
Bedouin are desert-dwelling
the seasons.
wanderers known for
their hospitality.

Qashqai
Qashqai are traditionally
farmers known for their
beautiful wool products.
Bakhtiari
Southwestern
Iran Chukchi
Yakut The Bering Strait
The Yakutia region of Siberia
Republic, Russia

Evenks
Southern Siberia, Mongolia,
Qashqai and northeasternmost China
Southwestern
Iran
Moken
Southern Burma
and the west coast
of Thailand Yakut
The Yakut are seminomadic
Bedouin reindeer herders.
The Middle East,
predominantly Evenks
Saudi Arabia The Evenks kept small herds
of domesticated reindeer,
Afar which helped the people
The Horn of Africa Penan move around easily.
Sarawak,
Gabra Malaysia
Chalbi Desert of Kenya Chukchi
and highlands of The word “chukchi”
southern Ethiopia means “rich in reindeer.”

Moken

Nomads
Moken children
have extremely
good underwater
vision due to diving
for food.
Penan
In Penan society
everything is
shared.
Nomads move home every year
to find fresh pasture or hunting
grounds. Some are herders, Aboriginal

some hunter-gatherers, and

peoples
Australia

others are wandering traders.

Australasia
Their nomadic lifestyle is quickly
dying out, as many of them are
Aboriginal peoples
Groups of Aboriginals

settling in villages and towns.

have lived all over
Australia for about
60,000 years.

DON’T PROVIDE ENOUGH FOOD FOR PEOPLE TO STAY ALL YEAR ROUND. 79
 MEDIAN AGES AROUND THE WORLD Population
pyramids
The median age is the age that divides a population into two equal
groups, so that half the people are younger than this age and half Greenland
are older. The lower the median age, the younger the population. The median age here is 34.3. A population pyramid plots the
The median age for the entire world is 31 years. More than 70 percent of people sizes of age groups within a
are ages 15–64. Population
Years
growth is just 0.19 percent. population. A pyramid showing
15–20 30–35 No data a young population shows a
country where families are
20–25 35–40
large but life expectancy is
25–30 40+ low. Populations age when life
expectancy increases and when
people have fewer children.
Canada
Canada’s popuation—median age
41.2—is aging, with about 16
percent over the age of 64.

United Kingdom
With a median age of
40.5 years, the UK has
an aging, but still-
growing, population.

United States of America

The US population’s median
age is 38.3 years. About 18.5
percent of people are ages
0–14. The population grows
by 0.35 percent each year. Tunisia
This African country has the
highest median age, at 32.8,
followed by Morocco (29.5)
Mexico and Libya (28.8).
In Mexico, where 26.2
percent of the population
is age 0–14, the median
age is 29.2 years.

Young
Guatemala
This is the youngest population Africa
in Central America, with a This is the continent
median age of 22.9. with the youngest
population, with a
median age of 19.7.

and old Paraguay

Paraguay’s median age
of 26.3 years is the
lowest in South America.

Poorer developing nations tend to have

younger, faster-growing populations Uruguay

than wealthier developed countries,

This is the country
with the highest

whose populations are aging and

median age in South
America, at 35.8 years.

sometimes even declining.

80 BY 2050, ABOUT 16 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION WILL

 People and planet

Young population Stable population (Malaysia) Aging population (Japan)

(Uganda) 100+ A gradually tapering pyramid 100+ A narrow-based, bulging 100+
A pyramid with a broad 90–99 indicates a slower-growing 90–99 pyramid shows a low 90–99
base but a narrow tip 80–89 population with a more even 80–89 proportion of young 80–89
indicates a fast-growing 70–79 distribution of age groups, 70–79 people. Although life- 70–79
population with a high 60–69 apart from the elderly. 60–69 expectancy is long, 60–69
proportion of children 50–59 The birth rate is fairly 50–59 the birth rate is very 50–59
and relatively few 40–49 constant and the death 40–49 low, and Japan’s 40–49
elderly people. 30–39 rate relatively low. 30–39 population is falling. 30–39
20–29 20–29 20–29
10–19 10–19 10–19
0–9 0–9 0–9

7 0 0 7 5 0 0 5 10 5 0 0 5 10
MALE POPULATION AGE FEMALE POPULATION MALE POPULATION AGE FEMALE POPULATION MALE POPULATION AGE FEMALE POPULATION
(MILLIONS) GROUP (MILLIONS) (MILLIONS) GROUP (MILLIONS) (MILLIONS) GROUP (MILLIONS)

Afghanistan
With the lowest median age of
any Asian country, at 18.4 years,
the population is growing at
2.3 percent each year.

Japan
The median age here is 48.4
years—only in the tiny principality
of Monaco is it higher, at 55.4.
Nearly 28 percent of Japan’s
population are older than 64.

China
After more than three decades during
which the government encouraged couples
to have no more than one child, China now
has a quickly aging population.

Papua New Guinea

India Over 35 percent of people
India has a median age are ages 0–14. The median
of 28.4 years. Nearly age here is 22.4 years.
68 percent of the people
are ages 15–64.
Malaysia
Malaysia has a
median age of 30.3.
Its population grows
by about 0.4 percent
every year. Australia
The median age here is 37.9.
More than 19 percent of
people are ages 0–14.

Niger
The median age
BY 2050, THE WORLD’S
here is 15.2—the
lowest in the world. MEDIAN AGE IS EXPECTED New Zealand
The median age here is 38.0. About
TO BE 38 YEARS 15 percent of the population are
age 65 or older.

BE AGE 65 OR OVER, COMPARED WITH 7.6 PERCENT IN 2010. 81

 Monaco: 89.3 years
Monaco has only 152 patients for
every doctor, a patient–doctor
ratio that is second only to Qatar.
Most health care is funded by
private health insurers.

Bolivia: 71 years
Life expectancy in Bolivia, one Guinea-Bissau: 58 years
of South America’s poorest Guinea-Bissau’s already
countries, is the second- scarce medical facilities
lowest in the continent. were even more depleted
by the civil war in 1998.

Health
The most important factors
that influence people’s health
are where they are born, and LIFE EXPECTANCY
the conditions in which they AT BIRTH No data

grow up and live. People who

This is the average number of
years a baby is expected to live Under 60
if its living conditions stay the
live in richer, more developed same. However, the infant
mortality rate, which is the 60–65

countries, who have enough number of children who die

before they are 5 years old, has 65–70
food to eat and access to clean a strong influence on this figure.
People in countries with high
water and professional health infant mortality will have lower 70–75
life expectancy, even though

care, can expect to live much most people who live beyond
the age of five will go on to live a
75-80

longer than those who do not.

natural life span of 70–80 years.
Over 80

82 A CHILD BORN IN ESWATINI IS NEARLY 30 TIMES MORE LIKELY

 People and planet

Afghanistan: 64
About one in 156 Afghan
mothers die in childbirth
or from pregnancy-related
causes—one of the highest
rates in the world.

Japan: 84 years
Japan’s health care
system has been ranked
by the World Health
Organization (WHO) as
South Sudan: the best in the world.
58 years
A long-term shortage
of food in South Sudan
means that one-third
of all its children are
underweight.

IN 1900, WORLD LIFE

EXPECTANCY WAS
30 YEARS. TODAY IT
IS 72.8 YEARS

Access to medical help PEOPLE PER DOCTOR

Monaco 152
Having good access to doctors and other health-
Cuba 149
care workers is essential in helping people to stay
St Lucia 204
healthy, recover from illness, and live longer. The Australia: 83 years
Belarus 254
number of doctors per person in the population Life expectancy among
Georgia 234
has an important effect on life expectancy, but other Liberia 15,000
the Aboriginal population
factors influence people’s life span. Monaco, for of Australia is only 73.6
Mozambique 33,300 years, much lower than
instance, has roughly the same number of doctors Niger 50,000 the national average.
per head as Cuba, but life expectancy in Monaco Bhutan 3,846
is over ten years longer than that in Cuba. Malawi 50,000

TO DIE BEFORE THE AGE OF FIVE THAN A CHILD BORN IN SWEDEN. 83

 Infecting germs Bubonic plague Flu virus
Viruses are very simple
bacteria
Many infectious diseases Bacteria are single- organisms far smaller
are caused by microscopic celled organisms that even than bacteria. They
living organisms. They live multiply by dividing into spread by invading and
two again and again. taking over cells in the
and multiply inside our
Millions could fit on body. Viruses are
bodies and can pass from unharmed by antibiotics,
the head of a pin.
human to human by touch, Today, many bacterial but the body can be
through blood or saliva, infections can be treated fortified against them
and through the air. with antibiotics. with a vaccine.

The Black Death

ravaged Britain
in 1348–50.

In August 1918, a
Troops returning second wave of Spanish
home from Asia at Flu crossed the Atlantic
the end of World War I and hit the port city of
brought the Spanish Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Flu back with them.
3

Spanish Flu
This infection was called
“Spanish Flu” because people
first thought it began in Spain.
However, it actually was first 4
reported at a training camp for
American soldiers in the United
States. The disease spread Freetown
quickly when infected soldiers
traveled to Europe to fight in
World War I. It is estimated to According to some
have killed 20–50 million people. studies, HIV began its
spread through the

Pandemics
human population
in Cameroon.

Infectious diseases—illnesses
that pass between people— KEY

can spread rapidly. Many

This map shows the spread of three of history’s
most lethal pandemics—in ancient times, the

people become ill, causing

Middle Ages, and modern times.

a local disaster called an Plague of Justinian

Bubonic plague, 541–42 ce
epidemic. When this Black Death
effect becomes global, Bubonic plague, 1346–55 ce

we call it a pandemic. Spanish Flu

Influenza, 1918–20

84 SPANISH FLU MAY HAVE KILLED UP TO 50 MILLION PEOPLE.

 People and planet

Superbugs and new viruses

Bacteria and viruses change fast. “Superbug” bacteria become
immune to antibiotics, while scientists try to develop vaccines
against new viruses. Today, air travel can spread infection
worldwide in days, so the fear of a fast-spreading pandemic
is greater than ever. Here are five recent cases of new viruses.

1 Hong Kong Flu, 1968–69

In 2 years, Hong Kong Flu caused about 1 million deaths. The
virus killed about 34,000 people in the United States alone.
Black Death
In the 14th century, an 2 Avian (Bird) Flu, Hong Kong, 1997–present
outbreak of bubonic plague This virus first appeared in humans in Hong Kong, through contact
spread from Asia across with infected poultry. It has killed hundreds of people since then.
Europe, causing devastation
along the way. It caused 3 H1N1 (“Swine Flu”), Mexico City, 2009–10
some 50 million deaths— This new flu developed from viruses of birds, pigs, and humans.
about half in Europe, Up to 575,400 people died in the first year of this pandemic.
where 25 percent of the
population was killed. 4 HIV, west–central Africa, 1981–present
This virus causes AIDS—an often-fatal disease of the body’s
defenses. It now infects more than 30 million people worldwide.
Constantinople
(Istanbul)

Some experts think the Plague

of Justinian began not in
Ethiopia, but in Central Asia. 5
COVID-19
2 1

5 Dec 2019–present
The Black Death passed along sea First identified in Wuhan,
trade routes, since the bacteria that China, in late 2019, this
caused the disease lived in fleas,
which lived on ships’ rats. fast-spreading virus can
cause severe respiratory
problems; up to 2.6 million
deaths were reported in the
Plague of Justinian first year of the pandemic.
At its height, during the rule of the Emperor Vaccines have now been
Justinian (ruler of the Byzantine, or Eastern developed to help protect
Roman, Empire), this disease killed at least
25 million people. It may have started in against the disease.
Ethiopia, then spread along trade routes
through northern Egypt and Constantinople
(modern-day Istanbul) into Europe.

UP TO 2,000 PEOPLE
STILL SUFFER FROM Spanish Flu was brought
to New Zealand in 1918
by soldiers returning
PLAGUE EACH YEAR home from fighting in
World War I in Europe.

THAT’S MORE THAN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS DURING WORLD WAR I. 85
 The poverty line
A poverty line is the minimum
level of income thought to be
enough for a person to live on. It is
the least amount needed to provide
basic necessities: food, clothing,
health care, and shelter. The cost
of living is different around the
world, so the poverty line varies
from country to country.

PEOPLE ON LESS
THAN $1.90 A DAY Morocco
The international extreme poverty Income
line of $1.90 income a day is a inequality here
is the highest in
global measure of absolute poverty. North Africa.
This amount was set by the World
Bank in 2015, and will be updated
when necessary to reflect the
cost of living. The map shows the
percentage of each country’s people US
The wealth gap is huge in
earning less than $1.90 a day. America; the top 1 percent of US
households hold 15 times more
wealth than the entirety of the
lower 50 percent.

Haiti
The most cases of
below 0.25% 0.25 –1 % 1-3% extreme poverty in the
Bolivia western hemisphere.
One of the poorest Haiti’s economy was
countries in South severely affected by a
America. Ambitious 2010 earthquake, and
goals have been set is still yet to recover.
surrounding the country’s
3 - 15 % 15 - 40 % above 40 % sanitation services, but
currently only a third of
Bolivia’s rural population
has access to proper Liberia
sewage systems. One of the
poorest countries Ghana
No data in the world. An While the overall
Argentina estimated 64 poverty rate
Lower unemployment has percent of the has gone down
helped drastically to reduce

Poverty
population lives sharply over the
poverty in recent years. below the last 30 years,
$1.90-a-day line. poverty in the
north of the
country has
changed little.

Inequality
The COVID-19 pandemic means In many countries, the gap between
rich and poor is widening. Tax, special
that global poverty is expected to benefits for the lowest earners, and free

rise for the first time since 2000.

education, among other things, can help
reduce this. These charts show how
Sub-Saharan Africa has by far the much of a country’s overall wealth the
richest people own. The countries
most cases of extreme poverty— shown here are those with a very large

half of the countries in this region

gap between rich and poor, and those
where the gap is less noticeable.
have a poverty rate higher than 35%.

86 MORE THAN 24% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION LIVED ON LESS THAN

 People and planet
Ukraine
Norway Overtook Moldova in 2018 as the Russia
Very few extremely poorest country in Europe—although Despite its overall wealth, the country still
wealthy people and up to half of Ukraine’s economy has a significant gap between the rich and
almost no extreme likely goes unreported. the poor. About 19 million people live
poverty means there below the national poverty line.
is an even distribution
of wealth.

China
In 1981, 85 percent of the population lived
on less than $1.25 a day (the extreme
poverty rate at that time). In 2005, that
figure was 16 percent, and it is still
falling. More than 746 million people have
come out of poverty in China since 1990.

Vietnam
Significant numbers have lifted
themselves out of poverty in Vietnam
since the 1980s. The average income
went from $100 a year in 1986 to
Burundi $2,235 by the end of 2019.
Nearly four out of
every five people
live on less than India
$1.90 a day. Despite the country
Repeated conflict overall becoming wealthier,
in the 1990s India has the highest
caused the proportion of extreme
poverty rate poor in the world.
to double.

South Africa
People are earning more on average than they
were 20 years ago, but inequality has increased,
and over one-quarter of people are unemployed.

100%
South Africa 50.5%

Mozambique 45.5%
Principe 49.1%

THE DISRUPTION OF COVID-19

Percentage of wealth held

Sao Tome and

Republic 46.2%
Central African
Namibia 47.3%
by the wealthiest 10%

Czech Republic 21.5%

COULD PUSH UP TO 150

Sweden 21.3%
Slovenia 21.0%

Iceland 21.2%
Norway 19.5%

MILLION PEOPLE INTO

Most unequal Most equal
EXTREME POVERTY BY
THE END OF 2021

$3.20 A DAY IN 2017, AND 43.6% LIVED ON LESS THAN $5.50 A DAY. 87
 The world’s gold
Beautiful, rare, and highly prized, gold has been mined since ancient
Egyptian times. Sometimes a discovery of gold led to a “gold rush,”
with thousands of people flocking
to the site in the hope of
making their fortune.

Canada
Klondike gold rush, Five percent of the
Canada, 1897–99 world’s gold comes
3 5 from Canada.
100,000 prospectors
headed for Klondike.
About 4,000 found gold.
United States
This is the fourth-largest
California gold gold producer, mining 220
rush, 1848–55 tons annually (6 percent
300,000 people flocked to 4 of the global total).
California, aiming to strike gold.
10

Top 10 gold mines

Figures show gold mined in 2019.

1 Muruntau, Uzbekistan
68.6 tons
Ghana
2 Olimpiada, Russia Ghana is Africa’s largest
47.6 tons gold producer, snatching
this top ranking from
3 Carlin, Nevada South Africa in 2019.
45 tons

4 Pueblo Viejo, Dominican Republic

33.7 tons Peru
Peru is the largest gold producer
5 Cortez, Nevada in South America, and the world’s
32.9 tons sixth largest (4 percent of all gold).

6 Lihir, Papua New Guinea

30.2 tons

7 Cadia East, Australia

29.8 tons

8 Grasberg, Indonesia
29.5 tons ALL THE GOLD THAT HAS EVER
9 Kibali, Democratic Republic
of Congo
27.9 tons
BEEN MINED WOULD MAKE A CUBE
10 Loulo-Gounkoto, Mali
24.5 tons
92 FT (28 M) ALONG EACH SIDE

88 FOUND IN AUSTRALIA IN 1869, “WELCOME STRANGER” WAS THE BIGGEST

 People and planet

Gold reserves 8
7
The central banks of the world’s nations

THOUSANDS OF TONS
6
store gold to back up their currencies.
5
The Federal Reserve in the US has the
4
largest gold reserves. There are also
3
international gold reserves, such as those
2
held by the International Monetary Fund. 1
0
United Germany Italy France Russia China Switzerland Japan India Netherlands
States

KEY
Circles show
locations of the
world’s gold mines.
1
Russia
The world’s third-largest Top-10
gold producer, Russia gold mine
extracted 341 tons
in 2019 (9 percent of
the global total). Other
gold mine
China
China is the world’s largest
gold producer, extracting 463
tons in 2019 (13 percent of
the global total).
Indonesia
Much of Indonesia’s
9 gold production—just
Africa under 5 percent of the world
The continent is 8 6 total—is a by-product of
responsible for about copper mining.
one-fifth of the world’s
gold production.

World gold holdings

Of the 218,000 tons of gold now above ground,
nearly half is now jewelry. Slightly less than
one-fifth is stored as reserves in central banks
(see above). Some of the rest exists as parts in 7
engineering such as electric cables and protective
coatings on spacecraft. Still more is in the hands of
Witwatersrand investors, waiting for the right time to sell.
gold rush, South
Africa, 1886
Triggered by the
discovery of the Australia
Central banks

With 364 tons

Investment

Other 2%

“Golden Arc”—
Industrial
Jewelry

mined in 2019
17%

22%

12%

an ancient lake
47%

bed rich in gold (10 percent of the

deposits that global total), Australia
stretches from is the second-largest
Johannesburg gold-producing nation.
to Welkom.

WORLD’S GOLD HOLDINGS

GOLD NUGGET EVER FOUND. IT CONTAINED 156 LB (71 KG) OF GOLD. 89

 21.4

Persson
Stefan
Most billionaires
The US has about 800
Sweden
billionaires—more than 157.9
any other country.
179.3

155

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and family

127.5

Bernard Arnault and family

103.3 76.1

97.6
93.4
88.7
86
70.1
64.1 62.5 61.7 77.4

Phil Knight and family

59

Julia Koch and family

Michael Bloomberg

Amancio Ortega Gaona

53.9
46.4
Mark Zuckerberg

49.8 49.7 46.5 46.4

MacKenzie Scott
Warren Buffett

Steve Ballmer

Daniel Gilbert

Charles Koch
Larry Ellison

31.3

Alice Walton

Michael Dell
France
Sergey Brin

Rob Walton
Jim Walton
Larry Page
Jeff Bezos

John Mars
Elon Musk

Bill Gates

US
Spain
United States
The US has the world’s

Giovanni Ferrero
largest economy, worth 34.8
around $20.8 trillion,
and the world’s third-
largest population.

Aliko Dangote
Italy
German Larrea Mota Velasco and family

11.7
Alberto Bailleres Gonzalez and family
Ricardo Salinas Pliego and family

Africa Nigeria
Carlos Slim Helu and family

64.8 In 2021, Africa was the

continent with the fewest
billionaires—just 18.
Jorge Paulo Lemann and family

27.2
Iris Fontbona and family

13.3
9.3
WORLD’S WEALTHIEST
Mexico The map shows the
citizenship of the world’s
23.1
17.5 richest people, and the
value of their fortunes

Billionaires
in billions of US dollars.
Chile Brazil = Approximately
$4.5 billion USD

Bill Gates Françoise

Some billionaires inherit wealth. Founded Microsoft software Bettencourt Meyers
Others get rich through banking, firm in 1975. Now devotes
himself to charity work.
A principal shareholder in the

making or trading goods, or beauty company L’Oréal.

inventing new things. Not

surprisingly, billionaires tend
to be concentrated in more
prosperous nations.

90 SINCE 1994, THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION HAS GIVEN
 People and planet

Russia
Rich in natural resources, such
as metals, minerals, and oil, Russia
Beate Heister and Karl Albrecht Jr

had about 100 billionaires in 2021.

Alexey Mordashov and family

Leonid Mikhelson
Vladimir Potanin
Vladimir Lisin
39.2
SUSnne Klatten
Dieter Schwarz

36.6 29.3
28.6 26.8 26.6 25.7

Germany Russia
Rinat Akhmetov

7.6
Elon Musk
The controversial CEO of
Ukraine both electric car company
Tesla and aerospace tech
firm SpaceX.

33.8

Lee Shau Kee

bin Talal Al-Saud

31.7
Prince Alwaleed

Li Ka-shing 27.6

Robin Zeng
77.9
19.3

Xu Hang
14.3
53.8
Hong Kong
Mukesh Ambani

Saudi
Gautam Adani

24
Shiv Nadar

Arabia Amancio Ortega

Gaona
India Founder of fashion group
Inditex, which owns the
clothing store chain Zara.

FACEBOOK’S
MARK ZUCKERBERG
WAS A BILLIONAIRE BY
Gina Rinehart

THE AGE OF 23
23.5

Australia

Jeff Bezos Mark Zuckerberg Aliko Dangote

Founder of online retailer Cofounded Facebook social The wealthiest person in
Amazon, and the richest networking site in 2004, Africa, thanks to his cement
person in the world. while in college. production company.

MORE THAN 45.5 BILLION DOLLARS TO CHARITABLE CAUSES. 91

 KEY cattle corn coffee
Animals that are raised to be food
for humans are colored brown. goats rice fruit
Crops and fruits grown in fields and poultry sugarcane tea
orchards are green. Food from the
sea—fish and shellfish—is blue. pigs vineyards fisheries
sheep wheat

Grand Banks,
Newfoundland
Once one of the
world’s richest fishing
Wheat trade areas, the cod fishery
here has collapsed
Wheat is grown on more through overfishing.
land than any other crop.
Russia supplied 18 percent
US grain belt
of the world’s exports in The flat landscape, ideal
2019. Egypt grows its own for large farm machinery,
wheat but still imports some and the deep, fertile soil
13 million tons per year. make the Midwest region
of the US among the best
land for growing crops.

35
30
EXPORTS
MILLIONS OF

25
20
TONS

15
10
5
0
Russia US Canada France Ukraine
15
12
MILLIONS OF

IMPORTS
9
TONS

6 Chile–Peru
3 fishing zone
The waters here
0
Egypt Indonesia Brazil Philippines Turkey are the best in the
world for fishing

Food
because deep
ocean currents Tea trade
push nutrients to China is the world’s leading
the surface, in a producer of tea, with about
process known
as upwelling. 40 percent of the global total. Turkey has

production
the strongest thirst for tea, with everyone
drinking between five and ten cups a day.
3
PRODUCTION, 2018
MILLION TONS

The food that people produce to 0

eat and sell depends on where they

China India Kenya Sri Vietnam
Lanka

live. They grow fruit and other crops

6.6 lb/3 kg
CONSUMPTION PER PERSON, 2018

on fertile ground, graze their animals

4.4 lb/2 kg

in less accessible areas, and fish where

2.2 lb/1 kg

warm currents make sea life plentiful.

0
Turkey Ireland UK Russia Morocco

92 BRAZIL PRODUCES ONE-THIRD OF THE WORLD’S COFFEE SUPPLY, NEARLY

 People and planet

Rice production in India

Rice can grow in many places, as long
as it has plenty of water. But cultivating
rice takes a lot of human labor, so it
is often grown in countries with a
large and low-cost workforce,
such as India.

China and Japan

China and Japan are
the two nations that
catch—and eat—the
most fish. Making fish
the main part of their
diet has been central
to both Japanese and
Chinese cultures
for centuries.

TO FEED THE RISING

WORLD POPULATION,
THE UN SAYS FOOD
PRODUCTION MUST
INCREASE BY 70 PERCENT
BEFORE 2050
Sheep meat trade 500 400

With 4 million people and more 350

400 IMPORTS
THOUSANDS OF TONS

THOUSANDS OF TONS

300
than 31 million sheep, it is not EXPORTS
250
surprising that New Zealand 300
200
exports 90 percent of the meat 200 150
produced there. China imported
100
over 50 percent of its sheep meat 100
50
from New Zealand in 2019, making
0 0
it ANew Zealand’s best customer. Australia New UK Ireland Netherlands China US France UK Germany
Zealand

TWICE AS MUCH AS THE SECOND-BIGGEST PRODUCER, VIETNAM. 93

 Canada
Canada has a lower adult obesity United Kingdom
rate than the United States, at Obesity in the UK is
about 27.7 percent. Daily calorie estimated to add an extra
intake is around 3,530 kcal. $8.4 billion each year to
the country’s national
health-care costs.

Africa
Africa is the continent
with the lowest calorie
intake, at 2,550 kcal per
day. The global average
is 2,870 kcal.
United States
Larger portions and cheap,
high-calorie, high-fat fast
foods and ready meals have
helped raise average daily
intake levels to 3,800 kcal. Cuba
Adult obesity is now Although Cuba is not a rich country,
about 39.6 percent. its citizens are well fed, with a daily
intake of about 3,420 kcal.

Weight around the world

Pacific island nations such as Nauru, the Cook
Islands, and Tonga have among the highest Bolivia
obesity levels. This is partly because the islanders Daily calorie intake for the
now eat mainly cheap, fatty, imported foods, and average adult in Bolivia is
partly because plumpness traditionally signifies around 2,100 kcal.
wealth and fertility.

Food
PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION CLASSED AS OBESE

61.0% 55.9% 48.2%

Nauru Cook Islands Tonga

intake
Food and the energy it
contains is the fuel for our
bodies. Overeating and
36.2% 35.4% 31.7%

unhealthy diets can lead to

obesity—when a person gains
so much weight that it can
US Saudi Arabia United Arab
Emirates
cause illness and disease.

94 IN 2019, THERE WERE 690 MILLION UNDERNOURISHED PEOPLE IN

 People and planet

China
With 1.4 billion people, China has the
largest population to feed. Average
daily calorie intake is 2,990 kcal.

India Mongolia
One third of the world’s The daily calorie intake
malnourished children live in Mongolia has risen
in India. The average daily from about 1,840 kcal
intake in India is 2,360 kcal. in 1994 to more than
2,240 kcal today.

DAILY INTAKE
Daily kilocalorie (kcal)
consumption per person.

Below 2000

2000 - 2400

2400 - 2800

2800 - 3200

3200 - 3600

Above 3600

No data
Eritrea
The average daily calorie intake
is about 1,590 kcal per person—
among the lowest in the world.

MALNUTRITION CAUSES THE

DEATH OF 3.1 MILLION Australia
The average Australian

CHILDREN EACH YEAR gets about 3,220 kcal per

day—more than twice as
much as an Eritrean.

PERCENTAGE OF INCOME CALORIES EATEN

SPENT ON FOOD
Percentage of income spent on food

50 4,000
Average calorie intake

40
per person (kcal)

3,000

30
2,000 The cost of food
20
People in poor countries have to
1,000
10 spend a greater proportion of their
income on food, so they cannot
0 0
US United Kingdom Canada Ireland Guatemala Kenya Pakistan Cameroon
afford a high-calorie intake.

THE WORLD—THAT’S 8.9 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. 95

 Canada
About 16 percent of
Canadians struggle to pass
basic literary tests.

Europe
Although most countries
in Europe have very high
literacy rates, more than 55
million adults classed as
Going to “literate” still lack basic
secondary school
reading and writing skills.

Wealthy nations can afford to

provide secondary education for all United States
About 21 percent
children, but governments in poorer of adults in the US
countries cannot offer every child a place. are classed as
This is particularly true in Africa south “functionally illiterate.”
of the Sahara. In Niger, for example, only
24 percent of children go to secondary school. Mauritania
Little more than half
PERCENTAGE OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL-AGE
of Mauritania’s
CHILDREN ENROLLED IN SCHOOL population—52.1
100% percent—can read
and write.
Burkina Faso

80%
Mozambique

Chad
Burundi

Central African
New Zeland

60% Just 23.3 percent of

Sweden

Republic
France

Japan

Seychelles

people in Chad are

Niger

40% literate—the world’s

lowest literacy rate.
20%

0% Brazil

Literacy
Just over nine out of every
ten Brazilians are literate.

Literacy—being able to read and

write—is an essential life skill. IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES,
Being literate makes it easier for
people to learn, make the most of 200 MILLION PEOPLE AGES
their abilities, and get better jobs. 15–24 HAVE NOT COMPLETED
High levels of illiteracy make it
difficult for nations to develop PRIMARY SCHOOL
and become wealthier.

96 ABOUT 61 MILLION PRIMARY-AGE CHILDREN WORLDWIDE WERE RECEIVING

 People and planet

Georgia
Georgia has an Russia
extremely high This vast country has one
literacy rate, at of the highest literacy
over 99 percent. rates, at 99.7 percent.

KEY
People more than 15 years
old in each country who can
read and write:
Above 98%
95–98%
85–95%
China
The literacy 75–85%
rate in China is 65–75%
96.8 percent. 55–65%
45–55%
Below 45%
Data not available

Somalia
With literacy at only
37.8 percent, nearly
two-thirds of Somalis
cannot read and write.
Indonesia
About 88 percent
of children attend
secondary school.
Literacy is
95.6 percent.
Madagascar Papua New Guinea
Nearly three-quarters Literacy in Papua New
of all Madagascans— Guinea is 61.6 percent.
74.8 percent— Australia
are literate. While the literacy rate
for Australia as a whole is
99 percent, it is significantly
lower among the country’s
Aboriginal population.
Percentage of adults who can read and write
Male Female
100%

80%
85%
60% Male–female differences New Zealand
62% 60% Ninety-nine
55% 40% Of the 781 million illiterate adults around the percent of New
55% 50% world in 2010, nearly two-thirds were women. Zealanders
30% 31% 28% 20% In some countries, girls are discouraged from are literate.
26%
attending school, leading to wide differences
0% in literacy rates between men and women.
Guinea-Bissau Central African Mozambique Yemen
Afghanistan Republic

NO SCHOOLING IN 2014—MORE THAN HALF WERE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. 97

 Biggest oil spills
Oil spills—when oil escapes
into the environment—cause
devastation to wildlife and are
difficult and costly to clean up.

Gulf War oil spill,

Persian Gulf, 1991
1 330,000–1,322,000 tons
Iraqi forces opened valves
on Kuwaiti oil wells and pipes,
causing a 100-mile (160-km) slick.

Lakeview gusher, California

1910-11
1,212,000 tons Persistent organic pollutants
2
An oil well erupted like a (POPs): Canadian Arctic
geyser, spilling out oil for over a These pollutants include industrial
products and pesticides. They
year until it naturally died down.
travel on the world’s oceans and 5
air currents, accumulate in the
4 Arctic regions, and contaminate
Deepwater Horizon, Gulf 3 the foods that Inuit people eat.
of Mexico, 2010
3 740,000 tons
A deep-sea oil spill occurred
when an explosion destroyed the 2
Deepwater Horizon drillling rig.

Ixtoc 1 oil spill, Gulf of 3

4
Mexico, USA, 1979–80
454,000–480,000 tons
4
The Ixtoc 1 drilling platform
collapsed after an explosion.
The spill continued for 9 months.
5

Atlantic Empress, Trinidad

and Tobago, 1979 Lead: La Oroya, Peru
5 A metal smelting plant
287,000 tons
has emitted toxic lead
The largest oil spill from a
since 1922. This has led
ship. The tanker Atlantic Empress
hit another ship, killing 26 crew.
to contaminated water
supplies, dangerously
polluted air, and unsafe
THE 1991
GULF WAR OIL
levels of lead in the
blood of local residents.

Pollution
SLICK WAS UP TO
5 IN (13 CM)
THICK
Oil spills, industrial waste, and
radiation leaks from nuclear Nuclear accidents 1 Chernobyl,

power stations Splitting atoms in nuclear Ukraine

April 26, 1986
cause harm to people and the
reactors produces energy
for generating electricity. A reactor explosion

environment. Carbon dioxide Accidents at reactors may released radioactive

material. Radiation-
lead to radioactive material
gas (CO2) produced by
related illnesses
escaping, which can cause may have caused

transportation and industry

illness such as cancer for thousands of deaths.
many years.
is adding to global warming.

98 RADIOACTIVE WASTE FROM NUCLEAR REACTORS CAN REMAIN DANGEROUS

 People and planet
Chemical waste: Organic chemicals, Nickel ore: Norilsk, Russia
Dzerzhinsk, Sumgayit, Azerbaijan Few trees grow within 30 miles (48 km) of
Russia A town once home to chemical plants that a massive metal-smelting complex in this
Chemical weapons released 120,000 tons of toxic chemicals industrial town, due to acid rain and smog.
were made here per year. Cancer rates are up to 51 percent
until 1998. The higher than elsewhere in the country.
town’s water
contains extreme Industrial chemicals: Bhopal, India
levels of toxic In 1984, poisonous gas escaped from a
chemicals. Average pesticide factory, killing 4,000–15,000
life expectancy for people. Thousands continue to suffer and
the area in 2007 die from illnesses related to the accident.
was 45.

Air pollution: Linfen, China

Among the world’s most polluted
cities, Linfen is at the heart of
China’s coal industry. Soot and coal
2 dust fill the air, raising the risk of
bronchitis, pneumonia, and lung
cancer in the people.

Carbon dioxide
1 The map shows how much
Mercury: Central CO2 each country produces
Kalimantan, Indonesia per person. Wealthy nations
Toxic mercury is used to tend to produce the most.
extract gold from mines
in Kalimantan, with about
50 tons of mercury Tons of CO2 per person
Pesticides: released into the air
each year. Below 1.5
Kasaragod, India
Decades of pesticide Tanning wastes: 1.5–3.0
use on cashew-nut Ranipet, India 3.0–5.0
plantations have caused Water polluted by 5.0–10.0
disease and mental illness waste from a
for a generation leather-tanning factory 10.0–15.0
of residents. stings the skin and Above 15.0
causes ulcers.
No data
Lead: Kabwe, Zambia
A once-thriving lead industry has
resulted in lead levels in Kabwe’s
children of 5–10 times the safe limit.

Acid mine drainage: Johannesburg, South Africa

Acidified water flows from old mines into rivers.
It contaminates water supplies and crops and
harms wildlife.

2 Fukushima, 3 Three Mile 4 Idaho Falls, US 5 Lucens reactor,

Japan Island, US January 3, 1961 Switzerland
March 11, 2011 March 28, 1979 January 21, 1969
An explosion
A tsunami hit this A reactor was damaged at the SL-1 prototype Built in a cavern, this
coastal power plant, when it overheated. The reactor killed three reactor leaked radiation.
triggering explosions. cost of decontaminating workers—the first None of the workers
Over 100,000 people the site after the event in the world to die in were contaminated, but
had to be evacuated was $1 billion. a reactor accident. the cavern was sealed to
from their homes. contain the radiation.
Pollution
hotspots

FOR 240,000 YEARS—LONGER THAN MODERN HUMANS HAVE EXISTED! 99

 KEY
The world’s five largest garbage dumps,
or landfills, labeled with the amount of
waste dumped in them every day.

Puente Hills—
Los Angeles, California
Approximately 11,350
tons per day.

Greenland
Currently Greenland produces
30% more waste than it can
process, though two new
Apex—Las Vegas, Nevada garbage-to-energy incinerators
Approximately 11,600 are due to open in 2021 and 2022.
Western Pacific Garbage Patch tons per day.
A lot of discarded litter ends up in
rivers, which take it to the sea, where
circular currents called gyres collect
it into vast patches in the ocean
surface waters. This patch is the
largest of these oceanic
rubbish dumps. North Atlantic Garbage Patch
The North Atlantic Garbage Patch
measures hundreds of miles
across. It shifts by as much as
990 miles (1,600 km) north and

Garbage
south with the seasons.

Bordo Poniente Landfill—

Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Over 13,200 tons per day.

and waste
Gabon
Less wealthy countries,
such as Gabon, produce
less garbage because
people buy less overall,
they buy proportionally
more local produce
without plastic packaging,

As living standards improve South Pacific

and do more recycling.

worldwide and cities grow, Garbage Patch

So far, the South
so does the amount of Pacific Gyre
appears to contain
garbage that people less plastic waste
South Atlantic Garbage Patch
The first evidence of a South Atlantic
than other ocean
produce. Most waste goes
Garbage Patch was discovered in 2011.
garbage patches.
Most plastic particles in ocean

to garbage dumps, which are

garbage patches are too small
to be seen with the naked eye.

expensive, use up a lot of land,

and are harmful to the environment. Top of the recycling table
Recycling is one way of helping Only a handful of countries currently recycle
to stop the global garbage heap more than half their waste; Germany tops this list,
recycling 56.1% of all waste in 2019. This figure is
from growing any bigger. a rapid increase from 1991, when the country
recycled only 3% of its garbage.

100 RECYCLING ONE ALUMINIUM CAN SAVES ENOUGH ENERGY TO BURN A

 People and planet

KEY 0–1.1 1.1–1.65 1.65–2.75

Everyday items discarded (0–0.5) (0.5–0.75) (0.75–1.25)
by the public per day in
each country, shown 2.75–4.4 Above 4.4
in lb (kg) per person. No data
(1.25–2) (above 2)

Laogang—Shanghai, China Sudokwon—Incheon, South Korea

Approximately 11,000 Approximately 20,000-22,000
tons per day. tons per day.
Moldova
Moldova dumps more than 1
million tons of waste into the
ground each year—with only
10 percent of this being sorted
and recycled.

Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch

Together with the Western Garbage
Patch, this makes up the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch. Scientists estimate
that the eastern area contains about
3.3 million tons of plastic litter.

Australia
In 2019 only 12% of Australian
household plastic was recycled,
but the next year the government
announced a $190 million budget
for new recycling infrastructure.

Indian Ocean
Garbage Patch

100
90
80
GARBAGE RECYCLED

70
PERCENTAGE OF

60

A PLASTIC BOTTLE IN
50
40
30
20
10 LANDFILL CAN TAKE 450 YEARS
0
Germany Singapore South Korea Taiwan Netherlands Austria Slovenia
TO BIODEGRADE, OR ROT
LIGHT BULB FOR ALMOST 4 HOURS, OR A TELEVISION FOR 3 HOURS. 101
 Norway
Every person in Norway
has clean water piped
into their homes.

US
In the US,
a family of four uses
arbout 400 gallons (1,500
liters) each day. Most is
used for bathing and
flushing the toilet.

Haiti
After a huge earthquake in
2010, over 1.5 million Haitians Mauritania
lived in refugee camps without Mauritania has a
clean water. Thousands died dry desert climate.
from cholera—a disease that Only 68 percent of its
spreads through dirty water. population has clean
water, and people often
have to walk a long
way to collect it.

Peru
Peru has a large supply of
fresh water in its mountains.
However, most people live in
cities near the coast, where
the climate is hot and dry.
Water can therefore be DRINKING WATER
scarce and expensive. This map shows the
percentage of people with
clean drinking water in
each country. This includes
water piped into homes and
collected from standpipes,
wells, and springs.

Above 97%
95–97%
85–95%
70–85%
Below 70%
No data

Clean water Thirsty crops

The tap in your home may give you an instant
Growing crops in dry climates is by
far the thirstiest human activity. It
supply of clean drinking water. However, millions uses much more water than is used
in people’s homes and dominates
of people around the world must get their water use in many countries. That’s

water from a standpipe or a well. For one in

why parts of central Asia, where
farmers water fields of cotton, top
three people, their sources of water are this list of overall water consumers.

contaminated and unsafe to drink.

102 IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 70 PERCENT OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE IS

 People and planet
Russia
Russia’s rivers and lakes Water use in the home
provide plentiful water, but These glasses show how many of
the quality of water supplies
is not reliable and most gallons (liters) of water each person uses
people must buy bottled a day for such things as drinking, washing,
water to drink. cooking, and cleaning. In Cambodia,
each person manages on just 5 gallons
(19 liters) of water a day. In the US,
people use 30 times more.

Cambodia Kenya Brazil Kuwait USA

5.2 9.1 61.9 133 157
(19.6) (34.4) (234) (501) (593)

India
THE UN SAYS EACH
Nineteen
percent of the
world’s population
PERSON SHOULD HAVE
13 GALLONS (50 LITERS)
without clean
water access live
in India. About Indonesia
850 children here Many water supplies
under the age of
five die every day
are polluted by waste
from factories and by OF CLEAN WATER EVERY DAY
from diarrhea. sewage. About 70
percent of people
lack clean water.

Total water use (million liters per person per year)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Turkmenistan

Chile

Guyana

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Kyrgyzstan

US
Australia
A history of terrible droughts
Iran caused Australia rethink its water
use. Measures include recycling
Estonia sewage and encouraging
gray water recycling (waste
Azerbaijan water from baths and washing
machines), in an attempt to
“drought-proof” the nation.

DUMPED UNTREATED INTO RIVERS, WHERE IT POLLUTES USABLE WATER. 103

 Athabasca oil sands, Canada
The enormous Athabasca oil
reserves are in the form of oil shale
on the land’s surface. To get the oil
out of oil shale needs huge amounts
of water and energy and causes far
more environmental destruction per North Sea
barrel of oil than normal drilling. Contains western
Europe’s largest
oil and natural
gas reserves.

How long left? France

France has only small
Fossil fuels are used up oil reserves and prefers
to focus on nuclear
faster all the time, and power production.
one day the world’s fuel
reserves—the fuels US
remaining in the ground— Americans consume
about 16% of the world’s
will run out. Estimates of fossil fuel energy.
the size of the fuel
reserves go up as well
as down, as old reserves Trinidad and Tobago
Natural gas consumption
are used up and new ones per person is the highest in
are discovered. Below are the world, and gas reserves
the latest estimates of are declining fast.
how long they will last.
Texas gas fields
The US is the world’s Venezuela
largest producer of Has possibly the greatest
gas. Texas provides amount of oil of any single
almost one-quarter country. Over 17 percent of
of the US’s gas from global reserves are found here.
both onshore and
Natural gas: 54 years

offshore fields. Nigeria

The largest producer of
Coal: 110 years

oil in Africa, but conflict

Oil: 53 years

and a lack of resources

limit production.

2021 supply estimates

Fossil fuels MOST FOSSIL FUELS

WERE FORMED
More than four-fifths of the world’s
energy comes from fossil fuels: oil, 300–360 MILLION
natural gas, and coal. These are YEARS AGO
the remains of plants and other
life-forms, buried for millions of Falkland Islands
years.When burned, they release Surveys show that around the British-controlled
Falkland Islands there may be double the amount
energy, but also waste gases, of oil as in the North Sea. Argentina claims a right
to the islands and to the oil.

which pollute the atmosphere.

104 FROM THE LATE 2ND CENTURY CE, THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN MINED
 People and planet
Russia
Has the world’s largest natural gas reserves
and second-largest coal reserves. Three times
as much gas is consumed in Russia as coal.

FUEL RESERVES
Fossil fuels form in intense
underground conditions as
remains of dead organisms
are compressed over millions
of years. Oil and natural
gas are found trapped in
underground spaces and are
extracted by drilling. Coal
can be mined at the surface
China or deep underground. The
Largest producer map shows areas where
of coal in the world, there are significant oil,
though it has the gas, and coal fields.
fourth-largest
The Middle East coal reserves.
Richest oil region Oil field
on Earth—contains Gas field
almost half the
world’s oil reserves. Coal field

Ghawar oil field, Saudi Arabia

Produces more oil than any other single oil
field, contributing more than half of Saudi
Arabia’s vast oil production since 1938.

Top fuel consumers

In 2007, China overtook the US
as the largest burner of fossil
fuels, mostly coal. However,
because there are fewer people
in the US, the average American
burns more than twice as much
fuel as the average Chinese citizen. Australia
One of the
world’s top
exporters
of coal. Coal
consumption
per person is
the highest
in the world.

Top gas consumer Top coal consumer Top oil consumer

United States China United States
Oil refinery, New Orleans, Louisiana

COAL ON A LARGE SCALE TO HEAT HOUSES THROUGH UNDERFLOOR PIPES. 105

 Alternative energy
There are several types of
Iceland
alternative energy, some Ninth on the
of which are also renewable “top 10” list of
(see opposite page). geothermal
producers
Wind Norway
Mounted on tall masts, huge Number six for
rotating blades called wind hydroelectricity
turbines harness the wind’s
energy and use it to drive
electricity generators.
Canada Germany
Solar Fourth-largest producer First in the world for solar,
The sun’s energy can be used of hydroelectricity; sixth third for wind, fourth for
to heat water in homes or to for nuclear; ninth for wind biofuel, and eighth for nuclear
produce high temperatures
for electricity generation. France
Photovoltaic panels convert Ranked second for nuclear,
sunlight directly into electricity. fifth for biofuel, seventh for
wind, and ninth for solar
Nuclear
The nuclei (cores) of atoms US
are split apart in nuclear World’s top producer of geothermal, Spain
power plants, releasing vast biofuel, and nuclear energy; in Number five for wind
amounts of energy. However, second place for wind and and ten for biofuel
the process also creates hydroelectricity; and fifth
dangerous nuclear waste. for solar Italy
Venezuela Ranked fourth for solar,
Geothermal Eighth for seventh for geothermal,
A geothermal power plant hydroelectricity and tenth for wind
taps underground steam
or hot water, which it uses Mexico
to generate electricity or Sixth for
to heat buildings directly. geothermal
Hydroelectric El Salvador
A hydroelectric power plant is Ninth for geothermal
a dam with generators built
into it. Water builds up behind
the dam. When gates in the dam are opened, the
force of the falling water drives the generators.

Biofuel, biogas, and biomass

Liquid fuel made from plants, rather than oil, is called biofuel.
When farm waste, sewage, and garbage rot, they release biogas,
Brazil
Ranked second for
electricity production
HYDROELECTRIC
which can be burned as fuel. Biomass is any plant-based material
burned for warmth or to generate electricity.
by biofuel, third for
hydroelectricity, and
eighth for wind
POWER PLANTS
SUPPLY

Alternative 90 PERCENT
OF NORWAY’S
energy Argentina
Seventh-largest producer
of electricity from biofuel
ENERGY
KEY

Burning fossil fuels—coal,

Top 10 alternative-energy producing countries in each field

oil, and gas—creates a lot of Wind energy Geothermal energy

pollution. People are developing
alternative, cleaner energy sources,
Solar energy Hydroelectric energy

and some are renewable—they never run out. Nuclear energy Biofuel energy

106 ICELAND IS A VOLCANIC ISLAND. CURRENTLY, ABOUT 90 PERCENT

 People and planet

Alternative energy 19% PERCENTAGE OF

World’s energy sources WORLD’S TOTAL
Fossil fuels supply about 80 ENERGY PRODUCTION
Sweden percent of the world’s energy.
Number nine for Most of the alternative energy
both nuclear and we use comes from bio- Biofuel, biogas, and
hydroelectricity sources. Nobody knows for biomass 9.29%
sure how much oil, coal, and
Nuclear 4.95%
gas is left in the ground, so
many countries are investing Hydroelectricity 2.53%
Russia heavily in renewable energy.
Wind 1.12%
World’s fourth-largest
Solar 0.6%
nuclear producer
and the fifth-largest Fossil fuels 81% Geothermal 0.51%
hydroelectricity nation
Ukraine
Number seven
for nuclear

South Korea
World’s fifth-largest producer of
nuclear energy and tenth for solar
China
First in the world for both wind and
hydroelectricity, second for solar,
third for nuclear, and sixth for biofuel Japan
A significant producer of solar
(third in world), geothermal, and
hydroelectric (both tenth) energy

India
Fourth in the
world for wind, Philippines
sixth for solar, Third-largest
and seventh for geothermal nation
hydroelectricity
Kenya Thailand
Eighth in the world for Ranked eighth
geothermal; more than in the world
50 percent of Kenya’s for biofuel
energy comes from
this source

Indonesia
Second in the top
10 of geothermal
countries
Australia
Eighth-largest producer
of solar energy
Renewable energy China
TOP RENEWABLE
Once fossil fuels have been ENERGY PRODUCERS

burned, they cannot be

replaced. Energy from New Zealand
natural sources that are Number five in
the world for
always replenished—such US Brazil
geothermal
as wind, sunlight, water, India
geothermal, and biomass—
is known as renewable
energy. Most countries are
Germany
making an effort to increase Canada Japan Italy Russia France

their usage of this; here are

the top 10 producers of
renewable energy in 2019. 758.6 264.5 141.9 128.2 125.4 101 97.5 55.3 55.2 52.9
Total energy from renewable sources (gigawatt-hours per year)

OF ALL ITS HOUSEHOLDS ARE HEATED BY GEOTHERMAL POWER. 107

 Glacier National Park,
Montana
In this center of climate change
research, the glaciers have been
retreating since the end of the
Little Ice Age—a cool period
ending in 1850. The shrinking Greenland ice sheet
has accelerated recently and In an average summer,
experts think it is due to ice melts on about
artificial global warming. 20 percent of the
surface of Greenland’s

Climate
ice sheet. At one point
in the summer of 2012,
scientists observed
that 97 percent of the
surface was melting.

change GLACIER
NATIONAL PARK,
Earth’s climate has been warming
and cooling for millions of years. MONTANA, NOW HAS
But in the last century, the planet ONLY 25 GLACIERS.
has been warming rapidly.
Scientists widely accept that IN 1910, THERE
this warming is linked with WERE 150
carbon dioxide and other gases
released by human industry,
transportation, and other TEMPERATURE CHANGE
This map, produced by scientists at NASA, shows the 5-year

activities. The gases trap

average global temperature for the years 2013–17, compared
to temperatures for the years 1950–80. Regions that are hotter

outgoing heat in Earth’s

in 2013–17 than they were in the earlier period are shaded red.
Those that are now colder appear blue.

atmosphere, warming the planet. °Fahrenheit

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Warming oceans
Satellite measurements show that
the Southern Ocean is warming by
0.4°F (0.2°C) per decade—much -2 -1 0 1 2
more rapidly than other oceans. °Celsius
Other evidence of climate change

108 ALL SEVEN OF THE YEARS FROM 2014 TO 2020 RANK AS THE
 People and planet

Arctic sea ice

The entire Arctic region has warmed more during the past
decades than any other part of the world, and the most
obvious effect is on the sea ice. Sea ice is a layer of frozen sea
water, typically 9 ft (3 m) thick, which forms on the surface of
the polar oceans. In 2020, Arctic sea ice fell to its second-
lowest extent since satellites starting monitoring it in 1979.

Rising sea level

Global sea levels are rising, but satellite data tells us
that this is happening more in some places than others.
Sea levels around the Philippines, for example, are
rising at almost three times the global average,
causing the low-lying country to rank on the UN’s
list of countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Lake shrinkage
Since 1960, Lake Chad
has shrunk by 90 percent Retreating
because the pattern of Himalayan glaciers
monsoon rainfall has The shrinking of glaciers in
shifted, giving it less the Himalayas north of India
rain. With less rain for has been blamed on the Asian
their crops, people have Brown Cloud—a haze of sooty
also taken much more of particles released by south
the lake’s water, shrinking Asian cities. Even though the
it further. Scientists think cloud blocks some sunlight
the rainfall shift could have reaching Earth, cooling the
been triggered by warming land below, it has a warming
of the surface of the oceans. effect overall, because it
absorbs and traps heat energy
like carbon dioxide does.

Melting glacier Global sea level

Muir Glacier in Alaska has been shrinking for Since 1993, the global sea level has steadily increased
more than 80 years. It has retreated by more than by about 0.1 in (3 mm) per year, as measured by satellite.
7 miles (12 km) and is 2,600 ft (800 m) thinner— During the 100-year period before 1993, sea levels rose
this shrinkage is shown in the photos below. by an average of only 0.07 in (1.7 mm) every year.
The glacier is now out of sight from this angle.
4 Sea level rise since 1993— 100
Change in sea level (mm)
Change in sea level (in)

80
3
60
2
40

1
20

0 0
August 13, 1941 August 31, 2004 1994 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

WARMEST YEARS SINCE 1880, WHEN RECORDS BEGAN. 109

 Alert, Canada
Queen Maud Gulf
Migratory Bird Sanctuary,
Arctic Canada
Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/
Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek,
Alaska and British Columbia
Home to some of the world’s most
spectacular glaciers.

Northeast Greenland
National Park
Once the world’s largest
protected area, mostly made
up of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Yellowstone National Park,

Wyoming Charlie-Gibbs Marine
The first national park in the world, Protected Area,
founded in 1872. The large alpine Atlantic Ocean
meadows and grass prairies provide
the ideal habitat for the large herds Northern Canada
of bison living in the park. Permafrost (permanently frozen soil)
makes this vast region inaccessible to
people, preserving the Arctic tundra
plains for the wolves and caribou.
3
Papahānaumokuākea
Marine National Monument
Hawaii, 585,242 sq mi Sahara desert
(1,508,000 sq km). World’s largest hot desert.
Supports little human life other
than in scattered oases.
Pacific Remote Islands
Marine National Monument
Central Pacific Ocean, Galápagos Islands
490,543 sq mi Aïr and Ténéré
5 (1,270,500 sq km). Natural Reserves,
Niger

Marae Moana Amazon rainforest

Cook Islands, 762,938 sq mi The north and west of this
(1,976,000 sq km). Jaú National Park, great forest have few or
1 no roads and are far from
Amazonas, Brazil human impact. Some areas
One of the largest protected
are flooded to great depth
rainforest areas in the world
every year. Some parts
and the largest in the Amazon
have never been logged
WILDERNESS AREAS basin. The park includes the
and are “pristine.”
The map shows the level of human influence across the world. entire Jaú River, where the
The colors are based on the “wilderness value,” which measures water is black from minerals
how far any one place is from permanent human settlements, in dissolved organic matter.
roads, and man-made structures. This measure of remoteness

ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF
from human development shows how much wilderness is left.

Key

High Low
THE WORLD’S PEOPLE
LIVE ON JUST 1 PERCENT
wilderness wilderness

PROTECTED AREAS OF THE WORLD

The blue areas on the map show some of the world’s
protected areas of wilderness. Damaging activities, such as
hunting and mining, are usually banned. The areas include
OF THE LAND
wildlife reserves, national parks, marine parks, and more.

Top 5 largest protected areas

110 AT 508 MILES (817 KM) FROM THE POLE, ALERT, CANADA, IS
 Yugyd Va National Park, Russia People and planet
One of the largest national parks
in Europe, made up Siberia
of forests in the The northeastern parts of Russia are cold, remote,
Northern Ural and largely untouched forests, mountains, and tundra.
Pelagos Sanctuary Mountains.
for Mediterranean
Marine Mammals Great Siberian Polynia,
Russia

Lake Baikal World

Heritage Site, Russia

Qiangtang Nature Reserve, China

The Tibetan Plateau is remote and
sparsely populated. From the most
remote point, it is a three-week trip
to the nearest cities of Lhasa or
Korla—one day by car and the
remaining 20 on foot.

Outback, Australia
“Outback” describes the hot, 5
dry parts of Australia where
Selous Game very few people live, many of
Reserve whom are Aboriginals. Several
Tanzania highways pass through even
the most remote areas.
Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier
Conservation Area
Home to a Natural Park
varied wildlife of the Coral Sea
population. New Caledonia,
Victoria Falls, Chagos Marine Protected 499,230 sq mi
between Zambia Area, Indian Ocean (1,293,000 sq km).
and Zimbabwe, A British-controlled cluster
lies at the center. of 55 tiny islands, surrounded
by a vast marine reserve. 4

Wilderness
Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park,
Australia
World’s largest
coral reef
system.

Wildernesses are the last places that have been largely Ross Sea

unchanged by humans. Indigenous peoples sometimes

Region Marine
Protected Area

live in these undeveloped areas, where their lifestyles

Antarctica,
598,458 sq mi

sometimes impact little on the landscape and wildlife.

(1,550,000 sq km).

THE EARTH’S MOST NORTHERLY PERMANENTLY INHABITED PLACE. 111

Engineering and technology
Reaching for the sky
The Burj Khalifa, the world’s
tallest building, can be seen
in the distance in this view of
fog-bound Dubai, the largest
city in the United Arab Emirates.
Introduction
World in motion
Transportation has shrunk our world. Thanks to
jet airliners, superhighways, and high-speed rail
routes, we can go on long-distance journeys that
would have been unthinkable just a few decades
ago. This transportation revolution began with the
Engineering and technology enable humans to invention of the railroad at the start of the 19th

achieve amazing feats. We build skyscrapers that

century, and it has continued at speed
ever since.
reach toward the clouds, bridges that span great
canyons, and tunnels that pierce mountains and Train collects
electricity from power
travel under the sea. Our computer cables suspended
above the track.
networks and transportation
systems keep people and places
connected. We can even
explore other planets.

High-speed electric locomotive

Launched in 1999, the Velaro is now in service in
Germany, Spain, France, the UK, China, Russia, Belgium,
Turkey, and the Netherlands. It is powered by electricity
and can reach speeds of more than 218 mph (350 kph).

Shrinking technology
Few, if any, areas of technology
have advanced faster than
computing. ENIAC, developed
by the US Army in 1946, was
the first general-purpose
programmable electronic
computer. ENIAC contained Modern marvel
more than 100,000 components. This tiny computer, just 0.04 in
Since then, electronic (1 mm) square, is implanted
components have become into the eye to help people
smaller and smaller. A modern with the disease glaucoma.
laptop computer is controlled
by a tiny microchip that may Enormous ancestor
be etched with more than a ENIAC weighed 33 tons and
billion components. occupied an entire room.
Operators programmed ENIAC
by plugging and unplugging
cables and adjusting switches.

114 FUGAKU WAS CROWNED THE WORLD’S FASTEST COMPUTER IN 2020, AND
 Engineering and technology
Early steam engine
Puffing Billy is the world’s oldest
surviving steam locomotive. Built Construction
in 1813 to haul coal in northern
England, it had a top speed of A steel-and-concrete building revolution
about 6 mph (10 kph). began in the late 19th century. Frames
made of steel girders allowed taller
structures to be built, and the invention
of reinforced concrete—concrete with
steel rods set into it—introduced an
amazingly strong, durable new material.
Together, steel and reinforced concrete
gave birth to the modern skyscraper,
changing the face of the world’s cities.

Coal carried in the tender Ancient concrete

was burned to heat water The Romans were experts in building with
in the boiler and produce concrete. It was used in the construction of
steam to drive the wheels. the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome.

World’s oldest skycraper city?

Shibam, in Yemen, has about 500 high-rise
apartment buildings made of mud brick,
most dating from the 16th century.

First steel-framed skyscraper

Completed in 1885, the innovative 10-story
Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois,
used a steel frame to support the walls.

Reinforced first
The first skyscraper built with reinforced
concrete was the 15-story Ingalls Building,
in Cincinnati, Ohio, erected in 1903.

Bullet-shaped nose
enables locomotive to
cut through the air more
easily, increasing speed.

Infrastructure
The built and engineered systems
that we rely on every day—from
sewers and telecommunication
networks to power lines, railroads,
and roads—are collectively known
as infrastructure. Without such
systems, our modern way of life
would be impossible.

First telephone exchange

The first commercial exchange to
connect callers was built in New
Haven, Connecticut, in 1878. Manhattan, then and now
The Brooklyn Bridge spans New York’s
Intercity railroad East River. The view across to Manhattan
Opened in 1830, the Manchester Ulm–Stuttgart autobahn, 1950 Island has changed dramatically since the
to Liverpool route in England Germany was a pioneer of the freeway, or autobahn, in bridge opened in 1883, and it now bristles
was the first intercity railroad. the 1930s. Cars did not clog the roads until much later! with skyscrapers.

CAN PERFORM OVER 442 QUADRILLION CALCULATIONS PER SECOND! 115

 7
9

3 1
10

IN 2019,
HARTSFIELD-JACKSON,
ATLANTA, AVERAGED
2,569 FLIGHTS
PER DAY

Top 10 busiest passenger

airports 2019

Air traffic
About 9.1 billion air passengers passed through the
world’s top 100 airports in 2019. The world’s busiest
airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta, Georgia,
averaged 275,000 passengers per day in 2019, and handled
more than 904,301 flights during the year. The industry
declined drastically in 2020, however, when COVID-19
brought the world to a standstill.

Air-traffic controllers have

a tough job ensuring safe
RANK AIRPORT PASSENGERS PER YEAR

1 Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International, US 110,531,300

2 Beijing Capital International, China
Los Angeles International, US
100,011,438
88,068,013
routes, takeoffs, and landings
for the thousands of planes
3
4 Dubai International, Dubai 86,396,757

that crisscross our skies each

5 Tokyo International, Japan 85,505,054
6 O’Hare International, Chicago, US 84,649,115

day. This map shows nearly

7 London Heathrow, United Kingdom 80,888,305
8 Shanghai Pudong International, China 76,153,455
9 Paris Charles de Gaulle, France 76,150,009
6,000 routes carrying
scheduled commercial traffic.
10 Dallas Fort Worth International, US 75,066,956

116 WORLDWIDE, THERE WERE 38.3 MILLION FLIGHT DEPARTURES

 Engineering and technology

PASSENGERS PER YEAR

Jeju 13.4 million Seoul

Melbourne 9.1 million Sydney

Sapporo 8.7 million Tokyo

Fukuoka 7.9 million Tokyo

Mumbai 7.1 million Delhi

Beijing 6.8 million Shanghai

Important airline routes
The map of the world’s air traffic
Hanoi 6.8 million Ho Chi Minh City resembles a vast spider web, with
routes connecting the main financial,
Hong Kong 6.7 million Taiwan commercial, and industrial centers
and the most populated regions. The
Jakarta 5.3 million Surabaya chart shows the most popular routes,
by passenger numbers, in 2017.
Tokyo 5.3 million Okinawa

IN 2019. IT IS PREDICTED THAT THERE WILL BE 51.71 MILLION IN 2030. 117

 SHIPPING ROUTES More than 3,000 journeys
The map shows the main shipping 25–100
routes of the world and how busy
they are. It is based on information 1,001–3,000
from a study by scientists who 501–1,000
used GPS technology to monitor 101–500
the journeys of 16,363 cargo
ships over a year. Less than 25

Los Angeles

Long Beach

PACIFIC Panama Canal

OC EAN The canal, opened
in 1914, connects
the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans. It is the world’s
busiest route, with
about 14,000 ships
passing through
it each year.

AT L A N T I C

Shipping
OC E A N

Most countries need to sell the goods

they produce and import the things
they need. Shipping plays an essential MORE THAN 80 PERCENT
role in world trade, carrying food, fuel, OF GLOBAL TRADE IS
chemicals, and manufactured goods
between markets. CARRIED BY SEA

118 MOVING CARGO BY SHIP IS ABOUT TWICE AS ENERGY EFFICIENT

 North Sea Engineering and technology

Baltic Sea

Hamburg
Tianjin
Rotterdam
Qingdao
Antwerp
Dalian
English Channel Busan

Europe’s hub Shanghai

In this expanded view, we can see in greater detail Ningbo
the dense network of shipping lanes serving the
major hubs of Europe. Routes criss-cross the Xiamen
North and Baltic seas and the English Channel.
Kaohsiung
Shenzhen
Guangzhou
Suez Canal
The canal links the Dubai Hong Kong
Mediterranean and ports
the Red Sea. Ships
use it to travel Singapore
between Europe and Port
PAC I F I C
Asia without the
having to sail around
Klang OC E A N
all of Africa.

Tanjung
INDIAN
OCEAN

World’s 20 busiest ports

The ports marked on the map handle more cargo than others worldwide.
Cargo is measured in TEUs (twenty-foot container equivalent units). A TEU
is one standard container full of cargo. The busiest port in the world is
Shanghai in China, which handled more than 43 million TEUs in 2019.

Up to 10 million 10–19 million 20 million or more

TEUs per year TEUs per year TEUs per year

THAN BY RAIL AND FIVE TIMES MORE SO THAN BY ROAD. 119

 Railroads
EN453
(France to Russia)
A trans-European
train connecting
Paris and Moscow
over 2,060 miles
(3,315 km).

In the early
3

19th century,
1
4
railroads began The Canadian (Canada) 5
to change the Spectacular 2,775-mile (4,466-km) route
between Vancouver and Toronto, traveling

world radically
through mountains, prairies, and lakeland.

by opening up California Zephyr (US)

Follows the route of the first US
new opportunities transcontinental railroad (completed
in 1869) from San Francisco to Chicago.

for travel and trade.

Today, with roads
gridlocked by traffic,
modern railroads are
making a comeback.
Salta to Antofagasta
(Chile to Argentina)
Highest railroad bridges At 585 miles (941 km),
this is the longest main
The Najiehe Railroad Bridge, which opened in late 2016,
will lose its title of “world’s highest railroad bridge” when
line in South America. World’s fastest trains
India’s 1,178-ft- (359-m-) high Chenab River Bridge Shanghai’s Maglev has no wheels
is finished in 2022. but hovers over the track and is
propelled by magnets. It runs for
1 Najiehe Railroad Bridge, just 19 miles (30 km). The other
Guizhou, China: 1,017 ft (310 m) high-speed contenders listed here
travel on long-distance routes.

Qinglong Railroad Bridge,

2 Guizhou, China: 968 ft (295 m) 1 268 mph

Shanghai Maglev, China (431 kph)

249 mph
2
(400 kph)
CR400AF Fuxing, China
Beipanjiang River 3
Railroad Bridge, 236 mph
3
Fa’er Bouyei, (380 kph)
Guizhou, China: CRH380A Hexie, China
902 ft (275 m) 220 mph
4
4 Yachi Railroad Frecciarossa, Italy (354 kph)
Bridge, Guizhou,
Nanpanjiang Railroad 5 China: 892 ft 5 217 mph
Bridge, Yunnan, China: (272 m)
Talgo 350 HSR, Spain (350 kph)
860 ft (262 m)
SPEED OF TRAIN

120 THE WORLD’S FIRST HIGH-SPEED RAIL SYSTEM OPENED IN JAPAN

 Engineering and technology

Trans-Siberian
Railroad (Russia)
The world’s longest rail journey
passes through seven time zones
as it runs 5,771 miles (9,288 km)
from Moscow in the west to
Vladivostock on the Pacific coast.

2
2

3
4
THE WORLD HAS
4
3
1
Guangzhou to
Lhasa (China)
620,000 MILES
5 1
2 5 The Tanggula
Pass section is
the world’s highest
(1 MILLION KM)
Alexandria to
track, at 16,640 ft
(5,072 m). OF RAIL TRACK
Aswan (Egypt)
Traveling via
Cairo and Luxor,
this line follows
the Nile Valley, Dibrugarh to
with its ancient Kanyakumari
pyramids and (India)
temples. Longest route in India,
at 4,286 km (2,657 miles).

Five longest railroad tunnels

In 2016, the Gotthard Base Tunnel—a 35-mile- (57-km-) long
tunnel that travels beneath the Swiss Alps—surpassed the
Seikan Tunnel to become the world’s longest railroad tunnel.

Yulhyeon Tunnel, Songshan Lake Tunnel, 5

Gyeonggi
4 Dongguan, China:
South Korea: 24.1 miles (38.8 km)
31.3 miles
(50.3 km) Channel Tunnel, Indian Pacific
Blue Train, English Channel:
3 (Australia)
South Africa 31.5 miles This 2,704-mile
Gotthard Base (50.4 km)
A luxurious train Tunnel,
1 (4,352-km) route,
that runs from Swiss Alps, links Sydney on
Cape Town to Switzerland: the east coast
Pretoria through 35.5 miles (57.1 km) with Perth in
vineyards, the west.
mountains,
and the arid
landscape of Seikan Tunnel, 2
the Karoo. Tsugaru Strait, Japan:
33.5 miles (53.8 km)

IN 1964 AND IS KNOWN AS THE SHINKANSEN, OR “BULLET TRAIN.” 121

 Dempster Mountain roads and passes
Highway Extension 1 Trollstigen, 2 Stelvio Pass, 3 Khardung La, 4 Semo La, 5 Irohazaka
An ice road built on the frozen
Mackenzie River and Arctic
Norway Italy India Tibet, China Winding Road
Ocean, it provides a winter This dramatic road’s One of the highest This famously high Possibly the highest Each of the 48 hairpin
route to the isolated name means “Trolls’ roads in the Alps, mountain pass in the vehicle-accessible turns on this route
community of Tuktoyaktuk. ladder.” It has 11 its 60 hairpin bends Ladakh part of Kashmir pass in the world, it in Japan is labeled
hairpin bends, which provide a challenge was built in 1976 and was reliably measured with one of the 48
wind up the steep for both drivers opened to motor in 1999 at 18,258 ft characters of the
mountainside. and bicyclers. vehicles in 1988. (5,565 m). Japanese alphabet.

1
Bonn-Köln Autobahn
Built in 1932, it was the first road
designed exclusively for cars, with
divided lanes and no intersections
with other roads.

Tibbit to Contwoyto Cabot Trail

Winter Road Looping around the northern tip of
An ice road built over Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, 2
frozen lakes, it is open 1 and named after 16th-century 1
for about 10 weeks from Italian explorer, John Cabot.
late January each year.
Route 66
2 A 2,448-mile (3,940-km) road that
follows the historic route taken by
migrants to California during the
5 Great Depression.
Pacific Coast Highway
This world-famous route
hugs the California coast Natchez Trace Parkway
from Orange County in the A route used by Native
south to the forests of giant Americans and their
redwood trees in the north. animals for thousands
of years before the
modern road was built.

Darién Gap, Panama

A stretch of rainforest that breaks
the Pan-American Highway’s route.

Pan-American Highway
About 29,800 miles (48,000 km)
long, it runs through 18 countries, from
Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina.

Roads
Yungas Road, Bolivia
A single-track mountain
World’s busiest roads road heavily used by trucks
but with unprotected sheer
1 Ontario Highway 401, Canada drops of 1,970 ft (600 m). Up
The busiest highway in North to 300 travelers are killed
America—more than 440,000 on the route every year.
vehicles pass through the Toronto
section every day. It is also one of the
widest in the world—some sections
of the route have 18 lanes.
The planet is now more
accessible by road than it has
2 Interstate 405, California
Runs north from the city of Irvine in ever been. There are about
Orange County to San Fernando, a
route that is known as the northern 65 million miles (104 million
segment of the San Diego Freeway.
This freeway is the busiest and most km) of roads on Earth, from
congested in the US, carrying up
to 379,000 vehicles a day. multilane urban freeways
to seasonal ice roads made
from frozen lakes and seas.
HIGHWAY 401, ONTARIO, CANADA

122 FRANCE HAS NEARLY 620,000 MILES (1 MILLION KM) OF PAVED ROADS.
 Engineering and technology
Siberia
Siberia has few permanent
Estonian Islands roads, partly because it is
so difficult to build stable Road of Bones
Ice roads between islands The M56 Kolyma Highway
and the mainland are only foundations on the
permafrost soil. passes through the coldest
opened to traffic when the inhabited places on Earth, with
ice is 8.7 in (22 cm) thick winter temperatures dropping
along the entire route. below -58° F (-50° C).

5
4
3
4 6
THE GEORGE
2
WASHINGTON BRIDGE
IN NEW YORK CARRIES
104 MILLION VEHICLES
3

Karakoram

EVERY YEAR
Highway
One of the world’s
highest roads at an
altitude of 15,397 ft
(4,693 m), it
connects China
and Pakistan.

Milford Road
Meanders through
the stunning scenery
of New Zealand’s
Record road bridges Milford Sound.
1 Millau Viaduct 4 Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
This French bridge is the The world’s longest road
Garden Route tallest in the world. One bridge crossing water, it is Great Ocean Road
Runs along the mast is 1,125 ft (343 m) supported by 5,238 massive Following a beautiful
South African tall—taller than the concrete pillars. seaside route, this road is a
coast from Cape Eiffel Tower. memorial to the Australians
Town to Port 5 Lake Pontchartrain who died in World War I.
Elizabeth. 2 Beipanjiang Bridge Causeway
With the road 1,850 ft Two parallel bridges 24
(565 m) above the Beipan miles (38 km) long, near KEY
River Canyon in China, this is New Orleans, Louisiana. Roads can be paved (covered stones,
the world’s highest bridge. brick, concrete, tarmac, or another hard
6 Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge surface), or unpaved. Paving makes a
3 Bang Na Expressway The world’s longest road more durable and weatherproof.
This 34-mile- (55-km-) long suspension bridge, it has
six-lane elevated highway 190,000 mi (300,000 km) of Famous roads
in Thailand is the world’s steel cables and connects Scenic routes
longest road bridge. two Japanese islands.
MILLAU VIADUCT, FRANCE Ice roads

SOUTH SUDAN IS THE SAME SIZE, BUT HAS JUST 186 MILES (300 KM). 123
 CN Tower
1,815 ft (553 m) One World Trade Center
Toronto, Canada 1,776 ft (541 m)
1976 New York, New York Commerzbank
Willis Tower 2013 850 ft (259 m)
1,450 ft (442 m) Frankfurt, Germany
Chicago, Illinois 1997
1973

Transamerica Pyramid The Shard

850 ft (260 m) 1,016 ft (310 m)
San Francisco, California London, UK
1972 2012

Central Park Tower

1,550 ft (472 m)
New York City, New York
2021 Torre Caja
Madrid
820 ft (250 m)
Trump Ocean Club Madrid, Spain
Empire State 2008
961 ft (293 m) Building
Panama City, Panama 1,250 ft (381 m)
2011 New York City, New York
1931

John Hancock The Eiffel Tower

Center 1,063 ft (324 m)
1,129 ft (344 m) Paris, France
Gran Torre Santiago 1889
300 m (984 ft) Chicago, Illinois
Santiago, Chile 1969
2012

Great Pyramid of GIza

481 ft (147 m)
El Giza, Egypt
Carlton Center c.2560–2540 bce
732 ft (223 m)
Johannesburg,
South Africa Makka Royal
1973 Clock Tower

Tallest buildings
Hotel
1,972 ft (601 m)
Makkah,
Saudi Arabia
2012

From ancient pyramids to today’s high-tech hotels, powerful 2,717 ft

people have shown off their status through impressive (828 m)

buildings. As technology improves, the towers get taller.

1,640 500
1,476 450

Big buildings 1,312

1,148
400
350 HEIGHT IN METRES
HEIGHT IN FEET

To be called a building, a tower 984 300

must be inhabitable (offices or 820 250
homes). Buildings do not include 656 200
“supported structures” such as 492 150
guyed (tethered) masts. Buildings 328 100
may be measured to their 164 50
architectural top, as on these pages, 0 0
Willis Nanjing Petronas International Shanghai World Taipei One World Ping An Burj
or to the tip of any masts or aerials. Tower Greenland Towers Commerce Financial Centre 101 Trade Center Finance Khalifa
Here are some of the world’s tallest. Financial Centre Center
Centre

124 NEW YORK’S CHRYSLER BUILDING WAS THE WORLD’S TALLEST FOR JUST
 Engineering and technology

Ostankino Tower
THE BURJ KHALIFA HAS 163 FLOORS Unsupported towers
1,770 ft (540 m)
Moscow, Russia
1967
LINKED BY 57 DOUBLE-DECKER LIFTS Unlike buildings, these structures don’t contain
offices, homes, or stores. They are observation
and communications towers.
Oriental Pearl Tower
Mercury City Tower 1,535 ft (468 m) Tokyo Sky Tree
1,112 ft (339 m) Shanghai, China This communications tower overtook the Canton
Moscow, Russia 1994 Tower in 2011 to become the world’s tallest.
International
2012 Commerce Center Shanghai World Canton Tower
1,588 ft (484 m) Financial Center Canton is the former name of Guangzhou,
Hong Kong 1,614 ft (492 m) Shanghai Tower where this tower was completed in 2010.
2010 Shanghai, China 2,073 ft (632 m)
2008 Shanghai, China CN Tower
2014 More than 2 million people visit this tower’s
glass-floored observation deck every year.
Tianjin CTF Ostankino Tower
Finance Center This broadcasting tower was the world’s first
1,739 ft (530 m) free-standing structure over 1,640 ft (500 m) tall.
Tianjin, China
2018 Oriental Pearl Tower
Ping An Finance There are 11 spheres in the design of this
Center TV tower, which has 15 observation levels.
1,965 ft (599 m)
Shenzhe, China
2017

Milad Tower
1,427 ft (435 m)
Tehran. Iran
2007

Tokyo Sky Tree

2,080 ft (634 m)
Tokyo, Japan
Burj Khalifa 2011
2,717 ft (828 m)
Dubai, UAE Taipei 101 Busan Lotte Tower
2010 1,670 ft (509 m) 1,674 ft (510.2 m)
Taipei, Taiwan
2004
Busan, South Korea
2015 Record-breaking buildings
The record for the tallest building (a structure
that must be inhabitable) is a fiercely
Canton Tower contested prize. These five have all won it.
Petronas Towers 1,969 ft (600 m)
1,483 ft (452 m) Guangzhou, China
Kuala Lumpur, 2010 Burj Khalifa, 2010–present
Malaysia This building has broken all records, including the
1998 tallest building and tallest unsupported structure.

Taipei 101, 2004–10

The world’s tallest building until the Burj Khalifa
was built, Taipei 101 has 101 floors above ground.

Petronas Towers, 1998–2004

These office blocks were the tallest buildings
until 2004. They are still the tallest twin towers.

Willis Tower, 1973–98

Formerly known as the Sears Tower, this
108-story skyscraper towers above Chicago.

Empire State Building, 1931–72

Q1 This was the first building in the world to have
1,060 ft (323 m) more than 100 stories—it has 102. It was the
Gold Coast, tallest building for 40 years.
Australia
2005

ONE YEAR, UNTIL THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING WAS FINISHED IN 1931. 125
 Internet
The Internet
in a minute
Today, there are more than three
times as many computers, phones,

connections
and other devices connected to the
Internet as there are people in the world.
As a result, an incredible amount of Internet
activity can occur in just one minute.

The Internet has revolutionized the way we

live our lives. At the click of a mouse, we can
4.7 million 4.1 million 59 million
videos viewed Google searches messages sent

instantly exchange news, ideas, and images

with people on the other side of the world,
and we can buy or sell goods without
347,222 stories 764,000 hours of Netflix $1.1 million
viewed watched in online sales

having to leave our homes.

126 THERE ARE 4.54 BILLION INTERNET USERS

 Engineering and technology

BY OCTOBER 2012,
THERE WERE AT LEAST
10 BILLION WEB PAGES
Internet connection speed 200th: CHINA 2.09
Nowadays, most Internet connections are broadband, provided 101st: INDIA 13.46
by digital phone lines, satellites, or fiber-optic cables. These are 76th: GREENLAND 18.65 A web of connectivity
much faster than the connections that used to be common, 47th: UNITED KINGDOM 37.82 The map shows how the world’s
provided via ordinary phone lines and a modem. Following cities are connected by the Internet—
20th: UNITED STATES 71.30
the huge rise of working from home due to the COVID-19 the brighter the area, the more
pandemic, Internet speed has never been more 5th: LUXEMBOURG 118.05
connections there are. Connections
important. Here is a selection of the download speeds 4th: GIBRALTAR 183.1
are not the same as users. Many
in different countries in 2020. Internet users in 3rd: ANDORRA 213.41 people, for example, use a single
Liechtenstein had the world’s fastest broadband, 2nd: JERSEY 218.37 connection in an Internet café.
with an average peak download speed of
1st: LIECHTENSTEIN 229.98
just under 230 megabits per second. Lines represent Internet
PEAK CONNECTION SPEED (MEGABITS PER SECOND) AND WORLD RANKING
connections between cities

WORLDWIDE – WELL OVER HALF THE POPULATION. 127

 Satellites and
space junk
The first satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the
Soviet Union in 1957. Since then, thousands of
satellites and millions of other objects have
accumulated around Earth, creating a
serious hazard for space travel.

Geosynchronous ring
This ring-shaped concentration of satellites
appears more than 22,200 miles (35,700 km)
above Earth’s equator. It exists because it is
extremely useful for a satellite to “hover”
above a point on Earth’s turning surface.

High-speed danger Pale spots show

The pattern of spots shows the damage less than
strikes collected during the entire 1 in (25 mm) across
NASA Space Shuttle program,
from 1983–2002. The vast
majority of space debris is less
than 0.5 in (1 cm) across and
includes specks of solid rocket
fuel and flakes of paint. But
even dust acts like tiny bullets Dark spots show
damage more
at speeds of up to 26,000 mph than 1 in
(42,000 kph). (25 mm) across

128 ASTRONAUT EDWARD WHITE’S GLOVE, LOST DURING THE FIRST AMERICAN
 Engineering and technology

AT LEAST 10 MILLION KEY

The image shows 22,300

PIECES OF ARTIFICIAL DEBRIS objects monitored by the

ESA Space Debris team
by radar and telescopes.

ARE NOW IN EARTH ORBIT Satellites—mostly

dead. About 2,300
operational
Spent rockets
Mission waste (nuts,
gloves, lost items)
Debris from
explosions and
collisions

Low Earth Orbit

This region is full of orbiting
spacecraft, but also full of
waste material ejected from
spacecraft during missions
GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite
One of 31 forming a network, the GPS
and countless pieces of
satellites orbit in one of six orbits. Each orbit
debris from collisions.
is at a different angle to ensure they cover
the entire surface of Earth. Someone on
the ground is in contact with at least six
of them at any one time.

How high are satellites? Geosynchronous orbit Hubble Space Telescope

22,236 miles (35,786 km) 345 miles (555 km)
Most objects launched into space Satellites at this height orbit at
are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). At the Polar sun-synchronous satellites
the same speed as Earth turns, 373–497 miles (600–800 km)
lowest LEOs (99 miles / 160 km) so they stay in the same spot
objects circle Earth in 87 minutes over Earth’s surface. 1,244 miles
(2,000 km)
at 17,470 mph (28,100 kph). Certain
orbits are particularly useful.
HIGH EARTH MEDIUM EARTH ORBIT ZONE LOW
Image-taking satellites use polar ORBIT ZONE EARTH
sun-synchronous orbits, which ORBIT
GPS satellites ZONE
pass the equator at the same 12,600 miles (22,200 km)
local time on every pass, so Objects orbit once every
the shadows are the same. 12 hours, or twice a day. International Space Station
255 miles (410 km)

SPACE WALK IN 1965, ORBITED FOR A MONTH AT 17,000 MPH (28,000 KPH). 129
 A FEW COUNTRIES, SUCH AS
LIECHTENSTEIN AND COSTA RICA,
HAVE NO MILITARY FORCES UK
In 2010, the UK
spent $56 billion
on its armed
forces, making
it the world’s
fifth-biggest
military spender.

France
USA France holds the world’s
The USA spends third-largest nuclear arsenal,
almost $934 billion with 300 active warheads.
per year on its armed
forces—more than the
next seven-biggest
spending countries
added together. Israel
All Israeli men and women must serve
for 2 to 3 years in their armed forces.
KEY Israel is the only country to make
The total amount of military expenditure service for women mandatory.
by all the countries of the world in 2010 was
$1.83 trillion, which is equivalent to $235 for
every person on the planet—almost double
what was spent per capita in 2001. The map
shows the total number of military vehicles,
hardware, and weapons held by selected
major countries.

Up to 10 large warships
(including aircraft carriers, Egypt
All Egyptian men
cruisers, destroyers, frigates, Brazil between 18 and 30
and corvettes) Brazil’s armed forces must serve in the
are the largest in South army for 1 to 3 years.
Up to 10 submarines America. The army
takes an active role in
Up to 500 combat-capable aircraft education, health care,
Up to 1,000 main battle tanks and the construction of
roads and railroads.
Up to 500 nuclear warheads

Armed Sky-high warfare

forces
Armed forces are increasingly
using unmanned drones for
surveillance or to launch
missiles. Drones are
controlled remotely from
the ground, so air crew is
not risked during missions.

Almost all countries have a military—

an organized force of soldiers and
weapons that defends the country
against threats from outside or
within. Many countries believe that
a large, well-equipped military will
discourage others from attacking.

130 THE US HAS 4 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION BUT

 Engineering and technology

Iran
Iran spends $152 for
each member of
population on its
military budget.

Russia
Russia now holds about 6,400 nuclear
warheads, compared to the 45,000 it had
stockpiled in 1986. This was at the height
of the Cold War, when it was joined
to the other republics of
the Soviet Union.

North Korea
Has one of the world’s
largest armies, with an
estimated 1.25 million
military personnel,
compared to 555,000
in South Korea.

South Korea
South Korea keeps
a 3.1-million-strong
reserve military,
in case hostilities
break out with
North Korea.

China
China spends $178.2
billion on military
weapons and
Pakistan personnel—only
Pakistan’s armed forces the US spends more.
are one of the largest
contributors to United
Nations peacekeeping
efforts, deploying over
8,000 troops to the UN.

India
India and Pakistan have fought three
wars since 1947. Continued tension
between them has led India to spend
2.1 percent of its GDP on defense.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s high-tech arsenal of weapons is supplied mainly
by the US, France, and Britain. It is the world’s seventh-biggest
spender, spending 8 percent of its income, or GDP, on defense—
that’s among the world’s highest.

Military 2,200,000

personnel 2,000,000
TOTAL ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL

1,800,000
China commands the 1,600,000
world’s largest active 1,400,000
military force of more than 1,200,000
2 million—but this is only
1,000,000
one-and-a-half soldiers 800,000
in every thousand people.
600,000
In North Korea, a massive
400,000
one-fifth of males ages
200,000
17–54 are in the regular
armed forces. US UK France Russia China N. Korea S. Korea Egypt Israel Iran Pakistan India
1,374,699 150,250 202,700 1,013,628 2,035,000 950,000 599,000 438,500 176,500 523,000 653,000 1,440,000

CONTRIBUTES 38 PERCENT OF ITS TOTAL MILITARY SPENDING. 131

History
Easter Island statues
The giant statues, or moai, on
this small Pacific island stand
up to 33 ft (10 m) tall. They
were carved with stone tools,
mainly between 1250 and
1500, by the Polynesian
people who settled the island.
Introduction c.200,000 years ago
Modern humans
The Homo sapiens species
(modern humans) evolves

Human history is crammed full of incidents,

in east Africa.

from civilizations rising and falling as wars are c.2.4 million years ago c.100,000 years ago

fought and lost, to revolutions sweeping

Earliest tools Jewelry
The first stone tools are Early people wear

away the past to begin again. There has also

made by Homo habilis, an jewelry made from
early human species. shell beads.

been great architecture and many important 1227 1095–1272

innovations, from the first stone tools that

Genghis Khan The Crusades
At the death of its Mongol leader Christian and Muslim
Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire armies fight nine wars

enabled people to hunt animals to radio stretches across northern Asia. to control Jerusalem.

telescopes that can “see” into deep space. 1200 900

Holy Roman Empire Khmer dominance, Asia
This “superpower” of the With their capital at Angkor,
Middle Ages covers much the Khmers rule over a large
of central Europe. part of Southeast Asia.

The Great Sphinx 1235 1325

This statue at Giza, in Battle of Kirina, Africa Templo Mayor, Mexico
Egypt, has a human Mandinka forces defeat the Human sacrifices are made
head on a lion’s body. Sosso, leading to the birth at this temple in the Aztec
of the Mali Empire. capital city of Tenochtitlan.
It is thought to have
been made about
4,500 years ago.
1300 1350
Kanem Empire, Africa Kingdom of Zimbabwe
Located north of Lake Chad, Kanem The capital of this southern
grow powerful and wealthy through African kingdom is Great
its control of trade. Zimbabwe, a stone-walled city.

1949 1947
Chinese Revolution Indian independence
Led by Mao Zedong, Chinese After a largely nonviolent
Communists take power after rebellion, India wins its
a long civil war. independence from Britain.

1945–54 1939–45
First Indochina War World War II
Indochina (Vietnam, Allied forces (Britain, France,
Cambodia, and Laos) wins the US, USSR, and others) at war
independence from France. with Germany, Japan, and Italy.

1950–53 1965
Korean War Indo-Pakistani War
Civil war: China and the USSR Conflict between India and
help North Korea, the United Pakistan over the disputed
Nations helps South Korea. region of Kashmir.

1955–75 1969
Vietnam War Concorde
Communist North Vietnam The world’s first supersonic
triumphs over South Vietnam, airliner, Concorde, flies for
which is aided by US forces. the first time.

2011
World’s longest bridge, China
Completion of the 102.4-mile-
(164.8-km-) long Danyang-
Kunshan Grand Bridge.

2020 2011
COVID-19 “Arab Spring”
Outbreak of a newly Revolution and protest
discovered coronavirus causes a sweep through Egypt,
global pandemic, with up to 2.6 Libya, and other
million deaths in the first year. Arab countries.

134 IN ALL THE YEARS OF HUMAN HISTORY, SMALLPOX IS THE

 History

c.90,000 years ago c.3200 bce 1450 bce 490 bce 265 bce
Burial rites Pirámide Mayor, Peru New Kingdom of Egypt First Persian Empire Mauryan Empire, Asia
People begin burying their Built by the Norte Chico Egypt’s empire stretches Persia rules territory from the Under Ashoka, the Mauryan
dead along with meaningful civilization at Caral, the most north to Syria and south to edge of India to Egypt and Empire extends over almost
objects such as beads. ancient city in the Americas. Nubia (modern Sudan). Greece, linking East with West. all of the Indian subcontinent.

c.40,000 years ago c.2589–2500 bce c.700 bce 323 bce 264–146 bce
First music and art Pyramids of Giza, Egypt Olmec civilization Macedonian Empire Punic Wars
Music is played on simple Vast tombs are built for the Mexico’s Olmec culture reaches King Alexander the Great of Three wars erupt between Rome
flutes, and figurines are Egyptian pharaohs Khufu, its peak. It will influence the Macedonia rules lands from and Carthage, North Africa.
carved from stone. Khafre, and Menkaure. later Mayan and Aztec cultures. Greece to the edge of India. Rome emerges victorious.

750 650 c.300 ce 100 ce 87 bce

Umayyad Caliphate Huari Empire, Peru Mayan culture, Central America Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico Han Dynasty, China
The second of four great The highly organized Huari, Established by 1000 bce, Mayan One of two huge stepped A time of prosperity in
Islamic dynasties, with its in Peru, conquer and control civilization is now at its height. pyramids is built in the China and an expansion of
capital in Damascus (Syria). much of the Andean region. It will last until 1697 ce. city of Teotihuacán. territories ruled by China.

700 555 117 ce 80 ce 214 bce

Tihuanaco, Peru/Bolivia Byzantine power Roman supremacy Colosseum, Rome Great Wall of China
This strong state is centered Byzantine rule extends over Rome now controls much of Opening of the stadium in Construction begins of this
on a bustling city beside North Africa and the eastern Europe, north Africa, and Rome where gladiators vast defensive wall along
Lake Titicaca in the Andes. part of the old Roman Empire. the Middle East. fought to the death. China’s northern border.

1453 1500 1532 1683

Fall of Constantinople Songhai power, Africa Battle of Cajamarca, Peru Battle of Vienna
The capital of the Byzantine The Songhai control the Niger Spanish invaders defeat the Inca Ottoman expansion finally Colosseum, Rome
Empire falls to invading Valley, west to Senegal and east forces of Atahualpa, leading to halts with a defeat by the
Muslim Ottoman forces. to Agades (modern Niger). 300 years of Spanish rule. Holy Roman Empire.

1450 1500 1519 1642–51 1690

Machu Picchu, Peru Ming Dynasty, China Aztec rule, Mexico English Civil War Mughal Empire, India
A secret hilltop city of the After throwing out the Mongols, The Aztecs now rule more than Parliamentarians defeat Under Aurangzeb, the Islamic
Incas, who will dominate China restores its culture and 25 million people. In 1521, they Royalists, leading to the Mughal Empire of India is at
northern South America. expands its borders. are conquered by the Spanish. execution of King Charles I. its most powerful.

1922 1914–18 1880–1902 1819–30 1789–99

Height of British Empire World War I Boer Wars, Africa South American independence French Revolution
Britain’s empire now covers Britain, France, the US, and Two wars are fought between Independence from Spain for Overthrow of the French
more than 20 percent of the other allies battle Germany, Dutch Boer settlers in South Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, monarchy in a bloody revolution.
world’s land area. Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. Africa and Britain. Ecuador, and Venezuela. France becomes a republic.

1917 1912 1861–65 1799–1815 1775–83

Russian Revolution Sinking of the Titanic American Civil War Napoleonic era American Revolutionary War
Revolt against rule by More than 1,500 people die War between the southern France, led by Napoleon With the help of France and
Tsar Nicholas II; Russia when this luxury liner hits Confederate states and the Bonaparte, is the dominant other countries, the US wins
becomes Communist. an iceberg and sinks. Union states of the north. military power in Europe. independence from Britain.

1980
Very Large Array
In New Mexico, this giant
radio astronomy
observatory is completed.

Sydney Opera House

Opened in 1973, this arts venue
in Sydney, Australia, was
designed by Danish architect
Jørn Utzon.
1994
End of Apartheid
South Africa’s official
segregation policy,
Apartheid, ends and
equality is reached for
Black South Africans.

1989–1991
End of Communist bloc
Communist regimes in
many countries of eastern
Europe are overthrown.

ONLY VIRUS TO BE ERADICATED THROUGH VACCINATION. 135

 Neander Valley,
Australopithecus Germany
A partial skeleton of
Australopithecus hominins H. neanderthalensis
evolved about 4.2 million found in a cave here
years ago in east Africa. in 1856 was the first
fossil to be identified
Six species are known. as human remains.
One species, called
A. afarensis, may be the
ancestor of humans.
Fossils show that it was
up to 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and
had a relatively small
brain. Crucially, it could
walk upright.

Paranthropus
The three Paranthropus
species had a bony crest
on top of the skull to
anchor strong
chewing muscles.
P. boisei is
nicknamed
”nutcracker
man” because of
its massive jaws
and cheek teeth.

Fossil
humans
Laetoli, Tanzania Olduvai Gorge,
Footprints of at least two Tanzania
Australopithecus afarensis Stone tools and
individuals were discovered here, fossils of P. boisei
preserved in volcanic ash. and H. habilis
were found here.

Fossil discoveries have helped scientists to

piece together the story of human evolution. Apelike

Modern humans—Homo sapiens—and their Australopithecus—

six species

ancestors are called hominins.

Sahelanthropus tchadensis, the first
hominin, was an apelike animal that
appeared in Africa about 7 million years Australopithecus,
South Africa
Finds include

ago. Later hominin species left Africa Paranthropus,

and spread out around the world.

H. habilis, and
H. sapiens fossils. 4 million years ago 3

136 HOMO SAPIENS EVOLVED ABOUT 200,000 YEARS AGO. THE EARLIEST
 History

Homo—meet the family

We and our extinct
relatives belong
to the Homo genus.
A second Latin word,
such as sapiens,
completes each
species’ name.

Homo habilis
(2.4–1.4 million years ago)
H. habilis (“Handy man”) is thought
to have been the first hominin
species to make stone tools.
Zhoukoudian
Caves, China Homo georgicus
Some of the most (1.8 million years ago)
important fossils Known only from a single fossil site
of H. erectus were in Georgia, this may have been the
found in these first hominin to leave Africa.
limestone caves
30 miles (50 km) Homo ergaster
from Beijing. (1.9–1.5 million years ago)
As tall as modern humans and with
a similar build, it looked very
different than its apelike ancestors.

Homo erectus
(1.8 million–200,000 years ago)
Flores, Indonesia Along with H. ergaster, H. erectus
H. floresiensis remains (“Upright man”) is known to have
are known from just one used stone hand-axes.
cave on this island.
Java, Indonesia Homo antecessor
The earliest known human (1.2 million–500,000 years ago)
fossils in East Asia—of Around 780,000 years ago,
Homo erectus—come H. antecessor became the first
from this island. hominin to reach western Europe.

Homo heidelbergensis
(600,000–250,000 years ago)
With a big brain and a muscular
Apelike Paranthropus – three species
body, this species could hunt large
animals and make complex tools.

Homo (humans) – nine species Homo floresiensis

(95,000–17,000 years ago)
Homo habilis (“Handy man”) Homo floresiensis
Family tree Nicknamed “Hobbit”, H. floresiensis
was tiny—just over 3 ft 3 in (1 m)
Homo ergaster Homo antecessor This chart shows the tall. It lived until very recently.
Homo erectus “family tree” of hominins
Homo neanderthalensis,
from Australopithecus
Homo georgicus Homo heidelbergensis or Neanderthals
onward. Scientists are still (200,000–30,000 years ago)
Neanderthals working to understand the This successful species was skilled
Modern people relationships between at hunting, made and used stone
different hominin species. tools, and buried its dead.
2 1 0

KNOWN FOSSILS, FROM ETHIOPIA, ARE 195,000 YEARS OLD. 137

Prehistoric Earliest music
Music, like art, is much
First jewelry
People wore jewelry more than

culture
older than writing, 100,000 years ago in sites as
since bone flutes distant as Israel and South Africa.
and other musical
instruments have been Early jewelry site
made and played for
more than 40,000 years.

Early instrument site

Antler flute, Hohle Fels, Shell beads, Balzi Rossi, Italy
Germany, 43,000 years ago

Wicklow Pipes,
Ireland
Shell bead necklace,
Cro-Magnon, France

Music, art,
Lascaux Caves, France
East Wenatchee,
Washington, US Altamira and El Castillo caves,
religion, and
Walker,
Minnesota, Spain. El Castillo features the
US oldest known paintings, made
technology all Horseshoe Canyon
40,800 years ago, possibly
by Neanderthals

began so long ago,

paintings, Utah, US
Lady of Brassempouy
Cactus Hill,
we can’t be certain
carving, France
Clovis, New Virginia, US
Mexico, US Ivory horse figurine,
of exactly when. Salado,
Lourdes, France

There are clues to early

Texas, US
Shell beads,
Grotte des

culture, however, such

Pidgeons, Morocco

as ritual burial sites, which Algerian

archaeologists can date. Sahara

Changes in stone tools

2.4 million years ago Serra de Capivara
The earliest tools, called the Oldowan tool kit, were made by an paintings, Brazil
early human species called “Handy man,” or homo habilis, in Africa.
Oldowan-style tools in Europe and Asia are much younger, made by
later types of humans, including Neanderthals.

Oldowan site

1.8 million years ago

The Acheulean tool kit of our later ancestors, such as Homo erectus,
included a new invention—the hand ax, with a finely chiseled edge.

Acheulean site

200,000 years ago

Mousterian tools spanned the Middle Stone Age (ended around
40,000 bce) and included lots of specialized shapes for different jobs.

Mousterian site
13,000 years ago Cueva de las Manos
paintings, Argentina
The earliest stone tools discovered in America are
from the 13,000-year-old “Clovis” people.
Cueva del Milodon, Chile
Clovis site

138 THE FIRST KNOWN SEWING NEEDLE DATES BACK ABOUT 25,000 YEARS.
 History

Flutes, Hohle Fels Cave,

and Geissenklösterle,
Germany

Bisovava, Russia
THE OLDEST KNOWN CLAY
“Lion Man” bone
carving, Germany
POTS WERE MADE IN CHINA
Sungir Graves, Russia ABOUT 20,000 YEARS AGO
Carved ivory running lion,
Czech Republic
Tata Plaque (mysterious object
made by a Neanderthal 100,000
years ago), Hungary Earliest
burials
Krapina,
Croatia Carved
Tbilisi, Georgia
bone disk, Our ancestors
Balzi Rossi Pechka rock shelter, Armenia Majuangou, Xiaogushan,
caves, Italy China began burying
China
their dead with
Shanidar Riwat,
Cave, Iraq Kashafrud, Pakistan significant objects,
Qafzeh, Israel Bone flutes,
Iran Jiahu, China such as beads or
Chauvet Cave, Shell beads, other decorations,
Skhūl, Israel Bhimbetka
France paintings, at least 100,000
Gebelein, India Bose, China years ago.
Egypt
Early burial site
Isampur,
India
Gona, Ethiopia
(world’s oldest tools) Island of Socotra,
Yemen
Konso-Gardula,
Ethiopia Omo,
Turkana, Kenya Ethiopia
Lokalalei, Kenya

Olduvai Gorge,
Tanzania

Skull with shells,

Twin Rivers, Zambia Earliest The first 25,000 years ago,
paintings sculpture Kakadu Balzi Rossi, Italy
Inanke Cave, Humans have painted and The earliest known National
Zimbabwe Park,
carved rock surfaces since sculpture consists Australia
at least 40,000 years ago. of figurines carved
Sterkfontein,
South Africa Some paintings show from stone and bone
people dancing and singing. to look like humans
Swartkrans, and animals. Some
“Apollo 11” South Africa
rock shelter, Early painting site date back up to
Namibia 40,000 years.
Shell beads,
Blombos Cave,
South Africa
Site of artwork

“Lion Man,”
Inanke Cave, Zimbabwe, Germany, 40,000
5,000–10,000 years ago years ago

IT WAS MADE OF BONE AND USED TO SEW TOGETHER ANIMAL HIDES. 139
 New Kingdom
of Egypt
1550–1069 bce
Rise and fall The Egyptian New
This map shows the Kingdom grew
territories of each ancient under Thutmose
empire at its peak. Some
III, one of the first
empires fell as dramatically
as they rose, whereas great generals in
BRITAIN history. At its peak,
others, such as the Roman
GERMANY Empire, declined gradually Egypt ruled
over centuries. the southeast
Mediterranean.
Stone head of Queen Meritaten of
the 18th Dynasty of Egypt

Roman Empire in 117 ce

GAUL

Rome

IBERIA GREECE
ASIA MINOR

MAURETANIA
MESOPOTAMIA PERSIA

Ancient
Babylon
First Persian Empire
in 490 bce
Pasargadae

empires
EGYPT

Thebes

Empires in retreat
The larger an empire grows, the
more complex and expensive it
becomes to rule. Roman Emperor

In the ancient world, as civilizations grew, Trajan seized Mesopotamia in

117 ce, but his successor Hadrian

some had ambitions to become richer and

gave it up almost immediately,
believing it not worth
New Kingdom
more powerful by conquering or controlling
the expense.
of Egypt
in 1450 bce
their neighbors. The most successful
conquerors created huge empires.

Civilizations
of the Americas
The Olmec and Maya cultures
spread, like the empires of
Olmec Eurasia and Africa, as their
civilization communities merged and
c.700 bce grew. Trade and cultural
Mayan exchange, rather than
civilization violent conquest, was
c.300 ce Area of main map probably the main way
their cultures expanded.

140 AT ITS HEIGHT, THE HAN EMPIRE OF CHINA RULED 60 MILLION PEOPLE,
 History
Olmec civilization First Persian Empire Empire of Alexander
1500–400 bce 550–336 bce the Great
The first major Cyrus the Great and his 330–323 bce
culture in Central army conquered huge Alexander was a general
America, the Olmecs swathes of central from Macedon, a kingdom
lived in what is now Asia and grabbed north of Greece. At its
Mexico. They were enormous wealth height, his empire covered
expert farmers and from the kingdoms most of the world known
traded all over the they conquered. Cyrus’s to Greeks. For centuries
region. They developed successor, Darius I, built after his death, the Greek
one of the first writing cities, roads, and even a culture that he introduced
systems in the Americas. canal from the Nile river continued to dominate the eastern
Ornate Persian to the Red Sea. Coin showing Alexander Mediterranean and western Asia.
Olmec stone mask silver bowl the Great’s head

BACTRIA

Han Chinese
Empire of Alexander The Silk Road Empire
This trading route in 87 bce Chang’an
the Great in 323 bce from China to Rome
was vitally important
to both empires.
Merchants used it to
trade Chinese silk for
glass, linen, and gold
from the West. CHINA

Pataliputra
INDIA

Mauryan Empire
in 265 bce

ALEXANDER THE
GREAT WON EVERY
BATTLE HE FOUGHT
Mauryan Empire Han Empire Roman Empire Mayan civilization
321–185 bce 206–220 ce 27 bce–476 ce 500–900 ce
Chandragupta Maurya The four centuries of One of history’s most One of the most
was the first leader Han rule are often influential civilizations, advanced cultures
to conquer the called the Golden Rome controlled much of of the ancient world,
entire Indian Age of Ancient Europe, western Asia, the Maya developed
subcontinent. His China. It was an and north Africa. Many an accurate yearly
son Ashoka became era of peace and roads, aqueducts, and calendar based on
a Buddhist and ruled prosperity in which canals built by the their sophisticated
the empire peacefully China became Romans are still understanding of
for 42 years. a major world power. in use today. astronomy.
Han pot
Mauryan figure Mayan statuette
Head of Emperor Claudius

MORE THAN ONE–QUARTER OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION AT THE TIME. 141

 Ancient
wonders
Stonehenge
c.2600 bce,
Wiltshire, England

Ancient Greek travelers and authors Carnac

such as Herodotus, Antipater, and

c.3300 bce, Brittany, France.
Stone Age monument

Philo of Byzantium praised the

of more than 3,000
standing stones.
Pont-du-Gard
architectural marvels of the age in 19 bce, Nîmes, France

their writings. The buildings and

statues they described became
known as the “Seven Wonders of
the World.” Today, we recognize
many other amazing structures Colosseum
that architects, masons, and 80 ce, Rome, Italy

sculptors of the past built

with relatively simple tools.

Bamiyan Buddhas
6th century, Bamiyan, Afghanistan
Area of enlarged map

Great Wall of China

220–206 bce

Terracotta
Army
Great Stupa 210 bce,
Great Pyramid Xi’an, China
First temple built in Aksum Stelae of Sanchi
3rd century bce, c.100 bce–600 ce, 3rd century bce,
Cholula, Mexico Axum, Sanchi, India.
Ethiopia Oldest stone
Pyramid structure in India,
of the Sun built by Ashoka
100 ce, Teotihuacán, Pirámide Mayor, Caral the Great to
Mexico c.2000 bce, Supe Valley, Peru. house relics
Built by the Norte Chico of the Buddha.
civilization around the same
time as the Egyptian pyramids.

Worldwide wonders
Incredible feats of engineering,
building, and sculpture occurred
across the globe in ancient times.

142 THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME COULD HOLD MORE THAN 50,000 SPECTATORS.
 History

Seven Wonders of the World Hanging Gardens of Babylon Colossus of Rhodes

Only the pyramids at Giza still stand. Nebuchadnezzar II built these lush, Vast bronze-and-iron statue, 105 ft (32 m)
Earthquakes destroyed the Hanging terraced gardens for his wife, Amytis. tall, of the Greek sun-god Helios.
Gardens, the Colossus, and the Pharos;
flooding and fire ruined the Mausoleum Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Pharos of Alexandria
and the Statue of Zeus. The Temple of Tomb of Persian governor Mausolus, A fire at the top of this huge lighthouse
famed for its size and lavish carvings. was visible from 30 miles (50 km) away.
Artemis was wrecked by the Goths.
Pyramids of Giza Temple of Artemis Statue of Zeus in Olympia
Built as tombs for the pharaohs Dedicated to the Greek goddess The sculptor Phidias built this 43-ft
Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. of hunting, chastity, and childbirth. (13-m) statue of the king of the gods.

Other ancient wonders

These wonders didn’t make the Seven
Wonders list, mainly because they
were unknown to the Greeks. Some of
them were built during later periods.
Hagia Sofia
532–537 ce, Colosseum
Istanbul, Turkey
Stadium where gladiators
fought to the death.
Acropolis Hagia Sofia
5th century bce, Enormous, richly decorated
Athens, Greece church, later a mosque.
Temple of Artemis
Reconstructed in c.550 bce,
Ephesus, Turkey Petra
A city hewn out of rock.
Mausoleum at Capital of the Nabataeans.
Halicarnassus
351 bce, Bodrum, Temples of Abu-Simbel
Turkey Two temples built to honor
the pharaoh Rameses II.

Pont-du-Gard
Roman aqueduct that
Pharos of carried water to Nîmes.
Alexandria
c.280 bce, Acropolis
Statue of Zeus Alexandria, Greek citadel that includes
430 bce, Olympus, Greece Egypt Hanging Gardens the Parthenon Temple.
of Babylon
c.600 bce, Hillah, Great Pyramid
Colossus central Iraq World’s largest pyramid,
of Rhodes now with a church on top.
292–280 bce, Rhodes, Greece
Petra
4th century bce, Pyramid of the Sun
Jordan Steep steps up the side
Pyramids of Giza led to a temple on the top.
c.2589–2500 bce, Cairo, Egypt
Stonehenge
Prehistoric monument with
a circle of enormous stones.

Bamiyan Buddhas
Huge statues chiseled into
THE GREAT PYRAMID a cliff; destroyed in 2001.

Great Wall of China

OF GIZA COULD Once ran for 3,889

miles (6,259 km) along
China’s northern border.

WEIGH AS MUCH AS Terracotta Army

8,000 life-size warriors

716 MILLION TONS

entombed with the first
Temples of Abu-Simbel emperor of China.
c.1257 bce, Abu-Simbel, Egypt
Aksum Stelae
A group of memorial obelisks
carved from huge blocks of stone.

THE ARENA COULD BE FLOODED TO STAGE MOCK SEA BATTLES. 143

 Famous mummies Pharaoh Tutankhamun
The mummy of Tutankhamun
Ötzi the Iceman was found in a tomb in the Valley
About 5,300 years ago, a of the Kings in 1922. It wore a
traveler died when caught in gold mask and lay inside a nest
a snowstorm in the Alps. His of three gold cases. The tomb,
body became buried in the which had been sealed for
snow and then froze. In 1991, 3,200 years, contained statues,
the corpse was discovered furniture, and jewelry.
on top of a glacier.

Tollund Man
4 Denmark, 400 bce
Bog bodies
5 Jeremy Bentham
4 United Kingdom, 1832

Cladh Hallan skeletons

Scotland, 1600–1120 bce
Canadian Ice Man
British Columbia, Canada; Bog bodies 2
c. 1450–1700

Aleutian Islands Klement Gottwald

Czech Republic, 1953 3
mummies
Alaska, US,
up to about 1800
Anasazi mummies Basel Franciscan friars
Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Switzerland, c. 1550
Colorado, US; c. 100–1200
Spirit Cave mummy José dos Santos
Nevada, US; c. 7400 bce Ferreira Moura
Elmer McCurdy Portugal, 1887 3
Oklahoma, US; 1911

Accidental mummies Guanche mummies

Tenerife, Canary Islands,
Windover
Sometimes, bodies are turned Skeletons c. 1000–1400
into mummies accidentally by Florida, US
naturally dry air and soil, the cold 6000–5000 bce Grottarossa mummy
1 Italy, 160–180 ce
of mountains and polar regions,
or the acidic waters of bogs. St. Domenico
Maggiore mummies
Italy, c. 1490–1570
1 The Guanajuato mummies, Mexico
In 1865–1958, people in Guanajuato Pre-Inca desert
unable to pay a grave tax had to dig mummies Uan Muhuggiag
up long-dead relatives. Some had been Peru, c.1000 Libya, c. 3500 bce
mummified by the dry climate.
Vissarion Korkoliacos
2 European bog bodies Greece, 1991
Mummies have been found in the peat Chiribaya
bogs of northern Europe, with the oldest mummies
dating from about 10,000 years ago. Peru, c. 1100–1300
5 Intentional mummies
3 Lindow Man
In 1984, a man’s body was found in a Many cultures have preserved the
bog at Lindow Moss, Cheshire, England. Tiwanaku mummies bodies of their dead. Usually, they
He was killed between 2 bce and 119 ce, Chile, 800–1200 remove the internal organs and
perhaps as a religious sacrifice. drain the body fluids before
4 Franklin’s lost expedition embalming the body.
Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition to
the Arctic went missing. In 1984, three
of his crew were found mummified on 1 Valley of the Kings 2 Philippine fire mummies
Beechey Island, Canada. Eva Perón In the 1880s, 56 mummies— Between 1200 and 1500,
Argentina, including pharaohs—were the Ibaloi people of the
5 The Greenland mummies 1952 found in Egypt’s Valley of Philippines mummified
Eight mummified Inuit people who died the Kings. In 2019, another their leaders by drying
in about 1475 were found on a cliff at 30 mummies were them over a fire then
Nuuk, Greenland, in 1972. Their bodies discovered in this area by putting them in caves.
had freeze-dried. Egyptian archaeologists.

144 WHEN EGYPTIAN EMBALMERS PREPARED A PHARAOH’S BODY FOR

 History

Juanita the Ice Maiden MUMMY DISCOVERIES WORLDWIDE

In 1995, an Inca girl aged 11–15 Some mummies are discovered singly, often in remote locations
was found on Mount Ampato, such as in peat bogs or on high mountains. Other finds involve
Peru. The discoverers named larger numbers of mummies—for example, in communal
her Juanita, or the “Ice Maiden.” graves, tombs, caves, or catacombs.
She was sacrificed to the gods
about 530 years ago. The cold
had preserved her skin, organs,
blood, and stomach contents. Accidental
mummies

James Hepburn,

0–19

20–39

40–59

60–79

80–99

100–119

120–139

140+
4th Earl of Bothwell Intentional
Denmark, 1578 mummies
Number of mummies

Charles Eugène de Croÿ Tarim mummies

China, 1800–200 bce Fujiwara clan
Estonia, 1702 mummies
Japan, 1128–1189
Vladimir Lenin Siberian Ice Maiden
Russia, 1924 Russia, c. 400 bce Kim Il-Sung
Georgi Dimitrov Pazyryk ice and Kim
Bulgaria, 1949
mummies Jong-il
Dröbnitz Girl North Korea,
Poland, Valley of the Golden Mongolia,
1994 and 2011
650 bce Mummies Egypt, c. 700–200 bce

Mummies
332 bce–395 ce
Maronite mummies
Lebanon, 1283
Chehrabad Salt Mine Mao Zedong 4
mummies Iran, 4th China, 1976
century bce–4th century ce
Xin Zhui
1 Iufaa and family China, c. 150 bce
Egypt, c.500 bce
Saqqara mummies Ho Chi Minh Mummies—the preserved
bodies of the dead—have been
Egypt, 640 bce Vietnam, 1969
2
found the world over. Many were
Mummy monk
“Luang Phor Daeng”
made deliberately, while others
Thailand, c. 1985

Vu Khac Minh and Vu Khac Truong formed naturally. More recently,

some countries
Vietnam, c. 1600–1700
Nubian

have mummified
mummies Chiang Kai-shek and
Sudan,
Chiang Ching-kuo
their leaders.
250–1400 Korean
Taiwan, 1975 and 1988
mummies Lost mummies
South Korea, of New Guinea
Buddhist self-mummified c. 1350–1500 Papua New Guinea,
nun and monks up to 1950s
Taiwan, 1680–1830,

3 Mummies of Palermo
In 1599, Christian monks
4 Self-mummified monks
From 1680–1830, some
5 Chinchorro mummies
The Chinchorro, who lived in
THE PALERMO
in Palermo, Sicily, began to
mummify their dead and
stored them in catacombs.
Buddhist monks in Japan
mummified themselves.
They starved, drank special
what is now Chile and Peru,
were the first people known
to make mummies. Their
CATACOMBS CONTAIN
Later, rich people paid
the monks to mummify
their bodies.
tea to make their body toxic
to maggots, and then were
sealed alive in a stone tomb.
oldest mummies date from
as early as 5000 bce. ABOUT 8,000 MUMMIES

MUMMIFICATION, THEY PULLED THE BRAIN OUT THROUGH THE NOSE. 145
 North America
The Maya and Aztecs built spectacular
pyramid-temples. Human sacrifice took
place on the Templo Mayor in the Aztec
capital Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City).

Notre Dame
de Paris
Paris, France,
Angel Mounds 1163–1345
Evansville, St. Paul’s Cathedral
Templo Mayor, Indiana, (first building)
Mexico London, England,
1000 ce
Cahokia Mounds 604 ce
Parkin Indian Mound and Monks Mound
Parkin, Arkansas, Collinsville, Illinois,
1350 600–1400 ce

Taos Pueblo Cluny Abbey

New Mexico, between Burgundy, France, 910 ce
late 1200s and mid-1500s Kincaid Mounds
Brookport, Illinois,
Great Houses of the 1050–1400 ce
Chacoan people, Moundville settlement
Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, Alabama, 1000–1450 ce
between 900 ce and 1150 ce
Ocmulgee Great Temple Mound Alhambra
Templo Mayor Macon, Georgia, 950–1150 ce Granada, Spain,
Mexico City, Mexico, 14th century
first built 1325,
rebuilt six times El Castillo Benin Bronzes
Kingdom of Benin (in Timbuktu
Chichen Itza, Mexico, Mali,
9th–12th century modern Nigeria),
13th–16th century 12th century
Calixtlahuaca Temple of the Inscriptions
Toluca, Mexico, 1100–1520 ce Chiapas, Mexico,

Medieval
683 ce Cusco and the
Koricancha
Vilcabamba, Cusco,
Peru, between 1200s
Machu Picchu and 1532
Vilcabamba, Isla del Sol

wonders
Cuzco, Peru, 1450 Lake Titicaca, Bolivia,
15th century
Royal Palaces
of Abomey
Dahomey (modern
El Fuerte de Benin), 1695
Samaipata
Bolivia,
14th century

“Medieval” means the Middle Sacsayhuamán

Cuzco, Peru, South America
Ages, which lasted
between early
1400s and By the late 1400s, the Incas had a vast

from the 5th century

mid-1500s Ollantaytambo empire in western South America. The
Cuzco, Peru,
Moai figures city of Machu Picchu occupied a remote
to the end of the 15th
mid-15th century
Easter Island, hilltop at the edge of the empire.
Chile, between

century. The period 1100 ce and

1650 ce

ended when the world

Machu Picchu

became connected by explorers such

as Columbus, heralding the start of
modern times. Medieval times saw
amazing architectural feats worldwide.

146 DJENNÉ’S GREAT MOSQUE, THE WORLD’S LARGEST MUD-BRICK BUILDING,

 History

South America
Leaning Tower of Pisa St. Peter’s Basilica, built at the start
Italy, 1173–1372 of the Renaissance, is one of the world’s KEY
largest and most Locations and dates
ornate churches. of medieval wonders.
Its enormous
dome is 453 ft Pictured
(138 m) high. wonders
St. Basil’s Cathedral Other
Moscow, Russia, wonders
1555–61
Papal Basilica
of St. Peter,
Moscow Kremlin Italy
Moscow, Russia,1485–1495
Papal Basilica
of St. Peter
Vatican City, Rome,
Italy, 1506–1626

Imam Reza Shrine Taj Mahal

Great Wall of China
(Ming Dynasty)
14th century
THE LEANING
TOWER OF
Mashhad, Iran, Agra, India,
Ani, 818 ce 1632–48
Kiyomizu
Armenian City
Temple
Kars Province, Turkey,
5th century ce
Grand Canal
China,
Kyoto, Japan,
798 ce
PISA TILTS
5th to 15th

The Great
Prophet’s Mosque
(Al-Masjid al-Nabawi)
Medina, Saudi Arabia, 622 ce
centuries Porcelain Tower
of Nanjing
BY 3.99
Mosque of River Yangtze, Nanking,
Djenné
Djenné, Mali,
The Grand Mosque
(Al-Masjid al-Haram)
China, early 15th century,
reconstructed 2010
DEGREES
1200–1330
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Konark Sun
7th century ce Angkor Wat
Temple Angkor, Cambodia
India, 13th century 1113–50

Sigiriya Asia
palace
Sri Lanka, The vast Buddhist temple
5th century ce at Borobudur, Java, has six
stepped rectangular stories,
Rock-hewn churches three circular terraces, and is
at Lalibela decorated with 2,672 carved
Ethiopia, panels and 504 statues.
13th century

Borobudur
Central Java,
City of Great Indonesia,
Zimbabwe 9th century ce
Near Masvingo, Borobudur
Zimbabwe,
11th century

Africa
At Lalibela, 11 churches—
complete with windows,
doors, and roofs—were
hewn (cut) into rocky hills.
Each is cut from a single
block of stone and linked
by trenches. Rock-hewn church at Lalibela

IS BUILT ON A PLAFTFORM TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM RIVER FLOODS. 147

Medieval
Ottoman battle
helmet

empires
Holy Roman
Empire in 1200 ce
Byzantine
Frankfurt Empire Ottoman Empire in 1683 ce
in 555 ce

At times between 500 and Constantinople

Istanbul

1500 ce, one power or

another controlled vast
parts of Europe and Asia, Damascus
and spread Islam and
Christianity across the
world as they knew it.
Little known to them, Umayyad
Caliphate
African rulers joined
Songhai Empire
in 1500 ce in 750 ce

up large regions for

Mali Empire
in 1350 ce Gao Kanem Empire
the first time, while Koumbi Saleh
in 1300 ce

empires in the
Njimi

Americas grew Mali Empire (Kangaba)

Ka-ba
Ancient Ghana
500s-1076
in isolation c. 1230–1600
A west African Asante Empire Kumasi
The kingdom of Ghana grew rich on
gold mined from its valley and exported
from the empire that became
wealthy through in 1750 ce along the trans-Saharan trade
routes. It was conquered by
rest of
trading gold Berbers in 1076. Ethiopian
and developing Empire
Asante Empire
the world.
agriculture along the 1137-1974
banks of the Niger. 1670–1902 In about 1200,
A sophisticated and São Salvador
(M’banza-Kongo) the ruling Zagew
disciplined society. dynasty of this
Clever strategies Christian empire
and adoption of Kingdom of carved churches
western firearms Asante Kongo in 1625 ce straight into the
helped bring about trophy head
rocky ground in
military expansion. Kingdom of Kongo the town of Lalibela.
1390–1914
Ruled by a “manikongo” (king) and
The Americas
divided into six regions. The Atlantic
slave trade weakened the empire, and
eventually the Portuguese took control.

Kingdom of Great
Zimbabwe 1350 ce Zimbabwe
Huari Kingdom of Zimbabwe
Aztec Empire 1220–1450
in 650 ce Famous for its capital,
Empire Great Zimbabwe, where
in 1519 ce the elite lived in a stone
enclosure. The rulers
controlled gold mines and
Chimú culture ivory and traded with the
in 1470 ce Middle East and China.

Inca Empire
in 1525 ce Tihuanaco Empire Eurasia and Africa

in 700 ce

148 THE AZTECS SACRIFICED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THEIR OWN

 History

Mongol Empire in 1227 ce

Mongol Empire
1206–1368
Founded by Genghis Khan
in 1206. Numerous violent
AT ITS PEAK, THE
conquests led to the
largest continuous
land empire in history. Karakorum
MONGOL EMPIRE
Mongol
horde
helmet
RULED OVER
Ming China
in 1500 ce 100 MILLION
Beijing
PEOPLE
Ming China
1368–1644
Founded by Zhu Yuanzhang,
Mughal Empire the leader of an uprising that Holy Roman Empire
overthrew the Mongols.
in 1690 ce A socially stable era during
962–1806
Shahjahanabad One of the longest-lasting empires in history, this
which the Grand Canal and was a Christian state with no capital. In 1356
(Old Delhi) the Great Wall were rebuilt. Frankfurt became the home of imperial elections.

Mughal sword Byzantine Empire

330–1453
Evolved from the Eastern Roman
Khmer Empire Empire. A Christian, Greek-
Angkor speaking empire that preserved
in 900 ce
both Roman and Greek cultures.

Byzantine
necklace pendant
Mughal Empire
1526–1857
The Mughals brought centralized government,
education, and religious tolerance to south Asia.

Khmer Empire
802–1400s
Songhai Empire A Hindu and Buddhist empire influenced by
Aztec Empire Inca Empire Indian culture. Architecture of the empire
1428–1521 1438–1536 1375–1591
Rose up in the reached its height with the construction
From their capital built The largest empire of of the temple at the capital, Angkor.
on artificial islands on pre-Spanish Americas. wake of the
a lake, the Aztecs, who Incas worshipped Inti, declining Mali
called themselves Mexica, the sun-god, and were Empire. The city
conquered most of skilled at building cities of Timbuktu
modern-day Mexico. high up in the Andes became a center
mountains. of Islamic learning.
Songhai coin
Statue of Aztec god of death

Chimú culture Umayyad Caliphate Kanem Empire

c.850–1470 661–1031 700–1387
Skilled in pottery, textiles, and The second of four great One of the most powerful
metalwork. Territory covered Muslim dynasties of African empires. The main
coastal regions by the Andes the Arab caliphate, religion became Islam
mountains. Conquered by the meaning “kingdom.” during the second dynasty
rival Inca Empire in 1470. under the rule of the Sayfawa.

Huari Empire Tihuanaco Empire Ottoman Empire

540–1100 400–950 1299–1922
The first of the New World Began as a small town on Sometimes called the
powers to use large cities the shores of Lake Titicaca “Turkish Empire,” a long-lasting
to run the empire and to on the border of Peru and Islamic state with the wealthy
live in, rather than just for Bolivia before rapidly city of Constantinople (modern-
religious ceremonies. expanding to the day Istanbul) as its capital.
surrounding areas.
Huari wooden figure

PEOPLE AND ENEMY PRISONERS EACH YEAR TO APPEASE THE GODS. 149
 Castles KEY
Flags pinpoint some of the world’s
most impressive fortifications.

Selected castles,
forts, citadels, and

From castles and forts to walled cities, rulers fortified cities

and nations throughout history have tried to

build impregnable structures to keep
their enemies at bay and
strengthen their grip
on power.

Castle of Santa Maria

da Feira, Portugal
Fort Columbia,
Washington, US Castle of São
Jorge, Portugal
Ribat of Monastir,

European Fort Union, New Tunisia

Mexico, US
castles
Most were fortified
Loropéni,
residences of nobles Burkina Faso
or monarchs; others
Cape Coast Elmina Castle,
were purely defensive. Castle, Ghana
Castillo San Felipe Ghana
de Barajas, Colombia

Chan Chan
ancient walled
citadels, Peru
Coastal prisons
These two castles
Burghausen, Germany
on Ghana’s coast have a
Europe’s longest castle dark history: they served
complex, consisting of a as fortified links along
main castle and inner the slave trade route
courtyard protected by during the 16th century.
five outer courtyards.

Fortifications of
Valdivia,
Chile

Krak des Chevaliers, Forts after the age

Syria This 12th-century of castles
crusader castle has an
outer wall with 13 towers Forts became vital military centers.
separated from the inner Their low, thick, angled walls were
wall and keep by a moat. able to deflect cannonballs.

150 THE OTTOMAN TURKS BESIEGED THE FORTIFIED TOWN OF CANDIA,

 History

Asian castles Himeji, Japan Built as a fort Mehrangarh Fort, India This
in 1333, Himeji was then fort, 400 ft (122 m) above the
Castles in Asia reflect rebuilt several times between city of Jodhpur, hides several
local building styles and the 14th and 17th centuries. palaces within its walls. Built
look different than those It has 83 buildings protected by the ruler Rao Jodha in
in Europe, but they by 85-ft- (26-m-) high walls 1459, it is entered through
and 3 moats, and is Japan’s a series of seven gates.
served the same purpose. largest castle.

Fortified cities
Cities surrounded by
defensive walls, often
incorporating a castle
or royal residence.

Moscow Kremlin,
Russia
Forbidden City, China
The former imperial
palace in Beijing has
980 buildings ringed
Wan Ping by a wall and a 171-ft-
Rohtas Fort, fortress (52-m-) wide moat.
Gyantse fortress,
Pakistan Tuon Cheng
Tibet, China
Kirkuk fortress, China
citadel, Bam citadel,
Iraq Iran

Uqair,
Saudi Arabia

Great Zimbabwe
Once the capital of the
Kingdom of Zimbabwe,
the stone walls of this
royal city were built
without using mortar.

WINDSOR CASTLE,
Fort Glanville

ENGLAND, HAS BEEN Fort

Queenscliff Fort Denison

A ROYAL RESIDENCE
FOR 900 YEARS
Fort Independence, Castle of Good Hope,
US This star-shaped South Africa A star
fort, completed in 1851, fort built by the Dutch
defended the harbor of East India Company in
Boston. Guns were 1666–79 to protect
mounted on its five Dutch settlers on the
pointed bastions. Cape of Good Hope.

CRETE, FOR OVER 21 YEARS BEFORE IT SURRENDERED IN 1669. 151

 Yorktown, 1781
PERIOD OF BATTLE French-American
victory over the
British led to
WWI and beyond independence
1914– for the US.
Modern revolutionary Waterloo, 1815 Vienna, 1683
1780–1914 Napoleon defeated by a
Holy Roman Empire’s
coalition of European
Early modern defeat of the Ottoman
nations, marking an end
1500–1780 Empire halted the
to his domination
spread of Islam
of Europe.
Medieval in Europe.
500–1500

Ancient
Before 500 ce

Antietam, 1862
Bloodiest single-day Spanish Armada, 1588
battle in American history, English defeat of a vast Spanish
with 23,000 casualties. fleet, causing the loss of 63 ships. 3
The Little Bighorn, 1876 2
Victory for the Lakota,
Northern Cheyenne, and 1
Arapaho peoples over Battle of France, 1940
the US Army led by German invasion and occupation of
General Custer. France during World War II.

The Alamo, 1836 Algiers, 1957

Texan revolutionaries inflicted Campaign of guerrilla
warfare against French– 1
heavy losses on Mexican forces
storming the Alamo Fort. Gettysburg, 1863 Algerian authorities.
Mexico won, but Texas gained Turning point of the US
independence the next year. Civil War. Paved the way Alcazar Quivir, 1578
for a Union victory over Morocco and Ottoman
the Confederate states. Empire defeated the
Portuguese Empire.
Almost all Portuguese
killed or imprisoned.

Military milestones
Changes in weapon technology have Bay of Pigs, 1961
affected how battles are fought. As Carabobo, 1821 CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles
weapons get deadlier, the two sides in Victory for Simón tried to invade Cuba and overthrow
Bolívar’s Patriots over Communist leader Fidel Castro.
a battle grow farther and farther apart,
the Royalists, who
until today, they sometimes don’t meet supported Spanish Kirina, 1235
or glimpse each other at all. rule. Led to Mandinka forces
Venezuela’s beat the Sosso
independence. king and created
1 Battle of Crécy, 1346 Cajamarca, 1532 the Mali Empire
A key battle in the Hundred Years’ War Defeat of the Inca over west Africa.
between England and France. New Empire by Spanish
conquistadors
long-range bows made close hand-to-
led to Spanish
hand combat, and the chivalry that rule for the next Riachuelo, Paraguay River, 1865
went with it, a thing of the past. three centuries. A naval battle far upriver. Defeat for
Paraguay by Brazil (allied with
2 The Somme, 1916 Argentina and Uruguay) during the
The British and French attacked the ruinous Paraguayan War (1864–70).
German Army during World War I
in what was the world’s first use of
tanks in battle. It was also one of the
bloodiest military operations ever.

3 Battle of Britain, 1940

Between Britain and Germany
during World War II, this was the
THE OTTOMAN TURKS TOOK
first major campaign fought
entirely in the air.
CONSTANTINOPLE IN 1453 USING
4 Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942
For the first time, ships in this
sea battle never once sighted CANNONS FOR THE FIRST TIME
or directly fired on one another.
IN A MAJOR BATTLE

152 AFTER THE BLOODY BATTLE OF KALINGA, INDIAN EMPEROR ASHOKA

 History

Sieges 1 Siege of Carthage 149–146 bce 2 Capture of Jerusalem, 1099

One of the longest sieges in During the Crusader wars between
Not strictly a battle, a siege is a history. The Romans surrounded Christians and Muslims, the Muslim
military blockade of a city or fortress. Carthage (in modern Tunisia) defenders of Jerusalem lost control
Austerlitz, 1805 The aim is to conquer the city by and waited 3 years for its when the Christians built two
With smaller forces, the waiting for those inside to surrender. surrender, then enslaved enormous siege engines (towers
French Empire crushed Sometimes, the side laying siege the Carthaginian population. on wheels) and scaled the walls.
Russia and Austria.
One of Napoleon’s attacks to speed things up.
greatest victories.

Huai-Hai, 1948
Final major fight in Chinese
Badger Mouth, 1211 Civil War that led to the
Actium, 31 bce Mongol ruler Genghis Communist takeover of China.
Rome declared war on Antony and Khan’s victory over the Jin
Cleopatra of Egypt. The Roman victory led Dynasty of China. One of
to the beginning of the Roman Empire. history’s bloodiest battles.

Thermopylae, 480 bce

Vastly outnumbered Greek forces held the
Persian Emperor Xerxes at bay for a vital 3 days.

Stalingrad, 1942–43
Long siege of this Soviet city caused immense Battle of Inchon, 1950
suffering on both sides and eventually led to A clear victory for the United
crippling defeat for Nazi Germany. Nations against North Korean
forces in the Korean War.
Fall of Constantinople, 1453
After a 4-month siege, Byzantine
Empire fell to the invading Battle of Phillora, 1965 Iwo Jima, 1945
2 Ottoman Empire. One of the largest tank The US captured this island as
battles of the Indo-Pakistani a way of possibly invading Japan.
War. Decisive victory for More than 21,000 Japanese died.
Indian Army.
Wuhan, 1938
Soviet and revolutionary Chinese
forces totaling 1,100,000 troops
and 200 aircraft failed to stop
El Alamein, 1942 Japan from capturing the city.
Omdurman, 1898 Major tank battle
Small British and of World War II. Dien Bien Phu, 1954
Egyptian forces British-led victory Viet Minh communist revolutionaries
massacred a huge, over Axis Powers besieged and defeated the French to end
but ill-equipped, (Italy and Germany). the First Indochina War. The next year began
Sudanese Army. another 20 years of fighting in Vietnam.

Kalinga, 262–261 bce

The Mauryan Empire
under Ashoka the Great
fought the republic of
Isandlwana, 1879 Kalinga. At least 100,000
Crushing victory for Kalingans were killed. Surabaya, 1945
the Zulu nation over Heaviest battle of the 4
the British, despite Indonesian Revolution
relying mainly against the British and Coral Sea, 1942
on spears and Dutch. Celebrated as World War II naval battle
cowhide shields. Heroes’ Day in Indonesia. between Japan and the US and
Australia. The battle was the
first time aircraft carriers
engaged each other.

Battlegrounds
At one time, armies met in formation on a single field of battle
and fought for one to several days. By the 20th century, long-
range weapons had changed warfare. Battlefields in places
became theaters of war the size of countries.

IS SAID TO HAVE REJECTED WARFARE AND TURNED TO BUDDHISM. 153

The last
empires
Greenland
Alaska

ICELAND

C A N A D A
BRITAIN

FRANCE
UNITED STATES SPA IN
OF AMERICA
A T L A N T I C
PORTUGAL
Haiti
First Black nation to win
independence. It was born
O C E A N GIBRALTAR

from a slave revolt, and the

revolution lasted more than
10 years, ending in 1804. Bahamas West Indies
Puerto Controlled by Britain, France, RIO DE ORO
Hawaiian Islands CUBA Rico Denmark, the Netherlands,
and US; only the islands
Jamaica of Haiti and the CAPE VERDE
P A C I F I C BRITISH HONDURAS Dominican Republic ISLANDS

W e st I n d i e s were independent
nations at this time. GAMBIA
O C E A N PORTUGUESE
GOLD
COAST
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO GUINEA
BRITISH GUIANA SIERRA LEONE
THE WORLD IN 1900 DUTCH GUIANA
FRENCH GUIANA
Ottoman Empire

Britain and possessions Liberia

Set up in 1822 by
France and possessions Americans as a colony
for freed African-
Denmark and possesions American slaves.

Spain and possessions

Portugal and possessions In the 16th century,

almost all of Central
Netherlands and possessions and South America was
colonized by Spain and
German Empire and possessions Portugal. Revolution
swept through these
Russian Empire and possessions territories in the
19th century, and all
Japan and possessions previously Spanish-
and Portugese-
Italy and possessions controlled states
became independent.

The end
US and possessions

of the 19th FALKLAND

century saw
ISLANDS

fierce competition
between world powers
for control of overseas
territories. With more countries
now in reach than ever before,
expansion focused on Africa and Asia.

154 AT ITS HEIGHT IN 1922, THE BRITISH EMPIRE CONTROLLED

 History

IN 1900, EUROPEANS
CONTROLLED
90 PERCENT
DENMARK R U S S I A N E M P I R E
NETH. GERMAN
EMPIRE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN
OF AFRICA
BELGIUM EMPIRE

Q I N G
AFGH ANISTA
AN ISTA N JAPAN
ITA LY E M P I R E
P IRE
TUNIS EM P E R SI A
ALGE

N CYPRUS
A KUWAIT
M
O BAHRAIN
T
RI

EGYPT
I N D I A
O
A

TRUCIAL
AN

OMAN
OM

FRENCH FRENCH PHILIPPINE

WEST AFRICA ANGLO- ERITREA INDOCHINA ISLANDS
EGYPTIAN
SUDAN FRENCH SOMALILAND
P A C I F I C
N IG E RI A BRITISH
BRITISH
UN

SOMALILAND NORTH BORNEO O C E A N

ER

ITALIAN
BRUNEI
M

KA SOMALILAND CEYLON
TOGO BRITISH MALAYA
EAST SARAWAK
CONGO AFRICA KAISER WILHELM’S
FRENCH FREE Ethiopia LAND
RIO CONGO The only African nation
MUNI STATE BISMARCK
(technically independent
GERMAN never to have DUTCH EAST INDIES ARCHIPELAGO
but under Belgian control)
EAST been colonized.
AFRICA
NORTHEASTERN PORTUGUESE PAPUA
ANGOLA RHODESIA TIMOR
BAROTSELAND-
NORTHWESTERN
BRITISH
CENTRAL AFRICA I N D I A N
RHODESIA
SOUTHERN
BECHUANA-
RHODESIA MADAGASCAR
PORTUGUESE
O C E A N
GERMAN LAND EAST AFRICA
SOUTHWEST AUSTRALIAN
AFRICA
COLONIES

CAPE
COLONY
Boer Republics
Formed by descendants of 17th-century
Dutch settlers on land already inhabited
by native peoples, these were annexed
by Britain in 1902. NEW
ZEALAND

Scramble for Africa • 1871: Germany and Italy are both The Great Game • 1839–42: First Anglo-Afghan War.
The Atlantic slave trade, in which unified. No more territory available In the 1830s, Britain feared Terrible defeat at Kabul for the British.
Africans were forcibly sold to for expansion of empires in Europe. Russia was planning on • 1878–80: Second Anglo-Afghan War.
people in the Americas, ended in • 1884–85: Berlin Conference, invading British-ruled India Russia is defeated and Britain
the mid-19th century. European where European powers decide through controlling India’s withdraws but takes control of
powers colonized Africa for rules on carving up Africa. neighbor, Afghanistan. The Afghanistan’s foreign affairs.
economic, political, and religious • 1900: Only a handful of regions are “Great Game” was the rivalry • 1907: Russia and Britain sign a
reasons, scrambling to claim still independent states. Britain rules for power in Asia between the peace treaty in the face of the German
territory before their rivals. 30 percent of Africa’s population. British and Russian empires. threat of expansion in the Middle East.

ALMOST ONE-QUARTER OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION AND LAND. 155

 Collapse of Communist bloc
1989: East Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary,
Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia,
AT LEAST 1 MILLION Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo,
Albania, FYR Macedonia,
Serbia, and Bulgaria
PEOPLE DIED IN THE 1910
MEXICAN REVOLUTION
Norway
1905 (from
Sweden)

Iceland
1944
(from Denmark)
England
1642–51

Ireland
1922 (from Britain)
Belgium
1830–31 France
(from Netherlands) 1789–99
Spain
Thirteen colonies of 1936–39 Tunisia
North America 2011
1776 (from Britain) Portugal
1974
Famous revolutionaries Cuba Algeria
Revolutionary leaders are driven by 1953–59 1954–62
(from France)
passionate ideals. They inspire people Mexico
1910–20 1
to rise up against governments. Such
people are key in organizing effective Haiti
group action against the authorities. Nicaragua 1791–1804 (from France)
1979–90 Venezuela
Panama 1823 (from Spain)
1 Che Guevara, 1928–67 1830 (from Gran Colombia)
Argentinian-born idealist—helped 1903 (from Colombia) 2
Fidel Castro overthrow Cuban Equador Colombia
dictator Fulgencio Batista. Now 1822 (from Spain) and 1819 (from Spain) Ghana
a global symbol of rebellion. 1830 (from Gran Colombia) 1957 (from
Britain)
2 Kwame Nkrumah, 1909–72 Peru
Oversaw Ghana’s independence 1824 (from Spain) Angola
from Britain. Ghana was the first 1961–75
in a wave of sub-Saharan African (from Portugal)
nations to break free of colonial rule. Bolivia
1825 (from Spain) Namibia
3 Simón Bolivar, 1783–1830 3 1968–88
Venezuelan politician and general (from South Africa)
who led Venezuela, Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to
independence. One of South
America’s most influential leaders.

4 Vladimir Lenin, 1870–1924

Revolutions and uprisings
After being exiled to Siberia, Lenin Powerful nations that overpower other countries
returned to Russia to support and are often met with resistance from the people they
then lead the 1917 revolution. conquer. In some cases, this can lead to revolutions.
Sometimes a country’s own government becomes
5 Mao Zedong, 1893–1976 so unpopular that a revolution occurs.
Founder of the People’s Republic
of China. Ruthless in bringing about Internal uprising
modernization with the “Great Leap Countries that have had internal revolutions
Forward” and enforced Communism
with the “Cultural Revolution.” Uprising against an outside power
Countries achieving independence from
6 Mahatma Gandhi, 1869–1948 a foreign ruling power through revolution
Devoted his life to bringing peace to
India. Has inspired nonviolence and Countries with no involvement in the
civil rights movements worldwide. revolutions listed on these pages

156 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION OF 1776 GAVE HOPE TO POVERTY--

 Revolutions
History

Lithuania
1989 (from USSR)
People all over the world have risen up
against oppressive rulers. Revolutions
Finland
1917 (from Russia)
Estonia
1989 (from USSR) can be sudden or lengthy, bloody
Latvia or peaceful, but have one thing in
common: they are all an attempt to
1989 (from USSR)
Turkmenistan
Belarus 1989 (from USSR)
change the way a country is ruled.
1989 (from USSR)
Ukraine 4
1989 (from USSR) Uzbekistan Russia
Moldova 1989 (from USSR) 1917
1989 (from USSR) Kazakhastan Korea
Georgia 1989 (from 1945
1989 (from USSR) (from Japan)
Armenia USSR) Kyrgyzstan
1989 1989 (from
USSR)
Greece (from USSR)
1821–32 Tajikistan
(from Ottoman Iraq Iran Afghanistan 1989 (from USSR)
5
Empire) 2014–17 1979 1996 Vietnam
Azerbaijan China 1975 (Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Syria 1949 created after war between North
Libya Egypt From 1989 (from
2011 2011 USSR) Myanmar and South Vietnam)
2011
(Burma)
Eritrea
1962 Philippines Collapse of
Communism
1896–98 (from Spain)
1961–91 Laos
Yemen 1975
(from Ethiopia) 2011 The USSR was a Communist
India 6 (from USSR) Cambodia
South Sudan 1947 (from 1979 (Khmer Rouge) state that incorporated Russia
Singapore
2011 (from Sudan) Britain) 1965 (from Papua New Guinea and 14 other Soviet republics
Somalia
1986–92 Malaysia) 1975 (from Australia) (some of the red areas on the
Democratic map). The USSR also had great
Republic of Kenya (Mau Mau)
1952–60 (from Britain) influence over several other
the Congo
1997 Indonesia European states that collectively
Rwanda 1945–49 were known as the “Communist
1961 (from the Netherlands)
(from Belgium)
bloc” (some of the yellow map
East Timor areas). In 1989, revolution spread
Madagascar 1975 (from Portugal) and 2002 through all these states, and in
1960 (from France) (from Indonesia) 1991 the USSR was dissolved.

Fall of communism
Indicates countries in
South Africa which Communism
1994 collapsed in 1989–91

Arab Spring to coordinate their actions. Not all of the

movements were successful, however;
The “Arab Spring” revolutions and protests
the uprising in Tunisia led to a number
swept through the Arab world in 2011. As the
of improvements, but many of the other
map shows, in some countries rulers were
countries are still marked by unrest.
forced out, while in others there were failed
uprisings. The Arab Spring was the first Arab Spring
uprising where protestors used social media Indicates countries
involved in the Arab Spring

STRICKEN EUROPE AND INSPIRED THE 1789–99 FRENCH REVOLUTION. 157

 Scapa Flow (1919)
After World War I, the
KEY German navy sank 52
Major of its own ships here,
rather than surrender
shipwrecks
them to Britain.
with known
coordinates

SS Islander (1901)
Its cargo of gold, which
some estimate is worth
up to $700 million today,
has never been found.

SS Sultana (1865) 3
This river steamer 4
exploded in the
Mississippi River 1
with the loss of
about 1,700 lives.
7

Méduse (1816)
5 When the Méduse
sank, 147 crewmen
2 built a life raft, but
only 15 survived to
be rescued.

HMS Agamemnon (1809)

A former command of
Admiral Nelson, she
struck an uncharted
group of rocks in a
bay off Uruguay.

Shipwrecks
The beds and shores of the
world’s seas, lakes, and rivers are
littered with shipwrecks. Some
are famous either for the huge Natural shipwrecks
loss of life they caused or the
Sailors battle constantly against the phenomenal
forces of nature, and one of the most common causes

enormous value of their cargo.

of shipwrecks is bad weather. Storms and hurricanes
batter ships and blow them off course, and fog, rain, or
snow reduce visibility. Ice is another big risk. An iceberg
can inflict fatal damage to a ship if it collides with one;
while ice that builds up on the body of a ship can also
cause it to become unstable and capsize.

158 ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST WRECKS IS THE AMOCO CADIZ, WHICH
 History

Notorious wrecks
1 RMS Titanic World War I German 6 Wilhelm Gustloff tanker off the
On April 14, 1912, this submarine in 1915. German passenger ship Philippines in 1987.
ship struck an iceberg Death toll: 1,200 torpedoed by a Russian Death toll: 4,375
and sank two hours and submarine in 1945.
forty minutes later. 4 Bismarck Death toll: approx. 9,100 9 HMS Birkenhead
Death toll: 1,517 German battleship, lost British ship that sank
after battling the British 7 HMS Sussex after striking rocks at
2 USS Arizona Royal Navy in May 1941. Royal Navy ship lost in Danger Point in 1852.
Sunk in the opening Death toll: 2,085 a storm off Gibraltar in Death toll: 460
minutes of the Japanese 1694, carrying over 11
6 attack on the US Navy at 5 Nuestra Señora tons of gold coins. 10 Batavia
Pearl Harbor in 1942. de Atocha Death toll: 500 Dutch ship that sank
Death toll: 1,177 Spanish galleon, laden off Australia in 1629,
with treasure, caught 8 MV Doña Paz on its maiden voyage.
3 RMS Lusitania in a hurricane in 1622. Passenger ferry that Death toll: wreck 40;
British liner sunk by a Death toll: 260 collided with an oil later mutiny 233

Battle of Midway (1942)

US ships Yorktown and
Hammann were lost here,
along with four Japanese
aircraft carriers and a
cruiser, in one of World
War II’s fiercest naval battles.

Eduard Bohlen
(1909)
Ran aground in
fog and now lies
1,300 ft (400 m)
inland, half-
buried in HMS Pandora (1791)
huge sand Sank while on a mission
dunes. to find the HMS Bounty
and her mutinous crew.
10

Man-made shipwrecks
Humans can be responsible for
shipwrecks in many different ways. War is
one of the main causes—missiles, mines,
air attacks, and sabotage have all been
used to destroy ships. Other factors can
be bad design, shoddy construction, or
poor maintenance and repairs; navigation
errors that cause a ship to run aground
or hit other traffic; and overloading cargo
so that the vessel tips over.

SANK IN 1978, SPILLING MORE THAN 220,000 TONS OF CRUDE OIL. 159
 Great Belt Fixed Link
Denmark, 1997. Connects islands of
Zealand and Funen. Comprises two
bridges and a railroad tunnel.
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, Boeing Everett Factory
California, 1937. Everett, Washington, 1968.
World-famous steel Aircraft assembly Bell Rock Lighthouse
bridge and longest building and Inchcape, Scotland,
suspension bridge in the largest 1810. Oldest surviving The Langeled
the world when built. building in lighthouse at sea. Pipeline
the world. 2006. Undersea
pipeline pumping
Norwegian
natural gas
to Britain.

London Sewage System

Late 19th century.
Hibbing Taconite Declared an engineering triumph
Company Mine for successfully diverting raw
Hibbing, Minnesota, sewage away from the Thames.
1895. One of the 1
world’s largest iron
ore mines. Channel Tunnel 4
Lockheed SR-71 Folkestone, UK—Calais,
Blackbird France, 1994. International
Beale, California, 5
3 undersea train tunnel.
1964. Fastest
manned jet aircraft. 2 Guggenheim Graf Zeppelin
Museum
Hoover Dam New York, New York, Guggenheim Museum
Nevada/Arizona, 1936. 1959. Architectural Bilbao, Spain, 1997. Important
Largest concrete structure ever and design feat. work of modern architecture.
built at the time of construction. Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, Spain,
1882–current. Huge
WM Keck church designed by
Observatory Antoni Gaudí, considered
Mauna Kea, Concorde a masterpiece, and still
Hawaii, 1993 under construction.
and 1996.
Second-largest Very Large Array
optical telescopes Socorro, New Mexico,
on Earth. 1973–80. Astronomical
observatory made up
Large Hadron Collider
Panama Canal Geneva, Switzerland,
of 27 radio antennas 1914. 48 miles (77 km) 1998–2008. Giant scientific

Industrial
arranged in a Y-shape. long. Among the most instrument for testing particles.
difficult engineering
projects in history.
Industrial pioneers
1 First transatlantic cable,

wonders
Itaipu Dam Canada–Ireland, 1858
Brazil/Paraguay, 1984. Cable that transported messages
The second-largest from one end to the other. The first
dam in the world. of its kind to be laid across the
Atlantic, meaning messages could
be received in a matter of minutes.

2 Transcontinental Railroad,
California–Nebraska, 1869
The Industrial Revolution of the 18th Connected the east coast railroads
of the US with the Pacific coast
and 19th centuries saw remarkable for the first time. Considered to be
one of the greatest technological
advances in technology and
San Alfonso del Mar
swimming pool feats of the 19th century.

materials. This led to extraordinary

Algarrobo, Chile, 2006.
0.6 mile (1 km) long 3 Home Insurance Building, Chicago,
Illinois, 1885
design and engineering feats,
and 115 ft (35 m) deep.
Second-largest swimming First ever steel-framed building,
pool in the world. and first tall building to be supported
the likes of which had never by a fireproof metal frame. Although
not very tall, the technology used

been seen before.

made it the first “skyscraper.”

160 FRENCH ENGINEER ALBERT MATHIEU PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL

 History

Soviet Submarine K-222

MORE THAN 21,000 PEOPLE
Severodvinsk, Russia,
1968. The world’s fastest
submarine. Record of
BUILT THE HOOVER DAM
51.4 mph (82.8 kph).

Shanghai Underground Bunker

Shanghai, China, 2006. The Shanghai
Jiaozhou Bay Bridge Morning Post reported the existence of an
Jiaozhou, China, 2007. underground bunker capable of sheltering
This bridge spans a vast more than 200,000 people.
distance over water,
Neuschwanstein Castle at 26.4 miles (42.5 km) long.
Schwangau, Germany,
1892. Iconic “fairy
tale” palace of King
Ludwig II of Bavaria. The Bailong Elevator
Zhangjiajie, China,
2002. World’s highest and
heaviest outdoor elevator,
built on the side of a cliff.

Three Gorges Dam

Yangzte, China, 2008. Most powerful hydroelectric Seawise Giant
power station in the world, but water shortages in Yokosuka, Japan, 1979. Longest
the dry months mean the Itaipu Dam in South ship ever built, at 1,503 ft (458 m).
America produces more energy.

Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge

Jiangsu, China, 2011. Carries the
Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railroad
Terminal 3 for 102.4 miles (164.8 km), making
Great Man-made at Dubai it the world’s longest bridge.
River International
Libya, 1991. Network of Airport
pipelines that transport Dubai, United Arab
water from ancient Emirates, 2008.
underground World’s largest
reservoirs in the airport terminal.
Sahara to coastal
Libyan cities.

Istana Nurul Iman

Bandar Seri
Begawar, Brunei,
1984. Palace of the
Sultan of Brunei
TauTona Mine and the largest
Carletonville, South Africa, residential palace
1962. At 2.4 miles (3.9 km) ever built.
deep, the deepest gold mine Bahá’í House of Worship
in the world. Can take one New Delhi, India,
hour to get to the rock face 1986. World famous temple
from the surface. with a lotus flower design.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney, Australia,
1973. Great
20th-century
4 Graf Zeppelin airship, 5 Concorde, Toulouse, architectural work.
Friedrichshafen, Germany, 1928 France, 1969
Made the first nonstop The first commercial passenger
transatlantic passenger flight and aircraft to fly faster than sound.
flew regular commercial flights Its average speed was 1,334 mph
from 1932–37 from Germany (2,140 kph), more than twice
to Brazil. The first aircraft in history that of conventional aircraft. Only
to fly more than 1 million miles 20 were ever built and the last
(1.6 million km), and no passengers Concorde flight was in 2003.
or crew were ever injured.
Other industrial wonders

FOR THE CHANNEL TUNNEL IN 1802, 192 YEARS BEFORE IT OPENED. 161
Culture
Holi Festival, Jodhpur, India
During the Hindu spring
festival of Holi—known as
the Festival of Colors—people
throw pigments and colored
water over each other.
Introduction Headdress,
called a kiritam,
varies in size and
design, according
to the character
being portrayed.

The word “culture” is a broad idea, and includes Hand gestures

the values, beliefs, and behavior of a society, or (known as mudra) are
the dancer’s main way
group of people. Culture includes many things, of telling the story.

including customs, language, religion, music, art, Noble-hearted

food, and clothing. Some points of culture are characters always
have green faces;
traditional, having survived virtually unchanged dark red signifies a
treacherous nature.

for centuries. Others are short-lived, such

as fashion styles and trends in pop music.
Modern culture
Today’s culture is fast-moving and ever-
changing, thanks in part to the instant Kathakali dancer
communication offered by the Internet. Indian kathakali dancers
But long before the Internet, the migration enact stories from two epic
poems, the Ramayana and
of people around the world began introducing the Mahabarata. Dealing
people to cultures different from their own. with the constant struggle
Global broadcasting then accelerated this between good and evil,
effect in the 20th century. The cultural dances end with the
contact often creates a fusion (uniting) of destruction of a demon.
different cultural styles, especially in the
fields of music, fashion, and cooking. Heroes
always wear
red jackets
Live performances
Huge crowds watch singers, such as Beyoncé
(right), perform live, just as they have always
done. But today the “live” audience can number
many millions, with most following remotely via
Internet-based platforms like YouTube or Spotify.

Dancer’s skirt
is made up of
many layers of
white cotton.
Stadium spectators
For many sports fans, being part of a passionate, noisy, banner-waving
stadium crowd makes them feel an important part of the event.

164 DRAGON DANCES ARE TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCES IN CHINESE

 Culture

Traditional culture
Older people can pass culture on
to the next generation, enabling a
society’s traditions to be preserved
for many years. The Ramayana, a
Hindu poem written in the 5th or
4th century bce, tells the story of
Rama and Sita, and their battle
against the demon-king Ravana.
Over many generations, the
Ramayana and its values have
been kept alive in India and southern
Asia through writing, story telling,
painting, sculpture, festivals,
music, and dance. Literature Sculpture
The Ramayana was originally written in The great warrior Rama, holding his
Sanskrit, the language of Hinduism bow, stands next to his wife Sita. Both
and ancient Indian literary texts. hold up their right hands in blessing.

Festival
At the Hindu festival of
Diwali, people light lamps
to commemorate Rama’s
return from exile and his
victory over Ravana.

Painting
In this scene from
the Ramakien, a
Thai version of
the Ramayana,
the monkey god
Hanuman uses
his body as
a bridge for
Rama to cross.

Music
Musicians in Bali,
Indonesia, provide
accompaniment to kecak
dancers, who perform
parts of the Ramayana.

CULTURE, BELIEVED TO DRIVE AWAY EVIL SPIRITS AND BRING GOOD LUCK. 165
 North Germanic
languages
This is a group of similar
languages that includes
Norwegian, Swedish,
Icelandic, and Danish. Many
speakers of one language in
this group can understand
people speaking in another
of these languages.

California, US Yuchi, US
Two hundred years This Native American tongue is called a
ago, up to 90 languages “language isolate.” This means that experts
were spoken in California can’t find any connection between this and
by Native Americans. any other living language.
Today, only about 50
survive, and all of them
are endangered. Spanish, US
Spanish is the first language of
13 percent of Americans. Combined
with bilingual speakers, this makes
the US the second-largest Spanish-
speaking nation in the world.

Chamicuro, Peru Dutch, Suriname

Now dormant, this South American Suriname’s official language
language was once spoken by the is Dutch, but over 20 percent of the
aboriginal Chamicuro people. people identify as native speakers
of a local language, Sranan Tongo.
Guarani, Paraguay
Spanish dominates in most Cameroon
South American countries, but in More than 260 different
Paraguay, it is rivaled by Guarani, a languages are spoken in
Native American language. Cameroon. Seven percent
are threatened—that is, in
danger of disappearing.
SPREADING LANGUAGES
These languages have not only taken hold as
the main language of one country—they have
spread to become the main language of other Continent by continent
countries as well. In each of these countries, Some parts of the world have
there may also be important second and third been more affected than others by the
languages, and sometimes many more. shift toward more popular languages.
Europe’s population of about 740 million has
LANGUAGE WITH THE GREATEST NUMBER fewer than 300 living languages, whereas
OF SPEAKERS IN EACH COUNTRY more than 1 billion people of Africa still speak
English German more than 2,000.
Spanish Dutch
290 Europe
Chinese Korean
Arabic Malay
Americas 1,060
Russian Kiswahili Number of
languages 2,300 Asia
French Italian spoken
Portuguese Persian worldwide
7,100

Countries with a unique main language

Each of these countries has a main language that 1,310 Pacific
Africa 2,140
is not the main language of any other country.

166 TODAY, A THIRD OF THE WORLD’S LANGUAGES

 Culture

Russia
Apart from the main language—Russian—there
are eight languages in Russia each with 1 million
or more speakers, including Tatar, Ukrainian,
Ter Saami, Russia Bashkir, Chechen, and Chuvash. At least 10 of
This is one of the languages spoken Russia’s minority languages are nearly extinct.
by the Sami, the indigenous people
of the Arctic. Research in 2010
found that there are only two
speakers left.

ON AVERAGE, TWO
LANGUAGES DIE
Chinese
About 1.3 billion
OUT EVERY
MONTH
people speak
Mandarin Chinese.
It has more native
speakers than
any other language.
India’s languages Papua New Guinea
There are 22 official About 800 languages are
languages in India, spoken here, making it
although the national the most varied place on
government uses only Earth for languages.
Hindi and English.

ENDANGERED LANGUAGES
A language disappears when its
speakers no longer exist. Factors such
as war and urban growth can cause
old languages to die out. Languages
are quickly going extinct—more than
200 languages are spoken by fewer
than 10 people each.

Languages with 10 or Vanuatu

fewer native speakers A total of 18 languages

Languages
in Vanuatu now have
fewer than 10
fluent speakers.

Languages were developed by humans so that

they could communicate with each other within Australia’s languages
There were about 250

their groups. As communities began to interact indigenous Australian

languages. Of the 120

more, some languages spread and became

that remain, well over
half are endangered.

more widely spoken, whereas others were

used less or even died out.

HAVE FEWER THAN 1,000 SPEAKERS LEFT. 167

 MAJORITY RELIGIONS
Each country is colored according to the
religion that is most popular there. In many
countries, however, millions of people follow
religions that are not the majority religion,
and many more are not religious at all.

Judaism
Orthodox Christianity
Catholic Christianity
Protestant Christianity
Sunni Islam JERUSALEM
Contains sites holy to three
Shi’a Islam major world religions. 8
9
Hinduism
Western Wall (Judaism)
Chinese traditional religion Remains of the Temple in
1 Jerusalem, and sacred site
Christianity and native religions 11 4
32 of prayer for Jews.
Buddhism Church of the Holy Sepulchre
1 Said by Christians to contain the
Shinto burial site of Jesus Christ. 14

Holy
10 Al-Aqsa Mosque (Islam)
1 The third-holiest place in Islam,
where the Prophet Muhammad
is said to have risen to heaven.

places
5 31

A place that religious NEW FAITHS

followers think of as “holy” New religions have emerged
in the last 200 years.
may be the spiritual center BAHA’I, 1866
of the religion. It could be 30 Shrine of the Bab, Haifa

the place where it all began,

Resting place of the Bab, revered
by the Baha’i faith as a Messenger.

a site of pilgrimage, or the RASTAFARI, 1930

Jamaica
religion’s official
6 31
Home of Rastafari, whose
followers worship Haile Selassie I
headquarters. of Ethiopia as God in human form.
ISKCON, 1966
32 New York City
The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness, known
as Hare Krishna, began here.
Religious followers
Most of the world’s people
identify with a religion, whether CHRISTIANITY 3 The Hand of God, Nigeria
or not they take part in religious Followers worship Jesus This megachurch can seat
services. Their beliefs, customs, Christ as the son of God. up to 120,000 people within
or ancestors link them Christianity is split into these its handlike layout.
to their religious major branches: Orthodox,
community. Catholic, and Protestant. 4 Vatican City
Headquarters of the
Roman Catholic Church.
2 St. Mary of Zion Church
Heart of the Ethiopian 5 Our Lady of Guadelupe
Orthodox Church, said to hold Mexico City’s famous image
God’s 10 Commandments in of the Virgin Mary and site of
Judaism Sikhism Buddhism Hinduism Islam Christianity
14 million 30 million 535 million 1.2 billion 1.8 billion 2.5 billion
the Ark of the Covenant. a Roman Catholic pilgrimage.

168 ALMOST 220 MILLION HINDUS TRAVELED TO PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA, IN

 Culture

INDIAN RELIGIONS
Many world religions began in
India, or, like Zoroastrianism,
have taken up home there.

HINDUISM
18 Varanasi
Holiest Hindu city. Steps lead
bathers down to the sacred
River Ganges.
19 Dwarka
Pilgrimage site, holy city,
and one of the Char Dam
(“four seats”) of Hinduism.
20 Ujjain
One of seven places (also
including Dwarka and
Varanasi) of “sacred ground.”
BUDDHISM
16 28 21 Bodh Gaya
Place where the Buddha,
30 the founder of Buddhism,
27 29
found enlightenment.
1 1 15
24
22 Jokhang, Lhasa, Tibet
22 The most important and sacred
1
temple in Tibetan Buddhism.
13 18 21 23 Shwedagon Pagoda
19 20 25 In Yangon, Myanmar, this huge
12
26
gold-plated building houses
relics of the Buddha.
23
7
SIKHISM
2
24 Harmandir Sahib
Known in English as the
Golden Temple of Amritsar
and sacred to Sikhs.
JAINISM
FAR EASTERN RELIGIONS 25 Pawapuri
Sacred to the Jain faith, the
Many beliefs coexist in China and site where a key teacher
Japan. These are the most common. achieved enlightenment.
17

CONFUCIANISM ZOROASTRIANISM
Dacheng Hall, Qufu 26 Iranshah Atash Behram,
27 Udvada, India
The largest and oldest temple
of the teacher, Confucius. An important fire temple of
the Zoroastrian faith, which
began in Persia (Iran).
TAOISM
28 White Cloud Temple
Headquarters of the Chinese
Taoists, Beijing.

SHINTO
29 Izumo Taisha, Japan
The Japanese emperor’s
family shrine.

6 Our Lady of Aparecida, 9 Canterbury Cathedral ISLAM 12 Makkah 15 Najaf, Iraq

São Paulo, Brazil Place of pilgrimage and Muslims, Sacred to all Muslims Third city of Shi’a Muslims.
Eight million Catholic pilgrims world center of the Anglican followers of as Muhammad’s Features the tomb of their
a year visit this celebrated Protestant Church. birthplace. first imam, Imam Ali.
Islam, believe in
statue of the Virgin Mary. one god and that
10 St. Peter’s Church Muhammad
13 Medinah 16 Konya, Turkey
7 San Agustin Church, Manila The oldest Anglican church The burial site of Home of Sufi mystic Rumi,
The Philippines’ oldest church, (570–632 ce) is
outside Britain, in Bermuda. Islam’s prophet, whose followers perform the
dating from 1607. His prophet. This Muhammad. “Whirling Dervish” dance.
11 Salt Lake Temple religion split into
8 All Saint’s Church, Germany Largest center of worship Sunni and Shi’a Demak Great Mosque
faiths early on. 14 Kairouan, Tunisia 17
In Wittenberg, Martin Luther of the Church of Jesus Christ Fourth city of Sunni One of Indonesia’s oldest
began Protestantism by nailing of Latter-day Saints, known Islam, and seat of mosques, built in the
his ideas on the church door. as the Mormon Church. Islamic learning. 15th century.

2019 FOR THE KUMBH MELA FESTIVAL, HELD EVERY FOUR YEARS. 169
 Raft the Salmon
River, Idaho
Ride the rapids as you travel
through spectacular canyons
on the “River of No Return.”

London Eye, UK
At its highest point, 443 ft
(135 m) above the ground, the
London Eye offers a panoramic
view that stretches 25 miles
Surf at Mavericks, (40 km) to the horizon.
California
Only a select few are Wiener Riesenrad,
prepared to risk the Vienna, Austria
big, wild waves at Palm Beach, Florida Built in 1897, this
Mavericks, which can Loved by millionaires, Palm 213-ft- (65-m-) tall
reach 50 ft (15 m). Beach offers warm water, structure was one
a fine climate, and bright of the first Ferris
city lights close at hand. wheels ever made.
Gran Cenote, Mexico
Divers can marvel at stalactites
and stalagmites in this huge
undersea cave formation.
Kauna’oa Bay, Hawaii
As well as swimming and sunbathing,
Bonaire, Caribbean
you can snorkel to investigate local
There are more than 80
marine life. At night, you can even
superb dive sites around this
watch manta rays feeding in the bay.
small island, which is home to
three species of sea turtle.

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

These isolated islands boast
many unique species,
including giant tortoises,
marine iguanas, and many
different types of finches.

Bora Bora,
French Polynesia Hike the Inca Trail, Peru
Just 18 miles (29 km) Hike through mountains and Pantanal, Brazil/Bolivia/Paraguay,
long, this little island— jungles to the wonderfully South America
the remnant of an extinct preserved remains of the Inca The world’s greatest concentration
volcano—has beautiful city of Machu Picchu. There of jaguars—and much more besides.
white sandy beaches are strict visitor quotas, in an More than 1,000 bird species, including
in a turquoise lagoon attempt to avoid damage to the storks and macaws, and 300 types of
fringed by palm trees. 15th-century settlement. mammals such as tapirs and anteaters.

FRANCE IS THE WORLD’S TOP

TOURIST DESTINATION, WITH
89 MILLION VISITORS IN 2018

170 ABOUT 1.5 MILLION WILDEBEEST MIGRATE THROUGH KENYA’S MASAI

 Culture

KEY
Adventure World’s top big Best diving and Top 5 Beaches Top 5 Safari sites
destinations wheels snorkeling sites Relax, stretch out, and Get right up close to
These spots are for Why not take a city Take the plunge and catch some rays on a nature on a safari.
those who like their holidays break and ride one of the immerse yourself in the sandy shore somewhere. See wild animals in
thrill-packed, offering extreme world’s amazing observation magical worlds of coral reefs Can’t decide where to go? their natural habitats,
activities such as white-water wheels? Watch the world turn and undersea caverns. Be No worries—we’ve done the experience incredible
rafting, skydiving, surfing, and and take in the incredible careful not to touch the coral, hard work for you and picked animal migrations, and
trekking in remote regions. views from the top. though, as it’s easily damaged. the best of the bunch. marvel at unique species.

Trek Annapurna, Nepal

Enjoy stunning scenery
Aqaba, Jordan as you trek through the
See stunning corals and a Himalaya mountains in
rich array of colorful fish in the shadow of the mighty
water just 5 ft (1.5 m) deep. peaks of Annapurna. Tempozan Ferris Wheel,
Osaka, Japan
Opened in 1997, this 369-ft- (112.5-m-)
tall wheel has colored lights that
provide a weather forecast for the next
day: orange signifies sunshine, green
means cloudy, and blue equals rain.

Bwindi Park, Uganda Star of Nanchang, China

Half of the world’s mountain A trip round this 525-ft-
gorillas live here. Also good (160-m-) high wheel in an eight-
for giraffes and lions. person gondola takes 30 minutes.

Maldives
Find reefs, caves,
and abundant Sipadan Island, Malaysia
marine life. Nutrient-rich waters make this one of the
best sites in the world to see marine animals,
including sea turtles; hammerhead, reef, and
leopard sharks; barracudas; and parrotfish.
Seychelles
Northeast of Madagascar,
this beautiful archipelago
is made up 155 islands.

Masai Mara, Kenya Singapore Flyer

See lions, leopards, and cheetahs, One of the world’s
and the spectacular mass migration tallest observation
of zebras, gazelles, and wildebeest. wheels, at 541 ft
(165 m), which gives

Tourism
Okavango Delta, views of 28 miles (45 km).
Botswana Fraser Island,
Watch large roaming Australia
herds of buffaloes This World
and elephants, and Heritage Site
endangered animals has 640 sq
such as African wild dogs. miles (1,660
sq km) of
unspoiled

Traveling can offer adventure, fun, and an

natural beauty.

unforgettable glimpse of the world’s natural wonders—

but it’s important to consider the environmental Skydive in Queenstown, New Zealand
Step out of a plane 15,000 ft (4,500 m)

impact of tourism, too. In 2020, the industry was above Queenstown and freefall for 60
seconds, until a pull on the ripcord

severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. opens your parachute and you float
gently to the ground.

MARA, ALONG WITH 500,000 ZEBRA, GAZELLE, AND ELAND. 171

 Edvard Munch
Edward Hopper Andy Warhol 1863–1944; Norway.
1882–1967; US. 1928–1987; US. Munch was an Expressionist
Hopper painted in the Realist style, Warhol pioneered Pop Art—the artist. Expressionists tried to
which tries to show things as they “pop” refers to popular culture. express feelings in their work,
are in real life. Hopper used simple His art used familiar images of rather than portray people and
colors and often painted solitary, famous people and everyday objects accurately. Munch’s most
lonely-looking people. items such as soup cans. famous painting is The Scream
Warhol took his inspiration from (1893), which shows a person
advertising, TV, and comic strips. with an agonized expression.

Thomas Gainsborough
1727–88; England.
Founder of the 18th-century
British Landscape school,
Gainsborough also made
portraits. Mr. and Mrs.
Andrews (1750; right) is
an early masterpiece.

Claude Monet
1840–1926; France.
Impressionists such
as Monet painted
their view of brief
moments in time.

Frida Kahlo
1907–1954; Mexico.
Frida Kahlo began Pablo Picasso
painting after she 1881–1973; Spain.
was badly injured Among many other
in an accident. She things, this famous
is best known for artist was a founder of
her self-portraits. Cubism—a style that used
Her work used shapes to depict people
bold, bright colors and objects, often
and was influenced showing them from
by Mexican folk art. multiple viewpoints
at the same time.

Victor Meirelles
1832–1903; Brazil.
Meirelles’ religious and military
paintings and depictions of episodes
from Brazilian history won him fame
and praise in the 19th century. His Eugène Delacroix
painting The First Mass in Brazil 1798–1863; France.
(1860; right) still appears in primary- Delacroix was one of

Art
school history books in Brazil. the Romantics, who
stressed imagination
and emotion. Liberty
Leading the People
(1830; above) marks
the overthrow
of Charles X of
France in 1830.

People the world over value art

Sculpture
13th century–present; Nigeria.

because it allows them to express

The people of the Kingdom of
Benin, in what is now Nigeria,

their emotions and their culture,

sculptured bronze heads and
figures. They also made masks

record history and everyday life, and

out of wood, bronze, and ivory.
The tradition continues: on the
right is a wooden mask of
explore what it means to be human. the late 20th century.

The works of the world’s great artists

often sell for huge sums of money.

172 IN NOVEMBER 2017, LEONARDO DA VINCI’S “SALVATOR MUNDI” WAS AUCTIONED

 Culture

Marc Chagall
1887–1985; Russia.
Chagall produced Expressionist and
Cubist paintings, and also stained-
glass windows. He is known for his
paintings of village scenes and of
lovers floating in the air.

Yue Minjun
Born 1962; China.
Based in Beijing, Yue Minjun is best known for
his oil paintings, which show him frozen with
laughter in various poses and in different
settings. He has also represented himself in
sculptures, watercolor paintings, and prints.
He first exhibited his work in 1987; by 2007,
he had sold 13 paintings for more than
Tamara de Lempicka $1 million each.
1898–1980; Poland.
In the 1920s and 1930s, de Lempicka
was the most famous painter in
the Art Deco style, which featured
geometric shapes and intense, bright
colors. She lived a flamboyant life and
associated with the rich and famous.

Caravaggio
1571–1610; Italy.
Caravaggio was one
of the Baroque artists,
who revolutionized art
by painting realistic
rather than idealized
people and scenes. He Katsushika Hokusai
is one of the most 1760–1849; Japan.
influential painters Hokusai is perhaps the most famous
in art history. Japanese printmaker. His wood-block
prints included seascapes, such as
The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1831;
above), and scenes from everyday life.
Basawan
c.1580–1600; India.
A painter of miniature
scenes, Basawan
illustrated the Akbarnama
(right)—the official
chronicle of Akbar, the
third Mughal Emperor.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT
PICASSO PRODUCED
Yannima Tommy Watson
1935–2017; Australia.
ABOUT 148,000
Despite starting painting only
Willie Bester
Born 1956; South Africa.
in 2001, when he was in his
mid-60s, Tommy Watson rapidly WORKS OF ART
Bester’s collages and sculptures became one of Australia’s
use recycled material and objects
found in scrapyards and flea
markets. His 1992 Tribute to Biko
foremost Aboriginal artists. His
paintings relate to the stories
of the Dreamtime—the creation
DURING HIS LIFETIME
(above) commemorates Stephen period in Aboriginal mythology.
Biko, who campaigned for racial
equality in South Africa.

FOR $450 MILLION, MAKING IT THE MOST EXPENSIVE PAINTING EVER SOLD. 173
 Christ the King
120 ft (36 m)
Swiebodzin, Poland
KEY 2010
Heights exclude the plinths
on which the statues stand.

Above 131 ft (40m)

4. Statue of Liberty
98–131 ft (30–40m) Liberty was a gift
from the people
66–98 ft (20–30m) of France to
the US.
52–66 ft (16–20m)

16–52 ft (5–16m)
Angel of the North
66 ft (20 m) high,
175 ft (54 m) wingspan
Gateshead, UK
1998

THE ANGEL OF THE 9

NORTH HAS A BIGGER

WINGSPAN THAN A 13

3
BOEING 767 JET
Great Sphinx
Moai (statues) 66 ft (20 m)
Up to 33 ft (10 m) Giza, Egypt
Easter Island 2500 bce
1100 ce–1650 ce

Christ the Redeemer

98 ft (30 m)
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, 1931

Political statues
Some statues are built to remind people
of their freedoms, promote a sense of
unity, or reinforce political ideas.
1. The Motherland Calls
279 ft (85 m); Volgograd, Russia; 1967
Marks the Soviet Union’s victory over German
forces in the Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43).

Statues
2. Mother of the Fatherland
203 ft (62 m); Kiev, Ukraine; 1981
The female statue represents the strength
and victory of the Soviet Union in World War II.

3. African Renaissance Monument

161 ft (49 m); Dakar, Senegal; 2010
Africa’s tallest statue shows a man gazing
out to sea as he holds a woman and child.

Since ancient times, humans have 4. Statue of Liberty

built grand statues of great rulers,

151 ft (46 m); New York, US; 1886
“Lady Liberty” stands with a torch in

heroic figures, and gods and

one hand and a stone tablet in the other.

5. Juche Tower statues

goddesses. We are still doing it, 98 ft (30 m); Pyongyang, North Korea; 1982

and statues today are getting

Three figures represent a peasant, an
industrial worker, and an intellectual.

bigger and bigger.

African Renaissance Monument

174 THE STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK CONTAINS

 Culture
1. The Motherland Calls
The statue beckons fighters to Spring Temple
come to the defense of their nation.
Buddha
420 ft (128 m)
Religious statues
The Statue of Unity Lushan, China; 2002 Many religious movements
597 ft (182 m)
Named after the nearby use statues to inspire belief
Gujurat, India; 2018
Tianrui hot spring. and to aid worship.
The world’s tallest statue,
depicting India’s first
Deputy Prime Minister.

7
2
Guanyin, Hainan, China

11. Buddha
381 ft (116 m); Monywa,
10 Myanmar; 2008
Depicts the Buddha standing.
World’s third-tallest statue.
8
12. Guanyin
354 ft (108 m); Sanya,
14 6 5 Hainan, China; 2005
Represents the goddess
Guanyin blessing the world.
11
13. Virgin of Peace
154 ft (47 m) Trujillo,
Venezuela; 1983
12 The Virgin Mary, mother of
Jesus, is shown holding a
dove of peace in her hand.

15 14. Shiva
143 ft (44 m); Chitapol,
Kathmandu, Nepal; 2012
Hindu god Shiva stands with
a trident in his left hand. His
right hand offers a blessing.

15. Murugan
141 ft (43 m); Batu Caves,
Gombak, Malaysia; 2006
Historical statues Statue stands by a cave shrine
to the Hindu god Murugan.
Nations often use statues to celebrate famous
people from their past. If a controversial figure
has been chosen, this can lead to the statue
being defaced or even toppled by the public.
10. Genghis Khan
6. Yan Di and Huang Di 8. Guan Yu 131 ft (40 m); Tsonjin
348 ft (106 m); Zhengzhou, 200 ft (61 m); Yucheng, Boldog, Mongolia; 2007
China; 2007 Shanxi, China; 2010 This statue depicts the
Shows the heads of two Statue of the general famous Mongol leader
legendary kings regarded Guan Yu (160–219), later (ruled 1206–1227)
as the early founders of deified as Chinese god mounted on a horse.
the Chinese nation. of war, at his birthplace.

7. Peter the Great 9. José Maria Morelos

315 ft (96 m); Moscow, 131 ft (40 m); Janitzio,
Russia; 1997 Michoacán, Mexico; 1934
Erected to celebrate 300 Mexico’s rebel leader in
years of the Russian Navy, the War of Independence
which Tsar Peter I founded. (1810–21), fist clenched.
Peter the Great

30 TONS OF COPPER AND 125 TONS OF STEEL. 175

 Tulip Time Festival
Michigan
This festival is held in cities that were
founded by the Dutch or had large
numbers of Dutch settlers. Tulips line
the streets and special tulip gardens
are created for the event.

Cologne,
Germany
Binche,
Belgium

Notting Hill
London, UK
Cheese Rolling Festival
Gloucestershire, UK
Contestants chase a wheel of
cheese down a steep, muddy hill.

Thanksgiving Toronto,
Vancouver, Canada
US and Canada Tomatina
Canada This harvest celebration in Buñol, Valencia
November (October in Canada) Since 1944, tomato fights have Venice, Italy
usually involves a turkey Ovar,
been held on the last Wednesday
dinner. It was first held to give Portugal
of August. More than 110 tons of Malta
San Francisco, thanks for the harvest of 1621. New York, tomatoes are hurled each year!
California Mardi Gras, New York
New Orleans, Louisiana Festival of the Sahara
Tunisia Madeira
Noche de Rábanos A festival celebrating nomadic life
and traditions. Events include camel Santa Cruz,
Oaxaca, Mexico Cuba Tenerife
When radishes first were brought to the Haiti marathons and performances of
Americas in the 16th century, market Bedouin song, dance, and poetry.
traders made radish sculptures
Jamaica Barranquilla, Cape Verde
to advertise the new vegetables. Islands
Colombia
The “Night of the Radishes” has Mazatenango,
celebrated that custom since 1897. Trinidad
Guatemala

Panama
French Guiana
Tapati Festival
Easter Island Ambato,
Tapati includes dancing, ritual chants, art Ecuador
Festival-au-Desert
exhibits, carving competitions, horse and Cajamarca, Peru Mali
boat races, body-painting, a string figure Three days of traditional
(kai-kai) contest, the selection of a queen, Tuareg art, music, and dance.
a parade, and haka pei—sliding down a Inti Raymi Day Everyone camps in the desert,
steep hillside on banana-tree trunks at Cuzco, Peru with their camels close by.
high speed. The Festival of the Sun dates Coastal cities,
back to the Incas. People Oruro, Brazil
celebrate the winter solstice Bolivia

Festivals
and the start of the new year.

Carnival
Carnival is marked by
Montevideo, parades, such as in Rio
Uruguay de Janeiro, Brazil (left).

Festivals give people a chance

It comes just before
Lent—a time of fasting
to celebrate their religious and and avoiding rich foods
that leads up to the
cultural traditions. Above all, Christian festival

they are a great opportunity

of Easter.

to throw a party! Major Carnival

locations

176 MORE THAN 45 MILLION TURKEYS ARE EATEN ON THANKSGIVING DAY

 Culture
Baltai
Wife-Carrying World Tatarstan, Russia
Baltai means “feast of honey.”
Chinese New Year
Championships
Sonkajärvi, Finland The festival marks the start Called the Spring Festival in China, since
Male entrants carry of the mowing season and is it marks the end of winter, this festival
their wives over an celebrated by decorating a typically involves street processions with
obstacle course. The bear with birch leaves.
lanterns and Chinese dragons. Families
winner receives his
clean their houses to sweep away bad
wife’s weight in beer.
fortune and welcome in the New Year. The
festival is celebrated in all countries with
significant populations of Chinese people.

Locations with important

Chinese New Year celebrations

Boryeong Mud Festival

Rijeka, Boryeong, South Korea
Croatia At this mucky festival, which dates
Beijing from 1998, people cover each other
in mud. The mud is said to contain
Patras, Greece Ghost Festival, China minerals that are good for the skin.
Part of “Ghost Month,” when
Limassol, the ghosts and spirits of dead Asakusa district, Tokyo
Cyprus ancestors are said to emerge
from the underworld. Awa Odori
Tokushima, Japan
Awa Odori began in 1586, when Tokushima’s
residents decided to celebrate their town’s
Kolkata,
new castle. Today, more than 1 million
India
tourists visit to watch performers in
traditional dress dance in the streets.

Goa, India Bendigo Easter Festival

Janmashtami Bendigo, Australia
Mumbai, India Dating from 1871, this is Australia’s
Marks the birthday Philippines longest continuously running festival.
of the Hindu god Singapore During the festival’s Easter procession,
Krishna. Boys and men the Sun Loong, the longest imperial
clamber to the top of a dragon in the world, dances through
pole, trying to smash a clay Indonesia the streets of Bendigo.
pot full of curd and spill its
contents. Krishna is said to Esala Maha Perahera
have stolen curd from Kandy, Sri Lanka
pots as a boy. The 10-day “Festival of the Tooth”
celebrates the Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha.
Dancers, acrobats, and fire performers gather
in Kandy. On the last night, an elegantly
dressed elephant carries the tooth.
Mauritius

Incwala
Eswatini
World parties
At the “Festival of the Sydney,
first fruits,” the king Australia
eats pumpkins and Some festivals draw
other fruits. People people from far and
dance and sing in
his honor and to wide. They may be
bring blessings messy, such as
on the harvest. Tomatina (left), or
involve unusual
competitions, such Te Matatini
Prickly Pear Festival as wife-carrying. New Zealand
Mandela Bay, South Africa A Māori dance festival in which
This is a day for celebrating (and performers come together from all over
eating!) traditional foods such as New Zealand to compete in the national
ginger beer, pancakes, potjiekos, Key world finals. Te Matatini means “many faces.”
bunnychow, and fish braai. party sites

IN THE USA. ANOTHER 3 MILLION ARE GOBBLED UP IN CANADA. 177

 Television

United Kingdom
In a 65-year lifetime,
a person in the UK

Televisions may spend more

than 9.5 years

provide us with
watching television.

entertainment
and news 24 United States
hours a day. Ninety-six percent of US
homes have at least one
People can also TV, and 39 percent have
three or more TV sets.
watch content on
mobile devices such
as laptops, smartphones,
and tablets. French Guiana
There are about 30,000
TV sets serving a
population of 294,000.

Ghana
About 60 percent of
3,500 Ghanaian households
have a television.

3,000

2,500

2,000 COLOR TELEVISIONS

PER 10 PEOPLE
There are more than 1.5 billion
1,500 TVs around the world, but they
South Africa 556
Ukraine 647
USA 1,761

Romania 575
Turkey 635
India 868

France 584

are not distributed equally

UK 704

among the nations.

1,000
Argentina
More than 99 percent Less than 1
Russia 3,300

China 3,000

500 of Argentinian homes

possess a television. 1–2
2–3
0
TOTAL NUMBER OF BROADCAST CHANNELS
Falkland Islands 3–4
TV ownership is relatively 4–5
Broadcast channels high among the tiny
population of about 5–6
The number of broadcast TV channels varies greatly 2,500 islanders.
around the world. Russia has more than 3,000—the 6–7
most of any country. Deciding what to watch must 7 or more
be a real headache!
Data not available

178 SURVEYS SUGGEST THAT 72 PERCENT OF AMERICANS

 Culture

Hours per week United States Poland Japan

Brazil Russia Italy United
Experts say that watching more than Spain
France Germany Kingdom
31.5
2 hours of TV per day (14 hours per 30.8 30.5 29.6 28.9 28.9 27.2
26 26
week) can be bad for your health, 24.7

yet in many countries, people watch

twice that. HOURS PER PERSON PER WEEK

Japan
With a very high level of TV
ownership, the Japanese rank third
China among the biggest TV-watchers,
China has in excess averaging 30.5 hours per week.
of 400 million TVs—
more than any other
country in the world.

49 PERCENT
OF AMERICANS
SAY THEY WATCH
Oman
TOO MUCH TV
The oil-rich countries
around the Arabian
Gulf, such as Oman,
have high levels of
TV ownership.

Malaysia
Malaysians spend
significantly more
time using the
Internet every
week than they
do watching TV.

South Africa
More than 85 percent
of South African homes
have a TV set.

Content streaming
“Terrestrial” channels reach your TV via an aerial on your
home, while extra channels can be broadcast by satellite or
sent through cables. Paying for cable TV has become steadily Australia
less popular with the rise of television streaming services such In 2017, Australian
homes had an average
as Netflix, however, which involve playing video content over of 6.4 screens per
an Internet connection. Since the content isn’t live, viewers can household.
choose exactly what they want to watch, and when. In 2020, the
streaming subscription market grew by a massive 37 percent.

REGULARLY WATCH TELEVISION WHILE EATING DINNER. 179

 Americas 3 Dodgers Stadium 6 Beaver Stadium 9 Ohio Stadium 12 Bryant–Denny Stadium
California, US. Capacity Pennsylvania, US. Capacity Ohio, US. Capacity 102,329; Alabama, US. Capacity 101,821;
1 Los Angeles 56,000; opened 1962 106,572; opened 1960 opened 1922 opened 1929
Memorial Coliseum
4 Estadio Monumental “U” 7 Madison Square Garden 10 Neyland Stadium 13 Tiger Stadium
California, US. Capacity
Lima, Peru. Capacity 80,093; New York, US. Tennessee, US. Capacity Louisiana, US. Capacity 92,542;
93,607; opened 1921
opened 2000 Capacity 22,292; opened 1968 102,455; opened 1921 opened 1924
2 Rose Bowl
5 Bell Center 8 Arthur Ashe Stadium 11 Sanford Stadium 14 Darrell K. Royal—Texas
Pasadena, California,
Montreal, Canada. New York, US. Capacity 23,200; Georgia, US. Capacity 92,746; Memorial Stadium Texas, US.
US. Capacity 92,542;
Capacity 21,273; opened 1996 opened 1997 opened 1929 Capacity 100,119; opened 1924
opened 1922

15 16
Michigan Stadium Camp Nou 17
Ann Arbor, Michigan. 5 Barcelona, Spain.
Capacity 114,804; opened Capacity 99,354;
1926. Nicknamed “The Big 6 opened 1957.The
7 8 18
House,” this is the largest 9 largest stadium in
stadium in the US. It is home Europe and 12th
to the Michigan Wolverines 1 2 10 KEY largest in the world.
American football team. The colors show capacity
3 12 11
14 13 (numbers of spectators).
110,000 and above
100,000–109,999
90,000–99,999
80,000–89,999
Fewer than 80,000

Estádio Azteca
Mexico City, Mexico.
Capacity 87,523; opened 1961. This huge soccer
stadium is the official home of the Mexican
Estádio do Maracanã
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
national team. The Azteca and the Estádio
Capacity 82,238; opened 1950. Built
Maracanã are the only stadiums in the world to
4 for the 1950 football FIFA World Cup,
have hosted two FIFA World Cup soccer finals.
the Maracanã was the world’s

Stadiums
largest stadium at the time, with
room for nearly 200,000 people.
Capacity was greatly reduced
in the 1990s after part of the
stadium collapsed. It served
as the venue for the opening
and closing ceremonies of
the 2016 Summer Olympics
and Paralympics.

Stadiums and arenas are among

the largest and most impressive
buildings on the planet. They
Europe
not only enable us to experience 15 Millennium Stadium
17 Allianz Arena
Munich, Germany. Capacity

the thrills and drama of Cardiff, UK. Capacity 74,500;

opened 1999
69,901; opened 2005

competition between the

18 Estádio
16 Wembley Stadium Santiago Bernabéu

best sports players, teams, London, UK. Capacity Madrid, Spain. Capacity
90,000; opened 2007 85,454; opened 1947

and athletes, but also host

pop concerts and other shows.

180 THE LARGEST EVER “MEXICAN WAVE” INVOLVED 157,574 PEOPLE AT

 Culture
THE RECORD FOR THE LOUDEST CROWD ROAR OF
142.2 DECIBELS WAS SET AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM,
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, DURING A FOOTBALL GAME IN 2014

Rungrado May Day Stadium

Pyongyang, North Korea.
Record crowd sizes
Capacity 150,000; opened 1989.
Said to look like a magnolia
blossom, the stadium is used Crowds were even larger before the
for sports and military parades.
modern safety-conscious era, and
standing and overcrowding were
common. The largest-ever crowds
at sports events are below.

22
23
19

20

April 1995.
North Korea. Pro-Wrestling event,
Wrestling: 190,000. May Day Stadium,
World Cup Final, July 1950.
Brazil. Brazil vs Uruguay,
Soccer: 199,854. Maracanã Stadium,

January 1987.
Portugal. Benfica vs Porto,
Soccer: 135,000. Estádio da Luz,
Scotland vs England, 1937.
without tickets). Hampden Park, Scotland.
Soccer: 149,415 (plus 20,000
21

FNB Stadium (Soccer City)

Johannesburg, South Africa.
Capacity 94,736; opened 1989.
Nicknamed “The Calabash” because it looks
like the African pot of the same name, the FNB
is the largest stadium in Africa. The stadium
played host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Asia 21 Lumpinee 23 Gwangmyeong

19 Azadi Stadium Boxing Stadium Velodrome
Tehran, Iran. Capacity Bangkok, Thailand. Capacity South Korea.
100,000; opened 1971 9,500; opened 1956 Capacity 30,000; Melbourne Cricket Ground
opened 2006 Victoria, Australia.
20 Salt Lake Stadium 22 Beijing National Capacity 100,018; opened 1854.
Kolkata, India. Capacity Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”) This stadium holds the record
120,000; built 1984 China. Capacity: 80,000; for the highest floodlight towers
opened 2008 of any sporting venue. It is
known to locals as “The G.”

THE BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY, TENNESSEE, ON AUGUST 23, 2008. 181

 Michigan International Speedway Great champions Dale Earnhardt Snr.
Brooklyn, Michigan F1 is the pinnacle of Nationality: US
“open-wheel” racing and Killed while racing
Chicagoland Speedway at Daytona in 2001,
the winner each season is Earnhardt had
Joliet, Illinois
called the world champion. already won seven
Indianapolis Motor Speedway NASCAR remains the top NASCAR titles.
Speedway, Indiana stock-car competition.

Red Bull Ring

Spielberg bei
Knittelfeld, Austria
Circuit Zandvoort
Zandvoort,
Netherlands
Circuit de Spa-
Francorchamps
Spa, Belgium
Iowa Speedway
Newton, Iowa Silverstone Circuit
Bristol Motor Speedway Silverstone, UK
Bristol, Tennessee
Circuit de la Sarthe
Le Mans, France
Kansas Speedway Circuit Paul Ricard
Kansas City, Kansas Le Castellet, France
Circuit Gilles
Las Vegas Speedway Villeneuve Montreal,
Las Vegas, Nevada Algarve International
Québec, Canada Circuit
Auto Club Speedway Dover International Portimão, Portugal
Fontana, California Speedway Circuit de Catalunya
Dover, Delaware Montmeló, Spain
Kentucky Speedway Autodromo
Sparta, Kentucky Charlotte Motor Speedway Nazionale
Concord, North Carolina Monza
Circuit of the Americas Darlington Raceway Circuit de Monaco Monza, Italy
Austin, Texas Darlington, South Monte Carlo, Monaco
Carolina
Atlanta Motor Speedway Autodromo
Hampton, Georgia Internazionale Enzo e
Dino Ferrari
Autódromo Hermanos

Motor
Imola, Italy
Rodríguez Mexico City, Mexico Daytona International
Speedway
Homestead–Miami Daytona Beach, Florida
Speedway
Homestead, Florida

racing Autódromo José

Carlos Pace
São Paulo, Brazil
NASCAR Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup Series is the
world’s premier stock-car
racing competition. It involves
36 races over 10 months. As in

With engines roaring, race cars

F1, points awarded throughout
the series decide the winner.
provide a thrilling spectator sport as
they hurtle down the track, weave
through chicanes, and hug hairpin
bends. The highly tuned Formula 1
cars draw big crowds in many
countries. In the United States,
stock-car racing is more popular.

182 ORDINARY CAR TYRES HAVE A LIFE OF 16,000 KM (10,000 MILES),

 Culture

Michael Schumacher Ayrton Senna Lewis Hamilton

Nationality: German Nationality: Brazilian Nationality: British
Seven-time F1 World Champion Three-time F1 World Champion. Jointly tied with Shumacher
with 91 Grand Prix wins. He Fifth-most-successful driver of for the most World
suffered a severe skiing all time in terms of F1 race wins Championship titles, and
accident in 2013 and has been (41). Died in an accident at the holds the record outright
receiving treatment ever since. 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. for the most ever F1 wins.

A FORMULA 1
STEERING WHEEL COSTS
ABOUT $32,000
Hungaroring
Budapest, Hungary Sochi Autodrom
Sochi, Russia
Le Mans
The French town of Le Mans
Baku City Circuit hosts the world’s toughest
Baku, Azerbaijan
endurance race. Teams of three
Bahrain Shanghai drivers keep their sports cars
International Yas Marina International racing for 24 hours, grabbing
Circuit Circuit Circuit Suzuka Circuit what food and rest they can
Sakhir, Bahrain Abu Dhabi, UAE Shanghai, Suzuka City, between two-hour stints
China Japan
behind the wheel.

Jeddah Street
Circuit
Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia

Marina Bay Street Circuit

Marina Bay, Singapore

KEY
Location of major race
tracks worldwide
Formula 1 sites
for 2021 season
NASCAR sites
Albert Park
Melbourne,
Le Mans Australia

Formula 1 (F1)
In the annual F1 World Championship, ultra high-performance
“open-wheel” race cars compete in a series of Grand Prix races
worldwide. Cars finishing in the top-10 positions in each race win
points. At the season’s end, trophies are awarded for the driver
and manufacturer with the most points.

BUT FORMULA 1 TYRES LAST A MAXIMUM OF 200 KM (125 MILES). 183

 Intimidator 305
Leviathan Top Thrill Dragster Kings Dominion, Virginia
Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario Cedar Point, Ohio 90 mph (145 kph)
92 mph (148 kph) 120 mph (193 kph); 420 ft (128 m) high 305 ft (93 m) high
306 ft (93 m) high 2,800 ft (853 m) long 5,100ft (1,554 m) long
5,486 ft (1,672 m) long

Colossus
Thorpe Park,
England
45 mph (72 kph);
100 ft (30 m) high
Millennium Force 2,789 ft (850m) long
Cedar Point, Ohio
Superman: Escape 93 mph (150 kph)
from Krypton 310 ft (94 m) high
Six Flags Magic Mountain, 6,595 ft (2,010 m) long
4 5
California
100 mph (161 kph)
Vortex 5 3 2

415 ft (126 m) high

3 Carowinds, North Carolina Fury 325,
50 mph (80 kph) Carowinds, North Carolina
1,235 ft (376 m) long 2 1
90 ft (27m) high 95 mph (153 kph) 2
2,040 ft (622 m) long 325 ft (99 m) high
6,602 ft (2,012 m) long
Alpengeist
Busch Gardens, Apocalypse,
Florida 4= 4
Six Flags America,
67 mph (107 kph) Maryland
195 ft (59 m) high 55 mph (89 kph)
3,828 ft (1,148 m) 100 ft (30 m) high
long 2,900 ft (884 m) long
Red Force,
Ferrari Land, Spain
112 mph (180 kph)
367 ft (112 m) high
Kingda Ka 2,890 ft (880 m) long
Six Flags Great Adventure,
New Jersey
128 mph (206 kph) Ultimate
456 ft (139 m) high Lightwater Valley, UK
3,118 ft (950 m) long 50 mph (80 kph)
Montezum
Kingda Ka Hopi Hari, Brazil 107 ft (33 m) high
64 mph (103 kph) 7,442 ft (2,268 m) long
This ride goes from 139 ft (42 m) high
0-128 mph (206 kph) in 3,380 ft
3.5 seconds, catapulting (1,030 m) long Colossos
Heide-Park, Soltau,
riders as high as a Germany
45-story building. 75 mph (102 kph)
197 ft (60 m) high
4,409 ft (1,344 m) long

ROLLER COASTERS AROUND THE WORLD Tower of Terror

Numbers indicate ranking from 1-5. Gold Reef City,
South Africa
59 mph (95 kph)
112 ft (34 m) high
Fastest Highest Longest Unranked 328 ft (100 m) long

Roller coasters Highest steel

Kingda Ka, US
456 ft (139 m)
2nd highest
Top Thrill
Dragster, US
420ft (128m)

Most
Breakneck speeds, hair-raising twists and inversions: 14
Smiler, UK,
turns, stomach-churning drops—roller has a dizzying
14 inversions
coasters can satisfy even hardened thrill- Fastest
Formula Rossa,

seekers. This map shows some of the UAE; 150 mph

(241 kph)

world’s biggest and best coasters.

184 SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN PARK, AT VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA,

 Culture
Flying roller
coasters
These coasters—such as
Manta at SeaWorld in Florida
(right)—make you feel as though
you are flying. The cars run
on the underside of the track.
Riders start in a seated position,
but as the ride starts they are
rotated to face the ground.

Steel Dragon 2000

Nagashima Spa Land, Japan
Formula Rossa 95 mph (153 kph)
Ferrari World, UAE Do-Dodonpa 318 ft (97 m) high
150 mph (241 kph) Fuji-Q Highland, Japan 8,133 ft (2,437 m) long
171 ft (52 m) high 107 mph (172 kph); 171 ft (52 m) high;
6,791 ft (2,070 m) long 3,901 ft (1,189 m) long

Dinoconda
China Dinosaurs Park, China
80 mph (128 kph); 249 ft (76 m) high
3,471 ft (1,058 m) long
Ten Inversion
Roller Coaster
Chimelong Paradise, China
45 mph (72 kph); 100 ft (30 m)
1
high 2,789 ft (850 m) long
Fujiyama 1
Fuji-Q Highland, Japan 3 4=
81 mph (130 kph)
260 ft (70 m) high
6,709 ft (2,045 m) long

Takabisha
Fuji-Q Highland, Japan
4-D roller coasters
62 mph (100 kph) Fourth-dimension (4-D)
141 ft (43 m) high coasters, such as China’s
18 MPH 3,281 ft (1,000 m) long
Dinoconda, give theme parks
an extra level of thrills.
(29 KPH): SPEED OF THE The seats on a 4-D coaster
can rotate forward or
backward, so as the riders
WORLD’S OLDEST COASTER, hurtle along the track they
also spin in a full circle.
LEAP THE DIPS Eejanaika (below) is a 4-D
ride at Japan’s Fuji-Q
Highland theme park.
DC Rivals Hypercoaster
Warner Bros. Movie World,
Roller coaster records Queensland, Australia; 71.5
Opened in 1902, the world’s oldest Steepest drop mph (115 kph); 4,593 ft (1,400
TMNT Shellraiser, m) long; 202 ft (61.6 m) high
coaster is the wooden Leap-the-Dips, US 121.5 degrees
at Lakemont Park, Pennsylvania. Since
then, coasters have become taller,
longer, faster—and scarier! Today’s
coasters are usually made of steel.
Wood is less flexible than steel, so
wooden coasters tend to be less Highest
G-force
complex and extreme than steel ones. Tower of Terror,
South Africa
6.3G

HAS 19 ROLLER COASTERS—MORE THAN ANY OTHER THEME PARK. 185

 National flags
NORTH
NORTHAMERICA
AMERICA

CANADA
CANADA UNITED
UNITEDSTATES
STATESOFOFAMERICA
AMERICA MEXICO
MEXICO BELIZE
BELIZE COSTA
COSTARICA
RICA ELELSALVADOR
SALVADOR GUATEMALA
GUATEMALA HONDURAS
HONDURAS

SOUTH
SOUTHAMERICA
AMERICA

GRENADA
GRENADA HAITI
HAITI JAMAICA
JAMAICA STSTKITTS
KITTS& &NEVIS
NEVIS STSTLUCIA
LUCIA STST
VINCENT
VINCENT& &THE
THEGRENADINES
GRENADINES TRINIDAD
TRINIDAD& &TOBAGO
TOBAGO COLOMBIA
COLOMBIA

AFRICA
AFRICA

URUGUAY
URUGUAY CHILE
CHILE PARAGUAY
PARAGUAY ALGERIA
ALGERIA EGYPT
EGYPT LIBYA
LIBYA MOROCCO
MOROCCO TUNISIA
TUNISIA

LIBERIA
LIBERIA MALI
MALI MAURITANIA
MAURITANIA NIGER
NIGER NIGERIA
NIGERIA SENEGAL
SENEGAL SIERRA
SIERRALEONE
LEONE TOGO
TOGO

BURUNDI
BURUNDI DJIBOUTI
DJIBOUTI ERITREA
ERITREA ETHIOPIA
ETHIOPIA KENYA
KENYA RWANDA
RWANDA SOMALIA
SOMALIA SUDAN
SUDAN

NAMIBIA
NAMIBIA SOUTH
SOUTHAFRICA
AFRICA ESWATINI
ESWATINI ZAMBIA
ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE
ZIMBABWE COMOROS
COMOROS MADAGASCAR
MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS
MAURITIUS
(formerly
(formerlySWAZILAND)
SWAZILAND)

LUXEMBOURG
LUXEMBOURG NETHERLANDS
NETHERLANDS GERMANY
GERMANY FRANCE
FRANCE MONACO
MONACO ANDORRA
ANDORRA PORTUGAL
PORTUGAL SPAIN
SPAIN

POLAND
POLAND SLOVAKIA
SLOVAKIA ALBANIA
ALBANIA BOSNIA
BOSNIA& &HERZEGOVINA
HERZEGOVINA CROATIA
CROATIA KOSOVO
KOSOVO(disputed)
(disputed) NORTH
NORTHMACEDONIA
MACEDONIA MONTENEGRO
MONTENEGRO

ASIA
ASIA

LATVIA
LATVIA LITHUANIA
LITHUANIA CYPRUS
CYPRUS MALTA
MALTA RUSIA
RUSIA ARMENIA
ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN
AZERBAIJAN GEORGIA
GEORGIA TURKEY
TURKEY

QATAR
QATAR SAUDI
SAUDIARABIA
ARABIA UNITED
UNITEDARAB
ARABEMIRATES
EMIRATES YEMEN
YEMEN IRAN
IRAN KAZAKHSTAN
KAZAKHSTAN KYRGYZSTAN
KYRGYZSTAN TAJIKISTAN
TAJIKISTAN

CHINA
CHINA MONGOLIA
MONGOLIA NORTH
NORTHKOREA
KOREA SOUTHKOREA
SOUTH KOREA TAIWAN
TAIWAN JAPAN
JAPAN MYANMAR(BURMA)
MYANMAR (BURMA) CAMBODIA
CAMBODIA

AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALASIA&&OCEANIA
OCEANIA

SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE MALDIVES
MALDIVES AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA NEW
NEWZEALAND
ZEALAND PAPUA
PAPUANEW
NEWGUINEA
GUINEA FIJI
FIJI SOLOMON
SOLOMONISLANDS
ISLANDS VANUATU
VANUATU

186 A SOVEREIGN STATE IS A COUNTRY INDEPENDENT OF OTHER STATES, AND

 Culture

OF ALL THE FLAGS OF THE WORLD’S 195 SOVEREIGN STATES,

ONLY NEPAL’S HAS MORE THAN FOUR SIDES

NICARAGUA
NICARAGUA PANAMA
PANAMA ANTIGUA
ANTIGUA& &BARBUDA
BARBUDA THE
THEBAHAMAS
BAHAMAS BARBADOS
BARBADOS CUBA
CUBA DOMINICA
DOMINICA DOMINICAN
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
REPUBLIC

GUYANA
GUYANA SURINAME
SURINAME VENEZUELA
VENEZUELA BOLIVIA
BOLIVIA ECUADOR
ECUADOR PERU
PERU BRAZIL
BRAZIL ARGENTINA
ARGENTINA

BENIN
BENIN BURKINA
BURKINAFASO
FASO CAPE
CAPEVERDE
VERDE THE
THEGAMBIA
GAMBIA GHANA
GHANA GUINEA
GUINEA GUINEA–BISSAU
GUINEA–BISSAU IVORY
IVORYCOAST
COAST

CAMEROON
CAMEROON CENTRAL
CENTRALAFRICAN
AFRICANREPUBLIC
REPUBLIC CHAD
CHAD CONGO
CONGO DEM. REP.CONGO
DEM.REP. CONGO EQUATORIAL
EQUATORIALGUINEA
GUINEA GABON
GABON SÃO
SÃOTOMÉ
TOMÉ& &PRÍNCIPE
PRÍNCIPE

SOUTH
SOUTHSUDAN
SUDAN TANZANIA
TANZANIA UGANDA
UGANDA ANGOLA
ANGOLA BOTSWANA
BOTSWANA LESOTHO
LESOTHO MALAWI
MALAWI MOZAMBIQUE
MOZAMBIQUE

EUROPE
EUROPE

SEYCHELLES
SEYCHELLES DENMARK
DENMARK FINLAND
FINLAND ICELAND
ICELAND NORWAY
NORWAY SWEDEN
SWEDEN IRELAND
IRELAND UNITED
UNITEDKINGDOM
KINGDOM BELGIUM
BELGIUM

ITALY
ITALY SAN
SANMARINO
MARINO VATICAN
VATICANCITY
CITY AUSTRIA
AUSTRIA LIECHTENSTEIN
LIECHTENSTEIN SLOVENIA
SLOVENIA SWITZERLAND
SWITZERLAND CZECHIA
CZECHIA HUNGARY
HUNGARY

SERBIA
SERBIA BULGARIA
BULGARIA GREECE
GREECE MOLDOVA
MOLDOVA ROMANIA
ROMANIA UKRAINE
UKRAINE BELARUS
BELARUS ESTONIA
ESTONIA

IRAQ
IRAQ ISRAEL
ISRAEL JORDAN
JORDAN LEBANON
LEBANON SYRIA
SYRIA BAHRAIN
BAHRAIN KUWAIT
KUWAIT OMAN
OMAN

TURKMENISTAN
TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN
UZBEKISTAN AFGHANISTAN
AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN BANGLADESH
BANGLADESH BHUTAN
BHUTAN INDIA
INDIA NEPAL
NEPAL SRI
SRILANKA
LANKA

LAOS
LAOS PHILIPPINES
PHILIPPINES THAILAND
THAILAND VIETNAM
VIETNAM BRUNEI
BRUNEI INDONESIA
INDONESIA EAST
EASTTIMOR
TIMOR MALAYSIA
MALAYSIA

MARSHALL
MARSHALLISLANDS
ISLANDS MICRONESIA
MICRONESIA NAURU
NAURU PALAU
PALAU KIRIBATI
KIRIBATI TUVALU
TUVALU TONGA
TONGA SAMOA
SAMOA

WITH ITS OWN GOVERNMENT SYSTEM AND A PERMANENT POPULATION. 187

 Index
A Australopithecus 136–37 Burj Khalifa 112–13, 124, 125 coal 104–05, 106, 107
Abu-Simbel 143 Austria 101 Burundi 87 coffee 92–93
Abyssal plains 16 autobahns 115, 122 butterflies 60, 61, 69, 70 cold deserts 35
acid rain 99 Aztec Empire 135, 146, 148, 149 Byzantine Empire 135, 149 Colombia 15, 135, 156
Acropolis 143 colonialism 154–55
adaptations 42–43 Colosseum 135, 142–43
Afghanistan 83, 97, 142, 143, 155 B C Colossus of Rhodes 143
Africa 26, 78, 80, 86, 89, 90, 94, 155 Baikal, Lake 21 Cajamarca, Battle of 135, 152 Columbus, Christopher 146
age profile 80–81 Bali 165 California 32, 50, 66 Communism, collapse of 135, 157
agriculture 75, 92–93, 102 Bamiyan Buddhas 142, 143 calories, daily intake of 94–95 computer technology 114, 126–27
air pollution 98–99 Bangladesh 26, 27, 29, 77 Cairo 76 Concorde 134, 161
air travel 85, 116–17, 160–61 Barringer Crater 23 Cambodia 103 concrete 115
aircraft, military 130–31 Basawan 173 Cameroon 95, 166 Congo-Chambeshi 20
airports, busiest 116 basins, oceanic 16 Canada conservation 75, 110–11
Aksum stelae 142–43 Batavia 159 culture 177, 179, 180 Constantinople, Fall of 135, 153
Alaska 10, 14, 32, 40–41, 54 battlegrounds 152–53 land 22, 24 construction 115, 124–25
Aleutian Trench 9, 16 beaches 170–71 living world 44 continental crust 9
Alexander the Great 135, 141 bees 48, 60, 61 people 80, 88, 92, 94, 96, 98, 104, continental shelf 17
algae 64 beetles 60, 61 106, 107, 110 convection currents 7
Algeria 24 Beijing 76, 77, 116, 117, 151, 181 Canary Islands 66 convergent boundaries 8
alternative energy 74, 106–07 Belarus 32, 83 Cape Town 117 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 38
aluminum 100–01 Belgium 179 Caravaggio 173 coral/coral reefs 30, 42, 111
Amazon Rainforest 32, 64, 110 Bester, Willie 173 carbon dioxide 99, 108 Coral Sea, Battle of the 152, 153
Amazon, River 20, 21, 56 Bettencourt Meyers, Françoise 90 cargo 118–19 core, Earth’s 6, 7
American Civil War 135, 152 Bezos, Jeff 91 Carnival 176–77 cost of living 86–87
Amoco Cadiz 158–59 Bhola Cyclone 29 carnivorous plants 60–61 Costa Rica 130
Amur-Arqun 20, 21 Bhutan 83 Carthage, Siege of 153 COVID-19 85, 86, 134
ancient civilizations 140–43, 152–53 big wheels 170–71 Castle of Good Hope 151 craters 22–23
Andes 12, 24, 66–67 billionaires 90–91 castles 150–51 Crécy, Battle of 152
animals see wildlife biodiversity 64–65 Central African Republic 97 Cretaceous Period 44–45
Antarctica 7, 26–27, 34–35, 36–37, 55 biofuel, biogas, and biomass 106–07 Cerro el Cóndor 13 cricket 181
Antioch 11 bioluminescence 42 Chad 96 crocodiles 49, 58–59
ants 60 biomes 30–31, 67 Chagall, Marc 173 crops 92–3
apartheid, end of 135 biosphere 7, 74 Channel Tunnel 160–61 Crusades 134, 153
Arab Spring 134, 157 Bird Flu 85 channels, TV 178 crust, Earth’s 6, 7, 8–9
arachnids 48–49, 64 birds 42, 46–53, 68–71 chemical pollution 98–99 crustaceans 64
arapaimas 58 HMS Birkenhead 159 Chesapeake Bay 23 Cuba 66, 83, 94, 152, 156
architecture Bismarck 159 Chicago 116 culture 162–87
castles 150–51 Black Death 84, 85 Chicxulub 23 prehistoric 138–39
medieval 146–47 blue whales 54–55 Chile 10, 12, 13, 92, 145 currencies 89
modern era 160–61 bog bodies 144 Chimborazo, Mount 12 currents, ocean 18–19
tallest buildings 124–25 Bolivar, Simón 156 Chimu Empire 148, 149 cycling 181
Arctic 7, 31, 36, 64, 65, 74, 75 Bolivia 82, 86, 94, 135, 156 China cyclones 28–29
Arctic terns 52–53 boreal forests 30, 33 armed forces 131
Argentina 13, 44, 54, 86, 106, 178 Borneo 27, 33, 65 culture 167, 169, 173, 175, 177, 178,
USS Arizona 159 Borobudar, Java 147 179 D
armed forces 130–31, 152–53 boundaries, plate 8–9 history 134, 137, 142, 143, 151, 156 Dallas 116
art 164, 165, 172–75 boxing 181 land 11, 12, 25, 26 dance 164–65
prehistoric 135, 138–39 Brazil 10, 26, 54, 76, 92, 96, 103, living world 44–45, 67 Dangote, Aliko 91
Artemis, Temple of 143 106, 107, 130, 172, 176, 180, people 77, 81, 87, 89, 93, 95, 97, 99, Darfur 26
Ashoka, Emperor 152–53 181, 183 101, 105, 107 day and night 38
asteroid impact 10, 22 bridges 115, 120, 123, 135, 161 Chinese New Year 177 deep water currents 19
Atacama Desert 34 Britain, Battle of 152 Christianity 148, 168–69 deforestation 32–33
Atlanta 116 British Empire 135, 154–55 Chrysler Building 124 Delacroix, Eugène 172
atmosphere 6, 104, 108 broadband 127 cicadas 60, 61 Delhi 76, 77, 117
Australia Brooklyn Bridge 115 cities, biggest 76–77 Democratic Republic of Congo 106
culture 167, 173, 177, 179, 181 bubonic plague 84, 85 civilizations 134, 140–41, 148–49 Denmark 166, 179
land 22, 24, 27, 29, 33 Buddhism 168, 169 climate change 98, 108–09 deserts 4–5, 24, 31, 34–35
living world 45, 67 Burghausen 150 clothing 164 life in 42–43, 64
people 77, 83, 89, 92, 95, 103, 107 burial sites 135, 139, 144–45 clouds 6 nomads 78, 79

188
 Index
Dhaka 76, 77 flooded savanna 30 Greenland 24, 53, 80, 110 indigenous peoples 78–79, 111
dinosaurs 10, 22, 44–45 floods 26 ice sheet 34, 109 Indo-Pakistani War 134, 153
divergent boundaries 8 floral kingdoms 62 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) 39 Indochina War, First 134, 153
diving and snorkelling 70–71 flu viruses 84–85 Guatemala 14, 80, 95 Indonesia 14, 15, 89, 97, 99, 103, 107,
Diwali 165 food Guevara, Che 156 137
doctors, per capita 83 cookery 164 Guinea-Bissau 82, 97 Industrial Revolution 160
Dominican Republic 26 cost of 95 Gulf Stream 19 industrial waste/accidents 98–99
MV Doña Paz 159 intake 94–95 Gulf War 98 industrial wonders 160–61
dragonflies 60 production 92–93 Guyana 80, 103 inequality 86–87
drones, unmanned 130 supplies 82 gyres 18, 19, 100 infectious diseases 84–85
droughts 103 food chains 47 information technology 126–27
Dubai 112–13 football (soccer) 180–81 infrastructure 115, 120–23
dunes 35 footprint, human 74–75 H Iniki, Hurricane 28
footprints, dinosaur 45 habitats insects 48–51, 60–61, 64
Forbidden City, Beijing 151 and adaptations 42–43 International Date Line 38
E forests 30, 32–33, 110–11 destruction of 68–69 International Monetary Fund 89
Earnhardt, Dale Snr. 182 Formula 1 (F1) 182–83 unusual 66–67 International Space Station 129
Earth Fort Independence, Boston 151 Hagia Sofia 143 International Union for Conservation
interior of 6 fossil fuels 74, 104–05, 106, 107 Haiti 11, 26, 86, 102 (IUNC) 68
rotation of 7, 38 fossils 44–45, 136–37 Halincarnassus, Mausoleum at 143 Internet connections 126–27, 164
structure of 6–7 France 89, 92, 104, 106, 122, 130, 131, Hamilton, Lewis 183 Inuit 75, 78
earthquakes 8, 10–11 154–55, 172, 178, 179 Han Empire 135, 141 invasive species 50–51
East African Rift 8, 15 Frankfurt 116 Hanging Gardens of Babylon 143 invertebrates 64
East Melanesia 67 freeways 115, 122 Harvey, Hurricane 28 Iran 26, 131, 181
East Pacific Rise 9, 16 French Guiana 178 Hawaii 13, 14, 28, 38, 66 Iraq 25, 103
Easter Island 132–33, 174, 176 French Revolution 135 health 82–85, 98–99 Ireland 95, 179
Ecuador 12, 135, 156 freshwater creatures 56, 58–59 Himalayas 8, 13, 65, 109 Islam 148, 168, 169
education 96–97 Fukuoka 117 Himeji 151 Israel 25, 130, 131
Egypt 24, 53, 92, 130, 131 fungi 64 Hinduism 168, 169 Italy 89, 92, 106, 154–55, 173, 179
ancient 134, 135, 140, 143, 144–45 history 132–61, 174–75
El Salvador 106 HIV/AIDS 85
Emperor Seamounts 17 G Hokusai, Katsushika 173 J
Empire State Building 125 Gabon 100 Holi Festival 162–63 Japan
empires Gainsborough, Thomas 172 Holy Roman Empire 135, 149, 152 culture 169, 173, 177, 179
ancient 140–41 Galápagos Islands 50, 66 Homo genus 134, 136–37 history 145, 151, 154–55
colonial 154–55 Gandhi, Mahatma 156 Hong Kong 116, 117, 127 land 10, 15, 27, 29, 33
medieval 148–49 Gansu earthquake 11 Hong Kong Flu 85 people 77, 81, 83, 89, 92, 93, 99, 107
endemic hot spots 67 garbage patches 19, 100–01 Hoover Dam 161 Jeju 117
energy gas 104–05, 106, 107 Hopper, Edward 172 Jerusalem 153, 168
alternative 74, 106–07 Gates, Bill 90 Huari Empire 135, 148, 149 jewelry, first 135, 138
resources and consumption 74, gender differences 97 Hubble Space Telescope 129 Johannesburg 117, 181
104–05 Genghis Khan 134, 149, 175 humans Juanita the Ice Maiden 145
ENIAC 114 Georgia 83, 97 early 136–37 Judaism 168
Eritrea 95 geosynchronous orbit 128, 129 impact of 74–75 Jurassic Period 44
erosion 20 geothermal energy 106–07 hurricanes 28–29
Eswatini 82–83, 177 Germany 44, 89, 101, 106, 107, 115, hydroelectric energy 106–07
Ethiopia 67, 155 136, 151, 154–55, 178, 179, 180, 183 K
empire 148 Ghana 86, 88, 156, 178 K2 12
Europe, literacy in 96 ancient 148 I Kahlo, Frida 172
Everest, Mount 12, 13, 16 giant catfish 58–59 ice 7, 36–37 kakapo (owl parrot) 68–69
extinctions 10, 22, 50–51, 68, 69, 70–71 Gibraltar 53 ice sheets 36, 37, 108, 110 Kalinga, Battle of 152–53
glaciers 37, 108–09, 110 icebergs 37, 158 Kamchatka earthquake 10
global warming 98, 108–09 Iceland 14, 16, 77, 87, 106–07, 166 Kanem Empire 134, 149
F gold 88–89 Idai, Cyclone 29 Kangchenjunga 12
Falkland Islands 104, 178 GPS satellites 129 impact craters 22–23 Kathakali dancers 164–65
fashion 164 Graf Zeppelin airship 161 Inca Empire 148, 149 Katrina, Hurricane 28, 29
fault lines 9 grasslands 30, 35 income, per capita 86–87 Kazakhstan 103
festivals 162–63, 165, 176–77 Great Dying 10, 22 India Kenya 92, 95, 103, 107
Finland 177, 179 Great Game 155 armed forces 131 Khmer Empire 149
fish 46, 47 Great Lakes 20 culture 162–63, 164–65, 167, 173, Kiribati 38
dangerous 48–49 Great Sphinx 134, 174–75 177, 178, 181 Kolkata 77
river 58–59 Great Stupa of Sanchi 142 history 134, 142, 151, 152–53, 157 Korean War 134, 153
fishing industry 92, 93 Great Wall of China 135, 142, 143 land 12, 27, 39 Krak des Chevaliers 150
flags 186–87 great white sharks 48, 56–57 people 77, 81, 87, 89, 93, 95, 99, Krakatau 14, 15
flash floods 26 Great Zimbabwe 134, 148, 151 103, 107 Kuwait 25, 101, 103
fleas 50, 61 Greeks, ancient 142, 143, 153 Indian Ocean 10 Kyrgyzstan 103

189
 L mercury, toxic 99 Nkrumah, Kwame 156 Petronas Towers 124, 125
Lalibela 147 meteorites 22–23 nomads 78–79 Pharos of Alexandria 143
lakes 6, 20–21, 109 Mexico 24, 28, 54, 66, 76, 80, 98, 106, Norte Chico civilization 135 Philippines 14, 67, 77, 107, 144
land ice 36 142, 144, 172, 175, 176, 180 North Korea 131, 174, 181 Picasso, Pablo 172, 173
landfill 100, 101 Mexico City 76, 180 North Sea 104 Pinatubo, Mount 14
languages 164, 166–67 Mid-Atlantic Ridge 8, 14, 16 Norway 39, 87, 101, 102, 106, 107, plague 84–85
Large Hadron Collider 160 mid-ocean ridges 16–17 166, 172, 179 plants 6, 7, 62–63
Le Mans 183 Middle East, oil 105 Novarupta 14 adaptations 42–43
lead pollution 98–99 midges 60, 61 nuclear energy 106–07 biodiversity 64–65
Leaning Tower of Pisa 147 migration nuclear waste/accidents 98–99 biomes 30–31
Lempicka, Tamara de 173 animals 170–71 nuclear weapons 130–31 invasive species 50–51
Lenin, Vladimir 156 birds 52–53 Nuestra Señora de Atocha 159 unique 66–67
Lhotse 12 human 78–79, 164 plastic waste 100–01
Liberia 83, 86, 155 insects 60, 61 plate tectonics see tectonic plates
Liberty, Statue of 174–75 sharks 48, 49 O poison-dart frogs 48–49, 65
Libya 24 whales 55 Ob-Irtysh 20–21 Poland 32, 173, 174
lichens 64 military forces 130–31 obesity 94 polar regions 7, 36–37
Liechtenstein 130 minerals 74 ocean floor 6, 16–17 deserts 31, 35
life on Earth 6, 7, 40–71 mines, gold 88 oceanic crust 9 life in 43
life expectancy 82–83 Ming Dynasty 135, 149 oceans 7 pollution 75, 98–99, 104, 108
Lindow Man 144 Mississippi–Missouri 20, 26, 56 and climate change 108–09 Polynesia 66
literacy 96–97 mollusks 64 conservation 110–11 Pont-du-Gard 142, 143
literature 165 Monaco 82, 83 currents 18–19, 24–25 pop music 164, 180
livestock 92–93 monarch butterflies 60, 61 life in 42, 47, 48–49, 54–57 population
Llullaillaco 13 Monet, Claude 172 pollution 19, 98, 100–01 age profile 80–81
locusts 60 Mongol Empire 134, 149 oil distribution 76–77, 110–11
London 116 Mongolia 45, 77, 95, 175, 178 resources 104–05, 106, 109 and food supplies 93
Los Angeles 72–73, 116 monsoon 27 spills 98, 158–59 growth 74–75
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) 129 Morocco 80, 86 Olduvai Gorge 136 ports, busiest 119
RMS Lusitania 159 mosquitoes 60 Olmec civilization 135, 140, 141 Portugal 154, 181
Luxor 24 moths 60 Olympus Mons 12–13 pottery 139
motor racing 182–83 Oman 179 poverty 86–87
mountains 6, 12–13, 16–17, 122 Ortega Gaona, Amancio 91 predators 46–47
M Mozambique 83, 97 Osaka 76, 117 prehistory 136–39
Macedonian Empire 135, 141 Mughal Empire 135, 149 Ottoman Empire 149, 152–55 Prime Meridian 39
Machu Picchu 135, 146 Mumbai 76, 77, 117 Ötzi the Iceman 144 Prince William Sound 10
Madagascar 67, 97 mummies 144–45 Puffing Billy 115
Makalu 12 Munch, Edvard 172–73 pyramids 142–43, 146
Malawi 83 music 135, 138, 164, 165 P
Malaysia 81, 175, 179 Musk, Elon 91 Pacific Ring of Fire 14, 15
Mali 134, 148, 176 Myanmar (Burma) 175 paintings 139, 165, 172–73 R
malnutrition 94–95 Pakistan 12, 25, 92, 95, 131 radioactive waste 98–99
Malta 53 Palermo 145 railroads 114–15, 120–21, 160
mammals 46–51, 68–71 N Panama 53 rainfall 5, 6, 26–27
mangrove 30 Namib Desert 4–5, 34 Panama Canal 118, 160 rainforests 32–33, 43, 64, 65
Manila 77 Namibia 4–5, 77, 87 pandemics 84–85 Ramayana 164–65
mantle 6, 7 NASCAR sites 182 Papua New Guinea 33, 67, 81, 97, 167 rats 50
Mao Zedung 134, 156 national parks 110–11 Paraguay 166 recycling 74, 100–01, 103
Marble Bar 24 native species 50–51 Paraná 20 Red List (IUCN) 68
Marcus, Cyclone 29 natural resources 74, 102–05 Paranthropus 136–37 religion 168–69, 175, 176–77
Mariana Trench 17 Nauru 94 parasites 50 renewable energy 74, 106–07
marine animals 42, 48–49, 54–57 Neanderthals 136, 137 Paris 27, 116 reptiles 43, 46–51, 58–59
marine biomes 30 Nepal 12, 175, 187 passengers, air 116–17 Réunion 27, 29
Mars 12–13 Netherlands 89, 92, 101, 154–55, 179 passes, mountain 122 revolutions 152–53, 156–57
Martinique 15 Nevado de Incahusai 13 Patagonian Desert 34 rice production 93
Mauna Kea 13 Nevado del Ruiz 15 Patricia, Hurricane 28 Rio de Janeiro 26, 117, 176,
Mauritania 96, 102 Nevados Ojos de Salado 13 Pelée, Mont 15 180
Mauryan Empire 135, 141, 153 New Caledonia 67 peregrine falcons 46–47 Rio de la Plata 20
Mayan civilization 135, 140, 141, 146 New York City 76, 115, 174 Persian Empire, First 135, 141 rivers 6, 20–21
mayflies 60 New Zealand 27, 33, 55, 81, 93, 97, Persian Gulf 98 river monsters 58–59
median age 80–81 177 Peru 88, 92, 98, 102, 135, 142, 145, roads 115, 122–23
medical care 82, 83 nickel 99 152, 156, 166, 176 Rocky Mountains 12
medieval age 146–49, 152–53 Niger 83 Peru-Chile Trench 9, 16 roller coasters 184–85
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur 151 Nigeria 100, 104, 172 pesticides 98–99 Romania 178
Meirelles, Victor 172 night and day 38 pests 50–51 Romans 115, 135, 141, 153
Melbourne 117 Nile, River 20 Petra 143 rubbish 100–01

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Russia Spanish flu 84, 85 tropical forests 30, 33, 64, 65 wasps 60
armed forces 131 speedway 182 tsunamis 8 waste 100–01
culture 167, 173, 174, 175, 177 sperm whales 55 tundra 31, 35, 78, 110 water
history 135, 154–55, 156, 157 spiders 48–49 Tunisia 24, 176 clean 82, 102–03
land 10, 24, 25, 26, 39 sport 180–83 tunnels, longest rail 121 human consumption 102, 103
people 87, 89, 91, 92, 97, 99, 103, Sri Lanka 55, 67, 177 Turkey 11, 178, 181 pollution 98–99
105, 107 stadiums 164, 180–81 Turkmenistan 103 use of 75, 102
Ruwenzori Mountains 13 statues 174–75 Tutankhamun 144 water cycle 6
steam engines 115 Watson, Yannima Tommy 173
Stone Age 138–39 wealth 75, 86–91
S Stonehenge 142, 143 U weapons 130–31
safaris 170–71 streaming 179 Uganda 81 weather 6
Sahara Desert 34–35, 64, 110 submarines 130–31 Ukraine 98, 107, 174 weevils 64
St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome 147 Sudbury Basin 23 Umayyad Caliphate 135, 149 weight 94–95
salt 19 Suez Canal 119 United Arab Emirates 94, 112–13 Welwitschia 60–61
San Andreas Fault 9 sun, energy from 7 United Kingdom whales 40–41, 46, 47, 54–55
Santa Maria volcano 14 Sundaland 67 armed forces 130, 131 wheat 92
São Paulo 76, 117 superbugs 85 culture 172, 174–75, 176, 178, 179, wilderness 100–11
Sapporo 117 surface currents 18 180, 181 wildlife
satellites 128–29 Suriname 77, 103, 166 history 135, 152, 154–55 adaptations 42–43
Saudi Arabia 94, 105, 131 HMS Sussex 159 people 92, 94, 95 biodiversity 64–65
savanna 30 swarms 60–61 time zone 38 conservation 110–11
Schumacher, Michael 183 Sweden 24, 83, 87, 101, 107, 166, 179 United States deadly 48–49
Scramble for Africa 155 Swine Flu 85 armed forces 130, 131 deserts 34–35
sculpture 139, 165, 172, 174–75 Switzerland 89, 99, 100–01, 179 culture 166, 172, 176, 178–79, 180, endangered 66, 68–69
sea ice 36, 109 Sydney 117 182 extinct 44–45
sea levels 108–09 Sydney Opera House 135, 161 history 151, 152, 153, 158, 160 invasive species 50–51
sea transportation 118–19 Syria 151 land 23, 24, 26, 28, 38 marine 42, 48–49, 54–57
seamounts 16–17 living world 44–45 predators 46–47
secondary education 96 people 76, 80, 86, 88, 89, 91, 92, 94, unique 66–67
seismic waves 10 T 95, 96, 98, 99, 101, 102, 103, 104, see also specific types
semideserts 35 Taipei 101, 117, 124, 125 105, 106, 107 Wilhelm Gustloff 159
Senegal 26, 174 Tajikistan 103 Unzen, Mount 15 Willis Tower 124, 125
Senna, Ayrton 183 Tambora 14, 15 Uruguay 80 wind energy 74, 106–07
Seoul 117 Tangshan earthquake 11 USSR 157 Windsor Castle 151
Seven Wonders of the World 142–43 tanks, battle 130–31 Uzbekistan 103 Winston, Cyclone 29
Shaanxi earthquake 11 Tanzania 25, 136 world parties 177
Shanghai 76, 77, 117, 119 tea trade 92 World War I 134–35, 152, 153, 158
sharks 46, 47, 48, 56–57 tectonic plates 8–9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17 V World War II 134, 152, 153, 159
sheep 93 telecommunications 115, 126–27, 160 Valdivia earthquake 10 wrestling 181
Shinto 168, 169 television 178–79 Vanuatu 167
shipping routes 118–19 temperate biomes 30, 32 vegetation
shipwrecks 158–59 temperatures 24–25, 108–09 biomes 30–31 Y
shrubland 31 termites 60 deserts 34–35 Yangtze River 20, 21, 26
Sicily 53, 145 Terracotta Army 142, 143 forests 32–33 Yellow River 20, 21
sieges 153 Thailand 107, 181 wilderness 110–11 Yemen 97
Sikhism 168, 169 Thanksgiving 176–77 Velaro 114–15 Yenisei-Angara-Selenga 20, 21
Singapore 24 time zones 38–39 Venezuela 104, 106, 135, 156, 175 Yue Minjun 173
skyscrapers 112–13, 115, 124–25, Tip, Typhoon 29 venom
160 Tipas 13 animals 48–49, 65
slave trade 155 RMS Titanic 135, 159 plants 62–63 Z
snakes 43, 46–51 Tiwanaku Empire 148, 149 Verkhoyansk 24, 25 Zambia 99
snow 6, 26–27 Tohoku earthquake 10 vertebrates 64 Zeus, statue in Olympia 143
solar energy 74, 106–07 Tokyo 76, 77, 116, 117 Very Large Array 135, 160 Zhoukoudian Caves 137
Solomon Islands 101 Tonga 94 Victoria, Lake 21 Zhucheng 44, 45
Somalia 25, 97 tools, early 134, 138 Vienna, Battle of 135, 152 Zimbabwe 134, 148, 151
Somme, Battle of the 134–35, 152 tourism 170–71 Vietnam 87, 93, 134 Zuckerberg, Mark 91
Songhai Empire 149 towers, unsupported 125 viruses 84–85
South Africa 55, 67, 87, 89, 99, 136, trade 118–19 volcanoes 8, 13, 14–15
151, 173, 177, 178, 179, 181 trains 114–15, 120 Vredefort impact structure 23
South Korea 101, 131, 177, 181 transform boundaries 8
South Sudan 26, 83, 123, transportation 114–23 W
space debris 128–29 trenches, ocean 8, 9, 16–17 Wallacea 67
Space Shuttle 128 Triassic Period 44 warfare 130–31, 152–53
Spain 106, 107, 154, 166, 172, 176, Trinidad and Tobago 98, 104 Warhol, Andy 172
177, 180, 183 tropical cyclones 28–29 warships 130–31

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 Acknowledgments
Dorling Kindersley would like National Geographic Image Collection (bl). on the Australian National Wilderness (bl). Getty Images: AFP (cr). 156 Corbis:
to thank: Caitlin Doyle for proofreading, Dorling Kindersley: Courtesy of the Inventory (Lesslie, R. and Maslen, M. 1995. Bettmann (cb, cra). Getty Images: (c).
Helen Peters for indexing, Haisam Hussein, Weymouth Sea Life Centre (bc). National Wilderness Inventory Handbook. 157 Corbis: Bryan Denton (bl); Peter
Anders Kjellberg, Peter Minister, Martin 49 Dreamstime.com: Francesco Pacienza 2nd edn, Australian Heritage Commission. Turnley (cr). Getty Images: AFP (ca); (c);
Sanders, and Surya Sarangi for illustration, (tr). 53 Corbis: Roger Tidman (bc). Australian Government Publishing Service, (clb). 159 Dreamstime.com: (bc). 162–163
Deeksha Miglani and Surbhi N. Kapoor for 55 Corbis: Paul Souders (ca). 56 Corbis: Canberra) (base-map data). 112–113 Corbis: Floris Leeuwenberg. 164 Getty
research, and David Roberts for Minden Pictures / Mike Parry (cl); National Sebastian Opitz. 114–115 Dreamstime. Images: Redferns / Tabatha Fireman (c).
cartographic assistance. Geographic Society / Ben Horton (tc). com: Dmitry Mizintsev (c). 114 Corbis: (bc); Dreamstime.com: Constantin Sava (bl).
60 Dorling Kindersley: Courtesy of the Science Faction / Louie Psihoyos (br). 115 165 Alamy Images: Hemis (br). Corbis:
The publisher would like to thank the Natural History Museum, London (cra, c). Corbis: Bettmann (crb); Cameron Davidson Godong / Julian Kumar (tr). Dreamstime.
following for their kind permission to Getty Images: Visuals Unlimited, Inc. / Alex (br). Dorling Kindersley: Courtesy of The com: F9photos (cr); Teptong (crb). Getty
reproduce their photographs: Wild (cr). 61 Alamy Images: Premaphotos Science Museum, London (tc). Getty Images: Philippe Lissac (tc). 172 Alamy
(tl). Corbis: Visuals Unlimited / Robert & Images: Three Lions (bc). 116–117 Michael Images: GL Archive (tr); The Art Archive
(Key: a-above; b-below/bottom; c-center; Jean Pollock (tr). Getty Images: Mint Markieta: www.spatialanalysis.ca. (cb). Corbis: Bettmann (cl, cr); Oscar White
f-far; l-left; r-right; t-top) Images / Frans Lanting (tc). Photoshot: 118–119 Prof. Dr. Bernd Blasius: Journal (cla); The Gallery Collection (crb). Dorling
Gerald Cubitt (br). 62–63 Dreamstime.com: of the Royal Society Interface, The complex Kindersley: Philip Keith Private Collection /
2 Andy Biggs: www.andybiggs.com (tc). Jezper. 62 Alamy Images: Tim Gainey (bc); network of global cargo ship movements, Judith Miller (br). Getty Images: De Agostini
Corbis: Alaska Stock (tr). 3 Corbis: Floris John Glover (br). FLPA: Imagebroker / p1094, 2010 (base-map data). 122 Getty (cra, cra/Gainsborough); Stringer / Powell
Leeuwenberg (ftr); SOPA / Pietro Canali (tl). Ulrich Doering (cb). Getty Images: Shanna Images: Radius Images (bc). 126–127 (tc). 172–173 123RF.com. 173 Corbis: (cl,
Getty Images: Art Wolfe (tr). Sebastian Baker (clb); Alessandra Sarti (bl). Chris Harrison (base-map). 128–129 ESA. cr, cb); Contemporary African Art Collection
Opitz: (tc). 4–5 Andy Biggs: www. 64 Dorling Kindersley: Courtesy of Oxford 128 NASA: Columbia Accident Limited (clb). Getty Images: AFP (bc); (tl, tr);
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Lenars (cr). 24–25 Robert J. Hijmans: Red List of Threatened Species / www. the help of Alan Nelson, under the (cra). Dorling Kindersley: Rough Guides
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Jones and A. Jarvis, 2005. Very high Processing: Clinton Jenkins / DoD (br). 132–133 Getty Images: Art Wolfe. 176 Dorling Kindersley: Alex Robinson
resolution interpolated climate surfaces for SavingSpecies.org; Design & Render; Félix 134 Corbis: Radius Images (bl); Getty (br). 177 Corbis: Jose Fuste Raga (bc).
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Climatology 25: 1965–1978 (base-map 66 Dorling Kindersley: Rough Guides (cl). Srital On (cb). 135 Corbis: Sodapix / Bernd (background image). 179 Dreamstime.
data). 26–27 Robert J. Hijmans: Hijmans, 67 Corbis: Ocean (crb). Dorling Kindersley: Schuler (b). 136–137 Corbis: W. Cody. com: Mathayward (bl). 180 Alamy Images:
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interpolated climate surfaces for global Canali. 74–75 Getty Images: Doug Allan. Mousterian Tool). Dorling Kindersley: The 181 Corbis: Arcaid / John Gollings (br).
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data). 28–29 Adam Sparkes: Data of the Ch’ien Lee (tc); John Carnemolla (tr). 76–77 Getty Images: AFP (tc); De Agostini (tr). Vest (br). 182–183 Dreamstime.com:
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Sparkes. Base image: NASA Goddard Information Network (CIESIN): Columbia Getty Images: De Agostini (crb). 141 183 Getty Images: (tl, tc, cr, bc).
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Christian Williams (tc). 48 Alamy Images: the World 1993 version and methods based Pics / Keith Levit (cra). Dreamstime.com:

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