Geography Guides
Ranked tours through world geography — the biggest, smallest, deepest, and most populous, each built from the data on every entry.
The Most Populous Countries in the World
The world's nations, ranked by population.
The Largest Countries by Area
The world's biggest nations, by total area.
The Smallest Countries in the World
The world's tiniest sovereign states, by area.
Countries That Changed Their Names
From Ceylon and Siam to Zaire and Swaziland — the world's renamed nations.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The original bucket list — and why only one of them still stands.
The New Seven Wonders of the World
The seven monuments chosen in the 2007 global New7Wonders vote.
The Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Canyons, reefs, falls, a volcano, a harbor, and the roof of the world.
The Great Holy Sites of the World
Where the world's faiths go on pilgrimage.
The World's Strangest Borders
Enclaves, exclaves, a runway, an island that changes hands, and land no one wants.
The World's Maritime Chokepoints
The straits and canals that world trade cannot route around.
The Extreme Points of the Earth
The remotest, deepest, coldest, wettest, and farthest-out places on the planet.
The Great Shipping and Trade Routes
From the Silk Road to the Northern Sea Route — the paths the world's goods travel.
The World's Active Conflict Zones
Where wars and insurgencies are being fought, as of October 2026.
The World's Most Dangerous Faults and Volcanoes
Supervolcanoes, plate boundaries, and the faults that threaten millions.
The Great Earthquakes in History
The quakes that killed the most, shook the hardest, or changed how we build.
Cities That Changed Their Names
Bombay, Peking, Saigon, Leningrad, Constantinople — and what they are called now.
The Most Populous Cities in the World
The great urban centers, by metro population.
The Largest Continents
Earth's continents, ranked by area.
The Largest Regions in the World
Sub-Saharan Africa to the Balkans, ranked by area.
The Largest Physical Regions on Earth
Basins, belts, steppes, and peninsulas, by area.
The Highest Mountains in the World
The planet's loftiest peaks, by elevation.
The Longest Mountain Ranges in the World
The great mountain chains, by length.
The Highest Volcanoes in the World
The tallest volcanoes, by summit elevation.
The Largest Deserts in the World
The great arid expanses, by area.
The Largest Islands in the World
The biggest islands, by land area.
The Longest Rivers in the World
The world's great rivers, by length.
The Largest Lakes in the World
The world's largest lakes, by surface area.
The Deepest Lakes in the World
The world's deepest lakes, by maximum depth.
The Largest Seas and Gulfs in the World
The world's seas and gulfs, by area.
The Deepest Oceans
Earth's oceans, ranked by maximum depth.
The Highest Waterfalls in the World
The world's tallest waterfalls, by height.