Daytona Beach Real Estate Blog: Interesting World Geography Facts (Part 2). Some Extra Fun on Lisa Hill's Real Estate Blog

This is Lisa Hill's real estate blog, for buyers and sellers of real estate in the Daytona Beach/Port Orange/Ponce Inlet Florida areas. But today we're going to venture out of our little corner of the world, and take a look at some fun geography facts. I think these are pretty fascinating, and I hope you enjoy them too =)

For Part 1 of this series, go to Interesting World Geography Facts (Part 1). Some Extra Fun on Lisa Hill's Real Estate Blog.

Now for World Geography part 2...

• New York City was termed "The Big Apple" by touring jazz musicians in the 1930s who used the slang term "apple" for any town or city where they were playing. But to play New York City was to play the Big Time... "The Big Apple".

• The real name for Los Angeles is actually El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciumcula. By shortening all of this to L.A., it becomes only 3.63% of the true size of it's full name!

• The oldest city in existence anywhere, is Damascus, Syria, which was flourishing about 2000 years before Rome was founded in 753 B.C.

• Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world that is actually located on TWO continents!

• The Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, has a depth of about 40,226 feet or 7.62 miles (12.261 meters). The hole was dug for scientific research, and turned some very unexpected discoveries, one of which was a giant hydrogen deposit. The hydrogen deposit was so massive that the mud in the hole was "boiling" from it! This hole is officially the deepest hole ever drill by man.

• In the U.S., your chances of finding an unpaved road is 1%. In Canada, your chances of finding an unpaved road is 75%! (Wonder why? Just take a look at a globe!)

• Pitcairn Island in Polynesia, at just 1.75 square miles (4.53 sq km) is the smallest island in the world that is also a country. (I found this one especially cool)

• There is a city called Rome on every continent. Rome, Italy was the 1st city to reach a population of 1 million people, in 133 B.C.

• Antactica is the driest place on Earth. (refer to part 1 for additional Antarctic facts) The valleys of the Antarctic, near Ross Island have seen no rainfall for 2 million years! (Whoa!)

• Irony to follow the Anarctic facts... Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests. (????)

• Spain means "the land of rabbits" (LOL)

• There is a town name Tidikelt in Algeria, in the Sahara Desert, that received no rainfall for an entire decade.

• The smallest sovereign entity in the world has a population of 80... 20 less than the Vatican. It also has 2 tennis courts. (Things that make you go "hmmm?") It's the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.), located in Rome, Italy. This small entity is a sovereign entity under international law, just like the Vatican.

• The U.S., Eisenhower Interstate System requires that 1 in every 5 miles must be straight so they can be used as airstrips in times of war, or in case of emergency.

• In Venezuela, the water of Angel Falls drops 3.212 feet (979 meters)... it's 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.