Explainers & Big Questions
What Is the Largest Desert in the World?
If you picture endless dunes when you hear “desert,” you’re only half right. Some deserts are white with ice, not yellow with sand. The key is dryness, not…
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Landforms & Water
Rivers, lakes, seas, coasts, mountains, valleys, deserts, and more—concise explainers and case studies with maps, cross-sections, and quick facts.
Explainers & Big Questions
Geographical Area: Definition, Types & Examples
When you read that a policy works “in your area,” what is that “area,” exactly? A neighborhood? A county? A river basin? In geography and data analysis, a…
Explainers & Big Questions
Where is the Lowest Point in the World?
The quest to identify the world's lowest points is a fascinating journey across diverse geographies. From the hypersaline waters of the Dead Sea to the mysterious depths of…
Explainers & Big Questions
Which Country Has the Most Volcanoes?
People ask this a lot—and get different answers. That’s because “most volcanoes” can mean (1) the most volcanoes known to have erupted in the last ~12,000 years (the…
Explainers & Big Questions
Caspian Sea: The Largest Lake in the World
The Caspian Sea sits between the Caucasus and Central Asia and touches Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. It behaves like a lake, is called a sea, and…
Explainers & Big Questions
Are the Caucasus Located in Europe or Asia?
The Caucasus sit between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, a rugged bridge where empires, languages, and tectonic plates meet. Stretching roughly 750 miles (1,200 kilometers), the…
Landforms & Water
Garni Gorge: Armenia’s Basalt Canyon
Just east of Yerevan, a river canyon slices through a 127,000-year-old lava flow and reveals an organ-pipe wall of stone. Locals call it the “Basalt Organ,” others the…
Landforms & Water
Lake Sev
Lake Sev (Armenian: Սև լիճ, romanized: Sev lich; Azerbaijani: Qaragöl; both meaning "black lake") is a lake situated on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The majority of…
Landforms & Water
Lake Parz
Lake Parz (Armenian: Պարզ լիճ, romanized: Parz lich, lit. 'Clear Lake') is a small, serene lake located in the Dilijan National Park, situated east of the town of…
Landforms & Water
Lake Kari
Lake Kari (Armenian: Քարի լիճ, K’ari lich, literally “Stone Lake”) sits high on the southern slopes of Mount Aragats in Armenia, a compact alpine lake framed by moraines…