Updated October 20, 2021 6.6k votes 1.6k voters 84.1k views
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Vote up the facts about European geography that made you feel a little shook.
Geographers argue whether the Earth has seven continents - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America - or just six. Those in the latter camp say Europe and Asia make up one continent (Eurasia) because they are one large landmass. The word "continent," after all, comes from the Latin word "continere" ("to hold together").
That argument might never be resolved, but in the meantime, Europe is home to other geography facts that might surprise you.
The flight - on an eight-seater Britten Norman Islander - goes from Westray to Papa Westray, two remote islands on Scotland's northeast coast. Teachers, doctors, police officers, and school pupils are common passengers. Officially, the flight is scheduled at 90 seconds; Guinness says it's two minutes if taxiing on the runway is included.
Declared a nature reserve in the '70s, Bouvet is located around 1,100 miles north of Antarctica, and the closest inhabited island is about 1,200 miles away. No one lives on the island, although it does have an unstaffed weather station.
New York's Central Park covers 843 acres, or about 1.3 square miles, which means it is bigger than Monaco, the second-smallest country in the world, which covers 499 acres, or 0.8 square miles.
In 1659, France and Spain ended the Franco-Spanish War by signing the Treaty of the Pyrenees on neutral territory: Pheasant Island, a tiny piece of land on the River Bidasoa, which divides the two countries.
As part of the agreement, France and Spain now share custody of Pheasant Island (aka Île des Faisans in French and Isla de Los Faisanes in Spanish), which is about 656 feet long and 131 feet wide.
From February 1 through July 31, it's under Spanish rule. From August 1 through January 31, it's under French rule. This joint sovereignty arrangement is called a "condominium."
If a country is landlocked, it's completely surrounded by land without any access to an ocean or sea, and to reach a coastline, at least one national border must be crossed. A country that is double landlocked is not only landlocked itself, but also is surrounded by other landlocked countries, and anyone from there who wants to reach an ocean or sea must cross at least two national borders.
Only two countries in the world are double landlocked: Liechtenstein, which is surrounded by Switzerland and Austria; and Uzbekistan, surrounded by Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Liechtenstein, a tiny country with an area of 62 square miles, has a population of 39,000.
The United Kingdom may have left the EU, but geographically it's still part of Europe. And London, one of the busiest cities in the world, boasts some impressive travel numbers - or rather, the London Underground metro does.
Every week, the London Underground's escalators travel the distance it would take to go twice around the world. And every year, the London Underground's trains travel the equivalent of 1,735 times the length around the world (or 90 round trips to the moon).
