16 Geography Facts Americans Fail To Answer Correctly. Yes, Walking to Russia Is Possible
In the United States, you can stand in four states at once or travel to the hottest place on Earth. The Land of the Free is also home to the largest subtropical wilderness and the tallest mountain in North America.
The United States is a diverse country with many geographical landmarks and topographies. Even some lifelong Americans may not realize all there is to know about the country’s geography.
These 16 mind-boggling facts about American geography come from various government and educational sources. Use them to impress your friends at your next trivia night.
1: Alaska in Two Hemispheres
Many Americans correctly assume Alaska is the westernmost state in the country. But did you know it’s also the easternmost state?
That’s because the 180th meridian, which divides the eastern and western hemispheres, goes through the state’s Aleutian Islands. Amatignak Island is the westernmost spot in Alaska, while Pochnoi Point is the easternmost spot.
2: Tallest Mountain
Besides its presence in two hemispheres, Alaska boasts some other unique geographical facts. It’s home to Denali, the tallest mountain in the country and in North America. Denali stands 20,320 feet tall.
Alaska has over three dozen mountain ranges. Within those, The Last Frontier has 17 of the 20 highest mountains in the country.
3: Most Bordering States
Two states in the nation share the most borders with other states; Missouri and Tennessee each border eight other states.
Surrounding Missouri, bordering states include Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Kentucky. Tennessee borders Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Kentucky.
4: No Bordering States
Two states in the country share no borders with other states. These states are Hawaii and Alaska.
Among the contiguous 48 states, Maine is the only state that borders one other state. All other states share borders with at least two states.
5: Walkable to Russia
Many Americans view Russia as a faraway country, but it’s actually possible to walk to Russia from Alaska. There are two islands in the Bering Strait separately owned by the United States and Russia.
Only 2.5 miles of water separates the two islands, and it freezes during the colder winter months. When this happens, it’s possible to walk between them.
6: Largest State
Do you know what the largest state in America is? If you guessed Alaska, you’re correct. Alaska is 586,412 square miles in area, making it one-fifth the size of the contiguous 48 states.
It’s hard to overstate how big Alaska is. With all its islands, the state extends as far wide as the lower states. It’s also bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.
7: Smallest State
On the other end of the size spectrum, Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country. It’s only 1,214 square miles in area.
If you want to travel across the state, you can do it fairly easily. Rhode Island extends 48 miles from north to south and 37 miles from east to west.
8: Longest River
The longest river in the United States is the Missouri River, nicknamed the “Big Muddy” for the sediment it transports. The Missouri River begins in Montana and flows for over 2,300 miles before it converges with the Mississippi River in St. Louis.
Once the Big Muddy joins the Mississippi River, it becomes the fourth-longest river system in the world. The river continues to travel south to the Gulf of Mexico.
9: Shortest River
The shortest river in the United States can also be found in Montana. In fact, the Roe River is the shortest river in the world.
The Roe flows for only 201 feet. It’s located at Giant Springs State Park in Great Falls, Montana.
10: Triply Landlocked
Many states in the country are landlocked, meaning their borders don’t touch an ocean or other large body of water. Some states are doubly landlocked, so you’d have to travel through two other states to get to the ocean. But only one state is triply landlocked: Nebraska.
When you’re in Nebraska, you’d have to go through at least three states to get to the ocean. It’s also possible if you go through two states and a Canadian province.
11: Underground Lake
The largest underground lake in North America is located in Sweetwater, Tennessee. The Lost Sea is believed to be 800 feet long and 220 feet wide, but it may be larger. While divers have mapped the lake for years, they have yet to locate the end.
The Lost Sea is part of the Craighead Caverns. Many artifacts have been found in the caves, including fossils of a prehistoric jaguar estimated to be from 20,000 years ago.
12: Pennsylvania Mine Fire
There’s a town in Pennsylvania where an underground mine fire has burned for over 60 years. The Centralia Mine Fire sparked in the abandoned Buck Mountain Coal Bed mines in May 1962.
Reportedly, the fire occurred after a controlled trash fire spread to the nearby coal mines. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection warns the area around the Centralia Mine Fire is extremely dangerous.
13: Stand in Four States
If you travel to the Southwestern United States, you can stand in four states at once. At the Four Corners Monument, the borders of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico intersect.
At the site, there’s a monument with a disc that shows you where to stand to be in all four states at one time. The Navajo Parks and Recreation Department manages the monument.
14: Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes. It borders Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada.
The enormous lake is about 31,700 square miles in area and 483 feet in average depth. It holds so much water that there would be enough to cover North and South America with one foot of water.
15: Hottest Place on Earth
Death Valley in California holds the title of hottest place on Earth. It once reached 134 degrees, setting the record in 1913. In the summer, it’s common for temperatures to climb up to 120 degrees, with lows in the 90s.
Death Valley is also the driest location in North America. It gets less than two inches of rainfall annually.
16: Florida Everglades
The Everglades in Florida consist of 1.5 million acres across the southern portion of the Sunshine State. It’s the largest subtropical wilderness in North America.
Many threatened and endangered species make the Everglades their home. It’s also the only place in the world where American alligators and American crocodiles live together in the wild.
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