Damascus, the capital of Syria, is widely believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back at least 11,000 years. Its location and persistence have made the city a nexus for civilizations come and gone. Today its metropolitan area is home to about 2.5 million people, and in 2008 it was named the Arab Capital of Culture.

There are about 169 volcanoes in the United States that scientists consider active. Most of these (about 130) are located in Alaska, where eruptions occur virtually every year.

Australia is one of the oldest continents, and because of the effects of 250 million years of erosion it has become the flattest land mass on earth.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies 80% of the Arabian Peninsula.

If long walks on the beach are your thing, Canada's the place to be. The country's 243,000 km of coastline are the longest in the world. At a pace of about 20 km each day, the stroll would take 33 years. The shores of 52,455 islands are a big part of what makes the coastline so long.

Mount Napier is one of the youngest volcanoes in Australia.

Kangaroo Island is one of Australia's biggest tourist attractions. Located 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Adelaide, it is the second largest of the southern Australian system of islands after Tasmania. Tens of thousands of people visit Kangaroo Island each year, drawn by its natural wonders, beaches, conservation parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The island is also known for its fine wines.

Antarctica is located at 90° S Longitude 0.00° E. Not considered a continent until 1840, Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on earth. On average, winter temperatures range from -40° to -94°F, and it is not uncommon for winds to be clocked at 200 miles per hour. If you're going for a visit, you might want to bring your parka!

Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. It is so large, in fact, that it borders every South American country except for Ecuador and Chile. Brazil covers nearly half of South America and is larger in area than the continental United States of America.

At 8,850 meters (29,035 ft), Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. In Nepali, Everest is called Sagarmatha or "Forehead of the Sky" and in Tibetan it is known as Qomolangma or "Mother of the Universe". In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return to tell about it. However, 29 years earlier, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, two British climbers, had set out to accomplish the same feat. Although they died at some point on their journey, Noel Odell, the expedition's geologist, witnessed the duo climbing not far from the summit at 12:50 pm on June 8, 1924. In 1999, Mallory's body was discovered just below the Second Step. The general consensus among climbers has been that the pair never reached the summit, and there is no evidence of either man above the Second Step, but if Mallory made it that far he likely summited as there are no technically difficult climbs beyond that point. Interestingly, although Mount Everest is the hightest mountain in the world as measured from sea level, the dormant volcano Mauna Kea on the Big Island in Hawaii could be considered to own that distinction. If measured from its base in the Hawaiian Trough 3,280 fathoms below the surface of the ocean, Mauna Kea's summit could be considered to be 33,476 feet, beating Mount Everest by 4,441 feet!