Fast Facts – Europe
May 10th, 2011
Continent name: Europe
Story behind the name: It is widely believed that Europe is named after “Europa”, the Phoenician princess from Greek mythology.
Area: Europe has a land area of 10,181,000 square kilometers or 3,837,000 square miles.
Population: Upwards of 731,000,000, according to 2009 estimates.
Center of Europe: The location of the geographical center of Europe is widely contested, with over 10 cities/villages vying for this honor. Each claimant is right, as far as their methodology of marking the hypothetical center of Europe is ....Read More →
Fast Facts – Asia
May 23rd, 2011
Continent name: Asia
Story behind the name: The word Asia originated from the Ancient Greek word Ασία, first attributed to Herodotus (about 440 BC) in reference to Anatolia, or for the purposes of describing the Persian Wars, to the Persian Empire, in contrast to Greece and Egypt.
originally referred to the east bank of the Aegean Sea, an area known to the Hittites as Assuwa
could have originated from the Aegean root Asis which means "muddy and silty"
derived from the borrowed Semitic root ....Read More →
Fast Facts – South America
May 24th, 2011
Continent name: South America
Story behind the name: German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller named the new continent after the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci’s first name.
An alternative theory was proposed that the name America is derived from Richard Amerike, a merchant from Bristol, England, who is believed to have financed John Cabot's voyage of discovery to Newfoundland in 1497.
New World is one of the names used specifically for America and the region south of America was then called South America. The term originated ....Read More →
Fast Facts – North America
May 25th, 2011
Continent name: North America
Story behind the name: North and South America were named after the Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. First, “America” referred to what is now called South America, but the name soon spread to include North America.
Area: 24,709,000 square kilometers or 9,540,000 square miles
Population: Approximately 528,270,588
Location and Geography: North America is located in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North and South America sometimes are considered subcontinents, with “America” as a single continent.
Four main geographic regions divide the continent:
West - ....Read More →
Fast Facts – Australia/Oceania
May 26th, 2011
Continent name: Australia or Oceania
Story behind the name: Australia comes from the Latin australis, meaning “southern.” Romans used the term Terra Australis Incognita, meaning “unknown land of the South” before they actually knew of the continent. When the continent was discovered, people began referring to the land as Terra Australis.
In 1824, “Australia” became the official name of the continent.
Area: 8,536,716 square kilometers, or 3,296,044 square miles
Population: Approximately 36,711,190
Location and Geography: Australia is located in the southern hemisphere, and is the ....Read More →
Fast Facts – Antarctica
May 31st, 2011
Continent name: Antarctica
Story behind the name: The name is derived from the Greek word antarktiké, meaning “opposite to the Arctic (north).”
Area: 14 million square kilometers, or 5,400,000 square miles
Population: 0 - There are no permanent human residents, nor indigenous inhabitants, but 1,000-5,000 researchers reside at research stations across the continent throughout the year.
Location and Geography: Antarctica is located south of the Antarctic Circle (covering the South Pole) in the Southern Ocean.
The continent boasts the highest average elevation of all continents, ....Read More →
Fast Facts – The United States
June 1st, 2011
Who is the President of the United States of America?
Barack Obama
Who is the Vice President of the United States?
Joe Biden
How many states make up the United States?
50
How old is the United States?
The United States declared independence on July 4, 1776, which will make it 236 years old.
Who did the United States fight for independence in the Revolutionary War?
Great Britain
What were the original 13 British Colonies?
Delaware
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Georgia
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Maryland
South Carolina
New Hampshire
Virginia
New York
North Carolina
Rhode Island
Who was the first U.S. President?
George Washington
Who fought in ....Read More →
Fast Facts – Canada
June 1st, 2011
What type of government does Canada have?
A parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy
Who is the head of state in Canada?
Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor General David Lloyd Johnston
Who is the head of government in Canada?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
How many provinces does Canada have?
Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories.
Provinces:
Ontario
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Manitoba
British Columbia
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan
Alberta
Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories:
Northwest Territories
Yukon
Nunavut
What is the capital of Canada?
Ottawa, Ontario
When is Canada's national day?
Canada Day, on July 1, 1867, celebrates the day Canada was ....Read More →
Fast Facts – Mexico
June 2nd, 2011
What is the complete name of Mexico?
United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos in Spanish)
What is the capital of Mexico?
Mexico City
What is the official language of Mexico?
Spanish
What type of government does Mexico have?
Federal republic
Who is the president of Mexico?
Felipe Calderón
When did Mexico declare independence?
September 16, 1810, but Mexico's independence was not recognized by Spain until almost eleven years later, on August 24, 1821 with the Treaty of Córdoba
What country had settled Mexico before independence?
Spain
How big is Mexico?
1,964,375 square kilometers, or 1,220,606 ....Read More →
Fast Facts – Brazil
June 3rd, 2011
What is the complete name of Brazil?
Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese)
What is the capital of Brazil?
Brasilia
What is the official language of Brazil?
Portuguese is the official and most widely spoken language
What type of government does Brazil have?
Federal republic
Who is the president of Brazil?
Dilma Rousseff (Chief of state and head of government)
Who is the vice president of Brazil?
Michel Temer
Where is Brazil located?
Eastern South America
When did Portuguese explorers first claim Brazil?
Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral set sail ....Read More →
