Wiekes weetjes: 10 facts about topography that will amaze you
In the past, geography was my favorite subject in elementary school. The map of the Netherlands and all the different provinces hung in the hallway, so when you practiced geography, you could practice with a friend and a pointer in the hallway. In other words: causing trouble and clowning around in front of other classes. Ah, good times.
If only I had paid a bit more attention back then, because otherwise I might have had one of these facts in my head long ago. For each of these ten, I really had to consult Google to see if I wasn't just reading an article from The Onion or De Speld. But no: these geography facts are just 100 percent true. Bizarre, right?
1. Of all the American states, Maine is the closest to Africa
Just to be clear: this is Maine. 
How can that little state be the closest to Africa? Well, because the world is round and the flat world map gives a distorted view. Just look here.
Credits: Maps of World
2. Detroit is located in the north of Canada, which is above the United States
If you are in downtown Detroit and drive down, you end up in Canada. Sounds very strange, right? But it's true.
Credits: Buzzfeed
3. Greenland is further south, north, east, and west than Iceland
Excuse me? I didn't know that Greenland extends further than Iceland. I am always amazed at how big Greenland actually is. I secretly really want to go there because I think it's beautiful. But you have to take quite a few weeks off.
Credits: Maps on the web
4. Russia could almost fit twice into the continent of Africa
We are just lied to our whole lives; that world map we know is not really proportional. Russia seems so gi-gantic that it is as big as the entire continent of Africa. That is simply not true: Africa is almost twice as large.
Credits: CNN
5. The entire United States is further south than the Netherlands
In fact, the northernmost point of the United States is even below Belgium. I totally didn't realize that; I thought New York was much further north than Amsterdam.
Credits: Reddit
6. Palm trees grow in Ireland at 53 degrees north latitude.
In Canada, at 55 degrees north latitude, polar bears live. The earth is strange.
7. Australia is wider than the moon
Wait, what? In my perception, the moon is really very big. I have never been to Australia, but I didn't necessarily think it would be wider than that big light ball we see at night.
Credits: Daily Mail
8. The distance between New Zealand and Australia is about the same as between the Netherlands and Libya
So funny that when people travel to Australia, they often also go to New Zealand ‘because you're in the neighborhood.’ How often do we think like that about a trip to Libya? Exactly never, right?
9. Point Nemo is the point on earth that is farthest from humanity
The closest people are not even on earth, but in the ISS space station. Mind. Blown.
10. Antarctica has the largest desert in the world
A desert doesn't have to be very hot, but mainly very dry, and Antarctica has only an average of 51 millimeters of precipitation per year, thus beating the Sahara, where 76 millimeters falls on average per year.
PS. Yeah, I know: many of these facts were also geographical facts, but still.
