World Atlas Best of 2018
2018 has been an eventful year that has been full of activities and events such as the FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia, issues to do with climate change, and others. The same thing can be said for World Atlas and its publications. Below are some of the favorite articles of 2018.
10. Largest Stadiums
The largest stadium in the world is North Korea’s Rungrado May Stadium with a seating of about 114,000 people. The stadium was completed in 1989 and serves a number of purposes like athletic events and soccer games. The second largest is the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona and the home of Barcelona FC. With a seating of 99,354 people, this stadium is easily the biggest in Europe. Others include the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (94,736), the Rose Bowl Stadium in the US (92,542), and others.
9. Most Popular Sports
Unsurprisingly, soccer (or association football) is the most popular sport in the world with a fan base of a whopping four billion people. In other words, more than half of the global population enjoy and love football. Historically, the sport goes as far back the 2nd century although earlier civilizations are also suspected to have played soccer. Cricket and field hockey follow in the second and third positions with followings of 2.5 billion and two billion fans respectively. In the case of cricket, it is mostly popular in the UK and other Commonwealth states while field hockey is more popular in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
8. Countries Where Women Far Outnumber Men
This article looked at the 10 countries were women far outnumber men. In the number one position for this ranking is Latvia with the female population making up around 54.10% of the nation’s population. In 2015, the ration of men to women stood at 84.8:100. Things like careless car driving, suicide, smoking, and alcoholism can explain the reason for the lower number of men in the country. In addition, men were greatly reduced as they died en masse during World War II. Lithuania is also another country with the female population making up 54% of the nation’s population. The reasons are also similar to Latvia although there are others such as mental illnesses and a culture of high risk. Other countries include Curacao (53.90% are women), Ukraine (53.70%), and Armenia (53.60%).
7. Birthright Citizenship
Also known as "jus soli," birthright citizenship refers to the giving of a country’s citizenship to an infant born in that country. Countries that offer birthright citizenship include the United States, Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, El Salvador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In the case of the US, this practice can be attributed to the 14th Amendment. Other countries also have provisions in the law for the same. However, most countries have exceptions to this rule. For example, the US does not grant citizenship to children of enemies during war and foreign diplomats. The most common exception is the one to do with children of foreign diplomats.
6. Largest Eagles
The world's largest eagle is known as the Haast's Eagle, which is now extinct. A full-grown Haast's Eagle could weigh up to 40 pounds and it had a wingspan of up to 10 feet. Native to the southern regions of New Zealand, this eagle used its wings for maneuvering on the ground since it was flightless. Among the extant species, the Golden eagle is the largest with a weight of between 6.8 and 13.66 pounds. The wingspan is anywhere between 72.8 and 86.6 inches. The Golden eagle is the national bird of countries like Germany and Albania. Other large species include the Australian Wedge-Tailed Eagle, and the Martial Eagle.
5. 7 Wonders of the World
The 7 Wonders of the World include the Great Wall of China, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, and the Taj Mahal among others. The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is listed as an honorary candidate. It is known as the seven "new" wonders of the world to differentiate it from the wonders of the ancient world, natural world, medieval world, and modern world lists. The seven wonders were narrowed down from over 200 monuments and famous landmarks from around the world, with the top seven being selected by popular vote.
4. Leaders Throughout the Soviet Union
During its time, the Soviet Union was a global superpower that had the level of influence to shape the world itself. The article looks at the leaders throughout the history of the Soviet Union. The very first leader of the union after its formation was Vladimir Lenin who was in charge until 1924. Born in 1870 in Ulyanovsk, Lenin was part of a number of events like the Russian Revolution and the formation of the Community Party. The second leader was Joseph Stalin who ruled the longest among all the leaders from 1924 to 1953. One of Stalin’s achievements was the victory he enjoyed against Germany during World War II. The last leader was Gennady Yanayev who was in charge only in 1991.
3. Largest Airports
This article examines the world's largest airports. The largest is the King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Saudi Arabia with a span of about 77,600 hectares. Finished in 1999, the airport also features a royal terminal with an area of about 177,000 square feet. The second largest airport is the Denver International Airport with a much smaller area of 13,571 hectares. Others include the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (6,963 hectares) and the Orlando International Airport (5,383 hectares).
2. Biggest Cities in Africa
Based on population, Lagos, Nigeria is the largest city in Africa with a population of about 21 million people. If the city were a nation on its own, it would be the seventh largest in Africa. Other large cities in Africa are Cairo, Egypt (20.4 million), Kinshasa, DR Congo (13.3 million), and Luanda, Angola (6.5 million). Closing the top five is Nairobi, Kenya with 6.5 million people.
1. Is Turkey in Europe or Asia?
"Is Turkey in Europe or in Asia?" is a popular question. Luckily, WorldAtlas has the answer. Most of the country of Turkey (about 95%) is situated in Asia while the rest is in Europe. Based on geography, therefore, the country is in Asia. Politically, the situation is a bit complicated. For example, the nation has expressed a desire to join the European Union even though it is mostly in Asia. For this reason, the process of application has not been smooth. In addition, the country is a member of the UN and NATO.
