Planetary Extremes

Where is the world's hottest place? Death Valley National Park  .... The highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134 degrees Fahrenheit, at Death Valley National Park on July 10, 1913. Where is the world's coldest place? East Antarctic Plateau ... On the high ridge of the East Antarctic Plateau, the temperature can drop to as low as -135.8 degrees Fahrenheit, which was recorded in August, 2010. Where is the world's most populated city? Shanghai  ... At a whopping 24,150,000 permanent inhabitants, Shanghai is the only city that is home to over 24 million people in one city.     Where is the world's least populated city?  Vatican City ... With a population of 842, the city-state of Vatican City is the smallest city and state in the world. Where is the world's wealthiest city? Tokyo, Japan .. That tower might as well be made of gold since Tokyo tops the charts with a GDP of $1,520 billion, beating New York City by a mere $310 billion. Where is the world's poorest city in the poorest country? Kinshasa, Congo .... it is the poorest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is also the poorest country in the world, at a GDP of $55 billion. Many of its residents live on less $1 a day. What is the highest point in the world? (this one is easy) Mount Everest ... Towering 29,029 feet in the air, the top of Mount Everest is the closest you can get to touching outer space while still standing on Earth. Where is the lowest point in the world? The Challenger Deep Trench It is the lowest known natural point in the world at 35,797 ft below sea level at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Only three people have ever made it to the bottom in a submersible,  one of whom was filmmaker James Cameron.     What is the most photographed place  in the U.S.? Surprise:  the Guggenheim building in New York... Photos have always told stories, but in today's world of cell phone cameras and social media, that story is relayed as data to companies who monitor everything we do. Geotagged data was culled by Sightsmap using a Google-based image sharing software, and can show us the most photographed places in the world, right down to this landmark. The strange winner is this building in New York City. Where is the wettest spot on Earth?   Mawsynram, India... In this city in India, it rains an average of 467.35 inches per year, and has a record of 1000 inches in 1985...much more than any rain forest! Where is the driest spot on Earth?   The Atacama Desert ... The 600 miles of South America's Atacama desert is recorded as the driest place on Earth. This desert has an average of only 4 inches of rain every hundred years. Incredible, but true. What city claims to be the sunniest place in the U.S.? Yuma, Arizona ... In t his city in Arizona, the sun shines for an average of 11 hours a day. The usual forecast is sun for 90 percent of the year, averaging a total of 4015 daylight hours each year.     Where is the most expensive city to live in? Singapore... This city has recently beat out Tokyo, Japan, for the title of "most expensive city" for 2014. Cars can cost between 4-6 times as much in Singapore from what they cost in the US or UK (for example, a Toyota Prius actually costs about $150,000.00 there). Where is the least expensive city to live in? Mumbai, India ... At the other end of the spectrum, Mumbai, India, is the cheapest place to live in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Index, 2014. For some comparison, a loaf of bread that would cost $3.36 in Singapore, would only cost $0.91 in Mumbai.  A lot of poverty brings the cost of living down. What country consumes the most food per capita? The overweight United States ... We eat an average of 3,770 calories a day each. America, the obese. Where is the world's oldest city? Damascus ... There's quite a bit of controversy over which city gets to officially claim the title of "oldest continuously inhabited city. However, Damascus is the safest bet, with evidence of civilization that extends back over 11,000 years. Which is the youngest country in the world? South Sudan ... The people of South Sudan were formally recognized as an independent country in 2011, making it the youngest country in the world to-date.     Which is the world's most visited city? London ... After a several years of competition with Bangkok, London has regained its place as the world's most visited city (according to MasterCard's 2014 Global Destinations City Index). The city sees about 18.69 million international visitors annually, generating $19.3 billion in revenue for their city. What is the world's least popular country? Iran ...   On that same rating scale, Iran has come in dead last (at a 79% negativity rating) for many years. Only 15% of people polled viewed Iran in a positive light. Where is the world's most dangerous city to live in? San Pedro, Honduras  ... This city averages over three murders a day. The violence stems from the city's role as a major hub for illegal drug and arms trafficking. Which country consumes the most caffeine in the world? Sweden  ... The strong coffee in Sweden will put a spring in your step, and hair on your tongue. The Swedes consume an average of 388 mg of caffeine in coffee per person, per day (that's almost 5 Red Bulls in the U.S.). Which country in the world drinks the most alcohol? Belarus... In the little country of Belarus, each person above the age of 16 drinks an average of 4.62 gallons of alcohol every year. That's a lot of booze.     Which country is the most bicycle friendly in the world? The Netherlands …  By comparing cities using the average number of bicycle trips made daily, one city reigns supreme: Groningen in the Netherlands.  About 50 percent of the population commute via bike daily, making it the city with the greatest proportion of cyclists. However, many other cities in the Netherlands have a great bicycling tradition.     Where is the world's most energy efficient city? Reykjavik, Iceland ... All of the energy and heat used by the citizens of Reykjavik, Iceland come from geothermal plants and renewable hydropower making it the most sustainable and energy efficient city in the world. This city has also been replacing traditional buses with hydrogen-fueled buses, from which the only emissions are water. Which country has the longest life expectancy in the world? Monaco ... According to the World Health Organization's study from 2013, Monaco tops the charts for longest living citizens with an average life expectancy of 87.2 years. Men in Monaco live an average 85.3 years, and women live longer to an average of 89 years. Which country has the shortest life expectancy? Sierra Leone