The city of Pekin in Illinois was misnamed due to the misconception that it was located on the opposite side of the world from Beijing, China. In reality, it is situated across from the Indian Ocean.
Geography
France has two islands east of Canada…
France has two islands east of Canada, just off the coast of Newfoundland called Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Therefore, you can fly from Canada to France in an hour.
St. Pierre and Miquelon is a territorial collectivity…
St. Pierre and Miquelon is a territorial collectivity of France only 16 miles from Canada where the locals speak French, use the Euro and have French citizenship.
The Carribean nation of St. Lucia…
The Carribean nation of St. Lucia is the only country to be named after a woman. It was named after St. Lucy of Syracuse when French sailors landed on the island on St. Lucy’s day in 1502.
There’s two islands (Big Diomede…
There’s two islands (Big Diomede & Little Diomede) in the Bering Strait which are only 2.4 mi (3.8 km) apart but separated by the International Date Line, causing a 21 hour time difference. They were nicknamed Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Island. The big island is Russian and the little island is American.
New Zealand is not part of of any…
New Zealand is not part of of any of the world’s seven recognized continents, and is in fact situated upon the submerged continent of Zealandia.
In 1921 a Danish geologist discovered…
In 1921 a Danish geologist discovered a tiny island on the northern coast of Greenland and named it “Kaffeklubben Island” after an informal academic club held at the Copenhagen Mineralogical Museum. He didn’t know that he had just named the northernmost point of land on Earth after a coffee club.
There is a fictional island…
There is a fictional island in the South Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa called ‘Null Island’. Although it doesn’t exist in reality, it serves as an error trap for map systems. Map enthusiasts have given the island its own history, geography and even flag.
In 2013, a Polish captain ran his cargo…
In 2013, a Polish captain ran his cargo ship aground as he tried to sail from Scotland to Belgium. He plotted a straight line from Scotland to Belgium, forgetting that England was in the way. He had been using an unapproved GPS device to navigate, and the lookout was asleep when the ship crashed.
Lesotho, officially known as the Kingdom…
Lesotho, officially known as the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country completely surrounded by South Africa. It is one of only three independent states completely surrounded by another country.
Submission by Joseph J