Superlatives of the World's Water Features
The Tallest Waterfall: Angel Falls
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the tallest waterfall in the world, plunging an impressive 979 metres (3,212 feet) from the top of the Auyan Tepui mountain.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Angel Falls is located in Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Venezuela.
- Why It Holds the Record: Its remarkable height makes it the tallest uninterrupted waterfall, with a continuous drop that is higher than several times the height of the Empire State Building!
- How It Formed or Works: Angel Falls formed from the erosion of the rock layers over millions of years, allowing water from the river to flow over the cliff.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: If you could drop a stone from the top of Angel Falls, it would take more than 10 seconds to hit the bottom!
The Deepest Lake: Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal in Russia is known as the deepest lake in the world, reaching depths of approximately 1,642 metres (5,387 feet).
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Lake Baikal is located in Siberia and is one of the oldest and clearest freshwater lakes on the planet.
- Why It Holds the Record: Its extraordinary depth surpasses that of any other lake, containing around 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater.
- How It Formed or Works: The lake was formed by rift tectonics, where the Earth's crust has been pulled apart, creating a deep basin that collects rainwater and snowmelt.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: Lake Baikal is deeper than the height of Mount Everest above sea level!
The Widest Waterfall: Inga Falls
Inga Falls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is recognised as the widest waterfall in the world.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: Located on the Congo River, Inga Falls measures about 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) in width during the rainy season.
- Why It Holds the Record: Its immense width allows it to release more water than any other waterfall, especially when the river swells with seasonal rains.
- How It Formed or Works: Inga Falls developed as the waters of the Congo River eroded rock over time, creating the spectacular series of cascades.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: The volume of water flowing over Inga Falls can be nearly 25 times that of Niagara Falls!
The Largest Coral Reef: The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, is the largest coral reef system in the world.
- What It Is and Where It's Found: The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) and is visible from space!
- Why It Holds the Record: It consists of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, making it the most expansive coral reef complex globally.
- How It Formed or Works: The reef is formed by tiny coral polyps that build calcium carbonate structures over thousands of years, creating the vibrant underwater ecosystems we see today.
- Memorable Fact or Comparison: The Great Barrier Reef is so large that it can be seen from the Moon!
