The Greatest Places on Earth

The Greatest Places on Earth

by Karon Harden

Before you read: KWL (Know -Want to Know - Learned)

Our planet has many amazing natural features! In this book you will learn about some of the greatest places on earth: mountains, valleys, rivers, and deserts. Before you begin, think about what you already know about each of these features, and what you would like to learn. You can enter your notes at the bottom of the page.

The Highest Mountain: Mount Everest in Nepal/China

The world’s highest mountain is Mount Everest. It is part of the Himalayas mountain range. It is located on the border between China and Nepal on the continent of Asia. It stands 8,848 meters (20,029 feet) above sea level.

Humans on Mount Everest

Many people dream of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest. The first people known for sure to make it to the top were Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on May 29, 2953. Since then more than 4000 people have reached the summit.

How do you think the view is from the highest place on earth? You can watch a video here!

Dangers of Mount Everest

Climbing Mount Everest is extremely dangerous. One reason it is dangerous is because air becomes thin at high altitudes – that is, there is less oxygen in the air, so it is more difficult for humans to breathe. Climbing is also very strenuous exercise, and it typically takes two months to climb the whole way. The physical stress can be exhausting. The weather is another challenge . It is very cold and windy, and any exposed skin is at risk for frostbite . Also, without any warning, avalanches  can send tons of deadly snow and ice hurtling down the mountain, burying everything and everyone in its path. The deadliest avalanche in the mountain’s history took place on April 18, 2014, killing 16 climbers.

Another danger is falling. In addition to keeping their balance on steep, narrow, icy paths, climbers have to cross several deadly ice crevasses on the path up the mountain. A crevasse is a deep crack in the earth or ice. Sometimes the crevasses are so wide that that they need to lay several ladders down across them. You can watch a group of climbers crossing a dangerous crevasse here.

Many people have died trying to climb Mount Everest. In fact, over 200 frozen dead bodies remain on the mountain. Despite these dangers, many people still try to conquer Mount Everest every year. 

Why do you think people keep trying to climb Mount Everest in spite of all the dangers? Many people say they want the satisfaction of knowing they pushed themselves and achieved something truly challenging.

Did you know? Mount Everest is the highest point on earth, but it is not the tallest mountain. Mauna Kea in Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean is only 4,205 meters (13,796 feet) above sea level but 10,605 meters (33,500 feet) tall when measured from its base on the ocean floor. Here are all the highest peaks on each continent, also known as the “Seven Summits.”

Lowest Valley: Challenger Deep, Pacific Ocean

The lowest point on the Earth’s surface is known as Challenger Deep. At 10,916 meters below sea level, it is deeper than Mount Everest is high!

Challenger Deep is located at the southern tip of the Mariana Trench, which is a giant ditch in the shape of a crescent at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the island of Guam. 

The ocean is very deep, and Challenger Deep is the deepest point in the ocean! See for yourself how deep the ocean is by watching this video.

Dangers of Challenger Deep

Descending to the bottom of the ocean is very challenging for humans, but not impossible! Not only do humans need air to breathe, but also the weight of the water creates immense pressure. The pressure is enough to kill a human being without the protection of a submersible vehicle like the Deepsea Challenger, pictured here.

Submersibles have to be carefully designed to overcome the challenges of deep-sea diving and keep their passengers safe!

You can watch the Deepsea Challenger in action here!

Humans in Challenger Deep

Challenger Deep was first discovered by sounding (measuring the depth of water from the surface with a rope) by the crew of a British naval ship, the HMS Challenger, in 1875 as part of a 127,580-kilometer scientific expedition to explore the ocean’s depths.

Jacques Piccard and and Don Welsh were the first two humans to descend into the Mariana Trench on January 23, 1960. They traveled in the submersible called the Trieste. It took them more than five hours to reach the bottom, and they were only able to stay for about 20 minutes.

On March 26, 2012, James Cameron descended by himself to the bottom in the submersible called the Deepsea Challenger. His journey took half as long as the Trieste had. Cameron explored the bottom for a couple of hours before ascending to the surface. The bottom of the ocean is in total darkness and is very cold – just a few degrees above freezing.

In the past, we used to think that no creature could survive in such an environment, but Cameron said he saw ampiphoda, small shrimp-like creatures less than 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

The Longest River: The Nile in East Africa 

Measuring a river can be challenging because people do not always agree on its exact starting point, which is called the source, or on its exact ending point, which is called the mouth.

Most people consider the Nile to be the longest river at 6,825 kilometers (4,238 miles). Its first source is Lake Victoria in Uganda in East Africa. Even though the Nile begins at Lake Victoria, many other rivers feed into the lake, so the true source of the Nile is in the surrounding mountains. The Nile flows from south to north and empties its water into the Mediterranean Sea.

A tributary is a stream that feeds into another river or lake. The Nile has two main tributaries: the While Nile, which is longer, and the Blue Nile, which carries more water.

Humans and the Nile

The Nile has played a big role in the lives of the humans who have lived on its banks for thousands of years, including the ancient Egyptians. Each summer melting snow and heavy rains in the mountains cause the Nile to flood downstream. The floodwaters spill over into the dry desert land. When the water recedes, it leaves behind a thick, black mud that is fertile soil for planting crops, which the humans need to survive.

In 1970, modern Egyptians built the Aswan High Dam to help control and regulate the Nile’s flooding, but they still celebrate the the history of the Nile floods in a celebration known as Wafaa El-Nil every August.

You can read more about the importance of the Nile in Ancient Egypt here.

The Largest Hot Desert: The Sahara in North Africa

The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert. It is located in North Africa. We usually think of deserts as hot, but they can also be cold. The continent of Antarctica is the world’s largest cold desert.

Weather in the Sahara

The Sahara is usually hot, sunny, and dry. The temperature usually stays above 40°C (104 °F) during the summer. The highest recorded temperature was was 47 °C (116.6 °F).

Half of the Sahara receives less than 20 milimeters (0.8 inches) of rain per year, and the rest receives only up to 10 centimeters (4 inches). The lack of rain means it is difficult for plants to grow. Much of the Sahara is covered in sand dunes or rocky plateaus . The Nile is the only river that flows through the Sahara year-round.

The Sahara often has strong winds that can whip up a dangerous sandstorm very quickly.

Humans in the Sahara

Because of these harsh conditions, you might think that nothing and no one lives in the Sahara! In fact, humans have had a long history with the Sahara. Several major cities are located in the Sahara including Cairo in Egypt, Tripoli in Libya, and Timbuktu in Mali. Humans also have a long history of crossing the Sahara to trade with people on the other side. 

Humans were able to cross the desert by riding camels. Camels have natural advantages over horses for traveling in the desert because their feet can move quickly and easily through sand and they can go for up to 17 days without food or water. 

Humans also traveled in caravans, or groups of people travelling together. As the saying goes, "There is safety in numbers." They carried food, water, and tents, and made frequent stops at oases and trading posts along the way.

KWL (Know - Want to Know - Learned) Revisited

Now that you have read about some of the greatest places on Earth, think about what you have learned. In particular, thing about some of the challenges that humans face in each of these places, and how they overcome them. 

Then write your thoughts in the space at the bottom of the page.

For More Information

Did you learn everything you wanted to know about these places?

If not, click on each place to follow a link to more information!

Mount Everest

Challenger Deep

The Nile

The Sahara

You may also want to learn about other great places, like what is the tallest waterfall, the biggest underground cave, the largest forest, or the coldest place! Planet Earth has many more amazing places to discover!