Most Famous and Historically Significant Tombs in the World

A tomb is a place for the burial of the dead. Some people consider tombs or burial sites scary for they believe that the place is a dwelling place for ghost. On the other hand, many people consider them amazing and fascinating. Here are the 10 most interesting and historically important tombs in the world.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: Turkey

One single tomb that can be considered famous and significant is the Tomb of Mausolus. It is called Mausoleum of Mausolus or Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It was a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus (present Bodrum, Turkey) for Mausolus, a satrap (governor) in the Persian Empire, and Artemisia II of Caria, his wife and sister. The structure was designed by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius. It stood approximately 45 meters (135 ft) in height, and each of the four sides was adorned with sculptural relief created by each one of four Greek sculptors – Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas of Paros and Timotheus. The Mausoleum stood relatively intact until 1522 A.D., when it was ordered destroyed as an example of Pagan art.

The finished structure was considered to be such an aesthetic triumph that Antipater of Sidon identified it as one of his 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

Hadrian’s Tomb: Rome, Italy

Another famous tomb is the Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant’Angelo. It is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 and 139. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga. Hadrian’s ashes were placed here a year after his death in 138, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138. Following this, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed here, the last recorded deposition being Caracalla in 217.

Lenin’s Tomb: Red Square – Moscow, Russia

A tomb that is significantly famous especially among the Russians is Lenin’s Mausoleum. It is also known as Lenin’s Tomb situated in Red Square in Moscow. This mausoleum is popular because the embalmed body of Lenin has been on public display there since the year he died in 1924 (with rare exceptions in wartime). It is the mausoleum that serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin. Aleksey Schusev’s diminutive but monumental granite structure incorporates some elements from ancient mausoleums, such as the Step Pyramid and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Taj Mahal: Agra, India

Undoubtedly, Taj Mahal is one of the most famous tombs worldwide. It is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built under Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

Grant’s Tomb: New York, USA

A tomb with great importance most especially among the Americans is General Grant National Memorial better known as Grant’s Tomb. It is a mausoleum containing the bodies of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), an American Civil War General and the 18th President of the United States, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant (1826-1902). The tomb complex is a US Presidential Memorial in the Morning Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The structure is situated in a prominent location in Riverside Park overlooking the Hudson River.

Pantheon: Rome, Italy

Another important and with historical significance tomb is the Pantheon which was originally built for the all gods. Literally means “Temple of all the gods” is a building in Rome. It was rebuilt circa 125 AD during Hadrian’s reign. The intended degree of inclusiveness of this dedication is debated. The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. Pantheon is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. It has been in continuous use throughout its history.

Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Among those buried there are the painter Raphael and Annibale Carracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. Also buried there are two kings of Italy: Vittorio Emmanuelle II and Umberto I, as well as Umberto’s Queen, Margherita.

7 Westminster Abbey: London, UK

Looking at this structure, there is no way you will think that it’s a burial place. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and later British monarchs.

Aristocrats were buried inside chapels and monks and people associated with the Abbey were buried in the Cloisters and other areas. One of these was Geoffrey Chaucer, who was buried here as he had apartments in the Abbey where he was employed as master of the Kings Works. Other poets were buried around Chaucer in what became known as Poet’s Corner. These include John Milton, William Wordsworth, Thomas Gray, John Keats, Percy Bysshe, Robert Burns, William Blake, T.S. Elliot and Gerard Manley Hopkins and many others.

St. Peter’s Basilica: Vatican City

In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, was the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. St. Peter’ is the most famous of Rome’s any churches.

There are over 100 tombs within St. Peter’s Basilica, many located in the Vatican grotto, beneath the Basilica. These include 91 popes, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, and the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Exiled Catholic British royalty James Francis Edward Stuart and his two sons, Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, are buried here, having been granted asylum by Pope Clement XI. Also buried here are Maria Clementina Sobieska, wife of Charles Edward Stuart, and Queen Christina of Sweden, who abdicated her throne in order to convert to Catholicism. The most recent interment was Pope John Paul II, on April 8, 2005.

Tomb of Cyrus the Great: Iran

This ancient tomb excavated in Pasargadae, a city in ancient Persia, is believed to be the tomb of one of the most notable king of Persia – King Cyrus the Great. It is today an archeological site and one of only five of Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the Elamite cuneiform of the Persepolis fortification tablets the name was rendered as Batrakatas and the name in current usage derives from a Greek transliteration of an Old Persian Pathragada toponym of still-uncertain meaning.

Great Pyramid of Giza: Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only remaining member of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It is also called Khufu’s Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops. This tomb with great popularity and historical significance is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for 4th Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years.

The Tomb of Jesus Christ is not included on the list because it is still a subject of much controversy and scrutiny. Once it is proven that it was indeed the Tomb of Christ, it will surely be considered the tomb with the greatest significance and will surely escalate to the highest and unsurpassable degree of popularity.

One of the basic reasons why some of these magnificent tombs were built is because of people’s belief on life after death. Given the chance to choose before you pass away, where on these burial sites would you like to be buried?

World’s Dirtiest Rivers and Lakes

While it is hard to rank rivers and lakes around the world in terms of who is THE worst, there are a few that stand out in the crowd. Pollutants like industrial waste, sewage runoff, overpopulation and agriculture discharges all make for quite a toxic brew. When you count in the fact that many of these major rivers and lakes supply food to nearby major population centers then they are having an even greater effect than as simply some polluted body of water in the middle of nowhere. Below are a few of the worst offenders that you should watch out for.

Lake Victoria borders three countries in East Africa – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – making it extra difficult to negotiate cleanup and pollution prevention. As there are few enforced regulations, residents wash cars in the same lake water that sewage water is regularly released in and that they also end up bathing in. Even worse, people who come in contact with the water are susceptible to coming away with several diseases including, schistosomiasis, bilharzia, cholera, pneumonia, diarrhea, and several skin diseases.

The 200-mile long Citarum River in Indonesia hosts more than 500 factories along its banks and is quite possibly the most polluted river in the world. There is so much garbage coating the surface that in many places you can’t see the water, and it is more profitable to forage for garbage than making a living fishing the river, though you do risk catching a nasty disease by spending any time in it.

The Great Lakes (US/Canada) have taken a beating over the years thanks to pollution from the auto industry, oil refineries, steel plants, agricultural runoff and pollution, chemical plants and transportation runoff. While not the worst on this list, the lakes have accumulated a toxic soup that we have yet to deal with.

This 3,400 mile-long Yellow River in China is frequently contaminated by chemical spills, and frequent diversions and damming, which causes the Yellow to often run dry and sometimes even turn red. 1/3 of the river is unusable, but this doesn’t seem to be slowing things down as the river is used to provide water for millions of people in China, whose expanding cities are another reason the river is contaminated.

While small compared to the others on this list (only 65 miles), the Riachuela River, running through the heart of Buenos Aires, is referred to as the largest open pit toilet in the world, absorbing over 325,000 tons of sewage each day. Lead, mercury, cadmium, nitrates and copper all pollute this river and affect drinking water supplies for the over 5 million people living in the area.

Lake Onondaga (US) is so polluted it was designated a hazardous waste site by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Phosphorous, ammonia, nitrite, mercury, bacterial contaminants, from a long history of industrial activity in the area, along with non-point source pollutants, combine to make this lake one toxic soup.

The Sarno River is regarded as the most polluted river in Italy and possibly all of Europe. Agricultural and sewage runoff frequently contaminates the river and treatment methods are inadequate to handle the pollution. The Sarno River frequently overflows its banks and therefore puts the local population at repeated risk for exposure.

Believe it or not, Lake Karachay (Russia) is completely contaminated with radioactive (and other types of) waste, that was dumped into the lake from the Mayak Nuclear Waste Storage Facility, starting in the 1950’s. The waste is currently seeping out into area soils and rockbeds, threatening other rivers and even the Arctic. Scientists predict that if it makes it to the Arctic, it could spread around the world.

The Yumana River may be the site of historic and holy rituals, but it’s also got its share of crap – literally. Over 3.5 billion litres of sewage pass through the river daily (making it over 100,000 times higher than limits safe for bathing), and the city removes another 1.1 billion litres of river water each day. No fish or plants can live in the river and holy leaders have threatened to boycott annual pilgrimages to the area due to the high contamination levels.

More than 2,800 factories line the shores of Lake Tai, the 3rd largest lake in China, contributing to its title as one of the largest and most polluted in the country. Officials have estimated a hefty $14.4 billion price tag to clean up all of the industrial dumping and sewage that contaminates these waters. Currently the waters have a green tint from all of the algae flourishing thanks to their ample source of industrial pollution in the lake.

The damage done to the Yangtze River due to pollution is so bad its been described as irreversible. Over 360 miles of the 3,860-mile long Yangtze River are polluted due to damming, inadequate sewage, industrial pollution and rapid population growth. Currently the river is responsible for 35% of the country’s fresh water fish supply, while construction of the Three Gorges Dam along the river displaced over 1 million people.

The King River (Australia) is the most polluted river in all of Australia, principally due to mining activities along the river dating back to the 1880’s. 1.5 million tons of mining tailings entered the river every year until 1995, while the fumes from the smelter created acid rain in the area. Today the mining operations continue to make the river highly toxic to marine life thanks to the leftover dissolved metals and tailings still in the river.

The Mississippi River (US). How could we forget this mammoth river that crosses 10 states and carries millions of metric tons of pollutants with it to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico each year, creating a the notorious “deadzone.” During the 1990s, this river discharged over 100 million pounds of toxics downriver each year. The Dead Zone is aptly named due to the low levels of oxygen, causing no aquatic life to survive in this area.

Inhabited Oldest Cities in the World

In some cases, the older a thing is the more precious it becomes. And places of antiquity arguably do not either fall short of this fact. Here are some of oldest inhabited regions in the world bearing a variety of precious imprints of the thousand dead years.

Byblos Lebanon

Believed to have been founded in 5000 B.C., Byblos, Lebanon is generally considered by historians as the oldest inhabited city in the world. It held a couple of names, and was once known as Gibelet during the crusade; today it is known in Arabic name as the city of Jbeil. A Mediterranean city of the Mount Lebanon Governorate of the preset day Lebanon, a biblical region itself, Byblos existence dates back to the biblical era as it is mentioned in the Holy Bible in 1 Kings 5:18. The verse refers to the nationality of the builders of the temple of Solomon. Ezekiel 27:9 also made mention of this city, referring to the riches of Tyre.

Cadiz, Spain

Characterized by the antiquity of its quarters, among them El Popula, La Vina, and Santa Maria, historians considered Cadiz as the oldest continuously – inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula if not of all Southwestern Europe. It has been one of the principal home ports of the Spanish Navy since the accession of the Spanish Bourbon in the 18th century. Over time, Cadiz has evolved into becoming a city of modern standard, but it still holds a host of one of the richest, well-preserved historical remnants in the world that are gathered in designated region called the Old City. Notwithstanding, the modern city hosts numerous parks bearing kinds of exotic plants whose arrival in Spain is believed to be brought by Columbus.

Kavala, Greece

Time flashbacked many centuries, Kavala was founded by the early settlers from Thasos in the 16th century. This ancient city was for once a base of Brutus and Casius in 42 BC for it became a base of the Roman civita is 164 BC. On his first voyage to Europe, the apostle Paul had landed in Kavala. Subsequently, in the Byzantine era, the city was called Christoupolis by the Greeks and Morunets by the Bulgarians, and because of its maritime location, the region flourished but was captured and burned during the 1185 Norman raid of Macedonia. A couple of centuries later, the Ottoman took over and under the leadership of Sultan Bayesid I, the city was completely destroyed, forcing the inhabitants to flee. Rebuilt was only started at the beginning of the 15th century, and during which time the city started to be known as Karvala. Historical remnants of the Ottoman reconstruction have become landmarks of modern Karvala, the largest city in modern Greece and the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia.

Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich as we might all know is one of the most famous cities in modern day Europe. It is the cultural and commercial capital of Switzerland, Bern being the political capital of the country. Historically, the magnificent Zurich ranks among the oldest and still inhabited cities in the world; Turicum was the name it was known in the earliest times as evidenced by a tombstone that dates back to the 2nd century AD. Lake dwellers were believed to be the first inhabitants of the future site of Zurich and this lake side settlement dates back to the Neolithic period.

Damascus, Syria

Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. Archeological excavations at the outskirts of the city at the Tell Ramad have shown that Damascus have been inhabited as far as 8,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C., qualifying Damascus as one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. It was not as important with the rest of the old cities in the world however, until the advent of the nomadic tribe from Mesopotamia – the Arameans. They were known to build canals and tunnels to maximize the efficiency of the Barada River. This network of engineering structures was subsequently improved by the Romans and the Umayyads whose water system still forms the basis of the old part of Damascus today. Damascus, an antiquarian city as it is, is mentioned in Genesis 14 as existing during the war of the kings.

Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem is the capital and largest city of the relatively young state of Israel, and among others, it probably is the most credible and genuine of all places mentioned in the Bible. Dating back to the biblical times, Jerusalem is unquestionably one of the oldest cities in the world. Jewish tradition has it that Jerusalem was founded by Shem and Eber, ancestors of the Old Testament prominent figure Abraham. Melchizedek, an ally of Abraham once ruled Jerusalem and was later allocated to tribe of Benjamin during the time of Joshua. Over time, it was conquered by King David and made the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel. This biblical account about the antiquarian existence of Jerusalem bears strong credence from recent excavations that modern archaeologists themselves traced back to the time of David.

Athens, Greece

Athens being ranked as one of the oldest cities in the world has been continuously inhabited for at least 4,500 years. The reign of the classical era are made evident and famous by the presence of ancient monuments and works of art, famous of which being the Parthenon on the Acropolis which is considered a major landmark of early Western civilization. Further, modern Athens still holds rich and great kinds of sculptural works of art of the Roman and Byzantine. Ottoman monuments are well present in this ancient city, indicating Athens’s great history across the ages. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and other great Greek thinkers, writers, artists, and philosophers lived and walked Athens many centuries before Christ. So, there’s no denying that Athens is the birthplace of our democracy, modern sciences, philosophy and almost any other arena of human intellectual pursuit.

Beirut, Lebanon

Beirut is the largest and capital city of Lebanon. Having its history that dates back to 5000 years , makes Beirut one of the oldest cities in the world. This claim is well supported by archaeological facts unearthed in the down town area, showing layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Ottoman and Arab remains. In addition, Beirut is mentioned in the cuneiform tablets of the “Armand Letters”, whcih is believed to have been existing since the 4th century. Today, Beirut is fastly becoming progressive as it is home of the largest seaports of the eastern Mediterranean Sea while its tourism is as well becoming popular the world over.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. As shown by numerous archaeological and historical records, Lisbon certainly ranks among the oldest inhabited regions in the world. For one, this ancient region was once inhabited by Iberian-related people. Religious monuments called, dolmens,. Megaliths and menhirs are some of the existing testaments of the Iberian settlement. For another, Phoenician influence is thought to have existed in the region as suggested by archaeological findings, dating back to 1200 BC. Prominently, Phoenician remains were found recently underneath the Mediaeval Se Lisboa or main cathedral of the modern city. However, many historians maintained doubts with regards to the historical truth of Phoenician settlement; instead they believe that ancient Lisbon was just one of the major and active regions of trading in which Phoenicians had had good commercial relations; thus the archaeological remains of pottery and other material objects found beneath the cathedral.

Beijing, China

Beijing or Peking is the capital city of the People’s Republic of China, and for the record it ranks among the oldest inhabited regions in the world. Human habitation were found to be dating back to 230,000 to 250,000 years ago, as shown through carbon dating performed on the archaeological remains of the now famous Peking Man (Homo Erectus) whose remains were excavated in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill in the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District. 27,000 years ago, Paleolithic Homo sapiens also lived in the region.

10 Amazing Trucks

EX63-HDM 6×6 Truck

Looking from the outside, this vehicle looks like a garbage truck. You wouldn’t imagine how luxurious they are until you step a foot one it. This fancy truck is especially made by the German company Unicat.

Dekotora

The Dekotora, an abbreviation for “Decoration Truck”, is a kind of loudly decorated truck most commonly found in Japan and the Philippines. Dekotora commonly have neon or ultraviolet lights, extravagant paints, and shiny stainless or golden exterior parts. These decorations can be found on both the cab and the trailer, and not only on the exterior but also in the interior. Dekotora may be created by workers out of their work trucks for fun, or they may be designed by hobbyists for special events.

The Sauna Truck

Many Russians like sauna or “banya” as it’s being called in Russia. They don’t imagine their next weekend without a visit to such a place together with their friends. This big demand in Russia for saunas has gave a birth for such a strange device as “The Mobile Sauna”. A four wheel drive truck is a sauna equipped now. It can take you deep inside the Russian woods and you would have your sauna there. Sauna lovers say that there is nothing in the world like jumping right from the hot sauna into the cool waters of a forest lake in some place hundred miles away from civilization.

Iron Wolf Truck

This weird truck was spotted in Russia. Made by a group of Moscow bikers, the vehicle was called “Iron Wolf”. It looks like just stepped out the Mad Max movie and it can be met on roads of Russia every day, it’s not from some art gallery.

Decorative Pakistani Trucks

Even though truck art isn’t unique to Pakistan anymore, nowhere else in the world is the practice so pervasive. In a country where the per capita income is barely north of $2,000, it is surprising to see fleet owners (the trucks aren’t owner-operated) spend $3,000-$5,000 per truck for structural modifications that convert these gas-guzzling, smoke-spewing, road-dominating monstrosities into beautiful moving canvases covered in poetry, folk tales, and ‘…religious, sentimental and emotional worldviews of the individuals employed in the truck industry,’ making it one of the biggest forms of representational art in the country.

Liebherr T 282B: Largest on Earth

Liebherr, a heavy equipment manufacturer in Germany, are designers of the largest earth-hauling truck in the world, the T 282B. It weighs in at 203 tons empty, has a maximum operating weight of 592 tons, and can carry 365 tons. This beast of a truck will set you back around $3.5 million, but CD-player and air-con are optional.

Rotel: The Hotel Truck

This German creation, called the Rotel, or Das Rollende Hotel (the Rolling Hotel), is a mobile hotel in the form of a truck. I imagine that it would be like a mobile home; except that you’re sharing it was a lot more people.

Colani’s Concept Truck

These awesome trucks have been made on a Mercedes platform and are the sexiest trucks on the planet. A Swiss-German industrial designer named Luigi Colani has crafted them.

Big Rig Jig

Made of two 18-wheeler discarded tanker trucks, the Big Rig Jig was designed by artist Mike Ross. The work serves both as a sculpture and an architectural space: visitors may enter the lower truck, climb through the tankers, and emerge through a portal at the top. The rear axles of the upper tanker serve as a viewing platform, forty-two feet in the air.

Russian Police Monster Truck

Here’s a weird police amphibious truck that can practically go over anything, including water.

Top 10 Most Powerful Rivers in the World

When you think of a river, the last thing you think about is probably how strong its water really is. You are more than likely to think about calm flowing water that brushes over stones at the bottom of the river. Maybe you envision small fish in the river. Whatever you think about, it’s definitely not how powerful the river is.

If you’re one of those people that are fascinated by random yet helpful bits of information, then this top-ten list is for you. Here are the top ten most powerful rivers in the world. This list is based upon the flow rate of the river itself.

10.Mekong River

The Mekong River is located in China. It runs through Burma, Thailand, Yunnan, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The Mekong is the 11th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia. The river is said to be about 2,703 miles long. Because of the seasonal changes that cause variations in flow as well as the appearance of rapids and waterfalls in the river, the Mekong is extremely difficult to navigate. This river so strong that the level of the river located in Cambodia is lower than the high tide at sea! In 2000, the river’s rapids and tides became so overwhelming that it flooded, killing about 90 people.

9. Lena River

Flowing through Eastern Siberia, the Lena River is the 10th longest river in the world, bringing water 2,734 miles until it flows into the Sea. The river flows northeast and joins with two other rivers and finally flows into the Laptev Sea. The river is known to have strong links to stream flow, especially during the summer and spring when the water is much warmer than usual. Once it is spring, the ice on the Lena River melts before the ice downstream does, which usually causes flooding because iceblocks hinder the flow of water. In 2007, the river over-flooded and more than 1,000 houses and 12 towns were under water.

8. Parana River

The Parana River is the 14th longest river in the world. Though most of the river is located in Brazil, it also runs through other parts of South America such as Argentina and Paraguay. The river is about 2,485 miles long and flows into three other rivers. On the southern part of the river, flooding is extremely common. The strong currents that the Parana brings have been said to erode river shores, destroy buildings, and cause many people to have to move out of their homes. The high winds and the El-Nino effect also play big roles in how powerful the river is.

7. Yenisey River

The Yenisey River is the biggest river that flows into the Arctic Ocean. At 3,445 miles long, the river is the 5th largest in the world. The river flows through Mongolia, the Yenisei Gulf, and then drains in the center of Siberia. The upper part of the river is subject to floods a swell as rapids. Because part of the river exits through the Darkhad Valley, studies have shown that it is often blocked by ice. Once the glaciers retreat, it is said that as much as 500km ? of water could escape from the river and cause a complete debacle.

6. Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the only river in the U.S. to make the list! The Mississippi River is the second largest in the U.S. It expands across 2,340 miles of land. It starts at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and travels all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Those who live along the banks of the river often have to fear its high tides and extremely powerful waters. Many of the levees that have been built to hold back the water have proven extremely unhelpful. In 2008, many were afraid that the river would over-flood even more than it already had. The water was topping levees and many had to be evacuated from their homes.
5. Brahmaputra River

The Brahmaputra River is located in Bahaduradbad, Bangladesh. It starts in southwestern Tibet, goes through the Himalayas, the Assam Valley, and then through Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra River is about 1,800 miles long and is mostly used for transportation as well as irrigation. While most of this river is navigable, some parts are prone to catastrophic flooding in the spring once the snow of the Himalayans melt. This river is also one of the few that is known to have something called a tidal bare. This means that incoming tides form waves that travel up the river against the direction of the current. This is what researchers call a true tidal wave. This makes the Brahmaputra River that much stronger.
4. Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia as well as in China. It is the 3rd largest river in the world. The river stretches to about 3,964 miles and flows through East China Sea in Shanghai. The Yangtze River is known for its flooding, and dams that have been built to prevent water from flowing outside of the river’s banks have proven to be useless. Researchers have realized that the river actually has three different types of floods and that its tides are much too strong during some seasons to prevent water from overflowing. Many use the river for electricity and water transport, but they often, if not always have to live in the fear of their towns being flooded.
3. Orinoco River

The Orinoco River is one of the longest in South America. In fact, it is the 3rd longest in South America. The river is 1,330 miles long and flows through Colombia and Venezuela. It begins at the Delgago Chalbaud Mountain. Once the river passes the forested terrain and waterfalls, it slows. However, the waterfalls become rapids which have proven to be extremely difficult to navigate, even though during this time the river is downstream. Eventually the river dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. The river also experiences coastal upwelling year-round, which often poses a threat for those who live close to the river.
2. Congo River

You might know the Congo River as the Zaire River. Whichever name you are familiar with, this river is the largest river in Western Central Africa. At 2,922 miles, the Congo River is the second longest river in Africa. This river is also Africa’s most powerful river. Even though the Congo starts off as a peaceful river, especially near Lake Tanganyika, it eventually begins to widen and also picks up speed during this time. Eventually the water passes through the “Gates of Hell,” which is a 75-mile long canyon that presents rapids that are impassable. At the Upper Congo, the river ends, but has a 60 mile stretch of rapids that make it dangerous and powerful.
1. Amazon River

The Amazon River is the largest river in the world when looking at its volume. It is located in South America, and because it is so large, it can count for at least 1/5 of the world’s complete river flow. This river is so powerful and so big that there aren’t any points along the river that can be crossed by a bridge. The river has an extremely powerful discharge at the mouth which can release as much as eight trillion gallons of water each day. The river is said to be about 150 ft. deep, so if you’re thinking about going for a swim in the Amazon, think again!

10 Of The World’s Tallest Women

Yao Defen ( 7ft 8in – 233 cm)

Yao Defen claims to be the tallest woman in the world, with 7′ 8″ (233 cm). She weighs 200 kg (440 lbs) and has size 26 (UK) / 78 (EU) feet. Her gigantism is due to a tumor in her pituitary gland.

Sandy Allen (7ft 7?in – 232 cm)

Sandy Allen appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records since 1976 –and until 2008, when she died– as the tallest woman in the world. She was 7′ 7? ” (232 cm) in height.

Malgorzata Dydek (7ft 2in – 218 cm)

Malgorzata (aka Margo) Dydek, a basketball player in the US, is 7′2″ (218 cm).

Zainab Bibi (7ft 2in – 218 cm)

Zainab Bibi, 7′ 2″ (218 cm) as well, was recently allowed to stay permanently in Britain because she claims her height has made her a target at home, Pakistan.

Uljana Semjonova (7ft – 213 cm)

Standing at 7′0″ (213 cm), latvian Uljana Semjonova was the leading women’s basketball player in the world in the 1970s and 1980s.

Gitika Srivastava (6ft 11in – 211 cm)

Gitika Srivastava, former basketball player from India, is 6′ 11″ (211 cm).

Malee Duangdee (6ft 10in – 208 cm)

Malee Duangdee is Thailand’s tallest woman, with 6′ 10″ (208cm).

Caroline Welz (6ft 9in – 206 cm)

Germany’s tallest girl, Caroline Welz is 20 years old and 6′ 9″ (206 cm) tall.

Rita Miniva Besa (6ft 8in -203 cm)

Rita Miniva Besa is 6′ 8″ (203 cm)

Heather Greene (6ft 5?in – 196 cm)

Heather Greene is “only” 6′ 5?” (196 cm) and lives in Las Vegas.

It’s Amazing: Flying Fish

Flying fish or the Exocoetidae are a marine fish family comprising about 50 species grouped in 7 to 9 genera. Flying fish are found in all of the major oceans, particularly in the warm subtropical and tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to take short gliding flights through air, above the surface of the water, in order to escape from predators. Their glides are typically around 50m, but they can use updrafts at the leading edge of waves to cover distances of at least 400m.

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