Mount Everest — World's Highest Mountain
Location: Nepal–China (Tibet) border · Measurement: 8,849 m above sea level. The world's highest mountain, first successfully summited by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
K2 — World's 2nd Highest Mountain
Location: Pakistan–China border · Measurement: 8,611 m above sea level. The world's second-highest mountain, but so treacherous it's nicknamed the "Savage Mountain" for its extreme difficulty.
Mount Kilimanjaro — Africa's Highest Peak
Location: Tanzania · Measurement: 5,895 m above sea level. The highest mountain in Africa, famous for having permanent snow at its summit despite sitting near the equator.
Denali (Mount McKinley) — North America's Highest Peak
Location: Alaska, USA · Measurement: 6,190 m above sea level. The highest mountain in North America — its proximity to the polar region makes it feel far more difficult to climb than its elevation alone suggests.
The Nile — World's Longest River (Traditionally)
Location: Africa (crosses 11 countries) · Measurement: about 6,650 km. Traditionally considered the world's longest river, and the lifeline that gave rise to ancient Egyptian civilization.
The Amazon — World's Largest River by Volume
Location: South America (Brazil and others) · Measurement: about 6,400 km. Carries more water than any other river on Earth by volume, and is often disputed with the Nile for the title of world's longest river.
The Pacific Ocean — World's Largest Ocean
Location: between Asia, the Americas, and Oceania · Measurement: about 165.25 million km². The largest and deepest ocean on Earth, covering roughly one-third of the planet's surface.
The Caspian Sea — World's Largest Inland Body of Water
Location: border of Europe and Asia · Measurement: about 371,000 km². The world's largest inland body of water — despite being called a "sea," it's technically a lake, and a salty one at that.
The Mariana Trench — Earth's Deepest Point
Location: western Pacific Ocean · Measurement: about 10,935 m deep (Challenger Deep). The deepest known point on Earth — deep enough that Mount Everest could sink entirely into it with room to spare.
The Sahara Desert — World's Largest Hot Desert
Location: North Africa · Measurement: about 9 million km². The world's largest hot desert, roughly comparable in size to the contiguous United States.
Lake Baikal — World's Deepest and Oldest Freshwater Lake
Location: Siberia, Russia · Measurement: maximum depth about 1,642 m. The world's deepest and oldest freshwater lake, holding roughly 20% of all of Earth's unfrozen fresh water.