Geography & Travel Portal | Britannica

Geography & Travel

Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.
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Featured content, April 26, 2024

What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
U.S. geography can be complicated.
Where Is “Old Zealand”?
Pretty much as far away from New Zealand as you can get while staying on Earth.
Dravidian languages
Dravidian languages, family of some 70 languages spoken primarily in South Asia. The Dravidian languages are spoken by more...
glacial landform
Glacial landform, any product of flowing ice and meltwater. Such landforms are being produced today in glaciated areas, such...
mountain
Mountain, landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, generally exhibiting steep slopes, a relatively confined...
lake
Lake, any relatively large body of slowly moving or standing water that occupies an inland basin of appreciable size. Definitions...

Geography & Travel Quizzes

Countries and Capitals Quiz
Know the atlas backward and forward? Match over 190 capital cities to their countries.
Quick Quiz: Canada
Canada’s landmass is big, but this quiz is not. Test what you know about Canadian geography.
Know Your European Geography Quiz
What’s the longest river in Europe? Where is Gdańsk? Get ready to prove what you know about the geography (and history) of...
Quick Quiz: Central American Geography
Central America consists of seven countries (and sometimes part of an eighth), but this quiz includes only two questions....
Geography of Ireland Quiz
Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because of its vividly green grasslands. This quiz will test what you know about some...
Geography of Africa Quiz
Where is Serengeti National Park? What is Rhodesia called today? Find out by taking this quiz about Africa.
Exploring South America Quiz
What’s the southernmost point of South America? What’s its highest peak? Find your way through South America with this quiz.
Know Your Geographers (and One Demographer) Quiz
Britannica defines the goal of geography...
Quick Quiz: Australian Geography
Australia is nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from east to west. This quiz is much, much, much smaller. Find out how...
Geography of the Middle East Quiz
Where is the Sea of Galilee located? Where is the site of Mesopotamia? Take this quiz and test your geographical mettle....
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Geography & Travel Subcategories

Riyadh Cities & Towns
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Ukraine Countries of the World
Although there isn’t universal agreement on the question of what qualifies as a “country,” it is generally accepted that in order to be a country, a state must be a sovereign unit that has a permanent population, defined territorial boundaries, a government, and the ability to enter into agreements with other states. Even when these conditions are met, however, internationally recognized independence is not a given, and a territorial entity that declares itself to be an independent country is not always recognized as such by the rest of the world.
Articles
Roman Forum Historical Places
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Highways & Trails
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
Articles
Distribution of North American Plateau Indians Human Geography
Since 1945 human geography has contained five main divisions. The first four—economic, social, cultural, and political—reflect both the main areas of contemporary life and the social science disciplines with which geographers interact (i.e., economics, sociology, anthropology, and political science and international relations, respectively); the fifth is historical geography.
Articles
Some of the pictorial signs used at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif. Languages
Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual, or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release.
Articles
Mount St. Helens volcano Physical Geography of Land
Earth’s geographic history has been one marked by significant overall change, with ice ages, continental drift, and other major disruptions ultimately shaping Earth's land into the landscape of mountain ranges, deserts, islands, and volcanoes that we see today.
Articles
Arctic Ocean Physical Geography of Water
Whether it's Lake Michigan, the Gulf of Panama, or the River Thames, bodies of water of all shapes and sizes can be found around the globe, and they play a critical role for human beings, who use such bodies of water as a source of drinking water, a means of transporting both goods and people themselves, or a place to engage in water sports, among a plethora of other possible uses. Additionally, many bodies of water provide striking scenes of natural beauty and house important marine ecosystems. Satiate your thirst for knowledge about Earth's oceans, lakes, seas, rivers, waterfalls, bays, and more.
Articles
Sequoia National Park Nature Reserves & National Parks
Nature reserves are areas set aside for the purpose of preserving and protecting plants and animals, particularly endangered species. National parks may effectively serve a similar purpose by shielding threatened species from hunters, but these parks can also be created for the purpose of public recreation, affording its visitors a chance to be immersed in a protected natural environment. Many national parks have been created in the last 100 years, including Yellowstone National Park, the oldest and probably the best-known national park in the United States.
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flag of Queensland States & Other Subdivisions
Every nation has its own subdivisions to demarcate smaller political units within its territory. Counties, districts, oblasts, polis, nomos, unitary authorities, boroughs, and cities are all examples (among many others) of how land can be organized.
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North Africa Geographic Regions
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Big Ben Tourist Attractions
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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