Annex: Extreme points of the world

This is an annex that indicates the extreme points of the world, which are those locations on Earth that, in relation to their geographical position, height, accessibility or distance from the coast or sea, have extreme dimensions (maximum or minimum).

Extreme points according to their geographic location

Physical Center of Earth

Because Earth is almost a sphere, its physical center is thousands of kilometers below the Earth's crust, about 6,371 km, the size of the Earth's mean radius.

Extreme points according to latitude and longitude

• North of the Earth: geographic North Pole, in the Arctic Ocean.
• Nearest point to the north of the Earth on the mainland: Kaffeklubben Island, northeast of Greenland83°40′N 29°50′O / 83.667, -29.833), slightly north of Cape Morris Jesup, in Greenland (83°38′N 32°40′O / 83.633, -32.667). More north are some stone banks, being Oodaaq the best known.
• Point more south of the Earth (also more south on solid ground): South Pole, in Antarctica.
• Point to the west and east of the Earth: Based on the usual practice of the use of the length, any place along the meridian 180o of the Siberian Russia (which crosses Wrangel Island), the Antarctica and three of the Fiyi Islands—Eastern Vanua Levu, half of Taveuni and western part of Rabi.)
• Point more west of the Earth on land: Attu Island, in Alaska (according to the international date change line).
• Point more east of the Earth on solid ground: Caroline Island, in Kiribati (according to the international date change line).

Earth Cartographic Center

The intersection of the parallel of the equator and the Greenwich meridian, located at the coordinates of zero degrees, could be considered to be the "center" of the cartographic standard model (as seen on a map), even though it the choice of that meridian is a culturally and historically dependent convention, rather than based on geological or geographic reasons. This point (0°N, 0°E) is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 614 km south of Accra, Ghana, in the Gulf of Guinea.

While another cartographic center would be considered the other intersection of the 0° lines, that is, the crossing of the equator with the antimeridian, that meridian that continues to Greenwich on the other side of the Earth (180° meridian) and that It serves to delimit the change of date. This point hunts in the Pacific Ocean where the nearest land point is Baker Island.

Extreme points according to their altitude

Altitude is determined by reference points on the Earth's surface relative to the height of sea level.

• Highest point on Earth: Mount Everest, 8848 m above sea level
• Lower point of the Earth: Abismo Challenger, at the bottom of the Fosa de las Marianas, at 11 055 m below sea level.
• Lower point of the Earth on solid ground: Dead sea coast, at 417 m below sea level (see also: Annex:War below sea level).
• Lower point of the Earth not covered by water: bottom of the Bentley subglacial pit at 2555 m below sea level.
• Nearest point in the center of the Earth: Chimborazo Volcano in Ecuador, 6384.4 km (the summit of the Everest is 6382.3 km).
• Nearest point to the center of the earth: probably the bottom of the Arctic ocean, in the vicinity of the North Pole, ~6353 km (Fosa de las Marianas, in comparison, is 6366.4 km).

Extreme landforms according to their altitude

• Highest volcano: The Ojos del Salado of 6893 msnm, on the border between Argentina and Chile.
• Highest lake: A lake at 6390 msnm (27°07′00′′S 68°32′00′′ / -27.11667, -68.53333), on the Argentine side of the Ojos del Salado volcano, is the lake at the highest altitude of the world. Another candidate is Lhagba Pool on the northeast side of Mount Everest, Tibet, at an altitude of 6368 m.
• Highest navigable lake: Lake Titicaca, on the border of Peru and Bolivia in the Andes (3812 m).
• Higher glacier: Khumbu glacier on the southwest slope of Mount Everest in Nepal, starting at a height of 7600 to 8000 m.^{[chuckles]required]}
• Highest river: A candidate among many possibilities is the Ating River, which flows into the Aong Tso, a large lake of Tibet, and its source is 6100 m (0.32°49′30′N 81°03′45′E / 32.82500, 81.06250). The great river that is born at higher altitude is the river Brahmaputra or Yarlung Tsangpo (Tibetan name), originated in Tibet, whose main arm, the Maquan He, is born at about 6020 m (about 6020 m).30°48′59′′N 82°42′45′E / 30.81639, 82.71250. Above these heights there are no rivers since the temperature is almost always lower than the freezing point.
• Highest island: The series of islands of Lake Orba Co, located at an altitude of 5209 m in Tibet.
• Highest Cascade: The Angel Fall, located south of Venezuela (5°58′03′′N 62°32′14′O / 5.96750, -62.53722) is 980 m tall.
• Deeper Cave from the entrance level (delevel): Veryovkina cave in Abkhazia, with a 2212 m elevation.

Greater distances from Earth

Greater distances along the same latitude (east-west routes)

• Longer continuous distance on earth:
  • 10 726 km (in latitude 48°24.53' N): from Britain (France) (4°47.44' W), passing through Central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, to Primorie (Russia) (140°6,3' E).
• Longer continuous distance on earth (including permanent ice platform):
  • 7958 km (in latitude 78°35' S): minimum measurement of the Ross Ice Barrier, Antarctica (subject to change).

• Longest continuous distance in the sea:
  • 22 471 km (in latitude 55°59' S): South Cape Horn (Chile).
  • 4435 km (in latitude 83°40' N): North Kaffeklubben, Greenland (longer in the northern hemisphere).
• Longest continuous distance in the sea (between continents):
  • 15 409 km (in latitude 18°39,12' N): in the Pacific Ocean, between China (Hainan) (110°15'9 E) and Mexico (103°42'6 W).

Greater distances along the same longitude (north-south routes)

• Longer continuous distance on earth:
  • 7590 km (in length 99° 1,30' E): Russia (76°13.6' N), Mongolia, China, Burma, Thailand (7°53,24' N).
  • 7417 km (in length 20° 12' E): Libya (32°19' N), Chad, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa (34°41.3' S) (the longest in Africa).
  • 7098 km (in length 70°02' O): Venezuela (11°30.3' N), Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Chile (52°33.3' S) (longer in the Western Hemisphere and South America).
  • 5813 km (in longtitude 97°52.3' O: Canada (68°21' N), EE. Mexico (16°01' N) (longer in North America).
• Longest continuous distance in the sea:
  • 15 986 km (in length 34°45.45' O): Eastern Greenland (66°23.45' N), Atlantic Ocean, Antarctica (Filchner Ice Shelf) (77°37' S).
  • 15 883 km (in length 172°08.30' O): Russia (Siberia) (64°45' N), Pacific Ocean, Antarctica (Rosss Ice Barrier) (78°20' S) (longer in the Pacific Ocean).

Extremes of human settlements

Center of town

The center of population, the place where there is the shortest mean route for all the inhabitants of the world, could be considered as one of the centers of the world, and is located in the north of the Indian subcontinent; it would be a type of center of mass of the population.

Extreme points of human settlements

The human settlements located in the most extreme points of the Earth are the following:

• In the Northern Hemisphere:
  • The most permanent settlement north of the Earth is Alert on Ellesmere Island, Canada (82°28′N 62°30′O / 82.467, -62.500).
  • The capital of the country further north is Reikiavik, Iceland (64°09′N 21°55′O / 64.150, -21.917).
  • Cities more north of the Earth, according to its population:
    • More than 1000 inhabitants: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway (1600 inhabitants, 78°15′N 15°28′E / 78.250, 15.467).
    • More than 5000 inhabitants: Tiksi, Russia (5100 inhabitants, 71°35′N 128°55′E / 71.583, 128.917).
    • More than 50 000 inhabitants: Tromsø, Norway (61 897 inhabitants, 69°40′N 18°55′E / 69.667, 18.917).
    • More than 100 000: Norilsk, Russia (134 832 inhabitants, 69°21′N 88°12′E / 69.350, 88.200).
    • More than 250 000 inhabitants: Múrmansk, Russia (308 100 inhabitants, 68°58′N 33°05′E / 68.967, 33.083).
    • More than 500 000 inhabitants: Helsinki, Finland (559 330 inhabitants, 60°10′N 25°00′E / 60.167, 25,000).

• In the Southern Hemisphere:
  • The permanent settlement more south of the world is the scientific station Amundsen-Scott, the geographic South Pole, Antarctica. If the population of Antarctic scientific stations is not considered permanent, the permanent settlement more south of the Earth is Puerto Toro, Chile (with about 50 inhabitants), 55°05′S 67°06′O / -55.083, -67.100).
  • The southernmost city of the land is Ushuaia, Argentina (with 74,752 inhabitants)54°56′S 67°37′O / -54.933, -67.617).
  • Wellington (New Zealand), is the capital of a country more south of the world (212 100 inhabitants, 41°17′S 174°47′E / -41.283, 174.783).
  • Cities more south of the Earth, according to its population:
    • More than 70,000: Ushuaia, Argentina (98,017 inhabitants, -54,8123494, -68,3008496).
    • More than 100 000: Punta Arenas, Chile (120 000 inhabitants, 53°10′S 70°56′O / -53.167, -70.933).
    • More than 1 000 000: Melbourne, Australia (4 246 345 inhabitants, 37°49′S 144°57′E / -37.817, 144.950).

Further Elements

• Most remote inhabited island: With a population of about 242 inhabitants, Tristan de Acuña is the most remote inhabited island in the world, i.e. the nearest inhabited place, St. Helena Island, which is 2161 km north. The Easter Island (Chile), with 3791 inhabitants, is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is the one that is most distant from the nearest continental point, the Lavapié tip in the VIII Biobío Region, for 3526 km, but is closer to other inhabited islands than Tristan de Acuña. It is 2075 km east of the Pitcairn Islands and 4251 km from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia. 415 km away to the northeast is the uninhabited and also Chilean island Sala and Gómez.

• Most remote uninhabited island: Bouvet Island, a small and uninhabited Norwegian island, located in the south of the Atlantic Ocean (Westland)54°26′S 3°24′E / -54.433, 3.400). The nearest land is the uninhabited Land of Queen Maud (Antártida), about 1600 km south. The nearest inhabited lands are Tristan da Cunha 2260 km away, and South Africa 2580 km away.

• Most remote archipelago: Tristan de Acuña in the south of the Atlantic Ocean, 2816 km from South Africa and 3360 km from South America. The islands are part of the British colony of the Crown of St. Helena Island which is 2161 km north. With a population of about 242 inhabitants, the main island of Tristan de Acuña is the most remote inhabited island in the world.

• Most remote inhabited cities: Honolulu or Perth in western Australia, depending on the definition of "distance" and "big". There are no settlements 3841 km from Honolulu and 2139 km from Perth over 500 000 inhabitants (San Francisco [in the United States], and Adelaide [in Australia], respectively).

• Largest continental city in the world without road connection: Iquitos, Peru.

• Most remote airport in the world: Mataveri International Airport (IPC) on Easter Island, which has a single track for public and military use. It is 3759 km from Santiago de Chile (SCL), which has regular flights with it, and 2603 km from Mangareva (GMR) on Gambier Islands, French Polynesia, with which it does not have regular flights. In comparison, the Amundsen-Scott (NZSP) airport is not at all remote, as it is 1355 km from Williams Field (NZWD) near Ross Island.

• Most remote capitals in the world: Canberra (Australia) and Wellington (New Zealand). None of them has a capital of a nearest sovereign country. The two cities are 2330 km away.

Extreme points accessible according to means of transport

• High-altitude road (end of route): Aucanquilcha, Chile (6176 m), departing mining road to the summit of the volcano, used by 20-ton mining trucks. The road is no longer usable.
• Highest-altitude road (mountain): Possibly Semo La, Tibet (5565 m), or La Marsimik, India, depending on the definition of "canzable by transport". There may be even higher motor roads in Tibet, in areas affected by lack of information and restricted access.
• High-altitude asphalt road: Ticlio, Peru at the highest vehicle pass with 4818 m. n. m.
• Lower-altitude road: The roads bordering the Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan and West Bank), at 418 m below sea level.
• High altitude train tour: Tanggula Mountain Pass, in the Tanggula Mountains, Tibet (People's Republic of China) (5072 m).
• Highest altitude commercial airport: Qamdo Bangda Airport, Tibet, People ' s Republic of China (4334 m).
• Low-altitude commercial airport: Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, 3 m below sea level. Schiphol is the lowest big commercial airport in the world.
• Higher helipad: Sonam, Siachen glacier, India at an altitude of 6400 m.

Extreme points according to their accessibility

A pole of inaccessibility is a place on the Earth's surface where the distance to the coastline is locally maximum. As coastline should be understood that of the oceans or seas connected with the open ocean.

• Pole of inaccessibility of Eurasia (point further away on Earth from any coast): A point in the desert Dzoosotoyn Elisen (about 320 km north of the city of Ürümqi, in Xinjiang, China Autonomous Region) (46°16.8′N 86°40.2′E / 46.2800, 86.6700). It is located at an approximate distance of 2648 km from the nearest coast (by definition, three-point equidistant).

• Pacific Inaccessibility Pole or Nemo Point (Oce point farther away from any coastline): a point south of the Pacific Ocean (South of the Pacific Ocean)48°52.6′S 123°23.6′O / -48.8767, -123.3933), which is 2688 km from the coast: it is equidistant of island Ducie (in the Pitcairn Islands) to the north; of Siple Island (an island Maher, near Tierra Marie Byrd, Antarctica), to the south; and of Motu Nui, an islet opposite Rapa Nui, Easter Island in the northeast. It is in the middle of an ocean area of 22,405,411 km2, 3,211 km2 more than the entire former Soviet Union.

• South Pole of Inaccessibility (or Antarctica): Commonly located in (82°58′S 54°40′E / -82.967, 54.667). At a height of 3718 m, occupied by the Russian base Vostok, is the point of the Antarctic continent farther from the ocean.

• North Pole of Inaccessibility (point farther away from the coast in the Arctic Ocean): A point located 1453 km from Barrow tip (Alaska) and equidistant 1904 km from the other two continental masses: Ellesmere Island and Francisco José's Land (Alaska)84°03′N 174°51′O / 84.050, -174.850). Dista 611 km from the geographic north pole and due to the drift of the polar ice plates no permanent structure can point it out.

• African inaccessibility pole: A point 1814 km from the coast, near the city of Obo, in a place close to the confluence of the borders of the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo).5°39′N 26°10′E / 5.65, 26.17)

• South American inaccessibility pole: A point located in 14°03′S 56°51′O / -14.05, -56.85 (PIA of South America)

• North American Inaccessibility Pole: A point 1639 km from the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and Hudson Bay (White Bay)43°22′N 101°58′O / 43.36, -101.97 (Pole of Inaccessibility North America)).
• Australian inaccessibility pole: A point located in 23°10′S 132°16′E / -23.17, 132.27 (Continental Pole of Inaccessibility of Australia).

References and notes