Earth, by the numbers
Water, wood, air, fire, stone, ice — and the living world on top of them. Open any topic for the key figures, the record holders and the facts worth knowing.
Where they are
Tap any marker to see the figures for that ocean, forest or range.
Tap a marker for its figures
Earth's records
Deepest, highest, largest, oldest
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Oceans
Five basins covering 71% of the planet
361M km²Ocean area
≈ 139.38M mi²
Forests
Four billion hectares of living carbon
4.06B haForest cover
≈ 10.03B acres
Atmosphere
Five layers of gas that make life possible
78%Nitrogen
Volcanoes
Where the planet's interior breaks the surface
~1,500Potentially active
Mountains
The planet's high ground and its water towers
8,849 mEverest
≈ 29,032 ft
Ice Caps
Two ice sheets holding most of Earth's fresh water
26.5M km³Antarctic ice
≈ 6.36M mi³
Animals
8.7 million species, most still unnamed
8.7MEstimated species
Plants
391,000 species turning sunlight into life
391,000Known plant species
Rivers
Fresh water on the move, from source to sea
6,650 kmNile length
≈ 4,132 mi
Deserts
A third of the land, defined by thirst
33%Of Earth's land
Figures are drawn from the most recent published estimates (FAO, NOAA, USGS, NASA, Kew, IUCN, IPBES and the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program) and rounded for readability.