The World Factbook

The World Factbook provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.

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Edition: Apr 12, 2024

Fact of The Day

April 12, 2024

The Dhamek Stupa

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What's New

The World Factbook has recently updated its Geoparks field in the Environment category with UNESCO's 2024 additions to its list of designated Global Geoparks. The 18 new sites bring the total to 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks found in 48 countries. Shown are the Hopewell Rocks, eroded sandstone conglomerates, in Canada's Bay of Fundy. The bay is home to the Cliffs of Fundy, which have been a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2020.

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The Bay of Fundy (between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) is home to the largest recorded tides on Earth, which can seasonally exceed 15 m (50 ft). On the western shore of the bay, Hopewell Rocks are sandstone conglomerates eroded by the rapidly shifting tides. At low tide, the formations are viewable from the beach.

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Part of a flag display in one of the buildings of the UN Office in Vienna.

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