Geography

Christopher Columbus never saw the North American mainland in October 1492. The land he first saw was an island in the Bahamas, which he named San Salvador. San Salvador Island is also known as Watling Island. Columbus called this region the Indies because he thought he had reached the islands we now call the East … Read more

The 2,000-mile-long island chain known as the West Indies is divided into three groups of islands. Their total population is about the same as that of Central America, about 37 million. In the following list, islands that are followed by a country name in parentheses are territories of that country; the others are independent nations. … Read more

The Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat is still active, and geologists will be keeping a close eye on volcanic activity on this small island for years to come. Montserrat’s Soufriere Hills volcano began erupting in 1995 and will probably continue to pose a danger to island residents for at least another 10 years. Its Georgian … Read more

Back in the 1700s and 1800s, sugar cane was a profitable crop that was easily grown on islands in the Caribbean. People from Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands first forced native people to work for them, then later brought slave labor from Africa to work on the large plantations they built there. … Read more

There are twelve countries in South America. From largest to smallest in population, the countries are Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname. French Guiana belongs to France, and the Falkland Islands, the island of South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands are territories of the United Kingdom. South … Read more

Geologists think that Boiling Lake on the island of Dominica is actually a flooded fumarole. A fumarole is a crack in the earth’s surface that releases gases from molten lava below. These gases bubble to the surface, making it look as if the lake is boiling. The water itself is almost hot enough to boil, … Read more

Yes, more people live in North America than in South America. About 345 million people lived in South America in 2000. North America’s population, including Central America and the Caribbean, was more than 408 million people. All of South America lies east of the North American city of Savannah, Georgia. South America, the fourth largest … Read more

Brazil is so large that it includes about half of South America’s population and occupies half of the continent’s land area. It’s the fifth largest country in the world, both in land area and in population, and in 2009 about 192 million people lived in Brazil. About the same size as the contiguous 48 United … Read more

The snow covered peaks of the Andes stretch along the west coast of South America for about 4,500 miles (7,200 km), running from Venezuela in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. The Andes extend to seven countries, is the world’s highest mountain range outside of the continent of Asia. They make up … Read more

South America is not the same as Latin America. Latin America refers more to culture than geography. Latin America usually means South America as well as Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, which are geographically part of North America. Many of these countries were settled by Spanish, Portuguese, and French colonists. All of those groups … Read more

Spanish and Portuguese are the most widely spoken language in South America. Nearly half the people in South America speak Portuguese, most of them in Brazil, although Spanish isn’t far behind. Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, which was founded as a Portuguese territory in 1494. Three other languages are widely spoken in South … Read more

Scientists believe that an asteroid measuring about 6 miles (10 km) wide slammed into what is now the village of Chicxulub in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago. The impact created a crater 124 miles (200 km) in diameter and threw billions of tons of vaporized rock, water, and gas into the atmosphere. … Read more

Mexico City is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing cities, with more than 3 million cars and trucks and hundreds of industrial plants throwing pollutants into the air. Half of Mexico’s industrial plants are located in or near Mexico City. The region’s geography has made air pollution problems even worse. Mexico City is located … Read more

Maquiladoras are manufacturing plants that assemble parts made elsewhere to produce items such as electronic equipment, clothes, auto parts, and appliances. They are located in northern Mexico, mostly within a few miles of the U.S. border. About 1 million Mexicans work in about 3,800 maquiladoras, which are owned primarily by U.S., Japanese, and European companies. … Read more

In land area, Mexico is about three times the size of Texas. It is about one-fifth the size of the United States. Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest independent nation in the world. In population, Mexico has about 111 million people, while the United States … Read more

The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan may have had as many as 400,000 residents when the Spanish explorers first saw it in 1519. It was one of the world’s largest cities at the time. The city was founded in 1325 on two large islands in the middle of Lake Texcoco. The Spaniards destroyed the city in … Read more

Not all the people in Central American countries are descended from the early Spanish settlers, several different European and native groups are represented. But Spanish is the official language in all countries except Belize, which is English speaking. Central America is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America … Read more

Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama are located in Central America. About 37 million people live in those seven countries south of Mexico. Belize has the second-longest coral barrier reef in the world, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. El Salvador, like much of Central America, lies in a geologically active region. … Read more

Ships travel in a general north and south direction through the Panama Canal, not east and west. A look at a map of the isthmus of Panama makes it clear why. While the Pacific Ocean is west of the isthmus and the Atlantic to the east, the 8 to 10 hour journey through the canal … Read more

The Panama Canal was built because it provided a much needed shortcut for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Before the canal was built, ships had to sail around the southern tip of South America, taking them thousands of miles out of their way through dangerous waters. The Panama Canal connects the … Read more

There is no highway that runs from North America through Central America and into South America. Because technically, there is a 54 mile (87-km) long gap in the Pan-American Highway, a system of roads connecting countries in North and South America. This missing section prevents traffic from passing through the isthmus of Panama into the … Read more

The Panama Canal cuts through the isthmus of Panama for about 51 miles (82 km) from Limon Bay on the Atlantic Ocean to the Bay of Panama on the Pacific Ocean. From 1903 until 1979, a 10-mile-wide strip of land called the Panama Canal Zone was controlled by the United States, which built the canal. … Read more

Costa Rica’s government has been working to promote the country as a prime ecotourism destination. It has more than 850 species of birds, 1,400 species of trees, 9,000 flowering plants, at least 4,500 different types of moths, and many other exotic forms of wildlife. Almost one-third of the country’s land is protected by the government. … Read more

Since the 1500s sailors had longed for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Finally, in 1881, a French company made the first attempt at digging a canal through the isthmus of Panama, the narrowest stretch of land in Central America. But the project was abandoned seven years later, after little progress had been … Read more

Almost 1 million people immigrate to the United States every year, although the Census Bureau predicts that the number will drop to about 700,000 a year by 2011. The main reason people come to the United States is for better-paying jobs. For example, one study noted that people who were earning about $31 a week … Read more

The U.S. Virgin Islands, not to be confused with the British Virgin Islands, are a territory of the United States. They lie about 40 miles east of Puerto Rico. Because the U.S. government wanted to control this strategic spot in the Caribbean during World War I, it purchased this group of 50 islands and cays … Read more

Texas was once part of Mexico, but when U.S. citizens began settling there in the early 1800s, they revolted because they didn’t like the Mexican government’s efforts to control them. In 1836, at the Battle of San Jacinto, near present day Houston, the American settlers captured Mexican general Santa Anna, who agreed to give Texas … Read more

California leads the country in agricultural production, followed in order by Texas, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, according to recent figures. North Dakota produces the most wheat, followed by Kansas. Iowa produces the most corn, followed by Illinois and Nebraska. Texas produces the most cotton, followed by California and Mississippi. Texas produces the most cattle, followed … Read more

California, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of other U.S. states were once a part of Mexico. At the end of the Mexican War in 1848, Mexico gave the United States the land that is now California, Nevada, and Utah. It also turned over most of Arizona and parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. In … Read more

In 2000 the New York City metropolitan area was slightly larger than Mexico city, with 21.1 million people. Mexico City had 18.1 million people in its metropolitan area and was ranked the fourth largest city in the world, after Tokyo, Japan; New York City; and Seoul-Inchon, South Korea. In 2010, Mexico City was the second … Read more

About 70 percent of Mexico is arid or semiarid, but the country also has beautiful mountain ranges, scenic beaches, and lush tropical forests. Mexico has one of the world’s most diverse weather systems because it lies in both temperate and tropical zones. Many large cities in Mexico are located in the Valley of Mexico with … Read more

Mexico has 31 states and a federal district, Mexico City, which is the capital. Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies are home to numerous different languages and cultures. Many countries are former colonies of Great Britain, France, Spain, or Holland. Mexico has a population of about 111 million people, and is the fifth-largest country … Read more

The highest point in Mexico is Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltepetl, which rises 18,410 feet (5,610 m) above sea level. The stratovolcano is about 65 miles west of Veracruz, and is the third highest mountain in North America. The last eruptions occurred in 1687, and the volcano is currently dormant but not extinct. … Read more

Lake Chapala, in the state of Jalisco, covers 651 square miles (1,686 sq km), and is Mexico’s largest freshwater lake. It is a shallow lake, and is situated on the border between the states of Jalisco and Michoacán. Lake Chapala is a habitat for several species of migratory birds, such as the White Pelican, and … Read more

Mexico sits on top of not one or two but three of the earth’s tectonic plates. For this reason, the country experiences more than its share of earthquakes, since the movement of these plates causes earthquakes and volcanoes. One of the worst earthquakes to hit the country killed thousands of people and caused the destruction … Read more

Popocatepetl, which is one of the tallest mountains in North America at 17,887 feet (54,520 m). It’s been erupting since at least the 1300s, and most recently in 2000. Its name is an Aztec word meaning “smoking mountain.” Popocatépetl can be seen regularly from Mexico City, depending on atmospheric conditions, and the early 16th-century monasteries … Read more

Most of the people who live in Mexico today are descendants of both Indian and Spanish people, a combination called mestizo. The Spanish word Mestizo, which originated around 1582, came from the Latin word “mixticius”, which means mixed. For nearly 300 years, between 1521 and 1810, people from Spain ruled Mexico, claiming it as a … Read more

The largest shopping mall in North America is in Canada. West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, has more than 800 stores, 100 restaurants, six amusement attractions, and a 335-room hotel. It is the fifth largest shopping mall in the world. The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated to Canada from Iran in … Read more

Mount McKinley in Alaska, also called Denali, its Native American name, is the highest mountain in the United States, at 20,320 feet (6,194 m). It’s also the highest mountain in North America. Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton that has been uplifted by tectonic pressure, and is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve. … Read more

Twelve states border Canada: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. It is the longest undefended border in the world, and the international boundary is 5,527-mile (8,895-km) long. It is also the world’s longest un-militarized border. The present border originated with the Treaty of Paris in … Read more

Niagara Falls is located in both the United States and Canada. The Niagara River forms part of the U.S. Canada border. There are two falls on the Niagara River, the American Falls in New York State and the Horseshoe Falls in Canada. All but about 6 percent of the water flows over Horseshoe Falls, which … Read more

The lowest point, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, is Bad Water, in Death Valley, California. Badwater Basin is an endorheic basin, and the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin make it undrinkable, thus giving it the name. However, the pool does have animal and plant life, including pickleweed, aquatic insects, and the … Read more

The Alaska Highway, also known as the Alaska-Canadian Highway, was constructed during World War II and connects the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It took engineers less than a year to build this 1,397-mile (2,248-km) road from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, in Canada, to Delta Junction, Alaska (near Fairbanks) during 1942 and 1943. They … Read more

The Bering Sea is separated from the Gulf of Alaska by the Alaska Peninsula, and is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator in Russian service, who was the first European to systematically explore the area in 1728. The Bering Strait connects the Bering Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean, with the Arctic … Read more

California gets more earthquakes than other parts of the United States because the San Andreas fault runs though about 800 miles of the state. The San Andreas fault is a fracture in the earth’s crust. Geologists call it a strike-slip type of fault, meaning the rock on one side of the fault moves sideways in … Read more

The Mississippi River is 2,340 miles (3,767 km) long, making it the longest river in the United States. The river originates at Lake Itasca, Minnesota and flows southwards in sweeping meanders, and begins to flows into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans, Louisiana. The current form of the Mississippi River basin was shaped by … Read more

Machinery and transportation equipment, especially airplanes, computers, and cars and trucks, top the list of products the United States exports to other countries. Also important are manufactured items, metal, paper, textile fibers, metal ores, chemicals, and plastics. Even though about one-third of the food exported in the world comes from U.S. farms, agriculture is not … Read more

Most earthquakes in the United States occur along the San Andreas Fault in California. But the West Coast of the United States isn’t the only place where major earthquakes can occur. Geologists predict that there is a 90 percent probability that the New Madrid fault in southeastern Missouri will produce a magnitude 6 or 7 … Read more

Not surprisingly, the United States conducts most of its trade with its two neighbors, Canada and Mexico. It also trades heavily with China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and Great Britain. The United States has led the world in imports for decades while simultaneously remaining as one of the top three exporters of the world. … Read more

Alaska’s Good Friday earthquake in 1964 in Prince William Sound measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, the strongest ever recorded in the United States. This quake was felt over a 500,000-square-mile (1,295,000 sq km) area, killed 114 people, and released more than 125 times the energy of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The San … Read more

The United States imports thousands of different products from other countries, but leading the list are: oil and gas cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles electrical machinery and appliances telecommunications equipment computers and office machines toys and sporting goods clothing and clothing accessories The United States is the world’s largest trading nation, and there are … Read more

NAFTA stands for the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 1994. It means that these countries can trade freely with one another without having to pay taxes or duties on the goods traded. Since 2007, the trade bloc is the largest in the world in … Read more

Puerto Rico, an island in the Caribbean southeast of Florida, is a U.S. territory with about 3.8 million people. Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory, along with the Pacific island of Guam, when the Treaty of Paris was signed after the Spanish-American War in 1898. Puerto Rico became a commonwealth in 1952, meaning that it … Read more

Except for coastal areas of British Columbia in the western part of the country, most of Canada has continuous snow cover in the winter, and average temperatures stay below freezing. But Canada, because it is so large, has many different climate types. The climate on the Pacific Coast is similar to that of Great Britain: … Read more

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but their Thanksgiving is on the second Monday in October, not the fourth Thursday in November, as in the United States, because harvest time comes earlier in Canada. Canadians do enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but they don’t associate their holiday with pilgrims and the landing of … Read more

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that lies completely within the United States. The United States and Canada each have boundaries on the other four Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. The province of Ontario Is the only province to touch all four of the Great Lakes that border Canada. The Saint Lawrence … Read more

Canada has been an independent country since 1931, and does not belong to the United Kingdom. But it is still a member of the British Commonwealth, also called the Commonwealth of Nations, which is made up of the United Kingdom and several countries that used to be part of the British Empire. Membership is voluntary, … Read more

English is one of the official languages of Canada. Canada has two official languages: English and French. About 17 million of Canada’s 28.5 million people claim English as their first language. Nearly 7 million speak French, most of whom live in the province of Quebec. Canada is home to 5 million immigrants as well, and … Read more

Canada does not have a president and a congress like the United States. The Canadians are led by a prime minister, who is the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in its parliament. The parliament of Canada consists of the Senate and the House of Commons. The 104 senators are appointed … Read more

The Mackenzie River, in the Northwest Territories, is 2,635 miles (4,241 km) long, almost 300 miles longer than the Mississippi River in the United States. It is named for the explorer Alexander Mackenzie, who was the first person to cross Canada and reach the Pacific in 1793. Alexander Mackenzie traveled the river while trying to … Read more

Mount Logan, in the southwestern Yukon Territory near Alaska, is the highest mountain in Canada. It is 19,525 feet (5,951 m) above sea level, and is the second-highest peak in North America, after Mount McKinley. Mount Logan is located within Kluane National Park and Reserve and is the source of the Hubbard and Logan Glaciers. … Read more

The St. Lawrence River is 800 miles long (1,300 km) is sometimes called the mother of Canada because it was important to explorers, fur traders, and settlers in the early years of Canada’s history. Today, the St. Lawrence River, which forms part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, is still important to Canada and the United … Read more

The longest national highway in the world is the Trans-Canada Highway. It connects Victoria, British Columbia, on the west coast with St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Canada’s east coast, a distance of about 5,000 miles (8,000 km). It was built in just 15 years, from 1950 to 1965. Canada is an Indian or native name, and … Read more

Canadian farmers produce wheat, barley, corn, flaxseed, and canola, as well as beef cattle, hogs, poultry, and dairy products. Most of the country’s farms and ranches are located in the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. The fishing industry is important to communities throughout the Atlantic provinces of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, … Read more

Scientists believe that many, if not all, of the first people in North America came from Asia. About 12,500 years ago, they left what is now Siberia and walked over the Bering Land Bridge, now covered by water and called the Bering Strait, to Alaska. The descendants of these first people may have eventually spread … Read more

Yes, Greenland is geographically part of North America. But politically Greenland is a self-governing province that belongs to Denmark, a European nation. In 1979 Denmark granted home rule to Greenland, in a relationship known in Danish as Rigsfællesskabet, meaning Commonwealth of the Realm. Greenland is the largest island in the world. Its official name is … Read more

Most people in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America are descended from Europeans. Spain had colonies in Mexico, Cuba, and Central America, so most of the people there can claim Spanish ancestors. The United States was colonized by Great Britain, but in the 1800s and 1900s, people from many countries in Europe, Asia, … Read more

The average annual temperatures of Nuuk, Greenland ranges from about -9 to 7 °C (15.8 to 44.6 °F). In summer, the coastal regions of Greenland experience temperatures similar to the islands in the Canadian Archipelago, ranging from −12 °C to 0 °C (10 °F and 32 °F). The Greenland Ice Sheet covers about 80% of … Read more

At its closest point, Greenland is only 10 miles (16 km) from Canada. Greenland is located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Most of Greenland lies north of the Arctic Circle. At its northernmost point, Greenland is only 440 miles (708 km) from the North Pole. Greenland has been … Read more

Geographers have decided that Greenland is too small to be called a continent. Australia is three and a half times larger than Greenland. Greenland is physiographically part of the continent of North America, and is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland is the world’s largest island that is not a continent by … Read more

The world’s tallest iceberg was measured off the coast of Greenland in 1958, it was 550 feet (168 m) high. That’s about the same height as the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. About one-fifth to one-eighth of a typical iceberg protrudes above the surface of the water. This is because ice is less dense than … Read more

Archaeologists believe that the 1,000-year-old Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, a province of Canada, is the oldest in North America. Led by Leif Eriksson, the Vikings who settled there nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus reached America called it Vinland. L’Anse aux Meadows is the only known Norse site in North America outside … Read more

Going from west to east, the 10 provinces in Canada are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. Canada also has three territories: Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The provinces span six time zones. Canada holds 9 percent of the world’s freshwater supply, but it … Read more

Nunavut can’t be found on older maps because it is a new Canadian territory, it is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada. It was carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, and it is the first self-governing Native American territory in North America. Nunavut is an … Read more

Toronto is the largest Canadian city in population, and had about 2.39 million people living in its metropolitan area in 2001. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America in 2010. Toronto is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, with about … Read more

How Many People In the World Use the Internet and How Many Internet Users Are there In the United States? One estimate is that 600 million people in the world were using the Internet by 2002. In 2001, there were just 500 million users worldwide. The United States led in total number, with about 4 … Read more

In 2000, the tallest buildings in the world were the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The towers are each 88 stories and 1,483 feet (452 m) tall. But at least two other buildings that are taller. The World Financial Center in Shanghai, China, has 94 stories and rises to 1,509 feet (460 m). … Read more

Almost 600 million computers were working in the world in 2000. The country with the most computers was the United States, with more than 164 million, followed by Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, China, Australia, and South Korea, in that order. The number of personal computers in use worldwide hit one billion … Read more

The Shanghai Metro is the longest metro system in the world. It opened in 1995, and has become one of the newest and fastest-growing rapid transit systems in the world. The Shanghai Metro has twelve metro lines, 268 stations, and over 420 kilometers of tracks in operation. The London Underground, nicknamed the Tube, is the … Read more

In Japan, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge connecting the city of Kobe with Awaji Island over the Akashi Strait opened in 1998 and is 2.43 miles (3.9 km) long. The main span is 1.24 miles (2 km) long. All four of Japan’s main islands are now connected by bridges. Because the bridge is near the epicenter … Read more

Rotterdam, Netherlands, was the busiest port city in the world from 1962 to 2004. It handles more than 325 million tons of cargo annually, and is situated in the Dutch province of South Holland. In 2005 Shanghai became the world’s largest cargo port as a result of economic reforms, intense re-development, and financing in the … Read more

Japan’s Seikan Tunnel is 33 miles (53 km) long and connects the main Japanese island of Honshtii with the northern island of Hokkaido. The tunnel extends for 14.5 miles (23 km) under water. The Seikan Tunnel is comparatively underused because air travel is faster and cheaper. The tunnel was opened on 13 March 1988, and … Read more

O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, was the world’s busiest passenger airport before 2005. It beat out the previous world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2001. O’Hare had 911,861 takeoffs and landings in 2001. O’Hare International Airport serves as the primary and largest hub for United Airlines and as a hub … Read more

Humans have already used up about one-third of the world’s known oil reserves, and scientists predict that there is only enough oil to sustain current levels of production for perhaps another hundred years. Oil is distributed unevenly over the earth. Almost 80 percent is in the Eastern Hemisphere, and most of that is in the … Read more

More than 193,000 metric tons of gold has been mined from the earth. If you could take all of this gold and shape it into a solid cube, each side of the cube would be 72 feet (22 m) high. South Africa, the United States, and Australia lead the world in gold production. Since the … Read more

Much more silver than gold has been mined, more than 1,740,000 metric tons from the earth. The amount of silver that has been mined would form a cube 180 feet (55 m) high on each side. Most of the world’s silver comes from Mexico and Peru. Silver has been used for thousands of years to … Read more

About 840 million, or one of every 14 people on the earth, don’t have enough to eat, according to the United Nations. Most live in developing countries in Africa and in the Asia-Pacific region. India alone has about 202 million people who do not get enough food. Poverty is the main reason people go hungry, … Read more

Today, girls born in Japan can expect to live to be 84, the longest life expectancy in the world. Girls born in Switzerland are next; they can expect to live to age 83. Girls born today in Australia, Iceland, Sweden, and France have a life expectancy of 82 years. Girls born today in the United … Read more

Esperanto is a made-up, or artificial, language devised by a Polish doctor named Ludovic L. Zamenhof about 100 years ago to serve as a common language between people who speak different native languages. Its words are based on common words in European languages, and it is fairly easy to learn because its grammar rules are … Read more

No one knows for sure exactly how many different languages are spoken in the world today, but the number is probably between 6,000 and 7,000 languages. And there are many more dialects, which are regional versions of a language with different pronunciations, accents, and words. Most of these languages have relatively few speakers. Every year, … Read more