earth facts

Here are some quick Earth facts, browse our Earth Facts categories to see more.

Age: 4.6 billion years old.

Position: 3rd planet from the sun.

Size: 5th largest planet in our solar system.

Surface Area: 197 million square miles, about 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water.

Diameter: The Earth has an average diameter of 12,742 kilometers (7,926 miles).

Average Temperature: The temperature at the Earth's core is estimated to be between 5000 and 7000 degrees Celsius.

Length of Year: 365.25 days

Inclination of Axis: The Earth's axis has a tilt of about 23 ½ degrees. It is this tilt which causes the seasons.

Chemical Composition: The Earth is made mostly of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, nickel and sulfur: 34.6%  Iron, 29.5%  Oxygen, 15.2%  Silicon, 12.7%  Magnesium, 2.4%  Nickel, 1.9%  Sulfur, 0.05% Titanium

Largest and Deepest Ocean: The Pacific Ocean is both the Earth's largest and its deepest ocean. The Pacific Ocean covers an area of 166,241 square kilometers (166,241,000 square miles). At its deepest, it is 10,920 meters (35,826 feet) deep.

Highest Mountain: The highest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest, in China and Nepal. 8,848 meters (29,028 feet )

Longest River: The Nile, in Africa is the Earth's longest river. It is 6,695 kilometers (4,160 miles) long.

Largest Lake: The Caspian Sea, in Europe and Asia. 2,1765,000 square kilometers (839,999 square miles)

Largest Island: Greenland, in North America, is the largest island on Earth. It has an area of 2,175,600 square kilometers (839,999 square miles).