The Difference between the U.K., Great Britain, England, and the British Isles Key differences of these names often used interchangeably United Kingdom Commonwealth of Nations British Monarch Isle of Man There are key differences between Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and England—names often used interchangeably. Great Britain Great Britain is an island that consists of three somewhat autonomous regions that include England, Scotland, and Wales. It is located east of Ireland and northwest of Francein the Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom The United Kingdom is a country that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its official name is “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are often mistaken as names of countries, but they are only a part of the United Kingdom. The British Isles The British Isles is another term altogether and encompasses Great Britain, the island of Ireland, and several other smaller islands, such as the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is not a part of the United Kingdom or the European Union, even though its Lord is the Monarch of the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nationsis a voluntary association of countries that were formerly British colonies. Members of the Commonwealth of Nations recognize the United Kingdom Monarch as their own king or queen, but remain politically independent. Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Canada Cameroon Cyprus Dominica Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibi a Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia

Principal Deserts of the World Deserts are arid regions, generally receiving less than ten inches of precipitation a year, or regions where the potential evaporation rate is twice as great as the precipitation. The world's deserts are divided into four categories.Subtropical desertsare the hottest, with parched terrain and rapid evaporation. Althoughcool coastal desertsare located within the same latitudes as subtropical deserts, the average temperature is much cooler because of frigid offshore ocean currents.Cold winter desertsare marked by stark temperature differences from season to season, ranging from 100° F (38° C) in the summer to 10° F (–12° C) in the winter.Polar regionsare also considered to be deserts because nearly all moisture in these areas is locked up in the form of ice. DesertLocationSizeTopography SUBTROPICAL DESERTS SaharaMorocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia3.5 million sq. mi.70% gravel plains, sand, and dunes. Contrary to popular belief, the desert is only 30% sand. The world's largest nonpolar desert gets its name from the Arabic wordSahra', meaning desert ArabianSaudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen1 million sq. mi.Gravel plains, rocky highlands; one-fourth is the Rub al-Khali (“Empty Quarter”), the world's largest expanse of unbroken sand KalahariBotswana, South Africa, Namibia220,000 sq. mi.Sand sheets, longitudinal dunes Australian Desert Gibson Australia (southern portion of the Western Desert)120,000 sq. mi.Sandhills, gravel, grass. These three regions of desert are collectively referred to as the Great Western Desert—otherwise known as “the Outback.” Contains Ayers Rock, or Uluru, one of the world's largest monoliths Great Sandy Australia (northern portion of the Western Desert)150,000 sq. mi. Great Victoria Australia (southernmost portion of the Western Desert)250,000 sq. mi. Simpson and Sturt Stony Australia (eastern half of the continent)56,000 sq. mi.Simpson's straight, parallel sand dunes are the longest in the world—up to 125 mi. Encompasses the Stewart Stony Desert, named for the Australian explorer MojaveU.S.: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, California54,000 sq. mi.Mountain chains, dry alkaline lake beds, calcium carbonate dunes SonoranU.S.: Arizona, California; Mexico120,000 sq. mi.Basins and plains bordered by mountain ridges; home to the Saguaro cactus ChihuahuanMexico; southwestern U.S.175,000 sq. mi.Shrub desert; largest in North America TharIndia, Pakistan175,000 sq. mi.Rocky sand and sand dunes COOL COASTAL DESERTS NamibAngola, Namibia, South Africa13,000 sq. mi.Gravel plains AtacamaChile54,000 sq. mi.Salt basins, sand, lava; world's driest desert COLD WINTER DESERTS Great BasinU.S.: Nevada, Oregon, Utah190,000 sq. mi.Mountain ridges, valleys, 1% sand dunes Colorado Plateau U.S.: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming130,000 sq. mi.Sedimentary rock, mesas, and plateaus—includes the Grand Canyon and is also called the “Painted Desert” because of the spectacular colors in its rocks and canyons PatagonianArgentina260,000 sq. mi.Gravel plains, plateaus, basalt sheets Kara-Kum Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan135,000 sq. mi.90% gray layered sand—name means “black sand” Kyzyl-Kum Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan115,000 sq. mi.Sands, rock—name means “red sand” IranianIran100,000 sq. mi.Salt, gravel, rock TaklamakanChina105,000 sq. mi.Sand, dunes, gravel GobiChina, Mongolia500,000 sq. mi.Stony, sandy soil, steppes (dry grasslands) POLAR ArcticU.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia5.4 million sq. mi.Snow, glaciers, tundra AntarcticAntarctica5.5 million sq. mi.Ice, snow, bedrock

Large Islands of the World The following table lists the world's largest islands including the name, location, political affiliation, and land area. Greenland is the world's largest island covering 2,175,597 square kilometers. Area IslandLocation and political affiliationsq. mi.sq. km GreenlandNorth Atlantic (Danish)839,9992,175,597 New GuineaSouthwest Pacific (West Papua [Irian Jaya], Indonesia, western part; Papua New Guinea, eastern part)309,000800,311 BorneoWest mid-Pacific (Indonesian, south part; Brunei and Malaysian, north part)287,300744,108 MadagascarIndian Ocean (Malagasy Republic)227,000587,931 BaffinNorth Atlantic (Canadian)195,926507,451 SumatraNortheast Indian Ocean (Indonesian)182,859473,605 HonshuSea of Japan–Pacific (Japanese)89,176230,966 Great BritainOff coast of NW Europe (England, Scotland, and Wales)88,795229,979 VictoriaArctic Ocean (Canadian)83,896217,291 EllesmereArctic Ocean (Canadian)75,767196,236 Sulawesi(Celebes)West mid-Pacific (Indonesian)73,057189,218 South IslandSouth Pacific (New Zealand)58,384151,215 JavaIndian Ocean (Indonesian)51,038132,189 North IslandSouth Pacific (New Zealand)44,702115,778 CubaCaribbean Sea (republic)42,803110,860 NewfoundlandNorth Atlantic (Canadian)42,031108,860 LuzonWest mid-Pacific (Philippines)40,420104,688 IcelandNorth Atlantic (republic)39,800103,082 MindanaoWest mid-Pacific (Philippines)36,53794,631 IrelandWest of Great Britain (republic, south part; United Kingdom, north part)32,59784,426 HokkaidoSea of Japan–Pacific (Japanese)32,24583,515 Sakhalin(Karafuto)North of Japan (Russian)29,50076,405 HispaniolaCaribbean Sea (Dominican Republic, east part; Haiti, west part)29,30075,887 BanksArctic Ocean (Canadian)27,03870,028 TasmaniaSouth of Australia (Australian)26,20067,858 Sri Lanka(Ceylon)Indian Ocean (republic)24,90064,491 DevonArctic Ocean (Canadian)21,33155,247 Tierra del FuegoSouthern tip of South America (Argentinian, east part; Chilean, west part)18,60548,187 Axel HeibergArctic Ocean (Canadian)16,67143,178 MelvilleArctic Ocean (Canadian)16,27442,149 KyushuSea of Japan–Pacific (Japanese)16,22342,018 SouthamptonHudson Bay (Canadian)15,91341,214 NOTE: Australia is not included in this list because it is defined as a continent rather than an island.

Principal Rivers of the World The following table lists the principal rivers of the world including the name, source location, outflow, and approximate length. The Nile is the world's longest river stretching 6,690 kilometers. (See Rivers of the United Statesfor other U.S. rivers.) Approx. length RiverSourceOutflowmi.km NileTributaries of Lake Victoria, AfricaMediterranean Sea4,1806,690 AmazonGlacier-fed lakes, PeruAtlantic Ocean3,9126,296 Mississippi-Missouri- Red Rock Source of Red Rock, MontanaGulf of Mexico3,7105,970 Chang Jiang (Yangtze)Tibetan plateau, ChinaChina Sea3,6025,797 ObAltai Mts., RussiaGulf of Ob3,4595,567 Huang He(Yellow)Eastern part of Kunlan Mts., West ChinaGulf of Chihli2,9004,667 YeniseiTannu-Ola Mts., western Tuva, RussiaArctic Ocean2,8004,506 ParanáConfluence of Paranaiba and Grande riversRío de la Plata2,7954,498 IrtishAltai Mts., RussiaOb River2,7584,438 Zaire (Congo)Confluence of Lualab and Luapula rivers, CongoAtlantic Ocean2,7164,371 Heilong (Amur)Confluence of Shilka (Russia) and Argun (Manchuria) riversTatar Strait2,7044,352 LenaBaikal Mts., RussiaArctic Ocean2,6524,268 MackenzieHead of Finlay River, British Columbia, CanadaBeaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean)2,6354,241 NigerGuineaGulf of Guinea2,6004,184 MekongTibetan highlandsSouth China Sea2,5004,023 MississippiLake Itasca, MinnesotaGulf of Mexico2,3483,779 MissouriConfluence of Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison rivers, MontanaMississippi River2,3153,726 VolgaValdai plateau, RussiaCaspian Sea2,2913,687 MadeiraConfluence of Beni and Maumoré rivers, Bolivia–Brazil boundaryAmazon River2,0123,238 PurusPeruvian AndesAmazon River1,9933,207 São FranciscoSouthwest Minas Gerais, BrazilAtlantic Ocean1,9873,198 YukonJunction of Lewes and Pelly rivers, Yukon Territory, CanadaBering Sea1,9793,185 St. LawrenceLake OntarioGulf of St. Lawrence1,9003,058 Rio GrandeSan Juan Mts., ColoradoGulf of Mexico1,8853,034 BrahmaputraHimalayasGanges River1,8002,897 IndusHimalayasArabian Sea1,8002,897 DanubeBlack Forest, GermanyBlack Sea1,7662,842 EuphratesConfluence of Murat Nehri and Kara Su rivers, TurkeyShatt-al-Arab1,7392,799 DarlingCentral part of Eastern Highlands, AustraliaMurray River1,7022,739 Zambezi11°21'S, 24°22'E, ZambiaMozambique Channel1,7002,736 TocantinsGoiás, BrazilPará River1,6772,699 MurrayAustralian Alps, New South WalesIndian Ocean1,6092,589 NelsonHead of Bow River, western Alberta, CanadaHudson Bay1,6002,575 ParaguayMato Grosso, BrazilParaná River1,5842,549 UralSouthern Ural Mts., RussiaCaspian Sea1,5742,533 GangesHimalayasBay of Bengal1,5572,506 Amu Darya (Oxus)Nicholas Range, Pamir Mts., TurkmenistanAral Sea1,5002,414 JapuráAndes, ColombiaAmazon River1,5002,414 SalweenTibet, south of Kunlun Mts.Gulf of Martaban1,5002,414 ArkansasCentral ColoradoMississippi River1,4592,348 ColoradoGrand County, ColoradoGulf of California1,4502,333 DnieperValdai Hills, RussiaBlack Sea1,4192,284 Ohio- AlleghenyPotter County, PennsylvaniaMississippi River1,3062,102 IrrawaddyConfluence of Nmai and Mali rivers, northeast BurmaBay of Bengal1,3002,092 OrangeLesothoAtlantic Ocean1,3002,092 OrinocoSerra Parima Mts., VenezuelaAtlantic Ocean1,2812,062 PilcomayoAndes Mts., BoliviaParaguay River1,2421,999 Xi Jiang (Si Kiang)Eastern Yunnan Province, ChinaChina Sea1,2361,989 ColumbiaColumbia Lake, British Columbia, CanadaPacific Ocean1,2321,983 DonTula, RussiaSea of Azov1,2231,968 SungariChina–North Korea boundaryAmur River1,2151,955 SaskatchewanCanadian Rocky Mts.Lake Winnipeg1,2051,939 PeaceStikine Mts., British Columbia, CanadaGreat Slave River1,1951,923 TigrisTaurus Mts., TurkeyShatt-al-Arab1,1801,899

Oceans and Seas The following table lists the world's oceans and seas, according to area and average depth, including the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arctic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Bering Sea, and more. NameAreaAverage depthGreatest known depthPlace of greatest known depth sq. mi.sq. kmft.mft.m Pacific Ocean60,060,700155,557,00013,2154,02836,19811,033Mariana Trench Atlantic Ocean29,637,90076,762,00012,8803,92630,2469,219Puerto Rico Trench Indian Ocean26,469,50068,556,00013,0023,96324,4607,455Sunda Trench Southern Ocean17,848,30020,327,00013,100–16,4004,000–5,00023,7367,235South Sandwich Trench Arctic Ocean5,427,00014,056,0003,9531,20518,4565,62577°45'N; 175°W Mediterranean Sea21,144,8002,965,8004,6881,42915,1974,632Off Cape Matapan, Greece Caribbean Sea1,049,5002,718,2008,6852,64722,7886,946Off Cayman Islands South China Sea895,4002,319,0005,4191,65216,4565,016West of Luzon Bering Sea884,9002,291,9005,0751,54715,6594,773Off Buldir Island Gulf of Mexico615,0001,592,8004,8741,48612,4253,787Sigsbee Deep Okhotsk Sea613,8001,589,7002,74983812,0013,658146°10'E; 46°50'N East China Sea482,3001,249,2006171889,1262,78225°16'N; 125°E Hudson Bay475,8001,232,300420128600183Near entrance Japan Sea389,1001,007,8004,4291,35012,2763,742Central Basin Andaman Sea308,000797,7002,85487012,3923,777Off Car Nicobar Island North Sea222,100575,200308942,165660Skagerrak Red Sea169,100438,0001,6114917,2542,211Off Port Sudan Baltic Sea163,000422,200180551,380421Off Gotland NOTE: For Caspian Sea,see Large Lakes of the World. 1. A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in spring 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean. 2. Includes Black Sea and Sea of Azov.