If you’ve ever stood at the sink scrubbing plates after dinner, you might assume hand-washing uses the least water. But the latest figures suggest otherwise.

Antarctica usually comes to mind when people think of penguins. That instinct is right, but it is only a part of the story. Penguins are much more geographically widespread, with significant populations across South America, Africa, and Oceania.

The world’s appetite for apples continues to grow, and at the centre of this fruity boom is China. According to a recent graphic showing the world’s largest apple producers, China alone is estimated to cultivate around 48 million metric tonnes of apples in 2024, by far the largest single-country output.

According to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), global wheat production has reached a remarkable milestone this season.

India continues to hold its position as the world’s largest milk producer in 2025, according to new data from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In Southeast Asia, agriculture, forestry, and fishing remain foundational to national economies, contributing 8% to 16.6% of GDP in 2024, depending on the country, even as their shares have declined in recent years.

India has cemented its dominance as the world’s top banana producer, yielding 34.5 million tonnes in 2022, nearly triple that of China (12.1 mt) and far surpassing Indonesia (9.2 mt), Nigeria (8 mt), and Brazil (6.8 mt), according to FAO data.

While wealthy nations are pouring billions into solar, wind, and green hydrogen, many less industrialised countries already generate the majority of their electricity from renewable sources.

The United Nations General Assembly enters its 80th session in September 2025 under the banner "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”

The world is losing its forests at an alarming rate, and a striking new visualisation shows just how severe the problem has become. Laos now leads the globe in tree-cover loss, with 16.82% of its forests disappearing, followed by Sweden (11.76%) and Bolivia (11.00%).

Venezuela leads the world in proven oil reserves in 2025 with an astonishing 303 billion barrels, followed closely by Saudi Arabia at 267 billion barrels, with Iran securing third place at 209 billion barrels.

From saline basins to remote deserts, the deepest points on each continent reveal a fascinating interplay of geology, climate, and human interaction. According to data compiled by World Atlas, these locations—measured by their depth below sea level—offer dramatic landscapes and scientific, economic, and environmental insights.

Forests play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating climate change.

Cities are often linked to lively streets bathed in enough brightness from the sun.