All Superlatives of the world | Famous Books for UPSC Exam (Summary & Tests) PDF Download

The Longest - Extending Boundaries

• Longest Day: June 21 (in Northern Hemisphere)
• Longest River which forms an estuary in India: Hooghly
• Longest Desert (World): Sahara, Africa (~9,200,000 sq. km.) (largest hot desert)
• Longest Epic: The Mahabharata
• Longest River: Amazon (~6,992 km), Nile (~6,650 km)
• Longest Tunnel (Road): Lærdal, Norway (~24.5 km)
• Longest Animal: Blue Whale (recorded length up to 110 ft., weight up to 200 tons)
• Longest Canal (India): The Indira Gandhi Canal (~649 km)
• Longest Road in India: National Highway 44 (~3,745 km)
• Longest Big Ship Canal: Suez Canal (Linking Red Sea & Mediterranean, ~193.3 km)
• Longest Railway Platform: Hubballi (Karnataka, India, ~1,507 m)

The Largest - Grand Scale Achievements

• Largest Bird: Ostrich
• Largest Continent: Asia (~44,579,000 sq. km.)
• Largest Country (in terms of area): Russia (~17,098,242 sq. km.)
• Largest Diamond: The Cullinan (~3,106.75 carats)
• Largest Artificial Lake: Lake Volta, Ghana (~8,502 sq. km.)
• Largest Mosque: Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia (~400,000 sq. m.)
• Largest Park: Northeast Greenland National Park (~972,000 sq. km.)
• Largest Forest State in India: Madhya Pradesh (~77,493 sq. km.)
• Largest Palace: Imperial Palace (Forbidden City), Beijing, China (~720,000 sq. m.)
• Largest Sea-bird: Wandering Albatross
• Largest Volcano: Mauna Loa, Hawaii (largest by volume, ~75,000 km³)
• Largest Mammal: Blue Whale
• Largest Church: Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican City, Rome, Italy (~15,160 sq. m.)
• Largest Temple: Angkor Wat, Cambodia (~1,626,000 sq. m.)
• Largest State: Rajasthan (~342,239 sq. km.)
• Largest Bell (World): Tsar Bell, Moscow, Russia (~200 tons, non-functional)
• Largest City in Population (World): Tokyo (~37 million)
• Largest Zoo: San Diego Zoo Safari Park, USA (~730 hectares)

The Biggest - Magnificent Marvels

• Biggest Cinema House: Kinepolis Madrid, Spain (~9,200 seats)
• Biggest City (in terms of area): Hulunbuir, China (~263,953 sq. km.)
• Biggest Library: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (~170 million items)
• Biggest Museum: Louvre Museum, Paris (~72,735 sq. m. exhibition space)
• Deepest & Biggest Ocean: The Pacific (~155.6 million sq. km., max depth ~11,000 m)
• Biggest Flower: Rafflesia arnoldii, Indonesia (up to 1 m diameter)
• Biggest Clock (World): Abraj Al Bait Towers, Mecca, Saudi Arabia (~43 m clock face)

The Tallest/Highest - Reaching for the Sky

• Tallest Animal on Land: Giraffe (up to 5.5 m)
• Tallest Building: Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE (~829.8 m)
• Highest Mountain Peak (World): Mount Everest, Himalayas (8,848.86 m)
• Tallest Statue: Statue of Unity, Gujarat, India (182 m)
• Tallest Tower: Tokyo Skytree, Japan (634 m)
• Highest Waterfall: Angel Falls, Venezuela (979 m)
• Tallest Monument: Gateway Arch, USA (192 m)

The Fastest - Speed Demons

• Fastest Bird: Peregrine Falcon (~390 km/h in a dive)
• Fastest Animal: Cheetah (~120 km/h or ~75 mph)

The Smallest and Shortest - Tiny Marvels

• Smallest Bird: Bee Hummingbird (~5 cm)
• Smallest Continent: Australia (~7.6 million sq. km.)
• Shortest Day: Dec. 22 (in Northern Hemisphere)
• Smallest Country: Vatican City (~0.44 sq. km.)
• Smallest Planet: Mercury (~4,880 km diameter)

Other Interesting Ones - Adding Sparkle to the Mix

• Costliest City in the World: Hong Kong
• Brightest Star: Sirius (apparent magnitude -1.46)
• Lowest Body of Water in the World: Dead Sea (~430.5 m below sea level)