Blog
Data-driven deep-dives on the elevation of the world — rankings, records, comparisons and explainers. Every post is built from our own first-party measurements of the Copernicus GLO-30 satellite model, not the copied tables everyone else reprints.
Cities Below Sea Level
The cities that sit below sea level, and how they stay dry. Jericho is the lowest (and oldest) at about 846 ft (258 m) down; Baku is the largest; New Orleans and the Dutch cities live behind pumps — with an interactive 3D map of the Dead Sea basin Jericho stands in.
Lowest city: Jericho 846 ft (258 m) down · largest below sea level: Baku
The Most Mountainous States in the US
The most mountainous US states, ranked by whole-state terrain ruggedness computed from Copernicus GLO-30 — a consistent measure the usual lists lack. Colorado sits highest; Hawaii's terrain varies most; and Alaska, despite Denali, isn't close.
50 states · highest by mean: Colorado · Alaska #12 despite Denali
The Flattest States in the US
The flattest US states, ranked by whole-state terrain variation computed from Copernicus GLO-30 — not the crude highest-minus-lowest method every list copies. Florida is flattest; Kansas, despite the pancake myth, ranks only #31.
50 states · flattest: Florida (σ 18 m) · the Kansas pancake myth, busted (#31)
Average Elevation by State
The average elevation of all 50 US states, computed uniformly from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — our first-party mean and median beside the old USGS figure, in a sortable table, with the highest-mean-vs-highest-peak distinction the lists confuse.
50 states · highest average: Colorado 6,867 ft (2,093 m) · tallest peak: Alaska (Denali)
The Lowest Point on Earth
The lowest point on Earth is Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, 10,935 m (35,876 ft) below sea level; the lowest dry land is the Dead Sea shore at 430 m below. Both explained, and how they compare to Everest.
Challenger Deep 35,876 ft (10,935 m) down · deeper than Everest is tall
The 10 Highest Mountains in the World
The ten highest mountains on Earth, ranked with a real-scale comparison and a located map — Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga and the rest, all above 8,000 m in the Himalaya and Karakoram, plus the full 14 eight-thousanders.
14 eight-thousanders · #1 Everest 29,032 ft (8,848.86 m) · #2 K2
The Highest Mountain in the World
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world at 8,848.86 m (29,031.69 ft) above sea level. How its height was measured — and kept changing until 2020 — plus the highest-vs-tallest-vs-farthest nuance and where it sits.
Everest · 29,031.69 ft (8,848.86 m) · confirmed by Nepal & China, 2020
Elevation vs Altitude
Elevation is how high a fixed point on the ground sits above sea level; altitude is how high something is in the air, and it can change. The precise distinction, when it matters, and how elevation, altitude, height and depth all differ.
definitions · elevation = the ground · altitude = the air
Highest Capital Cities in the World
The highest capital cities on Earth, every one measured the same way from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — La Paz, Quito, Bogotá and the rest — with a sortable table of all 194 and an honest account of why published elevations disagree.
194 capitals · highest: La Paz 12,365 ft (3,769 m) · lowest: Baku, below sea level
Countries Below Sea Level
No country is entirely below sea level, but many have land beneath it. The share of each country’s land below 0 m — computed from Copernicus GLO-30 — plus the world’s lowest points on land, gathered in one place.
194 countries · Netherlands ~23% below sea level · lowest dry land 430 m down
Most Mountainous Countries in the World
The most mountainous countries on Earth, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — ruggedness (relief variation), share of land above 1,500 m and 2,500 m, and average elevation — because “mountainous” depends on the measure and the rankings disagree.
194 countries · most rugged: China & Nepal (σ ≈ 1,722 m)
Flattest Countries in the World
The flattest countries on Earth, measured three ways from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — least variation in height, lowest average, and smallest span — because “flattest” means different things and the rankings disagree.
194 countries · flattest by variation: Maldives (σ 0.2 m)
Average Elevation by Country
The average elevation of all 194 countries, computed uniformly from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — our first-party mean and median beside the CIA figure, in a sortable table, with an honest account of where the two disagree.
194 countries · world average 1,786 ft (544 m)