🎬 Video explanationविश्वका सबैभन्दा: ठूला, लामा, अग्ला र गहिरा
⏱ 4 min read
“Which is the largest ocean?” “Which is the deepest lake?” Questions about the world’s largest, longest, highest and deepest things are a favourite in Lok Sewa general knowledge. This note groups them by land and water, living things, buildings and space so they are easy to revise.
1. Land and countries
| Superlative | Answer |
|---|---|
| Largest continent | Asia |
| Smallest continent | Australia |
| Largest country by area | Russia |
| Smallest country | Vatican City |
| Most populous country | India (overtook China in 2023) |
| Largest democracy | India |
| Highest mountain peak | Sagarmatha (Mount Everest), 8,848.86 m |
| Largest hot desert | Sahara (Africa) |
| Largest desert overall (cold) | Antarctica |
| Driest place | Atacama Desert (Chile) |
| Largest island | Greenland |
| Lowest point on land | Shore of the Dead Sea (about 430 m below sea level) |
2. Water bodies
| Superlative | Answer |
|---|---|
| Largest ocean | Pacific Ocean |
| Smallest ocean | Arctic Ocean |
| Deepest point in the ocean | Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench (Pacific) |
| Longest river | Nile (Africa) |
| Largest river by volume of water | Amazon (South America) |
| Largest lake | Caspian Sea |
| Deepest lake | Lake Baikal (Russia) |
| Largest freshwater lake by area | Lake Superior (North America) |
| Highest waterfall | Angel Falls (Venezuela) |
| Largest bay | Bay of Bengal |
| Largest gulf | Gulf of Mexico |
3. Living things
| Superlative | Answer |
|---|---|
| Largest animal (and mammal) | Blue whale |
| Tallest animal | Giraffe |
| Fastest land animal | Cheetah |
| Largest bird | Ostrich |
| Smallest bird | Hummingbird (bee hummingbird) |
| Largest tropical rainforest | Amazon rainforest |
| Largest land animal | African elephant |
4. Buildings, transport and space
| Superlative | Answer |
|---|---|
| Tallest building | Burj Khalifa, Dubai (about 828 m) |
| Longest wall | Great Wall of China |
| Longest railway line | Trans-Siberian Railway (Russia) |
| Largest planet | Jupiter |
| Smallest planet | Mercury |
| Hottest planet | Venus |
| Planet nearest the Sun | Mercury |
| Coldest continent | Antarctica |
5. Tips
- Group facts in pairs: largest/smallest continent (Asia/Australia), largest/smallest ocean (Pacific/Arctic).
- Remember that the Nile is the longest river but the Amazon carries the most water.
- The Caspian Sea is called a sea but is the largest lake; Baikal is the deepest.
- Facts like the tallest building or most populous country can change; check the latest data before your exam.
6. Superlatives of Nepal
| Superlative | Answer |
|---|---|
| Highest peak | Sagarmatha (Mount Everest), 8,848.86 m |
| Longest river | Karnali |
| Largest lake | Rara Lake (Mugu) |
| Deepest lake | Shey Phoksundo Lake (Dolpa) |
| Lake at high altitude often asked | Tilicho Lake (Manang), at about 4,919 m |
| Largest district by area | Dolpa |
| Smallest district by area | Bhaktapur |
| Largest national park | Shey Phoksundo National Park |
| Largest province by area | Karnali |
| Smallest province by area | Madhesh |
| Most populous district | Kathmandu |
7. More world superlatives
| Superlative | Answer |
|---|---|
| Longest mountain range | Andes (South America) |
| Highest plateau | Tibetan Plateau |
| Longest river in Asia | Yangtze (China) |
| Largest delta and mangrove forest | Sundarbans (Ganges–Brahmaputra delta) |
| Largest coral reef system | Great Barrier Reef (Australia) |
| Country with the longest coastline | Canada |
| Largest country in South America | Brazil |
| Largest country in Africa by area | Algeria |
8. Easy ways to remember
- Pairs: Nile is longest, Amazon carries most water; Caspian is the largest lake, Baikal the deepest.
- Same name, two records: Shey Phoksundo is both Nepal’s deepest lake and the name of its largest national park.
- Watch the wording: ‘largest desert’ (Antarctica) and ‘largest hot desert’ (Sahara) have different answers.
- Changing records: tallest building and most populous country can change, so check recent news.
9. How this topic is asked in the exam
- Direct: “Which is the deepest lake in the world?” (Baikal).
- Nepal-based: “Which is the largest district of Nepal by area?” (Dolpa).
- Matching: match superlatives with places, using the tables in sections 1–4, 6 and 7.
10. Quick self-check
- Largest ocean? Pacific.
- Longest river? Nile.
- Largest hot desert? Sahara.
- Largest country by area? Russia.
- Smallest country? Vatican City.
- Highest waterfall? Angel Falls, Venezuela.
- Highest peak? Mount Everest (8,848.86 m).
Cover the answers and test yourself, then check which ones you got wrong.
📌 Key points to remember
- Largest continent: Asia; smallest: Australia.
- Largest ocean: Pacific; smallest: Arctic; deepest point: Mariana Trench.
- Largest country: Russia; smallest: Vatican City; most populous: India.
- Longest river: Nile; largest by volume: Amazon.
- Largest lake: Caspian Sea; deepest lake: Baikal.
- Highest waterfall: Angel Falls; largest island: Greenland; largest hot desert: Sahara.
- Blue whale is the largest animal; cheetah the fastest; ostrich the largest bird.
- Burj Khalifa is the tallest building; Jupiter the largest planet; Venus the hottest.
📝 Quiz
Test yourself: World Superlatives
Practise Land and countries, Living things and Tips with 50 questions. Each attempt picks 25 at random.
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Reference sources: CIA World Factbook. Facts checked: 20 October 2026.