- By Sakshi Srivastava
- Tue, 15 Jul 2025 03:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The United States is a land of contrasts—where a town can have just one resident while housing the largest office building on Earth.
Click on 'Explore' to dive into this interactive StoryMap and uncover the top ten facts that will surprise you. Use the arrows to navigate through each fascinating stop!
1. Pizza obsession — 100 acres every day
Americans eat enough pizza daily to cover about 100 acres, or nearly 90 football fields.
2. Tornado capital of the world
The US averages 1,000+ tornadoes annually—more than Canada, Europe, and Australia combined.
3. Bought Alaska for 2 cents an acre
In 1867, the US acquired Alaska from Russia for just USD 7.2 million—equivalent to 2 cents per acre.
4. Largest office building on the planet
The Pentagon spans a massive 6.5 million sq ft of office space, making it the world’s biggest office building.
5. More guns than people
The US is home to an estimated 393 million firearms, which equates to roughly 120 guns for every 100 people—more guns than living Americans.
6. All five climate zones
The contiguous US spans all five major climate zones—polar, continental, temperate, dry, and tropical.
7. A town with just one resident
Monowi, Nebraska, is the country’s only incorporated town with a population of one—a mayor, librarian, bartender, and sole resident.
8. Lake Superior holds 10% of the world’s freshwater
Lake Superior contains enough water to cover all of North and South America in 1 foot of water, holding about 10% of global freshwater.
9. The Empire State Building has its own ZIP code
The iconic skyscraper is large enough to warrant a unique ZIP code: 10118.
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10. More bookshelves than roads
The Library of Congress holds a staggering 838 miles of bookshelves, more than the distance from Houston to Chicago.
