Of the 95 wettest countries in the world, Guinea, Solomon Islands and Sierra Leone are ranked the top three in order of maximum rainfall received on an average in a year, according to the World Statistics Pocket Book and the Statistical Yearbook of the United Nations. The records are for the period 1931-1960. Guinea, also known as the Republic of …

Brasilia was made the seat of government and the capital of Brazil in 1960. The city was designed in the shape of an aircraft, and its futuristic architecture contrasts with its rural surroundings.

The little-known hoatzin which lives in the mangrove swamps of Venezuela. Young hoatzins have two small claws on their wings, and they use these to help grip the branches as they clamber about the trees. They are poor fliers even when adult. When the chicks grow up the claws drop from their wings. Watching a hoatzin chick clambering through the …

The small bear from tropical South America has rather odd face markings. The bear has a creamy yellow snout, and fur of the same colors runs from its nose in various patterns. Sometimes the lines of lighter fur encircle the eyes and cross the nose, giving the bear the comical appearance of wearing a pair of glasses. Not surprisingly the …

In some countries, business owners can go their way in the happy knowledge that government officials won’t be hitting them up for bribes or tossing them in jail on trumped-up charges. But in other parts of the world, public sector corruption is a fact of life. Hoping to shine a light on this widespread problem, Transparency International, a non-governmental organization …

In remote parts of the world, where animals might easily get lost among craggy mountains or in deep forests, bells are tied to them. In Switzerland, beautiful carved and painted bells are hung around the necks of cows as they graze. Some herders believe this gentle sound keeps the cows contented. Falcons often hunt with two tiny bells attached to …

The animal which is bigger than all others when fully grown – the whale. When baby blue whales are first born, they weigh over 3,000 kg (3 tones), about the same weight as a fully grown hippopotamus. Once born, a baby blue whale takes two years to reach a weight of 26,000 kg (26 tones). No other living creature grows …

Several animals can move by jet propulsion, and they are all mollusks belonging to the class Cephalopod. This group of mollusks include the octopuses, squid and cuttlefishes. Cephalopods draw in water from the sea by means of slits in the body wall. The water is then drawn over the gills so that the animals can breathe. When the water is …

The glutton is an alternative name for an animal called the wolverine, a lumbering bear-like predatory animal which lives in the Arctic wastes. It is one of the least fussy feeders in the animal kingdom, devouring a wide range of prey including berries, frogs, fishes, lemmings – even animals as large as moose. Any food it encounters is greedily gobbled …

In a foot race the fastest land animal is the cheetah, a member of cat family. Over a long distance the pronghorn antelope of North America holds the record.