Earth Statistics and Facts (2023)
Last Updated on: March 31st, 2023
Here are a few of the most interesting Earth statistics and facts I was able to dig up in my internet travels. As always, be sure to check back in the future as I will be updating this post as new and updated stats become available.
Photo by Ricardo Resende on Unsplash
Earth is a terrestrial planet and the third planet from the sun in our solar system. It is the largest of the terrestrial planets and the only known planet in the universe to support life.
The origin of Earth can be traced back to about 4.5 billion years ago when the solar system was formed from a cloud of gas and dust known as the solar nebula. As the solar nebula contracted due to gravity, it started to spin and flatten into a disk. The central part of the disk formed the sun, while the remaining material in the disk began to clump together to form the planets.
The early Earth was a violent and inhospitable place. It was bombarded by asteroids and comets, which caused massive impacts and created huge craters on the surface. The intense heat and pressure also caused the Earth to differentiate into layers, with the heavy elements sinking to the center to form the core, and the lighter elements rising to the surface to form the crust.
Over time, the Earth’s surface cooled and the atmosphere began to form. Early in Earth’s history, the atmosphere was dominated by carbon dioxide and nitrogen, but eventually, life forms evolved and released oxygen through photosynthesis, which changed the composition of the atmosphere.
Today, the Earth’s atmosphere is a complex system that supports life and regulates the planet’s climate. The Earth’s magnetic field also protects us from harmful solar radiation and cosmic rays. Overall, the origin and evolution of Earth is a fascinating and ongoing area of scientific research.
Earth Facts
- The Earth’s Circumference: 40, 075.017 km at the equator (24,901.461 miles)
- Earth’s Diameter: 13,000 km (8,000 miles)
- Earth’s Atmosphere Composition: 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon and numerous less significant elements.
- Earth’s Core Composition: Mostly nickel and iron
- Earth’s Ground Layers:
- Crust
- Mantle
- Outer Core
- Inner Core
- Earth’s Distance From the Sun:
- Minimum: 146 million km (91 million miles)
- Maximum: 152 million km (94.5 million miles)
- Earth’s Distance From the Moon: 384,400 km (238,855 miles)
Earth Statistics
How many people are there in the world?
There are 8 billion people in the world as of 11/15/22.
Largest countries in the world by population:
Largest countries in the world by land mass:
When did life first appear on Earth?
roughly 3.5 billion years ago
How old is the Earth?
roughly 4.5 billion years old
Percentage of the Earth’s surface that is covered by water:
70%
Earth is the fifth largest planet in the solar system.
Time it takes for the Earth to orbit the sun:
365.26 days
Time it takes for the Earth to rotate on its axis:
23.934 hours
Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others. Most of these fun facts come from internet reports and may not be official tallies. No information contained on DMR should be relied upon to make investment decisions. Basically, this is the best I can find and I don’t guarantee anything to be 100%.