Fun Facts about the Grand Canyon (venere)
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Fun Facts about the Grand Canyon
Curious about the Grand Canyon? Read on for fun facts you didn’t learn in geography.
With well over a million visitors staying the night in 2012 alone, the Grand Canyon is one of America’s most iconic landmarks. But how much do you really know about one of the world’s oldest wonders? We bring you some surprising facts about the Canyon and its National Park. You’ll be an expert in no time!
FUn facts about the Grand Canyon(photo by: Wolfgang Staudt)
The View is Insane
The Grand Canyon is about 1800 metres deep. That’s more than twice the height of the world’s largest skyscraper (the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, built in 2010), and more than 4 times the height of the Empire State Building. No wonder they talk about the view!
Safety First
According to “Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon” by Ghiglieri and Myers, there have been more than 600 deaths in the Grand Canyon since the 1870s. But you can breathe easy if you’re just enjoying the view – most of these deaths were not caused by people falling from the top!
Feeling HotHotHot
Thanks to all that rock, things can heat up pretty quickly – in Summer, the floor of the Grand Canyon can reach 40 degrees Celsius. Quick – pass the eggs and bacon!
Hollywood Loves it as Much as Tourists Do
How do we know? Well, it’s been a film set for several Hollywood blockbusters, with movies as diverse as Bride and Prejudice, Thelma and Louise, Transformers and National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Cowboys and Indians
The Canyon is situated in the idyllic Grand Canyon National Park, which is home to several Indian tribes, and the Zuni (a Puebloan tribe) still consider the Grand Canyon to be a sacred site.
It’s an Animal-Lover’s Dream
Thanks to the range of elevations found in the Grand Canyon, it’s fertile ground for a wide variety of wildlife, and boasts more than 1,500 types of plant and over 500 types of animal. One of these is its very own breed of rattlesnake, which has found a novel way of blending into the background – it’s a very pretty shade of pink!
By Louise Vinciguerra venere.com
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