Rikunarita-ORG/Wikinium huggingface dataset:
# Geodetic datum

A **geodetic datum** is used to locate a given position when using a set of reference, such as a map. That way a set of coordinates might reference an exact location on the map.
# Circle of latitude

Diagram of major circles of latitude on the Earth.
On the Earth, a **circle of latitude** is an imaginary east-west circle that connects all locations with a given latitude. A location's position along a circle of latitude is given by its longitude. Circles of latitude are often called **parallels** because they are parallel to each other. It is measured in absolute location.

The five major circles of latitude are, from north to south:

* The Arctic Circle (66.5°N)
* The Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N)
* The Equator (0°)
* The Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)
* The Antarctic Circle (66.5°S)
# Keyhole Markup Language

**Keyhole Markup Language** is a file format for displaying data on maps.

In the same way that a Web browser displays web pages written with HTML, KML draws data on maps like Google Maps and virtual globes like Google Earth.

It is an international standard , maintained by the Open Geospatial Consortium .

Google, the previous maintainers of the specification, have information on writing KML on their website.
# Arctic Circle

A world map. The Arctic Circle is shown as the red line.
The **Arctic Circle** is one of the five major circles of latitude (imaginary lines around the Earth) that are often marked on maps of the Earth. This is the parallel of latitude that (in 2000) runs 66° 33' 39" north of the Equator. North of this line, the Sun never rises at the Winter Solstice and never sets at the Summer Solstice.

The Arctic Circle is one way to say what part of the Earth is in the Arctic. The North Pole is in the center of the Arctic Circle.

Countries which are partly within the Arctic Circle are:

* Russia
* Canada
* Denmark (Greenland)
* United States of America (Alaska)
* Norway
* Sweden
* Finland
* Iceland (less than 1 square kilometre)

The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed. It directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt. The axial tilt fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000-year period, mostly due to tidal forces from the orbit of the Moon. The tilt is currently diminishing, so the Arctic Circle is drifting northwards at a speed of about 15 m (49 ft) per year.

## Related pages

* Northern Hemisphere
* Southern Hemisphere
* Eastern Hemisphere
* Western Hemisphere
* Seasons
* Solstice and equinox
* Equator
* Tropic of Cancer
* Tropic of Capricorn
* Antarctic Circle
* Circle of latitude
# Asia

A globe showing where Asia is (green)
**Asia** is the largest continent on Earth by area and number of people. It is mainly in the northern hemisphere. Asia is connected to Europe in the west and Africa on the south, and separated from North America at the east. Sometimes Asia and Europe are combined to form a larger continent called Eurasia. Some of the oldest human civilizations began in Asia, for example Sumer, China, and Pakistan. Asia was the birthplace of many religions, for example Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism. It was also home to some large empires, for example the Persian Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Mongol Empire, and the Ming Empire. Asia has 48 countries. Georgia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Greece have territory in both Europe and Asia.

## Area

Geographic area of Asia
Asia includes a large amount of land. Covering about 30% of the world's land area, it has more people than any other continent, with about 60% of the world's total population. Stretching from the icy Arctic in the north to the hot and steamy equatorial lands in the south, Asia contains huge, empty deserts, as well as some of the world's highest mountains and longest rivers.

Asia is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. It is separated from Europe by the Pontic Mountains and the Turkish Straits. A long, mainly land border in the west separates Europe and Asia. This line runs north–south down the Ural Mountains in Russia, along the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, and through the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea.

## Regions

* East Asia
* Southeast Asia
* South Asia
* Central Asia
* West Asia
* North Asia

## List of countries in Asia

These are all the countries usually considered in Asia. Some of them are transcontinental, meaning they span more than one continent.

* Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan (geographically in Europe and Asia)
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* East Timor
* Georgia (geographically in Europe and Asia)
* India
* Indonesia (geographically in Asia and Oceania)
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan (geographically in Europe and Asia)
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* North Korea
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Russia
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkey (geographically in Europe and Asia)
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Some countries are in both Europe and Asia, for example Russia (region of Siberia), Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. Egypt is located in Africa and Asia with the Sinai Peninsula, but is not usually considered Asian.

## Related pages

* History of Asia
* Asia Minor
* Asian Games
# Bering Strait

Satellite image of the Bering Strait.
The **Bering Strait** (Russian: Берингов пролив) is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43' W) of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales on the edge of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, the westernmost point (168°05' W) of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65° 40' north, slightly south of the Arctic Circle. The strait was made around 40,000 years ago, when an old landmass between Asia and America known as Beringia was flooded at the end of the last ice age. The strait is passed through by the international date line, making from the view of the Russian side from the Alaskan side like looking at tomorrow.

## Geography

Little Diomede Island (USA, left) and Big Diomede Island (Russia, right). The International date line runs right between the islands.
The Bering Strait is 82 km at its narrowest point, and 90 meters deep at its deepest point (with an average depth of 50 meters), making the strait rather shallow. There are three small islands located in the strait. There are the two Diomede Islands in the middle of the strait, and a small rock (or islet) known as Fairway Rock southeast of the Diomede Islands.

## Proposed crossing

There have been ideas of building a bridge or tunnel to link Alaska and Russia, where cars and trains could cross the strait. The crossing would have three parts, one connecting Big Diomede Island to Russia, one connecting Small Diomede with Alaska, and a final link between the islands. This would link the North American road system with the connected road systems of Asia, Europe, and Africa. There have not been any physical work done on such a crossing, mostly due to the remoteness of the strait, and the little demand for it. There are no major highways or railroads that connect the Bering Strait to the rest of Asia or America, so if either a tunnel or bridge was built across the strait, new connections to the rest of the highways and railways would have to be made for cars or trains to get there. The crossing might become more useful in the future however.
# Baltic Sea

Map of the Baltic Sea.
The **Baltic Sea** is a sea in northern Europe between Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the Baltic countries, Poland, and Germany.

Many big rivers in the surrounding countries drain into the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is connected to the ocean through the narrow and shallow Danish straits and belts. For this reason, the water has a low amount of salt, so the northern parts of the sea freeze over in the winter. The ice can carry cars, and roads are established every winter between the islands in the archipelagos between Sweden and Finland.

For several thousand years, the Baltic Sea has connected the countries at her shores. For that reason, there are many cultural similarities in these countries. Since all of these countries are European, this sea is also considered European.

## Other websites

 Media related to Baltic Sea at Wikimedia Commons