Survival Facts - Part 2

• Lake Mead, in the Mojave Desert, is the largest man-made lake in the world.
• Antarctica is the only land on Earth that is not claimed by any country.
• Volcanic ash is an ingredient in some toothpaste.
• The thickness of the Arctic ice sheet ranges from 10 to 65 feet.
• The Huang He, also known as China's Yellow River, is also referred to as "China's sorrow." This is because it often overflows into nearby townsand destroys them. The worst flood was in 1887, where approximately one million people died.
• Urushiol is the name of the poison in Poison Ivy.
• Osoyoos, British Columbia contains Canada's only desert.
• The box jellyfish of Australia has toxins more potent than the venom in cobra snakes. It is one of the deadliest jellyfish in the world.
• Japan is home to 10% of all the active volcanoes in the world. Japan has approximately 200 volcanoes in all.
• The Sahara Desert contains a town named Tidikelt, which once went ten years without receving a drop of rain.
• The East Alligator River in Australia's Northern Territory was inappropriately named by Early British explorers. It actually contains crocodiles, not alligators.
• When the volcano Krakatoa erupted in 1883 near the Java islands, the explosion was so loud that it could be heard in South Australia.
• Approximately 33% of the land in the United States is covered by forests.
• 7% of the Earth is covered by tropical rainforests that receive over 80 inches of rain every year.
• The Bay of Fundy located in Nova Scotia, Canada boasts the world's highest ocean tide.
• Building your shelter in the cool of the evening can help to conserve energy and fluids.
• Attempting to walk by day in the desert without water you would be lucky to complete 5 miles before collapse. At the same temperature with about 2 litres of water you might cover 35 miles and last 3 days.
• Oral Rehydration Salt can prolong life in the desert by replenishing fluids and salts the body loses through dehydration.
• In a sand desert you may even be able to use wreckage to make a shelter beneath the sand. Many desert creatures spend the day beneath the surface, where the day temperature is much lower and night much warmer than outside.
• In the desert, avoid lying directly on hot ground. If you can, make a raised bed so air can circulate beneath you.
• You will need fire for warmth at night and for boiling water. Smoke will also be very noticeable and useful for signalling. Desert scrub is dry and burns easily. If the land is totally barren, vehicle fuel and oil mixed with sand in a container will burn well, as do camel and other animal droppings.
• Clothing in the desert should be light and loose fitting with air space between the garments and the body to provide insulation.
• Trousers give more protection from insects than shorts and guard against serious sunburns on the legs if forced in daytime exposure.

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