var arrayFacts = [ "The Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan was the largest empire the world has ever seen.

The Mongols came from present day Mongolia, and under Genghis Khan and his sons, ruled an empire that stretched from Korea to Vietnam to eastern Europe to the middle of Africa. Khan remains a national hero in Mongolia.", "The Gobi Desert is the second largest desert in the world.

'Gobi' actually translates to 'desert' in Mongolian. Temperatures vary wildly depending on season, from 113 F in summer to -40 F in winter.", "Asia has both the highest and the lowest points on the surface of the Earth.

Mount Everest in Nepal, rises to 29,035 feet and is the highest point on Earth. The Dead Sea, found between Israel and Jordan, is 1,286 ft below sea level and is the lowest point on Earth.", "Asia is the continent that experiences the world's widest climate extremes.

At its coldest populated places, the temperature can be as low as -90 F in the winter, and in the summer in the tropics and deserts, the temperature can reach 115 F.", "The total area of Asia equals 1/3 of all the land surface in the world.

Asia is the largest continent by land mass and largest in population, as well.", "China is home to the Pandas, one of the world's most famous endangered species.

Pandas are slowly making a comeback, and despite often being referred to as 'Panda Bears,' the Panda is actually more closely related to a raccoon than a bear.", "Asia is home to the two most populous nations on the face of the Earth.

China and India both are home to over a billion people, the only two countries in the world that can say this. Asia holds over half of the world's total population.", "Asia has the highest average elevation of the continents.

The tallest peak in the world, Mount Everest, reaches an elevation of 29,035 feet. The 30 tallest mountain peaks in the world are all in Asia, mostly in the Himalayan Mountain Range.", "China and Russia border more nations than anyone else in the world.

Also, each country can claim 14 neighbors, more than anyone else. ", "Lake Baikal is the world's deepest lake.

Lake Baikal is 5,315 feet, or over one mile, deep.", "Asia has an amazing 39,000 miles of coastline.

This is far more coastline that any other continent in the world, including North America.", "Komodo Dragons are found only in Indonesia.

The rare Komodo Dragon is the world's biggest and most powerful lizard. This ferocious hunter, the largest surviving member of the monitor lizard group, grows up to ten feet long and can weigh 200 pounds.", "Asia is the birthplace of all the world's major religions.

Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism all have their roots in Asia, as well as many hundreds of other smaller religions.", "Siberia is one of the harshest climates in the world, both summer & winter.

Because of the terrible long winters and hot, mosquito infested summers, Siberia became a popular place for Russian rulers to send prisoners they wanted punished.", "The Great Wall of China is said to be one of only two man made things that can be seen from outer space with the naked eye.

The other isn't even a structure: it is smog. The Great Wall of China was built to try and keep the Mongol invaders out, and stretches over an incredible 4,000 miles.", "Jerusalem is considered a holy city in three of the four world's largest religions.

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all consider Jerusalem a holy city, important to each of their faiths and history.", "Mount Fuji translates to 'Everlasting Life.'

This is the largest mountain peak in Japan, and technically a volcano. Although it has not erupted since the 1700s, scientists still consider it active.", "Asia contains over 4 million square miles of permafrost.

Permafrost is ground that is permanently frozen. In some places in Siberia, the permafrost can be an astounding 1,000 feet deep!", "The samurai were warriors and scholars in Japan.

Samurai culture, which is becoming more and more popular, originated in Japan. Samurai were not just soldiers, but during times of peace were expected to be poets, scholars, and teachers.", "The highest active volcano in Asia is Klyuchevskaya on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The volcano is 15,584 feet high, and is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is a part of Russia, off of Siberia.", "Asia contains over 60% of the world's coal.

Russia is the continent's largest producer of coal, and amazingly enough, many geologists believe there are large deposits still undiscovered.", "At least two-thirds of the world's known crude oil and natural gas are found in Asia.

The amount may be even larger. Even though the Middle East is well explored, Siberia, the Caspian Sea, and ocean off southeast Asia are still being explored.", "Mesopotamia is Greek for 'between two rivers.'

This is apt because Mesopotamia is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, and is famous for being the site of some of the oldest civilizations in the world.", "Babylon had the first written code of laws.

Babylon was the greatest of the ancient cities, and the laws were written by King Hammurabi. While punishments were very harsh, they were also the first laws to protect the poor.", "Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world.

Indonesia has 170 million Muslim citizens, giving them over 30 million more Muslims in the population than Pakistan, which has the second largest population.", "The Khmer State (present day Cambodia) once included much of Southeast Asia.

It included large parts of present-day Vietnam, Laos, and eastern Thailand. Several pyramid-like temples have been discovered in the jungle, and some pottery was made as early as 4000 BC.", "Assassin is a word that originally comes from a Syrian term.

The Ismailis were famous 11th century assassins. 'Assassin' comes from a European mis-pronunciation of a Syrian word that assumed term that presupposed the murderers did what before each mission?", "Nepal is the only country with a flag that is not a rectangle.

The flag of Nepal is made of two triangles, one over the other. The two triangles are to represent the Himalayan Mountains, and the two major religions of Nepal: Buddhism and Hinduism.", "The coldest inhabited village is Oymyakon, in eastern Siberia.

Temperatures there can drop as low as -94 F. The average in January, the coldest month, is -58 F. The town is in a valley surrounded by two high mountains. These trap cold winter air and prevent warmer air from getting in.", "The common madake (timber bamboo) of Japan is the fastest-growing plant in the world.

Almost unbelievable, but it can grow at the rate of two inches per hour!", "In 1883 an Asian volcano erupted so loudly, that people heard it over 3,000 miles away.

Krakatua, erupted explosively, blowing away two-thirds of the Indonesian island it was on. Debris from the eruption caused such brilliant red sunsets in New England that three months later people in Connecticut and New York called in fire alarms.", "Fugu (the Japanese puffer fish) is considered one of the greatest delicacies in Japan.

Only very specially trained chefs can legally prepare it because the puffer fish is incredibly poisonous, and only a tiny part of the fish is actually edible.", "Afghanistan, China, India, Laos, Burma, Pakistan, and Vietnam are Asia's hotspots for illegal drug transit and production.

Thailand used to be, but it has strengthened its fight against drug dealers.", "Saudi Arabia is the world's leading producer of oil.

While nearly 80% of the country is desert, the oil production has made Saudi Arabia one of the most important, and wealthiest, nations in the world.", "Laos has 51 airports, but only nine of them are paved.

Much of Laos is jungle or mountains, meaning many of Laotian airports are meant only for smaller planes on dirt tracks.", "In Taiwan the traditional color for weddings is red.

White, the wedding color for the United States, is actually the color for death in Taiwan.", "The nation of Mongolia is often referred to as Outer Mongolia.

Inner Mongolia is found in China, while the Mongols themselves use the terms North and South Mongolia.", "Dostoyevsky, Russia's most famous author, was exiled to Siberia for four years in 1849.

Many writers were exiled because of political views, but Dostoyevsky wrote a book based on his experiences as a prisoner there which led to his incredible fame.", "Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, has a species of fish that is found nowhere else in the world.

The Baikal sturgeon can grow up to two meters (over 6 feet) in length.", "The Yangtze is Asia's longest and largest river.

The Yangtze runs through China, and is the third longest river in the world, though not the third largest (that would be the Mississippi River).", "Many expert mythologists believe that Akhshtyrskaya Cave in Russia was the scene of where Odysseus met the Cyclops in The Odyssey.

This is impossible to prove because it is mythology, but the far majority of Greek experts believe the setting this epic story describes is the Black Sea Coast.", "Asia has the 2nd and 3rd largest deserts in the world.

The Arabic, followed by the Gobi. Only Africa's Sahara desert is larger.", "The world's largest cave chamber is called Lubang Nasib Bagus and is located in Malaysia.

It is an amazing 2,300 feet long, 1,480 feet wide, and everywhere at least 230 feet high. That means the chamber is as long as almost eight football fields, as wide as five, and almost as high as one.", "The Caspian Sea is by far and away the largest lake in the world.

The Caspian Sea is larger than all of the Great Lakes combined.", "The Taj Mahal was built between 1631 and 1654 by a work force of more than twenty thousand.

Located in India, the Taj Mahal was actually a mausoleum for the emperor's favortie wife. No planes are allowed to fly over the Taj Mahal.", "The Philippines is the second-largest archipelago (large series of islands) on the planet, with over 7,100 individual islands.

For hundreds of years the Philippines were a Spanish colony, but then were given up to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War.", "Indonesia has over 400 volcanoes within its borders, with at least 90 still active.

Indonesia, with over 18,000 counted islands, is the largest archipelago (large series of islands) on Earth.", "The first human beings to eat cooked food did so in South China.

Archeologists believe this because the oldest artifacts of cooking utensils and pottery are all from that one area.", "Iran is famous for its Persian Rugs.

These amazing rugs are considered pieces of art, and can be very expensive, some going as high as $20,000 to collectors.", "India is the world's largest democracy.

India is also the fourth largest economy in the world, the seventh largest country in land size, and the second largest in population."];