The World is a name for the planet Earth seen from a human point of view, as a place inhabited by human beings. It is often used to mean the sum of human experience and history, or the 'human condition' in general.<ref>'This is the excellent foppery of the world...' -- Shakespeare, King Lear, I.ii</ref>

Especially in a metaphysical context, it can also refer to everything that makes up reality, the universe: see World (philosophy).

1 Origin and history of the name
2 Usage
3 Physical Characteristics
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Origin and history of the name

In English, world is rooted in a compound of the obsolete words were, man, and eld, age; thus, its oldest meaning is "age or life of man".

[edit] Usage

'World' distinguishes the entire planet or population from any particular country or region: world affairs are those which pertain not just to one place but to the whole world, and world history is a field of history which examines events from a global (rather than a national) perspective. Earth, on the other hand, refers to the planet as a physical entity, and distinguishes it from other planets and physical objects.

In Christian theology, the 'World' connotes the corrupt, mortal order of society outside the community of believers. It is often cited alongside the flesh and the Devil as a source of temptation that Christians should flee. The adjective worldly refers to world in this sense: 'mortal', 'mundane', 'devoted to the interests of this world'. See World (theology).

'World' can also be used attributively, as an adjective, to mean 'global', 'relating to the whole world', forming usages such as World community. See World (adjective).

By extension, a 'world' may refer to any planet or heavenly body, especially when it is thought of as inhabited.

In the study of religion and mythology, the Underworld is a place, often thought of as below the (flat) world, where souls go upon death. In some mythologies there were numerous underworlds, the choice of which depended on the soul's virtue or worth: the Elysian Fields are an example from Roman religion.

'World', when qualified, can also refer to a particular domain of human experience.

The world of work describes paid work and the pursuit of a career, in all its social aspects, to distinguish it from home life and academic study.
The fashion world describes the environment of the designers, fashion houses and consumers that make up the fashion industry.
The New World is a part of the world discovered or colonized later than other parts; it usually refers to the American continents or to Australia. The Old World refers, by contrast, to the continents of Europe and Asia.

[edit] Physical Characteristics

[edit] Earth Dimensions

Physical Feature
Superficial Area	510,000,000 km² (196,950,000 Sq. miles)
Land Surface	149,000,000 km² (57,510,000 Sq. miles)
Water Surface	361,000,000 km² (139,440,000 Sq. miles)
Equatorial Circumference	40,077 km (24,902 miles)
Meridional Circumference	40,009 km (24,860 miles)
Equatorial Diameter	12,757 km (7,926 miles)
Polar Diameter	12,714 km (7,899.988 miles)
Polar Radias	3,949.99 miles
Volume of the Earth	260,000,000,000 cubic miles
Mass, or Weight	6,592,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons

[edit] Continents and Population

Size
continent	area (km²)
Africa-Eurasia	84 580 000
Eurasia	54 210 000
Asia	43 810 000
Americas	42 330 000
Africa	30 370 000
North America	24 490 000
South America	17 840 000
Antarctica	13 720 000
Europe	10 400 000
Oceania	9 010 000
Australia	8 470 000

Population
continent	approx. population	percent
Africa-Eurasia	5 400 000 000	86%
Eurasia	4 510 000 000	72%
Asia	3 800 000 000	60%
Africa	890 000 000	14%
Americas	886 000 000	14%
Europe	710 000 000	11%
North America	515 000 000	8%
South America	371 000 000	6%
Oceania	35 800 000	0.5%
Australia	24 700 000	0.3%
Antarctica	1 000	0.00002%

[edit] Deepest Trenches

Trench	Ocean	Depth
Marianas Trench	Pacific Ocean	11,034m
Tonga Trench	Pacific Ocean	10,882m
Japan Trench	Pacific Ocean	10,595m
Kuril Trench	Pacific Ocean	10,542m
Philippine Trench	Pacific Ocean	10,497m
Kermadec Trench	Pacific Ocean	10,047m
Izu Bonin Trench (Izu Ogasawara Trench)	Pacific Ocean	9,780 m
Peru-Chile Trench or Atacama Trench	Pacific Ocean	8,065 m
Ryukyu Trench (Nansei-Shoto Trench)	Pacific Ocean (Philippine Sea)	7,460 m