AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING XXXVIII

1. 4.2 babies are born every second - 250/minute.

2. 1.8 people die every second - 105/minute.

3. According to UNESCO, more than 50% of the world's population is under 30. The world's population is expected to increase by 2 billion in the next 30 years, from 7.7 billion currently to 9.7 billion by 2050.

4. New York City is the most populous city in the United States - at 8.8 million people. But it ranks #44 on  the list of the world's most populous cities - dwarfed by Tokyo's staggering 37,000,000. Delhi, India  - 31 million, and Shanghai, China - 28 million - make up the top three. In descending order - all over 20 million - are: Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Dhaka, Cairo, Beijing, and Mumbai. In the United States, other than New York, only Los Angeles and Chicago are in the top 200, at #'s 107 and 181, respectively. 

5. The most popular name in the world is Muhammad. It is estimated that more than 150 million men and boys share it. It is traditional in Muslim culture to name the first son after the Islamic prophet.

6. The Canary Islands were named after dogs - not canaries. The archipelago off the coast of north-west Africa is part of Spain. The Spanish name is Islas Canarias - Island of Dogs. This is taken from the Latin term Insula Canaria. The ancient Romans who visited the islands gave them this name - perhaps based on the presa Canario - a mixture of English mastiff and bulldog - that is native to the islands.

7. Indonesia is home to some of the shortest people in the world. Taking both genders into account, the average adult height is 5.18 inches. Bolivia's average is 5.24. In contrast, the average adult height in the Netherlands is 6 feet.

8. According to the Population Reference Bureau, an estimated 108 billion people have ever lived on earth. People alive today make up about 7% of that number.