Just for the record

The world's longest, tallest, biggest, smallest...

Review by Matt Leppard

According to some friends of mine, every time I go from Bangkok to Chonburi, I am driving down a world record. Yes, the Bang Na-Trad expressway is rumoured to be the world's longest bridge at 55 kilometres long. But being the doubtful person that I am, I decided to look this up on the official website of the Guinness Book of Records at www.guinnessworldrecords.com.

Well, according to the site, the world's longest bridge is the Second Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, USA, measuring 38.422 km. Of course, it all depends on how you define bridge. My friends will always argue that they're right, but the site says they're not. So that's that.

Hissing kisses

As I was looking for the longest bridge on the website, I found myself drawn to other amazing facts and figures. Did you know, for example, that the longest neck in the world lives with its hilltribe owner in the north of Thailand and is 40 centimetres long? Or that the official name of Bangkok is the longest place name?

The Guinness World Records website is a real treat  � once you start, you can't stop. Not only is it well-designed and easily searchable, it includes instructions on how to break records yourself, as well as some of the weirdest records you'll ever come across on video.

Take Gordon Cates of Florida, USA, for example. He holds the record for kissing the most cobras consecutively, smooching with 11 of the highly venomous serpents. What happened after number 11 remains a mystery...

Clickthroughs

If you like this site, you might like to try out these cool links as well.

World Facts and Figures

(www.zephryus.demon.co.uk/geography/links/facts.html)

Assorted facts and figures about the Earth.

National Geographic's Amazing Facts for Kids

(www.nationalgeographic.com/world/amfacts)

Colourful and interesting facts and figures from the National Geographic website.

Vocabulary

rumoured (adj): be reported as a rumour and possibly not true
doubtful (adj): not sure; uncertain
define (v): to say or explain what the meaning of a word or phrase is
drawn (v): in this use, when you are drawn towards something, it means you are attracted to it
treat (n): something very pleasant and enjoyable
consecutively (adv): one after the other
smooching (v, informal): to kiss and hold somebody/something closely