Geography

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: province in northwest Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province) is a northwestern Pakistani province centered on Peshawar, known for its Pashtun culture, mountain landscapes and strateg…

Khyber Pass: geography, history and strategic importance Khyber Pass Mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan; historic trade route and strategic frontier corridor through the Safed Koh/Hindu Kush with cultural, military and economic significa…

Kiamichi Mountains A forested subrange of the Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma, the Kiamichi Mountains are known for folded sandstone ridges, deep river valleys, recreation and Native Amer…

Kibi Province (ancient Japanese province) Kibi Province Kibi Province was an early Japanese province on Honshū whose territory corresponds largely to modern Okayama and eastern Hiroshima. It is noted for Kofun-era tombs, the Kibi polity…

Kidal Region — Northeastern Mali Kidal Region Kidal Region is a remote, sparsely populated region in northeastern Mali, centered on Tuareg culture, Saharan landscapes and important recent history tied to rebellion, security an…

Kidder County, North Dakota Rural county in central North Dakota with a small population, agricultural economy, and the county seat at Steele. Covers geography, history, communities, economy, and recreation.

Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) — German sea-crossing waterway Kiel Canal Artificial canal in Schleswig-Holstein linking the River Elbe and Kiel to shorten sea routes between the North Sea and Baltic Sea; opened 1895 and heavily used by commercial and na…

Kilometre zero Kilometer zero Kilometre zero is a local reference point from which road distances are traditionally measured. It serves as a surveying control, historic monument and symbolic origin for transpor…

Kilometre: definition, conversions, history and common uses Kilometre The kilometre (km) is a metric unit equal to 1,000 metres. This article covers its definition, common conversions, history, regional usage, spelling variants and everyday compariso…

Kimberlite: the volatile, diamond-bearing igneous rock Kimberlite Kimberlite is a volatile-rich ultramafic igneous rock best known for carrying diamonds and mantle xenoliths to the surface. It forms explosive pipes, dykes and sills and is a key p…

King River (Victoria) Perennial river in north‑east Victoria, Australia. Tributary of the Ovens River, noted for whitewater recreation, riparian habitat and the cool‑climate King Valley wine region.

Kingdom of England: history, institutions and legacy Kingdom of England A concise overview of the Kingdom of England: its formation, political development, institutions, relations with Wales and Scotland, and its legacy up to the 1707 union.

Kingdom of Sophene (Tsopk): Armenian Hellenistic realm Kingdom of Sophene Sophene (Tsopk) was an Armenian kingdom on the upper Euphrates, ruled by the Orontid dynasty from the Hellenistic period until its incorporation by Tigranes the Great c. 95 BCE; no…

Kingdom of the Netherlands A constitutional monarchy and transcontinental sovereign state composed of four constituent countries in Europe and the Caribbean, plus three special Caribbean municipalities; its…

Kingdom of Württemberg A historical state in southwestern Germany (1806–1918), formed from the Duchy of Württemberg; centered on Stuttgart and influential in regional culture, economy, and the creation o…

Kingman County, Kansas A rural county in south-central Kansas centered on the small city of Kingman; agricultural landscape, modest population (7,858 in 2010), local government, history, and communities.

Kings Canyon (Watarrka) — a sandstone gorge in Australia’s Northern Territory Kings Canyon (Australia) Kings Canyon is a deep sandstone gorge in Watarrka National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. It is notable for high sandstone walls, the Garden of Eden, Indigenous cultural sig…

Kingsbury County, South Dakota Kingsbury County is a rural county in eastern South Dakota, established in 1873 with De Smet as its county seat; noted for prairie agriculture and ties to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Kinmen (Quemoy): islands near mainland China, history and status Kinmen Kinmen (Quemoy) is a small archipelago near Xiamen, governed by the Republic of China (Taiwan). It has strategic history, Fujian cultural ties, and a mixed economy of tourism, agri…

Kinshasa: capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Kinshasa is the capital and a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located on the Congo River opposite Brazzaville. It is a major African metropolis known for culture,…

Kipling, Saskatchewan Kipling is a small town in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, founded during prairie settlement and railway expansion. It serves as a local agricultural service centre with schools…

Kirchberg Kirchberg, German for "church hill", is a common toponym in German-speaking Europe for villages, hills, districts and historic sites; notably a major institutional and financial qu…

Kirchberg (Haut-Rhin): a commune in eastern France Kirchberg, Haut-Rhin Kirchberg is a small commune in the Haut-Rhin department of eastern France, located in the historic Alsace area. This article outlines its name, administrative role, landscape, his…

Kirchberg, Saxony (town in Zwickau district) Kirchberg, Saxony Kirchberg is a small town in the Zwickau district of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, about 10 km south of Zwickau. This article outlines its geography, history, transport links,…

Kiribati: Pacific island nation of atolls and reef islands Kiribati Kiribati is a sovereign Pacific nation of 33 atolls and reef islands, centered on Tarawa. Known for its ocean location, colonial history, and climate vulnerability, it uses English…

Kirkcaldy: coastal town in Fife, Scotland Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy is a historic coastal town on the north shore of the Firth of Forth in Fife, Scotland, known for its industrial heritage, cultural sites and links to Adam Smith.

Kirkcudbrightshire (Stewartry of Kirkcudbright) — historic county of Scotland Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire, also called the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright or East Galloway, is a historic county on Scotland's Solway Firth known for its coastline, rural landscapes and artis…

Kirklees: metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England Kirklees Kirklees is a metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, Northern England, centred on Huddersfield. It combines urban towns, mill valleys and Pennine foothills and has a mixed industr…

Kirkuk Governorate Kirkuk Governorate is a multiethnic province in northern Iraq centered on the city of Kirkuk, known for its oil resources, cultural diversity, and contested political status.

Kirkwood, California — mountain community and resort area in the Sierra Nevada Kirkwood, California Kirkwood is a small census-designated place in California spanning Alpine and Amador counties, noted for its high-elevation mountain setting and the adjacent Kirkwood Mountain Reso…

Kirovohrad Oblast Kirovohrad Oblast is a central Ukrainian region with an agricultural economy, steppe landscape and administrative centre Kropyvnytskyi; historically linked to Soviet-era names and…

Kirtankhola River (Barisal, Bangladesh) Kirtankhola Kirtankhola is a regional river in Barisal, Bangladesh, about 160 km long. It flows from Sayeshtabad through Barisal city and joins the Gajalia near Gabkhan khal, supporting naviga…

Kirthar Mountains: geography, ecology, and significance Kirthar Mountains A rugged mountain range in southern Pakistan, the Kirthar Mountains form a natural frontier between Sindh and Balochistan, host Kirthar National Park, and stretch to the Arabian Se…

Kirthar National Park A large protected area in the Kirthar mountain range of Pakistan, noted for rugged terrain, arid ecosystems, and diverse wildlife; one of the country's oldest national parks and in…

Kirundo Province (Burundi) Kirundo Province Kirundo Province is a northern province of Burundi with the provincial capital Kirundo. It is notable for several large lakes, wetlands, birdlife and an economy based on agricultur…

Kishon River A coastal river in northern Israel, the Kishon flows from the Samaria hills to the Mediterranean; notable for biblical mentions, heavy industrial pollution in the 20th century, and…

Kitsa — village in Hiiumaa, Estonia Kitsa, Estonia Kitsa is a small rural village on Hiiumaa island in northwestern Estonia. It lies within historic Emmaste Parish area of Hiiu County and is typical of the region's coastal landscap…

Kittitas County, Washington County in central Washington state centered on Ellensburg; spans Cascade Mountains to eastern plains, includes Mount Daniel, I-90 corridor, agriculture, outdoor recreation, and Cen…

Kitzbühel District (Tyrol, Austria) Kitzbühel District Alpine district in Tyrol centered on the town of Kitzbühel, known for its ski resorts, the Kitzbühel Alps, and an economy built on tourism and mountain agriculture.

Kitzingen (district) Landkreis Kitzingen is a district in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, noted for its Main River valley, viticulture, historic market towns and rural landscapes.

Klagenfurt-Land District (Bezirk Klagenfurt-Land) Klagenfurt-Land District Klagenfurt-Land is a rural district in Carinthia, Austria, surrounding but administratively separate from the city of Klagenfurt. It features lakes, Alpine foothills, tourism, agri…

Klaipėda County, Lithuania Klaipėda County Klaipėda County is Lithuania's coastal county centered on the port city of Klaipėda. It combines maritime economy, resort coasts, the Curonian Spit, and a multicultural history tie…

Klamath County, Oregon Klamath County is a large, rural county in southern Oregon centered on Klamath Falls, named for the Klamath people and known for lakes, rivers, high desert, timber, agriculture and…

Klamath River (Oregon and Northern California) Klamath River Major Pacific Northwest river that flows from southern Oregon through northern California to the Pacific Ocean; known for its length, ecological importance, salmon runs and complex…

Kleve (district, North Rhine-Westphalia) Kleve (district) Kleve (Kreis Kleve) is an administrative district in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies along the Lower Rhine, borders the Netherlands, and includes historic tow…

Klondike River (Yukon) Klondike River The Klondike River in Yukon, Canada, rises in the Ogilvie Mountains and joins the Yukon River at Dawson City. Its banks were the focus of the 1896 gold discovery that sparked the K…

Klondike (Yukon): region, gold rush, and cultural legacy Klondike, Yukon The Klondike is a subarctic region in Yukon, Canada, centered on the Klondike River and Dawson City. Best known for the 1897–1899 Gold Rush, it has distinct climate, history, Indig…

Knox County Name shared by nine U.S. counties, most honoring Revolutionary War general Henry Knox; found across regions with varied geography, histories, economies and local institutions.