People are only just realising that Mount Everest isn't the tallest mountain in the world

Picture this, you sit down at a pub quiz and you're asked to name the world's tallest mountain.

It's Mount Everest, right? Everybody knows that. But no, you're wrong, and the team of over 70s wins for the 382nd week in a row.

There are plenty of things we think we know about, but the reality is we learn new things every day. Life would be pretty boring if we knew everything already.

For example, travellers to Egypt would be forgiven for thinking that there are four sides to the pyramids of Giza, because anything more than four would be insane, right Jeremy? Wrong again.

Maybe you think you're an expert on something like Harry Potter, but only after 20 years of watching it do you realise the talented British actor who voiced Dobby.

Many would be quick to assume that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world (LAKPA SHERPA/AFP via Getty Images)

Anyway, I'll put you out of your misery and explain exactly why Mount Everest technically isn't the tallest mountain, in an update which I'm sure is going to devastate gap year students across the world.

Everest's peak stands at an impressive 8,849m above the ocean, making it the piece of land at the highest altitude on Earth.

However, it is not the tallest mountain in the world when you consider that some of its competitors start below sea level.

Nobody tell Donald Trump, but America is actually home to the world's tallest mountain.

Technically the world's tallest mountain (Getty Stock)

Maybe it's compensating for something?

Mauna Kea, a long-dormant volcano in Hawaii, stands at a mammoth 10,205m (33481 feet) in height, which practically makes Mount Everest a short king by comparison.

The US state is clearly the place to be when it comes to absolutely gigantic natural features, as if you want to talk about the mountain with the greatest volume, then you also need to say goodbye to Nepal and aloha to Hawaii.

Mauna Loa is another active volcano which encompasses about 10,000 cubic miles (42,000 cubic kilometres), making it one of the biggest things on Earth.

Mauna Loa erupting (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

If you want to get even more specific with your definitions, and perhaps you think the closest mountain to the sun should take the title, then you'll need to visit Ecuador to see Mount Chimborazo.

Due to Ecuador being located on the equator and the Earth not being perfectly spherical, the active volcano located just one mile south of the equator actually sticks out a little more than others, making it the closest to the sun.

So, the next time you're asked the question at a pub quiz, it might be safer to put four different answers to make sure you get the point, not that the team that is marking yours will appreciate it.

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