This will be the largest expo site ever, eclipsing the area of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Nearly 200 countries are partipcipating, also a world's fair record.

Attendance is projected to be 70 to 100 million during the 6-month expo. This would also be an expo record, breaking the current record held by Osaka, Japan's Expo 70. For comparison, the ten Walt Disney parks around the world had a combined attendance of 119.1 million in 2009... a 12-month period.

As with all contemporary world's fairs, Expo 2010 has a theme. The theme "Better City, Better Life" focuses on urban and environmental themes.

A world's fair? An expo? A world expo? What's the difference?

In the history of world's fairs, many names have been used. In the United States, "world's fair" is mostly used. In other parts of the world, "expo" or "world expo" is more commonly used. The more formal names of these events usually include the words "international exposition" or "universal exposition." They are all "world's fairs."

Is this the first world's fair in a long time?

Actually, no. Whereas we haven't had a world's fair in the United States since the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition and there there hasn't been one in North America since Expo '86, there have been several world's fairs held in Australia, Asia, and Europe. The last world's fair was Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain.

Have a question about Expo 2010 or world's fairs in general?

Call us at +1-650-ASK-EXPO and leave a message. It may appear on The World's Fair Podcast. The phone line is open 24 hours a day.

With new questions and suggestions, we'll build this site to both educate and make your trip to Shanghai during Expo 2010 better

For more information about world's fairs, visit ExpoMuseum. For updates about Expo 2010, check out The World's Fair Podcast.

Urso Chappell
7 May 2010