World's fair

A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations.^[1] These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.^[1]

The term "world's fair" is commonly used in the United States,^[2] while the French term, Exposition universelle ("universal exhibition"^[3]) is used in most of Europe and Asia; other terms include World Expo or Specialised Expo, with the word expo used for various types of exhibitions since at least 1958.

Since the adoption of the 1928 Convention Relating to International Exhibitions, the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has served as an international sanctioning body for international exhibitions; four types of international exhibition are organised under its auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos (regulated by the International Association of Horticultural Producers), and the Milan Triennial.

Osaka, Japan held the most recent World Expo in 2025, while Astana, Kazakhstan held the most recent Specialised Expo in 2017, and Doha, Qatar held the most recent Horticultural Expo in 2023.^[4]

^ ^a ^b "world's fair | History Instances, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
^ [1] Britannica. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
^ "exposition". Cambridge French-English Dictionary.
^ The Expo was postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

[Encyclopædia_Britannica-1] "world's fair | History Instances, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 March 2022.

[2] [1] Britannica. Retrieved 17 July 2019.

[3] "exposition". Cambridge French-English Dictionary.

[4] The Expo was postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

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