This paper is a review article.It summarizes the research history and latest research achievements on meteorite craters in the world, including basic classification, key points of crater identification,world-famous craters,magmatic activities caused by meteorite impact on the earth,meteorite impact and life evolution,etc.To determine a crater,we should start with landforms with a certain radian,identify whether meteorites created craters or by other reasons,and comprehensively determine the petrological characteristics in the rock,whether there are impact metamorphic minerals,residual meteorite and gravity anomaly in the strata.Meteorites hit all the planets in the solar system,including the earth. Because of the severe weathering and erosion of the earth's surface,it is difficult for geologists to find impact craters.As of March 15,2021,there are 190 certified craters in the global crater database,but there is only one in China.Chinese geologists still have a long way to go in discovering impact craters.It may not be very mature for recognizing a crater,but it can often change a strategy of the understanding of oil and gas exploration in an area and the theory of geological genesis in an area,and it may require the continuous efforts of several generations of scientists to form a complete evidence on a crater.