There are numerous examples around the world of cities divided by international borders. These cities can be divided naturally through settlement on either side of a river or by human-caused means, such as the construction of something like the Berlin Wall. Geographer Dimitar Zhelev writes about cities divided around the world, from major capitals to small towns caught by border disputes.

The National Geographic Society has re-branded the fight against geographic illiteracy as "geo-literacy." For decades, the society has been the major voice in the fight for U.S. federal government funding of geographic education in schools. In an editorial Daniel C. Edelson (@NatGeoEdelson on Twitter) writes, "The National Geographic Society's concern for geo-literacy comes from our mission. We see geo-literacy as providing the tools that will enable communities to protect natural and cultural resources, reduce violent conflict, and improve the quality of life worldwide. However, having a geo-literate populace is also critical for maintaining economic competitiveness, quality of life, and national security in our modern, interconnected world." As part of this re-branding, the society has just launched two great videos that I highly recommend watching, What is Geo-Literacy? and Why is Geo-Literacy Important?. Here on my site I have an article about the efforts of the National Geographic Society and others to improve geographic education.

The question, "What is geography?" is a great one. Fortunately, I have a plethora of resources to help you find the answer. First, take a look at this collection of definitions of geography and this overview of geography. From there, you might want to learn about physical geography and cultural geography. Once you're on your way, don't miss the four traditions of geography, five themes of geography, and eighteen national geography standards. If you still have questions, browse the categories at the very bottom of every page of my site or just contact me!

In 2011, more than 62 million people visited the United States from a foreign country. A majority of those visitors come from Canada (21 million) and Mexico (13.4 million). However, millions of tourists visited the U.S. from other countries. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI), these are the top fifteen countries for visitors to the U.S. in 2011:

1. Canada - 21 million
2. Mexico - 13.4 million
3. United Kingdom - 3.8 million
4. Japan - 3.25 million
5. Germany - 1.8 million
6. Brazil - 1.508 million
7. France - 1.504 million
8. South Korea - 1.145 million
9. China - 1.09 million
10. Australia - 1.038 million
11. Italy - 892,000
12. Spain - 700,000
13. India - 663,000
14. Netherlands - 601,000
15. Venezuela - 561,000

The OTTI also provides forecasts for the origin countries of tourists over the next few years and the total number of tourists from China and Brazil are expected to rapidly increase through 2016. In 2016, China is expected to be the fifth top source for tourists to the U.S. with 3.2 million tourists (a near doubling). Brazil will be the sixth top source with 2.5 million tourists (an increase of 70% in five years). With this increased demand in tourist visas, the U.S. Department of State has announced plans to increase their ability to process visas from citizens of Brazil and China. In addition to adding staff and increasing hours, in Brazil the State Department will be opening new consulates in Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre.