Snowstorm Scale Issued
Tuesday January 31, 2006
NOAA has issued a snowstorm categorization system to allow quantification of snowstorms that strike the Northeast United States. The categories of future large snowstorms can be ranked as: Notable, ... Read More
Landsat 5 Operational Again
Tuesday January 31, 2006
Thank goodness for the good folks at USGS and NASA! Landsat 5, capturing images of the earth since 1984, had been having technical difficulties since November of last year. ... Read More
Olympic Geography and History
Monday January 30, 2006
For your surfing pleasure, here are a collection of essential resources to help you enjoy the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino (Turin), Italy from February 10-26...
Most Populous Countries Not ... Read More
African-American History Month Facts
Sunday January 29, 2006
The U.S. Census Bureau provides some facts in honor of African-American History Month, which is the month of February in the United States. The Bureau reports that the estimated ... Read More
American FactFinder: New Maps
Saturday January 28, 2006
The U.S. Census Bureau's American FactFinder site has a collection of 120 tables and more than 80 thematic maps based on new data from 2004's American Community Survey. Follow ... Read More
Bolivia's New President and His Sweater
Friday January 27, 2006
Newly inaugurated President Evo Morales of Bolivia is making quite a splash in diplomatic circles by wearing a trademark multihued sweater (with picture) to meetings with foreign leaders. President ... Read More
16 "Squaw" Names Changed
Thursday January 26, 2006
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved name changes for sixteen toponyms with the word "squaw" in their name in Central Oregon today. The Oregon legislature determined ... Read More
Cuba and U.S. Playing Sign Games
Thursday January 26, 2006
While the United States does not have official diplomatic representation in Cuba, it does have an Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Havana. Both the U.S. and Cuba ... Read More
New Geography Quiz
Wednesday January 25, 2006
Take this week's brand-new geography quiz to test your geographic knowledge. Good luck!
Afghans and Iraqis Think Economy is Getting Better
Wednesday January 25, 2006
Among more than 37, 000 people surveyed in 32 countries, those in Afghanistan and Iraq are most likely to say that their nation's economies are getting better. Those in ... Read More
Thesis Topic?
Tuesday January 24, 2006
Please provide suggestions to
this post on the Geography Forum: "'I'm a new grad student and have about two weeks to write a proposal for my thesis. I ... Read More
Hazard Mitigation Pays Off
Tuesday January 24, 2006
Pennsylvania State University geographer Adam Rose has determined that for every dollar spent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in hazard mitigation grants, the hazard mitigation saved four ... Read More
Glossary of Geography
Tuesday January 24, 2006
I'm very pleased to announce the update, revision, and extensive expansion of the Geography Glossary here on my site. The glossary includes more than 215 geographical terms and definitions. ... Read More
1418 Chinese Map Likely Hoax
Monday January 23, 2006
National Geographic is reporting that the 1763 copy of a purported 1418 Chinese map of the world may be a fake. The map, which shows the Americas and ... Read More
Michener on Geography and Geography Quotes
Monday January 23, 2006
Two updated features today - James Michener on geography in his great essay The Queenly Science and a collection of quoted Definitions of Geography. Enjoy!
Olympic Geography
Sunday January 22, 2006
The XX Olympic Winter Games are less than a month away! They will be held in Torino (Turin), Italy from February 10-26. Check out the Most Populous Countries Not ... Read More
Fujita Scale
Saturday January 21, 2006
Tetsuya Theodore "Ted" Fujita is famous for developing the Fujita Scale, a scale used to measure the strength of a tornado based on the damage it produces.
100th Meridian
Friday January 20, 2006
In the late nineteenth century there developed a line of longitude in the United States that represented the boundary between the moist east and the arid west. The line was ... Read More
U.S. Census Bureau Selects Test Sites for 2010 Census
Friday January 20, 2006
The U.S. Census Bureau announced yesterday that San Joaquin County, California and a nine-county region surrounding Fayetteville, North Carolina have been selected by the Bureau to serve in 2008 as ... Read More
Top Seven Intelligent Communities
Friday January 20, 2006
The Intelligent Community Forum has selected their annual seven top intelligent communities based on broadband infrastructure, a knowledge workforce, innovation, digital democracy, and marketing. The top seven for 2006 ... Read More
Geography Student Scores Perfect 600 on A-Levels
Thursday January 19, 2006
Lisa Harris, now a student at the University of Cambridge, scored a perfect 600 on her A-Level examination in geography and was thus recognized by the Royal Geographic Society as ... Read More
New Quiz
Thursday January 19, 2006
Test your mastery of geography with my latest geography quiz. Good luck!
Geographic Education Revival
Thursday January 19, 2006
I think the future looks bright for geography. Read my article about the revival of geographic education in America. I think it'll make you happy!
Busy Airports
Wednesday January 18, 2006
Here's a new listing of the thirty busiest airports in the world. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is still number one. What I find most interesting is that Tokyo, ... Read More
11 Earthquakes M7.0 and Above in 2005
Wednesday January 18, 2006
The United States Geological Survey has summarized earthquake activity for 2005 and reports that there were 11 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 and above, including one that registered 8.7 near Indonesia ... Read More
National Geographic Bee
Tuesday January 17, 2006
It's National Geographic Bee season in schools across the United States. Fourth through eighth graders are taking school-level tests to work toward state-level finals in April. Ready my ... Read More
Chinese Circumnavigation
Tuesday January 17, 2006
The New York Times is a tad more skeptical about the possibility of ancient Chinese circumnavigation of the globe and a discovery of America prior to Columbus.
Myth of the Continents
Tuesday January 17, 2006
Here's a lengthy, yet interesting column from a British perspective about the vague nature of the continents on our planet, especially in relation to the global media. It ... Read More
Where Do The Houses Go?
Tuesday January 17, 2006
Learn all about zoning, the magical process that keeps residential, commercial, and industrial activities apart (most of the time).
Ellen Semple
Monday January 16, 2006
Nineteenth century geographer Ellen Churchill Semple will long be remembered for her contributions to American geography.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Street, Road, etc.
Sunday January 15, 2006
There are over 730 cities or towns in 39 states that have streets named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 70% of those street names are in the states ... Read More
Hydrologic Cycle
Sunday January 15, 2006
The hydrologic cycle makes the water go around. Did you know that a mere 0.001% of the world's water lies in rivers? Read about the hydrologic cycle to ... Read More
Thank Goodness for Gregorian
Saturday January 14, 2006
The Gregorian calendar of 1582 is the same calendar we use today; it's fantastic that a 16th century calendar is still wholly functional more than four centuries later. Learn ... Read More
Friday Fun With PRIZM NE Clusters!
Friday January 13, 2006
Those familiar with the Claritas demographic marketing cluster system in the U.S. based on ZIP Codes know how very interesting it is to look up the clusters for your ZIP ... Read More
More Evidence of Ancient Chinese Exploration
Friday January 13, 2006
A 1763 copy of a purported 1418 map of the world shows the Americas and Australia and may prove that Chinese explorer Zheng He (a.k.a. Cheng Ho) circumnavigated the globe ... Read More
New Geography Quiz
Thursday January 12, 2006
Take my latest geography quiz to test your geographic knowledge. It's five questions and multiple choice so try it out!
Novel Idea: Tsunami Warning Centers to Open 24 Hours a Day
Thursday January 12, 2006
The Alaska and Hawaii tsunami warning centers operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will become operational 24-hours a day by this summer, thanks to Congressional funding. ... Read More
Finding Your Way With the Internet
Wednesday January 11, 2006
Listen to this interesting story on NPR about how sites like MapQuest provide driving directions.
Temperate, Torrid, and Frigid Zones - Aristotle's Climate Classification
Wednesday January 11, 2006
In one of the first attempts at climate classification, the ancient Greek scholar Aristotle hypothesized that the earth was divided into three types of climatic zones - temperate, torrid, and ... Read More
The Year in Geography
Wednesday January 11, 2006
Oxford University Press atlas editor Ben Keene presents his Year in Geography about the most important geographical events of the year. Pretty interesting...
Karst Topography
Tuesday January 10, 2006
When limestone interacts with underground water, the water dissolves the limestone to form karst topography - an amalgamation of caves, underground channels, and a rough and bumpy ground surface. Karst ... Read More
The Ukrainian and Russian Gas Dilemma
Monday January 9, 2006
Guest columnist Tom Adams provides some background on the Ukrainian and Russian gas dilemma in his article, "A Freezing Prospect – A Winter with no Heat?"
New Map of Rwanda
Monday January 9, 2006
Rwanda has abolished their twelve provinces and replaced them with North, South, East, West provinces, and a capital province surrounding Kigali. The move is an effort to decentralize power ... Read More
Photos of China
Monday January 9, 2006
Last year, I went to Beijing and surrounding areas. I took a whole bunch of photos and have placed many of my favorites into an online photo gallery of ... Read More
Eunuch Explorer Cheng Ho
Sunday January 8, 2006
The famous eunuch Chinese Admiral explorer Cheng Ho sailed the Indian Ocean with his Treasure Fleet in the 15th century, long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
America's Great Western Canal
Sunday January 8, 2006
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the new nation known as the United States of America began to develop plans to improve transportation into the interior and beyond ... Read More
Geography of Tibet
Saturday January 7, 2006
Cries ring out around the world to "Free Tibet" from Chinese control. Learn more about the history and geography of Tibet and life under Chinese rule.
The World's Most Remote Island
Saturday January 7, 2006
Located about midway between Cape Town, South Africa and Buenos Aires, Argentina lies what is often referred to as the world's most remote inhabited island - Tristan da Cunha. Tristan ... Read More
The Longest Day of the Year
Friday January 6, 2006
Now that the Northern Hemisphere is fully immersed in the darkness of winter, it's time to think about looking forward to the longest day of the year. Interestingly, the ... Read More
Urban Heat Islands
Friday January 6, 2006
The buildings, concrete, asphalt, and the human and industrial activity of urban areas have caused cities to maintain higher temperatures (as much as 20°F or 11°C) than their surrounding countryside. ... Read More
Grand Tour of Europe
Thursday January 5, 2006
What did the elite 20-somethings in England do during Spring Break (OK, for 2-4 years)? They went on a Grand Tour of Europe! Read all about these historic ... Read More
Commonwealth of Nations
Thursday January 5, 2006
As the British Empire began its process of decolonization and the creation of independent states from former British colonies, there arose a need for an organization of countries formerly part ... Read More
Agents of Erosion
Thursday January 5, 2006
Take a look at my article about the agents of erosion (click here for the article, which contains much information about agents of erosion.)
Baby Boomers Turn 60
Wednesday January 4, 2006
Young males returning home following tours of duty overseas during World War II began families, which brought about a significant number of new children into the world. These Baby ... Read More
Life Expectancy
Wednesday January 4, 2006
Life expectancy from birth is a frequently utilized and analyzed component of demographic data for the countries of the world. It represents the average life span of a newborn and ... Read More
Economic Geography Galore
Wednesday January 4, 2006
Today I'm obsessed with economic geography, especially the primary sector. If you're not familiar with the sectors of the economy (including primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, and even quinary), read ... Read More
Rumsfeld Misspoke on Taiwan
Wednesday January 4, 2006
Foreign Policy reports on slip of the tongue by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last August who referred to Taiwan as an independent country. The Secretary stated (in reference ... Read More
New Geography Quiz
Tuesday January 3, 2006
Test your geographic skill with the latest and greatest five-question multiple-choice geography quiz. Good luck!
Polders and Dykes of the Netherlands
Tuesday January 3, 2006
For more than 2000 years, the Dutch and their ancestors have been working to hold back and reclaim land from the North Sea. Lean about the polders and dykes ... Read More
Interstate Highways Turn 50
Tuesday January 3, 2006
The U.S. Interstate Highway system turns fifty years old in 2006! On June 29, 1956 the "Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956" was signed and the Interstates, as they ... Read More
Levittown
Tuesday January 3, 2006
Abraham Levitt and his sons had the greatest impact on U.S. postwar housing through the construction of their three Levittowns, which resulted in over 140,000 homes. Learn all about ... Read More
Plan to Use Satellite Images for Taxation Dismissed
Tuesday January 3, 2006
A British idea to utilize satellite photos and images to determine if property owners have made improvements on their property and thus tax them at the appropriate rate, won't work. ... Read More
Glacial Depositions and Moraines
Tuesday January 3, 2006
The awesome force of a glacier or ice sheet can carve impressive valleys and can bulldoze wide swaths of continents. The rock and soil picked up and transported by glaciers ... Read More
Edge Cities
Tuesday January 3, 2006
They're called suburban business districts, major diversified centers, suburban cores, minicities, suburban activity centers, cities of realms, galactic cities, urban subcenters, pepperoni-pizza cities, superburbia, technoburbs, nucleations, disurbs, service cities, perimeter ... Read More
Geographer Carl Ritter
Monday January 2, 2006
I'm a huge fan of geographer Carl Ritter. He was the first modern geography professor at a university and his nineteen volume book, Die Erdkunde, (the literal German translation ... Read More
Primate Cities
Monday January 2, 2006
I just love studying and thinking about primate cities! Mark Jefferson defined the concept of primate city in 1939 as, "Always disproportionately large and exceptionally expressive of national capacity ... Read More
Knights of Malta
Monday January 2, 2006
Some write to me and claim that there is a country even smaller than the world's smallest country, the Vatican City. They claim that world's actual smallest country is an ... Read More
U.S. Boundary History
Monday January 2, 2006
Take a look at my chronological listing of the development and expansion of the boundaries of the United States, from 1776 to their current demarcation, complete in 1925.
Mason-Dixon Line
Monday January 2, 2006
Alhough the Mason-Dixon line is most commonly associated with the division between the northern and southern states during the American Civil War-era, the line was delineated in the mid-1700s to ... Read More
USSR
Monday January 2, 2006
Most of next fall's entering high school freshmen were born after the end of the USSR. Thus, a good number of young people today don't remember the Soviet Union ... Read More
World Population Growth
Monday January 2, 2006
The population of the world is constantly growing - the estimated world population as of this posting is a whopping 6,488,938,808. I've just updated my table of world population ... Read More
Nicknames of the 50 States
Monday January 2, 2006
Do you know which state is called the Spud State? How about Beehive State? Camellia State? Treasure State? Flickertail State? Coyote State? Brush up ... Read More
Landlocked Countries
Monday January 2, 2006
There are 42 landlocked countries in the world and two that are doubly-landlocked. Can you name the two? Check out my article about landlocked countries for the answer.
Geopolitics (a.k.a. Geopolitik)
Sunday January 1, 2006
Learn about geopolitics (Geopolitik in German), a dark era in geography when geography was utilized as a weapon of conquest by Nazi Germany.
Hello, Neighbor!
Sunday January 1, 2006
Two countries share their border with a whopping fourteen neighboring countries each! A third country has nine neighbors. Talk about a need to maintain good boundary relationships! ... Read More
Time Zones
Sunday January 1, 2006
Watching the new year begin across the globe reminds me that we have Sir Sanford Fleming to thank for his introduction of standardized time zones for the planet. That ... Read More