Romania and Bulgaria New Members of the EU
Sunday December 31, 2006
It's January 1 so Romania and Bulgaria are now part of the United States of Europe - the European Union. Thus, there are now 27 member countries of the ... Read More
2010 Census
Sunday December 31, 2006
The 2010 Census in the United States is merely just over three years away; census day is April 1, 2010. The Census Bureau has a new website devoted to ... Read More
Sydney or Sidney?
Friday December 29, 2006
When 21 year-old Tobi Gutt wanted to fly from his native Germany to visit his girlfriend in Sydney, Australia, he accidentally searched for and purchased tickets to Sidney, an oil ... Read More
$33k Bonus for New Parents in Germany
Thursday December 28, 2006
With a current natural growth rate of -0.2% and a total fertility rate of 1.4 per woman, Germany is giving new parents 25,200 euros (£16,911, $33,300) for babies born after ... Read More
Busiest Airports
Wednesday December 27, 2006
If you're traveling this holiday season, you might be interested to learn which airports are the busiest in the world. If you're not traveling, you might be glad to ... Read More
New State Population Estimates
Tuesday December 26, 2006
The U.S. Census Bureau has just released their latest estimates of state population. North Carolina edged out New Jersey for the tenth spot and Arizona surpassed Nevada as the ... Read More
Know Your USA Flash Game
Monday December 25, 2006
Try the Know Your USA Flash Game - it's a ton of fun, if you want to test your knowledge of U.S. states. Enjoy!
End of the Year - Gregorian Calendar
Sunday December 24, 2006
Since 1582, we have relied on the Gregorian calendar to keep us almost perfectly in line with the rotation of the earth around the sun. Pope Gregory XIII issued a ... Read More
Winter is Here
Thursday December 21, 2006
Winter has begun in the Northern Hemisphere and summer has begun in the Southern Hemisphere! December 21 is the longest night and shortest daylight north of the Tropic of ... Read More
Seoul Highest Quality Airport
Thursday December 21, 2006
The Airports Council International has ranked Seoul Incheon International Airport in South Korea as the world's highest quality airport when it comes to customer service. Following Seoul in the ... Read More
Female Undergrad and Graduate Students in the Majority
Wednesday December 20, 2006
The U.S. Census Bureau reports some exciting news on the gender front - 56 percent of the undergraduate student population and 59 percent of the graduate student population are women! ... Read More
New Statistical Abstract
Monday December 18, 2006
The 2007 edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878 is here and is available online! The publication is, "the authoritative and comprehensive summary of ... Read More
Belgians Upset Over Dissolution Hoax
Saturday December 16, 2006
State television in Belgium reported that the province of Flanders had proclaimed its independence and thus Belgium was no longer a country. The fake news story last Wednesday prompted ... Read More
Happy Hanukkah - Geography of Israel
Saturday December 16, 2006
The holiday of Hanukkah began on Friday night, December 15. Learn more about the place where the story of Hanukkah happened through my maps and geography of Israel page.
Amazon River
Thursday December 14, 2006
The Amazon River carries more water than any other river in the world; in fact, it is responsible for 20% of the fresh water that flows into the oceans of ... Read More
Urban Landslide
Wednesday December 13, 2006
My colleague Andrew Alden, About.com's Guide to Geology, investigated and photographed a recent landslide in Oakland, California that destroyed a home. Take a look at his urban landslide case ... Read More
The Shrinking of the Dead Sea
Tuesday December 12, 2006
The Dead Sea, on the border of Israel and Jordan, has been shrinking over the past few decades due to diversion of fresh water in the Jordan River and the ... Read More
Cartographic Plagiarism for Carter?
Sunday December 10, 2006
Caitlin at GIS Lounge reports on a cartographic controversy surrounding President Carter's latest book. It would appear that maps in Carter's book are very, very similar to maps published ... Read More
Commonwealth vs. State
Saturday December 9, 2006
I discovered a great answer to the question of why Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts are all officially "commonwealths" and not "states" and the U.S. government site, Ben's Guide to ... Read More
The End of the USSR
Friday December 8, 2006
Thanks to Catholicgauze for reminding me that today, December 8, is the fifteenth anniversary of the beginning of the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (which took place ... Read More
"Mr. Geography" Cabbie Gives Free Rides for Correct Answers
Thursday December 7, 2006
Taxi driver Mohammad Saaed Collins from Toronto, Canada, claims to know a heck of a lot about geography. In fact, he will give a free cab ride to anyone ... Read More
Busiest Mailing Days
Thursday December 7, 2006
Each year, the busiest mailing and delivery days for the U.S. Postal Service changes based on the date of Christmas. This year, the busiest mailing date is expected to ... Read More
Top 10 Satellite Photos
Wednesday December 6, 2006
The blog OddPeak.com provides a fascinating collection of the 10 Most Impressive Satellite Photos. My favorite is the photo of the newly created Palm Island off the coast of ... Read More
New Oxford Atlas of the World
Monday December 4, 2006
I love the brand-new 13th edition of the Oxford Atlas of the World. It is simply beautiful and full of geographic information. Read my review to learn more!
Garreau on Climate Change and Life on the Coast
Sunday December 3, 2006
Joel Garreau (author of Edge City) writes about how American insurance companies are less than supportive of coastal residents, as they are concerned about the potential for damage to homes ... Read More
Cities Without Traffic Regulations
Sunday December 3, 2006
In an effort to encourage "Drivers and pedestrians to interact in a free and humane way, as brethren -- by means of friendly gestures, nods of the head and eye ... Read More