U.S. is Most Armed Country in World
Friday August 31, 2007
Despite being home to less than 5% of the world's population, the residents of the United States of America possess more than 30% of the world's firearms. A recent ... Read More
New French President Wants G-13, Not G-8
Friday August 31, 2007
Newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy thinks that the G8 needs to be expanded to become the G13 by adding the countries of China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. ... Read More
Sandstorms Eroding Great Wall of China
Friday August 31, 2007
Sandstorms in the Gansu Province of China are eroding the Great Wall of China and Chinese officials are reporting that the mud and brick section of the wall in this ... Read More
Court Blocks Pretoria Name Change
Friday August 31, 2007
In a reportedly temporary move, the regional high court in Pretoria, South Africa has stopped the city from changing its street signs to reflect the city's new name of Tshwane. ... Read More
One in Five Americans Can't Find U.S.?
Thursday August 30, 2007
Miss South Carolina Teen USA was asked recently why one in five Americans can't find the United States on a map. Unfortunately, that statistic is entirely inaccurate. According ... Read More
Miss South Carolina Teen USA: People Need Maps!
Tuesday August 28, 2007
If you haven't seen this You Tube video of Miss South Carolina Teen USA talking about why one in five Americans can't find the U.S.A. on a world map, you ... Read More
Geography Awareness Week Theme for 2007
Monday August 27, 2007
The theme for Geography Awareness Week for 2007 has been announced. Follow the link for the theme and dates for this November's Geography Awareness Week.
Confederate States of America
Monday August 27, 2007
Jim writes to ask whether the short-lived Confederate States of America (1861-1865) could have been considered as an independent country. Since the Confederate States of America lacked recognition ... Read More
New Geography Quiz
Sunday August 26, 2007
It's the moment you've been waiting for! The latest Geography Quiz is online. It's a ten-question multiple-choice quiz designed to test your mastery of geographic knowledge. Take ... Read More
Waldseemuller Map to Go On Display at Library of Congress
Friday August 24, 2007
In 2003, the U.S. Library of Congress purchased the 1507 map by cartographer Martin Waldseemuller that was the first to use the name America for $10 million. The library ... Read More
Overview of MapQuest
Thursday August 23, 2007
Did you know that MapQuest got its start by producing free maps for gas stations? Discover facts about the Internet's most popular mapping site and the company (and data) ... Read More
United States Population
Thursday August 23, 2007
Late last year the U.S. population crossed the 300 million mark. Let's look at the past, present, and future of the United States population. Find out how soon ... Read More
Mount Everest
Wednesday August 22, 2007
The world's tallest mountain deserves attention not only for its impressive height but also for the huge number of climbers that it has attracted. Learn about Mount Everest from ... Read More
Ireland's Population Growth
Wednesday August 22, 2007
Ireland has seen a recent rapid increase in their population. According to the New York Times the country grew by 8% or 322,645 in four years, split between new ... Read More
The World’s Most Overhyped Vacation Spots
Tuesday August 21, 2007
While it's a little late for most of us to begin thinking about a summer vacation, Foreign Policy lets us know of the world's five most overhyped vacation spots. ... Read More
Happy Conception Day!
Monday August 20, 2007
The Russian oblast of Ul'yanovsk is giving couples the day off from work on September 12 in order to do their national duty and "work at home" to conceive children ... Read More
No Immigration Enforcement During 2010 Census?
Sunday August 19, 2007
News articles reporting that the U.S. Census Bureau would ask partner federal agencies not to enforce immigration law and not to conduct raids during around the time of the April ... Read More
New Geography Quiz
Friday August 17, 2007
I am so very pleased to announce the grand return of the Geography Quiz. This latest ten-question multiple-choice quiz is automatically scored and your grand total is provided at ... Read More
U.S. Wants A Piece of the Arctic Pie, Too
Friday August 17, 2007
Things are hot this August. First it was Russia and their flag and then it was Denmark and Canada. Now, the United States is asserting its sovereignty over ... Read More
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Thursday August 16, 2007
The seventh summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a not-so-widely-known international organization, began today in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The presidents of all six Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries are represented ... Read More
Choropleth Maps and Map Color
Wednesday August 15, 2007
My latest article discusses the use of color on maps and the use of color in choropleth maps. If you like maps, and I know you do, you'll be ... Read More
Largest Continent
Tuesday August 14, 2007
I've produced a handy listing of the seven continents ranked in land area and in population, based on the latest population data. It's no surprise that Asia is number ... Read More
Google Earth
Tuesday August 14, 2007
I expect that 99.9% of my readers are quite familiar with Google Earth. If you're in the minority 0.1% and haven't experienced the wonders of Google Earth, visit my ... Read More
Panama Canal
Tuesday August 14, 2007
Here's another updated, renovated, and revised article. This time, it's the Panama Canal, which saves ships from traveling 8000 miles around Cape Horn. You have to love the ... Read More
El Nino and La Nina
Tuesday August 14, 2007
Some good climate news for once - the Pacific Ocean is actually in an El Nino-neutral state with a slight tendency toward La Nina conditions. I've taken this lull ... Read More
Two Years After Katrina
Tuesday August 14, 2007
I've discovered a fantastic source for data and information about the demographic state of the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina. The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center provides ... Read More
Amazon Deforestation Slowing
Tuesday August 14, 2007
For the second year in a row, the area of the Amazon basin rainforest deforested has been reduced. Brazil's Environmental Ministry reports that 8,774 square miles (22,724 square km) ... Read More
Back to School
Monday August 13, 2007
The U.S. Census Bureau has released some interesting facts and figures related to schools during these weeks preceding the school year. I found it fascinating that in the upcoming ... Read More
Changing Fonts on Traffic Signs
Monday August 13, 2007
The New York Times has a lengthy article about a new proposed typeface for interstate highway signs. The new font, called Clearview, has been found to be easier to ... Read More
Denmark Wants North Pole, Too
Sunday August 12, 2007
Following last week's well-publicized move by Russia to claim the North Pole as their own, Denmark is now turning up the heat on their claim. Denmark claims that the ... Read More
New Zealand Geographic Board Broadens Role
Sunday August 12, 2007
The New Zealand Geographic Board has expended their responsibilities to include naming undersea features on New Zealand's continental shelf. In a host of changes to the Board's responsibilities, the ... Read More
Geopolitical Hot Spots
Saturday August 11, 2007
About.com Foreign Policy Guide Keith Porter writes about the seven places around the world that are currently consuming U.S. foreign policy efforts. In a related topic, Keith's list reminds ... Read More
Fist Fight Breaks Out Over Geography
Friday August 10, 2007
Two twenty-something residents of Virginia got into a drunken brawl Thursday night over a geographical dispute. John L. Snyder Jr., 26, of Lake Ridge and Jermaine R. Graham, 24 ... Read More
Team Mexico Wins World Geography Bee
Friday August 10, 2007
Young people from seventeen countries competed in the 8th National Geographic World Championship held in San Diego this week. Team of three teens from Mexico beat the United States ... Read More
Inappropriate Birth Control Slogans Banned
Friday August 10, 2007
China has banned some inappropriate birth control promotional slogans, such as "One more baby means one more tomb" and "Raise fewer babies but more piggies," in favor of such slogans ... Read More
American Place Names
Thursday August 9, 2007
Ed McNierney of TopoZone wrote to discuss my article, The Most Common Place Name in America. He shared some very interesting information...
The most common feature names on USGS topographic ... Read More
Customized Globes for Picky Customers
Thursday August 9, 2007
The International Herald Tribune reports on the Italian globe company Nova Rico, which has been making customized globes for half a century. The company made globes for Saddam Hussein ... Read More
Three Gorges Dam Passes Flood Test
Tuesday August 7, 2007
The one-year-old Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China successfully saw its first peak flood flow and seemed to pass with flying colors. The dam, the world's ... Read More
A Mediterranean Union?
Monday August 6, 2007
For over a decade the idea of a Mediterranean Union (a southern and southeastern cousin to the European Union) has been tossed about. Some are thinking of a Mediterranean Union ... Read More
Beijing Climbs in Airport Rankings
Sunday August 5, 2007
Based on data recently released by Airports Council International, Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) saw an impressive 18.7% jump in passenger traffic from 2005 to 2006 which caused Beijing's airport ... Read More
Province of Pakistan Wants New Name
Friday August 3, 2007
The boringly named Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan is hoping for a new name. Local Islamic officials would like to name the province Afghania as the province lies adjacent ... Read More
Best Cities for Retirees
Friday August 3, 2007
The AARP (an organization representing older Americans) has published a list of the five best U.S. cities for retirees. They determined the five to be 1) Atlanta, Georgia; 2) ... Read More
Russia to Claim North Pole
Thursday August 2, 2007
Russia is planting their flag under the sea at the North Pole today. The plan to place the Russian flag underneath the ice and directly on the sea bed ... Read More
Exporting Prisoners
Wednesday August 1, 2007
The states of Hawaii, California, Idaho, North Dakota, Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona have an unusual export - prisoners. These states export some of their prisoners to other states, often ... Read More