Matt's Geography Blog

The recent earthquake in China's Sichuan Province is the world's most populous nation's worst disaster in thirty years, since the catastrophic 1976 earthquake in Tangshan, which killed at least 255,000 people. Officials expect that the death toll from this week's 7.9 quake could approach 50,000. One of the very unfortunate effects of the earthquake is that families who lost a child in the disaster, lost any hope of descendants due to the country's One Child Law.

The New York Times has a fantastic article and video about romance and love in Saudi Arabia. It's an interesting look at this traditional and conservative country that often lies outside the glare of the West. What do you think about the article?

Did you know that the United Nations has declared 2008 as the Year of the Potato?! The Year of the Potato has its own website and the UN, especially in light of the developing global food crisis, has recommended that poorer countries grow more potatoes as a great source of protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins. The UN's blog, UN Dispatch led me to the magic of the potato. What are your thoughts on this tuber?

About.com's 20th Century History site explores the fascinating history of the calendar in the former Soviet Union. Learn about their 5-day week calendar which didn't work out so well. I have more on the Soviet Union and on the Gregorian calendar, which we use today.

NASA provides satellite imagery of the cyclone-caused flooding in Myanmar following Cyclone Nargis. Cyclone Nargis swept through the Irrawaddy Delta of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and the country’s main city, Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), and left tens of thousands dead and thousands more missing. The term cyclone is used in the Bay of Bengal (which Myanmar borders) to describe what many refer to as a hurricane.

An Olympic torch made its way to the top of Mount Everest last Thursday as part of the torch's relay to Beijing for the start of the Summer Games, which begins on August 8. The New York Times reports on the ascent.

As reported earlier in a heavily discussed post, there is concern about U.S. presidential candidate John McCain's birthplace. In support of Senator McCain and his birthplace, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a non-binding resolution declaring John McCain a natural-born U.S. citizen. What do you think about the Senate's latest move?

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants to make recycling in the city of San Francisco mandatory and if residents do not comply, their garbage pickup would cease. Mayor Newsom is happy about the recent news that shows that the city keeps 70 percent of its recyclable trash out of landfills. However, the mayor would like that number to rise to 75 percent. What do you think?

Today is the tenth anniversary of the agreement that launched the euro, the European common currency that unified the European economy. The BBC has a story about the anniversary of the currency and I provide a listing of the twenty Eurozone countries. What has been your experience with the euro and how has it changed or impacted your life or the world?

In what might be the worst catastrophe sine the December 2004 tsunami in Asia, a cyclone which struck Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on Saturday may have a death toll as high as 10,000. Cyclone Nargis swept through the Irrawaddy Delta and the country’s main city, Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), and left thousands dead and thousands more missing. The term cyclone is used in the Bay of Bengal (which Myanmar borders) to describe what many refer to as a hurricane. The New York Times has more.