For decades to come, Antarctica is supposed to be protected as a scientific preserve. But an array of countries are eager to assert greater influence.
Tags: Antarctica, climate change, political, resources, sovereignty.
Source: www.nytimes.com
Well, this is kind of crazy. Only 5 per cent of the world’s population lives in the regions of this map shaded blue. Another 5 per cent lives in the area shaded red. Yoinks.
Tags: population, density, South Asia.
Source: www.citymetric.com
“The Chinese government has introduced unprecedented measures aimed at shaping the behavior and beliefs of China’s 10 million Uighurs.” http://wp.me/p2Ij6x-60y
Source: www.nytimes.com
This NY Times article is a good update on the situation of Xianjiang. I wish this was available when I wrote this article with teaching resources for the National Geographic Education Blog is on the always simmering tensions in the China’s westernmost province.
Tags: Central Asia, culture, political, conflict, governance,China, East Asia, religion, Islam, landscape.
Tags: K12, map, map archives.
It’s time to present the most interesting interactive maps that came to our attention in 2015
Source: visualoop.com
There is bound to be something that you will find useful/insightful in this year-end list.
Tags: map, map archives.
“Star Wars Epiosde VII was filmed on Skellig Michael island in Ireland. What better place to depict an ancient, mystical, martial asceticism in a galaxy far, far away than an actual ancient eremitic settlement, dripping with stone-cold monastic austerity, located at what was for centuries the very ends of the earth, seven miles off the very tip of a western Irish peninsula?”
Source: daily.jstor.org
This island is dripping with geologic, biogeographical, and religious intrigue that makes this world heritage site a place that is shrouded in mystery. This article from JSTOR Daily is a great introduction to the island for the incurably curious. The already vibrant tourism industry is bound to increase after Star Wars used this incredible location in the recent film (much like New Zealand experienced a huge spike in tourism after the Lord the Rings films). Filmmakers understand the power of place to deepen the narrative; they frequently situate their stories in a geographic context that will heighten the emotional impact of the story. For more on the dramatic locations of Star Wars filming sites, see this article by National Geographic.
Tags: geology, biogeography, religion, Christianity, place, Ireland, tourism.
“For all you fellow GIS geeks, this is for you! I drew this comic sketch a few years ago after a student told me that they were confused for an entire lecture because they swore the professor was talking about ‘raptors’ and they weren’t sure what dinosaurs had to do with GIS.”
Source: experimentalcraft.wordpress.com
What you think you are teaching isn’t always what they are learning.
THE longest recession in a century; the biggest bribery scandal in history; the most unpopular leader in living memory. These are not the sort of records Brazil was hoping to set in 2016, the year in which Rio de Janeiro hosts South America’s first-ever Olympic games.
Source: www.economist.com
Brazil’s economy has gone through a rougher stretch than most in the recent global economic downturn and some see more hard times in the near future for the South American giant. BRIC countries aren’t immune to economic crisis.
Tags: economic, Brazil, South America.
“All Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to do is make the world a better place for his new daughter. While he’s technically on paternity leave, he couldn’t sit idly by as India attempts to halt Internet.org, Facebook’s initiative to provide free but limited internet to the developing world.”
Source: qz.com
India is a country with amazing economic potential, but hampered but uneven levels of social development. The so-called ‘digital divide’ can exacebate problems for the poor and their ability to join the emerging industries. In this situation Facebook is offering free (partial) internet access to India’s poor and the discussions about net neutrality and the potential ulterior motives are underway.
Questions to Ponder: Do you favor Zuckerberg’s proposal or do you think that India should reject this offer?
Tags: development, India, South Asia, infrastructure, technology.
GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION 