While this cartoon is flippant, the attached Washington Post article is not. In the culumative congressional voting, Democrats have more votes but won fewer seats than the Republicans. Many are starting to question the redistricting process after the 2010 census.
Tags: gerrymandering, political, mapping, census.
See on www.washingtonpost.com
For over 1400 years, Mecca has been one of the most important cities in the Arabian Peninsula. By the middle of the 6th century, there were three major settl…
As the heart of Islam, Mecca brings in pilgrims from around the world. This documentary gives a great overview of the historical, spiritual and cultural reasons why this is sacred space to over one billion Muslims. Additionally, this documentary contains an analysis of the logistics that are a part of the Hajj.
Tags: Islam, tourism, place, transportation, religion, Middle East, culture.
See on www.youtube.com
This would be the perfect place to study. Next time I’m at L’Istituto delle Scienze, Palazzo Poggi, Bologna, I will definitely find this spot.
See on www.flickr.com
This is a great video for GIS day to remember why and how spatial thinking and spatial technologies can improve education and communities.
See on www.gisday.com
Fulgurites are the rocks that form when lightning strikes sand (there are other types as well) and forms a hollow tube. Super cool!
See on geology.utah.gov
“Freedom House has been at the forefront in monitoring threats to media independence since 1980. A free press plays a key role in sustaining and monitoring a healthy democracy, as well as in contributing to greater accountability, good government, and economic development. Most importantly, restrictions on media are often an early indicator that governments intend to assault other democratic institutions.”
This interactive map shows some intriguing spatial patterns about the freedom of press internationally. What other patterns to you see in matching up with the most free presses in the world (in green)? How does a free (or not free press) influence the cultural and political values of a country?
See on www.freedomhouse.org
Go undercover with National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling as she journeys into mysterious and reclusive North Korea.
We know so little about life in North Korea since they have the world’s least free press (that is not hyperbole–Freedom House ranks countries from 0 to 99 with 0 being the most free and 99 being the least free. North Korea has recently “improved” its rating to 97, the worst in the world). Official coverage is highly censored and filled with government propaganda. This 2009 glimpse is incredibly poignant.
Tags: East Asia, development, states, poverty.
See on www.youtube.com
I’m not a photographer, so Instagram isn’t one on of my preferred social media platforms. However, since National Geographic is world renowned fror their images, this is a perfect outlet to share more images that wouldn’t fit into their articles or other collections. According to their social media expert, this foggy image of NYC is their most viewed image on Instagram.
See on instagram.com
In a world where photoshop has made the unreal seem ordinary, these unearthly seemingly landscapes might seem likely fakes. The world can be that extraordinary. Pictured above is”Door to Hell” in Turkmenistan. Rich with natural gas, Soviets were drilling in 1971 when the drilling rig collapsed and left a huge (230 feet wide) hole. In an attempt to stop gas leaks they hoped a fire would burn off any discharge, but it is still burning today. Enjoy this gallery of 25 ‘unnatural’ images.
See on www.buzzfeed.com
GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION 