June 2006 Archives

Geography is more than memorizing state capitals. It's global connections, people and places, careers, and wild spaces. See what we think "geography is" in our new public service ads, then tell us here what geography means to YOU.

According to census experts, the United States population will hit 300 million this fall, most likely in October, and no. 300,000,000 will probably be Hispanic. (Read a news story.)

How does that measure against other countries? The U.S. has the world’s third largest population. China leads the pack with 1.3 billion (in 2005), and India is close behind with 1.1 billion (2005).

The overall world population is estimated at a staggering 6.5 billion.

"Looking out at their students each day, faculty members at Seattle's John Stanford International School don't see just baby faces and blank slates: They see future citizens of an interconnected world."

This article, from the March 2006 issue of Edutopia magazine, looks at a Seattle school that really gets what My Wonderful World is all about—the power of global knowledge. 

Read the article and watch a video of the school in action. Then tell us your idea of the perfect international school.

Climate change isn’t a subject only for elite scientists. It's an issue that all of us need to understand.

Feel behind on the science and policy? Check out these sites:

This weekend, 12 Pennsylvania high school students are setting off on the ultimate field trip. They’re going to spend the next 30 days canoeing 444 miles down the Susquehanna River from Cooperstown, New York, to Annapolis, Maryland.

It’s all part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Expedition Susquehanna: Connecting Communities to Creeks. During the journey, the students will learn about water quality concerns (the Susquehanna has been designated one of the top ten endangered rivers in the U.S.) and visit with local watershed groups and environmental activists.

Learn more about the expedition and follow along through online dispatches. Who knows—maybe you’ll be inspired to explore your local creek.

In an opinion column for the Arizona Daily Star, writer Bob Riel makes a compelling case for the importance of global knowledge. "As our world hurtles ever closer together, it's incumbent on Americans to know about and to understand a larger world," he writes. "Today, issues ranging from business to the environment exist in a world without borders."

Read Riel’s column and check out his blog about "exploring the world from a cross-cultural perspective."

No matter what language you speak, chances are you recognize a soccer ball. The sport of soccer has spread over the globe, tying together people everywhere. The global connections are especially apparent now as the World Cup rages on in Germany. Twelve German cities have become mingling grounds for fans from all corners of the globe, competing, celebrating, and sharing their cultures.

Here's a World Cup primer:

You've been asking for information about particular countries and regions. Now you've got it. National Geographic has created People and Places, a brand-new, huge supersite with photos, maps, and info on every country in the world. Need to know the average life expectancy in Japan? (It's 81.) Wonder what forms the border between Argentina and Chile? (The Andes.) And just how old are the Pyramids of Giza? (About 4,500 years.) Start exploring—and when you come up for air, tell us what you think in the comments.

Photograph by Richard Nowitz

Here's an unexpected site for geography fun. The BBC's rich Science & Nature area has lots of great geography-related games and quizzes.

Our favorites are these interactive sea life games. Travel the ocean as a fish, visit shore and sea habitats, take part in the (sea) food chain, and much more. Dive in!