There must have been something in the minds of all early peoples. You just know they sat around the campfire, trading stories and plotting, scheming, and planning on how to create sizeable stone displays that would drive their distant progeny nuts trying to figure out just exactly what the heck they were up to. The Easter Island moai, the pyramids, … Read More
Geo-Joint: Gaining Ground in the Maldives
The Maldive Islands are a string of tropical beauty southwest of India, stretching for over 500 miles. The ridge that forms the base of the country’s 22 atolls was built up from the ocean floor in much the same way as were the Hawaiian Islands. A hotspot that now rests far away under Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, fed enough … Read More
Geo-Joint: Capital Cities and their Travels
Some people think studying geography just means learning where all the capital cities are. Geographers bristle at such a narrow definition, but capital cities are indeed important. They are often the biggest and most prosperous locations in a country, their fame coming from the power and history they contain. Capitals represent the face of the government and are usually filled … Read More
Thanksgiving: The Holiday and the Feast
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Most families and friends eat turkey, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, squash, or pumpkin as part of their celebration. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? Why do we eat these foods? President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, but the celebration began with the Pilgrims. Their ship, … Read More
Geo-Joint: Sandy Beaches Going with the Flow
Who doesn’t love a beach? Some people find the sand to be a bother, and the sun and wind uncomfortable, but they have to be in the minority. How else to explain the huge popularity of a seaside vacation, or the high cost of living coastally due to it being the place everyone wants to move to? The generally milder … Read More
Texas’ History: The Lone Star State
In 1519, the recorded history of Texas began with the arrival of Spanish conquistadors. This was a mere 27 years after Columbus discovered the Americas. However, Texas was largely ignored until 1685 when French colonization threatened Spain’s control of the area. Texas was already populated with native tribes whose own history dated back thousands of years. The hostility of these … Read More
Geo-Joint: Celebration, Florida – The Happiest Town on Earth, sort of.
Life is messy. It’s hard to keep things organized, and when a whole bunch of people live nearby each other (as we usually do), all sorts of inefficient, unsightly, poorly maintained situations develop. For proof of this notion, have a look at just about any urban area. Maybe it’s human nature, or entropy, or some other immutable universal law, but … Read More
Election Day
Election Day in the United States takes place on the Tuesday that follows the first Monday in November. This day can fall between November 2 and November 8. Congress passed a federal law in 1845 to officially name this day in November as Election Day. This year’s presidential election will be held on Tuesday, November 6th. Before Congress designated Election … Read More
Geo-Joint: Staying Dry in the Netherlands
Water covers about three quarters of the Earth, so it doesn’t seem too greedy that folks in Netherlands wanted to convert some of that to dry land. But before we get to that undertaking, how did that area evolve to where it became necessary to dry out land in the first place? The Netherlands, sometimes called Holland, have always been … Read More
Geo-Joint: Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway
When the National Parks Service began to set aside America’s natural wonders, the first lands that were so honored were all out west. Of the initial ten parks, established between 1872 and 1916, the farthest east was in South Dakota. Understandably, the eastern half of the country wanted some of this action. Two of the earliest parks in that region … Read More