The Map Guys

Africa Challenge - Malawi

2008-07-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Malawi is located between Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.

It's Capital is Lilongwe.

Africa Challenge - Democratic Republic of the Congo

2008-07-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Democratic Republic of the Congo borders Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, the South Atlantic Ocean and Republic of the Congo. The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Kinshasa.

Did you know that the Democratic Rebulic of the Congo used to be known as Zaire?

Africa Challenge - Angola

2008-05-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Angola touches Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Namibia and the South Atlantic Ocean. And it's capital is Luanda.

Africa Challenge - Namibia

2008-05-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Namibia boreders South Africa, the South Atlantic Ocean, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Windhoek is the capital of Nambia.

Africa Challenge - South Africa

2008-05-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

South Africa is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and totally surrounds Lesotho.

By the way J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa.

Great game!

2008-04-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Try this for sharpening your world geography skills!

Norway

2008-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

Norway is a country of barren fields and frozen fjords. 90 percent of all the land is mountain. Yet, people have lived here for over 2000 years. From the invention of skis(yes, skis were first used in Norway) to present day, the Norwegians have developed plenty of methods to farm the land, replant trees and even how to fish better. It seems to adapt to such a barren land would take a strong, unwavering mind and great ingenuity. And so the country of Norway, wild as it was, is now tamed.

Africa Challenge - Lesotho

2008-02-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Lesotho is entirely surrounded by South Africa. It's capital is Maseru.

Africa Challenge - Swaziland

2008-01-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

Swaziland is located between Mozambique (East) and South Africa (West). The capital of Swaziland is Mbabane

Kamchatka

2008-01-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

My Dad went to Taiwan last month. Here are some pictures he took when he was flying over Kamchatka.

Here is one he took of the tv screen that showed him where they were at the time.

And here is one he took of some scenery in Kamchatka.

Here is a neat map of the Arctic Circle

Christmas Present

2007-12-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

My grandmother gave this to me for Christmas--it was fun to put it together!

Iceland

2007-12-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

Iceland is a country of extremes. it's amazing how people have come to live here. For instance, the was formed only because it lies on the boundary between two rifting tectonic plates. As a result, a large island in the middle of Atlantic Ocean with plenty of volcanic activity. But the people of Iceland learn to use this to their advantage. In fact, a factory in Iceland was awarded for being the cleanest in the world. That's because Iceland uses geothermal energy as opposed to coal or gas. But this can pose a problem. Iceland is covered in glaciers, the largest of these being Vatnajokull. It literally covers one twelfth of Iceland. In an Icelandic saga, it was said to be 'the mother of all glaciers.' And so, with this strange blend of fire and water, Iceland is a country of extremes.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas (in a few different languages).

圣诞快乐 (Chinese-simp.)
聖誕快樂 (Chinese-trad.)
Vrolijke Kerstmis (Dutch)
Joyeux Noël (French)
Frohe Weihnachten (German)
Καλά Χριστούγεννα (Greek)
Natale allegro (Italian)
メリークリスマス (Japanese)
즐거운 성탄 (Korean)
Christmas Alegre (Portuguese)
Веселое Рождество (Russian)
Feliz Navidad (Spanish)
عيد ميلاد سعيد (Arabic)

Africa Challenge - Madagascar

2007-12-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

Madagascar is an island located between the Mozambique Channel and the Indian Ocean. It's capital is Antananarivo.

By the Way we just bought vanilla beans that were grown in Madagascar.

Africa Challenge - Mozambique

2007-12-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

The next country to the south of Tanzania is Mozambique. Mozambique is across the Mozambique Channel from Madagascar and also borders the Indian Ocean, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

Russia

2007-12-19T12:06:00.002-08:00

As we all know, Russia is the largest country in the world. However, it doesn't have that much history to tell. The first inhabitants of Russia were nomads and hordes of bandits and raiders. As you can think, they didn't bother to write down what they did. But as the population increased, these people developed a sort of wimpy form of government. The leader was a czar, and ever since those people have started, there hasn't been a nice one. The only one who actually did something instead of killing his own people was Peter the Great, who made the Russia we know today.

Physically Russia makes up half of the coast of the Arctic Ocean, borders the Pacific Ocean, Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. Politically, Russia 13 countries altogether but only 9 in Europe. It shouldn't be that hard to find on an atlas.

Africa Challenge - Tanzania

2007-12-19T09:21:00.002-08:00

The next country to the south of Kenya is Tanzania which is right next to the Indian Ocean. Tanzania also borders Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. The Capital of Tanzania is Dar es Salaam.

Mount Kilimanjaro is also located in Tanzania.

Geography Challenge - Kenya

2007-12-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Just south of Ethiopia is Kenya which also borders Somalia, the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan. Kenya's Capital is Nairobi.

Once upon a time our family figured out that you could have a Chocolate Cake Farm in southern Kenya.

Germany

2007-12-18T08:49:00.001-08:00

Germany is a country of great importance in Europe. Along with its famous food, beer and car industry, Germany is also a country with lots of world history. The cathedral at Cologne and the ruins of the Berlin Wall are both monuments of important times in history. Germany is a great country.

Africa Challenge - Somalia

2007-12-17T12:50:00.001-08:00

Somalia touches the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The Capital of Somalia is Mogadishu (which is also really fun to say).

By the way Geospy is also a good way to practice the locations of countries in Africa. To get to the Africa challenge on Geospy you click "Countries Game" then click "Africa".

Africa Challenge - Ethiopia

2007-12-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

Ethiopia is located between Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan. The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is one of the first African capitals I learned because it's so much fun to say.

When I looked closer at the map of Ethiopia I was Surprised to find that it doesn't touch the Red Sea.

Africa Challenge - Eritrea

2007-12-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Eritrea is tucked between Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti and also borders the Red Sea. It's capital is Asmara

Africa Challenge - Sudan

2007-12-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

Sudan is the big country just south of Egypt. It is also bordered by the Red Sea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Chad and Libya.

In Sudan the Blue Nile and the White Nile join together to form the Nile which flows northward into Egypt.

Important cities in Sudan:

Khartoum which is next to the Nile.

Port Sudan which is next to the Red Sea.

My mom says that the large region of Darfur in western Sudan is suffering from terrible violence and bloodshed. Please pray for them.

Neat Geography Game

2007-12-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a really interesting Geography Game where you try to locate cities and famous places from around the world. This is one of the reasons I started the Africa challenge.

OK, fine...I'll do Europe.

2007-12-13T21:26:00.000-08:00

Well, since he is going to do Africa, i thought I'd do Europe. To start off, I'll do England, the heart and soul of Europe. To narrow it down, Great Britain can go from mountainous to rolling hills, from one of the largest, and most ancient cities on Earth, to places where not one living thing is in sight.

London, the capital, is a city more than 7 and a half million people, and it's one of the largest trading centers of the world. Not only in business, but also in clothing fashions and music and lots of other things.

My oldest brother spent this past semester in London so I will be posting a few more things about it.

Africa Challenge - Egypt

2007-12-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

I challenge all my readers to learn the locations of different countries in Africa. Today we'll start with Egypt.

Egypt is located between the Red Sea, Israel (East), the Mediterranean Sea, Libya (West), and Sudan (South). The Nile (which runs from south to north) is a very noticable geographical feature. Near the mouth you'll find the major cities of Alexandria and Cairo as well as the Great Pyramids.

Let's take a quick tour of the Nile. Going from south to north there's ...

Abu Simbel (Abu Sunbul)

Aswan, site of a Famous Dam

Luxor (modern name of the ancient city of Thebes)

Giza (located just outside of Cairo)

Cairo

Alexandria - the city was founded by Alexander the Great and it is the site of the Lighthouse of Pharos (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World).

The Holy Land (Israel)

2007-12-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

During Advent it's interesting to study the Holy Land because Jesus and the prophets lived there. Advent is when we remember how long the Israelites waited for Jesus to come.

We will start with the whole country of Israel. Here are some basic facts.

Area: 8,019 sq. mi.

Population: 6,135,000

Capital: Jerusalem

Religions: Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze

Languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English

Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God With all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on the gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4 - 9

Today is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Avila

2007-10-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here is picture from my grandparent's trip to spain of a statue in St. Teresa convent.

1 year ago yesterday

2007-09-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was this blogs 1st anniversary.

Spanish Map

2007-09-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

My Grandparents went on a trip to Avila, Spain this summer and here is a really neat map they saw there.

Sydney Opera House

2007-07-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

You can make a paper model of the Sydney Opera House here.

Map of Africa

2007-06-18T08:07:00.001-07:00

This was my Fourth Quarter Geography Project.

Africa Map (in progress)

2007-05-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here is an Africa Map that is I am working on right now.

Geography Poem by Chesterton

2007-05-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a poem by G.K. Chesterton about about Geography.

The earth is a place on which England is found,
And you find it however you twirl the globe round;
For the spots are all red and the rest is all grey,
And that is the meaning of Empire Day.

Click Here then scroll down to Geography to read the rest.

Easter Island

2007-04-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Easter Island is located in the South Pacific and belongs to Chile. It has three volcanoes, Poike, Rano Kau and Terevaka.

It is most famous for its Moai, the stone statues now located along the coastlines. It gets its name of "Easter" because the first recorded European visit by a Dutch Admiral was Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Sunday, 1722. The population is 3,791.

Easter Island Virtual Tour

My Godfather Hosts Royalty

2007-04-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

My Godfather is the co-director of INPE, National Institute for Space Research, in Brazil. Just yesterday, he gave Prince Andrew of England, 4th in line of the English throne, a tour of the INPE headquarters.

The Bahamas’ Sharks

2007-03-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Bahamas and its Sharks

The country of the Bahamas stretches for some 500 miles to the southeast of Florida. Millions of tourists flock to this remote country in the Atlantic Ocean, yet its real population is only about 311,000 people. Although many people think that it is in the Caribbean, it is not. As you would think, the Bahamas’ main source of income is tourism because of the relaxing beaches and warm, tropical weather.

The most fascinating thing that I find about that country is its diverse shark population. More than 40 species of sharks roam throughout the country’s warm waters. The kinds of shark that you would find there include the Tiger, Hammerhead, Lemon and Blue sharks. For people to enjoy these magnificent creatures, the country of the Bahamas has established shark-seeing dives on numerous locations. This not only bolsters their economy, but it also gives people a good chance to look at sharks close up. If you went on one of these dives, you would find something new about sharks that would leave you dazed and open-mouthed for the rest of your visit.

This may sound like a haven for sharks, and it is. If I was a shark, and knew of that place, I would live there for the rest of my life. Even if I am not a shark, I probably would live there for the rest of my life anyway. Clear blue waters all around, peaceful and beautiful beaches, nearest factory at least 200 miles away; yeah, I think I can stay for a while longer.

Photos' sources: here and here

Iditarod Dogsled Race

2007-03-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

The Iditarod is a 1,150 mile dog sled race beginning in Anchorage, Alaska and ending in Nome, Alaska. A musher and his sled is pulled by a team of about 15 dogs. The race which began last weekend continues with many of them at what appears about half way. The race originated from the serum(medicine) run in 1925 when Nome had an outbreak of diphtheria and the only way to get the needed medicine was by dogsled. At that time it was a relay team of dog sleds. (Remember the story of Balto?) The Iditarod is raced every year with the southern route this year being an odd year. You can see the standings and a lot of other interesting facts(such as the location of each musher, the number of dogs he still has racing, video clips, the weather conditions, map including an elevation map) at www.iditarod.com One of the reasons that the Iditarod is interesting to me is that my Dad's high school friend, Jon Korta, is racing in it this year. He is bib #24. This morning his standing is 36 out of about 66 remaining racers. It seems he is doing well considering it's his first year. They are required to take one 24 hour rest period and it appears he is doing just that.

Invasion of Liechtenstein! (well not really)

2007-03-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Did you know that it is possible to accidentally invade Liechtenstein? Switzerland does. I didn't know until today but now I do.

Read the story here.

Mongolia: A Barren and Strange Country

2007-02-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

Mongolia: A Barren and Strange Country

Mongolia is literally a desert. The entire country is formed by the Gobi Desert, save a few mountains in the north. It is not near the sea so people cannot fish, and the land is unfertile so they cannot plant crops except in some places near the mountains.

So, instead of being farmers, most of the people of Mongolia are herders. They herd camels and they keep chickens. These people are constantly moving to find some good pastures. This makes Mongolia the least densely populated country in the world.

Mongolia is named after the Mongols, which was an army in the Ancient world that roamed across central Asia and Europe. At one point, the Mongols controlled an empire that stretched from Korea too Italy. No army has ever had so much land in its power ever since. The leader of this army was a man named Genghis Khan. When he died, his son Kublai Khan took over his kingdom.

Another interesting thing about Mongolia is that it is rich in dinosaur bones. Paleontologists from all over the world go there to find some new prehistoric creature. When the dinosaurs became extinct, the world was a little different. 65 million years ago Mongolia had a similar climate so the cold, dry environment preserved the bones very well.

Mongolia is a very primitive country. The people still live in yurts, which was the home of the Mongols, sort of like an Asian teepee. They are still nomads like their Mongol ancestors, but they are not warlike anymore. It is incredible how the lives of so many people can change so little through the centuries.

Malaysia

2007-02-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Malaysian Money

Malaysia is a very affluent nation and its main sources of income are petroleum, electronic goods and wood products. Before I elaborate any further on this most intriguing subject, I would like to make clear a few important points about this country. For instance, where is Malaysia? Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia and it borders Indonesia, Thailand and small country called Brunei. Malaysia gained its independence from the United Kingdom on August 31, 1957.

Malaysia is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Many different countries from all around the world export oil, and OPEC ensures the regularity of the price, if the country is a member. This rule applies to Malaysia, since it is a well known member of OPEC. Two countries, who are not members and export oil, are Russia and Mexico.

Malaysia also exports electronic goods. A lot of our every-day devices, like phones and computers here in America, are made and manufactured in Malaysia. About 56% of all exports from Malaysia have to do with electronics. These, not only include computers and phones, but also include television sets, radio receivers, photography equipment, and electro-medical equipment, like X-rays, CAT scan projectors, etc.

Malaysians are experts in building techniques; hence the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The Petronas Towers, opened in 1996, are the tallest office buildings in the world at 1,483 feet, surpassing the Sears Tower in Chicago. The man who designed the Petronas Towers was an Argentine-American named Cesar Pelli.

Another main source in Malaysia’s wealth is selling wood products. Fancy furniture, wood polishes, wood coatings and even wood floorings are exported every year. In many different woods too, such as teak, mahogany and soca, that all grow abundantly in the forests of Malaysia. The forests of Malaysia are being cut down to meet this demand, so their government is taking measures to preserve them. To state my point as clearly as possible, Malaysia is a very wealthy country indeed.

Map of Rio

2007-02-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hello again. This a cartoon map of Rio, and to my surprise, it was amazingly accurate. It shows the Sugarloaf Mountain, the rock by the bay, and the beach where I went to.

More on Brazil

2007-01-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hello Again,
Here is a photo of me and my brother at a mountain called Maria Comprida (Long Mary). You see why it's called Long Mary because it slopes down, on the side that I was on, therefore earning its name.

Geo Game

2007-01-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

I did a previous post ot Christmas Ideas. This is what I got!!

It's a game called Geo Derby. You race around a track answering questions. There is a map if you need it:)

I think it is really Great!!!

http://http://www.boardgamesexpress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=8104

I am back from Rio de Janeiro!

2007-01-21T07:53:00.001-08:00

Hey guys. I just got back from some of the best six weeks of my life.
Above is a map of the state of Rio de Janeiro. I was in the city of Petropolis, also known as the Imperial City. This particular area of Brazil is very mountainous and has very curvy. Almost everyone got carsick on the way there and on the way back. We did go to the beach once, and it was pretty cool.

I will report on my trip again.

Independence Quiz Answers

2007-01-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here are the answers to the Independence Quiz.

Oman - 1650 (from Portugal)
India - 1947 (from the United Kingdom)
Romania - 1878 (from Turkey)
Mauritius - 1968 (from the United Kingdom)
Vatican City - 1929 (from Italy)
Sweden - 1523 (from the Kalmar Union)
Liechtenstein - 1719 (from the Holy Roman Empire)
Norway - 1905 (from sweden)
Czech Republic - 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
Iceland - 1944 (from Denmark)

Independence Quiz

2007-01-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

Here's how it goes I'll give you a list of 10 diferent countries and then the year they became independent in (with a dash inbetween). You guess (in the comment box) who they became independent from.

Oman - 1650
India - 1947
Romania - 1878
Mauritius - 1968
Vatican City - 1929
Sweden - 1523
Liechtenstein - 1719
Norway - 1905
Czech Republic - 1993
Iceland - 1944

Middle Eastern Empires

2006-12-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

There is a really neat animated map of diferent empires near the middle east. It shows 5,000 years in 90 seconds.

hat-tip: The Lilting House

Tornadoes

2006-12-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

I just found out (again from The Handy Geography Answer Book) that 90% of all tornadoes occur in the United States.

Translators

2006-12-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

This blog is now available in......

العربية (Arabic)
中文 (Chinese)
Français (French)
Deutsch (German)
Italiano (Italian)
日本語 (Japanese)
한국어 (Korean)
Portuguese
Русский (Russian)
Español (Spanish)

Christmas Ideas*

2006-12-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

These are a few gift ideas for geo freaks.

This is more of a family gift. It's expensive, but our family got one last year, and we use it all the time. Learn everything form the names of countries to the pronunciation of capital cities to other trivia. Two people can compete against one another in geography games. (My grandpa liked this one so much that he bought one of his own!)

Odyssey III Talking Globe ->

to view it click on the link below
http://www.leapfrog.com/Primary/GradeSchool/PRD_explorerglobe/Explorer+Globe.jsp?CID=KNC-CROSSQ4

World Discovery Deluxe Computer program ->

This program helps you locate places throughout the world. It has different kinds of quizzes at three different ability levels, so again, the whole family can enjoy it.

to view click the link below

http://www.smartkidssoftware.com/ndgws2.htm

We have a lot of geography games in the house, but the ones below are ones we play the most:

Trans America and Trans Europe ->

to view click the links below

http://www.fairplaygames.com/gamedisplay.asp?gameid=401&MP=1

http://www.fairplaygames.com/gamedisplay.asp?gameid=2826

Borderline card games ->

To view this and other versions click the link below

http://www.educationallearninggames.com/borderline-card-games.asp

(The links I've included should help you get more information on these items. I am in no way advertising for these sites, and haven't done any price comparisons or anything.)

* Please send some of you're favorite gift ideas so Mom knows what to get me!

Gualdacanal

2006-12-02T05:43:00.000-08:00

The Island of Guadalcanal: a place of beauty and violence

Even though just a small island in the Pacific ocean, Guadalcanal played a huge part in World War II. One of the bloodiest battles of all time was fought on the shores of this historic place. More than 2,000 American men were killed, while the Japanese buried ten times that amount. That many lives lost in only three days.

Even if it was a terrifying, not to mention deadly, area 60 years ago, Guadalcanal is now the most inhabited island in the Solomon Islands. With a normally tropical climate as well as beautiful beaches, it makes an excellent tourist destination. The country of the Solomon Islands lies about 200 miles off the coast of Papua New Guinea, another island country in the South Pacific.

Whereas 60 years ago there were ripped up planes falling from the sky every minute, ultra-intense combat everywhere, and the possibility that you might set off a land mine with any step you take, I think that one would rather enjoy being on the present-day island of Guadalcanal, one of the most lush and beautiful places in the world.

Geography Cup Scores

2006-11-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the curent leaderboard on Geography Cup I'm at number 10 (I'm geofreak) and I played 82 times to get there.

Geography Cup

2006-11-13T05:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a new geography quiz site started called the Geography Cup . I think that U.K. and U.S. challenged each other. In it there are 13 questions the first ten are countries you have
to find then the last three are geography type questions
e.g. what country is the biggest producer of coacoa (which by the way is Cote D'ivory). Have fun.

It's Coming Off

2006-11-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

It's Coming Off

Encompassing many different countries in east Africa, and at a length of about 2000 miles, you have probably not heard of this spectacular land formation. I will not tell you the name, but I will give you clues in this paragraph, as I have given you two already. Ready… Go! Three lakes lie in it, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. One of the tallest mountains in the world lies on its' edge, Mt. Kilimanjaro. The worlds' longest river has its source in its area, the Nile River. Most of the Serengeti Plain lies within it. But perhaps the most important, concerning and amazing thing about it, is that it will cut the entire continent in two someday. Have you guessed it by now? If you have, good job, if you have not, it is the Great Rift Valley.

The valley does run through a great many countries, from Eritrea in the north, to Mozambique in the south, crossing ten other countries in between. The center of the valley covered with fertile plains, bordered by huge mountains and steep cliffs. I know that you have knowledge of the Serengeti Plain, and that most animals of Africa live there. Now as I said before, the Great Rift Valley will some day spilt Africa in half. The reason for that is because two of the Earth's plates are pulling apart from each other, or they're 'rifting,' creating a lowland or valley in between. At their current speed today, the plates should fully come apart in about 125 million years from now.

Diagram credits here.

Answers to "More True or False"

2006-11-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

1. Twenty-seven U.S. states have land north of Canada's southernmost point. True.

2. The 4,724-mi Trans-Canada Highway is the world's longest national highway. True.

3. Canada has fewer lakes than any other country in the Northern Hemisphere. False. With almost a million, Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world.

4. Canada's border with the U.S. is 5,525 mi long. True.

5. Since Toronto has no direct access to the Atlantic, all goods from the city must be shipped overland. False. The St. Lawrence Seaway connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic.

6. Canada has the longest coastline of any country. True.

7. Canada covers three time zones. False. There are six time zones in Canada.

8. The climate in British Columbia is the most severe in Canada. False. British Columbia has the most moderate climate of Canada's regions.

9. Canada has mountains named for Santa's reindeer--Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. True.

10. Few people in Canada live near the U.S. border. False. Most of Canada's population live within a few hundred miles of the border.

Africa Map

2006-11-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here's another map I drew. This time it's Africa.

Globe Coloring Page

2006-11-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

I drew this coloring page I think it was pretty soon after I got interested in geography (which was in second grade) and I thought you might be interested.

More True or False

2006-11-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

1. Twenty-seven U.S. states have land north of Canada's southernmost point.

2. The 4,724-mi Trans-Canada Highway is the world's longest national highway.

3. Canada has fewer lakes than any other country in the Northern Hemisphere.

4. Canada's border with the U.S. is 5,525 mi long.

5. Since Toronto has no direct access to the Atlantic, all goods from the city must be shipped overland.

6. Canada has the longest coastline of any country.

7. Canada covers three time zones

8. The climate in British Columbia is the most severe in Canada

9. Canada has mountains named for Santa's reindeer--Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.

10. Few people in Canada live near the U.S. border.

The Country of Ethiopia

2006-11-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night, my family had some guests over for dinner. As you probably guessed from the title of this essay, their home country is Ethiopia. After they left, my mom told me that she had learned that since Ethiopia is such a mountainous country, their people are safe from most mosquito induced diseases, which are very common in that particular continent. A fact that I found to be very interesting is that eighty-percent of the mountains of Africa are located in Ethiopia.

I also think that it's very intriguing that Ethiopia is just barely landlocked by three countries; Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia. In the past, Ethiopia had a pretty funny name, Abyssinia. In World War II, Ethiopia was controlled by Italy, and the rest of Africa was controlled by the French, Spanish, British, German, and Portuguese. After the war however, the African modern nations started to form. One of these was Ethiopia, now a fully independent country.

Today, Ethiopia is a prosperous nation at the top of the Great Rift Valley. Some day that rift will split Africa in half because two of the earth's plates are drifting away from each other and three of the worlds largest lakes lie in that valley . Today, while it is still intact, Ethiopia seems like a really great country to visit.

Chocolate Cake Farm

2006-10-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ria just recently posted about the Chocolate Cake Farm on Liber Parma.
First I looked in our encyclopedia for baking soda (which is one of the ingedients) instead I found baking powder which has baking soda in it and it had the scientific name in it to (sodium bicarbonate). Then I looked for sodium bicarbonate and I only found sodium but in that section there was part for other articles one of them was bicarbonate of soda. Then later electroblogster and I spent about an hour looking on the internet for where the ingredients would grow and came out with somewhere in southern Kenya, Africa.

That One Country, Switzerland

2006-10-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

That One Country, Switzerland

Switzerland is a very special country with many features, like chocolate. Do you like chocolate? I do. But do you know what country produces the most chocolate? Can anyone guess? It's Switzerland. You all know that Switzerland is a very mountainous country and I do not think that very many cocoa trees could grow there. Honestly, I do not know how they make their chocolate so well, but I love it. In fact, chocolate lovers around the world order Swiss chocolate for special occasions or even to just to lie around in their fridge.

There is one downside about this delicious treat. It is expensive. But if you go to any wedding or something like that, you will probably find that kind of chocolate, so eat all you can.

Chocolate is not the only thing that makes Switzerland such a special country. In Geneva, there are more banks within the metropolitan area of the city than any other city in the world. Switzerland is where many millionaires deposit their money to keep it safe because Swiss banks are high-security so they can not be robbed.

These are only a few things about Switzerland, out of at least a hundred more. Personally, I would greatly enjoy a trip to that one country, Switzerland

Antarctica

2006-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was reading The Handy Geography Answers Book. In it I noticed that the average thickness of the ice in Antarctica is about a mile thick!

Color Photos in the National Geographic Magazine

2006-10-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

I was reading a book about the National Geographic Society's 100th Aniversary.
In it I found that the November 1910 issue was the very first issue to have colored photos.
It has three of those pictures. The first is a picture of some Japenese ladies. The second is some Chinese people riding on a horse-drawn cart. The third is a man from South Korea wearing a raincoat and hat made out of some sort of grasses. I thought it was interesting looking at the pictures and thinking that they weren't just pictures of people in costumes - these are pictures of people wearing their everyday clothes and doing ordinary things.

More Results For the Geography Meme

2006-10-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

SFO Mom
The Ironic Catholic
Transcendental Musings
Appalachian Ambiance
Electroblogster

True or False Answers

2006-10-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

1. The driest place in the U.S. is Mount Waialeale on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. False (Thank you tito)

2. St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the U.S. True

3. No U.S. cities have the same name as any state. False (New York- New York) Thank you Geoguy

4. The northernmost point of the lower 48 states is in Maine. False- it is Minnesota

5. A pipeline brings oil 800 mi (1,280 km) from oil fields in northern Alaska to the port of Valdez. True

6. A state park in Georgia consists of half a million acres of swamp (2,000 sq km), the Okefenokee Swamp Park. True

7. The letters Q, X and Z do not appear in the name of any U.S. state. False- (Arizona-Texas)

8. The northernmost U.S. state capital is Juneau, Alaska. True

9. The only active diamond mine in the U.S. is in Arkansas. True

10. With an area of just 1,214 sq mi (1,953.7 sq km) Rhode Island is not only just the smallest state; it is also smaller than any country in Europe. False (Luxembourg)

Thanks for the help everyone

The Chestertons Answered the Meme Too!

2006-10-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Frances Blogg Chesterton
G.K. Chesterton

The Map in The Schoolroom

2006-10-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Map in The Schoolroom

essay written by GeoGuy for Writing Workshop

In my schoolroom, there is a National Geographic map of Ireland and Great Britain pinned on the wall. When I become distracted I always seem to gaze up at the map. Most of the time I notice something new or something that I had never noticed before. On the Ireland map, which I believe is where our teacher is from, everywhere I look there is some strange new name of a city, river or mountain that I missed. Do you know what the longest river is in Ireland and the UK? It is the Shannon, a 240 mi long river. That is pretty short for the biggest river in any area.

Next I skip over to England to study it. You may not have known this, but the island of Great Britain is actually one of the largest islands in the world. Scotland's northwestern coastline is jagged and rocky which has a remarkable resemblance to Norway, only about 300 miles away. Then I look down to view England and Wales. But before I can, my mom yells out: "Thomas, get back to your work!" Great, I was just getting to the best part.

a geo poem

2006-09-27T19:01:00.001-07:00

Here is a short poem from a book named Got Geography, called Island:

every island
dreams

of being a continent

Is it Mine or Your's

2006-09-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Frank and I were looking at a globe I pointed to South America and said "That's South America" then I pointed to Africa and said "That's Africa". We reviewed those for a while. Then I pointed to Europe and said "that's Europe" and then he said "that not my up".

Geography Meme Results (so far)

2006-09-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Here are links to Geography meme posts.
The Curt Jester
Catholic mom in Hawaii
Catholic Fire
Studeo
Brian T. Austin FSSP
Ana Braga-Henebry's Journal
Cor Immaculatae
Cajun Cottage
CUSTOS FIDEI
Liber Parma
Echoes of Creation
Ramblings of a GOP soccer mom
Pro Ecclesia
Happy Catholic
Knit and Pray
Catholic Homeschooled Teens
I Am My Kids Mom
Quo vadam ed ad quid?
Faith and Country
American Phoenix
Fanatholic
Catholic Mom
Another Catholic Mom
The World...IMHO
Angela Messenger
Benning's Writing Pad
A Women Seeking Grace
Adoro Te Devote
PalmTree Pundit
Classical Education in Paradise
Chronicle of a Meandering Traveller
Stella Borealis
De Die in Diem, Dei Gratia

True or False

2006-09-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm using a book called:

This is from page 37:

1. The driest place in the U.S. is Mount Waialeale on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

2. St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the U.S.

3. No U.S. cities have the same name as any state.

4. The northernmost point of the lower 48 states is in Maine

5. A pipeline brings oil 800 mi (1,280 km) from oil fields in northern Alaska to the port of Valdez.

6. A state park in Georgia consists of half a million acres of swamp (2,000 sq km), the Okefenokee Swamp Park.

7. The letters Q, X and Z do not appear in the name of any U.S. state.

8. The northernmost U.S. state capital is Juneau, Alaska.

9. The only active diamond mine in the U.S. is in Arkansas.

10. With an area of just 1,214 sq mi (1,953.7 sq km) Rhode Island is not only just the smallest state; it is also smaller than any country in Europe.

I’m going to look up and post the answers next time I post

The Map Guys' Geography Meme

2006-09-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here's my first post:

1. A Place You've Visited and Your Favorite Thing there
Sanibel Island, Florida, The Gulf of Mexico

2. A Country You'd Like to Visit and Why
Italy, The Vatican

3. A Place From History You'd Like to Visit and Why
Pompeii, I think it would be cool

4. A Place You Know a Lot About
Rome

5. A Place You'd Like to Learn More About
Washington D.C.

6. A Fictional Place You'd Like to Visit
Redwall Abbey

The Map Guys' Geography Meme

2006-09-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

This is what I answered:

1. A Place You've Visited and Your Favorite Thing there
Brasil and Rio de Janeiro

2. A Country You'd Like to Visit and Why
Germany because of all the cities to see

3. A Place From History You'd Like to Visit and Why
Ancient Rome to see all the old buildings

4. A Place You Know a Lot About
Japan

5. A Place You'd Like to Learn More About
Middle eastern nations

6. A Fictional Place You'd Like to Visit
Alagaesia

The Map Guys' Geography Meme

2006-09-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

I am starting a Geography meme so here it goes.

1. A Place You've Visited and Your Favorite Thing there
Hannibal, MO; The Mark Twain Cave

2. A Country You'd Like to Visit and Why
Tanzania Because I'd Like to Climb Mount Kilamanjaro.

3. A Place From History You'd Like to Visit and Why
Iceland around 1000 A.D. Because the Vikings Lived there then.

4. A Place You Know a Lot About
Taiwan

5. A Place You'd Like to Learn More About
Brunei

6. A Fictional Place You'd Like to Visit
Middle Earth

I Tag
Ria, Love2learn Mom, Electroblogster, Ike, and Geoguy

South Orkney Islands (Antarctica)

2006-09-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

I just recently noticed that near Antarctica there's a group of islands called the South Orkneys that are in the Scotia sea. I thought that this was intresting because the Orkneys are near Scotland.

New Crater Found

2006-09-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last night my dad showed me an article about this crater, and I thought it might be interesting to post about it.

The Chesapeake Bay crater is the seventh largest, one of the best preserved,
known craters on Earth. Like all craters, it was formed by a meteorite that crashed into the Earth about 35.5 million years ago, in the
late Eocene period. And to think that we never knew about until now!

To read more about it, click here.

Illustration credits

Elephants and Tapioca Pudding

2006-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ria and I were looking at the National Geographic Kid's and she noticed a funny article. It was about someone in Thailand who was driving a truck full of tapioca pudding.
One of his tires popped so he went to get help and when he came back he found the truck surrounded by elephants eating the tapioca pudding. Then he called the army in but when they got back the elphants had got full and left.

Geo-Extremes

2006-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is my first post on this blog, and I thought that I should put down some "extreme" facts that people may not already know. And here they are (from the National Geographic Bee Official Study Guide):

Warmest place: Dalol, Denakil Depression, Ethiopia, 93 F (34 C) for average annual temperature

Coldest place: Plateau Station, Antarctica, -134 F (-92 C) for average annual temperature

Wettest place: Mawsynram, Assam, India 467 in (1186 cm) for average annual rainfall

Driest place: Atacama Desert, Chile, rainfall is so slight the records are unreliable

Greatest tides: Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada 52 ft (15.8 m)

Bay of Fundy, Canada

Dubayy (Dubai)

2006-09-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

My mom was suprised when I didn't know the capital of Dubai because she thought it was a country. Today we looked on the internet to find out about Dubai and found that it is not a country but the largest city in the United Arab Emirates.

Google Earth is Smarter Than We Thought (Europe)

2006-09-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

I was installing Google Earth and I noticed that there was a tour of places in The Da Vinci Code.
Here is the description they have for it.

Da Vinci Code Tour: Real-life locations of note described in a little-known, obscure book/movie called "the Da Vinci Code".

Ria and I thought that it was really funny that they called it "little-known".

The Orkney Islands (Europe)

2006-09-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today I was reading Our American Catholic Heritage for my history and in it I noticed that it talked about the Orkneys in a part about the Vikings. I happened to remember them from The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow. The Orkneys are just off the north side of Scotland.

Welcome to the New Map Guys

2006-09-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hello this is a new geography blog that I'm doing with two of my friends who also love geography.
We were going to wait for the new blogger so that we could have categories but I have not got an invitation for it yet. We will switch to it when I do get an invitation.

Boring Geography

2006-04-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

There is absolutely no such thing at as boring geography.