May

26th 2008

You need a map to figure out GPS, Google Maps

Filed Under Essays, GPS, Map Servers | Leave a Comment

Steve Dahl, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune opines on the beauty of simply unfolding a map over the latest GPS and online mapping technology.

Nov

11th 2007

Matt’s Call to Action

Filed Under Essays | Leave a Comment

Matt from the About Geography site has written an article in preparation for Geography Awareness Week (November 11 - 17, 2007) called “Why Place Name Geography is Important and a Call to Action”.  Matt calls on all adults to more fully understand geography and to be able to know where countries are located around the world. 

Nov

07th 2007

The Globe, Politically Corrected

Filed Under Essays, World | Leave a Comment

Geoffrey Wheatcroft has an interesting piece in the Washington Post citing examples of geographical name changes and the controversies surrounding them.  The article starts off with the choice of referring to the recent England versus India cricket matches as having been played in Bombay versus Mumbai.  The recent turmoil in Myanmar has also received its share of mixed references with some news outlets still referring to the country by the name of Burma.  The author points out the inconsistency and sometimes hypocrisy of when the “politically correct” form of a location is used where sometimes the local name is used and other times when it’s not. 

Source: The Globe, Politically Corrected, Washington Post.