Geography

Monument declaring Rugby, North Dakota, the city claiming geographic center—until now.

New Calculations Reposition the Geographical Center of North America

After an 90-year-reign, the title moves from Rugby, North Dakota, to the city of Center, in Oliver County

Abraham Ortelius created the world's first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, or "Theater of the World," in 1570. Shakespeare, who famously wrote that "all the world's a stage," was doubtless influenced by the maps that flourished during his lifetime.

How Maps Shaped Shakespeare

An exhibition in Boston delves into historical maps to show how the Bard saw the wider world

This map changed how the world saw itself.

Discover One of History’s Most Ambitious Maps

Martin Waldseemüller's 1507 map was the oldest document to use "America" to describe the body of land between Africa and Asia

What's the Difference Between England, Britain and the U.K.?

Listen up, would-be Anglophiles: Here's how never to mess up your realms, kingdoms and empires again

"Prague, Czechia" has a ring to it, doesn't it?

The Czech Republic Wants to Change Its Name

Welcome to “Czechia”

She knows where this photo was taken—and so might a new neural network.

Google's New A.I. Can Tell Exactly Where a Photo Was Taken

A new neural network is better than humans at sussing out the location of a picture

Obama’s move to rename the U.S.'s highest peak was supported by Native and non-Native Alaskans alike.

Denali and America's Long History of Using (or Not Using) Indian Names

In restoring the Athabaskan name to the country’s highest mountain, President Obama is among those who have wrestled with the issue

In early July, Sentinel-2A captured this image of the Sahara in central Algeria.

See the Algerian Sahara From Space

It’s pretty spectacular

The world as we knew it.

How Geography Shaped Societies, From Neanderthals to iPhones

This weeks' episode of Generation Anthropocene discusses efforts to quantify social development and the cultural retention of the Navajo

A map highlights the most common unique cause of death in each state

Texans Die of Tuberculosis and Other Insights From the CDC’s Distinctive Death Map

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention compiled a list of the most common unusual deaths in every state

This sinkhole in Belize has drawn scientists and divers, shedding light on the mystery that ended the Mayan Empire.

The World is Full of Circles

In honor of a very special Pi Day, enjoy this map that explores the human-made and natural structures that come closest to a perfect circle

About 25 million years ago, a massive landslide engulfed the area between Beaver and Cedar City, Utah.

City-Sized Landslides Happened in the Past And Can Happen Again

Utah has a new claim to fame: it was the site of the world's largest known landslide

Master navigator Mau Piailug teaches navigation to his son and grandson with the help of a star compass.

How the Voyage of the Kon-Tiki Misled the World About Navigating the Pacific

Smithsonian geographer Doug Herman explains the traditional science of traversing the ocean seas

A photographer takes pictures of Lhasa Apso dogs in a basket, during a Dog and Cat Expo in Manila. With 12.3 million dogs to 1.7 million cats, the Philippines is very much a dog country.

There Aren't Just Dog People And Cat People; There Are Dog Countries And Cat Countries

Dogs and cats are not equally popular worldwide

Dr. John All fell 70 feet into this crevasse.

This Scientist Fell Down a 70-Foot Crevasse in the Himalayas But Managed to Claw His Way Out

Rescue teams finally reached him the following day

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Do You Live Within 50 Miles of a Nuclear Power Plant?

A new interactive map tells you exactly how far you live from a nuclear reactor

The traditional geographic coordinate system identifies locations on the globe with a pair of long numbers. what3words proposes using language instead.

A Plan To Replace Geographic Coordinates on Earth With Unique Strings of Three Words

The startup what3words wants to change the way we talk about locations

Japan’s Newest Island Has Merged With Its Neighbor

Ongoing volcanic activity has caused Japan's newest island to merge with its neighbor

A side-by-side comparison of cities’ sizes.

Everything's Bigger in America, Especially Urban Sprawl

Eight other cities (total population: 100 million) fit into the footprint of Atlanta (population: 5 million)

A more Earthly Mordor.

Which U.S. City Most Resembles Mordor? A British Climate Scientist Found Out

Mordor is basically Los Angeles

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