Geography of Interest
Snow in Hawaii
Hawaii may be in the tropics, but it gets snow every year.
How Ice Balls Form
When conditions are just right, a strange phenomenon called ice balls or ice eggs can form along beaches during cold conditions.
Geography of the Winter Olympic Games
Learn about the Olympic Winter Games’ geography.
How Often Does it Snow in the Sahara Desert?
The sight of snow in the Sahara Desert is rare, but it does happen on occasion.
When Rivers Become Ice Roads
During the cold winter months, parts of Canada’s Mackenzie River become a ice road that trucks up to 22,000 pounds can navigate.
Geography of Daylight Saving Time
Not all countries observe Daylight Saving Time, which entails moving the clocks forward an hour in the spring and backward an hour in the fall.
Geography Basics
What is Geography?
Geography is the science that studies the Earth and the physical and human influences that shape it.
What to Know About Absolute and Relative Location
Let’s learn about the difference between absolute and relative location.
What are the Branches of Geography?
Geography is divided into two main branches: human geography and physical geography.
Latitude and Longitude
Learn more about lines you see on a map running east-west and north-south called latitude and longitude.
Geography of Time Zones
A time zone is a region of the Earth that uses the same standard time, which is commonly referred to as the local time.
What is the Difference Between a Sea and an Ocean?
A look at the geographic definitions of oceans and seas.
What are the Earth System’s Four Spheres?
The systems of the earth can be divided into two main areas: geosphere and biosphere.
How Many Countries Are There?
The answer to the question of how many countries there are in the world remains a question with many different possible answers.
Understanding Direction Based on the Sun
This lesson plan introduces the concept of direction to young children by using the location of the Sun in order to understand where east, west, north, and south are located.
United States Geography
Geography of Wild Horses in the United States
Wild horses continue to roam the Western United States as well as parts of the East Coast.
Geography Facts: Rhode Island
Learn geography trivia about the smallest state in the United States.
Early Wildfires in New Mexico
Wildfires in New Mexico are are starting earlier each year due to warmer and drier conditions.
Springtime Birds at a Horse Stable in Northern California
Spring has sprung! A horse stable in Northern California is active with barn swallows, Acorn woodpeckers, and Brewer’s blackbirds.
Bewick’s Wren
The Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) is a small songbird native to North America.
ZIP Codes in the United States
It’s likely that if you routinely send mail to a location within the United States, you know how critical it is to get the ZIP code right in order for…
Geography of Iowa
Iowa is a state with many distinct geographies.
Greatest Concentration of Breeding Bald Eagles in the Contiguous U.S.
The San Juan Islands in Washington has the highest concentration of breeding bald eagles in the contiguous United States.
The Largest Cactus in the United States
The Saguaro Cactus is the largest cactus in the United States
Geography of Extremes
Highest Point in Every U.S. State
Discover the highest point in each U.S. state.
The Lowest Point in Every U.S. State
This article takes a look at the lowest elevation point in every state in the U.S.
The Highest 11 Mountains in the United States
Learn about the highest 11 mountains in the United States.
The World’s Highest-Dwelling Mammal Found Atop of the World’s Second-Largest Active Volcano
Scientists were able to document that the yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis xanthopygus rupestris) is the world’s highest-dwelling mammal.
What is the Largest Island in the Pacific Ocean?
New Guinea is the largest island in the Pacific Ocean.
The World’s Highest Concentration of Hoodoos
Hoodoos are tall, thin rock spires that occur all around the world.
Physical Geography
Ships can create a trail of clouds as they travel over the world’s oceans. When conditions are just right, clouds can act like prisms, turning the rays of the sun into a brilliant color show. Wildfires in New Mexico are are starting earlier each year due to warmer and drier conditions.
How Ships Create Clouds Over the Oceans
Circumhorizontal Arc: Rainbow in the Clouds
Early Wildfires in New Mexico
Human Geography
80% of the sewage produced by the global population makes its way into the world’s oceans untreated. As the name implies, desire paths (or social trails) are informal pathways made by pedestrians, cyclists, and animals that carve out more desired routes for passengers. Only two towns in the world have an exclamation mark as part of their formal names.
Geography of Sewage Contamination in the Ocean
What are Desire Paths?
Only Two Towns in the World Have an Exclamation in Their Name
Maps and GIS
Well into the 17th and 18th centuries, cartographers created maps of the region showing California separated from the mainland by a strait. Benchmarks are a type of survey markers whose elevations have been surveyed as accurately as possible based on the technology at the time. The Robinson map projection is a compromise project that minimizes distortion across the map.
California as an Island
Survey Markers and Benchmarks
Robinson Map Projection
Geography Books
Set in Hawaii and with a champion surfer as its central character, “Under the Wave at Waimea” introduces us to the global geography of surfing. Robert C. Ritchie guides readers through a comprehensive history of mankind’s love affair with the beach. We Are the Land: A History of Native California recounts the perspective of the California Indians. 
Review | Under the Wave at Waimea
Review | Lure of the Beach: A Global History
Review | We Are the Land: A History of Native California