Topic

Geography & Places

A collection of 99 issues

Jojoba's Secret: How a Scribble Sent a Desert Plant to China (On Paper)

The Jojoba plant's scientific name, Simmondsia chinensis, implies it's from China. This is a historical error. A 19th-century botanist misread the collector's handwritten label 'Calif.' for California as 'China,' and the name stuck due to scientific naming rules.

How a Line on a Map Gave Portugal an Empire: The Untold Story of the Treaty of Tordesillas

The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, often seen as a simple division of the world, was a diplomatic masterstroke for Portugal. By pushing a demarcation line westward, they outmaneuvered Spain to secure not only their African trade routes but also the vast, undiscovered riches of Brazil.

Inventing a Region: The Colonial Origins of the 'Middle East'

The term 'Middle East' isn't ancient; it's a 19th-century British invention. Popularized by US strategist Alfred Mahan in 1902, it replaced 'Near East' to define the strategic area between Egypt and India, framing a diverse region through a colonial, Eurocentric military lens.

Venezuela's Ocean of Oil, Desert of Production: The Great Paradox

Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves, but political turmoil, sanctions, and difficult-to-extract heavy crude have crippled its production, leaving it a fraction of Saudi Arabia's output. A story of potential squandered.

From the Urals to the Danube: The Surprising Siberian Roots of Finnish and Hungarian

Finnish and Hungarian are linguistic islands in Europe, unrelated to their neighbors. They belong to the Uralic family, with a common ancestor from Western Siberia thousands of years ago. While not mutually intelligible, they share grammar, structure, and ancient vocabulary.

Before the Colosseum: Unearthing Mesoamerica's 3,400-Year-Old Ball Court

In Mexico's Soconusco region, archaeologists unearthed the world's oldest known ball court at Paso de la Amada. Dating to 1400 BCE, this monumental structure reveals the deep antiquity and social complexity of the Mesoamerican ballgame long before the rise of the Maya or Aztecs.

Not Iran: The Clever Naming Secret of a West Texas Oil Town

Discover the charming origin of Iraan, a West Texas oil town. Often mispronounced, its name isn't linked to a foreign country but is a clever combination of its founders' names: Ira and Anne Yates. A simple tribute hides in plain sight.

Chasing Ghosts: Unveiling the Hidden Colors of the Lunar Rainbow, or Moonbow

Discover the moonbow, a rare rainbow created by moonlight. While it appears as a ghostly white arc to the naked eye, long-exposure photography unveils its hidden, vibrant colors, revealing a truly magical nocturnal phenomenon that most people never get to see.

From Pest to Pub Star: Unpacking Australia's Weirdest Sport, Cane Toad Racing

In Australia, the reviled cane toad, a toxic invasive pest, is the star of a quirky pub sport: cane toad racing. This bizarre tradition, especially popular on Australia Day, transforms an ecological disaster into a unique and controversial cultural spectacle.