Geographical articles from July 2004

Geographical archives from July 2004

Woolf in sheep's clothing.(From The Editor)(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... Immigration and immigrants feature prominently in this month's Geographical. I nearly called it a 'controversial topic' but stopped myself because, unlike the redtops and even the broadsheet dailies, Geographical tries to take a balanced view....

Hunger and disease.(Prize Letter)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... In your recent profile of Sir Lawrence Dudley Stamp (Worldwatch, April 2004), you paid tribute to his gift for writing lucid prose. I feel that this gift was put to excellent use in his book The Geography of Hunger, in which he clearly outlined...

Why Moslem?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I've noticed that you use the spelling Moslem, rather than Muslim. I am curious about this difference from current mainstream usage. When I lived in the USA, it was understood that Moslem was rather old-fashioned and probably inappropriate,...

Survey never lost.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... In reference to the Worldwatch story about the rediscovery of the Beagle (May 2004), the survey of 1847 referred to in the article is held in the archives of the UK Hydrographic Office. To say the document was 'found' is something of a...

World getting windier.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I'm not so sure about Mount Washington's claim to the highest observed wind speed (Letters, March 2004). In December 1998, Typhoon Paka hit the island of Guam... very, very hard. Apparently, during that storm the wind speed reached 236 miles...

Where in the world?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... You must expect the majority of your readers to have a healthy curiosity about our planet, and I would suggest that many of them would like to know the whereabouts of the city whose photograph fills page 37 of the May 2004 issue (Dossier). ...

Who's the bigger spender?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Your top-ten league table of countries with the largest defence budget (Worldwatch, May 2004), seems to have an error in it. Germany appears to spend more than France but is placed below it in the table. I was wondering which one of them spends...

Beaches still littered with litter.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Back in November 2003, I was pleased to have my letter on beach litter published in Geographical. I recently travelled to Hawaii and was appalled to see that even an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean suffers from the problem. Clearly...

Lost in the post.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Introduced to Britain at the end of the 18th century, this conifer became a popular ornamental during the Victorian era. The female tree produces large, edible seeds and the fossil record suggests that the species is more than 60 million years...

Orcas, or killer whales, are singing longer songs in order to make themselves heard over the engine noise of whale-watching boats.(USA)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Orcas, or killer whales, are singing longer songs in order to make themselves heard over the engine noise of whale-watching boats. Pods off the west coast of the USA were found to extend their calls by 15 per cent during the day, when up to 100...

A circular fishing hook recently tested by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and used by some of Ecuador's fishing fleet could reduce accidental turtle deaths by 90 per cent.(Global)
July 1, 2004... A circular fishing hook recently tested by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and used by some of Ecuador's fishing fleet could reduce accidental turtle deaths by 90 per cent. The hook is less likely to snag or be swallowed...

The UK's Atomic Energy Authority is to decommission Winfrith, a former nuclear research site in Dorset, 30 years earlier than planned.(UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The UK's Atomic Energy Authority is to decommission Winfrith, a former nuclear research site in Dorset, 30 years earlier than planned. The authority is due to clear the research facility by 2020. It has already sold 100 hectares to the Dorset...

Catch-all fishing scheme.(UK)(Invest in Fish South West)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A new project that aims to find the best way to manage fish stocks and the wider marine environment is the first in the UK to engage all fishing interest groups, including fishermen, anglers, scientists, retailers, restaurateurs and...

Lost Roman trading post.(India)(Muziris, trading port of first century BC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... An archaeologist from the University of Southampton has identified the first fragments of Roman wine amphorae ever found in Kerala in southwestern India. Roberta Tomber believes the potsherds may point to the southern Indian state being the...

Clean energy in Norway.(Norway)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The world's first full-scale renewable-hydrogen hybrid project will begin operating in Norway on 1 July. Comprising two 600kW wind turbines, a hydrogen generator and a fuel cell, Hydro Nork's 40 million kroner (3.3million [pounds sterling])...

White lions to go wild.(South Africa)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A South African wildlife sanctuary is planning to release white lions back into their natural environment. There are currently none of these rare genetic variants left in the wild. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, a 54,000-hectare game park...

Tri-national Sahara protected area.(Africa)
July 1, 2004... UNESCO recently convened a ten-day workshop in Tripoli to discuss a proposal to accord Protected Area status to the region where the borders of Libya, Egypt and Sudan meet. Financed by the Italian government and attended by representatives from...

A recent satellite survey of has revealed that Amazon deforestation is showing no sign of slowing down.(Brazil)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A recent satellite survey of has revealed that Amazon deforestation is showing no sign of slowing down. Between August 2002 and August 2003, an area about half the size of Switzerland was cleared, primarily for cattle.

At the end of April, British women Rona Cant and Cathy O'Dowd, Norwegian Per-Thore-Hansen and 26 dogs became the first to dog-sledge 700km non-stop from Styggedalen in Norway to the Nordkapp, the most northerly point in Europe.(Norway)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... At the end of April, British women Rona Cant and Cathy O'Dowd, Norwegian Per-Thore-Hansen and 26 dogs became the first to dog-sledge 700km non-stop from Styggedalen in Norway to the Nordkapp, the most northerly point in Europe. The team took...

Proven oil reserves.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... PROVEN OIL RESERVES TOP BILLION SHARE OF 10 BARRELS TOTAL (%) 1 Saudi Arabia 261.8 25.0 2 Iraq 112.5 10.7 3 United Arab...

Two park rangers in the Lierne, central Norway, recently witnessed a golden eagle carrying off a bear cub in front of its mother--the first such attack ever recorded.(Norway)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Two park rangers in the Lierne, central Norway, recently witnessed a golden eagle carrying off a bear cub in front of its mother--the first such attack ever recorded. It was previously thought that bears had no predators. Torgeir Nygaard of the...

The 'War on Terrorism' has forced critical environmental problems such as global warming and dwindling natural resources from the top of the global agenda, according to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.(Global)
July 1, 2004... The 'War on Terrorism' has forced critical environmental problems such as global warming and dwindling natural resources from the top of the global agenda, according to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "We cannot lose any more time or ground in...

Late great geographers #45: Ardito Desio (1897-2001) An Italian geologist, geographer and explorer, Ardito Desio led the first successful ascent of K2, 50 years ago this month.(Worldwatch)
July 1, 2004... What was his background? Born in 1897 in a small village in Italy's northeastern province of Udine, Ardito Desio acquired a taste for adventure as a lieutenant in the Italian Alpine military division during the First World War. Later, he...

20 years ago today ... Geographical Magazine, July 1984.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... This issue began with a preview of that summer's Olympic games in Los Angeles. In addition to being marred by political boycotts from the Eastern bloc, the games were expected to be affected by Los Angeles' infamous smog. The high proportion of...

The World Bank is set to almost double aid to Kyrgyzstan in order to reduce the danger from radioactive-waste sites that threaten Central Asia's densely populated Fergana Valley.(Kyrgyzstan)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The World Bank is set to almost double aid to Kyrgyzstan in order to reduce the danger from radioactive-waste sites that threaten Central Asia's densely populated Fergana Valley. Kyrgyzstan inherited several radioactive dumps from the Soviet...

Inefficient farming practices constitute the most serious threat to the environment through deforestation, pollution, ocean degradation and species loss, according to Dr Jason Clay of WWF.(Global)
July 1, 2004... Inefficient farming practices constitute the most serious threat to the environment through deforestation, pollution, ocean degradation and species loss, according to Dr Jason Clay of WWF. In a new book, World Agriculture and the Environment,...

Weatherwatch with Helen Willetts: July being a TV weather forecaster isn't as easy as it looks. Not only is it extremely difficult to predict the weather, just getting the correct message across requires a wide range of skills.(Worldwatch)
July 1, 2004... TV forecasters are some of the most well-known people on your screens. The message they convey can spell disaster or happiness for picnics, BBQs, weddings and many other occasions that we enjoy. But what is TV weather forecasting all about? ...

UK ratifies global albatross treaty.(UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The UK has underlined its commitment to conservation by ratifying the global Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). "The UK and its Overseas Territories are, after New Zealand, the second most important nation for...

Global population watch.(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The world population at the time of going to press was according to: the United Nations 6,439,777,590 the CIA 6,382,792,709 the US Bureau of the Census 6,377,641,642

What's the significance of the transit of Venus?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... B Jordan, Swindon ANSWER: Transits of Venus occur when the planet passes between the Earth and the Sun. They take place every 120 years and in pairs, generally about eight years apart. The Royal Astronomer Edmund Halley realised the...

Which bird has the longest non-stop migration?(Quizzical)(Arctic Tern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Brown, Whiteman ANSWER: The accolade for the longest migration goes to the Arctic Tern, which likes all-day sunlight so much it flies between the Arctic and the Antarctic--a distance of 19,000 kilometres. It makes the journey over Europe...

Are all countries' flags unique?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... J Oakden, Boston ANSWER: You would think that every country would go out of its way to ensure that its flag is the only one of its kind. But history and politics often conspire to leave states with similar designs, albeit for different...

How did Lesotho come to be a country within a country?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... P King, Shrewsbury ANSWER: The mountainous country of Lesotho lies within South Africa and is about the size of Belgium. It's one of three states in the world that are completely encircled by another. (The others are San Marino and Vatican...

Why are Egypt and Sudan in dispute over the Hala'ib Triangle?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... D Cleland, St Ives In 1899, Britain and Egypt signed a treaty that declared the land south of the 22nd Parallel part of Sudan. However, this line, which still represents Egypt's border with Sudan, cut across tribal lands, so a second...

Target in sight.(Royal Geographical Society fund raising)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Society is now just 53,000 [pounds sterling] short of its fundraising target of 10 million [pounds sterling]. There are still opportunities to sponsor a chair in the Ondaatje Theatre for a mere 1,000 [pounds sterling]. * Contact...

Military book.(Military Geographies by Rachel Woodward)
July 1, 2004... The latest addition to the RGS IBG Book Series, Military Geographies by Rachel Woodward of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, is out now. The book uses geography to examine the environmental, cultural, economic and political dimensions of...

Innovative grants.(secondary geography teachers)
July 1, 2004... Now in their third year, the Innovative Teachers Grants are open to secondary geography teachers who seek to develop innovative and creative teaching methods and materials Five grants of 800 [pounds sterling] are available. The deadline for...

GCSE geography jumps into the 21st century.(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... "Bored geography teacher seeks new specification for advancing leaching and stimulation." It may read like a lonely hearts advertisement, but this was actually a teacher's eye-catching application to become one of the 18 partner schools...

Minister visits Unlocking the Archives.(In society: a round-up of news, views, and recent and forthcoming events)(Tessa Jowell at Royal Geographical Society)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, visited the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in May to see first-hand how the Unlocking the Archives project is opening up the Society's cultural heritage...

A selection of Society events taking place in July.(In society: a round-up of news, views, and recent and forthcoming events)(Royal Geographical Society)(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 3100 or see www.rgs.org/events 1 July, 7pm Summer opera: Cosi fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart A production of Mozart's opera Cosi fan tutte, performed in Italian and...

The beating heart of the British Empire: world map from the Harmsworth Universal Atlas and Gazetteer, 1908.(Map Of The Month)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... This unusual cordiform (heart-shaped) projection was devised in around 1500 by the Viennese cartographer Johannes Stab. However, it was further developed by Johannes Werner of Nuremberg during the early 16th century, and the projection now...

Journey to the source of the Mekong: for decades, the source of the mighty Mekong has caused debate among geographers the world over. Last year, John Pilkington followed the great river from its sprawling delta in Vietnam to China's Qinghai province, north of Tibet, in order to try to set the record straight.
July 1, 2004... The Mekong has lured me for years. At 4,200 kilometres it's the world's 12th-longest river, whose very name suggests mystery. Its lower reaches fascinated early French explorers, notably Francis Garnier, who spent two years from 1866 trying to...

The toast of Society: thanks to the Unlocking the Archives project, the Royal Geographical Society (with IGB) is better placed to share its unmatched collections of geography-related treasures with the world. In the second part of our preview of the project, Christian Amodeo ventures into the archives themselves.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... "Although there is a vast store of geographical information existing in Great Britain... it is so scattered and dispersed, either in large books that are generally inaccessible, or in the bureau of the public departments, or in the possession...

Immigration: visiting on a one-way ticket.(Geographical dossier)
July 1, 2004... Once again, immigration has become a politically inflammable subject. Not since Enoch Powell was delivering his bloodthirsty (and inaccurate) race warnings in the 1960s has Britain been so agitated by the belief that it is a nation under siege....

Labouring the point: the past five years have seen a flurry of immigration activity in the UK, as nearly a million people came to work here. Is there cause for concern?(Geographical dossier)
July 1, 2004... The demonisation of migrants has been so powerful that it's important to begin by emphasising that there are four markedly different types of immigrant in Britain today. First, there are the skilled workers who arrive here under the official...

Foreign influences: take away Great Britain's long history of welcoming immigrants to its shores and we would find ourselves stripped of much that is now considered British.(Geographical dossier)
July 1, 2004... The tabloids often present immigration as a contemporary phenomenon. And it s true that it has been boosted by the ease of modern communications. Job ads in Manchester can be pored over in Harare and Bangalore on the day they are posted, and...

Pride and prejudice: xenophobia and negative media stereotypes are blinding many Britons to the fact that immigrants represent an extremely valuable import.(Geographical dossier)
July 1, 2004... If immigration is nothing new, neither is the hostility--a fearful form of incuriosity--with which new arrivals are greeted. Take, for example, a letter in The Times railing against the foreigners who are "replacing English workers and...

Ceylon revisited.
July 1, 2004... A journey in the footsteps of Leonardo Woolf: Leonard Woolf began his career as a minor official in the Home Office, signing letters for the colonial secretary in Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka. A hundred years after Woolf first made landfall...

Conundrum in the Congo: three years ago, news that the electronics industry's demand for tantalum was fuelling the civil war in the Congo led to calls for a worldwide embargo on Congolese tantalum. But was a ban really the right course of action?
July 1, 2004... We've all become accustomed to hearing stories of African despots selling diamonds and timber to prop up their corrupt regimes. But in 2001, consumers were shocked to learn that their mobile phones, computers and digital cameras were helping to...

Exodus to the Holy Land.
July 1, 2004... During the 19th century, long before the confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians, the Holy Land was home to a small colony of German Christians. Sebastian Hope, a descendent of one of these settlers, charts their progress, from their...

Putting the western Indian Ocean on the map.
July 1, 2004... Despite having been sailed by merchants for millennia, the western Indian Ocean wasn't properly explored until a century ago and it's only in the past decade that scientists have come to grips with this unique and fragile environment. Mark...

The past portrayed: to celebrate the opening of the Unlocking the Archives project, the RGS-IBG is making available prints of 40 classic historical photographs. Octavia Lamb presents a selection of these remarkable images.(Geographical Archive)
July 1, 2004... These days, when we return from a trip abroad, most of us bring with us a sizeable photographic record of our travels and adventures. But up until the mid-1800s, the large majority of 'travel' photographs were taken on scientific expeditions...

Edouard Manet: Impressions of the Sea.
July 1, 2004... Edouard Manet: Impressions of the Sea Van Gogh Museum, Paulus Poterstraat 7, Amsterdam Open daily: 10am-6pm (Fridays: 10am-10pm) Adults: 12.50; 12-17 yrs: 2.50; up to 12 yrs: free Manet could be considered the ultimate Parisian and he is...

Coffee: a Dark History.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Coffee: A Dark History by Antony Wild Fourth Estate, hb, pp 323, 18.99 [pounds sterling] Written by a former coffee buyer, Coffee is an aromatic blend of colonial history and globalisation criticism. Wild argues that the slavery that...

The Sky is Falling on our Heads.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... The Sky is Falling on our Heads by Rob Penn, Sceptre, hb, pp342, 14.99 [pounds sterling] Rob Penn's mission is to become a true Celtic bard in six months. Call me old fashioned, but you wouldn't want to be married to a Celtic journalist in...

Tales from the Torrid Zone.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Tales from the Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater Picador, pb, pp380, 16.99 [pounds sterling] For most people, flying over the jungles of war torn Mozambique in an aging amphibious aeroplane and knowing that, at any moment, a well-aimed...

Deep Blue: a Natural History of the Oceans.(Movie Review)
July 1, 2004... Deep Blue: A Natural History of the Oceans produced by BBC Worldwide and Greenlight Media 90 minutes, showing from 18 June in cinemas nationwide In 2001, the BBC launched a television series that had young and old alike glued to their...

Valley of the Assassins & Other Persian Travels.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Valley of the Assassins & Other Persian Travels by Freya Stark First published in 1934. Most recent edition published by Random House, pb, pp352, 7.86 [pounds sterling] "In the wastes of civilization, Luristan is still an enchanted name....

Hotel Tiberias: a Tale of Two Grandfathers.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Hotel Tiberias: A Tale of Two Grandfathers by Sebastian Hope HarperCollins, hb, pp304, 18.99 [pounds sterling] Sebastian Hope was 16 when he discovered that his grandfather, the celebrated Second World War veteran General Sir John Winthrop...

India: the Definitive Images.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... India: The Definitive Images photographs edited by Prashant Panjiar Dorling Kindersley, hb, pp160, 15.99 [pounds sterling] Many parts of India are familiar to us through their (over) exposure in the travel media, but images of the Taj Mahal...

Devil in the Mountain: a Search for the Origin of the Andes.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Devil in the Mountain: A Search for the Origin of the Andes by Simon Lamb Princeton University Press, hb, pp336, 16.43 [pounds sterling] Who would have thought that mountains could flow? Well, that is one of the revelations revealed here,...

The Geology of Northern Ireland: Our Natural Foundation.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... The Geology of Northern Ireland: Our Natural Foundation edited by WI Mitchell Northern Ireland Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, pb, pp318, 10 [pounds sterling] Northern Ireland's geology doesn't begin and end with the Giant's...

Chinese Silk: a Cultural History.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Chinese Silk: A Cultural History by Shelagh Vainker, British Museum Press, hb, pp224, 29.95 [pounds sterling] China and silk: the two words have been inextricably linked for more than two millennia. Together they evoke images of eastern...

The Places in Between.(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... The Places in Between by Rory Stewart, Picador, hb, pp256, 17.99 [pounds sterling] Rory Stewart's laudable aim, to walk across Asia, here encompasses his experiences in one country, Afghanistan, just after the fall of the Taliban. He...

Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia.(Geographical Travel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... This month we catch up on the latest travel news, speak to Simon Casson of horseback tour company Outlaw Trails and present a two-part special feature that examines the next big travel destinations The narrow Hinchinbrook Channel, dotted...

Cruise company cleans up its act.(travel news)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Royal Caribbean Cruises has decided to equip its fleet with advanced water-purification systems (AWPS), in response to pressure from US environmental organisation Oceana. Three of the company's existing vessels already have AWPS, and it aims to...

California beaches become smoke-free.(travel news)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Smoking is already prohibited in public bars, restaurants and places or work throughout Los Angeles, but the city council recently voted to ban cigarettes from its beaches. Councillor Jack Weiss, the original sponsor of the bill, sees the ban...

A new era for package tourism?(Tourism Concern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Recently, the tour company First Choice announced that it will cease to operate in the Costa Brava, one of the most popular holiday destinations on the Spanish coast. According to reports, Spain has had its heyday and has fallen out of favour...

Global Vision International is looking for expedition members to work on its longest-running wildlife research project, at the Edeni Game Reserve in South Africa.(South Africa)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Global Vision International is looking for expedition members to work on its longest-running wildlife research project, at the Edeni Game Reserve in South Africa. Participants will receive training in a range of areas--including gun awareness,...

Earthwatch is offering further opportunities to volunteer in Africa.(Africa)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Earthwatch is offering further opportunities to volunteer in Africa. Its projects help to protect some of the continent's most endangered species--from Nile crocodiles in the Kalahari to lemurs in the rainforests of Madagascar. * Info:...

If you have an interest in Central American culture, i-to-i is conducting research into cave paintings in the Dominican Republic.(Dominican Republic)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... If you have an interest in Central American culture, i-to-i is conducting research into cave paintings in the Dominican Republic. Volunteers will examine, record and restore ancient pictographs and petroglyphs inscribed by Taino tribes up to...

Off the beaten track: over the past decade or so, tourists have begun to look for more personal and more rewarding experiences. Miranda Haines takes a look at some of the implications of the changing travel market.
July 1, 2004... As we floated down the Ganges in the warm morning sun, past jungle-clad canyons on either side that rose steeply from pristine white sandy beaches, a family of shy black-faced monkeys spied us and fled. Their furry silver bodies streaked away...

Tomorrow's world: with politics, conflicts and market forces continually shaping the world in which we travel, Charlie Furniss introduces a few of the undiscovered gems that will we be visiting in the next few years.
July 1, 2004... Mozambique After years of civil war, tourism is developing in Mozambique (above) faster than anywhere else in the world. Most visitors choose to see the southern half of the country below the Zambezi. Here, the coast features palm-fringed...

Travel for a living: Simon Casson is a founding partner of horseback expedition company Outlaw Trails. Garth Cripps talks to him about life in the saddle and his passion for the US Old West.(Interview)
July 1, 2004... You've recently written a book about riding 3,000 kilometres across the western USA. What drove you to do it? I had long been fascinated by the adventures of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid--I'd read the books, seen the movies, bought...

In conversation: Alastair Fothergill is director of development for the BBC Natural History Unit. He was series producer of the acclaimed TV series Blue Planet, and directed the forthcoming movie Deep Blue using footage from the series. Jo Sargent spoke to him about revisiting the depths.(Interview)
July 1, 2004... How did Deep Blue come about? The real inspiration came when we did a concert at the Royal Festival Hall. The BBC concert orchestra played live as we projected sequences from the Blue Planet onto a huge screen. To be honest, the people who...