Geographical articles from July 2005

Geographical archives from July 2005

Kangchenjunga memories.(50th anniversary of the mount ascent)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Recently, there was a very special anniversary in the geographical community--the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Kangchenjunga, one of the highest and most noble mountains on the planet. And yet, compared with the media...

Meet Kintana, the UK's first captive-bred aye-aye, born at Bristol Zoo Gardens in February.(UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Meet Kintana, the UK's first captive-bred aye-aye, born at Bristol Zoo Gardens in February. Kintana ('star' in Malagasy) is only the second to be hand-reared worldwide. The aye-aye, a species of lemur, is the world's largest nocturnal primate...

The RSPB has launched Operation Ocean Task Force, aimed at training fishermen on how best to prevent the death of albatrosses.(Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The RSPB has launched Operation Ocean Task Force, aimed at training fishermen on how best to prevent the death of albatrosses. Long-line fishing kills 300,000 seabirds a year, and 19 out of 21 species of albatross are currently facing...

Three British women, Sam Eve, 26, Tori James, 23, and Felicity Aston, 27--otherwise known as the Pink Lady PoleCats--have become the first all-female team to complete the Scott Dunn Polar Challenge, considered to be the world's toughest race.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Three British women, Sam Eve, 26, Tori James, 23, and Felicity Aston, 27--otherwise known as the Pink Lady PoleCats--have become the first all-female team to complete the Scott Dunn Polar Challenge, considered to be the world's toughest race....

The global zoo and aquarium community has launched a new strategy.(wildlife conservation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The global zoo and aquarium community has launched a new strategy to shift away from education and make conservation its primary objective.

Death Valley resurrection.(rainfall at the landscape)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... USA The harsh, barren landscape of Death Valley is aptly named. Located some 86 metres below sea level, it's usually as dry as a bone, receiving less than five centimetres of rain a year. But since July 2004, the valley's rainfall has topped 15...

Polar adventurers break record.(new world record set for reaching the North Pole on foot)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... NORTH POLE An international team of explorers has broken the record for reaching the North Pole on foot, completing the 783-kilometre challenge in 36 days, 22 hours and 11 minutes. The previous fastest proven journey to the pole, made in 2000...

Tea helps to educate.(Worldwatch)
July 1, 2005... NAMIBIA A British tea company has lent its support to a project to build preschools in rural Namibia--part of a novel way to improve children's chances of gaining an education. The first school, built by villagers led by VSO volunteer Michael...

Alpine plants under threat.(machine grading and artificial snow production causes vegetation disturbance)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SWITZERLAND Delicate Alpine plants are under threat from machine grading and artificial snow production, according to ecologists who studied 12 Swiss ski resorts. Sonja Wipf of the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research found...

Hadrian's Wall at risk.(hordes of walkers causing damage to the Roman wall)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... UK It defended the farthest extent of the Roman Empire from marauding barbarians, but now Hadrian's Wall is itself in need of protection--from hordes of walkers. Erosion by thousands of boots is causing so much damage that the wall could soon...

Fauna & Flora International's Vietnam Conservation Support Programme has produced a full-colour ecotourism map of the country, showing national parks and nature reserves, as well as boasting photos and information on local plants and animals.(VIETNAM)
July 1, 2005... Fauna & Flora International's Vietnam Conservation Support Programme has produced a full-colour ecotourism map of the country, showing national parks and nature reserves, as well as boasting photos and information on local plants and animals....

Rhinos have returned to Uganda as part of the Rhino Fund Uganda's breeding programme.(UGANDA)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Rhinos have returned to Uganda as part of the Rhino Fund Uganda's breeding programme, which has introduced four white rhinos to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Top 10 world's largest lakes.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 1, 2005... TOP 10 WORLD'S LARGEST LAKES Area ('000 sq. km) 1 Caspian Sea (Cental Asia) 371 2 Superior (Canada/USA) 82 3 Victoria (East Africa) ...

Geographical contributor Ian Gardener tragically died last month in a skiing accident.(UK)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 1, 2005... Geographical contributor Ian Gardener tragically died last month in a skiing accident. Gardener was known for his tremendous sense of adventure and energy. In 1999, he cycled the length of the Mekong River, and in June 2004, Geographical...

The New Forest National Park has become Britain's latest national park--the first in England since the 1980s.(UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The New Forest National Park has become Britain's latest national park--the first in England since the 1980s. At around 570 sq. km, it's also England's smallest, but with 34,000 people living in it, has one of the largest populations.

Alexandra David-Neel (1868-1967): the first foreign woman to enter Lhasa, the forbidden capital of Tibet, Alexandra David-Neel helped to bring Eastern philosophies to the West.(Late Great Geographers #57)(Biography)
July 1, 2005... What was her background? Louise Eugenie Alexandrine Marie David was born in Saint-Mande, France, in 1868. Her father was a French teacher and political activist. She grew up in Brussels, where her parents moved when she was six. She...

50 years ago today ... Geographical Magazine, July 1955.(WORLDWATCH)
July 1, 2005... The July 1955 issue of Geographical featured a story on Mongolia, written by Ivor Montagu, who visited the country in his capacity as secretary of the World Peace Council. Travelling shortly after the railway line between Ulan Batir and Peking...

Snow leopard conservationist wins Whitley Award.(WORLDWATCH)
July 1, 2005... UK An Indian conservation scientist working to save the last Himalayan snow leopards from extinction has been awarded the UK's top conservation prize. Dr Charudutt Mishra was named this year's winner of the Whitley Fund for Nature's Gold Award...

Japan.(flag history)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Description: The Japanese flag is commonly known as the hinomaru (sun-disc) or nisshoki (which literally means rising-sun flag) and consists of a large red disc set centrally upon a white background. History: The red disc has been used as...

The National Biodiversity Network (NBN).(Geographical Organisations of Note)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... When was the NBN founded and how? The idea of a national biodiversity network that which would link sources of UK biodiversity information first arose during the 1980s, leading to the publication of a detailed blueprint in 1995. Five years...

Between 1994 and 2004, 361 species new to science were discovered in Borneo, says a WWF report.(World Wildlife Fund)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Between 1994 and 2004, 361 species new to science were discovered in Borneo, says a WWF report. Borneo's Lost World calls for better conservation on the island and suggests that thousands more undiscovered species may exist there. Of the new...

Nepal's rhino population has suffered a catastrophic decline of more than 30 per cent in the past five years, according to WWF.(World Wildlife Fund)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Nepal's rhino population has suffered a catastrophic decline of more than 30 per cent in the past five years, according to WWF. The number of one-horned rhinos in Royal Chitwan National Park has fallen from 544 in 2000 to just 372 in 2005, with...

Colonel John Blashford-Snell's Scientific Exploration Society is calling on divers and underwater camera operators qualified to PADI Advanced Open Water standard to join Operation Zembe.(SOUTH AFRICA)
July 1, 2005... Colonel John Blashford-Snell's Scientific Exploration Society is calling on divers and underwater camera operators qualified to PADI Advanced Open Water standard to join Operation Zembe, a 20-day expedition in October to search for an ancient...

Weather lore: true or false? Weatherwatch with BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts.(WORLDWATCH)
July 1, 2005... What is weather lore? Weather lore is essentially the collection of sayings from the British countryside that were traditionally used days as a weather forecast by those dependant on the land and sea for their living. Surely much of...

Arctic duo embark.(Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen to cross Arctic Ocean in summer)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... ARCTIC Americans Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen have set off from Siberia's Cape Arctichesky on an attempt to become the first to cross the Arctic Ocean during summer. The 2,250-kilometre, 100-clay One World Expedition will receive no external...

Quizzical: Geographical's resident know-it-all Chris Edwards spills the beans on fresh air in aeroplanes, the shape of Jordan, the death penalty, the extent of the Earth's farmland and what that nasty smell is in Namibia.
July 1, 2005... global population watch The world population at the Time of going to press was according to: the United Nations 6,533,428,288 the CIA 6,464,308,527 the US Bureau of the Census 6,446,131,400 How do you get...

Geographical Young Geographer of the Year 2005: one thousand aspiring geographers, one question: is the UK in 2005 overpopulated? Competition judge Rex Walford reflects on some of the best of this year's Young Geographer of the Year entries.
July 1, 2005... "To what extent is overpopulation about statistics, and how much is it about state of mind?" asked 14-year-old Emma Lewis of the Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester, in the first sentence of her entry in the Geographical Young Geographer of the...

Picture Library.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Society's new Picture Library website now has more resources available to login and create your own lightboxes in order to manage and order high-resolution images. * Info: images.rgs.org

London forum.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On 11 July, the Society will host a special forum entitled 'Short-sea shipping of freight--is it a feasible option?' The meeting will review the case for distribution by short-sea shipping, which could reduce pollution and road and rail...

Scott exhibition.
July 1, 2005... With Scott to the Pole, the Society's current photographic exhibition, documents Captain Robert Scott's final, ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in 1910-13. These historic images were taken by photographer Herbert Ponting, who was the...

Counting the cost of global development.(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... EDITORIAL The future of many of the world's natural resources--from rainforests to reefs--is marred by uncertainty. The release of the UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in April drew attention to the fact that over the past 50 years, humans...

2005 RGS-IBG award winners.(Royal Geographical Society, Institute of British Geographers)
July 1, 2005... Each year, the Society presents a series of medals and awards that recognise excellence in a wide variety of areas relating to geography and the understanding of our world. This year's honours were announced and presented at our annual general...

A selection of Society events taking place in July.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... For details, please contact the events Office on 020 7591 3100. 23 June, 7pm South American forest birds: The conservation equation (LECTURE, LONDON) From the stunning bird diversity of Ecuador's Loma Alta cloud forests to...

RGS-IBG Annual International Conference.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... This year's RGS-IBG Annual International Conference looks set to be extremely interesting and topical, given the wide range of high-quality papers already submitted. The conference, which this year tackles the question of flows and spaces in a...

Join the society--get the magazine.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is a world centre for geographers and geographical learning dedicated to the development and promotion of knowledge, together with its application to the challenges facing society and the environment....

Reflected glory: map of the Bay of Biscay coastline (1588).(MAP OF THE MONTH)
July 1, 2005... This is the last of three nautical charts covering the Bay of Biscay coastline that were published in the first part of The Mariners Mirrour, an English translation of a Dutch atlas of sea charts. Depicted here is the stretch from Aviles to...

Cowboys of the Andes.(ECUADOR RODEO)
July 1, 2005... ECUADOR Cattle farming is big business in Ecuador. And every year between October and January, thousands of head of cattle that have been grazing on the paramo grasslands in the shadow of the Andes are rounded up and brought into the ranch....

The right to roam: the 2000 Countryside and Rights of Way Act has been touted as the most significant piece of rural legislation since the Second World War. As huge tracts of England and Wales are finally opened up to walkers, Chris Baker explains what it will mean for our countryside.
July 1, 2005... Standing atop Brown Willy, you can taste the sea--a hint of salt drifting in on waterlogged Atlantic air. The ocean breaks against giant cliffs a few kilometres from Cornwall's highest point, while in the other direction you can glimpse the...

Democracy: with Tony Blair taking office for a record third time, popular revolutions in the former Soviet Union and a new government in Iraq, Victoria James ponders the state of modern democracy.(Geographical dossier)
July 1, 2005... Planted as a seed in the city states of classical Greece 2,500 years ago, democracy--literally 'rule (kratia) by the people (demos)'--has blossomed only in the past century. In 1900, there wasn't a single nation that could truly lay claim to...

Democracy in crisis? Although 119 countries hold free elections, only 89 of those are considered 'free' societies. Democracy, it seems, relies upon more than just a ballot box.(Geographical dossier/democracy)
July 1, 2005... Sit back and imagine a country ruled by a regime supported by a mere fifth of the electorate. Now think of another country in which a presidential candidate has gained power despite losing the popular vote. If you're thinking about African...

Best of a bad bunch? Given that it failed in both ancient Greece and ancient Rome, is democracy really the best available system for the governance of modern societies?(Geographical dossier/democracy)
July 1, 2005... Democracy was never intended to rule nations. At its first appearance, in the city-state of Athens in 507 BC, the term was often applied pejoratively by aristocratic critics expressing their disdain for the common people--the demos--who had...

A clash of cultures: while recent events suggest a shift towards freer forms of governance in the Middle East, the prospects for democracy in the region appear bleak.(Geographical dossier/democracy)
July 1, 2005... Which would you like first, the good news or the bad news? That's the question democracy advocates have been asking in recent months, as events in the Middle East have begun to suggest a shift toward freer forms of government across the region....

Pastoralists under pressure: for hundreds of years, the Borana people of southern Ethiopia have reared cattle on the arid plains close to the Kenyan border according to a traditional form of land management. Now, however, external pressures are threatening to destroy their way of life.(ETHIOPIA)
July 1, 2005... Dust fills the air, kicked up by the long line of camels and cattle trudging towards a deep well from which drifts the sound of men singing. Rising from the well's depths is a human chain, whose links pass buckets up and down in time with the...

Social climber: having been part of the team that made the first successful ascent of Mount Everest, George Band joined Joe Brown to become the first to reach the summit of Kangchenjunga. On the 50th anniversary of that climb.(GEO PEOPLE: GEORGE BAND)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... We reached a rock cliff and Joe decided to take it direct, up a crack with a slight overhang to finish. He turned his oxygen up to six litres a minute and forced his way up. At the top he shouted down, 'George, we're there!' I joined him, with...

The greatest atlas ever produced? Joan Blaeu's Atlas Maior is one of history's finest cartographic works. To celebrate the publication of a new edition, Christian Amodeo introduces a selection of its sumptuous colour plates.(ATLAS MAIOR)
July 1, 2005... Although map collectors had long been binding loose maps, the world's first atlas wasn't published until 1570. Flemish scholar and geographer Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum orbis terrarum (Theatre of the world) contained 53 maps and was an...

Living with lions: conflict between lions and pastoralists has seen the king of beasts come off second best. Geordie Torr travels to Kenya to see how traditional methods are enabling these bitter enemies to coexist.(LION CONSERVATION)
July 1, 2005... The kill was fresh--a small buffalo calf. The vehicle ahead, tracking the female lion that was almost certainly responsible for reducing the calf to little more than a haunch, continued to drive away, so we decided it was safe to get out and...

Time for clarity on charity challenges: everybody, it would seem, wants to travel the world, raise money for charity and have the experience of a lifetime. But with as much as half of the sponsorship raised typically going on administration costs rather than to those in need, Tom Chesshyre asks whether paying for your mates to go on holiday is a good use of your cash.(TRAVEL MATTERS)
July 1, 2005... In the basement meeting room of the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) London headquarters, in a well-to-do terrace just north of Oxford Street, Justine Russ, the foundation's 'world experiences project manager', is showing off her latest...

On the trail of Che Guevara: as South America's poorest country, Bolivia isn't known for its thriving tourism industry. But this may all be about to change thanks to a new community-run attraction inspired by the world's favourite revolutionary. David Atkinson travels to Bolivia's steamy tropical lowlands to find out more.
July 1, 2005... Towards the end of 1967, Che Guevara gained a new nickname: Fernando the Tooth Extractor. It was the final days of his attempt to start a peasant uprising in rural Bolivia and daily life for his group of guerrillas had become so grim that he...

Mountain life in Bolivia.(GEOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE)(Photographs (1950s))
July 1, 2005... BOLIVIA The photographs in this month's archive come from one source and, compared with much of the material held at the Royal Geographical Society, they aren't very old. Previously unpublished, they are from a single album of 38 images that...

Across Africa.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Across Africa by Verney Lovett Cameron RippingYarns.com, hb, pp508, 25.95 [pounds sterling] Adventure is its own destination. Deprived of the opportunity to rescue Dr Livingstone--and thus publicise efforts to end slavery--by Stanley's...

Rockhopper Copper.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Rockhopper Copper by Conrad Glass, Orphans Press, pb, pp176, 10 [pounds sterling] Nigh on 500 years ago, the Portuguese explorer Tristan da Cunha discovered what is now the world's most remote inhabited island: a mountainous volcano...

The Oxford Book of Exploration (second edition).(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... The Oxford Book of Exploration (second edition) edited by Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Oxford University Press, pb, pp576, 16.99 [pounds sterling] The key thing for a new edition of any reference work is that it should be no worse than the...

The Photographer's Guide to Light.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... The Photographer's Guide to Light by Nigel Hicks David & Charles, hb, pp144, 22.50 [pounds sterling] Strange as it may sound, many photography books don't mention light. These are the introspective tomes that bleat endlessly about form and...

NorthSouthEastWest: A 360[degrees] View of Climate Change.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... NorthSouthEastWest: A 360 [degrees] View of Climate Change Browns, hb, pp183, 35 [pounds sterling] (available from www.northsoutheastwest.org) While scientists have been warning of the perils of climate change for some years now,...

Learning to Breathe.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Learning to Breathe by Andy Cave Hitchinson, hb, pp384, 18.99 [pounds sterling] Andy Cave was following a family tradition when he went to work as a coal miner. Below ground at the Grimethorpe Colliery, his world was a place of...

Honey and Dust: Travels in Search of Sweetness.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Honey and Dust: Travels in Search of Sweetness by Piers Moore Ede Bloomsbury, hb, pp304, 14.99 [pounds sterling] Any number of events might cause a major life-rethink; a serious accident is certainly among them. "Coming apart in brittle...

Fall of the Roman Empire.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Fall of the Roman Empire by Peter Heather Macmillan, hb, pp400, 25 [pounds sterling] "Another damned, thick, square book! Always scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr Gibbon?" Having uttered this immortal critique of Edward Gibbon's Decline...

Lost Horizon.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Lost Horizon by James Hilton. First published in 1933. Most recent edition published by Summersdale, pb, pp256, 7.99 [pounds sterling] When, in 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, the Reichstag fire provided him with an...

No One Loved Gorillas More.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... No One Loved Gorillas More by Camilla de la Bedoyere Palazzo, hb, pp192, 19.99 [pounds sterling] Dian Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist was instrumental in raising the profile of the mountain gorilla at a time when its survival was in doubt....

The Ajanta Caves.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... The Ajanta Caves by Benoy K Behl, Thames and Hudson, hb, pp256, 24.95 [pounds sterling] There's something magical about cave paintings--and Benoy K Behl is understandably exhilarated by those found within India's Ajanta Caves. This...

Inside Putin's Russia.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Inside Putin's Russia by Andrew Jack Granta, pb, pp352, 9.99 [pounds sterling] It must be difficult to write a book from a position of privilege, yet manage to combine the insights into the great and good (or in this case the powerful and...

Stoves: essential gear. Napoleon once said that an army marches on its stomach; the same could be said of your average trekker; this month, Paul Deegan, looks at the cooking options available to hungry expeditioners.(GEAR ESSENTIALS)
July 1, 2005... I spent the spring of 1995 on an expedition to Mount Everest. One evening, the stove was proving difficult to light in the tent's porch as freight-train winds roared over our perch on the North Col. We reluctantly dragged the stove inside so...

Ten of the best: you'll find everything you need to brew up a nice cuppa at the end of a long day's hiking in our selection of some of the best stoves and related accessories on the market.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2005... 1 for liquid fuel MSR Whisperlite Internationale 115 [pounds sterling]/1330 grams Integral 'Shaker Jet' technology makes the best-selling Whisperlite an absolute cinch to clean [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 for bottled gas ...

New ground for Terra Nova.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Outdoor industry retailers have voted Terra Nova's 1.2-kilogram two-person Laser tent the Go Outdoors Tent of the Year. * Info: www.terra-nova.co.uk

Rural escapades.
July 1, 2005... Urban Escapes--a three-day active-leisure festival that allows you to try out new outdoor activities--is taking place from 17 to 19 June at the Lee Valley Showground in Essex. * Tickets/info: 0870 060 1754

Cotton power.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Scientists in the USA have produced a composite cotton fabric that protects against biological and chemical agents. Texas Tech University's Institute of Environmental and Human Health developed the non-woven fabric, which comprises cotton...

Swiss Army (new) life.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Wenger, one of the two original producers of Swiss Army knives, has changed the shape of its famous tool's handle from the traditional flat with rounded edges to a curvaceous, ergonomic design that is more comfortable to hold. * Info:...

Race record a rare challenge.(GEAR ESSENTIALS)(The Great Ocean Rate (yact racing))(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... As Geographical went to press, the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge was about to get underway, marking the 100th anniversary of 'The Great Ocean Rate' for the Kaiser's Cup. In 1905, Charlie Barr steered the 185-foot (56-metre) three-masted...

Merrell prepares to get its feet wet.(GEAR ESSENTIALS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The new collection from outdoor and travel shoe specialists Merrell may he aimed at water sports enthusiasts, but it seems unlikely they'll be used exclusively by those messing about in boats. The Aqua Sport range, part of Merrell's...

Rabies: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.(Travel health)(Viral illnes transmitted by animals)
July 1, 2005... Rabies is a viral illness that can affect the central nervous system of any mammal, often first manifesting itself through gut or respiratory symptoms. More recognisable symptoms soon become apparent, however, such as hyperactivity and...

Berlitz.(The Geographical Good Guide Guide: Helping you choose that vitally important, but often rather confusing, item of kit: the guidebook)(Book guides by Maximilian Berlitz)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A bit of history Named after 19th-century Professor Maximilian Berlitz, who invented intensive language learning techniques, Berlitz began publishing language books and travel guides in 1970. It has since produced guides to more than 100...

Explorer's essentials: Felicity Aston, adventure racer and former BAS meteorologist.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)(Tool)
July 1, 2005... 1 Surf headwear I have lots of neck gaitors from thin cotton to thick fleece, but the Buff is made with Polartec Thermal Pro so it offers a great combination. * Info: www.buff.es 2 Extremities mitts The Cyclone mitts have...

Innovating teachers.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... At the Society's recent Grants Forum, Anthony Cheetham, a geography teacher at Highfields School, Wolverhampton, gave a presentation on his innovative Geography Teaching Grant-winning project, Who Killed G Joe Raphical? Cheetham has taken a...

Forthcoming grants deadlines.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... 2 SEPTEMBER Innovative Geography Teaching Grants: several grants of up to 800 [pounds sterling] for new ideas in secondary-level geography teaching. 30 SEPTEMBER British Airways Travel Bursaries: two return flights for individuals...

Flying into the field.(Grant news)(British Airways offers travel bursaries for geographical researchers)
July 1, 2005... Airfares are often one of the biggest expenses for geographers conducting overseas fieldwork. Nevertheless, every good geographer knows that there's no substitute for hands-on work in the field. In order to help them get there, the Royal...

The secret to voting.(Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Surely the single overriding prerequisite of a democratic voting system--equal to the crucial inclusion of women--is the right to cast one's vote in secrecy (Quizzical, June 2005). Without this, all else that goes to make an election democratic...

A cross word.(Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Drat the Geographical crossword! Every month when the magazine arrives, I drop everything for a couple of hours until I've completed it--and thoroughly enjoy it. RE Haywood, Newton Abbot, Devon

Milford unsound.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... On page 92 of the February issue there's a beautiful photo of Milford Sound (Travel photo). The only problem is that it has been printed back to front. Turn the magazine upside down and look at the reflection and Mitre Peak is in the right...

In support of apes.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Unless the international community has the fortitude to sanction African and Asian nations that are massacring primate species, it's certain that these priceless creatures will be hunted into extinction (Beyond our grasp?, May 2005). It would...

The Cyprus question.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I recently read the February 2005 issue of Geographical. Being of Turkish Cypriot origin, I was very interested in the question about the Green Line in Cyprus (Quizzical). However, the first few lines of the answer appear very misleading to me....

Lost in the post.(LETTERS)
July 1, 2005... A seven-turreted castle, this fortification reinforces the main gate of the city it protects. Built in the 16th century, its circular structure is surrounded by a deep moat that is 30 metres wide and has 130l loopholes in four rows, the lower...

Jamling Tenzing Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay, who, together with Edmund Hillary, was the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest.(Jo Sargent in conversation with ...)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... Jamling Tenzing Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay, who, together with Edmund Hillary, was the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Following in his father's footsteps, Jamling climbed Everest in 1996, two weeks after eight other...