Geographical articles from May 2006

Geographical archives from May 2006

Getting inside the city.(Kofi Annan on new millenium)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... "We have entered the urban millennium." So said UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, speaking in Berlin in July 2000. And there's no arguing with his assessment. More than half the world's population now lives in cities and there are more than 30...

Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard--the first pilots to circumnavigate the world, non-stop, in a balloon-have set their sights on an around-the-world flight in a solar-powered aircraft.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard--the first pilots to circumnavigate the world, non-stop, in a balloon-have set their sights on an around-the-world flight in a solar-powered aircraft. They hope to depart in 2010, and aim to take 16 days.

EU funds are being spent on infrastructure schemes that threaten endangered species and key habitats in Europe.(European Union)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... EU funds are being spent on infrastructure schemes that threaten endangered species and key habitats in Europe, despite an EU commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010, according to a recent WWF report.

Japanese authorities will attempt to structurally reinforce two of the nation's famous castles in response to fears that they will collapse in one of the country's frequent earthquakes.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Japanese authorities will attempt to structurally reinforce two of the nation's famous castles in response to fears that they will collapse in one of the country's frequent earthquakes. Structural engineers will assess Nijo Castle, a...

Baiting hooks with mackerel instead of squid and fishing slightly deeper can reduce the number of turtles accidentally killed by long-line fishing by as much as 80 per cent, according to two Earthwatch-supported scientists.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Baiting hooks with mackerel instead of squid and fishing slightly deeper can reduce the number of turtles accidentally killed by long-line fishing by as much as 80 per cent, according to two Earthwatch-supported scientists. Every year, more...

The Bush administration is proposing to sell more than 1,200 square kilometres of national forest and public land to help pay for rural schools and roads in 41 states that are suffering from logging cutbacks.(George W. Bush)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Bush administration is proposing to sell more than 1,200 square kilometres of national forest and public land to help pay for rural schools and roads in 41 states that are suffering from logging cutbacks. The planned sales would constitute...

Uganda secretly draining Lake Victoria.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The government of Uganda is draining Lake Victoria in the midst of a drought in order to help maintain the country's electricity supply, according to a recent report commissioned by the International Rivers Network. According to the...

First for compulsory water metering.(Folkestone and Dover Water)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A water company in the southeast of England had been given the green light to introduce compulsory water metering of its customers. Folkestone and Dover Water is the first water company to have been given permission by the government to force...

Sprites captured.(Duke University researchers capture best images of 'sprites'- flashing lights)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Researchers at Duke University, North Carolina, have used a high speed camera to capture the best images of 'sprites'- flashing lights that sometimes accompany thunderstorms-ever produced. Sprites typically last for 10-100 milliseconds and form...

Top 10: highest gross domestic product per head (US$).(Worldwatch)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Top Highest gross domestic product 10 per head (US$) 1 Luxembourg 52,990 2 Norway 49,080 3 Switzerland 44,460 4 Denmark ...

The world's largest climate change experiment needs you!(Oxford University and British Broadcasting Corp. on an attempt)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Oxford University and the BBC are organising the world's largest climate change experiment in an attempt to predict how increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will affect global temperatures. World climate is incredibly...

The emaciated fingers of a one-year-old child press against the lips of his mother at an emergency feeding clinic in Tahoua, western Niger.(Canadian photographer Finbarr O'Reilly of Reuters win awards)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The emaciated fingers of a one-year-old child press against the lips of his mother at an emergency feeding clinic in Tahoua, western Niger. A devastating swarm of locusts and the worst drought in decades have left millions of people short of...

MEPs call for halt to illegal skin trade.(European Parliament)(Members of the European Parliament )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are calling on China, Nepal and India to increase efforts to break the smuggling networks involved in the international trade of tiger and leopard skins. In a written declaration, the MEPs expressed...

The Linnean Society: a living forum for biology.(Organization overview)
May 1, 2006... When was the Linnean Society founded and how? The Linnean Society was founded in 1788 for "the cultivation of the science of natural history in all its branches". Named after the great 18th-century Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who laid...

New coral reef harbours rare fish.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Following tip-offs from local fisherman, scientists have discovered a new coral reef off the coast of Thailand. The 270-hectare reef is home to more than 30 genera of hard coral, and at least 112 species of fish from 56 families. A parrot...

'Pompeii of the East' discovered.(village of Tambora rediscovered)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Scientists have unearthed the remains of an extinct Indonesian civilisation, thought to have been obliterated by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. Working on the tiny Indonesian island of Sumbawa, a team of...

The Scientific Exploration Society (SES) is looking for fit, compatible and adventurous people aged between 18 and 75 to join its forthcoming expeditions.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Scientific Exploration Society (SES) is looking for fit, compatible and adventurous people aged between 18 and 75 to join its forthcoming expeditions. Destinations include India, Mongolia and Kenya. SES founder Colonel John Blashford-Snell...

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Luta da Silva, has signed an agreement to protect an area of Amazon rainforest roughly twice the size of Belgium.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Luta da Silva, has signed an agreement to protect an area of Amazon rainforest roughly twice the size of Belgium. Two new national parks have been created and another has been extended to preserve 15,000...

Explorers Mikael Strandberg and Johan Ivarsson have been presented with the prestigious Travellers Club Silver Medal by King Carl XVI Gustaf at Hasselbacken Palace in Stockholm.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Explorers Mikael Strandberg and Johan Ivarsson have been presented with the prestigious Travellers Club Silver Medal by King Carl XVI Gustaf at Hasselbacken Palace in Stockholm, following their winter expedition across Siberia. For a report on...

Climber numbers on North America's tallest mountain, Mount McKinley in Alaska, will be limited to 1,500 per year under a plan announced by the National Park Service for the Denali National Park and Preserve.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Climber numbers on North America's tallest mountain, Mount McKinley in Alaska, will be limited to 1,500 per year under a plan announced by the National Park Service for the Denali National Park and Preserve. The service hopes to ease...

In February, two people were killed and 13 injured when Mozambique suffered its second largest earthquake since 1900.(MOZAMBIQUE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... In February, two people were killed and 13 injured when Mozambique suffered its second largest earthquake since 1900. Tremors from the quake, which measured 7.5 on the Richter scale, were felt in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

San Francisco city officials have asked refuse contractors to devise a system for turning pet droppings into methane gas that could be used for home heating, electricity generation or other needs.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... San Francisco city officials have asked refuse contractors to devise a system for turning pet droppings into methane gas that could be used for home heating, electricity generation or other needs. The directive was issued after a study revealed...

Geographical flags of the world: Turkey.(Country flag)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Description: The Turkish flag is deep red with a white crescent and a five-pointed star positioned off centre, towards to hoist side. If an invisible line was drawn between the two horns of the crescent, the left-hand point of the star would...

50 years ago today Geographical May 1956.
May 1, 2006... The March 1956 Geographical was a special issue to celebrate the magazine's 21st birthday. It contained just one specially themed feature written and collated by the editor Michael Huxley (who held the post from 1935 to 1959), entitled People...

Soya plantations threaten tribal lands.(Enawene Nawe Indians)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... One of the Amazon's most unusual tribes is losing its land to plantations of soya, according to Survival International. The Enawene Nawe Indians' land in the state of Mato Grosso is rapidly being cleared for soya plantations and cattle...

High-risk UK marine areas identified.(Department for Transport)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Department for Transport has unveiled a list of 32 locations to be designated as Marine Environment High Risk Areas (MEHRAs). The list was compiled as a result of the Donaldson report, which followed a public inquiry into the 1993 Braer...

Q&A: the man with all the answers, Chris Edwards, gets his teeth stuck into your questions about the origin of Africa's 'Guineas" the flag of Mozambique, the number of people who have ever lived and more.(Country flag)
May 1, 2006... What is the connection between the African countries with Guinea in their name? D Marr, Bath Portugal is responsible for the abundance of Guineas in Africa. Following a Papal edict, it was forced to limit its exploration to Africa and the...

2 million [pounds sterling] action plan for geography.(Geographical Association, Royal Geographical Society)(Editorial)
May 1, 2006... EDITORIAL: The RGS-IBG and Geographical Association (GA) have been awarded joint funding of nearly million [pounds sterling] to enhance and boost geography teaching in primary and secondary schools across England. The funding is being provided...

Society gains Lottery funding.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Society has been successful in its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for support for its Crossing Continents: Connecting Communities project, a 350,000, three-year undertaking that supports the Society's work with the Chinese, Sikh,...

Lecture of the month: discovering people: 31 May, 7pm (Lecture, London).
May 1, 2006... 31 May, 7pm (LECTURE, LONDON) Rocker turned political activist Sir Bob Geldof will take part in the Society's popular Discovering People series this month. BBC Radio 4's Libby Purves will talk to him about his life, charity work,...

GIS Chartered Geographers.
May 1, 2006... The Association for Geographic Information (AGI), is joining with the RGS-IBG to offer Chartered Geographer status to their members as an enhancement of their continuing professional-development programme. A dedicated team at the AGI will...

A selection of May's other Society events.
May 1, 2006... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 31 00 3 May, 7.45pm Adventure on the Mekong River (LECTURE, TAUNTON) John Pilkington's journey took him up the world's 12th longest river from the South China Sea to Tibet and...

Join the Society--GET the magazine.
May 1, 2006... 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....

The Romans in Yorkshire: a survey of some stupendous remains of Roman antiquity on the Wolds in Yorkshire (1744).(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The full title of this 18th-century map is: 'An accurate survey of some stupendous remains of Roman antiquity on the Wolds in Yorkshire, through which some grand military ways to several eminent stations are traced, &c. &c.' It was produced to...

City living.
May 1, 2006... This page: a night market in Bangkok. Thailand. Night markets are common throughout the city; Patpong is probably the most famous, remaining popular with tourists despite the multitude of touts who flock there to push the district's famous...

Into the heart of darkness: in July 2004, 42-year-old Swedish explorer Mikael Strandberg and his 20-year-old companion Johan Ivarsson set out to walk across the Siberian wilderness in the depths of winter. The journey that followed tested both their endurance and their resourcefulness to the limit.
May 1, 2006... Mike!" Johan whispered anxiously. "Look out!" I turned and saw a large brown bear standing on the beach just 20 metres away, between us and our canoe, intensely sniffing the air and staring at us. It was one of the most beautiful bears I've...

In search of the real Shangri-la: the fabled land of Hunza, hidden in the shadows of the Karakoram range, is often cited as the Shangri-La that inspired James Hilton's romantic novel Lost Horizon. Jules Stewart travels to this remote region and discovers an unlikely social utopia that's just beginning to face up to the realities of the modern world.
May 1, 2006... "I will do a turn so you can get a look at K2," says the pilot of the ancient Fokker-27, easing the joystick to the right. Foreign journalists are usually held in high regard in Pakistan, and I'm being treated to a pilot's-eye view in the...

Keeping London moving: second only to the weather, the traffic and state of the public transport in London are perennial topics of conversation among the city's seven million inhabitants. Louise Murray goes behind the scenes to meet the dedicated people who ensure the capital doesn't grind to a halt, no matter what, and finds a fascinating example of geography in action.
May 1, 2006... Every day, London's roads are host to 11 million cars and motorbikes and 400,000 cyclists. Upwards of 7,000 buses carry 6.3 million passengers and the London Underground ferries 3.5 million people around. Add an annual total of about a million...

Too hot to trot.
May 1, 2006... There's little doubt that the world's climate is already changing as a result of global warming. But while we've woken up to the dangers it poses to humankind, little thought has been given to the threat to wildlife. Now, however, as new...

Mining despair: a vast country larger than Britain, France and Germany combined, Niger is also one of the world's poorest. As part of a special commission for World Vision, award-winning photojournalist Nick Danziger travelled to Niger--along with seven other poverty-stricken countries--to document the lives of some of its most deprived people.
May 1, 2006... I watched helplessly as the children lay prostrate, too weak to move. It's difficult to describe what it feels like to watch a child starving to death. It no longer has the instinct to cry, it bleats. It no longer has the strength to open its...

Living Mayans: at its height, the Maya civilisation encompassed numerous city-states housing as many as ten million people. Then, it suddenly and mysteriously collapsed. Dominic Hamilton sets out along the popular Ruta Maya to sample its spectacular archaeological legacy and finds an ancient culture that is still very much alive.(Cover story)
May 1, 2006... Sunrise. The eastern horizon glows mauve. The forest slowly surfaces upon an ocean of mist, the upper branches of the canopy stretching their fingers through an indistinct purple-tinged swell. To the east, two limestone islands begin to appear,...

Alexander Wollaston: collected wisdom.
May 1, 2006... Bitten by the travel bug and looking for a way to tag along on expeditions, a young Alexander'S and y 'Wollaston trained as a physician. His plan worked, but he loathed the medical profession, and instead spent his time on expeditions to such...

Adventure travel, mediaeval style.(Pilgrimage from Sir John Ure)
May 1, 2006... Life in mediaeval Europe, John Ure reminds us in his opening paragraph, could be nasty, brutish and short: plague, banditry and the lack of sanitation were obvious drawbacks, and for entertainment, people had to rely on sermons and executions....

Chernobyl's grim legacy.("Fallout: The Human Cost Of Nuclear Catastrophe" by Robert Knoth)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... During the 1980s, fear of nuclear disaster was rife. BBC drama Threads brought it into the living room and Raymond Brigg's animated film Where the Wind Blows hammered the point home. Then, on 26 April 1986, the unthinkable actually happened--a...

Marching to a different tune.(The Long March)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... The Long March by Sun Shuyun Harper Collins, hb, pp400, 20[pounds sterling] Just 70 years have elapsed since the Long March; it took place within modern times and living memory. But, as Sun Shuyun explains in her book of the same name, in...

Paperback round-up.(A Voyager Out: The Life of Mary Kingsley)(The Blue-eyed Salaryman: From World Traveller to Lifer at Mitsubishi)(The Ford of Heaven: A Childhood in Tianjin, China)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... In A Voyoger Out, biographer Katherine Frank vividly describes the life and explorations of Mary Kingsley, who travelled to West Africa during the 1890s and wrote the now classic book Travels in West Africa. Kingsley's first 30 years were...

When the River's Run Dry.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... When the River's Run Dry by Fred Pearce Eden Project Books, hb, pp368, 18.99[pounds sterling] "Rivers so often define our world," writes Fred Pearce: from Huck Finn's Mississippi to the Blue Danube, they are embedded in our culture and...

Top 10 writer's reads.(books liked by Sir John Ure )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Sir John Ure is a former British abassador and the author of a dozen historical and travel books, the latest of which is Pilgrimage (see review on page 79). His choices reflect his Scottish heritage and early diplomatic career in Russia...

Geographical classic #30.(The Way of the White Clouds)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... The Way of the White Clouds by Lama Anagarika Govinda. First published 1966. Most recent edition published by Rider and Co, pb, pp320, 12.99[pounds sterling] These days, spiritual biographies are too often overlooked as a source of travel...

The bark of the wild.(The Bark of the Wild Voyaguer: Across North America in a Birchbark Canoe)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... The bark of the wild Voyaguer: Across North America in A Birchbark Canoe by Robert Twigger Orion, hb, pp288, 14.99[pounds sterling] "Sometimes I knew it felt like that melodramatic and used-up word, destiny. At other times it was simply...

A marine feast for the eyes.(Deep Sea 3D )(Movie review)
May 1, 2006... Deep Sea 3D directed by Howard Hall produced by Toni Myers and Michele Hall, running time: 40 minutes, showing at the BFI London IMAX Cinema Deep Sea 3D is a brilliant example of just how far 3D filmmaking has come since the rubber sharks...

A tale with plenty of latitude.(Plotting the Globe)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Plotting the Globe by Avraham Ariel and Nora Ariel Berger Greenwood Press, hb, Pp220. 28.99[pounds sterling] In 1884, at the International Meridian Conference in Washington DC, delegates from 25 nations met to agree a meridian "proper to be...

Voyages of discovery.(Undiscovered Ocean: From Marco Polo to Francis Drake)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Undiscovered Ocean: From Marco Polo to Francis Drake by Anthony Deane Tempus, hb, pp288, 16.99[pounds sterling] Spice was the engine of geographical discovery. Religion played its part tradition decreed that the Garden of Eden lay in Asia,...

Khartoum: The Ultimate Imperial Adventure.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Khartoum: The Ultimate Imperial Adventure by Michael Asher Penguin Viking, hb, pp450, 20[pounds sterling] The crisis in Darfur, Western Sudan, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Sudanese and displaced a million more,...

Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction by Bill McGuire Oxford University Press, pb, pp132, 6.99[pounds sterling] Originally published as A Guide to the End of the World, the equally doom--laden title of this condensed version should...

Long-distance cycling: with bicycles becoming the preferred mode of transport for an increasing number of world travellers, Alastair Humphreys offers his tips on the best in cycling kit.
May 1, 2006... I was riding as fast as I dared in total darkness. The track was icy, the temperature was in the minus 30s and I was tired. Day after day, I'd been riding late into the night in a desperate attempt to reach the Russian border before my visa...

Ten of the best: it's very easy to go a bit mad when faced with a bike store filled with shiny new kit so, once again, we've done the hard work for you and sorted the wheat from the chaff.
May 1, 2006... 1 For cycling From 1,199 [pounds sterling]/13.05 kilograms (approx.) Specially built for touring the Raven Tour is more resistant to flexing and more resistant to dents. It a so features Rohloff gearing. In a word, impressive ...

Spike shoes.
May 1, 2006... Outdoor-equipment manufacturer The North Face has launched a new lightweight shoe. Designed for rapid movement over rough terrain, the aptly named Hedgehog XCR (around 70 [pounds sterling]) has a spiky rubber sole that offers better grip,...

Computer case.
May 1, 2006... We don't want to be seen to be condoning the practice, but if you're dead set on taking your computer into the great outdoors, you'll be pleased to hear that Aquapac has bowed to customer pressure and reintroduced its waterproof Seti case. Foam...

In the pink.
May 1, 2006... Ronhill has developed a special pink range of women's fitness clothing in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Campaign, including baggy shorts, a t-shirt, a vest and jogging pants. For every item sold from the spring/summer Elite collection, 15p...

Let there be light.(OUT AND ABOUT)
May 1, 2006... Keeping darkness at bay just got a lot easier with the news that outdoor equipment wholesaler Whitby & Co has begun importing Inova's range of high-spec torches. Widely used by the military and police forces around rise world, Inova's...

Featherweight protection.(OUT AND ABOUT)
May 1, 2006... For competitive runners and cyclists, every second counts, and wearing bulky clothing could mean the difference between winning and losing. With this in mind, Helly Hansen has just launched a pair of super lightweight shells, Also perfect tot...

Travel bag transformer.(OUT AND ABOUT)
May 1, 2006... Osprey has just launched its new Meridian model, a travel bag on wheels that doubles as a backpack with a removable daypack on the front. The pull handle and backpack shoulder straps can be stowed away, depending on which mode you're in. The...

Protozoal diseases: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.
May 1, 2006... Protozoa are tiny single- and multi celled organisms. A number of different types of protozoa can cause illness and disease. In short term travellers, these diseases are relatively rare, but they can have a big impact on the health of local...

Explorer's essentials: Karl Bushby, around-the-world walker.(travel accessories)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 1. A good sleeping bag. You can't operate well without a good night's sleep 2. A good tent. I've used a number of tents during the six years that I've been gone so far and, personally, I would recommend any tent from The North Face *...

Rough guide directions.(used by travellers)
May 1, 2006... What are they like? Compact, pocket-sized guides filled with maps, ideas, contact details and directions. Designed for short breaks, each book also comes with an 'e-book' on a mini CD--a complete PDF file of the guide and hundreds of web...

Man-made icons: take a look at some of the world's most familiar landmarks with fresh eyes as Keith Wilson's attention turns to architectural icons.(Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, or Golden Gate Bridge)
May 1, 2006... When visiting a city for the first time, many people head straight for the local landmark--the structure that they most associate with their destination. It may even be the main reason for making the trip in the first place. Most of those...

Flying flowers.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I read with interest your Worldwatch item entitled "Flower miles pose emissions threat" (April 2006). In addition to the carbon dioxide threat highlighted in the article, you could have mentioned that most of the flowers grown in farms around...

Memories of Vietnam.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... During a number of visits to Vietnam during the late 1990s, I was totally mesmerised in Hanoi by the pedal-driven economy--the streets silently flowing with a continuous stream of conical hats (From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, April, 2006). Powerful...

Mungo mystery remains.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I read Anthony Sattin's article Death on the Niger, the truth about Mungo Park (April 2006) with great interest. In my article about John Duncan (Scotland's Forgotten Explorer, November 2005), I wrote that Duncan had brought back from his...

Class crossword.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Thanks so much for your monthly crossword. My wife and I share many hours taking it on, consulting all manner of reference books in order to complete it. I also sometimes give my A-level geography class some of the crossword clues to work out...

Once a Gipsy, always a Gipsy.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I was interested to read the article about Sir Francis Chichester in the March issue (Worldwatch). However, I found the references to the names of his aeroplane and yachts somewhat puzzling. Sir Francis's aeroplane was a de Havilland DH60...

Karl Bushby.(walks around the world)(Interview)
May 1, 2006... Karl Bushby is nearly eight years into record-breaking attempt to walk around the world in one non-stop journey. The 36-year-old ex-paratrooper from Hull estimates that he will arrive home in 2009, having walked more than 58,000 kilometres...