Focus articles from March 1994

Focus archives from March 1994

Germanic towns in southern Brazil: ethnicity and change.
March 22, 1994... German immigrants who came to Brazil in the nineteenth century founded towns that still stand out from those around them. Municipal services are often better organized, streets cleaner, buildings in better repair, and the inhabitants somewhat...

Secrecy as a factor in the spread of new technology: photonics in the Rome labs. (Rome Laboratory in Rome, New York)
March 22, 1994... The United States government has something like 500 research and development laboratories. They include labs operated by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy and Department of...

Hispano forestry, land grants and the U.S. Forest Service in Northern New Mexico.
March 22, 1994... Jack Ward Thomas is a renowned wildlife biologist and was appointed as Chief of the United States Forest service for President Clinton's first term. He resigned in January of 1997. His appointment to lead an agency widely criticized for its...

Major changes are proposed for government map quality and coverage.
March 22, 1994... Following is a summary of concerns that have been forwarded to Dr. Gordon Eaton, Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), by State Geologists, government officials, and others. The USGS topographic mapping program drew national...

Summits, snow leopards, farmers, and fighters: will politics prevent a national park in the High Pamirs of Tajikistan? (includes related article on biosphere reserves)(Cover Story)
March 22, 1994... The Pamir Mountains are a high altitude region of Central Asia located mostly in Tajikistan on the disputed frontiers of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the former Soviet Union. Tajikistan is the smallest, poorest, and one of the most...

Apples in cow country: an alternative land use in West Texas.
March 22, 1994... Every year, America celebrates its bounty with a round of festivals extolling regional products, chickens, watermelons, and beer among them. This occasional series looks at the economic geography behind these festive events, such as the Texas...

Whither the flood plain? (Mississippi River flood in 1993)(The Great Flood of 1993, part 3)
March 22, 1994... In 1539 members of Hernando DeSoto's expedition witnessed extensive flooding along the lower Mississippi River. This was the first of many floods to be recorded by Europeans, who also took note of how the indigenous inhabitants coped with such...

Registered Places of New Mexico: The Land of Enchantment.
March 22, 1994... This book launches a new venture in geography by two distinctive scholar-entrepreneurs of America. Professor Mather has a hankering for establishing geographical societies wherever he lands. Long ago he established the venerable Pierce County...

Geography in the News.
March 22, 1994... Neal Lineback is professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Planning, Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. His "Geography in the News" column has been a regular presence in these pages. His up-to-the-minute, one-page assessments...

Granite sculpture: an art colony in Vermont. (includes related article on granite industry)
March 22, 1994... Until recently when someone mentioned granite sculpture, everyone thought of cemetery art. You know what I mean, sculptured angels, flowers and little cherubs sitting on tombstones. Today no one politely smiles and continues talking about...

Some small journeys of exploration.
March 22, 1994... It was hot. I was trying to force my way through tall grasses which were taller and harder to push aside the farther I went and the closer I got to the gateway in the hedge. The highway was not many yards away; the hum and growl of cars and...