Biscayne Bay National Park

Photo: National Park Service

• Located in Southern Florida, in the northernmost Florida keys
• Only 5% land
  • The park consists of 40 barrier coral reefs
• It is the only coral reef in the contiguous United States
• 1960s The national park was threatened due to its proximity to Miami
• 1968: Biscayne Bay becomes a national monument
• Open year-round but mid-December to mid-April is the most popular time to visit
• The summer is marked by high temperatures and large amounts of mosquitoes
• Many visitors take a cruise around the park
  • Visitors also have the opportunity to walk around a mangrove

"38 Maps You Never Knew You Needed"

I stumbled upon a compilation of maps that you might find interesting. Most are intriguing, but there are some that are just unnecessary. (Don’t be alarmed, #1 is one of them. Keep reading.) My personal favorites are #30-38. Enjoy!

You can find these 38 maps by clicking this link.

Acadia National Park

• Acadia National Park is primarily located on Mount Desert Island, Maine
  • Mount Desert Island was originally park of the mainland, but glacial sheets separated it from the mainland
• 1604: Samuel de Champlain explored what is now Acadia National Park
• Acadia was rediscovered in the 19th century
• 1929: Name was changed from Lafayette National Park to Acadia National Park
• 1986: Acadia's present boundaries are set
  • But, this current size is very small
• Acadia was the 1st national park east of the Mississippi River
• Acadia is one of the most visited national parks
  • 2.5 million visitors per year
• Acadia is open year-round, but the visitor center is open from mid April to October

The Netherlands

• Capital: Amsterdam
• Major Cities
  • The Hague
  • Utrecht
  • Rotterdam
• Major Geographical Features
  • North Sea
  • Rhine River
  • Schelde River
  • Maas River
  • Waddenzee
  • West Frisian Islands
• Official Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Religions:
  • Roman Catholic (30%)
  • Protestant (20%)
• Languages:
  • Dutch (official)
  • Frisian (official)
• 1815: The Kingdom of the Netherlands was recreated at the Congress of Vienna
• 1830: Belgium secedes from the Netherlands
• Independence: 1713 from Spain (in the Treaty of Utrecht)
• Government: constitutional monarchy
• Currency: euro (EUR)
• 2 New Jerseys are slightly larger than the Netherlands
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Marine West Coast
• Ranstad: region with Amsterdam, Hague, Utrecht, and Rotterdam
• Exports
  • Chemicals
  • Machines
  • Telecommunications
• Rotterdam is Europe's largest port

Colorado Flooding

Earlier this month President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Colorado where extreme floods have produced multiple casualties. These floods in Colorado are unusual. They are not being caused by thunderstorms or springtime rains. Moreover, they come after a month of drought in the area. People are struggling to explain the reasons for the floods. The most common explanation seems to be "global warming." However, global warming projections are off and the true numbers showing a change in global temperatures are negligible in magnitude. So why so many floods have occurred continues to be a mystery.

Iraq

• Capital: Baghdad
• Major Cities
  • Mosul
  • Basra
• Major Geographical Features
  • Persian Gulf
  • Euphrates River
  • Tigris River
  • Shatt al-Arab
  • Syrian Desert
  • Zargos Mountains
  • Lake Tharthar
  • Lake Habbaniyah
• Official Name: Republic of Iraq
  • Formerly Mesopotamia
• Religions:
  • Shiite Muslim (65%)
  • Sunni Muslim (37%)
• Languages:
  • Arabic
  • Kurdish (official in the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq)
  • Assyrian
  • Armenian
  • Turkoman
• 1920: Becomes a British mandate after World War One
• 1932-1958: Kingdom of Iraq
• 1958: Military rule established
• 1979-2003: Saddam Hussein rules Iraq
• 1980-1988: Iran-Iraq War over the border of the two nations
• 1990-1991: US-led forces invade Iraq after Hussein invades neighboring Kuwait
• 2002: The United Nations Security Council requires Iraq to welcome weapons inspectors
• 2003: United States invades Iraq and deposes Hussein
• 2006: Hussein is executed by hanging
• 2011: The United States withdraws all of its forces from Iraq
• Independence: 1932 from the United Kingdom
• Government: Parliamentary democracy
• Currency: New Iraqi dinar
• Iraq is slightly larger than 2 Idahos
• Literacy: 74.1%
• Climate: Semi-arid
• Member of OPEC
• Exports
  • Crude Materials
  • Petroleum
• Home to the 2nd most oil reserves

Redwood National Park

Photo: National Park Service

• Located on the northern coast of California
• Established on October 2, 1968
• Covers 131,983 acres
• Contains 3 former state parks
  • Jeddiah Smith
  • Del Norte Coast
  • Prairie Creek
• 1978: Congress adds 48,000 acres to the national park
• Open Year-round
• Attractions
  • LAdy Bird Johnson Grove
  • Big Tree
  • Coastal Trail
  • Tall Trees Grove
  • Fern Canyon
  • Howland Hill
  • Gold Bluffs Reach
  • Redwood Creek

West Virginia: The Mountaineer State

• Alternate Nicknames:
• Switzerland of the United States
• Wild and Wonderful
• Capital: Charleston
• Major Cities:
  • Huntington
  • Parkersburg
  • Wheeling
• Major Geographical Features
  • Ohio River
  • Kanawha River
  • Potomac River
  • Allegheny Plateau
  • Allegheny Mountains
• National Parks: none
• 1788: Becomes part of Virginia
• 1861: Seceded from Virginia because Virginia seceded from the Union
• 1863: West Virginia becomes the 35th State
• Motto: "Mountaineers are Always Free"
• Name Meaning: Named after the state of Virginia which was named after Queen Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen"
• Industries
  • Natural Gas
  • Coal
• 80% forests
• 2nd largest coal producing state
• Most recent state to be formed by seceding from an existing state
• Famous People
  • Mary Lou Retton
  • Nick Saban
  • Chuck Yeager
  • Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Aquifer Discovered Under Kenya

This week, the Kenyan government announced that large aquifers have been discovered underneath Northern Kenya's Turkana region.This region is one of the poorest and driest parts of Kenya and is inhabited by nomadic peoples. Over 40% of Kenya's population does not have access to safe water, and the Kenyan government claims that the aquifers are large enough to provide for the nation for 70 years.

A similar aquifer was also discovered in Namibia, the driest nation in sub-Saharan Africa.

The water in these aquifers must now be tested to see if it is safe to consume.

Vocabulary Sheet #4

1. Atoll: ring of coral reefs around a lagoon
2. El Nino: Movement of warm water from the South Pacific Ocean, near Peru,  to the Western Pacific Ocean, near Australia. Effects the climate of these nations and those near them
3. Hail: Frozen precipitation formed in cumulonimbus clouds
4. Latitude: Imaginary lines on the Earth that are parallel to the Equator (0 degrees). They run from the Equator to the North and South Poles (90 degrees)
5. Piedmont: Area at the feet of mountains
6. Tidal bore: wall of sea water that moves up a river during a flood tide
7. Wadi: dry steambed that fills with water after rain (similar to an arroyo or a wash; comes from an Arabic term)
8. Doldrums: calm surface winds near the Equator
9. Microclimate: climate of a small area, such as a field or forest
10. Trough: U-shaped valley formed by a glacier OR the point between two points on a wave

Washington: The Evergreen State

• Alternate Nickname: Chinook State
• Capital: Olympia
• Major Cities:
  • Seattle
  • Spokane
  • Yakima
  • Tacoma
• Major Geographical Features
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Straight of Juan de Fuca
  • Salish Sea
  • Olympic Mountians
  • Olympic Peninsula
  • Cascade Mountains
  • Columbia River
  • Snake River
  • Columbia Mountains
  • Blue Mountains
  • San Juan Islands
• National Parks:
  • Olympic National Park
  • Mount Rainier National Park
  • North Cascades National Park
• 1804-05: Lewis and Clark explore present-day Washington
• 1846: The United States acquires present-day Washington in the Oregon Treaty with Great Britain
• 1889: Washington becomes the 42nd state
• 1980: Mount St. Helens erupts
• Motto: "By and By"
• Name Meaning: Named for President George Washington
• Industries
  • Apples
    • #1 in apple production
  • Cherries
  • Lumber
  • Peas
  • Aircraft
    • Boeing, the world's largest aircraft maker, is located in Washington
• The Olympic Peninsula contains a temperate rainforest
• Seattle Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair
• Washington is home to 71,000 dams
• Famous People
  • Fred Couples
  • Bing Crosby
  • Bill Gates
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Hope Solo

Chad

• Capital: N'Djamena
• Major Cities
  • Moundou
  • Sarh
  • Abeche
• Major Geographical Features
  • Sahara Desert
  • Sahel
  • Lake Chad
  • Chari River
• Official Name: Republic of Chad
• Religions:
  • Islam
  • Christianity
  • Indigenous beliefs
• Languages:
  • French (official)
  • Arabic (official)
  • Sarat (in south)
  • Sango (in south)
• 1990: Libyan forces leave after repeated invasions
• 1998-2000: Revolts in the northern part of the nation
• 2004: Large scale oil production
• Independence: 1960 from France
• Government: republic
• Currency: Central African franc (XAF)
• Chad is slightly larger than 3 Californias
• Literacy: 25.7%
• Climate
  • North: Desert
  • South: Tropical
• Landlocked
• Lake Chad is the most important body of water in the Sahel
• One of Africa's poorest nations

World's Largest Volcano Discovered!

Recently a new volcano was discovered about 1,000 miles east of Japan. Tamu Massif is the size of New Mexico and the biggest volcano on Earth. Its size also puts it as one of the largest volcanoes in the SOLAR SYSTEM! The volcano is made of basalt and lies on Shatsky Rise in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Scientists are still attempting to figure out how the volcano was formed.

Oklahoma: The Sooner State

• Capital: Oklahoma City
• Major Cities:
  • Tulsa
  • Lawton
• Major Geographical Features
  • Great Plains
  • Ozark Plateau
  • Ouachita Mountains
  • Wichita Mountains
  • Red River
  • Canadian River
  • Arkansas River
  • Lake Texoma
• National Parks: none
• 1803: Present-day Oklahoma is acquired in the Louisiana Purchase
• 1834: Established as a Native American territory
• 1889: Opened to non-indigenous settlers
• 1907: Oklahoma becomes the 46th state
• 1930s: Drought comes about because of the Dust Bowl
  • Many people left Oklahoma, like the Joad Family in Grapes of Wrath
• 1995: The Federal Building in Oklahoma City is bombed
  • This was the worst terrorist attack on US soil until September 11, 2001
• Motto: "Labor conquers all things"
• Name Meaning: "Red People" in Choctaw
• Industries:
  • Wheat
  • Electric Parts
  • Transportation
  • Petroleum
  • Cattle
  • Machinery
  • Natural Gas
• The westernmost county, Cimarron County, borders four states
• Home to 760 Native American tribes
  • 2nd largest Native American population
• There is an operating oil well on capital grounds
• Famous People
  • Mickey Mantle
  • Chuck Norris
  • Brad Pitt
  • Jim Thorpe
  • Dr. Phil

Everglades National Park

Great Egret, Ardea alba
National Park Service Photo by Rodney Cammauf

• Everglades National Park is located in south Florida
• Covers 1,507,850 acres
• Established in 1947
• Everglades is a UNESCO international biosphere reserve and a world heritage site
• Only place where alligators and crocodiles live side-by-side
• Nicknamed the "River of Grass"
• The Everglades area originally spanned from Lake Okeechobee to the southern tip of Florida, but it has shrunk due to industrialization. Even today, the Everglades is still shrinking because less and less water is available to maintain the ecosystem.
• 1st national park aimed at preserving an ecosystem rather than providing scenic views for visitors
• Served as a refuge for Native Americans during the Seminole Wars
• 2 Seasons
  • Dry: December to April
    • When most visitors go and when there are the most activities
  • Wet: May to November
    • Very uncomfortable to visit due to large numbers of mosquitoes and humid weather

American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus
National Park Service Photo by Rodney Cammauf

Gabon

• Capital: Libreville
• Major City: Port Gentil
• Major Geographical Features
  • Atlatnic Ocean
  • Corisco Bay
  • Ogooue River
  • Bight of Biafra
  • Cape Lopez
• Official Name: Gabonese Republic
• Religion: Christian
• Languages:
  • French (official)
  • Fang
  • Bateke
  • Bapounou or Eschira
  • Bardjab
• Independence: 1960 from France
• Government: republic
• Currency: Central African Franc (XAF)
• Colorado is slightly larger than Gabon
• Literacy: 63.2%
• Climate: Tropical
• One of Africa's more wealthy nations

Global Warming: Fact or Fake?

Today's modern geographic debate, aside from whether Crimea should be included on Russian maps, is global warming. Many people have strong opinions one way or the other. Recently, a United Nations-affiliated group (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) leaked a report explaining its near-certain belief that climate change is caused by humans. However, there also has been data showing a minimal increase in global temperatures over the last few decades. Moreover, studies have shown that decreasing our "carbon footprint" will not affect global temperatures.

What do you make of the global warming debate and why? Share your ideas below on our current geographic controversy!