Hawaii: The Aloha State

• Capital: Honolulu
• Major City: Hilo
• Major Geographical Features
  • Oahu
  • Maui
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Hawaii
  • Mauna Kea
  • Mauna Loa
• National Parks:
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
  • Haleakala National Park
• 1778: James Cook first visits Hawaii which he named the Sandwich Islands
• 1894: The people overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic in Hawaii
• 1898: Hawaii is annexed by the United States
• 1941: Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor
• 1959: Hawaii becomes the 50th state
• Motto: "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"
• Name Meaning: "Homeland" in Hawaiian
• The 122 islands were formed by volcanic activity
• For more on volcanic island formation, please read "Ring of Fire" and "Island Devours its Neighbor"
• Industries:
  • Pineapples
  • Tourism
• The Island of Hawaii is the largest in the United States
• The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters
• 75% of the population lives on Oahu
• Mauna Kea is the world's largest mountain
• Famous People
  • Barack Obama

The World's Friendliest (and Unfriendliest) Cities

Conde Nast Traveler recently released its list of the world's friendliest and unfriendliest cities. Johannesburg, South Africa, ranks as the world's least friendly city, but the list was heavily populated by Western European cities, especially along the Mediterranean Coast of France. Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, tied for the world's friendliest cities. This list was more spread out, including cities from four different continents. However, neither South America nor Africa produced a city to make either list.

Do you think they missed a city? Do you have a story to match or disagree with these lists? Let us know below!

Cuba

• Capital: Havana
• Major Cities
  • Holguin
  • Guantanamo
• Major Geographical Features
  • Gulf of Mexico
  • Straits of Florida
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Cayman Trench
  • Isla de la Juventud
  • Caribbean Sea
  • Sierra Maestra
• Official Name: Republic of Cuba
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Language: Spanish
• 1898: Spain cedes Cuba to the Untied States at the end of the Spanish-American War
• 1959: Fidel Castro overthrows the dictatorship of Batista, instituting communism
• 1961: United States invades Cuba to oust Castro in the Bay of Pigs Invasion but were defeated by Castro
• 1962: USSR attempts to put nuclear missiles in Cuba but the United States compromises to have the missile returned to the Soviet Union (known as the Cuban Missile Crisis)
• 2008: Fidel Castro resigns as leader of Cuba, his brother Raul takes over
• Independence: 1902 from United States administration
• Government: communist state
• Currency: Cuban peso
• Pennsylvania is slightly larger than Cuba
• Literacy: 99.8%
• Climate: Tropical
• Westernmost of the Greater Antilles
• Largest nation in the Caribbean
• Many Cubans immigrate to the United States to escape the communist regime

New Mexico: The Land of Enchantment

• Capital: Santa Fe
• Major Cities:
  • Albuquerque
  • Los Alamos
  • Roswell
  • Las Cruces
• Major Geographical Features
  • Colorado Plateau
  • Zuni Mountains
  • Black Mountains
  • San Andres Mountains
  • Sangre del Cristo Mountains
  • Great Plains
  • Rio Grande
  • Pecos River
• National Park: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
• 1848: Western New Mexico is granted to the United States as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• 1853: Gadsden Purchase enlarges the territory
• 1912: New Mexico becomes the 47th state
• 1945: The 1st atomic bomb is tested at White Sands near Alamogrodo
• Motto: "It grows as it goes"
• Name Meaning: Named for the nation of Mexico
• Industries
  • Cattle
  • Mining
• Santa Fe is the oldest and highest elevated capital city in the United States
• The Pecos River is a Yazoo tributary
• The Chapel at San Miguel Church in Santa Fe is the oldest church in the United States
• Zia Sun symbol on New Mexico's flag reflects the philosophy of the Zia people
• 5th largest state by area
• 36th largest state by population (1/2 of this population is Hispanic)
• Most of New Mexico's population lives along the Rio Grande
• Famous People
  • Neil Patrick Harris
  • Billy the Kid

Survey Says: We Don't Know Geography - Part 2

This past April, we shared Movoto's findings that on average, Americans can correctly identify 3.4 out of 7 states. This dismal result sparked another question for Movoto researchers: How well can foreigners identify the American states?

As most likely expected, the 400 tested foreigners performed worse in state identification than the Americans did. Watch the video to see just how much less the non-Americans know about American geography!

Uruguay

• Capital: Montevideo
• Major Geographical Features
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Rio de la Plata
  • Uruguay River
  • Cuchilla Gradne
  • Rio Negro
  • Laguna Merin
• Official Name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
  • Formerly
    • Banda Oriental
    • Cisplatine Province
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Languages:
  • Spanish
  • Portunol or Brazilero (a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese)
• 1973: The Marxist guerrilla group, Tupamaros, is allowed to control the military
• 1985: Civilian Rule restored
• Independence: 1825 from Brazil
• Government: constitutional republic
• Currency: Uruguayan peso
• Uruguay is slightly larger than Washington
• Literacy: 98%
• Climate: Warm Temperate
• 2nd smallest nation in South America
• 3/4 grassland
• Lowest poverty and population growth rates in South America
• Highest urbanization and literacy rates in South America
• 93% of the population is either Spanish or Italian
  • Around the same number lives in cities with Montevideo home to 33% of the population

Will Russia Invade Ukraine? Part 2

Tensions are mounting in eastern Ukraine, as Ukrainian officials declared that 280 trucks that are supposed to be carrying humanitarian aid from Russia to the battle-weary Ukrainian city of Luhansk would not be permitted to cross the border into Ukraine. The spokesperson for Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Andriy Lysenko has said that the convoy could not enter Ukraine because it had not been certified by the Red Cross. In fact, Lysenko showed video evidence that the trucks originated a military base in Russia. World leaders have expressed fears that sending Russian aid to Ukraine could be a precursor to a boots-on-the-ground invasion of Ukraine. Last week, United States President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and British Prime Minister David Cameron issued statements which warned that an invasion would violate international law. However, many have accused this declaration as being too lenient, providing no consequences for Russia if it were to invade Ukraine.

If Russia were to invade Ukraine, it would not face much of a challenge.

Russia has been on a military buildup near the Ukraine border in recent days. Lysenko recently told the New York Times that Russia has 45,000 troops on the border backed up by 160 tanks, 1,360 armored vehicles, 390 artillery systems, 150 truck-mounted ground-to-ground rocket launchers, 192 fighter jets, and 137 helicopters. In fact, NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Reuters that there were no signs that Russia had withdrawn troops from the border and that a Russian invasion was "highly probable."

 Eastern Ukraine has been in complete control of the rebels since April, including control of the major cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. As a result, Russia would find the support of the people in eastern Ukraine, making their advance easy. The Russian military is better trained, better prepared for a conflict, and larger than the Ukrainian army; any military engagements between the two would, barring any unforeseen complications, result in a Russian victory, which could entice them to move towards Kiev.

Russia has already claimed Crimea from Ukraine through a referendum, and Russia would like control of the oil pipelines that cross Ukraine. In many ways, Russia and its president Vladimir Putin view Ukraine as its irredenta, as Ukraine was under control of Russia long before it became a Soviet Socialist Republic. In addition, the rebels in eastern Ukraine consider themselves part of "New Russia" - only after Putin coined the term.

Most Popular TV Show Set in Every State

We found this fascinating map of the most popular TV show sets by state. Enjoy!

Courtesy of Kristen Acuna

Do you think any show is missing? What's your favorite? Tell us your thoughts!

Arches National Park

Photo by Simon Christen

• Arches National Park is located on the Colorado River in southern Utah
• Established in 1971
• Covers 76,359 acres
• The rocks cover salt beds. However, the salt is less dense and evaporates, thus leaving the domes and arches.
• 700,000 visitors per year come to hike around the arches
• The arches are made of red sandstone that is 150 million years old
• These arches often collapse, but new arches form to take their place
• Home to over 2,000 arches, the largest concentration of arches in the nation
• The park is open year-round, but the fall and spring are the best to visit
• The Landscape Arch is the longest arch at Arches National Park, 306 feet across

Ireland

• Capital: Dublin
• Major Cities
  • Cork
  • Limerick
• Major Geographical Features
  • Donegal Bay
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Celtic Sea
  • St. George's Channel
  • Irish Sea
  • Aran Islands
  • Shannon River
  • Galway Bay
• Religion: Roman Catholic (87.4%)
• Languages:
  • English (official)
  • Gaelic (official)
• 1845-1850: Irish Potato Famine
  • 30% of the population leaves Ireland during this period
• 1916: Easter Monday Rebellion against British rule fails
• 1949: Ireland withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations
• 1973: Joins European Economic Community (now the European Union)
• Independence: 1921 from the United Kingdom
• Government: republic, parliamentary democracy
• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• Ireland is slightly larger than West Virginia
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Marine West Coast
• Occupies 83% of the island of Ireland
• Exports
  • Chemicals
  • Pharmeceuticals
• 40% of the Ireland population lives within 97 kilometers of Dublin