Geography
Where is Timbuktu? Kalamazoo? Which South American country boasts two capital cities? What state has the longest coastline? Learn the answers to these questions and more with the Geography Web Guide. The Web sites included here help students learn, provide resources for teachers and challenge even the most devoted geography lovers.
Expand All Guide SectionsGeography Basics
Use the Web sites below to get an introduction to geography basics and assess the importance of geography in our world.
Insights for Geography Basics
- American students know less about geography than students in other developed countries. According to National Geographic, just 37 percent of young Americans can identify Iraq on a map.
- Celebrate Geography Awareness Week, held the third week of November every year.
Top Sites for Geography Basics
Infoplease
has an overview of geography that links to maps, a glossary and more. Use the links near the top of the page for more specific information on United States geography and world geography.
Questia
defines geography, its methods and branches, and provides a summary of the history of geography.
The Newberry Library
provides an engaging summary of the history of mapmaking. Clickable images of the maps are provided where available.
Physical Geography
Readers searching for specific information on physical geography, such as islands, mountains, rivers and lakes, can find help on the sites in this section.
Top Sites for Physical Geography
PhysicalGeography.net
explains the scope of physical geography. Use the links at the top of the page to find a glossary of terms and a thorough introduction to physical geography.
The Encyclopedia of Earth
looks at physical geography, its subcategories and its four spheres. The site also suggests books, journals and Web sites for further reading.
Multnomah County Library
presents all aspects of physical geography—mountains, rivers and glaciers, for example—with links to external sites for more detailed information.
Who knew?
NASA's Earth Observatory reveals how developers have created hundreds of artificial islands off the coast of Dubai, arranged in the shape of a world map.
Human Geography
Geography influences foreign policy, trade, warfare even health care. The human geography portion of the guide provides online resources for exploring the interaction between people, place and culture.
Insights for Human Geography
- What does breast cancer have to do with geography? The Independent looked at how countries that have adopted a “Western lifestyle” have shown an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Human geography is also called cultural geography. When searching for more information, try using both terms for better search results.
Top Sites for Human Geography
Association of American Geographers
defines cultural and human geography, and reflects on the courses and occupations that are influenced by the discipline.
Absolute Astronomy
presents the various subcategories of human geography as well as links to biographies of individuals who helped develop and expand the science of human geography.
PBS’s NOVA
hosts “World in the Balance,” which provides interactive features on population growth, global trends, demographic data and environmental impacts.
Early Explorers
Use the Web sites below to find biographies, travel routes, journals and sensational stories of the early explorers who braved shipwrecks, disease and death in search of undiscovered lands.
Top Sites for Early Explorers
Enchanted Learning
offers information on explorers arranged by time period, region and letter of the alphabet. Though the site is meant for kids, adults can find plenty of helpful information, too.
Multnomah County Library
provides a gateway to sites on early explorers, along with a list of explorers that links to biographies on external Web sites.
Maps
Teeming with maps of every variety, the Web sites below can point you in the right direction. Get maps for online use, maps to print and maps to purchase.
Insights for Maps
- The problem with sites like Google Maps and Wikimapia is that they provide information that’s volunteered by users (and that may not be accurate), rather than “authoritative” information.
Top Sites for Maps
PhysicalGeography.net
provides a comprehensive introduction to maps, including topographic maps, remote sensing and more.
National Geographic
has a wide variety of maps and mapping tools, plus an online store offering classic maps, road atlases and globes.
Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
at the University of Texas at Austin links to maps relating to current events (such as a gas price map), maps of the world and historical maps.
CIA World Factbook
has a collection of maps grouped by region. Choose a country or location from the dropdown menu near the top of the page for more detailed maps. PDFs and printer-friendly maps are also available.
Who knew?
Think you don’t have time to study geography? Try studying in the privacy of your bathroom with a world map shower curtain.
Geography Lesson Plans
The Web sites below are devoted to making geography a rich experience for students. You’ll find lots of resources, including innovative geography lesson plans, problem-solving activities and interdisciplinary projects.
Insights for Geography Lesson Plans
- One of the first things students may ask is, “What’s the difference between geology and geography?” The sites below are focused on geography but there is certainly some overlap of the two disciplines.
- The annual National Geographic Bee happens every April across the U.S. After state-level contests, winners proceed to the national bee in May.
Top Sites for Geography Lesson Plans
National Geographic
has geography lesson plans written by educators that meet the U.S. National Geography Standards. Many of the lessons incorporate the interactive tools available on the site.
Discovery Education
provides lesson plans and activities for K-12 students in all subjects. Choose geography and your grade level from the dropdown menus to get started.
The New York Times
offers geography lesson plans that tie in with current events, making geography relevant to students’ daily lives and the world around them.
Geography Games
Scramble your brains trying to remember the capital of Ghana or locate the Midway Islands. Geography lovers can enjoy geography games with the Web sites below.
Top Sites for Geography Games
My Wonderful World,
an online campaign by National Geographic, aims to improve geographical knowledge with online games, quizzes and activities.
Lizardpoint
lets you test your geography knowledge with online trivia quizzes sorted by continent and topic.
Funbrain
provides five levels of quizzes on world geography, and the option of competing against another player.
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