Category: The Land & Environment


In this republished article by journalists William Booth and Hazem Balousha, educated and unemployed Palestinians in their 20s discuss lives bereft of opportunity and hope. Nearly 60 percent of young Gazans are unemployed and most would leave if it were possible. With few stable job prospects and no escape, many have resorted to occasional odd […]


From Mauldin Economics comes this review of four maps that explain Iran’s place in the Middle East. It is important to understand Iran’s geo-political position in the region as the country has significant influence in several countries and is involved through financial and material support in at least three current conflicts. The people of Iran, […]

One particular achievement of the Golden Age of Islam is the Astrolabe, an astronomical instrument from the 12th century; let’s learn more about it! Using the Astrolobe from Muslim Heritage by Emily Winterburn* Al Sufi, one of the most famous astronomers of the Islamic world, was writing in Isfahan (in modern day Iran) in the 10th […]

Maps are an excellent introductory tool for taking students on meaningful adventures through geography, cultures, history, and current events. We often think of maps as neutral documents that give us an unmediated snapshot of political borders and cities, or terrain, or resources. However, maps are human documents, and they therefore reflect their creators’ point of […]
Maps can help explain a region’s geography, its demographics, and the current political and environmental climates, among other attributes. Maps allow people to make spatial connections between different places and can facilitate the understanding of the presence and movements of goods, people, languages, animals, and more. Another valuable tool, information graphics, or infographics, are graphic […]

