Geography & Places articles

Short, well-sourced stories about countries, landscapes, maps, cities, climates, and the places that shape the world.

Latest geography & places articles

2 articles

  • Political and physical world map in pseudo-Mercator projection, with high-latitude territories visually enlarged.
    ScienceHistoryGeography & Places

    Why Don’t Maps Show Countries at Their True Size?

    Every flat world map distorts something. The real question is not which projection is perfect, but whether it prioritises area, shape, distance, or direction.

    5 min read Read article
  • Group of dromedaries beside a road in an arid Iranian landscape
    HistoryGeography & PlacesLanguage & Culture

    Was the Silk Road Really a Single Route?

    The Silk Road was not one continuous highway between China and Europe, but a shifting network of roads, ports, cities and merchants connecting much of Eurasia.

    6 min read Read article