I’m sure you took at least one geography course back in your school days, but let’s break down what the field of geography encompasses for those of us who only remember the basics like landscapes and longitude and latitude. Geography is the study of space and place and is broken down into two categories: human and physical. According to the Royal Geographical Society, human geography focuses on “the dynamics of cultures, societies and economies” while physical geography refers to the “understanding of the dynamics of landscapes and the environment”. Geography bridges the gap between understanding social and physical processes. More recently, human geography has also begun to study the causes of inequalities between places and social groups. Deepening our understanding of geography is a great way for us to better understand our planet, not only through its physical nature but also through its people.

We reached out to Luke Kelly, one of the hosts of 80 Days, a podcast “dedicated to exploring little-known countries, territories settlements and cities around the world” to get some insight from someone passionate on the topic of geography. First, Luke explained to me how 80 Days was born. “We started the podcast in 2016, and the idea was essentially born out of a desire to find out more about obscure places that we’ve all heard of – Gibraltar, Tasmania, Easter Island, etc – but that not too much of us know in depth. For example, we wanted to find out why there’s a country that’s entirely enclosed by South Africa, or why Newfoundlanders sound Irish. It turns out that there was no podcast filling that niche at the time, so we started our own!” 

We also asked Luke what the best part of making this podcast is. “Over the years we’ve learned a huge amount about some really weird places,” he told us. “I’d say the best part has been discovering fascinating stories from each of these places. For example we’d all heard of the Pacific island of Nauru, but only when researching the show did we find out that its government once financed a West End musical about Leonardo Da Vinci’s love life, which flopped and lost the nation loads of money.”

We also asked Luke why it’s important for people to have an understanding of the world’s geography. “We are always amazed on our show by how connected even the smallest places in the world have been down the centuries. You’d be amazed at some of the world famous figures we come across. So in that sense, every tiny place has its part to play and its own story to tell. Nowhere is entirely uninteresting.”

When asked to share his favorite geography fun facts, Luke did not leave us hanging. “Liechtenstein is the world largest exporter of false teeth.”

“The Panama Canal charges by the ton for shipping. The lowest toll ever paid to cross it was incurred by Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal in 1928. Halliburton paid just 36 cents.”

“The Isle of Man hosts an annual TT (time trial) motorbike race which is the oldest and most dangerous race of its kind in the world. Competitors travel an AVERAGE of 130 mph through the 37.5 mile long mountain course, and the race has claimed 242 lives in its 107 years of existence.”

If you’re interested in hearing more geography and history fun facts from Luke, be sure to check out the 80 Days podcast right here.

We also reached out to Professor Joe Smith, director of the Royal Geographical Society, to hear from an expert why geography is so fascinating. “Geography literally means ‘writing the Earth’. So geographers’ mission is to explore and understand space and place – recognizing the great differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes and environments across the world, and exploring the links between them. Because we live on such a dynamic planet, and in dynamic societies, geography will always have to match that dynamism: so it’s always going to be developing, and this makes its study a literally endless source of fascination.”

Professor Smith also explained why it’s important for us to have an understanding of our world’s geography. “Geography is, in the broadest sense, an education for life and for living,” he told us. “Learning through geography – whether gained through formal learning or experientially through travel, fieldwork and expeditions – helps us all to be more socially and environmentally sensitive, better informed, and more responsible as citizens. Another quick way of putting it is: ‘without geography, society is lost’.”

We also asked Professor Smith how climate change is affecting our world’s geography. “Human-caused climate change refers to changes in the earth’s temperature over the last 100 years or so since industrial societies started to affect the makeup of the atmosphere. Since 1900, the average temperature on the planet has increased by 0.75 degrees Celsius and the UK’s sea level has risen by about 10cm.”

“Humans are changing the climate by their actions, particularly by emitting greenhouse gases – and the impacts are already very great and threatens the extinction of many forms of life on the planet,” he explained. “Climate scientists, including geographers, in the global network of researchers that make up the IPCC generally agree there will be an increased threat to human health, particularly amongst the poorest; an increased extinction risk for some vulnerable species as well as decreased agricultural yield in many tropical and subtropical regions; a heightened water shortage in many water-scarce areas of the world and finally further risk of storm and flood damage. Such impacts will disproportionately affect populations that inhabit small islands and low-lying coastal areas.”

Lastly, Professor Smith wanted to add that, “Geography is the study of the relationships between the earth and those who live on it, and understanding climate change is now a key part of understanding the place of humans on the planet. But geographers are also very active in generating solutions and resilient responses to environmental threats and changes. Understanding difference is a key part of the geographers’ job, and this leaves us well equipped to help understand the impacts climate change will have on different places.”

If you’re interested in learning even more from the Royal Geographical Society, you can check out their website right here.

Having a better understanding of geography tends to encourage us to want to travel more as well. When we start opening up the door of curiosity about the planet, we often want to learn more and more. For example, if you’ve visited Mexico before, you might have experienced a very different culture than you’re used to, depending on where you are from. Part of that culture is influenced by the geography of the country, being in a warm place with a varied landscape of mountains, deserts, beaches and rain forests. Maybe on your next vacation, you’ll travel to Denmark to experience a vastly different climate and embrace a completely different culture. Then you might want to visit Thailand next. Every nation is different, but countries in the same region tend to have some cultural similarities. When we understand where countries lie geographically, we can start to better understand their cultures and their people. Your country might not be used to the idea of a mid-day nap, but in countries like Spain and Vietnam, a siesta is a great way to combat the brutal afternoon heat.    

Aside from climate, topography can play a large role in influencing cultures as well. If your country is filled with mountains and receives lots of snow in the winter, you might have known how to ski since you were 3. On the other hand, countries in warmer places filled with lakes and rivers, like Taiwan, might be more invested in water sports and swimming. Topography even influences how we eat, as what food we have access to depends on what we can grow and source close to home. Nordic countries tend to eat a lot of fish, as they have easier access to fish than landlocked nations do. They also have historically eaten more potatoes and root vegetables than countries further south because crops grown underground could survive harsh winters.

It’s never too late to educate yourself on geography, especially if your school system didn’t do a great job teaching you in the first place. In the United States, for example, one 2018 study of eighth graders found that nearly three quarters of them tested below proficient in geography on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Questions on the exam included topics like locating major cities on a map, discussing the impacts of urbanization, identifying characteristics on a climate graph and using photos to explain human adaptation to climate. 2018 was not an exceptional to the rule either, as similar results were found on the same assessment in 2014 and 1994. Normally, I would not suggest heading to Reddit to learn, but if students aren’t picking up a great understanding of geography in schools, they might as well find it somewhere else.   

Another important reason to understand geography is to better understand the prevalence of climate change. Climate change has already affected the planet’s geography by causing rising sea levels and melting of ice caps, but it also has created natural disasters that have shaped the world. Excess rainfall, wildfires, droughts and heat waves have already begun shifting landscapes, and the rising sea levels are shrinking island nations. The world’s altering geography could have devastating effects, like nations suddenly being unable to produce crops they have relied on for centuries. It’s important that we understand how to limit our carbon footprints and take action to reduce or reverse climate change before it’s way too late.   

Doing our own research to learn about geography is also never a bad idea, as we can’t always rely on every map we’ve seen. In fact, there are actually 10 different versions of the world map, according to Times Now. No map will ever be 100% accurate because they’re flat representations of a globe; there will always be some spots that are a little wonky or not fully to scale. The most commonly used map is the Mercator projection, which was designed by cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, but it’s sometimes criticized for the distortion of countries closer to the North and South poles. For example, Greenland looks much larger on this map than it is in reality.

Some alternatives to the Mercator projection include the Gall-Peters, the Winkel-Tripel, and the Robinson projections. The Gall-Peters does a better job of portraying the size of nations and is actually promoted by the United Nations. When it comes to the shape of certain places, though, there are distinct distortions. Next we have the Winkel-Tripel projection, which minimizes three major areas of distortion: area, direction and distance. The National Geographic Society even adopted this map in 1998 and began drawing their maps using it, but the projection still includes some distortions, specifically when it comes to angles. The Robinson projection was developed in 1963 with “the primary purpose of creating a visually appealing map of the world”. While it is not entirely accurate on the shape or size of landmasses, it’s sometimes considered a good “compromise” of other older versions. 

If you’re really passionate about geography, it might be worth considering studying it in university and going on to pursue a career in the field. Those who have studied geography can go down the career paths of environmental specialists, business location/allocation experts, market researchers, cartographers, community development and planning specialists, satellite image analysts, weather forecasters or educators. No matter where they end up, anyone with a geography degree can be sure that their knowledge will be useful in the personal and professional lives.

We hope you’re enjoying this fascinating list of geography facts and that it’s taught you something you didn’t learn in school. Learning so much about our world is inspiring me to get out and experience a bit more of our planet’s remarkable geography. Remember to upvote all of your favorite facts that you’d like your fellow pandas to see, and let us know in the comments what the most interesting geography fact you know is!