Mexico

I think there are a few places which are more diverse and untameable than others. Places such as Madagascar, Iceland or New Zealand (all Islands) are highly unique but not as diverse as Mexico is.

Mexico has many different places within it's borders and has the rich history to go along with it. Its ancient material culture is far more present today than is the material culture of Ancient America (with exceptions such as Cahokia or Ozette Village). Toltecs, Maya, Aztecs, Zapotecs, Mixtecs and Puebloans all left impressive ruins. Also, the people of Mexico have much more Native DNA than most Americans. Maya and Aztec descendants measure in the millions, each. Deserts, tropics, coastline, highlands, mountains and canyons all lie within the border of Mexico. It is easily one of the most diverse countries geographically in the world.

Mexico is untameable, because it would take a lifetime to see half of it. There are too many cities, such as Cuernavaca or Puerto Peñasco; Archaeological sites like Teotihaucan or Casas Grandes; or geographic regions like Copper Canyone or the Yucatan. You could not see them all. And I think that is part of its draw.

DeadMalls.com

Here is a unique site I completely 'get'. Deadmalls.com displays the rise and fall of specific malls across the country. I know of one in particular, Heritage Park Mall, in Midwest City, Oklahoma, which was open a year or two ago and barely a soul was ever their. Their website even had a very large picture of the inside with only two or three people (who looked like maintenance people, though it was at a distance) sitting on a bench, far in the distance. It has since closed but I got to see these final hours.

DM's is full of these types of stories. I think there is something deeper than meets the eye, about a mall once packed, fading away over a decade or two. It mirrors many things in life. Almost always, these malls die for one reason: a new one opens somewhere in the area. People inevitably abandoned the old, even if it is still satisfactory and go to the new. The ultimate fate of many things, out with the old, in with the new. I hope to do some contributions to the site soon.

-Caleb's Geography Blog.

city-data.com

City-data.com is an amazing site with a highly active forum. It has a huge following and as far as I can tell, is THE best geography forum on the internet. It also ranks very high on Alexa, which is interesting for a 'hobby' site. I think it is also used by people who are not interested in geography but use the practical and extensive data on every city in the United States when relocating or moving. There are thousands of threads on obscure topics and a lot of practical questions as well. Of course, there is also plenty of pictures as well. Good site, go.

-Best Geography Blog For Educators

Sweden

I love the Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden) and would love to possibly live in one someday. I am particularly interested in Norway and Sweden. So today, I bring you some Sweden pictures:

Picture Credits (top down): Mats Nilson, matsljungberg, Jonas Ericsson,  Alexandre Buisse, Anders Mohlin.

-Caleb Golston Blog

New Found Paradise: Newfoundland

A couple of good pictures of a place I had not paid much attention to until recently.

Sources (top down): KarenNfld, KarenNfld, Jean Bouchard, Steven A MacQuartie, Michael Shaffer.

-Caleb Golston, best geography blog.

A Great Magazine You Might Not Have Heard Of: Arizona Highways

I recently discovered the magazine 'Arizona Highways' at the library. The pictures are fantastic and there are plenty of stories on the prehistory of Arizona. Also, for those interested, there are many stories on the 'western' heritage of the state, though this is not of particular interest to me. Of more interest to me, are the many photographs of petroglyphs and pictographs. Above all though, most would probably agree, the best part about the magazine is the landscape photography. It did not take much research to find out the magazine is literally world famous and is not just your ordinary local magazine. The letters to the editor are clear proof of this and come from far and wide, even in issues as far back as the 60's and 70's. All in all, I would highly reccomend looking through one of the issues sometime. 

-Caleb Golston, A Great Magazine You Might Not Have Heard Of: Arizona Highways, "Best Geography Blog"
*Note: Niether picture is from 'Arizona Highways'

Source: 'Saguaro Pictures' 2010

First ‘Regular’ Post: Baja California

Photo by: Tomas Castelazo, 2003.

Yesterday, I was in the library skimming through a great book I come across now and then. It is a book written by William Weber Johnson called ‘Baja California’ and is part of a great series by Time-Life Books. I always like to understand the geological history of a place and it is interesting to note that 30 million years ago, The Baja Peninsula was still part of the main body of Mexico. Also, it was tropical instead of arid. It has since been moving away leaving what is today the Sea of Cortez and has become very arid. Many interesting endemic specifies call Baja California home and it is probably one of the most unique places on earth. There are a lot of great photographs in the book, while the writing is compelling as well.