Twin towers of the World Trade Center before the 9/11 terrorist attacks; photo by Robert Madden, 1982.

President Barack Obama announced late Sunday, May 1 that Osama bin Laden had been killed by U.S. forces outside Islamabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden was head of terrorist organization al Qaeda, and had been hunted actively since he orchestrated the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Revisit National Geographic content on Pakistan, bin Laden, and the fight against terrorism.

Some content may require print issues or the Complete National Geographic; click here for help finding NG content.

• Short National Geographic videos: In Pursuit of bin Laden; bin Laden's Beginnings.
• Pakistan fast facts and map.
• 2011 February—National Geographic magazine. Afghanistan's Opium Wars. 58-83. Robert Draper reports that Afghanistan's "...economy depends on two dueling revenue streams. One flows from Western aid, in the hopes that the country will renounce the Taliban. The other flows from opium trafficking supported by the Taliban, which use the proceeds to fund attacks on Western troops." Photos by David Guttenfelder.
• 2010 July—National Geographic magazine. Punjab: Pakistan's Heartland Under Threat. 82-107. John Lancaster reports: "West meets East in prosperous, populous Punjab. But the Taliban wants to change the status quo." Photos by Ed Kashi.
• 2007 September—National Geographic magazine. Struggle for the Soul of Pakistan. 32-59. Don Belt reports: "Sixty years after its founding as a homeland for India's Muslims, Pakistan straddles the fault line between moderate and militant Islam. Its dilemma is a cautionary tale for the post-9/11 world." Photos by Reza.
• 2004 December—National Geographic magazine. Tracking the Ghost of bin Laden in the Land of the Pashtun. 2-27. Tim McGirk reports: "The world's most wanted man took refuge in the crags and caves of Tora Bora's mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Pashtun people, who call this harsh land home, have made it one of the best hiding places on Earth." Photos by Reza. Read an excerpt.
• 2004 November—National Geographic magazine. In Focus: World of Terror. 72-81. Walter Laqueur reports: "Terrorism is as old as humankind. Where are the hotspots, and why is it so much more lethal today?" Read an excerpt.
• 2004 April—National Geographic Adventure magazine. Into the Land of bin Laden. 74-78, 82-88. Author-photographer Robert Young Pelton describes his foray into Afghanistan's Pashtun tribal area and the uneasy relationship between the residents and U.S. coalition forces. Click here for a short summary and photo gallery.
• 2001 December—National Geographic magazine. Eyewitness Afghanistan. 130-137. Edward Girardet recounts a very tense encounter with bin Laden in 1989 as the Soviets were withdrawing from Afghanistan, and Afghans and Arabs began a struggle for the Afghan countryside. Read an excerpt.

Grenadier Guard on duty at Buckingham Palace, London; Photo by Franc Shor, 1953.

Do you know who the Baron of Renfrew is? It's Prince Charles, father of the groom! If you are planning to watch the royal wedding of William and Kate Middleton this Friday it's time to brush up on London and all things royal. Check out some recent info from our website and then take a trip back in time through the pages of National Geographic, with articles and photos showing the royal traditions and pageantry that will be echoed this week. Best wishes to the happy couple!

Cell phone; photo by Jeanne Modderman, 2007.

April 22nd is Earth Day. Mark the day by learning what happens to your e-waste, possibly despite your best efforts. You have generated e-waste if you've ever discarded a computer, monitor, cell phone, or television. Chris Carroll reported in the 2008 National Geographic article, High-Tech Trash, that "in the United States it is estimated that more than 70% of discarded computers and monitors, and well over 80% of TVs, eventually end up in landfills..."

Maybe you are taking your e-waste to an appropriate recycling center and assuming it will be disposed of properly. It may be, but then again, the recycler may be selling it to the developing world for the conductive components and precious metals. What is released along with the valuable components is chromium, beryllium, and other toxic elements. Read the article to find out what the European Union and the United States are doing to lessen the impact of these toxic recyclables. Photos by Peter Essick show who's paying the price for working with the hazardous e-waste, and an interactive diagram shows what's inside your computer and monitor.

How to help? Check out E-cycling Etiquette to find out who has pledged to safely dispose of e-waste, and the Environmental Protection Agency's page on eCycling to find out where you can take your old electronics for safe disposal in your region. Then take an e-waste quiz and find out if you are now a knowledgeable e-waste recycler.

Does recycling always make sense? Tom Zeller, Jr. tackles this question in a short companion article, Recycling: The Big Picture. Zeller examines the cycle of manufacturing and where recycling fits in. He also explains the concept of "extended producer responsibility" and how European Union manufacturers shoulder some of the burden of recycling packaging debris.

National Geographic headquarters in Washington D.C. has Otis-installed and maintained elevators; we've added thematic decor...

Elisha Graves Otis died 150 years ago today, on April 8, 1861. Otis is remembered not for inventing the elevator, but for inventing a safety brake which stopped the elevator from plummeting to the ground in the event the cable snapped. This was unfortunately the case prior to his invention, which came in 1852 according to the Otis Elevator Company's history timeline. He theatrically demonstrated his invention in May 1854, at the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York City during the first World's Fair in America; the rope which held up the platform he was standing on was cut, and the platform held. This lent confidence to the builders of ever taller buildings. 

 
Bald eagle, Tongass National Forest, Alaska; photo by Michael Melford

The Raptor Resource Project in Decorah, Iowa, has mounted an eagle webcam (eagle webcam FAQs), to track the daily life of a nesting bald eagle pair who are hatching eaglets. The sturdy looking nest is high up in a cottonwood tree with large twigs and small branches on the outside, and fluffy material on the inside. There is usually an adult eagle sitting on the nest and if you are patient you will see two fuzzy eaglets pop out from under the eagle, along with an egg that may hatch any minute; the eaglets look like tiny bandits with black markings around their eyes. The two eaglets seem to treat the egg as if it were a coffee table, leaning on it as they get their wobbly bearings. There is an array of "leftovers" scattered about the nest which the nesting eagle chews up and feeds to the babies. Get the facts on bald eagles, check out the webcam and send an eagle ecard to a friend.

• Bald eagle facts on our website, including audio 
• Bald eagle facts and video on our KIDS website 
• Birds of prey photo gallery; includes eagles, hawks, vultures, and more 

 
Bedouin woman, south of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; by Jodi Cobb, whose photos were featured in the October, 1987 National Geographic article, "Women of Saudi Arabia."

While photographing the recent revolt in Libya Lynsey Addario was captured and later released, along with three other journalists; their story was recounted in the New York Times. Addario discussed the benefits and drawbacks of being a woman photographer in places of conflict in the Times "Lens" blog."If a woman wants to be a war photographer, she should. It's important. Women offer a different perspective. We have access to women on a different level than men have, just as male photographers have a different relationship with the men they're covering." Addario recently contributed powerful photographs of Afghan women in a National Geographic feature article, Veiled Rebellion. View her photo gallery and the up-close and personal look behind the veil.

 
Four entwined cobras; photo by James P. Blair

An Egyptian cobra escaped recently from the Bronx Zoo in New York, prompting a wide search and a twitter feed purportedly written by the cobra itself, keeping the public updated on its whereabouts. Did you know that king cobras can live 20 years? Find more cobra facts below and see who wins in an encounter between a cobra and a mongoose:

• King Cobra fact page on Nationalgeographic.com. How venomous are king cobras? How big can they grow? 
• Short videos: cobra vs. mongoose, cobra mating and birth, cobra vs. monitor lizard, a baby cobra's first hunt.
• Short Video on our KIDS website of spectacled cobras hatching.

Photo: Iguaçu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina. Photograph by Frans Lanting

March 22nd is World Water Day, as proclaimed by the United Nations, with a 2011 theme of "Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge." Southern California's population grows by 200,000 people a year, while the Jordan River crosses a number of political boundaries. See how these populations are negotiating the challenges of providing water for drinking, bathing, farming, and sometimes swimming pools.

• 2010 April--National Geographic magazine. California's Pipe Dream. 132-153. California's water infrastructure is aging while the population is rising. Northern California has the water, but should they have to send it south? Joel K. Bourne, Jr. reports, with photos by Edward Burtynsky.
• 2010 April--National Geographic magazine. Parting the Waters: Jordan River. 154-171. Don Belt reports on the often contentious division of water from the Jordan River, "A source of conflict between Israel and its neighbors for decades, the Jordan River is now depleted by drought, pollution, and overuse. Could the fight to save it forge a path toward peace?" Photos by Paolo Pellegrin.
• Did you know it takes 3,170 gallons of water to produce a pound of chocolate? Find out more about the hidden water we use at this freshwater page, and take a drinking water and sanitation quiz.
• April 2010 National Geographic magazine Water Issue, with links to articles, photos, and more.

Celtic ruins on Skellig Michael, Ireland, with Little Skellig shown in the distance; photo by James P. Blair, 1989

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a virtual visit to the Emerald Isle. Meet Clonycavan Man, eerily preserved in an Irish peat bog for almost 2,000 years, right down to his pompadour. Then explore the Celtic realm from its beginnings to modern day worshippers. Wrap up with a trio of Celtic music styles and a quiz on Ireland's capital, Dublin; if you answer all the questions correctly then the luck of the Irish is with you...

• 2007 September--National Geographic magazine. Tales From the Bog. 80-93. Bog bodies have been found all over northern Europe, including in Ireland. Read about Clonycavan Man, found in 2003, who may have been a murder victim or ritual sacrifice. Karen E. Lange explores the mystery surrounding these bodies; photos by Robert Clark.
• 2006 March--National Geographic magazine. Celt Appeal. 74-95. Tom O'Neill reports on a culture that once seemed destined for extinction, but has somehow held on and even flourished: "By clinging to the fringes, geographically and culturally, Celts refused to vanish." Photos by Jim Richardson.

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant, Pennsylvania; photo by Chris Hamilton

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan has resulted in damage to one nuclear reactor on Honshu Island, and a second is at risk. The world has seen nuclear disasters before, notably 25 years ago next month, in Chernobyl. Use the links below to find out what happened during the Chernobyl meltdown and see who lives there now. Then find out what the experts say about the potential future of nuclear energy, often touted as a better way to provide clean energy to an energy-hungry world.

• 2006 April--National Geographic magazine. The Long Shadow of Chernobyl. 32-53. Richard Stone reports on the physical and often debilitating psychological effects on those who lived through the nuclear reactor disaster. Those newly at risk include the selfless "stalkers" who still monitor the state of the reactor fuel, and the elderly residents who have moved back to the exclusion zone. Photos by Gerd Ludwig.
• 2006 April--National Geographic magazine. Nuclear Power: Risking a Comeback. 54-63. The nuclear power industry stalled out after the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl disasters, but a renaissance appears to be underway, reports Charles Petit. See why nuclear power might be the green way to go.
• 2005 August--National Geographic magazine. Future Power: Where Will the World Get Its Next Energy Fix? 2-31. Solar, wind, biomass, nuclear, and the dream of fusion power. None are free, but could free the world from fossil fuels. Michael Parfit weighs their pros and cons; photos by Sarah Leen.

  
 Seismic Hazard Zones, 2010

A damaging earthquake and tsunami hit Japan early today, triggering tsunami warnings around the Pacific. Find out about earthquakes and tsunamis from our website and past National Geographic content.

• Tusnami 101 facts, video, and a photo gallery of past tsunamis.
• Earthquake profile, including safety tips, and an interactive feature where you can create your own earthquake and see what effect it would have.
• 2010 June--The Big Idea: Safe Houses. Chris Carroll reports on how safe housing in earthquake zones can be made inexpensively. Includes a map showing seismic hazard zones worldwide.
• 2006 April--The Next Big One: Where on Earth Will It Strike? Joel Achenbach reports, "We understand earthquakes better than we did a century ago, when San Francisco was flattened. Now we'd like to predict them." Find out what new techniques are emerging. Photos by Peter Essick.
• 2006 April-- Earthquake Risk Zones. This map supplement shows high and low earthquake risk worldwide, population density, the ten deadliest and costliest earthquakes of the last 100 years, and plate boundaries and movement. (For map supplements the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.)

 
Wheat field, Denmark; photo by Sisse Brimberg

The Food Price Index was up for the seventh straight month in January and shows no signs of falling in coming months, reported the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). A massive snowstorm in the U.S. and flooding in Australia are expected to keep prices high. Can the world produce enough food to feed what is soon expected to be a population of seven billion? Find out what the experts think about our agricultural future.

Every 14 days a language dies, according to the Enduring Voices Project. February 21st is International Mother Language Day, as proclaimed by the United Nations, "...to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism." Languages represent who we are, and sometimes who we were. Find out where languages are most at risk of disappearing on an interactive map. Then meet the Hadza of Tanzania who speak an isolate language, unrelated to any other living language. Finally, author Peter Hessler examines the transformative power of learning a second language.

 
Blue bird of paradise performs a courtship ritual; artwork by Walter A. Weber, 1950

Consider the male bowerbird who builds and decorates intricate bowers that Martha Stewart might envy—some zen-like and some covered with bling—solely to impress the ladies. If you like a snappy dresser, cast your gaze on birds of paradise; they are dazzling and they know it, with elaborate plumage and extreme courtship rituals. Last but not least is the penguin, paragon of dedication and devotion; once mated they work 24/7 taking care of the precious egg and chick. Choose your favorite: handyman, sharp dresser, or devoted mate.

• 2010 July—National Geographic magazine. Bowerbirds photo gallery by Tim Laman.
• 2009 September—National Geographic magazine. King Penguin photo gallery by Stefano Unterthiner.
• 2007 July—National Geographic magazine. Birds of Paradise photo gallery by Tim Laman.

Snow! Whenever the weatherman puts the word out, most of us jump into action: getting the firewood and extra groceries in, pulling out shovels, sleds and microscope ... ah, what? Yes, microscope. Well, that’s just what W. A. Bentley did almost 145 years ago. When the flakes started flying Bentley, was quite literally, in his element.

Wilson A. “Snowflake” Bentley of Jericho, Vermont (1865-1931) was a farmer and highly regarded amateur meteorologist who photographed snow—or more precisely—photographed thousands of individual snow crystals. Drawn by their beauty and seemingly endless variety, he isolated and captured them in simple, stark photographs. He created his first successful image “photomicrograph” of a single snow crystal on January 15, 1885. He was only 19 years of age, and after much trial and error, he had pioneered a technique using a bellows camera attached to a compound microscope. Young Bentley spent countless hours outdoors or in a cold dark woodshed on the farm. He captured individual snow crystals on cloth of black velvet and got them to his microscope-camera set up while still perfectly intact. The creamy matte of the velvet proved the perfect backdrop to showcase the beauty and feather-like qualities of the snow crystals.

See some of the earliest photographs of snowflakes and read more after the jump.

Comparison of a woolly mammoth (left) and Asian elephant (right); by Kazuhiko Sano

Can you picture a live woolly mammoth hanging out with a herd of elephants? It could happen. An international project is underway to clone a woolly mammoth using frozen mammoth DNA and in vitro fertilization, with an African elephant as the surrogate mother. Read about an original baby mammoth, Lyuba, the 40,000-year-old frozen star of a National Geographic article, and a companion article discussing the complexities and ethics of cloning extinct species.

• Video and more online mammoth features from the NatGeo Channel.
• 2009 May—National Geographic magazine. Ice Baby: Secrets of a Frozen Mammoth. 30-51. Just a month old when she died, Lyuba was preserved almost perfectly, down to her eyelashes. Tom Mueller reports on the likely explanation behind her untimely death and what she can tell us about her vanished species. Photos by Francis Latreille.
• 2009 May—National Geographic magazine. Recipe for a Resurrection: Should We Clone Extinct Animals? 52-55. Tom Mueller discusses the challenges involved in sequencing mammoth DNA and the ethics of producing a one-of-a-kind creature: because we can, should we? An interactive feature illustrates how mammoth cloning would work.

 
Former labor camp near Chara, Stanovoy Khrebet, Siberia; Steve Raymer, 1988

The Way Back, a film co-produced by National Geographic Entertainment, is in theaters now and recounts the story of Siberian gulag prisoners attempting a 4,000 mile trek to freedom across a 1940s-era landscape. See how Siberia has changed in the intervening decades with a couple of hitchhikers who travel 6,000 miles from Vladivostok to Moscow, and at a remote oil outpost that plenty of Russians would like to call home. Finally, a look at Siberia twenty years ago during the waning days of the gulag system.

• 2008 June/July—National Geographic Adventure magazine. 6,000 Miles to Moscow. 64-72, 106-109. McKenzie Funk chronicles a long road trip: "Throat singers, track suits, circus acts, Buddhist prophecies, and car shepherds—a trip across the newly opened Trans-Siberian highway is a glimpse at globalization gone wild." Photos by Aaron Huey.
• 2008 June—National Geographic magazine. Send Me to Siberia: Oil Transforms a Russian Outpost. 60-85. It is boom times in Siberia, with oil revenues funding airports, schools, and lavish salaries. Paul Starobin investigates whether the boom is here to stay. Photos by Gerd Ludwig.

Divers illuminate North Passage in Bahama's Stargate Blue Hole; photo by Wes C. Skiles

The January National Geographic magazine featured a story on a Vietnamese cave, possibly the largest in the world, which has its own jungle and could hold a skyscraper. There are plenty more amazing caves out there, with toxic gases, deadly heat, and raging white water, so light up your headlamp and go spelunking:

• 2010 August--National Geographic magazine. Deep Dark Secrets: Bahamas Blue Holes. 34-53. Divers battle toxic gas and other dangers to explore the mysterious blue holes, which may mirror life on the planet billions of years ago, reports Andrew Todhunter. Photos by Wes C. Skiles shed light on the otherworldly scene.
• 2008 November--National Geographic magazine. Crystal Palace. 64-77. Neil Shea descends a mile down into a Mexican cave filled with the largest crystals ever discovered, in an atmosphere so hot and humid that even covered in ice packs the cavers can stay only a short time. Carsten Peter photographs the crystals that Shea calls "...so clear, so luminous, they seemed extraterrestrial."
• 2006 September--National Geographic magazine. Raging Danger: Papua New Guinea. 94-109. Dropping down into dolines, sinkholes where soluble rock has collapsed, Neil Shea describes braving white-water-filled tunnels to explore underground waterfalls and theatre-sized chambers. Stephen L. Alvarez photographs the underground rivers and extreme expedition challenges found in the limestone caves.

 
 Juba, capital of semiautonomous southern Sudan; photo by George Steinmetz

Sudan, most publicly Darfur, has been mired in decades of civil war, genocide, and conflict. Revenues from oil produced in the south but controlled in the north are an incendiary issue and many fear the strategic border region of Abyei could become another Darfur. A referendum on independence is planned in the south for January 9 and could result in secession, but will the north let go of the land and oil?

Read about the past, present, and possible future of Sudan and the Abyei region. Follow the travels of journalist Paul Salopek who was captured, tortured by guerrillas and then imprisoned by the military while on assignment for National Geographic in Darfur.

• 2010 November -- National Geographic magazine. Southern Sudan: A Shaky Peace. 62-89. Matthew Teague discusses the factors that led to the most recent civil war and why Sudan today is precariously balanced between peace and more bloodshed. Find out how former child soldier Logocho inspired Roger Winters, who helped broker peace in 2005, and what Logocho is doing today. Photos by George Steinmetz.
• 2010 August 12 -- Natgeo News Watch blog. Abyei: Microcosm of the Sudanese Struggle for National Identity. By Rebecca Hamilton as part of the Pulitzer Center reporting project Sudan in Transition: Examining Sudan's 2011 Secession Referendum.
• 2008 April -- National Geographic magazine. Lost in the Sahel. 34-67. Paul Salopek recounts his travels in the Sahel, a grassland separating forest and desert, where "to cross one line or venture too far from another might invite retribution, even death. And that was the ultimate line of them all in the Sahel: the one between knowing and ignorance." Photos by Pascal Maitre.
• Short National Geographic videos on Sudan.

Note: The "Lost Boys" of Sudan fled their homes just one step ahead of the military who would likely have killed or conscripted them. One of these boys, John Dau, wrote God Grew Tired of Us, published by National Geographic. He describes his childhood of war and famine, how he and others eventually found refuge in the United States, and the sometimes humorous adjustment to life here; check your local library or click here to order.

The worst flooding in recent memory has hit Queensland, Australia, forcing residents from their homes and closing highways and airports. Other parts of Australia have the opposite problem, a crippling drought. Read a two-part article about drought in the Murray-Darling Basin and the rise of extreme weather, both wet and dry, worldwide. In The Wet Down Under Roff Smith chronicles his experiences waiting out a milder wet season in the Queensland town of Karumba, which he describes as a quirky combination of Mayberry R.F.D. and Cannery Row.

• 2009 April -- National Geographic magazine. Australian Drought. 34-59. A years-long drought has brought farmers in the Murray-Darling Basin to their knees. Robert Draper reports on the possible causes and the grim impact on farmers like Malcolm Adlington, who can only watch as his way of life disappears. Photos by Amy Toensing.
• 2009 April -- National Geographic magazine. Changing Rains. 60-65. Elizabeth Kolbert reports on the predictions of experts that "as the planet warms, look for more floods where it's already wet and deeper drought where water is scarce," and connects the rise of extreme weather to growing water shortages worldwide and their potentially devastating effects.
• 2004 November -- National Geographic magazine. The Wet Down Under. 86-117. Roff Smith jumped at the chance to hunker down in Karumba, Queensland, a small fishing town of about 500, for monsoon season. Find out what "going troppo" means and how unpredictable "the wet" can be. Photos by Randy Olson.

Many Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana; photo by David Boyer

Winter solstice in the northern hemisphere arrives Tuesday, December 21, when the earth's axis at the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the sun. It is the shortest day of the year. Enjoy the peaceful side of winter with these wilderness photo galleries. Happy holidays!

• 2010 December -- National Geographic magazine. Whooper Swans photo gallery by Stefano Unterthiner.
• 2009 June -- National Geographic magazine. Northern Light: Oulanka National Park photo gallery by Peter Essick.
• 2008 August -- National Geographic magazine. Daisetsuzan (Big Snow Mountain) photo gallery by Michael Yamashita.

Note: The first photo in the Oulanka gallery is available as a poster; click here for more information.

 
By Nigel Holmes/Explanation Graphics, 2009; Published in the National Geographic magazine, December 2009. See the full illustration.

The U.N. Climate Change Summit in Cancun, Mexico just concluded with some agreements about how to cut harmful carbon emissions, although most acknowledge that they fall short of what is necessary to stop global warming. Read a straightforward explanation of how carbon emissions work in "The Carbon Bathtub" and the effect of the global thaw in "The Big Melt." Follow along as Peter Miller goes on a carbon diet and reports on the results. Then take a quiz (one answer can be found below) and find out how much you know about carbon emissions and how to reduce them.

• 2010 April -- National Geographic magazine. The Big Melt. 60-79. The Tibetan Plateau is often called the roof of the world and the glaciers there have long functioned as a storehouse of freshwater which feed Asian rivers. Brook Larmer reports on studies showing the glaciers are shrinking, which one Chinese glaciologist predicts will lead to an ecological catastrophe. Photos by Jonas Bendiksen illustrate the changing landscape and the impact on residents.
• 2009 December -- National Geographic magazine. The Carbon Bathtub. The Big Idea (department). How does global warming occur, and what is the fundamental problem in grasping the concept? Robert Kunzig describes Professor John Sterman's theory and his explanation of carbon production and draining in the atmosphere, using water running into a bathtub as an analogy.
• 2009 March -- National Geographic magazine. Saving Energy: It Starts at Home. 60-81. The average U.S. household produces 150 pounds of CO2 a day. Author Peter Miller enlists his wife and neighbors in a carbon diet to cut their footprint to a level the planet can handle. He reports on the results and considers what impact the efforts of individuals can have. Photos by Tyrone Turner.

Tiger eye, Madhav National Park, India, 1997; photograph by Michael Nichols

To mark Big Cat Week on the Nat Geo Wild channel, meet the people who are fighting to save the big cats in ways that may sometimes seem fanatical. In India a man risks life and limb in a battle against armed poachers. In the Americas another man is spearheading one of the largest conservation projects ever known to provide safe passage for the jaguar. And in the remote mountainous regions of Asia see what creative means have been undertaken to save the elusive snow leopard. Take a Big Cats Quiz and find out more about the National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative.

• 2009 June/July -- National Geographic Adventure magazine. Cat Fight: The War on India's Tigers. 60-68, 81-83. Dharmendra Kandal had been researching spiders when he happened to get a job surveying tigers in Ranthambhore National Park and wound up capturing poachers and tracking down rifle purveyors because no one else would. Author Paul Kvinta follows Kandal on the job and Tom Pietrasik photographs him in action.
• 2009 March -- National Geographic magazine. Path of the Jaguar. 122-133. From Mexico to Argentina the jaguar migrates, sometimes venturing into populated areas with tragic results. Mel White describes the ambitious effort led by the Panthera Foundation's Alan Rabinowitz to provide a network of corridors and refuges as a safe path, the Paseo de Jaguar. Photos show Alan Rabinowitz, and the jaguars, in motion.
• 2008 June -- National Geographic magazine. Out of the Shadows: Snow Leopards. 106-129. Douglas H. Chadwick reports on local conservation efforts to help this secretive animal who faces the challenges of a prized pelt, overgrazed lands and angry livestock owners. Photos by Steve Winter, who won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 award for one of the photos in this article.

December 1 is World AIDS Day and our site offers facts about this pandemic, photos showing the impact of AIDS worldwide and a quiz on infectious diseases. HIV, the virus that triggers AIDS, is thought to have originated from primates, and a recent article investigates zoonosis, the transfer of pathogens from animals to humans. South Africa has been hit hard by AIDS and a 2005 National Geographic magazine article details the impact; a story in NG News looks at how text messaging might help fight AIDS in South Africa. Finally, some survival tips from Adventure if a fast-moving pandemic finds you overseas.

• 2007 October -- National Geographic magazine. Deadly Contact. 78-105. Ebola, bubonic plague, and yellow fever are just a few examples of zoonosis, a natural process that sometimes goes haywire. David Quammen describes what is known and efforts by researchers to track down killer pathogens. Photos by Lynn Johnson.
• 2005 September -- National Geographic magazine. Living With AIDS. 66-73. Author-photographer Gideon Mendel chronicles the toll of AIDS on residents of Lusikisiki, South Africa, and tells how "for one group of HIV-positive South Africans, potent drugs and changing attitudes offer new hope." (Note: The link offers an excerpt; for the full article, the print issue or the Complete National Geographic will be needed; click here for help finding NG content).
• 2009 August/September -- National Geographic Adventure magazine. A Pandemic Traps You Overseas. Damon Tabor describes possible scenarios and offers tips including what to pack and the best websites to consult.

Graphic by John Tomanio; statistics on South Africa published in South Africa: Mandela's Children, June 2010 National Geographic magazine.

Eat, Pray, Love is being released on DVD this week. In the movie Elizabeth Gilbert, played by Julia Roberts, reflects on the fact that while other girls dreamed about marriage, she dreamed of the exotic places she read about in National Geographic magazine. For fun, here is a collection of recent National Geographic stories paralleling the title topics. Buen Appetito!

• 2010 April -- National Geographic Traveler magazine. Amalfi Coast: A Moveable Feast. 48-57. Elizabeth Berg sets off for the Amalfi Coast with the goal of learning to cook, Italian style. Photos by Massimo Bassano.
• 2008 March -- National Geographic Adventure magazine. Downward Facing Boyfriend. 88-93, 99-100. The author, John Falk, is persuaded by his girlfriend to spend two weeks at an ashram in Kerala, India. Markedly unenthusiastic at first, he eventually warms up to the idea and gains some interesting insights. Photos by Daniel Pepper.
• 2009 February -- National Geographic Adventure magazine. Wild Islands '09: Pick Your Paradise. 56-65. The link will whisk you away to an interactive map of island paradises where you can find out how to stay forever, or where the "wicked" dive spots are. By Meg Lukens Noonan with Ryan Bradley and Kelly Lack.

Worldwide Water Availability and Use, from National Geographic magazine, April 2010, pages 22-23. (Click on the map to enlarge)

China is facing water shortages with no simple solution in sight. The issues involved include geography, climate change, population increases, dams, pollution, economic development, and other countries who depend on the rivers flowing through China. To mark Geography Awareness Week's Freshwater theme, read up on the many factors contributing to this looming problem. Then take an online water quiz and see what you've learned.

For some content the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2010 April -- National Geographic magazine. The Big Melt. 60-79. The Tibetan Plateau is often called the roof of the world, and the glaciers there have long functioned as a storehouse of freshwater which feed Asian rivers. Brook Larmer reports on studies showing the glaciers are shrinking, which one Chinese glaciologist predicts will lead to an ecological catastrophe. Photos by Jonas Bendiksen illustrate the changing landscape and the impact on residents.
• 2010 April -- National Geographic magazine map supplement. World of Rivers/Hidden Waters. Side one of this map supplement shows a new mapping of every river system in the world. Side two, Hidden Waters, includes graphics showing the amount of freshwater needed for manufacturing and agriculture, such as making a pair of blue jeans or raising a cow.
• 2008 May -- National Geographic magazine. Bitter Waters: Yellow River. 146-173. The Yellow River winds its way more than 3,000 miles from the Tibetan Plateau to the sea, and was once thought to have a limitless amount of water for those living on the banks. Now one city on the banks is considered one of the most polluted in the world, and unregulated dumping of factory waste continues, reports Brook Larmer. Greg Girard photographs the demise of what the Chinese call the Mother River.
• 2004 March -- National Geographic magazine. China's Growing Pains. 68-95. Jasper Becker describes the challenge in balancing a great leap forward with stewardship of the environment. Photos by Bob Sacha show the economic development and the resulting impact on the land and water. A map on pages 78-79 illustrates water and air pollution across the country, and a chart on page 91 compares the resource consumption per person in China and the U.S.

 
Monarch butterflies leave their winter home and migrate back North, 1988; photo by James L. Amos

Turtles, jaguars, birds, and butterflies; just a few of the countless members of the animal kingdom who travel the land, sea, and sky, often against great odds. The Great Migrations miniseries is premiering on the National Geographic Channel Sunday, November 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and you can get an early start on the topic with several recent articles from National Geographic and one from the archives about a man's forty-year quest for answers.

• 2009 May -- National Geographic magazine. Ancient Mariner: Leatherbacks. 122-141. They've endured for 100 million years, and frigid waters don't stop them, but humans are another story. Tim Appenzeller reports on these critically endangered species, with photos by Brian Skerry.
• 2009 March -- National Geographic magazine. Path of the Jaguar. 122-133. Habitat loss is hemming in the big New World cat. Mel White describes the multinational efforts to create "Paseo de Jaguar," a connecting set of corridors they can travel from Mexico to South America. Follow jaguar routes through 18 countries on this interactive map.
• 2008 October -- National Geographic magazine. Painting the Sky: Bee-Eaters. 60-71. The colorful bee-eater bird wings across three continents. Bruce Barcott explains how they cleverly elude the sting of their favorite prey, and the group dynamics in bee-eater clans. Photos of the birds in action by Jozsef L. Szentpeteri.
• 1976 August -- National Geographic magazine. Found at Last: The Monarch's Winter Home. 160-173. The author, Fred A. Urquhart, spent 40 years looking for the winter home of the monarchs, which entailed tagging tens of thousands of butterflies and enlisting thousands of volunteers across North America. Read about the persistent search and how the mystery was solved; photos by Bianca Lavies.

Halloween often "gives rise" to images of mummies starting to unravel and ready to pop out of a sarcophagus. The real story of mummies is their ability to provide a window into the lives and burial practices of cultures sometimes long gone. Read previously published articles on mummies, human and otherwise, from ancient cultures in Egypt and Peru as well as more recent additions in Sicily. And watch out for mummies crossing the street Halloween night...

• 2009 November -- National Geographic magazine. Animals Everlasting: Egypt's Animal Mummies. 30-51. A. R. Williams describes the Egyptian burial practice of carefully preserving animals for the afterlife. Photos by Richard Barnes show the variety of animal mummies, including gazelles, ibises, and ducks; some for companionship and some as provisions.
• 2009 February -- National Geographic magazine. Where the Dead Don't Sleep: Sicily's Mummies. 118-133. A. A. Gill reports on how mummification became popular in Sicily hundreds of years ago, with almost 2,000 mummies to be found in Palermo today. Photos by Vincent J. Musi, Jr. show the mummies in different states of preservation, including one from 1920 who is so well preserved she seems almost alive.
• 2006 June -- National Geographic magazine. Mystery of the Tattooed Mummy. 70-83. An ornately tattooed 1,600-year-old mummy unearthed in Peru could be a warrior queen of the violent Moche people, reports A. R. Williams. Photos by Ira Block show the unwrapping of this intriguing mummy and the symbolic treasures offering clues to her life and Moche culture. The link offers a summary and photo gallery only; click here for help finding NG content.

The Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet; photo by C. Suydam Cutting, 1946

In October 1950 Chinese forces under Mao Tse-tung took control of eastern Tibet, and eventually the entire country. Chinese rule led the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, to flee Lhasa in 1959 and establish a government-in-exile in Dharmsala, India. China has asserted their claim to Tibet in the intervening decades by implementing changes in the culture and landscape. Read an article from our archives describing life in the Potala Palace for the young Dalai Lama, written by an Austrian who was his tutor, and more recent articles about how life has changed for Tibetans under Chinese rule.

• 2010 May -- National Geographic magazine. China's Tea Horse Road. 94-119. Mark Jenkins reports. "Chinese tea and Tibetan horses were long traded on a legendary trail. Today remnants of the passageway reveal grand vistas--and a surprising new commerce." Photos by Michael Yamashita.
• 2002 April -- National Geographic magazine. Tibetans: Moving Forward, Holding On. 2-37. Adapting to the realities of Chinese rule, Tibetans still manage to hold on to cherished traditions, reports Lewis M. Simons. Photos by Steve McCurry.
• 2002 April -- National Geographic magazine. The Dalai Lama: Facing a New Reality. 16-17. Lewis M. Simons interviewed the Dalai Lama about the state of affairs in Tibet, including his thoughts on Chinese rule and the rebuilding of monasteries. Photo by Steve McCurry.
• 1955 July -- National Geographic magazine. My Life in Forbidden Lhasa. 1-48. How Heinrich Harrer came to be tutor to the young Dalai Lama is a story in and of itself, as he and companion Peter Aufschnaiter escaped a World War II internment camp in India, eventually finding their way to Lhasa. Read about how they managed to work in Lhasa, a place all but closed to foreigners, and how Harrer's motion pictures played a critical part in his becoming tutor to the Dalai Lama. This article, written and photographed by Harrer, was reprinted in May 2008 on the National Geographic magazine web site.

Crew members on the Fram; Photo by Fridtjof Nansen, 1894

The world has nervously watched while rescuers worked to bring up 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine near Copiapo (read NG Revisted's August 24th post about the Chilean mining industry here). In honor of their spirit of survival, read about other dramatic stories: from the farthest north to the vast Atlantic, and to an underground cave in the Ukraine. Then learn 14 everyday survival skills from expert Laurence Gonzales.

For complete content the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed click here for help finding NG content.

• 2009 August/September — National Geographic Adventure magazine. One Rogue Wave: A Fishing Trip Goes Horribly Wrong. 48-54, 80-81. John Falk tells a gripping story that is both tragic and joyful. Seven men set out for a day of fishing with clear skies and calm seas in the Atlantic. One rogue wave leaves them confronting the unexpected and fighting to survive.
• 2009 January — National Geographic magazine. Polar Saga Part One, 1893-1896: 1,000 Days in the Ice—Nansen Expedition. 108-119. Often called the father of modern polar exploration, Fridtjof Nansen and his crew sailed off in 1893 in the well-built Fram and headed north. When the ship became trapped in the ice, Nansen and a companion set off on skis to reach the North Pole. Hampton Sides tells what happens next and about the very surprising encounter that ends the story.
• 2008 August — National Geographic Adventure magazine. How to Survive (Almost) Anything: Everyday Survival. 65-74. Laurence Gonzales describes 14 methods used by survivors to stay alive, such as forcing your brain to think sequentially and understanding linked systems.
• 2004 June/July — National Geographic Adventure magazine. Off the Face of the Earth: An Epic Story of Holocaust Survival. 70-78, 89-96. During World War II, 38 Jews escaped the Nazis by hiding underground in the Ukraine, spending 344 days in a cave called the Priest's Grotto. Author-photographer Peter Lane Taylor recounts the truly amazing story of how they lived and ultimately survived. (Note: if you cannot locate this article, you can read about how the story came to light and what happened to the survivors in a 2004 article by Brian Handwerk at Nationalgeographic.com News.)

If you are planning on being in a dicey situation, here is a link to the Complete Survival Manual in our online store: National Geographic joins with the American Red Cross, the U.S. Army, and the Boy and Girl Scouts to reveal the secrets of emergency survival—in any situation.

N. C. Wyeth's "The Caravels of Columbus"; photo by Victor R. Boswell, Jr., 1984

Exploration of the New World by Columbus opened an era of trade and spurred settlements. The "Columbian exchange," as it has been dubbed, brought potatoes to the Old World, malaria to the New World, and altered the landscape forever. We still see inadvertent exchanges today in the form of invasive species hitching rides on ships or airplanes. To mark Columbus Day 2010, read about the long-term effects on the Americas and Europe, and how the Jamestown settlers brought with them "...a great parade of insects, plants, mammals, and microorganisms."

For some content the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• NG Video -- Watch short clips on the discovery of the Jamestown site and the debate over where Columbus is buried.
• 2007 May -- National Geographic magazine. Legacy of Jamestown: America--Found & Lost. 32-55. The English colonists who landed at Jamestown 400 years ago undermined an ecosystem and changed the continent forever, reports Charles C. Mann. A foldout illustration on pages 46-49 shows how differently the Powhatan Indians and English settlers coexisted with the land.
• 2007 May -- National Geographic magazine. Legacy of Jamestown: What Would You Take to the New World? 56-67. Karen E. Lange describes artifacts unearthed at Jamestown which reveal the lives of the colonists who arrived there in 1607. Photos by Robert Clark show items such as dice, tobacco pipes, and a crucifix.
• 2007 May -- National Geographic magazine map supplement. 1607: When Cultures Collided/A World Transformed. The first side offers drawings of a Powhatan settlement and the Jamestown fort, illustrating how each group lived and worked. The second side shows how Indian cultures were thriving in 1491, and their status by 1650. An inset map shows the Columbian exchange between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and a diagram illustrates the population shifts of Indians, Europeans, and Africans in the New World between 1500 and 1800.

 
A luxury highrise towers above decaying housing for Untouchables in Mumbai, India; photo by William Albert Allard, 2003

India is hosting 71 nations for the Commonwealth Games and has scrambled to complete the preparations amid allegations of child labor and displacement of the poor. India's economic boom and accompanying urban growth creates unavoidable comparisons between old and new, such as rickshaws and superhighways. Read about the giant leaps forward, and the endemic poverty that maintains a stubborn hold.

Then test your India IQ with an online quiz (hint: one of the answers is included below).

• 2008 October -- National Geographic magazine. Fast Lane to the Future: India's Superhighway. 72-99. Don Belt reports on the Golden Quadrilateral, a superhighway over 3,600 miles long. It is intended to bring economic change to the country by spurring industry in impoverished villages. That is, if they survive the commute; photos by Ed Kashi show the massive scale of the project and the surprising obstacles a driver might encounter.
• 2008 April -- National Geographic magazine. Last Days of the Rickshaw. 92-105. Rickshaws are both decried and defended. Some call them outdated, reports Calvin Trillin, but for others they are all that stands between poverty and complete destitution. Photos by Ami Vitale show the hard grind of a rickshaw driver.
• 2007 May -- National Geographic magazine. Dharavi: Mumbai's Shadow City. 68-93. As Mumbai booms, the poor of its notorious Dharavi slum find themselves living in some of India's hottest real estate. Mark Jacobson describes what life is like for the residents, who have up to 18,000 neighbors within one acre. Photos by Jonas Bendiksen show the city within a city that some would like to tear down but to many is simply home.

 
Hand prints made 10,000 years ago at Cueva de los Manos, Argentina; photo by James P. Blair

"The Flintstones" TV show premiered on September 30th, 1960. While there is no evidence of dinosaur-powered machinery, other intriguing evidence has been found about prehistoric people. To celebrate the Flintstones and Rubbles of history, find out what is known about their migrations, life, and death, and see what a real Wilma Flintstone may have looked like. Then take an online quiz to test your knowledge about Neanderthals, and yell yabba dabba do!

For complete content and older articles the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• The latest news from Nationalgeographic.com, by Ker Than: did volcanoes kill off Neanderthals?
• Blog posts about the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the Lascaux cave paintings, by Andrew Howley.
• 2008 October -- National Geographic magazine. Last of the Neanderthals. 34-59. Stephen S. Hall reports on the discovery in 1994 of Neanderthal bones in a cave in northern Spain. These bones of at least nine Neanderthals have provided scientists with clues about how they lived and died, and allowed artists Adrie Kennis and Alfons Kennis to reconstruct a Neanderthal woman, down to skin and hair; reconstruction photos by Joe McNally. Photos by David Liittschwager show the evidence gathered by scientists.
• 2005 August -- National Geographic magazine. Hands Across Time: Exploring the Rock Art of Borneo. 32-45. Deep within the cliffside caves of eastern Borneo, 10,000-year-old paintings featuring the hands of the artists themselves may offer clues about ancient migrations. Luc-Henri Fage reports on the expedition to the caves and what this art might tell us about the people; Carsten Peter photographs the haunting images by artists unknown.

 
Yuya's gold mask unearthed at Luxor, now at the Cairo Museum; photo by Kenneth Garrett, 1997

Gold prices are at record highs, in part due to its indestructible nature, described by Frederick Simpich in our 1933 article, Men and Gold:

For gold is never static; incessantly it changes form and place, and yet endures. Look at your own gold watch and think. Some of its gold particles might conceivably have come even from the gold of Solomon's Temple; from an old treasure ship plundered by buccaneers of the Spanish Main; or ... from new gold mined only last year in Arizona.

Gold has inspired exploration and conquest, and helped shape global monetary policies. What are the costs to those who mine it, and what price is too high? These articles illustrate both the hardships that gold engenders and the treasures that show its allure through the ages.

• 2009 October -- National Geographic magazine. Namibia's Sperrgebiet.116-127. Sperrgebiet means "forbidden zone" in German, and is apt here as it refers to a well-guarded De Beers diamond mining lease on the Namibian coast. Roff Smith describes the accidental discovery there of a buried 16th-century ship full of treasure, including fistfuls of gold coins. Photos by Amy Toensing show the salvage work and treasures, with art by Jon Foster.
• 2009 January -- National Geographic magazine. The Real Price of Gold. 34-61. The luster of gold has fueled a 21st-century gold rush, reports Brook Larmer. The human and environmental toll, which includes toxic vapors and waste mercury poisoning local food chains, has never been higher. Photos by Randy Olson show the often desperate lives of those staking a claim, and the global fascination with gold that drives them.
• 2008 June -- National Geographic magazine. Afghanistan's Hidden Treasures. 130-145. In 1988 a group of workers at the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul hid a treasure trove of Bactrian antiquities from the invading Soviets, and later from the Taliban. Roger Atwood tells the story of how they were unearthed from their hiding place in 2003, and why these and other Afghan treasures are still at risk. Photos of the priceless pieces by Richard Barnes.

Chimpanzee in Goualougo Triangle, Republic of the Congo; photo by Michael Nichols

The intelligence of chimpanzees has long been debated and was given new life fifty years ago by Jane Goodall, who revolutionized the study of the great apes. She ignored the conventional theory that one should not focus on individual characteristics, instead naming the chimps when she arrived at Gombe in 1960 with a few supplies and a deep desire to study wildlife. To celebrate this anniversary Nationalgeographic.com has made available an online archive of National Geographic articles by and about Goodall. Follow along as she makes contact and documents crude tool use, cannibalism, and infanticide.

Until recently it was thought that humans were the only mammals to hunt other mammals with weapons, but a study in Senegal documented chimps hunting and killing small mammals with sharpened sticks. Read the evidence, visit the Goodall archives, and decide for yourself just how smart our closest genetic relatives are.

• 2010 October -- National Geographic magazine. Gombe at Fifty. Jane Goodall has devoted a lifetime to the study and conservation of chimpanzees. David Quammen recounts her dramatic start at Gombe and the studies that continue today, including the worrying discovery of chimpanzees dying from their version of AIDS.
• 2010 February -- National Geographic magazine. Goualougo Chimps. 130-145. What is the effect of humans on the chimpanzees we study? In 1995 scientists discovered a remote group of chimpanzees in northern Congo's Goualougo Triangle who appeared to have never seen humans. Joshua Foer reports on the observations of sophisticated tool use to retrieve honey and termites, and Ian Nichols photographs the increasingly vulnerable population.

Holiday lights decorate Mexico City's Zocalo in 1961; photo by Kip Ross

Mexico is celebrating the bicentennial of their independence movement and the centennial of their revolution. In honor of this momentous anniversary these articles highlight the people, natural resources and history of Mexico: a remote culture coming to terms with encroaching civilization, a spectacular geological discovery, and a look at the Maya and what may have caused the collapse of a thriving civilization.

For some content the print articles or Complete National Geographic may be needed. Click here for help finding NG content.

• 2008 November -- National Geographic magazine. Crystal Palace: Mexico's Cave of Crystals. 64-77. The crystals in this cave are almost unimaginable and are among the largest ever discovered. Photos by Carsten Peter show cavers clambering over 30-foot tall chunks of crystal in an otherworldly scene. Neil Shea describes how the crystals were formed over half a million years and how they were accidentally discovered.
• 2008 November -- National Geographic magazine. Tarahumara: A People Apart. 78-101. The Tarahumara have lived their lives remote from the world, and even from each other. Cynthia Gorney reports on how encroaching civilization is changing their lives for better and worse. Photos by Robb Kendrick show what life is like in their remote Sierra Madre home.
• 2007 August -- National Geographic magazine. The Maya: Glory and Ruin. 68-109. Scholars have long puzzled over the Maya civilization's rise to glory and fall to ruin. The latest thinking is that a man named Fire Is Born was integral in the transformation that led to the Classic Maya period. But no one person or problem caused the collapse; simply put, everything went wrong. By Guy Gugliotta with photos by Kenneth Garrett and art by Vania Zouravliov.

 
Waste gas is burned off at a crude oil plant in Kirkuk, Iraq, 1958; photo by Franc and Jean Shor

OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, was established in September 1960 to develop common oil-marketing policies. Since then we've seen oil booms and embargoes, with the end of conventional (easy to extract) oil potentially in sight. What is the status of oil reserves across the globe? Are biofuels the solution? Find some answers in these articles and map supplement from National Geographic.

For some content the print issues or the Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding National Geographic content.

• 2008 June — National Geographic magazine. Tapped Out: World Oil. 86-91. Paul Roberts reports on faltering supplies and surging demand for oil. The mathematical formula that correctly predicted the peak of oil production in the U.S. indicates that world oil production may peak as early as 2015, making the remaining oil more difficult and expensive to extract.
• 2007 October — National Geographic magazine. Green Dreams. 38-59. Producing fuel from corn and other crops could be good for the planet - if only the process didn't take a significant environmental toll. Joel K. Bourne, Jr. reports on new breakthroughs that could make a difference. Photos by Robert Clark show the use of algae, soybeans, and more in the race to create economically feasible biofuels.
• 2007 October — National Geographic magazine map supplement. Changing Climate/Greenhouse Earth. This two-sided supplement includes a world map showing climate change from 1976-2006; also diagrams illustrating how greenhouse gases heat the atmosphere and how the climb in CO₂ levels has paralleled the rise in world population.

 
Pedestrians walk past a Pyongyang billboard proclaiming pride in North Korea, 1974; photo by H. Edward Kim

North Korea is set to have a rare meeting of party officials, potentially marking the transfer of power from Kim Jong Il to his chosen successor. North Korea remains behind an iron curtain, but stories are recounted by those who escape across the border. Read a gripping account of the frightening journey and the difficulty of adjusting to life on the other side, and what it's like living on the 38th parallel. The map supplement provides an overview of the Korean War and how the infamous 38th Parallel was chosen, few imagining that it would be in place to this day.

For older articles and complete content the print issues or the Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding National Geographic content.

• 2009 February. National Geographic magazine. Escape From North Korea. 74-99. Tom O'Neill reports on the daunting challenge of defection, and starting a new, free life. Photos by Chien-Chi Chang portray the terrifying journey, and show the hardships defectors face once they arrive.
• 2003 July. National Geographic magazine. Korea's DMZ: Dangerous Divide. 2-27. As North Korea steps up its nuclear threat, it's business as usual along the DMZ -- the narrow strip of land that has split the Korean Peninsula for 50 years. There the two armies wait for the other to blink. By Tom O'Neill, with photos by Michael Yamashita.
• 2003 July. National Geographic magazine map supplement. The Two Koreas/The Forgotten War. This two-sided supplement details the weapons and nuclear capabilities of North and South, economic trends, pre-war history, the Korean War, and postwar clashes.

 
 
Asheville, North Carolina textile mill, 1949; photo by J. Baylor Roberts

Who makes the stuff that we buy, or the vehicles that keep us moving along? It's a question we investigated in 1923 and is certainly relevant today. In honor of Labor Day, revisit some National Geographic magazine articles that look inside the business of manufacturing, and the impact it has on those who work in the world of industry.

In order to view the older articles you will need the print issues, or the Complete National Geographic; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2007 June -- National Geographic magazine. China's Instant Cities. 88-117. Peter Hessler investigates how one supercharged province cranks out lightbulbs, buttons, and bra rings, as well as instant cities for the factory workers. This is production on a supersized scale, and photos by Mark Leong illustrate the dazzling array of products.
• 2003 December -- National Geographic magazine. ZipUSA: Wichita, Kansas. 132-138. A modern-day version of Rosie the Riveter is still hard at work in Wichita, Kansas, where aviation has long been the biggest business in town. Wichita native Cliff Tarpy reports on a day in the life of Beulah Barnes at the Boeing Factory, and how the fortunes of Boeing affect Wichita; photos by Ira Block highlight the giant scale of the aviation industry.
• 1923 October. -- National Geographic magazine. The Automobile Industry: An American Art That Has Revolutionized Methods in Manufacturing and Transformed Transportation. 337-414. This is a classic article, and well worth tracking down. William Joseph Showalter covers the entire automobile industry of the day, including production, use of vehicles in the military, and the effect of motor cars on the nation; there were traffic jams even then! If you like vintage cars you will love the many photos; don't miss the iconic shots of a car driving through a massive redwood tree, or the automobile perched atop Glacier Cliff in Yosemite National Park, California.

Mount Everest; photo by Jodi Cobb

Could a climber have reached the Everest summit in 1924? That is the question investigated in the new National Geographic film The Wildest Dream: Conquering Everest. In 1924 George Mallory and his partner Andrew Irvine set off for the summit, then disappeared.  In 1999 Conrad Anker found Mallory's body and some clues about what happened on the final ascent. Were they climbing too late in the day, with insufficient oxygen and supplies? This content offers some answers and opinions, and history about the top of the world.

For older articles or complete material the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2008 May -- National Geographic Adventure magazine. Everest is Easy; Life is Hard: The Complicated World of Conrad Anker. 66-75, 102-105. David Roberts presents a profile of Anker, his making of the movie "The Wildest Dream," and his struggles in coming to terms with the death of his climbing partner and friend Alex Lowe.
• 2003 May -- National Geographic magazine. Everest 50: The History. 16-29. This article surveys various Everest summit attempts, including the ill-fated 1924 expedition. Find out who Everest was named after, and how Sherpas became involved in Everest expeditions. This article is one of a series in this issue in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1953 ascent by Hillary and Norgay.

 
Batak homes sit at the foot of Mount Sinabung; published in the National Geographic magazine article, This Young Giant, Indonesia, in September 1955. Photo by J. Baylor Roberts

Sinabung, a volcano in North Sumatra Province, has erupted after being dormant for 400 years. Indonesia is located in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has over 100 active volcanoes. Find out more about Indonesia's geologic features and the natural disasters that can result from them, including a devouring mudflow, in this content from National Geographic.

For older or complete content the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2008 January -- National Geographic magazine. The Gods Must Be Restless: Living in the Shadow of Indonesia's Volcanoes. 34-57. "Nowhere else do so many live so close to so many active volcanoes," reports author Andrew Marshall. Photos by John Stanmeyer show the landscape that helps shape Indonesia's beliefs and cultures.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina the cleanup and rebuilding continues. What is the status of New Orleans and surrounding areas now? Are residents rebuilding in areas vulnerable to future storms? Find some answers in these articles from National Geographic.

To view some content you may need the print issues or the Complete National Geographic; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2008 September -- National Geographic magazine. Photo Journal. New Orleans: Then and Now. 14. Photos by Mario Tama show various New Orleans sites during the hurricane and three years later, including the Seventh Ward, French Quarter, and Riverwalk near the Convention Center.
• 2007 August -- National Geographic magazine. New Orleans: A Perilous Future. 32-67. With seas rising, storms getting stronger, and ground subsiding, another disaster like Katrina seems inevitable. Yet some residents would rather run that risk than leave the place they call home, reports author Joel K. Bourne, Jr. Photos by Tyrone Turner illustrate the risks of living below sea level, and the patches of vibrancy that have returned to the city. A map on pages 46-47 shows how much of the population lives below sea level.
• 2005 December -- National Geographic magazine. Deadly Delay--Katrina: Grasping for Relief. 6-15. Chris Carroll reports on his experiences in New Orleans immediately after the storm. Photos vividly portray the devastation and misery endured by residents as they waited for help.

Trapped underground near Copiapo while working in a copper and gold mine in the Atacama region, 33 Chilean miners have made contact with rescuers. Find out more about the the Chilean mining industry, and how it has helped shape the history and politics of Chile.

For older articles and complete content the print issues or Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2003 August -- National Geographic magazine. The Driest Place on Earth. 46-71. Parts of Chile's Atacama Desert haven't seen a drop of rain since recordkeeping began. Priit J. Vesilind reports on how more than a million people squeeze life from this parched land. Photos by Joel Sartore show the unique landscape, the wildlife, and those who call the Atacama home. A map on page 53 shows Copiapo and the Atacama region.

Take a look at the issues and the people involved in the U.S.-Mexico immigration debate in these National Geographic articles. The first article looks at Mexico's other border and how immigrants heading north from Central America affect the United States. The next story looks at the expanding wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Finally, a look at life on the border, and a surprising cross-border ritual involving George Washington and hoopskirts.

For older articles and complete content the print issues or the Complete National Geographic may be needed; click here for help finding NG content.

• Click here to play a border agent simulation game and to see the schedule for "Border Wars" on the National Geographic Channel.
• 2008 February -- National Geographic magazine. Mexico's Other Border. 60-79. Central American immigrants heading north face many hazards -- and many crossings -- in their risky trek to the "land of marvels." Cynthia Gorney reports on the journey and the impact on both Mexico and the United States. Photos by Alex Webb show the stark reality of the trek.

If a volcano erupts, war breaks out, or an oil spill occurs, chances are the Geographic has a story or two in our 122-year archive that will offer some context and background. As the Publications Index Manager and a reference librarian here at the Society, I hope to provide a guide to relevant content for any given event.

You may have some National Geographic magazines on your bookshelf, or maybe the Complete National Geographic is sitting next to your computer; it's time to put them to work. Some posts will be for current events, some for anniversaries or holidays, and some just for fun. While much of the content will be from recent years, I will occasionally post a vintage article that is especially interesting. I'll also provide a link whenever there is an online version of an article at our website. For older articles or complete content the print issues or the Complete National Geographic (a digital version of the magazine) may be needed; don't forget your local library as a source for print issues or the Complete National Geographic; click here for more help finding National Geographic content.

I hope you check back regularly, and enjoy!

—Anne Marie Houppert  

Wildfires are devastating Russian forests, filling the skies of Moscow with smoke, and raising the question of whether radioactive particles from Chernobyl could become reactivated from the extreme heat. We have several articles which provide background and context: first an article which looks at Chernobyl twenty years after the nuclear reactor meltdown. Next, an intriguing up-close look at the life of Russian smokejumpers, unique, resourceful individuals who work around budget shortfalls and decrepit helicopters while spending days or weeks in the remote Russian wilderness. Lastly, a look at boreal forests around the world, including Russia, and why they are critical to our environment.

For older articles the print issues of the magazine are needed, or a copy of the Complete National Geographic. Click here for more help on finding NG content.

• 2006 April -- National Geographic magazine. The Long Shadow of Chernobyl. 32-53. Twenty years after a nuclear reactor exploded, blanketing thousands of square miles with radiation, the nightmare isn't over, reports Richard Stone. Photos by Gerd Ludwig show the devastation and desolation of the region, and those affected.
• 2002 August -- National Geographic magazine. Russian Smokejumpers. 82-99. These tough guys with a proud history of innovation and resourcefulness throw themselves out of 50-year-old aircraft into burning Siberian forests. Author Glenn Hodges reports on the alternating excitement and boredom of the job. Photos by Mark Thiessen show the simultaneous beauty and destructiveness of the fires, and capture the personalities of the team members. Find out how the smokejumpers spend their down time when stuck in the forest for days or weeks at a time.
• 2002 June -- National Geographic magazine. The Great Northern Forest. 42-65. Author Fen Montaigne explores the reality of this immense boreal land, which grows even harsher as a resource-hungry world gnaws its edges. Photos by Peter Essick show the beauty of the wilderness, and the effect of logging and industry on the regions. Pages 62-63 focus on the impact of logging and climate on the Russian forests, and the 1998 wildfires which burned an area the size of Michigan.

On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Revisit feature articles on the topic, including a 1995 article about the rebuilding of Hiroshima, a 2005 review of the state of nuclear weapons across the globe, and a look back at the optimism of 1945 America; did the new world of tomorrow come true? To view the older material you will need the print issues or the Complete National Geographic; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2005 August -- National Geographic magazine. Living With the Bomb. 98-113. The link provides an online excerpt and photo gallery. Sixty years after Nagasaki and Hiroshima, nuclear weapons stoke nations' dreams of power and give their citizens nightmares. The article by Richard Rhodes includes a timeline detailing the race to build the bomb, and a world map (pp. 104-105) showing which nations have nuclear weapons and which ones have the potential to develop them.
• 1995 August -- National Geographic magazine. Up From Ground Zero: Hiroshima. 78-101. Fifty years later, Ted Gup investigates a Hiroshima that is alive with heavy industry and cosmopolitan shopping malls--and with memories of those who perished in the world's first atomic bombing. Photos by Jodi Cobb show the Hiroshima of today.
• 1945 October -- National Geographic magazine. Your New World of Tomorrow. 385-410. F. Barrows Colton takes a sweeping look at progress in many aspects of research and industry, including atom-smashing machines, fax machines, and automatic drinking fountains. Many photos of the new technology of the day.

Late July flooding in northwestern Pakistan has swept away entire communities and resulted in a death toll of over 1,000, and more flooding is expected in coming weeks. These articles offer background and maps on Pakistan. You will need the print issues for some content; click here for help finding NG content.

• 2010 July -- National Geographic magazine. Punjab: Pakistan's Heartland Under Threat. 82-107. West meets East in populous, prosperous Punjab, but the Taliban wants to change the status quo, as reported by John Lancaster. Striking photos by Ed Kashi, and a map on page 95 (not included in the online version).
• 2007 September -- National Geographic magazine. Islam's Fault Line: Pakistan. The nation's efforts to straddle the fault line between moderate and militant Islam offers a cautionary tale for the post-9/11 world. The map on page 43 (not included in the online version) includes a timeline summarizing 60 years of turmoil. Photos by Reza; don't miss the photo on page 41 of Lahore lawyers protesting military rule.
• 2001 December -- National Geographic magazine map supplement. Afghanistan and Pakistan. This two-sided map supplement is inserted in the print issues, and included in the "Complete National Geographic."

August is the perfect time to revisit a couple of National Geographic articles that celebrate summer. A link is provided if the article is available online; for the older article you will need the print issue or the Complete National Geographic. Click here for help finding NG content.   

The Gulf of Mexico is awash in oil, resulting from the April 11, 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform, owned and run by BP. The Society has published content that relates to oil spills and the oil industry. Find answers to questions such as how the Exxon Valdez oil spill was viewed immediately after the accident and in retrospect, or why there's a large Vietnamese community along the Gulf Coast. In a trip back to San Francisco just after the Summer of Love, see how important community involvement was in cleaning up a 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Then take a trip around the world and survey the global oil scene in places as diverse as Siberia, the Niger Delta, and the North Slope of Alaska.

The content is divided into the five categories below. If there is online content, a link will be provided; click on the "How to Locate NG Content" for more assistance.

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