distancefromto.net
Distancefromto is a simple and easy to use Google Maps application that measures distance between two locations on a map. Distance is measured on the fly in miles and kilometers by dynamically dragging markers to desired locations or typing in locations names for the from and to inputs. The application comes with an inbuilt geocoder, so do not limit yourself to places that are well known to the masses..
There are two ways you could learn geography on this site – Identifying Countries on a Map and World Capitals. The site also allows you test and improve your knowledge of art, english, math, chemistry and foreign languages. You can choose a level to start off with or let the game adapt to your answers.
If you need to keep track of your donations, make sure you set the option in the options page.
Now go visit FreeRice.com, start learning and relish your contribution by watching the grains pile up..
From Matt’s Geography Blog:
The Mother Jones website has an interactive map depicting the presence of U.S. troops around the world for every half-decade since 1950 plus 2007.
Use the slider at the base of the map to see a timed animation of troop strength from 1950 through 2007. Zooming into a region and placing the map cursor on a country lists the number of troops and stationed sites. The site describes the source being Pentagon worldwide troop data.
There are several maps to choose from – countries, continents and the world.
KGeography comes with six different ways of learning Geography.
1. Browse Map – With this option, a click on the map identifies the country, or state (province) with its capital. In case, the feature clicked is a country, you are presented with its flag too.
2. Click Division on Map – Select the number of questions you would like to attempt, and identify the country or state that is asked for by clicking on the map. The results are displayed once you are done with answering all the questions.
3. Guess Division From Its Capital – Select the number of questions just like the one above, and this time you’ve got to select country / state of the four options provided, for capitals. The map interface does not show up for this section.
4. Guess Capital of Division – Similar to guessing divisions from capitals, but the other way round. Select the right capital from the options provided for the country being questioned upon.
5. Guess Division From Its Flag – A flag is presented, with four options. Select the country that the flag belongs to. This option is disabled when the map is that of a country as individual states (provinces do not have flags in most of the countries.
6. Guess Flag of Division – Identify the right flag out of four option with pictures of flags, for the country / state in question.
Installation: Fire up the terminal and issue the command
sudo apt-get install kgeography and you have an interactive geography learning tool
If you are wondering as to why there is a change of Google logo on its homepage today, its because today is the longest day of the year aka Summer Solstice, and the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Today, the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer and on the day of Winter Solstice, around 22nd of December, the sun is overhead at noon at the Tropic of Capricorn, which marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
More on Solstices at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice
The Equator is an imaginary line that divides the earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Also known as the Great Circle, the Equator is at latitude 0 degree. Countries through which the Equator passes, experience quick sunrise and sunset and equal hours of day and night. Here’s a Google Maps Mashup of the countries that lie on the Equator.
