The History of New Zealand begins in the Middle Ages, when humans first arrived in the form of the Polynesian explorer Kupe. New Zealand was the last significant land mass on Earth to be settled by humans. The following five centuries saw the development of what became the Maori culture. The first European to sight the islands was Abel Tasman in 1642, but it was Cook in 1769 that thoroughly mapped the islands, leading the way for the first European settlers in the following decades.
Edwin
The 2,000 Year Search for the Source of the Nile River
The Nile River. Possibly the longest river in the world, but certainly the most storied in history. Without the Nile, the civilizaiton of Ancient Egypt would have never existed. To the Ancient Greeks and Romans the source of the Nile was a question that vexxed them for centuries. This quest to find the source of the river would be the longest running question in geographic history. And its answer wouldn’t come until only 160 years ago.
The Krakatoa Volcanic Eruption of 1883 – The Loudest Sound Ever Heard?
In 1883, possibly the loudest sound ever heard, detonated in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, Indonesia. The source of this explosion? A volcano that has gone down in infamy. Over 36,000 lives were lost in the ensuing pyroclastic flows and tsunami, and is the second deadliest volcanic eruption in recorded history. This is Infamous Geography. This is Krakatoa.
In this video, I look at the causes of the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate under the Sunda Plate, as part of the Pacific Ring of Fire that has led to Indonesia having the largest number of active volcanoes of any country. I look in detail at the colossal 1883 eruption, the sounds that it made that put it into the record books, and the killer pyroclastic flows and tsunami that led to so many lives lost.
I then look at Krakatoa in the context of other historical eruptions and as measured by the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). Mount Tambora and Mount Toba, also in the same region are notable examples of other massive volcanic eruptions in recorded and geological history.
Lastly, I look at how the numerous volcanoes on Java have led to this island being the most populated on Earth, and end with a glimpse at what might lie in Krakatoa’s future.
Sweden: History, Geography, Economy & Culture
Sweden’s influence in the world is huge in comparison to its population size. Why is this? What is it in the culture and people of Sweden that makes it so disproportionately influential? In this video I hope to provide the answer by an examination of some facts about Sweden, its history and geography.
The Northwest Passage – The Quick Northern Sea Route That Never Was
A sea-route that would connect Europe to the riches of Asia. Its there somewhere, over the north of the continent of America. So was the thought in the minds of thousands of merchants, explorers and kings in an obsession that would grip the sea-faring nations of Europe for four centuries. If only they knew the truth of the Arctic Archipelago of Northern Canada. A barren, frozen complex of land and sea about as hostile an environment as any to be found on Earth. A crusher of ships, and the grave of those arrogant enough to believe it was theirs to conquer. This is infamous geography. This is the Northwest Passage.
Shallow Seas – Continental Shelf, Coral, Plankton and Kelp
Coral Reefs, seaweed, kelp and plankton. Just a handful of lifeforms that we find in waters where light can reach, where plankton can photosynthesise, and for a complex array of plants and animals to build upon that in a food chain. In this video, I explore the origins of Earth’s seas, continental shelfs, and how life has developed within this biome.
The Subtropical Question – More on Oceanic and Humid Subtropical Climates
New York is Subtropical. Really? According to the Koppen Climate Classification, it has the same Humid Subtropical Climate as New Orleans in the Deep South. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? And what about Bogota, Colombia having the same climate as London. That can’t be right, surely. But Koppen put them both in the same Oceanic Climate Zone. In this video I break apart these zones into different sub-types based upon winter temperatures.
Highlands – Montane Forests, Alpine Meadows, Tropical Moorlands
What happens when you take one of the many sea-level biomes that we’ve looked at in this series, and climb into the mountains? How does cooling temperatures affect the type of plants that can grow. The answer varies depending upon whether you’re in the tropics, or temperate regions, whether the conditions are wet or dry. Join me as I explore the most spectacular scenery on our planet – the Highlands of Earth.
Microclimates – Sudden climatic shifts over just a few miles
Microclimates – dramatic shifts in temperature, rainfall or both over just a few kilometers or miles. How are these sudden shifts possible. In this video I look at the five basic types of microclimates, with a particular focus on how closeness to the ocean can impact.
The Philippines: History, Geography, Economy & Culture
An archipelago of 7,600 islands, where South-East Asia meets the Pacific. The Philippine Islands are the large islands of Luzon and Mindanao, and the collection of smaller islands between, known as the Visayas, with Palawan far to the west.