JWK Geography

Trade is an economic activity, but its greatest impact may turn out to be biological. Charles C. Mann, author of 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created, on the world made by Columbus and his seafaring heirs.

This photographic report exposes the proliferation of processed foods in the western diet and in the diets of many developing countries the world over. Is it any wonder that we are seeing increases in diet & lifestyle related diseases?

United States President Barack Obama has signed a bill into law that was written in part by the very billion-dollar corporation that will benefit directly from the legislation.

Climate Desk breaks down the pollutants Beijingers are pulling into their lungs during this week's record wave of pollution.

In a cluster of quiet mountain villages in Sardinia, Italy, something unusual is happening. A remarkable number of people are living into their hundreds.

The death toll in devastated Syria has now surpassed an estimated 60,000 people, the United Nations said Wednesday, a dramatic figure that is still climbing.

  In my final article of 2012, I looked back at the year in review, to honor important recent work worth celebrating.  For my first one of 2013, let’s look ahead.  Here are some stories I’ll be paying attention to...

Use our tools to explore the world, learn about human and physical patterns, and make your own maps.

At first glance, the river may seem a near-wilderness. On closer inspection, the Mekong and its banks are more like an unruly linear farm.

Backers say GMOs help farmers produce more, but greens and some politicos fear the risks of tinkering with crops’ DNA.

What if you put all 7 billion humans into one city, a city as dense as New York, with its towers and skyscrapers? How big would that 7 billion-sized city be? As big as New Jersey? Texas? Bigger? Are cities protecting wild spaces on the planet?

While the F.D.A. can see what kinds of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are coming out of livestock facilities, the agency knows little about the antibiotics that are being fed to the animals.

Data on the state’s international refugee resettlement offer a primer on the sweep of recent world history and a window into U.S. foreign policy.

A newly issued Chinese passport featuring a map that lays claim to disputed territory with several neighboring countries is only the latest case of cartographic aggression.

Here's why you should pay attention to Nigeria and internet freedom in the coming year.

Southeast Asia’s rail network is mostly outdated, but some countries are considering building high-speed trains.

How big a threat is the rising number of natural disasters to the rapid economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region?

Property values have soared in some neighborhoods. But other parts of the borough have been largely excluded from the boom.

You can go to almost any cubic foot of ocean, stream, coral, backyard, ice shelves even, and if you look, you'll find scores of little animals and plants busy making a living.

Big risk for big reward.  Our use of industrial monoculture crops lives little options for other life forms.  We risk sustainbility and biodiversity for immediate mass production.