GEOGRAPHY

News anchors have mastered the art of being linguistically neutral.

Why Do So Many News Anchors Sound Alike?

No matter where you are in the country, local and national news anchors have the same vocal delivery. There's a good reason why they learn it.

James Cook's journeys took him to New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii.

12 Adventurous Facts About James Cook

James Cook was the first European to sail around New Zealand, land on Australia's east coast, and set foot on the Hawaiian Islands.

Lítla Dímun: The Smallest of the Faroe Islands Has Its Very Own Cloud

Thanks to an interesting weather phenomenon, Lítla Dímun in Denmark's Faroe Islands is often capped by a flying-saucer-shaped cloud.

The Netherlands Is Asking the World Not to Call It “Holland” Anymore—Here’s Why

It’s part of a tourism campaign to take the heat off clogged vacation spots like Amsterdam and other popular cities.

7 Mysterious Geological Formations That Still Baffle Scientists

From a lake the color of Pepto-Bismol to mysterious rock rings in the Sahara Desert, these strange geological wonders continue to stump scientists.

11 Apps That Will Make You Feel Smarter

Your smartphone is the window to all the knowledge in the world—and these apps will help you unlock it.

The sign on the train station platform helps you pronounce this 58-letter-long Welsh town name.

11 Weird Place Names From Around the World

Is Eggs and Bacon Bay as delicious as it sounds? Will the Disappointment Islands disappoint you? Find out here.

The World’s Steepest Street Is in Harlech, Wales

Will New Zealand decide to repave Baldwin Street to steal back the honor from Wales? One resident hopes so.

Why is North Always Up on Maps?

Magnetic north is shifting towards Siberia, but that doesn't quite explain why maps put north at the top.

11 Totally Redundant Place Names

Pendle Hill is really Hill Hill Hill. Here are 11 others like that.

Meet the Exclusive Travel Club for People Who Have Been to 100 or More Countries

It has about 1500 members.

8 Hand-Drawn Maps and Illustrations from a 16th-Century Navigational Guide

Les Premières Œuvres de Jacques Devaulx showed the way to the New World in 1583.

Inside the Coldest City in the World, Where It Snows 270 Days a Year

Norilsk is among Russia's coldest, richest, and most polluted places—and 175,000 people call it home.

The 10 Most Stressed-Out States in America

Take a deep breath and read on.

See How Metros in the World's Biggest Cities Intersect on Aerial Maps

See cities like London and New York as you've never seen them before.

The Florida Beach Town Where the Amish Go on Vacation

With the arrival of low temperatures and the slowdown of the farming season, thousands of Amish people in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania will pack their bags and head south to "The Amish Las Vegas."

Michael Swigart, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

15 U.S. Town and City Names With Unusual Backstories

While many towns in the U.S. were named after historical figures or nearby topographical phenomena, some monikers have origin stories that are a little more unusual.