Geography Story Briefs

Geography provides a sense of place. What a country has, in terms of strategic location and natural resources, can determine its role in the world. See why geography matters in this collection of stories.

Long before anyone could actually build "The Golden Gate Bridge,'' the narrow passage of deep and turbulent water connecting the Pacific to the San Fr...

John Sutter grew to rue the day he found gold at Sutter's Mill. Where were the gold fields located which drew so many settlers to California?

The Grand Canyon, one of the world's most stunning natural wonders, became an American national monument in 1908.

Photograph of the Granicus River as it appears today. Alexander the Great and his troops defeated the Persians at this river in 334 BC.

The Great Depression forced Americans to rethink how, and where, they lived. Some people, in Pie Town, built dugout homes to shelter their families.

In 1923, a major earthquake - known as the "Great Kanto" quake - devastated Tokyo and nearby Yokohama on September 1. It remains one of themost destru...

As oil continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, from the uncapped well at Mississippi Canyon 252, BP (British Petroleum) and the U.S. federal gover...

When the earthquake struck Haiti on the 12th of January, 2010, massive damage and loss of life were not limited to Port-au-Prince and its immediate su...

In this scene from Kenneth Branagh's version of Henry V, released in 1989, we see the English king and his men assessing both French and English losse...

The Hindu Kush, made famous by Alexander the Great during his conquering-travels east, is the main mountain range of Afghanistan.

Winston Churchill refers to the endless U-boat attacks, during the Battle of the Atlantic, as the "U-Boat Peril." His choice of words underscores the ...

For most of World War II, Germany provided its citizens with newsreel updates on the wars progress. This one depicts the invasion, and fall, of Belgiu...

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