Maps and Geography (5C11)

Date: 13/12/2024

Good morning Principal, teachers and fellow schoolmates, I am Yeung Wing Maylie from class 5C. The book I would like to introduce to you is titled  Maps and Geography, authored by Ken Jennings. It consists of seven chapters, each focusing on a distinct topic. The subjects covered include the historical development of geography, the relationship between maps and myths, the wonders of the marine world, as well as cities and landmarks.

This book is a delightful read, full of fascinating facts. While some of these may already be familiar to you, others will likely surprise you. For instance, you may know that the Amazon rainforest is one of the wettest places on Earth, receiving astonishing amounts of rainfall each year. However, did you know that Antarctica is actually one of the driest places on the planet? It may seem hard to believe, but despite being covered in ice, Antarctica receives almost no precipitation at all.

Now, let me pose a question to you: do you know which region is larger in their land area, Greenland or Africa? When we look at a world map, Greenland appears to be larger than Africa in the upper left corner. However, in reality, its area is significantly smaller. Why does this happen? The answer lies in the projection methods created by Gerardus Mercator used to create maps. While we understand that the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere, maps are two-dimensional representations, leading to distortions in shape and size. This phenomenon is same as flattening an orange peel into a rectangle plane, this makes Greenland appear much larger on the map than it actually is.

Geography is crucial to our understanding of the world, yet many people lack fundamental geographical knowledge. For example, the book discusses a survey conducted by National Geographic, which showed troubling statistics among American university students: only 79% could locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, 50% could not find New York, and 88% could not identify Afghanistan. These results indicate that students today, whether in secondary school or university, are badly in need of basic geographical education. Maps and Geography addresses this gap in knowledge in a captivating way, making it an excellent resource for readers of all ages. I highly recommend it to you.

Before I conclude, I have one final question: what is the largest island in the world? If you want to discover the answer, I encourage you to grab this book and dive in. You’ll soon find yourself being an expert in geography!