Programs

001. One Earth, Many Scales - Lost in Space? Geography Training for Astronauts - Preparation for a NASA Shuttle mission provides context for introducing key issues in physical geography and human-environmental interaction. Globalization and Revolt - Why do the forces of globalization seem to draw some places closer together and cause others to pull farther apart?

002. Boundaries and Borderlands - Twin Cities, Divided Lives - A single Mexican mother’s daily struggle for survival introduces us to concepts of relative location and geographic regions. Operation Hold the Line - The U.S.-Mexico borderlands form a unified cultural and economic region with qualities of both nations.

003. Supranationalism and Devolution -Strasbourg: Symbol of a United Europe - The city of Strasbourg is one locus of power in an increasingly supranationalist Europe. Slovakia: New Sovereignty - Since Czechoslovakia separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, how have the Slovaks fared?

004. East Looks West -Berlin: United We Stand - Berlin is now capital of a reunified Germany and a symbol of a more unified Europe. But the integration of East Berlin requires urban reorganization and economic expansion. Poland: Diffusion of Democracy - Strategies for spreading democracy through Poland required a decidedly spatial approach.

005. The Transforming Industrial Heartland - Liverpool: A Tale of Two Cities - Can European Union investment and the growth of service industries turn the tide of economic decline? Randstad: Preserving the Green Heart - Small, crowded Netherlands strives to maintain its transportation connections while preserving dwindling green space.

006. Challenges in the Hinterlands - Andalucia: Developments in the Hinterlands - Spanish Andalucia struggles to move beyond tourism and agriculture to integrate with Europe’s heartland. Iceland: Edge of the Habitable World - At the borders of the habitable world, Iceland must balance sustainable fish harvests with social costs.

007. Northwest Contrast -St. Petersburg: Russia’s Window on the West - What challenges continue to face this Russian port in post-Soviet society? Vologda: Russian Farming in Flux - How have previously state-owned collective farms changed with privatization?

008. Holding the Hinterlands - Dagestan: Caucuses Disconnect? - The ethnically diverse, Islamic republic of Dagestan contrasts with neighboring Chechnya where rebels fight for independence. Bratsk: The Legacy of Central Planning - Communist ambitions create the world’s largest hydroelectric project followed by a Russian city in the middle of Siberia.

009. Changes on the Chang Jiang - Shanghai: Head of the Dragon - Shanghai enters the 21st century on a wave of development, ready to reclaim its legacy as China’s commercial center. Sijia: Small Town, Big Change - The steady growth of a township enterprise illustrates three great contrasts in modern China: rural vs. urban, agricultural vs. industrial, coastal vs. interior.

010. The Booming Maritime Edge - Guangdong: Globalization in the Pearl River Delta - This program explores globalization and the effects of modernization on Chinese society. Taiwan: High-Tech Tiger - What factors contributed to Taiwan’s emergence as a high-tech powerhouse?

011. A Challenge for Two Old Cities - Lanzhou: Confluence of Cultures - We travel to the frontiers of Han and Muslim China in the city of Lanzhou. Shenyang: Hope for China’s Rust Belt? - A previously dynamic industrial city continues to struggle with modernizing its manufacturing infrastructure.

012. Small Farms, Big Cities - Northern Japan: Protecting the Harvest - Japanese rice farmers battle destructive weather in order to save their crops. Tokyo: Anatomy of a Mega-City - The continuing expansion of the Tokyo megalopolis leads to ever longer commutes and demand for suburban housing.

013. The Mainland - Laos: Isolated Heart - Laos is emerging from isolation to join the global economy as an exporter of hydroelectric power. Vietnam: Fertile Dreams - As the world’s second largest rice exporter, Vietnam’s booming economy is evident in the explosive growth of Ho Chi Minh City.

014. The Maritime Connection - Indonesia: Tourist Invasion - Their culture once imperiled by hordes of tourists, Balinese residents have developed strategies to profit from the tourist industry while maintaining cultural integrity. Multi-Cultural Malaysia - Amidst growing pressures from Islamic militants, social and economic programs seek to build tolerance among Malaysia’s diverse cultures.

015. Global Interaction - Singapore: Gateway to Southeast Asia - High-tech infrastructure, a well-educated workforce and strict government repression have all helped Singapore become a pre-eminent port and one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Australia: New Links to Asia - Australia shifts its trade from Europe to the Asian “economic tigers.”

016. Urban and Rural Contrasts - Delhi: Bursting at the Seams - The ever-expanding capital of India continues to act as a magnet, pulling millions of Indians away from the hardships of the rural countryside. Dikhatpura: Help Through Irrigation - In rural India, creating sustainable agricultural development proves a challenging proposition.

017. Sacred Space, Secular States? - Jerusalem: Capital of Two States? - Can the historical and political geography of this holy city provide clues to a peaceful resolution between Jews and Palestinians? Turkey: Fundamental Change - At the edge of Europe, Turkey hopes to take economic advantage of its proximity to the western world.

018. Oil and Water - Egypt: Gift of the Nile - This program investigates Egypt's limited natural resources, focusing on that nation's dependence on the Nile River. Oman: Looking Beyond Oil - Having benefited greatly from its relatively modest oil reserves, Oman looks to diversify its economy for future growth.

019. Strength To Overcome - South Africa: This Land Is My Land - South Africa continues to face many challenges in redressing the land inequities under apartheid. Kenya: Medical Geography - AIDS has become one of the biggest killers in Kenya. How can geography help understand disease?

020. Developing Countries - Cote d’Ivoire: Cocoa and Change — Cote d’Ivoire has long been the world’s largest producer of cocoa, but has recently faced economic downturns and loss of its historically stable government. Gabon: Sustainable Resources? — In one of Africa's wealthiest countries, oil revenues have declined, putting new pressure on the country's timber resources.

021. Population Geography - Mexico: Motive To Migrate - A geographer's research reveals a major source of Mexican migration: the North-Central "Hollow Core." Guatemala: Population and Conquest - Every year a greater number of Maya Indian victims of "continuing conquest" must share inadequate agricultural resources.

022. Dynamic Pacific Rim - Ecuador: Orange Alert - When scientists monitoring the Tungurahua Volcano see dangerous signs, they have to advise the government: evacuate or remain? Chile: Pacific Rim Player - Bordered to the east by the towering Andes Mountains and to the west by the Pacific Ocean, Chile enjoys continued economic growth.

023. Brazil: The Sleeping Giant - Sao Paulo: The Outer Ring - The sprawling mega-city of Sao Paulo is evidence that Latin America is among the most rapidly urbanizing regions. A Second Chance for Amazonia? - An American scientist discovers new possibilities for sustainable development in the Amazon basin.

024. Cityscapes, Suburban Sprawl - Boston: Ethnic Mosaic - How has federal empowerment zone funding helped Boston's diverse but poor neighborhoods? Chicago: Farming on the Edge - As in many areas of the U.S., suburban Chicago just keeps expanding into the surrounding countryside.

025. Ethnic Fragmentation in Canada - Vancouver: Hong Kong East - Prior to the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong, thousands of wealthy businessmen moved their families to Vancouver, causing a collision of cultures. What has happened since 1997? Montreal: An Island of French - Trying to preserve their culture, Quebec welcomes immigrants and pays to teach them French.

026. Regions and Economies - Oregon: A Fight for Water - Native Americans and farmers compete for a scarce resource: water. U.S. Midwest: Spatial Innovations - In the U.S. Midwest, an influx of Japanese automakers has brought more than just new factories to this once-declining manufacturing region.