Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Twelve Mile Circle

  • Double Landlocked Countries

    A landlocked country is one that does not have a coastline. Presently 43 landlocked countries exist so it’s not a particularly rare occurrence. However, two countries conform to “doubly landlocked” situations and that is much more unusual. Those occur when landlocked countries completely surround another landlocked country. Someone beginning a journey from a double landlocked…

  • Unusual Geography of the Republic of The Gambia

    Shape I don’t believe I’ve focused on the geography of an entire country before. However, the nation of The Gambia embodies so many interesting things to not focus some attention on it. First, notice the remarkable shape. It stretches long and narrow like a snake as it winds its way along the banks of the…

  • Mapping Endangered Species

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Program uses maps extensively. In turn, this helps website visitors conceptualize the imperilment of specific animals and plants within their area. The primary visual interface comes through their Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS). It lets users sort data stored in the system by various criteria, including by…

  • New Urbanism Viewed through Maps

    An urban design movement began to coalesce in the early 1980’s as a counterbalance to what planners and architects viewed as the sprawl of modern suburbs arising from the postwar environment. Practitioners called it “New Urbanism“. Organizations such as the Congress for the New Urbanism began to promote its hallmarks. Some of the features typical…

  • River Headwaters and Sources

    Long is the history of adventurers who explored distant lands and tangled jungles to find the true origin of mighty rivers. But rivers are not simple contiguous lines that trace back easily to a single spot. Rather they are widely spread watersheds that drain to a common outlet. There can be hundreds of liquid tendrils…

  • USA States Called Commonwealths

    The term “Commonwealth” breaks down into two basic components to understand its meaning. The “common” portion refers to the people or to the public. Meanwhile, “wealth” refers to well being or welfare. So commonwealth is a system of government that performs in the interests and well being of the people. It exists through their consent…

  • Brunei Exclave

    Once again I find myself pondering the mapping tools available through Google Analytics. I follow those daydreams to wherever they may lead. This time a visitor from Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei Darussalam caught my eye. So mentally I set off for the Southeast Asian island of Borneo to see what I might find. A…

  • Arkansas (finally) Checks In!

    Many of you will recall my recent posting about Google Analytics. It’s a wonderful tool that Google provides for people who like to leaf through maps for hours on end. It serves as such a delightful diversion. In that post I whined a bit about a lack of traffic from Arkansas. I’d installed Google Analytics…

  • The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

    The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries is an ongoing project undertaken by the Newberry Library in Chicago. When fully completed, the effort will result in the presentation of all United States county boundary changes. These stretch from their creation during colonial times all the way through the 21st Century. The Newberry Library explains why it…

  • Canada Draining to the Gulf of Mexico

    Several distinct continental divides cross through Canada. Water flows eventually to one of five different bodies of water depending on its point of origination. Huge portions of Canadian territory rest within watersheds draining to the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, and Hudson Bay. However one small corner of Alberta and Saskatchewan drains to the Gulf…

Latest Comments

  1. I’ve enjoyed your Hawaii reports. I’ve visited 4 times, between 1976 and 2007, but no plans to return. In 1976…

  2. The British flag continues to fly at Roche Harbor, a couple miles north of English Camp.

  4. Been there Once for a few years. In 76 &77. Ran cooperative store. Even though it was very isolated It…

  5. As an Alaskan I always wondered why Interstates were a big deal. From my point of view a road went…