Know where you are

Posted by Terry Garcia, Executive VP Mission Programs, National Geographic

Welcome to Geography Awareness Week 2006.

National Geographic has been exploring and inspiring people to care about the planet for more than a century. But today -- with new geo-technologies such as Google Earth, Google Maps and the National Geographic-ESRI MapMachine — anyone hooked into the web can explore any place on Earth at the click of a mouse. Caring begins with seeing, and there’s no better way to see a place than to be there. So we know these new geographic tools mean better stewardship of our world’s extraordinary places, animals, and cultures.

This year we’re celebrating Africa. My Wonderful World — the National Geographic-led campaign for geographic literacy — has teamed up with Google to create a new Geography Awareness Quiz on Google Earth that lets you test your global IQ as you tour the continent.

All week, we’ll also highlight innovative projects that bring Africa to the rest of the world, such as Michael Fay’s Megaflyover, National Geographic magazine’s coverage of Africa on Google Earth, and the Koobi Fora Research Project -- on our My Wonderful World blog. We hope you’ll join us!