By: Priscilla Yu,
on 12/17/2015
This July, a NASA space probe completed our set of images of the planets, at least as I knew them growing up. New Horizons, a probe that launched back in 2006, arrived at Pluto and its moons, and over a very brief encounter, started to send back thousands of images of this hitherto barely known place.
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By: Priscilla Yu,
on 12/10/2015
Nepal has had an extraordinarily eventful 2015. It has been rocked by catastrophic earthquakes and burdened by a blockade from India, but it has also (finally) passed a new constitution and elected its first female head of state, Bidya Devi Bhandari, who took office in October.
The post Welcome to Sital Niwas, Madame President appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Connie Ngo,
on 12/3/2015
With the ballots cast and the year winding down, we recognize Nepal as Oxford's Place of the Year 2015. The country came into the global spotlight back in April, when a devastating earthquake took over 9,000 lives and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Months later, critics point at the slow-moving recovery process that has still a far way to go before Nepal can resume normal operations.
The post The Oxford Place of the Year 2015 is… appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Connie Ngo,
on 10/22/2015
You don't need to follow the news too closely to know that 2015 has been a roller coaster of a year. Last week we announced our longlist for Place of the Year 2015, but since then some of you have been asking, "why is x included?", or "why is y worth our attention?"
The post Place of the Year 2015: behind the longlist appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Connie Ngo,
on 10/15/2015
Today we officially launch our efforts to discover what should be the Place of the Year 2015, coinciding with the publication of the Atlas of the World, 22nd edition--the only atlas that's updated annually to reflect current events and politics.
The post Announcing Place of the Year 2015 longlist: vote for your pick appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Julia Callaway,
on 12/2/2014
With the announcement of Scotland as Place of the Year for 2014, we’re looking back at some of the key events that put Scotland in the news this year. News of the Scottish Independence Referendum dominated the headlines, and politicians, economists, and analysts discussed and debated Scotland’s role both in Europe and on the global market. However, a number of other important events also put Scotland in the news this year, including playing host to multiple sporting events, passing a bill that will legalize marriage in December 2014, and seeing the first female First Minister of Scotland take office. Here is a look back at Scotland in 2014, in pictures.
In February 2014, Scottish Parliament votes overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. The bill received Royal Assent on 12 March, and will take effect in December 2014. (Image: Rainbow flag breeze by Benson Kua. CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
June 2014 marked the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, which saw a victory for Scotland in the First War of Scottish Independence in 1314. (Image: Battle of Bannockburn from a 1440s manuscript of Walter Bower’s Scotichronicon. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.)
The XX Commonwealth Games took place in July and August 2014 in Glasgow. Athletes and fans from all over the world descended on the city to compete for and cheer on their teams. Teams with the highest medal count were England, Australia, and Canada, with Scotland coming fourth. (Image: Commonwealth Games 2014 by Graham Campbell. CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)
The Scottish Independence Referendum, which took place in September 2014, asked the question “should Scotland be an independent country?” About 45% of the country said “yes”. (Image: A Scottish Independence Referendum campaign sign at Eyemouth. ©Walter Baxter. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph.org.uk.)
About 55% of the Scottish population voted “no” in the Referendum. (Image: A No Thanks sign at Clovenfords. ©Walter Baxter. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Geograph.org.uk.)
After Scottish residents vote “no” in the referendum, Alex Salmond announced his resignation as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. (Image: Alex Salmond in 2007 by the Scottish Government. CC-BY-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)
Scotland held a second major international sporting event in 2014, the 40th Ryder Cup, which was held at the Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder in Perthshire. (Image: Gleneagles Hotel and grounds by Simon Ledingham. CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)
Nicola Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond as leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland after she was the only candidate to put their name forward in the party’s leadership election. She is the the first woman to hold either of these positions. (Image: Nicola Sturgeon by The Scottish Government. Open Government Licence v1.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
In December 2014, Dundee became the UK’s first UNESCO City of Design, for its “diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics, and video games,” according to BBC News. (Image: Midsummer night by Val Vannet. CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Heading image: Flag of Scotland by Cayetano. CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The post Looking back at Scotland in 2014 appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Molly Grote,
on 10/27/2014
As voting continues on the longlist for Place of the Year 2014, we decided to take a look at the past and present of each of the nominees. Check out the images in the slideshow to see, and make sure to vote for your Place of the Year below.
Yazidis on Mount Sinjar in the 1920s. Photo by Sarrafian brothers of Beirut, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Yazidis sought refuge from the threat of ISIS in the Sinjar mountains in 2014. Photo by Rachel Unkovic/International Rescue Committee, CC-BY-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Map of the west coast of Africa, featuring Liberia, 1830. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Foreign aid has poured into Liberia and its neighboring countries as a result of the Ebola virus ravaging the area. Photo by DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.
Denver, Colorado in 1972. Photo by Bruce McAllister, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
After much debate, Colorado legalized marijuana in 2014. Photo by Kent Kanouse, CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr.
Gaza under British occupation after World War I. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
In 2014, tensions between Hamas and Israel erupted in Gaza. Photo by Boris Niehaus, CC-BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Scotland was made part of the United Kingdom by the Articles of Union in 1706, pictured here. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
The Scottish independence referendum held in September 2014 resulted in the country remaining part of the United Kingdom. Photo by eltpics, CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr.
A group of families in St. Louis protesting desegregation in the 1960s. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
The protests following the fatal shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri (part of St. Louis County) got the world’s attention. Photo by peoplesworld, CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr.
Brazilian soccer match, 1914. Photo by Daily Mirror, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Brazil hosted the World Cup in summer 2014. Photo by Danilo Borges/Portal da Copa, CC-BY-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Sanatorium in Sochi, Russia in the early 20th century. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
The Olympic stadium in Sochi, Russia, where the winter games took place in 2014. Photo by Val 202, CC 2.0 via Flickr.
Kharkov, Ukraine in the 1980s. Photo by Л.П. Джепко, CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The disputed Crimean borders have led to rampant violence and destruction in Ukraine this year. Photo by Michael Kötter, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 via Flickr.
Phosphate mining in Nauru, 1908. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
The photographer of this image notes in the original posting on Flickr that the limestone karst depicted developed because of over-mining phosphate. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 via Flickr.
If you have another ideas for what you think Place of the Year 2014 should be, please post it in the comments section. Keep following along with #POTY2014 until our announcement on 1 December to see which location will join previous winners.
What do you think Place of the Year 2014 should be?
Featured image credit: The Ortelius World Map by Abraham Ortelius, 1570. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
The post Place of the Year 2014: the longlist, then and now appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Connie Ngo,
on 10/20/2014
Voting for the 2014 Atlas Place of the Year is now underway. However, you still be curious about the nominees. What makes them so special? Each year, we put the spotlight on the top locations in the world that make us go, “wow”. For good or for bad, this year’s longlist is quite the round-up.
Just hover over the place-markers on the map to learn a bit more about this year’s nominations.
Image Credits: Ferguson: “Cops Kill Kids”. Photo by Shawn Semmler. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr. Liberia: Ebola Virus Particles. Photo by NIAID. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr. Ukraine: Euromaiden in Kiev 2014-02-19 10-22. Photo by Amakuha. CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Colorado: Grow House 105. Photo by Coleen Whitfield. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr. Nauru: In front of the Menen. Photo by Sean Kelleher. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr. Sochi: Olympic Park Flags (2). Photo by american_rugbler. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr. Mount Sinjar: Sinjar Karst. Photo by Cpl. Dean Davis. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Gaza: The home of the Kware family after it was bombed by the military. Photo by B’Tselem. CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Scotland: Vandalised no thanks sign. Photo by kay roxby. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr. Brazil: World Cup stuff, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (15). Photo by Jorge in Brazil. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.
Heading image: Old Globe by Petar Milošević. CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The post Place of the Year 2014: behind the longlist appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Molly Grote,
on 10/13/2014
With the end of 2014 approaching and the publication of the 21st edition of Oxford’s Atlas of the World, we’re considering the most noteworthy places from the past year with our annual Place of the Year (POTY) campaign.
We’ve compiled a long list of ten places that stood out to us in 2014, and you can vote for your favorite below. Additionally, we’d love to receive nominations that are not included on this long list, and those can be submitted via the comments section. Follow along with #POTY2014 until our announcement on 1 December.
What do you think Place of the Year 2014 should be?
As can be seen in the video we put together of a few of our past winners, Places of the Year have been as geographically varied as Warming Island and Mars, so feel free to be as imaginative as you’d like with your nominations. We will post the short list on November 3, and the Place of the Year 2014 will be announced on December 1. In the interim, be on the lookout for more information on this year’s nominees as well as past winners with maps, videos, and more.
Image credit: World map made with natural earth data, Eckert 4 projection, central meridian 10° east. CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The post Announcing Place of the Year 2014 longlist: Vote for your pick appeared first on OUPblog.
