Geography By Geoff

New video out now! Nova Scotia is armed with one of the greatest deep-water harbors on Earth. And back in the 1800s, it was a wealthy, global maritime titan. It should have become the undisputed economic and cultural anchor of Canada’s east coast. Instead, its population stalled, and it spent much of the 20th century economically sidelined. So what went wrong? How did a province with such massive geographic potential get left behind? The answer involves a giant river, the harshest ocean weather on the planet, and a bizarre geopolitical trap. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/YZZ_R1bvnpg

New video out now! If you look at Europe at night, the coastlines are practically glowing. From Rome to Amsterdam to Copenhagen, Europeans love to build massive, wealthy cities right on the ocean. But right here, along the northwest coast of Germany, the map suddenly goes dark. For hundreds of miles, featuring some of the most strategically valuable coastline in the world... there is almost nothing. No sprawling metropolises. No massive skyline. Just empty space. So why doesn’t Germany, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, have a major city in such a valuable location? Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/2VS3KSOPBlM

New video out now! Deep in Africa’s largest lake sits a barren rock the size of half a football field. It has no topsoil, no fresh water, and barely enough room to walk. Yet, hundreds of people are crammed onto it, sparking a bitter, ongoing military standoff between Kenya and Uganda. Why? Because the deep waters surrounding this tiny, metallic slum hold a billion-dollar geographic secret. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/HmCx9yKXAcA

South Africa is the economic giant of the African continent. It has gold, diamonds, and borders two massive oceans. But it also has a fatal flaw. The country is drying out, and the only thing keeping its industrial heart from total collapse is this small, independent hole in the map. So why can’t South Africa and its largest city Johannesburg survive without this tiny country? Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/S35LwunxAj8

New video out now! Puerto Rico is part of the United States but it often doesn’t really feel like it. Mostly because while the rest of the country has prospered, Puerto Rico has stalled out completely. And while it might seem like just a run of bad luck, the reality is that the very country that controls Puerto Rico, the United States, is also the one that is strangling it. Watch the full video right here: https://youtu.be/o-zdFr6XD8E