Look, we might be a bit biased, but we think that Planet Earth is the best place in our Solar System (and probably the Milky Way Galaxy)! Earth’s full of cute cats, plenty of bamboo to keep us from going hungry, and it’s where we keep all of our stuff. It’s also full of so many wonderful and beautiful things that we lost count… and tons of mysteries to uncover in the future. Heck, the vast majority of the ocean is still left unexplored!
What we’re trying to say is that it makes perfect sense to learn more about our home planet. Some choose to study biology and all living things, others focus on human beings via sociology or economics, but when it comes to the fundamentals, you can’t go wrong with geography. The subject goes far deeper than just rattling off a few capital city names from memory.
Today, we’re featuring the r/geography subreddit, a celebration of all things related to geography. (The name really says it all, doesn’t it?) Scroll down for some of their best posts and if you enjoyed them, consider joining the online community. Geographers, amateur and veteran alike, are all welcome. Got your pencils and notebooks ready? Ready to have some feeky fun? Thinking caps: on! Let’s go.
#1 This Person Really Took The Time To Travel To The Right Spot
Image credits: kajola1969
#2 Nice F*cking Meme Bro
Image credits: Zaxyon7
#3 Just Right!
Image credits: smell1s
Geography used to be one of the challenging yet rewarding subjects we learned back in school. Obviously, part of that meant committing the names of all the countries (and their capital cities) in the world, as well as names of rivers, seas, and other geographical features, to memory. And that meant a lot of work and anxiety when you were tested in front of the entire class.
And while some students definitely enjoyed all that, others found it stressful. What we really enjoyed doing was drawing maps and learning about all the different systems working in-sync on the planet. From how mountains form to how rivers ‘work’ and beyond.
#4 I Feel As If Someone Just Got Bored Of Naming Things Here
Image credits: TastyMiscarriageSmeg
#5 For All Those Namibia-Zimbabwe Border Posts, I Humbly Raise You This Unexpected Afghanistan-China Border Touch
Image credits: reddit.com
#6 Canadian-Us Border In Northern Idaho. They Cut Down All The Trees Along The Border To Mark It
Image credits: reddit.com
The r/geography subreddit is an academic community, so the posts there have to reflect that. “Geography is the study of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena, and goes far beyond simple location identifications on a map or general trivial information such as capital and country names,” the team running everything writes.
“Geographers have a special understanding about the Earth and global systems and use analytical skills and applied methods to answer questions about human and physical phenomena. In short, geographers are particularly good at determining the ‘Why of Where.’”
#7 Chile Is Gigalong!
Image credits: Icy_Resolution_454
#8 You Can Sail In A Straight Line From Chile To Spain Without Ever Crossing Land
Image credits: GreenKeel
#9 Pangea With Borders
Image credits: Gajakunne
Around since mid-Autumn of 2008, r/geography has carved out a nice niche for itself. At the time of writing, the sub had 157.7k members. There are actually a ton of geography-related subreddits (which makes our inner geeks really happy), and they’re all listed in r/geography’s sidebar.
So if you want to go down the rabbit hole and learn something new while being amazed by all the impressive photos from our planet, you’re given the keys to so much knowledge, all on a silver plate. Just keep in mind it’s like going on Wikipedia: before you know it, it’s several hours later and you totally got way too enraptured by what the digital library has to offer.
#10 Each Section Contains 10% Of The World’s Population!
Image credits: mukinabaht_t
#11 The Oldest Current National Flag
Image credits: SurtexX1
#12 Fun Fact I Found On A Snapple Cap
Image credits: Nfl-nbA
The r/geography subreddit encourages discussions of all branches of the subject, suggests that users link to original sources, and asks that all members assign a post flair when submitting something. Meanwhile, anyone with a degree in geography can ask the mods for a custom flair for their specific area of expertise which is actually a super cool idea and we hope more subs do this.
We feel like academically-focused subs are more important now than ever. With access to the internet, we have the ability to learn pretty much anything about anything, but there’s a downside to this. As information can spread very quickly, misinformation can, too. (Sometimes, even faster than facts.)
#13 When, As An American, You Think How Strange It Is For Russia To Have This Little, Unconnected Piece Of Land Surrounded By Another Country….then Remember Alaska
Image credits: Live_Dirt_6568
#14 A Map Of The World Centred Around New Zealand
Image credits: hashtheninja
#15 Iceland In The Winter
Image credits: rufctr3
One of the most eyebrow-raisingly ridiculous conspiracy theories is the Flat Earth theory. In short, proponents of the conspiracy believe (whether genuinely or just to get a following online) that world governments and the scientific community are supposedly lying to them about the shape of the Earth. In short, they think that it’s flat (or some other weird shape).
#16 Obviously By Area
Image credits: CrazyPhilHost1898
#17 Did You Know About The French Border With Brazil?
Image credits: gjarne
#18 Actually There Are Quite A Few Natural Borders In There
Image credits: teknicallyspeaking
While being skeptical of information and double-checking things yourself are an important part of the scientific tradition, there comes a point where questioning well-established facts and mistrusting everyone and everything turns from quirky to stubborn.
#19 Topography Of The Indian Subcontinent
Image credits: KingLeopldII
#20 Since Some People Didn’t Know What Landlocked Countries Were, I Decided To Make A Map
Image credits: Pythagoras-007
#21 I Always Thought This New Zealand Peninsula Was Strange, Can Someone Explain It?
Image credits: MickYeY
Lee McIntyre, from the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, explained to Bored Panda during a previous in-depth interview that Flat Earthers should be commended for actually testing out their hypotheses, but they don’t actually understand how science works.
“One of their main arguments was that if the Earth was spinning, the water would fall off. Do they not understand that gravitational pull comes from the center, is based on mass, and works on water too?”
#22 How Come We Aren’t Taught About The Mongol Empire That Much In School
Image credits: ErasableGhost
#23 Is This The Quickest Way To See 5 States? 1 Hour 44 Minutes And Barely 100 Miles
Image credits: reddit.com
#24 [close-Up View] Of Antarctica From Space
Image credits: reinascythe7
According to McIntyre, many Flat Earthers beliefs aren’t based on evidence in the first place. They keep moving the goalposts when debating scientists. For instance, if you ask a conspiracy theorist what kind of evidence would be sufficient to prove them wrong, the answer you get might reveal a lot about how they think.
“I used that question in person at FEIC [Flat Earth International Conference] 2018 and it was very telling. Most of them just said ‘proof’ and I said ‘proof of what?’ They couldn’t be specific,” McIntyre told Bored Panda.
#25 Stanislav Canyon, Kherson, Ukraine
Image credits: Roller-bon45
#26 Yep, There Is A Similarity
Image credits: rod_rys
#27 Mt. Fuji From The Iss
Image credits: ZannaSmanna
“At one session, I heard many Flat Earthers talk about losing family members, getting kicked out of their churches, losing jobs… who would do that for fun? These are hardcore science deniers. As hard as it might be to accept, there are people who believe this stuff and are willing even to put their lives on the line for it! One rocket guy crashed trying to prove Flat Earth. They aren’t pretending,” the expert said that there are quite a few people who genuinely believe in the conspiracy. So much so that they’re willing to risk their finances and reputation.
“Conspiracy theories have been around since Nero in the Roman Empire. They pop up in times of turmoil or mass unrest when people try to make sense of the world, but can’t. Flat Earth is in some ways just a run-of-the-mill conspiracy theory. They’ve all grown in popularity because beliefs (even fringe beliefs) are reinforced by peer approval, and that is now readily available on the internet. Virtually all of the flat earthers I met were converted based on YouTube videos. Some then went to the conferences. After that, they were ‘down the rabbit hole.’”
#28 The Lost City Of Djado, Sahara Desert, Niger
Image credits: reddit.com
#29 Canada Still Has 91% Of The Forest Cover That Existed At The Beginning Of The European Settlement
Image credits: WdrFgt
#30 Cross Sea Is A Very Beautiful And Rare Phenomenon That Happens When There Are 2 Wave Systems In The Sea Moving At Oblique Angles. It Might Be Beautiful From Above, But If You Get Caught In These Waves, Your Vessel Can Easily Turn Upside Down Or Lose Its Way
Image credits: JesseBBrown
According to McIntyre, Flat Earthers try to convert others to their cause. “It’s important to remember that these pathologies of human reasoning exist not just to defend themselves but to proselytize new members. They are virulent. They are infectious. I wish Flat Earth were the worst of them, but it isn’t. It’s the scourge of our age. And it will only continue to get worse.”
#31 If All The Ice Melted – Northern Europe Animated – A Sea Level Rise Of 70m
Image credits: cart-o
#32 Lake Chad In 1967 vs. Lake Chad Now
Image credits: yobbleyibble
#33 Uluru (Ayers Rock) From A Birds-Eye View
Image credits: rufctr3
#34 This Map Shows All Of The Earthquakes With A Magnitude Greater Than 5.0 Over The Last 20 Years
Image credits: symmy546
#35 States With A Lower Population Than New York City (Includes Dc)
Image credits: Zach-317
#36 Countries Mentioned Atleast Once In My History Books
Image credits: cal_asper
#37 The Republic Of Ireland Fits So Perfectly Onto South Korea
Image credits: A_LOW_IQ
#38 Beautiful Aerial View Of Venice, Italy
Image credits: ZannaSmanna
#39 This Is South Africa
Image credits: StayAway1989
#40 The Vasyugan Swamp Is The Largest Swamp In The World, Which Is Located In Russia. The Swamp Is The Same Size As Switzerland. There Are Legends That Atlantis Is Located Here
Image credits: Neonsky123
#41 America By Trump Administration
Image credits: PutOk4751
#42 Egypt’s Pyramids Of Giza May Be Considered One Of The Wonders Of The World, But Sudan Has Nearly Twice The Number Of Pyramids. Sudan Touts 200-255 Known Pyramids, Built For The Kushite Kingdoms Of Nubia, Compared To Egypt’s Relatively Paltry 138 Pyramids
Image credits: Nicat_95
#43 Is This A Secret Isolated Community?
Image credits: IronDrop
#44 Does Anyone Know What Causes This Chunk Of Light Pollution In Russia East Of The Ural?
Image credits: Heutz
#45 The Elevation And Depth For Great Lakes
Image credits: AustinYaoChen
#46 All Villages Called “Torre” In Italy. Why Are There So Many?
Image credits: Tashunka030
#47 This Is Me At The Lowest Point In Sweden, The Pole Indicates Sea Level
Image credits: kajola1969
#48 Topography Of South America
Image credits: Traditional_Cat_524
#49 Flew Over Horseshoe Bend In Arizona A Couple Weeks Ago, Thought Everyone Here Might Appreciate This!
Image credits: jaygeebee_
#50 Second Language
Image credits: PutOk4751
#51 40% Of Greece’s Population Lives In The Red Area
Image credits: arthropodus
#52 This Is Isla Incahuasi: A Small Rocky Outcropping In The Middle Of The Largest Salt Flat On Earth
Image credits: Terezzian
#53 Turkey Has A Territory In Sudan Ceded By The Sudanese Government For 99 Years In 2018: Suakin Island. Are There Other Territories With The Same Status In The World?
Image credits: blackgreenolive
#54 U.s Wildlife Diversity
Image credits: Realjakeparks
#55 I S L A N D S
Image credits: Konnarinari
#56 A Modern Photo Compared With A Photo Taken Over A Century Earlier In The Same Place
Image credits: birdyroger
#57 Can Someone Explain Me That??
Image credits: Jaygoon4250
#58 The Most English Speakers In The World
Image credits: ordinarymaps
#59 Russia Has A Larger Surface Area Then Pluto
Image credits: ghatroad
#60 A Relief Map I Made Of The Korean Peninsula Using A 1967 Map Of The Region
Image credits: irishliam
#61 Falkland Islands:we Did It Boys,argentina Is No More
Image credits: Fun-Gas-2419
#62 Exaggerated Relief Map Of Spain & Portugal
Image credits: irishliam
#63 Both Shapes Have Roughly The Same Amount Of People Inside Them (Around 720 Million) This Is As Of 2015 As Well, So It May Have Changed A Bit
Image credits: JakePTTN
#64 North Korea Has Some Amazing Mountains, I Do Hope We Can Visit Safely Someday
Image credits: 5thacex
#65 Everyone Has A Pool In The Montreal Suburbs
Image credits: Nicholas_Miranda
#66 The Amount Of Area The British Empire Controlled At It’s Peak (1920) Represented As A Single Landmass In Asia
Image credits: YT_PlasmaRanger
#67 Europe But Europe Colonized It
Image credits: kevinmrr
#68 Since Us Cultural Regions Are A Hot Topic, Wanted To Share A Map I Made A Couple Of Years Ago That “Mashes Up” The Most Popular Us Cultural Region Maps From Reddit In Order To Identify Core Regions And Transition Zones
Image credits: delugetheory
#69 Fun Fact!
Image credits: longpastlunchtime
#70 I Love This Map. Notice How Much The Culture Is Dependent On The Geography
Image credits: Venboven
#71 The Only Geography Lesson You Need
Image credits: reddit.com
#72 Marker At 90 Degrees North, Aka The Exact Geographic Point Of The North Pole
Image credits: reinascythe7
#73 A New Perspective (Map Mirrored)
Image credits: AnkiAnki33
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