I used to have a recurring feature on geography, focusing mostly on areas of the world that are less familiar to the average citizen of the USA. Sometimes that included myself in spite of my fondness for geography.
As a student of history, I have to pay attention to geography. As I read or listen to lectures, it is immensely useful to have a sense of location. Additionally, as citizens of the world we should all know this stuff.
In recent months I have listened to lectures on late antiquity and the middle ages. I am currently taking Russian courses at the University of New Mexico (along with survey of Italian literature). It dawned on me that I am woefully forgetful of geography in the areas pictured above. So I am sharing a look at Eastern Europe for us all to absorb.
The map below is from the Danube River Project.
I post it as something of a confession. Listening to lectures that discuss migrations and barbarians crossing the Danube to enter the Roman Empire, I realized I was a bit hazy on "the beautiful blue Danube." Really embarrassing, actually, given my studies in the period from the late Roman Republic through the Renaissance and Reformation eras. So here we can all get a glimpse of its extent. My discomfort can be transformed into a learning moment for us all.
This post is cursory since I am not adding much further information but I believe it would be nice to restore the geography blogging posts.
--the BB
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