Be a World Traveler

April 19, 2012

• Gaza City was founded around 3,000 BC and is one of the oldest cities in the world.
• Quebec produces 75% of the world’s maple syrup.
• The largest Japanese community outside of Japan is in Brazil.
• Missouri gets its name from the Missouri tribe.  The word means “town of the large canoes.”

These are a few of the interesting facts you can learn about in MCPL's Culture Grams database… one of my personal favorites. Culture Grams is divided into four different sections: the World Edition, the States Edition, Provinces, and Kids. Culture Grams includes a huge amount of information on more than 200 countries and all 50 states. The Kids’ edition contains recipes and all kinds of fun facts on over 80 countries. If you’re looking for a map, try Culture Grams. Culture Grams now includes maps from National Geographic as well as many simple, outline, political and physical maps.
 
Another terrific database is World Geography and Culture Online. It offers printable flags, maps, etc. of the U.S. and Canadian provinces, and many other interesting places. In addition, with World Geography and Culture Online, you can create graphs to compare up to four states or countries at a time. How fun! 
 
A few of my other top database picks for geography are ABC-CLIO World Geography and Lands and Peoples. However, if you’re looking for information on the U.S., I also enjoy America the Beautiful and ABC-CLIO United States Geography. 

So, if you love to travel, even if it’s just from your armchair, if you’re doing school work, or if you have an insatiable (though somewhat nerdy) interest in maps, graphs, and cultural facts like me, these fantastic MCPL databases can help give you access to your incredible, wide, wonderful world!
 
Amy Jo V.
Blue Springs South