CULTURES
Finding a future: the fate of St Helena
Dec 27, 2017
Written by
Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell
A British Overseas Territory, the home-in-exile of General Napoleon Bonaparte, and the site of a £285million airport to which the airlines won’t fly. Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell visits a remote outpost on the cusp of dramatic change
Bones of contention: the truth about Easter Island
Dec 16, 2017
Written by
Laura Cole
Contrary to pervasive myth, Easter Islanders were resourceful and sensitive to the limits of their environment
Revitalising endangered languages
Jul 21, 2017
Written by
Alice Sloman
Of the approximately 7,000 languages thought to be alive, the eight most spoken are accounted for by 40 per cent of the world’s population
Capitalising for linguistic peace
Jul 19, 2017
Written by
Alice Sloman
After years of debate, the German alphabet has got a new letter, but not everybody is happy about it
Culture Shock: The war over heritage
Jun 10, 2017
Written by
Chris Fitch
The conflict in Syria has focused attention on the ‘war crime’ of inflicting damage to significant cultural property
Tongue tied: the fight to keep Gaelic alive
Apr 27, 2017
Written by
Mark Rowe
For many living in the Outer Hebrides, the Gaelic language is a cornerstone of their narrative culture. But like many minority tongues, it’s in danger of dying out as generations modernise. Mark Rowe investigates those pushing to keep the ancient…
Mongolia: wrestling with modernity
Dec 30, 2016
Written by
Peter Geoghegan
A few years ago Ulaanbaatar was a sleepy backwater – not anymore. Multinational corporations now sponsor star wrestlers, while amateurs often combine day jobs in the mines with training and competition. Mongolia’s national sport is changing the country’s image
Bama: the road to longevity
Dec 27, 2016
Written by
Thomas Bird
In an increasingly health-conscious China, tourists are flocking to a small village in the south fabled for aged residents and life-giving natural properties
Bull fights: cultural clash in Catalonia
Nov 28, 2016
Written by
Chris Fitch
A Spanish cultural divide has been ripped open by the overturning of Catalonia’s bullfighting ban
Melting the Ice Curtain: islands on the Russia/US border
Oct 15, 2016
Written by
Laura Cole
Two islands, divided by an international border and separated by geopolitics, are on the verge of being reunited. But will fractured US-Russian relations stand in the way?
Tribal meet: Visually documenting the World Indigenous Games
Aug 04, 2016
Written by
Paul Presley
The Rio Olympic carnival kicks into action this week, but last year Brazil saw competitors gathering for a very different festival of sport
Forever young: Why old age is no barrier for the Master Athletes
Aug 03, 2016
Written by
Paul Presley
While all eyes are on the world’s best athletes in Rio this summer, Geographical looks at the equally competitive, if slightly older, veterans still competing well into their old age
Seoul 1988: Real life in the land of miracles
Aug 02, 2016
Written by
Simon Winchester
Korea, insular and little-known to the Western world, was once dubbed the Hermit Kingdom. Today, given South Korea’s remarkable economic growth, it has earned another name – the land of miracles. Simon Winchester trekked the country hosting the Olympic Games
Greek tragedy: How Greece’s Olympic legacy lies in ruins
Aug 02, 2016
Written by
Amrita Carroll
In the run up to the Rio Olympics, the legacy of the £6billion 2004 Athens Olympics has been laid bare in these revealing images
All bar none: How ancient soap making methods are reinvigorating Crete
Jun 16, 2016
Written by
Daniel Allen
Olive oil soap from Crete was once the toast of the Mediterranean. Entrepreneurial, nature-loving Cretans are now taking the island’s soap-making tradition to new levels
Shifting sands of the Bedouin world
May 24, 2016
Written by
Michael Benanav
Bedouin pastoralists have inhabited the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa for thousands of years. Today, however, many are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their traditional semi-nomadic way of life
Common alphabet for Canada’s Inuit
Apr 02, 2016
Written by
Chris Fitch
Canada’s Inuit population is beginning a year-long project to amalgamate its varying written characters in order to create a common alphabet
Tajikistan's strict control
Mar 16, 2016
Written by
Chris Fitch
The widely reported shaving of thousands of Muslim men in Tajikistan is the latest in a series of strict measures adopted by the country in recent years
LATEST STORIES
MUST READ STORIES
EDUCATION PARTNERS
TRAVEL PARTNERS
DOSSIERS
Like longer reads? Try our in-depth dossiers that provide a comprehensive view of each topic
NEVER MISS A STORY - Follow Geographical on Social
Want to stay up to date with breaking Geographical stories? Join the thousands following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and stay informed about the world.