Math and geography. Geography and math. They just don't sound like they go together, do they? One could almost see more correlation between, say, quantum physics and the culinary arts. Yet never fear; geography and math do go hand-in-hand. Beyond the fascinating facts, peculiar places, and clever cultures of geography, there is a very real, logical, mathematical science to be discovered. In honor of Blaise Pascal (see Diana Waring's column this month), I'm here to take you on a geo-math excursion!

                Take, for example, distance - a common principle we use every day (often without even knowing it). How far is it from our house to the grocery store? How long would it take for us to drive that distance if we're drying at a steady rate of 24 MPH (a good mile below the speed limit - just to set an example for the student about to get his license)? If we know how long it takes us, and the distance, then what's our average speed? Or if we know our speed and the time, then what's the distance?

                You can work it out however you want to by building on the principal Distance=Rate x Time, remembering also that Rate = Distance/Time and Time = Distance/Rate. You could even find out your car's gas mileage. How much gas could you save if you took one route instead of another on a long road trip? You might even verify the accuracy of your odometer or speedometer!

                An exciting hobby, which takes advantage of math and geography, along with the logic and adventure, is called Letterboxing. In order to find buried treasure boxes hidden throughout the United States and the world, follow clues found on the website and use riddle solving skills along with some navigational techniques such as using a compass (with or without a map), triangulation, pacing, map reading, etc. This is a great family activity! Go to www.letterboxing.org for more information.

                How about Latitude and Longitude? The often unnoticed bars running vertically and horizontally across your map are crucial concepts for the "I-think-I'll-spend-my-afternoon-reading-an-atlas" type. These two sets of lines provide a precise method for pinpointing locations all over the globe. Lines of latitude run east to west (left and right) on maps. Lines of Longitude run north-south (up and down). I remember which is which by reminding myself that the lines of latitude runs like the steps of a ladder; hence, I usually refer to them as laddertude. Silly, but effective.

                Each set of lines is marked off in degrees (shown by the ° sign). Starting from the Equator (0°), there are 90° of latitude north, and 90° south. These imaginary lines circle the earth. The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) runs from the North Pole to the South Pole running through Greenwich, England. There are 180° of longitude east and 180° west. The 180th° makes up (for the most part) the International Date Line.

                To read latitude and longitude coordinates, find the degrees for N/S and E/W then follow the lines until they meet. For example: What city is located at 43°N and 106°E? (Answer: Casper, Wyoming). This method of finding coordinates is used widely in higher math. If you can find a spot on a map with longitude and latitude, you can find a location on a Cartesian Coordinate System, which is used when plotting algebraic equations and even geometric calculations

                One modern marvel mixing geography and technology is the Global Positional System (GPS). By using GPS technology, you can pinpoint your position anywhere on the globe. Used in cars, boats, and planes, GPS provides invaluable aid to the directionally challenged, even giving verbal directions warning the auto driver of upcoming turns and when the lanes change. (My mom likes this a LOT!)

                Some daring and creative people have invented a "game" called Geo-caching. Learn more at www.geocaching.com. The front page tells us this: "Join Geo-caching - the sport where YOU are the search engine. A GPS device and a hunger for adventure are all you need for high tech treasure hunting. Here you can find the latest caches in your area, how to hide your own cache and information on how to get started in this fun and exciting sport."

                Time Zones are determined (in part) by their longitude. 0° - the Primer Meridian - is the starting place for determining global time (called Greenwich Mean Time). Find a world time zone map in your atlas or to go www.worldtimezone.com and figure out the time differences between various cities and countries.

                If an Englishman is having tea at 3:30 in the afternoon, what time is it for a Rabbi in Jerusalem, a businessman in Hong Kong, and a missionary in Huancavilica, Peru? (Answers: 5:30pm, 11:30pm, and 10:30 am). Bonus challenge question: What's the time difference between Central Australia and Nepal? (Answer: -3.45).

                Suppose I'm standing on top of a mountain. (I'm a homeschooler - it's a field trip!). I can see for 3 miles around me in every direction before the clouds and fog block my vision. How much land can I see from where I'm standing? Well, if you think about it, this is really just an area question, isn't it? I'm standing in the middle of a circle, with the clouds forming the perimeter 3 miles away from me. I want to know what the area of my field of vision is. The formula for the area of a circle is pi times r2, where pi=3.14 x 3 squared or 3.14 x 9=28.26 miles squared. I can see 28.26 miles from my mountaintop!

                It's easy to fit geometry and geography together. Try finding the perimeter of Wyoming (perimeter is the total length of the sides of a figure) and the area of Colorado (area of squares & rectangles is length x width). Also, determine the angles of Nevada's and Utah's borders (using either a protractor or trigonometry) and what percent of Michigan's area is on either side of Lake Michigan.

                Look at elevation. While most everybody can tell you the highest mountain is Mt. Everest, how much higher is it than Mt. McKinley? What's the elevation (in feet above sea level) of The Hague, Holland? Zagreb, Croatia? Your hometown? How does elevation affect people? How deep is the Mariana Trench and where is it located? What are the deepest lakes, seas and oceans? Which is deeper: The Tyrrhenian Sea, or the Sea of Azov?

                Other map/geography relationships are found in the use of graphs, statistics, and scale conversion. The more of these connections you see and understand, the more you'll notice intriguing correlations between math and geography in your future studies. So when your kid asks why he needs to study math, you can show him how God beautifully crafted our world with mathematical precision and how numbers are the building blocks of geography, and our everyday life.

Tyler Hogan, 16, is a homeschool senior from Dover, DE. When he's not studying, he spends his time writing, miming, singing and reading. Tyler's parents, Bob and Maggie, own Bright Ideas Press. They keep him busy doing writing, mapping, and computer projects, as well as office work! Tyler hopes to pursue a theatre ministry major in college.