- 22 hours ago
Discover the fascinating reasons behind why a tiny town continuously appears on your maps and the vast stretches of empty land in a massive country. Explore the unique geographical features that define these places and uncover the stories that make them stand out on a global scale.
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00:02One interesting thing that happens in map design is the so-called Baltimore Phenomenon, or Baltimore Effect.
00:10This phenomenon happens when a city or another object is left off a map because there's just not enough space,
00:18while smaller cities make the cut simply because there is room for them.
00:23The name comes from Baltimore, Maryland, which often gets left out of maps because it's surrounded by bigger cities like
00:30Washington, D.C.
00:32But on the flip side, sometimes smaller and less well-known cities like Alice Springs in Australia end up on
00:40the same map simply because there's enough space for them.
00:43Like at this scale, Alice Springs, which give or take 25,000 inhabitants, is labeled.
00:49But the huge city of Guangzhou, with over 14 million people, is somehow not.
00:57This phenomenon is more common on automated mapping sites, but it doesn't happen at every zoom level.
01:04On popular sites like Google Maps and other similar ones, you'll only start seeing Baltimore show up at certain zoom
01:10levels, like the 5th, 6th or 7th zoom.
01:15Cartographers can tweak their maps to make sure they're useful and convey spatial information effectively,
01:21finding the right balance between showing important details and keeping the map clear and focused.
01:27The best maps are the ones that show key elements clearly, while still accurately representing the world.
01:35But Alice Springs is not the only weird thing on the map of Australia.
01:40Look at the time zone map.
01:43This ten and a half section looks a bit off, huh?
01:47Well, Australia is officially divided into three standard time zones.
01:52Western, Central and Eastern.
01:55Australian Central Time aligns with UTC plus 930, with individual states and territories deciding whether to observe daylight savings time.
02:06Australian island territories and Antarctic stations contribute to the complexity of the time zones.
02:11Despite this, Australian time zones are generally easy to understand.
02:17In addition to the official time zones, there is an unofficial hybrid time zone called Australian Central Western Standard Time.
02:26This time zone is halfway between Western Time, UTC plus 8, and Central Time, UTC plus 930.
02:34Making it UTC plus 845, a unique quarter-hour difference.
02:41Australian Central Western Standard Time is only observed in a small area in far southeastern Western Australia, along the Eyre
02:50Highway.
02:51The Australian Central Western Standard Time area includes settlements such as Cocklebiddy, Madura, Mundrabilla, Eucla, and Border Village.
03:01Only a few hundred people live in this region, making it easier for them to agree on a non-standard
03:07time zone.
03:08Despite the lack of official approval, Australian Central Western Standard Time continues to be followed due to the significant time
03:16gap between Western and Central time zones.
03:19Especially during the summer when South Australia observes daylight saving time, and Western Australia does not.
03:27The use of this unique time zone can often lead to confusion, even amongst the locals.
03:34Eucla police, for example, operate on Perth's time zone, causing occasional tardiness to events such as community gatherings.
03:42Locals mention that in the past, Eucla operated on its own unofficial time, which made things simpler, before the transition
03:49to align with Perth time.
03:51They also face confusion as their location in South Australia does not observe daylight savings.
03:58The history of the Australian Central Western Standard Time dates back to the establishment of a telegraph station in Eucla
04:06in 1877.
04:08Although the exact origins of this time zone are unclear, it is speculated that it was adopted to avoid confusion
04:16at the telegraph station located on the border between Western Australia and South Australia.
04:22UTC plus 945 was historically utilized in Australia as a time zone known as Central Western Daylight Time.
04:31Certain roadhouses along the Eyre Highway in South Australia and Western Australia adopted UTC plus 945 during the summer months
04:41when South Australia observed daylight savings time.
04:44While not officially recognized by the authorities, the boundaries of this time zone are clearly outlined and often depicted on
04:52local roadmaps.
04:54Five locations in Australia, including Border Village, Kaguna, Eucla, Madura and Mundrabilla, previously observed UTC plus 945.
05:04Currently, these areas operate on UTC plus 845 due to Western Australia's lack of daylight savings time.
05:13Australia is not the only example of weird time zones.
05:18China has a population of approximately 1.5 billion people and it's the third largest country in the world.
05:27Despite its vast size, China operates on a single time zone known as Beijing Time or China Standard Time.
05:36This unique time zone covers almost five geographical time zones within the country.
05:41At times, in some cities in China, the sun rises as late as 10 a.m.
05:48People often have lunch after 2 p.m. or even after 4 p.m. if they're not in a hurry.
05:55Since 1991, daylight savings time has not been observed in China.
06:00However, the region of Xinjiang, located in the western part of the country, follows Xinjiang time, which is two hours
06:08behind China Standard Time and is considered an unofficial time zone.
06:14Nepal also has its unique time zone as it operates on Nepal time all year round without the use of
06:21daylight savings time.
06:22It's a bit unique compared to other countries because it has a UTC offset of plus 545, meaning that Nepali
06:31clocks are 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of coordinated universal time.
06:37This is only a 15-minute difference from neighboring India, where the standard time used to be the same until
06:43Nepal decided to set its own time zone in 1956.
06:49Now, let's examine the map of Europe.
06:53Great Britain, Portugal, and Spain are all located at roughly the same latitude.
07:01However, despite this, it's one hour earlier in Portugal and the UK compared to Spain.
07:07Why is this the case?
07:10In the 1940s, Spain was instructed to switch to German time, a directive that was accepted by Spanish authorities.
07:17Over time, despite changes in leadership, Spain remained in the same time zone, resulting in it being one hour behind
07:25its neighboring countries at the same latitude.
07:28But, like many other countries, Spain sticks to daylight savings time.
07:35Greenland would rank as the world's 12th largest country if it were independent, but it's currently part of Denmark.
07:41The country has three different time zones, most of it is three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, except for only
07:48one town on the eastern coast, which is two hours ahead.
07:52Thule Air Base in the northwest operates on GMT minus four, while the tiny population of Denmark Chauvin sticks to
08:01GMT.
08:04Daylight savings time was implemented to give us more daylight during the evenings after work, which could help save energy
08:11by lowering the need for lights and heat.
08:14It was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 to align waking hours with daylight and conserve energy, and was
08:22implemented in Port Arthur, Ontario in 1906.
08:27Since then, many countries have adopted the practice, though some regions near the equator or at high latitudes opt out
08:34due to minimal variations in daylight hours.
08:39In the United States, daylight savings time is observed almost everywhere except in Hawaii and Arizona.
08:48Arizona's scorching hot weather makes daylight saving time kind of pointless.
08:53People there would rather get stuff done in the cool morning hours than sweat it out in the evenings.
08:58However, the Navajo Nation, which is autonomous Native American territory, sticks to the same daylight savings time schedule as the
09:06rest of the country.
09:07Even though it spans three states, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, they keep the time consistent across their lands.
09:17As for Hawaii, due to its tropical location, the amount of sunlight doesn't change much throughout the year.
09:23If Hawaii changed its time zone to UTC minus 9 during daylight savings time, the sun would rise at around
09:307 a.m. in June.
09:32This is because most of the islands are situated towards the west of the Hawaii Aleutian time zone, and theoretically
09:39should be in the next time zone to the west.
09:42In the past, Hawaiian standard time was based on a different longitude than it is now.
09:51In Mongolia, dinosaurs used to live, and now there are as many horses as there are people, and ten times
09:58as many sheep there.
10:00It's the emptiest country in the world.
10:02The capital has been moved 28 times, and they even have their own Olympics.
10:07So Mongolia is located right here, on the plateau of Central Asia, right north of China.
10:13It's the 19th country in the world by land area, but it only has a bit over 3 million people.
10:19It's like the population of Los Angeles, but having a whole country to themselves.
10:24If we don't count Greenland, Mongolia is the country with the lowest population density.
10:29It has only 2 people per half a square mile.
10:33The United States has 37.
10:35Well, that is if we only count people.
10:37Mongolia has a lot of livestock, about 67 million.
10:41It's 20 times more than the number of people there.
10:44Half of that livestock is sheep.
10:48Yet of all their animals, the most prestigious one is the horse.
10:52There's a traditional saying, a Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings.
10:58And it explains a lot.
11:00A person with many horses is considered wealthy.
11:03But don't picture huge farms with big stables filled with horses.
11:07In Mongolia, having stables is more of an exception.
11:10Horses there roam free outside all year long.
11:15It costs next to nothing to sustain a horse there, because they roam outside and even find food themselves.
11:21And the country's nature provides them with enough.
11:24Winter is tough because everything is covered in snow.
11:27But horses can separate grass from snow.
11:30They get frail by spring due to a lack of food, but recover very soon after winter is over.
11:36A family can have a sacred horse in their herd.
11:39It wears a blue scarf around its neck and is almost never ridden.
11:43People there do love their horses, and this tender relationship goes centuries back.
11:48There are many songs, stories, myths, and artwork featuring horses.
11:52In the Mongolian language, there are about 500 words to describe the traits of horses and over 200 words to
12:00describe the coat color and pattern alone.
12:03Horses have a spiritual meaning, too.
12:05It's believed that they have spirits that can help the owner, and they are also believed to be a transport
12:11to heaven.
12:11So, they were often sacrificed after their owner's passing.
12:16Apart from domestic animals, the country is home to some endangered species.
12:20Plus, back in the day, dinosaurs roamed the land.
12:24The first ever discovered dinosaur egg was found right there.
12:28Today, dinosaurs are, of course, extinct, except in the movies.
12:32But there are snow leopards in Mongolia, and those are also rare.
12:36If you ever do go to this country, you must be careful.
12:39Snow leopards are so quiet, you won't hear them approaching you.
12:43They make no sound as they walk.
12:46But let's get back to geography.
12:48The climate in Mongolia can be harsh and unpredictable.
12:52Within just one day, the temperature can change by 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
12:57The country doesn't have any access to large bodies of water.
13:00That's why it's very dry and doesn't get much rain.
13:04In the south of Mongolia, there is a part of one of the coldest deserts on Earth.
13:09The Gobi Desert.
13:10Only 5% of the desert is covered in sand.
13:13The rest is bare rock.
13:15It has rivers, small lakes, and grasslands, but also gold, coal, and copper.
13:21So it's not a very typical desert, but still a desert.
13:25Rain clouds don't reach there because of the Himalayan range that keeps the area in the shadow.
13:30The desert is expanding every year.
13:32Because of climate change, of course, but also because of deforestation and changes in land use.
13:38The whole country is quite dry with little precipitation.
13:42And that's why the inhabitants aren't afraid of the desert.
13:45Yes, the desert is populated.
13:47There are people living there.
13:49They're nomads who are busy with raising cattle.
13:52Nomads are people who don't have a settled home.
13:55They travel with their animals from place to place following the seasons.
13:59When they settle somewhere before their next trip, they set up a tent that is called a yurt.
14:04These have been homes in Mongolia for thousands of years, and it's amazing that some people still live in them.
14:10The skeleton of a yurt is made of poles, which are then covered with layers of felt and waterproof fabric.
14:17The Mongols are a very welcoming nation overall, but the nomads are on a whole other level.
14:23They don't get guests often, and they're always ready to greet someone and give them a taste of traditional horse
14:29milk.
14:30They don't even have bells at the entrance of their girths, inviting guests to walk right in.
14:36Of course, there are also people who live in cities and villages and have settled homes, and they are the
14:42majority, about three-quarters of the population.
14:45The biggest city in the country is the capital, Ulaanbaatar.
14:48Almost half of the country's population is concentrated there, in just one city, even though it's the coldest capital city
14:56in the world.
14:56The average yearly temperature there is 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
15:01The average temperature in Washington, D.C. is 60 degrees, and it's 44 in Ottawa.
15:06When the city was first founded in the 17th century, it was located about 180 miles southwest of the current
15:13place.
15:13Then it was moved a little bit, 28 times, until it finally settled in the current location.
15:20Why?
15:20Well, back then, most of the population were nomads, so the capital city was a mobile settlement too.
15:27Depending on seasons, pastures, water supplies, and many other factors, it moved along with its inhabitants.
15:34Now, the city is big and settled, so maybe it won't be moved again.
15:38But who knows?
15:40I know, I know, I have yet to tell you about the Mongolian Olympic Games.
15:45The event is called Nidam Festival.
15:47It's an annual festival held in the middle of summer that most Mongolians watch.
15:52In one form or another, the festival has existed for centuries.
15:57Locally, the festival is called the Three Games of Men,
16:00and people compete in three skills that have traditionally been considered three manly skills.
16:06So, what are those three games?
16:08It's Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery.
16:13Originally, it was just men competing, but recently women have started participating in archery and horse racing.
16:20Mongolian wrestling is a folk wrestling style that's been around for thousands of years.
16:24The depictions of it can be seen on many ancient plates found in the area.
16:29Today, it's the most popular sport in the country, and Mongolia hosts many international tournaments too.
16:35So, of course, there is a wrestling part at the festival, and it's the first game.
16:41The rules are quite simple.
16:43Whoever touches the ground with anything other than a foot loses.
16:47There are no weight classes, no age or time limits, so it takes as long as it needs to win.
16:53And yet, they do it with grace.
16:55Match courtesy is important.
16:57For example, if an opponent's clothes get tangled, the other one is supposed to stop and help solve the issue,
17:04even if it means missing a good opportunity to win.
17:07At the end of the match, when one participant is defeated, the winner will give them a hand and help
17:12them back up on their feet.
17:14The game starts with either 512 or 1,024 participants who wrestle in pairs.
17:21Every loser is eliminated.
17:23The game goes on for 9 or 10 rounds, depending on the initial number of participants, until there is a
17:30winner.
17:31Then, there's horse racing.
17:32This is a cross-country long-distance event, between 10 to 17 miles, depending on the age of the horse.
17:39Up to 1,000 horses from all over Mongolia can participate in the competition.
17:45Then, in archery, people compete in teams of 10.
17:49Each archer wears traditional clothes and has four arrows to shoot into a wall of woven or wooden cylinders.
17:56Knock one out of the wall and you get points.
17:58And the team that gets the most points wins.
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