Harbin is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang, the northernmost province of China, part of the historical region of Manchuria. With a population of over five million people, and ten million in its metropolitan area, Harbin is one of the main centers in Northeast China. Founded in 1898 by the Russians when they were…
There is a great amount of biological diversity on Earth, with millions of different species living in all kinds of ecosystems. This biodiversity is not distributed equally across the globe, with a larger amount of species living in the warmer areas near the tropics. The study of how species and ecosystems are distributed in the…
Before the Romans expanded their territory to dominate the entire Mediterranean region, a large portion of Italy was inhabited by the Etruscans. At the height of their power, the Etruscans occupied a territory extending between the Po Valley and the Gulf of Naples, while their most important city states were located in Central Italy, between…
A new year has just started, and 2024 is going to be special, as it is a leap year in the Gregorian calendar, the most used calendar around the world. To understand why this calendar is the de facto international standard, and why 2024 is a leap year, we need to go through the history…
The Cosmundus Atlas is expanding with the addition of Central Italy, which includes the Italian regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, and Lazio, as well as the two small countries of San Marino and Vatican City. Central Italy features many of the country’s most famous attractions and landmarks, including Rome and Florence, two of the most…
While the South Pole is located at the center of the large landmass of Antarctica, the North Pole is instead in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, hundreds of kilometers from any land. However, what point of land is actually the closest to the North Pole is still a controversial issue, with no definitive answer…
The dark markings visible on the near side of the Moon have been subject since ancient times to istances of pareidolia, the tendency to find familiar structures in natural features and artificial objects that have none. Throughout the ages, different cultures have seen various shapes while looking at the Moon, often linked with their mythology…
After a long time of being a peripheral and minor kingdom in Northern Europe, Sweden developed into one of the major powers in the continent in the 17th century. The country rose to prominence during the reign of king Gustavus Adolphus (1611-1632), seizing territories from neighboring states and becoming the dominant power in the Baltic…
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) introduced a new definition of planet, changing the way we classify the larger bodies in the Solar System. According to this definition, a planet is a celestial body that: orbits the Sun, is in hydrostatic equilibrium, meaning that it has a nearly round shape, it has “cleared the…
France is a country with a rich history and culture and, while Paris and the other large cities attract the most tourists, there is an abundance of smaller towns worth a visit. One of the most notable of these is Carcassonne, a town located in the south of the country and known for its incredibly…