Trains offered the first form of truly high-speed land transportation. For nearly 100 years they reigned supreme for intercity and longer distance travel. During the first half of the 20th century automobiles and airplanes chipped away at the railway’s monopoly. The advent of jet airplanes and the modern highway system… Read more“Map Monday, Where are the World’s High-speed trains and How Fast are they?”
Tag: Map Monday
Map Monday, A Brief History of Bicycles
The modern bicycle traces its lineage back to the early 19th century. Baron Karl von Drais invented a two wheeled tandem vehicle, known as the Draisienne. The Baron’s invention possessed the familiar tandem wheels, but it lacked pedals. Like a skateboard or scooter, riders propelled the bike using their feet…. Read more“Map Monday, A Brief History of Bicycles”
Map Monday, Canals Rise and Fall as Transportation Highways
Roughly 6,000 years ago the Mesopotamians built the first canals. These irrigation canals moved water from rivers to fields. The creation and management of their system sped the development of organized civilization and created the famed fertile crescent. Other river-based societies in India and Egypt also built extensive irrigation and… Read more“Map Monday, Canals Rise and Fall as Transportation Highways”