Back to topics

Why does landlocked Bolivia still have a navy?

Landlocked does not mean without navigable water. Bolivia’s naval story brings together the loss of its Pacific coast and the practical importance of inland waterways. A 2006 Library of Congress profile describes the navy’s focus on rivers and Lake Titicaca, giving the apparent contradiction a geographical explanation.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • How can an institution retain a maritime identity while carrying out inland roles?

Start reading

Ready to try your ideas aloud?

Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.

Why does a radiocarbon date need a second kind of clock?

History4–5 minA radiocarbon measurement does not translate directly into one calendar year. The amount of radiocarbon in the atmosphere has varied, so dating relies on comparison with material whose age is already known.

History

Reading a buried timeline

A deep object is not necessarily the oldest thing at an archaeological site. A later pit can cut through earlier ground, leaving a sequence that has to be reconstructed from relationships between layers.

12–15 min

Reading a buried timeline

History12–15 minA deep object is not necessarily the oldest thing at an archaeological site. A later pit can cut through earlier ground, leaving a sequence that has to be reconstructed from relationships between layers.

History

When Britain’s railways needed a shared clock

A timetable becomes awkward when the clocks at its two ends disagree. In nineteenth-century Britain, railway journeys helped turn local time into a shared coordination problem, while the telegraph helped distribute an answer.

8–10 min

When Britain’s railways needed a shared clock

History8–10 minA timetable becomes awkward when the clocks at its two ends disagree. In nineteenth-century Britain, railway journeys helped turn local time into a shared coordination problem, while the telegraph helped distribute an answer.

Why does landlocked Bolivia still have a navy? | Speech Topic | speaking.app