National Geographic December 1989

President’s Report: Year- end Review { The Society’s Year; Our Year in Review: Superpowers Not So Super in Geography}
A Society- sponsored geography poll of Russians reveals that they share with U. S. citizens a poor awareness of the world around them. National Geographic President Gilbert M. Grosvenor details 1989 projects promoting geography education.
Washington State, Riding the Pacific Tide
A rising wave of Asian commerce brings economic benefits to the Evergreen State. Celebrating its centennial this year, Washington looks to its rich agricultural and industrial base to carry it into its second century, says Mike Edwards. Photos by Sandy;
Materials Reshaping Our Lives { Reshaping Our Lives: Advanced Materials; Advanced Materials- -Reshaping Our Lives}
Man’s increasing ability to create new materials by manipulating the atoms or molecules of existing ones is spurring an international scientific race that is transforming our material world. Thomas Y. Canby and photographer Charles O’ Rear describe rece
The Sistine Restoration: A Renaissance for Michelangelo { A Renaissance for Michelangelo}
For nine years restorers have been removing the grime of centuries from artist’s frescoes in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The results are literally brilliant. David Jeffery describes the restoration project, photographed by Victor R. Boswell, Jr. , an
Baja California: Mexico’s Land Apart
Once a seldom traveled hinterland, this desert peninsula has been discovered by tourists drawn to the beauty and bounty of the Sea of Cortes and by Mexican workers in search of jobs. The deluge of visitors has brought a bloom of prosperity, along with ne