80 Days: An Exploration Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Audio: Ceuta

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about the autonomous city of Ceuta — Spanish exclave, military post, and free port on the coast of Morocco, at the Mediterranean entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. Ceuta, Melilla (also an exclave), and other tiny islets along the coast of North Africa constitute the territories of Spanish North Africa. The city is on a narrow isthmus that connects Mount Hacho (also held by Spain) to the mainland. Mount Hacho has been identified as possibly the southern Pillar of Heracles, of the ancient Mediterranean world. Ceuta was controlled by the Muslim Umayyad Dynasty up to 1415, and then changed hands a number of times over the 15th and 16th Centuries. It played an important role in the Spanish Civil War, and gained its modern autonomous status in 1995. Ceuta’s land area is only about 18.5 square kilometres or 7 square miles, making it among the smallest places we’ve ever talked about,and has a population of around 80,000, similar to Andorra, the Isle of Man or the US Virgin Islands.

The climate here is warm but moderated by the straits, with mean annual temperatures of 18 °C (65 °F) with average highs of 21 °C (70 °F) and lows of 15 °C (60 °F). The currency is the Euro, and the language is Spanish, with a strong Arabic presence.

Ceuta and Melilla are the only piece of EU territory on mainland Africa – a political and legal reality that has never been recognised by Morocco, which claims both territories to this day.

Fun Fact – Western Sahara was a previously-Patreon-backed finale episode. You guys just have a real hankering for contentious North African territories, don’t you?

As we mention in the episode, this (somewhat delayed) finale to season 6 was voted on by our Patreon backers, and thanks as always to all of them for their support. You can sign up to Patreon to get a say in the episodes we cover in the seasons to come.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Wexford, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Ceuta with Mount hacho visible in the backgroundSome further reading material is provided below:

• This BBC Explainer on the status of Ceuta and Melilla is a good starting point for beginners. The BBC also has a useful factsheet.
• This CNN feature headlined “Inside the tiny corner of Spain that lies in the middle of North Africa” is another useful primer.
• History blog “A Small Part of History” has a lengthy post about the conquest of Ceuta by Portugal.
• For a more visceral look at the city, this video travel guide of Ceuta from Travel Obscurer is worth checking out.
• One of the many books we referenced in this episode was Europe or Africa? : a contemporary study of the Spanish North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melila by Peter Gold. It’s available on Archive.org.
• We also spoke about Count Julian, whose Wikipedia page is well worth perusing.
• Mark lent on A.R. Disney’s A History of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire – From Beginnings to 1807 for his section. You can find an excerpt here.
• Another useful read was The Spanish Exclaves in Morocco by Robert Rézette, which is available on Google Books.
• Anyone for a Wikipedia list of “People with the most children“? If you’ve heard Joe’s section, you’ll know why.
• For more on Lieutenant John Fraser and his trusty leg bone, see the National Army Museum.
• WebHispania has a fascinating blog post by Antonio M. Carrasco headlined The Ceuta border: a constant source of misunderstanding and conflict.
• The UK’s National Maritime Museum has a whole page dedicated to Cueta in the Napoleonic Wars.
• The UNHCR report on Anti-Muslim Hatred and Discrimination in Ceuta we mentioned is available here.
• The substantial page on Wikipedia dedicated to the border fence is here. More can be found in World of Walls: The Structure, Roles and Effectiveness of Separation Barriers by Said Saddiki which is available online here.
• On Franco and the Spanish Civil War, worth a read is The Crescent and the Dagger: Representations of the Moorish Other during the Spanish Civil War by Elisabeth Bolorinos Allard, available here.

Some of the music used in the episode includes:

• The anthem of Ceuta, which is featured in the final music break
• Some processional marches and sacred music from the General Command of Ceuta
• An example of traditional Berber Muslim music

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Shetland

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Shetland, a group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 210 km (130 miles) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom, around 340km or 210 miles from Norway. The islands total around 1,500 km2 (or 560 sq mi), making them similar in size to the nearby Faroe Islands [recommend listening to this past episode], American Samoa or Gran Canaria.

Among the settlements on Mainland, the largest island, is Scalloway, a fishing port. Lerwick, also on Mainland, is the islands’ largest town and commercial and administrative centre. The early history of the islands is dominated by the influence of the Vikings, who settled here in the 9th Century. From the 14th century, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Scotland, and later into the United Kingdom. The climate is generally windy, cloudy and often wet, with rain falling on more than 250 days a year, and average low temperatures a little above 1 °C (34 °F) in winter and around 14 °C (57 °F) in summer.

Shetland is as far north as St Petersburg, Russia, or Anchorage, Alaska, which makes the islands an ideal place to watch the northern lights, or as they’re known locally the ‘mirrie dancers’ while in summer there is almost perpetual daylight, a state of affairs known locally as the “simmer dim”.

We had a guest on the podcast this episode, local writer, tour-guide and podcasters Laurie Goodlad, who can be found on shetlandwithlaurie.com. Thanks to Laurie for her great contributions to helping us understand Shetland, only a fraction of which is included in the episode – if you’ve fallen in love with Shetland, much more can be found in her blog and podcast episodes.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Wexford, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

A Shetland pony photographed by Ronnie Robertson (CC-BY)The Prince of Wales set off a trend of Fair Isle jumpers, part of a general inter-war Northern Isles boost in knitting and garment industrySome further reading material is provided below:

• Some websites that give an overview of Shetland history include Historic-UK.com, ShetlandHistory.com, Shetland Museum and Archive‘s site and the article in Britannica
• More specifically on archaeology and prehistory, some resources include “Discover the Ancient Secrets of Shetland” (Shetland.org), the 2006 book “Prehistoric and Viking Shetland” by Noel Fojut and our guest Laurie’s podcast episode “A Guide to Shetland’s Archaeology” (among others)
• Some details on certain sites can be found elsewhere including the West Voe Midden, Stanydale Temple, Moussa Broch, the Papil Stone, and Jarlshof multi-era site
• Jon Dunn, a natural history writer writes about Shetland’s trees, or lack thereof
• A brief history of Shetland ponies
• Takes on the viking conquest of Shetland from HistoryExplained.org and Shetland.org
• BBC “In Our Time” episode on the Orkneyinga Saga, which touches on Shetland (despite focussing on the Earls of the nearby Orkneys); there is no saga specifically about Shetland
• Lerwick Town Hall’s Viking-containing stained glass and more information
• “How Shetland Became Part of Scotland“
• Some details of late Mediaeval history during the transition from Norse to Scottish control is included in the article “‘Lords_of_Norroway’: The Shetland estate of Herdis Thorvaldsdatter” by Frans-Arne H Stylegar and “Some Forgotten Incidents and Personages in the Local History of Shetland” by Gilbert Goudie
• Some details on Robert Stewart and Henry Sinclair
• Eileen Brooke-Freeman (a placenames expert) writes about ‘hoidie hols’ used to escape press-ganging during the Napoleonic wars and recounts some stories, there is also some oral history recordings on Tobar an Dualchais of people recounting family stories about this time, such as George Morrison (1921-1989); Laurie also has an article on these caves
• Shetland Times has an article about Thomas Johnson, ancestor of the author Louis Mackey, who tells the tale of how he was press ganged by Rear Admiral Edward Thornborough and lost his legs in a battle in the Bay of Biscay, and his life after return
• Laurie’s take on the origins of the Up Helly Aa Festival, celebrating Shetland’s Viking heritage since the Victorian era
• A short film has been made about Johnnie Notions, a jack of all trades who developed inoculations for smallpox
• Laurie has an article on the 19th Century land clearances and the crofters’ war
• Some resources for young people on Shetland in WW1 and WW2
• The story of the ‘Shetland Bus’ in WW2, and BBC retrospective on the first bombs to fall in the UK during WW2 that struck Shetland
• Reddit thread on what it’s like living in Shetland today
• Laurie’s podcast episode on (and in) Shetland dialect; “Shetland Fir Wirds” is a website that promotes the Shetland dialect, and has lots of information

Music relevant to Shetland includes:

• A collection of Shetland music played by Tom Anderson and Violet Tulloch Hand me doon the fiddle, which includes the Radio Shetland tune
• Virtuoso fiddle player Willie Hunter (Composer Page on TheSession.org) playing his composition “The Cape Breton Fiddler’s Welcome To Shetland” and “Leaving Lerwick Harbour”
• The Jarl Squad of “vikings” singing a traditional “Up Helly Aa” song in a shopping centre, in full guizer costume
• Lerwick Brass Band and Squad perform “The Norseman’s Home”

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Christmas Quizzes 2024

https://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_Christmas2024.mp3In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’re exploring (in the format of festive trivia and quizzes) winter celebrations from around the world, and diving into our back-catalogue to test our memories of explorations past. Grab a cup of cocoa or egg nogg and enjoy! From all of us, have a very merry festive season, and we’ll see you in 2023.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Vancouver, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

See you in 2025 for the conclusion of Season 6!

A large ghee lamp is lit atop the Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai during Karthika_Deepam. (photo by Prajnaana – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85769601)

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Audio: Socotra

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Socotra, an island in the Indian Ocean, lying between the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. It lies 380 kilometres (205 nautical miles) south of the Arabian Peninsula and 240 kilometres (130 nautical miles) east of Somalia. Geographically part of Africa, it has historically been an extremely isolated island due to the monsoon winds that make it difficult to reach for large parts of the year. This isolation has resulted in unique plant and animal life, with the island harbouring many species which went extinct elsewhere tens of thousands of years ago, and It has been described as “the most alien-looking place on Earth”
Over its history, the island has seen influence from Ethiopian Christians, Greeks, Arabs, Portuguese Explorers and the British East India Company, among others, and as a result has a unique blend of cultures and languages. The island is 3,796 km2 (1,466 sq mi) in size, making it similar in land area to the US state of Rhode Island, or slightly larger than Luxembourg. Around 50,000 people today call Socotra home, with the principal city, Hadibu, boasting around a fifth of the total population. The island became a part of Yemen in 1967, and has recently been impacted by ongoing conflict caused by the Yemeni Civil War, which began in 2014 and is ongoing as we record this. In 2008, Socotra was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique flora and fauna. The islanders rub noses when they are introduced, and primarily speak Soqotri, an ancient Semitic language, which has up to a hundred words to describe a goat.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• A chronology of Socotra from Socotra.info
• British Empire Maproom‘s early history of the island
• Discover Socotra’s history page
• Socotra: The Mysterious Island of the Assyrian Church of the East at assyrianchurch.org
• Socotra’s misty future from The New Scientist (July 1995)
• Socotra: rediscovering the ‘island abode of bliss’, from the Financial Times (June 2023)
• Can Socotra, Yemen’s ‘Dragon’s Blood Island,’ be saved? by National Geographic (November 2018)
• Island Africa : the evolution of Africa’s rare animals and plants – Jonathan Kingdon on archive.org
• The Soqotra island:Where phoenix is revived from The Yemen Times (May 2003)
• A Successful Adaptation to Failure: the Portuguese on the island of Socotra during the sixteenth century by Renata Cabral Bernabé
• Socotra: A mysterious Arabian island gives up one of its secrets by The National News
• The Third Voyage of the English East India Company (1607-1610) at Qatar National Library
• Botany of Socotra by Balfour, Isaac Bayley, 1853-1922 at archive.org
• Yemen. The Socotra Archipelago Threatened by the Civil War at orientxxi.info
• Socotra — 1943 by jimmiej at BBC WWII Archives

Music relevant to Socotra includes:

• Khatr Ghusn Al Qana from YouTube

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Belize

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about the Central American country Belize, formerly known as British Honduras. This small country on the Yucatan Peninsula. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. This region was a stronghold of the Maya Heartland from around 1500BC up to the arrival of Europeans, namely the Spanish, in the 1600s. A tussle between Spain and Britain developed in subsequent decades, and Belize became a British colony in 1840, and a Crown colony in 1862, before achieving full independence in 1981. The country has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of just over 410,000, making it similar in size to Wales, Djibouti or the US state of New Jersey, but the least densely populated nation in Central America. This is a very diverse place, ecologically, culturally and linguistically. The official language is English, but there are many other communities such as Maya, Garifuna, Creoles and even Mennonites, who speak a variety of tongues. Belize has over 400 islands or Cays off its coastline, as well as one of the world’s largest marine sinkholes, the Blue Hole, which is 318 m (1,043 ft) across and extends to a depth of 124 m (407 ft). The country also boasts the second largest barrier reef in the world after the one everyone’s heard of in Australia.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Wexford, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• A History of Belize (1973) by Narda Dobson; A History of British Honduras (1946) by William Arlington Donohoe
• Belize Travelcast episode on the origins of Belize culture
• Some details about archaeology and Maya civilisation can be found in: “Preceramic Occupations in Belize: Updating the Paleoindian and Archaic Record”, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/25063047; “Prehistory of Belize” by Norman Hammond, https://doi.org/10.1179/009346982791504571; O. Nigel Bolland Country Study of Belize
• Maya Jade Head; Mayan Ruins website about Lamanai;
• University of Cincinnati’s Brief History of Belize (timeline); BBC’s Belize timeline
• Ambergris Caye “Early History” webpage
• Creating ‘Belize’: the he Mapping and Naming History of a Liminal Locale – Matthew Restall https://doi.org/10.1080/00822884.2019.1573962
• Details on the Battle of St Georges Caye
• Video about Logwood (YouTube)
• Some details about the independent Maya state Chan Santa Cruz that arose after the the Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1901)
• Belizean involvement in World War I anecdotes, and BBN Article on the 1919 Revolution in Belize city.
• Belizean Foresters in Scotland during World War II
• Video of an interview with George Price (YouTube), the ‘father of Belize’
• Information on the Great Blue Hole
• Groups in Belize include Creoles/Kriols, Garifuna, Maya (Yucatec, Mopan and Q’eqchi’), Mestizo/Spanish-speaking and Mennonites
• Phrasebook in Yucatec Maya, one of the many languages spoken in this country, in addition to English, the official language

Music relevant to Belize includes:

• Music archaeology video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RRDLs63vKs
• Leonardo Acal – Maya harp music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfzuKSXMOCg
• Garifuna womens group music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7w4B5dWFTc
• Leela Vernon – Creola Kulcha/brukdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfxXVYS_F30&list=RDQMlehP_mBHioM&index=2
• Garifuna music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUddieZoQyY
• Belize Creole drumming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N45WtarFrpo

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Wellington

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In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Wellington, New Zealand. Located at the south end of the country’s North Island, Wellington is the third largest city, and capital of New Zealand. Māori oral tradition tells that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century, before Maori people settled the country from around 1280, making New Zealand the world’s last major landmass to be occupied by humans. Maori named the natural harbour that forms here named the harbour Te Whanganui-a-Tara. As they tend to do, Europeans eventually showed up and began to colonise, in this case in the 1830s, inevitably coming into conflict with the Maori, and eventually renaming the settlement for Sir Arthur Wellesley, hero of Waterloo. Wellington was declared a city in 1840, and was chosen to be the capital city of New Zealand in 1865, making it the world’s southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Today, Wellington is home to around 420,000 people, giving it a similar population to Oakland, California or Manchester, England. It is well-known for its coffee culture, its natural beauty, its booming film industry and its extreme winds. Wellington is the world’s windiest city, with an average wind speed of 27 km/h (17 mph)

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

We also had a huge amount of help from Thomas Rillstone for this episode. He’s the legend behind the History of Aotearoa New Zealand Podcast. You should check out his show for far more info on New Zealand than we could ever hope to know, and for much more accurate pronunciations than we could ever manage.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• We referred a number of times in this episode to the official government site on Wellington’s history, which you can find here.
• Another great source is the Wellington Museum. Did we mention there’s a lot written down in this one? The episode was well over three hours before it was edited!
• There’s also an episode of Absolute History all about the history of the city, which touches on some of the points we made and also gives a good tour around the city. Featuring Peter Jackson!
• We also recieved an absolute treasure trove of info from the good people of r/Wellington.
• More info on Te Rauparaha and the Ngāti Toa can be found here.
• The Radio New Zealand Black Sheep Podcast was a fantastic overview of the dastardley Wakefield clan and their misdeeds — check it out.
• Want more on the Treaty of Waitangi? See here.
• The Wakefield Memorial we discussed has its own Wikipedia page. It doesn’t improve the memorial much.
• For more on the Musket Wars, check out Kiwi Codger on YouTube
• Thomas Le Bas’ The Lost History of the Flag of Wellington is available on Medium.
• More info on the Wahine Disaster is available on the official government site, and you can find news coverage from the period on YouTube.
• For anyoen who hasn’t seen the All-Blacks perform the Haka before — check this out.
• The Flat White? Wellington all the way.

Music includes:

• You can find some of the chants we used here and here on YouTube
• The music in the intro ‘Tau Mai e Kapiti’ and is here on YouTube.
• The outro song is ‘You Can’t Beat Wellington on a Good Day‘ by The Datsun Violets

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Montserrat

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In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain, a spectacular mountain range not far from Barcelona. Montserrat was “Montserrat” literally means “serrated mountain” in Catalan, and the name accurately describes its bizarre and unique aspect with a multitude of jagged rock formations that are visible from a great distance. This spot is best known today for the Benedictine Monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat, located about 45 km northwest of Barcelona, and the the statue of the Virgin Mary within that lends its name to the monastery, which has its own unique story to tell. Montserrat has been of significance for centuries, bearing witness to Catalan and Spanish history from its lofty mount and even becoming entwined in some of the most decisive conflicts to have swept across the Iberian Peninsula since the Monastery was founded in 1025, including the Napeolonic wars and the brutal fighting pre and post the Spanish Civil War. In terms of poulation, there are less than 100 monks who make their permanent home here, but up to two million tourists flock here each year to scale the mountain and take in the history and legacy of the monastery, including quite recently, two of the co-hosts of this episode.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland, joined in this epiosde by John Killeen in Hastings, UK. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• The official Montserrat website has plenty of useful info on this place.
• More info on the geology and formation of the Giants of Montserrat
• The monastery’s website also has some extensive early history.
• Another official website is that of the Escolania Choir, based at Montserrat.
• ForeverBarcelona asks — Who is the Black Madonna Our Lady of Montserrat?
• Want to know more about those hermits? Hermitary.com (who knew?) has you covered.
• The story of the drummer boy is detailed (in Spanish and Catalan) on the Barcelona Unviersity website.
• You can also learn more about the Peninsular War here at the National Army Museum.
• Learn more about the rise of Franco on the Real Dictators podcast.
• For more on the failure of catalanist opposition to Franco see this paper.
• A historical video of the relogious ceremonies at Montserrat is here on archive.org
• Also on archive.org — the first visit by a Pope to Montserrat, as well as his homily.

Music includes:

• Virolai, the Catalan Anthemm performed by Escolania de Montserrat

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Åland

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Åland, an autonomous and demilitarized archipelago of Finland, which lies between Finland and Sweden, although it is closer to the latter by around 20km. Åland (which can also be spelled Aaland) is the smallest region of Finland by both area (1,580 km2 or 610 sq mi) and population (30,000), constituting around half a percent of Finland’s land area and half a percent of its population. Despite being Finnish, the only official language is Swedish and the capital city is Mariehamn. Aaland is made up of around 6,700 islands, making it one of the world’s largest archipelagos.

Since the end of WWI, Åland has been politically neutral and entirely demilitarised, and residents are exempt from conscription to the Finnish Defence Forces.

Fasta Åland or Main Åland is the largest island in the group and accounts for more than 70 percent of the total land area and is home to about 90 percent of the archipelago’s population, as well as the capital Mariehamn. In terms of land area, Aaland is comparable to the Faroe Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Oahu (Hawaii). Out of approximately 6,500 islands, 65 are inhabited with several connected through causeways and bridges. The rest are linked by ferries and private boats.

Åland’s original name was in the Proto-Norse language Ahvaland. Proto-Germanic ahwō is related to the Latin word for water, aqua. In Swedish, this first developed into Áland and eventually into Åland, literally ‘river land’—even though rivers are not a prominent feature of Åland’s geography. For reasons I’m sure we’ll get to, almost all the houses, and pretty much all the roads, are red. There are also roughly as many deers here as there are people.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• If you’re curious about the tourism industry on Aland, check out visitaland.com.
• The article “CLAY FIGURINES FROM THE ALAND ISLANDS AND MAINLAND FINLAND” can be found here, and further info on Funnel Beaker Culture is available here.
• A handbook on the History of Finland is here, containing some extensive info on Aland.
• Mark discussed the treaty of Nöteborg, more on which can be found at tandfonline.com “Finland’s eastern border after the treaty of Nöteborg: An ecclesiastical, political or cultural border?“
• Some further information on the League of Nations’ role in Åland can be found here.
• If you’re interested in the Grain Race which mentioned, see shippingwondersoftheworld.com, as well as Gustaf Erikson‘s extensive page on Wikipedia.
• Euronews asks “Is time running out for Europe’s oldest DMZ?“
• And on the snuff tobacco issue, check out this article on EUObserver and the related Reddit thread.

Music includes:

• The recording on Svea Jannson’s “Who Can Sail Without Wind” is here on Wikipedia.
• You can find Oolanin Sota (the Finnish Crimean war song) on YouTube.

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Burkina Faso

http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_BurkinaFaso.mp3In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Burkina Faso (formerly the French Upper Volta), a landlocked country in West Africa bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d’Ivoire to the southwest. As of 2021, the country had an estimated population of just over 20,000,000. Total land area is around 274,000 km² (or roughly 106,000 sq mi), making it slightly smaller than Italy, slightly larger than New Zealand or the US state of Colorado. Burkina Faso has a primarily tropical climate with two very distinct seasons, wet and dry. Its northern regions are in the Sahel, making them very dry and arid, while the more southern regions are cooler and more tropical.

The Mossi people, which still dominates the country today, moved into the region around 1100, and still makes up around 50% of the ethnic population. These were a tribal, agrarian society with a love of horses. Other important ethnic groups include include Fulani 8.4%, Gurma 7%, Bobo 4.9%, Gurunsi 4.6% Senufo 4.5%, Bissa 3.7%, Lobi 2.4%, Dagara 2.4%, Tuareg/Ikelan 1.9%, Dioula 0.8% (percentages of modern population). In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, a new nation named Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as president. However, since then the country has struggled to maintain political stability, with political coups or uprisings taking place in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022.

The nation is quite poor, and is one of the world’s least-economically developed, with around 75% of people to this day living off subsistence agriculture. Burkinabe farmers are well-known for working to music, usually drums. Burkina Faso is also one of the youngest countries in the world, thanks to very high fertility (Women have on average 5 children each) and a low average life expectancy, which currently stands at just under 60, among the lowest in the world. The median age is only around 17, and this has caused a massive spike in population over the past half-century, as yearly population growth rate is more than double the world average.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• “Historical Dictionary of Burkina Faso“, Second Edition, by Daniel Miles McFarland and Lawrence A. Rupley
• “The Mossi of the Upper Volta” by Elliot P. Skinner
• “Burkina Faso: A History of Power, Protest, and Revolution” by Ernest Harsch
• UNESCO Heritage sites include nearby Bura complex of iron-working sites and Loropéni ruins of fortresses on the gold trading routes. See also Wikipedia article on Blacksmiths of western Africa
• The “griot” class in Mossi society are called the Bend Naaba, which transmits historical data and the head chief at Ouagadougou is called the the Moro-Naba or Mogho Naba. The legendary ancestor of the Mossi chiefs is the warrior princess Yennega (UNESCO biography).
• A good starting point for learning about traditional masks in Burkinabe cultures is the Wikipedia article on Art of Burkina Faso, and various museum archives, such as Princeton
• PhD thesis by Amy Niang “Naam : political history as state ideology“, investigation of some of the political theory underpinning Mossi states
• Biography of Burkinabe historian Dim Delobsom
• “Jihad and State Building in Late Nineteenth Century Upper Volta: The Rise and Fall of the Marka State of Al-Kari of Bousse” by Myron Echenberg
• DW African Roots Podcast: “Revolutionary Martyrs: Thomas Sankara and Patrice Lumumba” (clip of Sankara’s voice from here)
• Discussion on the translingual new name Sankara gave the country: Burkina Faso
• France24: Capital’s residents remain fearful after soldiers’ mutiny
• Al Jazeera: Timeline of Burkina Faso unrest (2022)
• Al Jazeera: Campoaré is gone
• Reuters: Ex-Burkina Faso president Compaore apologises to family of slain predecessor

Music includes:

• “African Drumming” Facebook page: Mossi men dance the Warba
• Mossi music: Badini Karim dig Yegdyanga. Vol. 2. (YouTube): [Archived: Burkina Faso 1996]
• Lobi music: Rejoicing Music (YouTube)
• Wikipedia: Music_of_Burkina_Faso
• FolkCloud: Music of Burkina Faso

Boukary Koutou, also known as Wobgho, the Mossi King of Ouagadougou with his personal escort of Mossi cavalry, Burkina Faso. From “Du Niger au Golfe de Guinée par le pays de Kong et le Mossi” by Binger, Louis Gustave, 1892, page 35, illustrated by Édouard Riou.The Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso by JamesA (Wikimedia Commons)

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Minisode – Christmas Markets & Treats

Ho ho ho! In this Christmas minisode, we’ll be talking about Christmas Markets and a few delicious festive treats, as well as where these things come from and how they’ve changed to the modern day.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our usual co-host Mark Boyle @markboyle86 was missing for this one, but he’ll return very soon. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (who knew?) as mentioned by Joe can be found here on Google Books.
• More on Lebkuchen, albeit in German, can be found here or here.
• A short piece on Lebkuchen can also be found on KRCU here.
• Les Grappes has a breakdown of the history of mulled wine here.
• The Smithsonian has an extensive history of Christmas Markets on its website here.
• More on Evian’s driftwood market, as well as other markets, can be found here.

Joe & Luke visiting a Christmas Market in Dublin earlier this month

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Tsushima

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Tsushima, an island in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, which lies in the Tsushima Strait on the western side of Kyushu, the southernmost mainland island of Japan. Tsushima sits between Japan and South Korea, about 60 km from Iki, its closest island neighbour, 138 km from the city of Fukuoka, and 49.5 km from Busan, South Korea.

Tsushima has a total area is 708.61 km2, making up 17.3% of the area of Nagasaki Prefecture and meaning it’s a similar size to Singapore, Dominica or a bit larger than Guam. Sitting astride the Tsushima Strait between Korea and Japan, the island has long been a site of conflict, being disputed between Korea and Japan even into the modern day.

The island famously played witness to the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, a naval engagement which took place just offshore between the Japanese and Russian Navies and resulted in a decisive victory for the Japanese, signaling the end of the Russo-Japanese War which was a major contributing factor in the buildup to the Russian Revolution.

However, Tsushima is best-known for being at the forefront of the Mongol Invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281, in events which are still commemorated today, and which were immortalized in the 2020 video game Ghosts of Tsushima.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• This Tsushima guidebook is showing its age a little, but is packed with useful info.
• We also came across an archived City Guide.
• And a Timeline of Tsushima’s History.
• For geological info, take a look at this page from the International Institute for Asian Studies.
• The Yayoi Period settlement is explained in more detail here.
• Mark makes reference to the article An Island’s Place in History: Tsushima in Japan and in Chosŏn, 1392—1592 by Kenneth R. Robinson
• World History Encyclopedia has a lot more detail on The Japanese Invasion of Korea here
• Joe also read into Negotiating with Imperialism: The Unequal Treaties and the Culture of Japanese Diplomacy by Michael R. Auslin, which is partially available on Google Books.
• For more on the ongoing tensions in the Tsushima Strait, see this article in Observer Research Foundation.

Izuhara Castle Town on Tsushima

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Salem

http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_SalemUSA.mp3In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Salem, Massachusetts, which has a strong historical connection to the famous witch trials that took place there in the 1690s. Salem lies on Massachusetts Bay between Salem Harbor and Beverly Harbor, lying alongside the Danvers River, which feeds into the harbour. It’s around 20 miles or 35 kilometres north of Boston. The witch trials took place in a small settlement just outside Salem proper then known as Salem Village, but later renamed Danvers, and we’ll likely touch on both throughout. Salem today has a population of around 44,000, while Danvers is home to around 28,000. The area had long been occupied by the indigenous Native American tribe the Massachusett before the arrival of Puritan settlers from England in the 1630s. For obvious reasons, Salem today is one of the most popular destinations in the US to celebrate Halloween, attracting over half a million visitors each year.

This Hallowe’en episode is the debut episode of Season 6. After a longer-than-planned hiatus we are back producing a new season. You’ll notice a few changes in location of your co-hosts during this season.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella. With additional music from Ivan Duch, and Boston.

Some further reading material is provided below:

• “The People Here” – Interrogating Indigenous Dispossession of the Land Occupied by Salem State University – interactive timeline and more
• A great range of Digital Books are available on the website of the Salem Historical Society
• “What Did Champlain See in the Cape of Islands” – Cape Ann History
• Chronicles of Danvers , Whaling and Old Salem: a chronicle of the sea,
• Description of the Salem Flag and Danvers Flag
• Some further videos and podcasts about the Witch Trials is as follows: TED talk; History of Witchcraft Podcast; Stuff You Should Know; American History Tellers Series; Our Fake History.
• Letter in the Salem News about recognising Benedict Arnold as a hero
• History By the Sea blog has articles on Salem Common and the War of 1812 among other topics, while streetsofsalem also talks about the War of 1812
• History of Salem-based ship the Friendship
• ThoughtCo: The Full Story of Jefferson’s Embargo Act
• Fosters Daily Democrat: report on Danvers explosion; and clip of WBZ news report
• Salem’s Top Employers and demographics
• Recent Witchcraft Victims Memorial

Map of Salem with an over-representation of spookily named businesses

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Christmas & The North Pole

https://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days_Christmas_2022.mp3In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’re (sort of) exploring the history of the North Pole, and in particular, it’s significance to the Christmas season. We also conduct our now-traditional Christmas quiz, and give a brief update on Season 6. From all of us, have a very merry festive season, and we’ll see you in 2023.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

An excellent documentary from DW on Kalmykia Music used in this episode:

• Kalmyk Songs and Dances
• Throat Singing
• National Folk Dances
• Duelling Instruments
• UVSH-khan – lament about the exodus

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

See you in Season 6!

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/kalmykia | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, thanks to our backers on Patreon, we’ll be talking about Kalmykia, a republic and country of Russia located directly north of the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe, between Ukraine and Kazakhstan, only around 200 miles or 350km north of Georgia. The Kalmyks, of Mongol origin, migrated to the Caspian region in the 17th century from Central Asia. They were mainly nomadic cattle breeders. Kalmykiya was established in 1920 as an autonomous oblast (region); in 1936 it became a republic, which was abolished in 1944 when the Kalmyks were exiled for alleged collaboration with the Germans during WW2. 

The territory of Kalmykia is unique in that it has been the home in successive periods to many major world religions and ideologies. Prehistoric paganism and shamanism gave way to Judaism amongst some of the Khazars (who included Muslims and Christians in equal or greater numbers as well). This was succeeded by Islam with the Alans while the Mongol hordes brought Tengriism, and the later Nogais were Muslims, before their replacement by the present-day Buddhist Oirats/Kalmyks. It now stands as the only Buddhist region in Europe. 

The republic covers an area of around 76,000 square kilometres (or almost 30,000 square miles), making it a similar size to Panama, Czechia or the US state of South Carolina. With a population of about 275,000 residents Kalmykia ranks among the smallest of Russia’s federal districts in terms of population. 

The Kalmyks benefit from their relatively high levels of education and strong international connections. Overseas communities are found today in many parts of Europe and in the United States. The head of the religious establishment in Kalmykia itself was born in Philadelphia before being recognized by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of a Buddhist saint. 

The capital and largest city of the republic is Elista, which has gained a reputation for, of all things, international chess. And for you Star Wars fans, the Ewok language was based on Kalmyk, because George Lucas thought it sounded so odd.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/hawaii | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, Hawaii, and specifically the Big Island of Hawaii. Which is also called Hawaii.

Hawaii is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, which make up the US state of Hawaii. The island makes up 63% of the archipelago's landmass, but only 13% of its total population. The island is the third largest island in Polynesia, behind the two main islands of New Zealand. With a total area of around 10,000 km2 (or 4,000 square miles), Hawaii is similar in size to the islands of Puerto Rico or Cyprus, or our old friend Gambia.

With a rich history and culture, Hawaii and its sister islands flourished as ancient societies, developing unique religions and customs, that is until the arrival of one Captain James Cook. In 1779 the famous explorer made his second and final landing here, and would not make it off the island alive. By the end of the century, the islands came under the protection of the British Crown, and missionaries soon followed, changing island life forever. The 1800s brought modern developments and the consolidation of the Kingdom of Hawaii,but ended in the annexation of the territory by the United States, a controversial episode to this day. In 1959, Hawaii becomes the 50th State, now famous for tourism, spam and pineapples. Hawaii Island, also known simply as The Big Island, is today home to around 185,000 people, and due to ongoing volcanic activity, Hawaii is the only US state that is still growing.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/jersey | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast,we’ll be talking about the Bailiwick of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands lying just off the coast of Northern France. Jersey is a Crown Dependency so is not actually a part of the UK, just like the Isle of Man, which we covered in Season 1. Today, Jersey has a population of just under 100,000, and a total land area of around 120 km2 or 45 sq mi, making it a similar size to the US island of Nantucket, or slightly smaller than our old friend Liechtenstein. While most residents speak English and identify as British, the proximity of Jersey and the other Channel islands to France has heavily influenced their culture and their history, and French is an official second language. Jersey also has its own local language, based on French, called Jèrriais. The island was documented by the Romans, known to them as Caesarea, and was part of the Duchy of Normany until the early 13th Century, when it was reorganized and became a territory in its own right. By the end of the 15th century, Jersey was granted its own governor. An individual, now called the Lieutenant Governor, is today the personal representative of the Queen on the island. Jersey was the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by the Nazis during WW2, and was one of the last places in Europe to be liberated. Jersey has one of the highest numbers of cars per person in the world, and because of the historical popularity of Jersey wool, knitted sweaters came to be called jerseys, after the island, with the term first recorded in 1837. And yes, this island is the namesake of the US state of New Jersey. It’s been calculated that Jersey would fit 189 times into New Jersey - 95 times if the tide is out.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about the only walled city north of Mexico on the American Continent - Quebec City. The capital city of Canada’s Quebec province, the city is located on the St Lawrence River, around 500 kilometres from the Eastern coast of Canada, and around 700km northeast of New York City. Founded in July 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, Quebec City originated as Stadacona, a Iroqious Native American settlement, before the arrival of Europeans. A base for the French exploration and colonisation of what would become New France, Quebec remains a hub of French-Canadian culture and history, with French serving as the primary language, as throughout the wider province of Quebec. In 1775, American troops led by Benedict Arnold attempted to invade and take over Quebec City in the Battle of Quebec to “liberate” the region from the British. The siege was unsuccessful, however, and Quebec did not become the 14th colony; instead, it remained under British rule until Canada became its own country in 1867. Today, the city is home to just over half a million residents, making it the eleventh-largest city in Canada, similar in urban population to Albuquerque, New Mexico or Dublin, Ireland. The city’s curious name was taken from the native term for “where the river narrows'' after its location on the banks of the St Lawrence River.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Audio: Bougainville

http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_Bougainville.mp3 In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Bougainville, the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. Located 1,000 kilometers east of the mainland national capital of Port Moresby, Bougainville is the most remote of Papua New Guinea’s 19 provinces. Bougainville is the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago, lying around 1500km or 1000 miles off the northeast coast of Australia, in the Solomon Sea. Most of the islands in this archipelago (which are primarily concentrated in the southern and eastern portions of it) are part of the politically independent Solomon Islands. At around 3,500 square miles or just under 9,000 square km, Bougainville is comparable in size to Hawaii’s largest island, Puerto Rico or Cyprus. Residents speak Tok Pisim, a pidgin language spoken widely in this region, in addition to 20 different indigenous languages, depending on where they are from, and the region currently has a population of around 250,000. Inhabited by humans for at least 29,000 years, Bougainville was first discovered by Europeans in 1616, and was named for the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville, one of the first people to circumnavigate the globe. The German Empire annexed present-day Bougainville in 1886, before the islands were occupied in 1914 by Australia during World War 1. Taken by Japan in 1942, the islands were fought over by both sides during the latter years of World War 2, and have retained a secessionist streak since the mid 1960s. However, tensions between different factors remain unresolved to this day, and while officially the island is today an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, many still push for independence, particularly following a bloody 10-year civil war which concluded in 1997. A referendum in 2019 voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence, but the exact implementation of that still remains to be seen.

Flag of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and map of location within Papua New Guinea

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

We’ve also just launched a merch store in associated with TeePublic. You can find our store by clicking here, with exclusive discounts at the time of publishing.

Further information and some of the sources we consulted can be found below:

• Our most valuable single source for this episode was the valuable collection of essays “Bougainville: before the conflict”, which can be found at this link
• Profile on Unrepresented Nations and Peoples website: https://unpo.org/article/34, article in Encyclopedia Britannica, profile on Minority Rights Group: https://minorityrights.org/minorities/bougainvilleans/
• Some information about “Queen Emma”: Wikipedia, The Post Courier, PNGAA
• World War 2: Anzac Portal: “In the Shadows of Bougainville”
• 1970s promotional film on the Bougainville Copper Mine at Panguna
• National Film and Sound Archive of Australia “The Origins of the Bougainville Conflict”: https://dl.nfsa.gov.au/module/357/
• “Reconciliation and Architectures of Commitment: Sequencing the Peace in Bougainville” (Australian National University) has a lot of detailed information on the peace process and the various hurdles and pitfalls that had to be overcome on the way to peace
• ABC News: “Bougainville independence referendum renews interest in Theodore Miriung murder mystery”, “Bougainville Parliament at odds over [Kabui’s] resources deal”
• “The man who would be king” – Interview with Francis Ona
• The Diplomat: “Bougainville’s ‘Royal’ Pyramid Scheme Problem”
• 2021 article in The Guardian on environmental impact of Panguna mine, which Luke quoted
• A Tok Pisin lesson
• Videos about the 2019 referendum: UN Peacekeeping video, Bertie Ahern: “Referendum preparations must begin now“, a 2020 update from Prof Ker-Lindsay,

Some music from Bougainville can be found at the following links, including some excellent examples of ‘bamboo bands’:

• Bougainville – Mamana Poata – YouTube
• A Bamboo Band in Bougainville – YouTube
• pancocojams: N4-60 Valt – “Black Paradise” (Bougainville Island video & lyrics)
• “Peace on Bougainville” by Hamarah Bamboo Band – YouTube
• Music from Tangari Village: Dust to Digital (Facebook)
• The Referendum Song (2019) Bougainville – YouTube
• Autonomous Region of Bougainville Traditional Music and Dance at Festival of Pacific Arts – YouTube
• A Compilation of my favourite live music, sing sings + bamboo bands | Bougainville, Papua New Guinea – YouTube
• ” Selo ” – Emperor Rangers – YouTube

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

This episode, we’d particularly like to thank new patrons, Dana Fox, AC C, Daniella Sponsler, Stepehen M, and some long-standing supporters: Emily Cranfill, Collin Macharyas, Simon Greene, Nathan Hixson, Darren Clarke, Erin Barclay and Mark Wood.

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In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Bougainville, the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. Located 1,000 kilometers east of the mainland national capital of Port Moresby, Bougainville is the most remote of Papua New Guinea's 19 provinces. Bougainville is the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago, lying around 1500km or 1000 miles off the northeast coast of Australia, in the Solomon Sea. Most of the islands in this archipelago (which are primarily concentrated in the southern and eastern portions of it) are part of the politically independent Solomon Islands. At around 3,500 square miles or just under 9,000 square km, Bougainville is comparable in size to Hawaii’s largest island, Puerto Rico or Cyprus. Residents speak Tok Pisim, a pidgin language spoken widely in this region, in addition to 20 different indigenous languages, depending on where they are from, and the region currently has a population of around 250,000.  Inhabited by humans for at least 29,000 years, Bougainville was first discovered by Europeans in 1616, and was named for the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville, one of the first people to circumnavigate the globe. The German Empire annexed present-day Bougainville in 1886, before the islands were occupied in 1914 by Australia during World War 1. Taken by Japan in 1942, the islands were fought over by both sides during the latter years of World War 2, and have retained a secessionist streak since the mid 1960s. However, tensions between different factors remain unresolved to this day, and while officially the island is today an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, many still push for independence, particularly following a bloody 10-year civil war which concluded in 1997. A referendum in 2019 voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence, but the exact implementation of that still remains to be seen.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Audio: Christmas Traditions Around the World

https://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80DaysChristmasMinisode2021.mp3 In this festive episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be taking a look at some Christmas traditions from around the world that we’ve discovered. We’re also joined by a special guest or two, as you’ll hear early on in the podcast. Hopefully this episode provides some distraction from the world at large, and brings a bit of festive cheer. Merry Christmas from all of us at 80 Days.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

We’ve also just launched a merch store in associated with TeePublic. You can find our store by clicking here, with exclusive discounts at the time of publishing.

Click to view slideshow. * You can see more of the Gavle Goat here at the official website. Update – it’s been destroyed since we recorded this a couple of days ago. * To learn more about Wren Day, see Old Moore’s Almanac * For more on the festival of St Nicholas in Fribourg, see here. * And for roller skating folks on their way to Christmas Mass, Metro UK has you covered.

Mark and his new recording buddies. Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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In this festive episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we'll be taking a look at some Christmas traditions from around the world that we've discovered. We're also joined by a special guest or two, as you'll hear early on in the podcast. Hopefully this episode provides some distraction from the world at large, and brings a bit of festive cheer. Merry Christmas from all of us at 80 Days.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Ulaanbaatar, meaning Red Hero, was originally founded in 1639 as a nomadic Bhuddist monastery, essentially a moveable city,  and was not permanently settled at its current location in 1778, where it became a crucial trading hub between Russia and China. The city is located in present-day north central Mongolia, around 1000km or 700 miles northwest of Beijing and about 500km or 300 miles south of Irkutsk, Russia. Its current population is around 1.5 million, meaning it contains around 50% of Mongolia’s residents, and is comparable in population to San Diego or Munich.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Audio: Ulaanbataar

http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_Ulaanbataar.mp3 In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Its modern name means ‘Red Hero’ and it is a city that has had many names including Urga, Örgöö, and Ikh Khuree. Ulaanbaatar was originally founded in 1639 as a nomadic Bhuddist monastery, essentially a moveable city, and was not permanently settled at its current location in 1778, where it became a crucial trading hub between Russia and China. The city is located in present-day north central Mongolia, around 1000km or 700 miles northwest of Beijing and about 500km or 300 miles south of Irkutsk, Russia. Its current population is around 1.5 million, meaning it contains around 50% of Mongolia’s residents, and is comparable in population to San Diego or Munich.

At the end of the 17th century, present-day Mongolia became part of the area ruled by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty. During the 20th century, Mongolia struggled against strong influences from the Soviet Union and China, until the Mongolian Revolution of 1990 led to the establishment of a multi-party democratic system. In terms of climate, it can be extremely chilly here. The city experiences an annual average temperature of −1.3°C (around −30 Fahrenheit) and temperatures in January are as low as −36 to −40 °C, making it the world’s coldest capital city.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

We’ve also just launched a merch store in associated with TeePublic. You can find our store by clicking here, with exclusive discounts at the time of publishing.

Some useful resources for further reading include:

• Timeline – A Brief History of Mongolia
• A. M. Pozdneyev – Presenting the Results of a Trip Taken in 1892 and 1893 Urga or Da Khuree
• For ancient history and archaeology, check out: “Archaeology of a sacred mountain: mounds, water, mobility, and cosmologies of the Ikh Bogd Uul, Eastern Altai Mountains, Mongolia” by Cecilia dal Zovo; History of Siberian Archaeology; and more on the Noin Ula Burial Site which Mark mentions here.

• On geology, see here

• Wikipedia has a whole article on the beautiful Mongolian script we discussed

• If you couldn’t quite catch the name of the significant religious leader of the Mongols, more information on his various names on Wikipedia: Jebtsundamba Khutuktu
• The New Books Network podcast had a very interesting interview with Uranchimeg Tsultemin the author of “A Monastery on the Move”, which talks about Zanabazaar and his artistic legacy
• Another key source for Mark’s second section was The Bloody White Baron by James Parker.
• Travels Through Mongolia to China (Vol. 1) by Egor Fedorovich Timkowski is on archive.org (1827)
• Also on archive.org is Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet, being a narrative of three years’ travel in eastern high Asia by Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalskii (1876)
• More on brick tea in The Russian Road to China by Lindon Wallace Bates, on archive.org here. (1910)
• InfoMongolia.com
• For a more modern perspective, we referenced The Changing World Of Mongolia’s Nomads by Melvyn C. Goldstein
• More on the assassination of Mr Sanjaasuregiin Zorig, which Joe discussed, can be found here.
• The Guardian also has a great piece on “Mongolia’s New Wealth.”
• See here for a news article about the 9th Bogd Khan receiving Mongolian citizenship
• Check out the Bogd Khan’s Winter Palace, and the Gandan Monastery
• More about the Nadaam festival, and local cuisine
• Music from this episode can be found on YouTube, with traditional Mongolian music, as well as some amazing Mongolian throat singing towards the end.

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Paris Catacombs

https://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-Paris_Catacombs.mp3 In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Paris, or rather, what lies underneath it — The Paris Catacombs. What began as a network of mines beneath the city which spanned approximately 200 miles or 322 km soon morphed into something much more. A crisis in the 18th Century quite literally shook the foundations of the city, prompting the creation of an ossuary or network of catacombs beneath the city, which would go on to become home to generations of Parisien dead. Throughout the centuries, these catacombs have become a city beneath the city, and have been host to a number of wild and wonderful tales, including revolutions, occupations, secret cinemas and even heists. At this point, I’d normally tell you the population of the place we’re discussing, but we can only approximate for this one, and it’s possibly a record for this podcast — around six million, all of them (as far as we know) dead.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella. We also feature music in this episode from friend of the show Will Woods.

Cimetière des Saints-Innocents in around 1550 (via Wikipedia)

• Plenty of additional media, articles and other info is available on the official website of the Catacombs.
• Also check out Erin-Marie Legacey’s invaluable book ‘Making Space for the Dead’ here.
• There’s plenty more that we didn’t discuss on the Cemetary of the Holy Innocents, which can be found here.
• The Independent has an extensive piece on The Stones of Paris, aka Lutetian Limestone.
• Wikipedia has an extensive article on the Danse Macabre, used and discussed in this episode.
• More on Mushrooms? Gastro Obscura has you covered.
• For more on the use of the Catacombs during the resistance, see Nigel Perrin’s full blog post here.
• The Guardian has a full article on the 2017 wine theft we discussed.
• This old tourist brochure from Archive.org has some really great photos and maps.
• A brilliant article in The New Yorker entitled “The Invisible City Beneath Paris” is available here.
• William Fetridge’s “The Rise and Fall of the Paris Commune”, quoted in this episode, can be found in full here.
• The BBC also has a full podcast episode of their own dedicated to the Catacombs.

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/paris | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Paris, or rather, what lies underneath it -- The Paris Catacombs. What began as a network of mines beneath the city which spanned approximately 200 miles or 322 km soon morphed into something much more. A crisis in the 18th Century quite literally shook the foundations of the city, prompting the creation of an ossuary or network of catacombs beneath the city, which would go on to become home to generations of Parisien dead.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/gabon | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

officially the Gabonese Republic, an equatorial country on the west coast of Africa. Originally inhabited by Bantu tribes, the area we now know as Gabon was first explored by Europeans in the 15th Century. Local inhabitants began to sell slaves to Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries, which established the region as a hub for the slave trade. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, and fifty years later became fully independent. Since then, the politics of the country has been dominated by Omar Bongo, Gabon’s second president, and his son Ali Bongo, who succeeded him in 2009.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Audio: Gabon

http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_Gabon.mp3 In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, an equatorial country on the west coast of Africa. Originally inhabited by Bantu tribes, the area we now know as Gabon was first explored by Europeans in the 15th Century. Local inhabitants began to sell slaves to Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries, which established the region as a hub for the slave trade. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, and fifty years later became fully independent. Since then, the politics of the country has been dominated by Omar Bongo, Gabon’s second president, and his son Ali Bongo, who succeeded him in 2009.

Gabon has a total land area of around 257,000 square km or just under 100,000 square miles, making it around the same size as the UK, New Zealand or the US state of Oregon. Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south. Gabon is home to just over 2.1 million people, with the vast majority of those being in Libreville, the largest city and capital, lying on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. The official language is French, although many Gabonese people speak various mother tongues according to their ethnic group, of which there are over 40.

Gabon is one of the most prosperous countries on the continent, with the fifth highest GDP per capita in all of Africa, while almost 85% of Gabon is covered by rainforests, 11% of which has been dedicated for national parks.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

• Some great examples of ancient ancestral Gabonese art can be found here.
• For more on early history and archaeology, see iExplore.
• You can watch a short documentary on the Punu-Lumbo mask at smarthistory.
• For more on the life of the Dread Pirate Roberts, see here.
• Liz Alden Wily has written an entire book on land rights in Gabon, which you can read in full online.
• Christopher Chamberlain’s paper ‘The Migration of the Fang into Central Gabon during the Nineteenth Century: A New Interpretation’ can be found at JSTOR.
• Gabon : beyond the colonial legacy by James Franklin Barnes can be read for free on archive.org.
• For some more modern history (1960s onwards), see this page at the University of Central Arkansas.

Some music related to Gabon:

• Tsira Etougou Ndong performing an example of mvet music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuUOLEUT7nE
• “On vous connait” performed by Patience Dabeny, the mother of the current president: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XsKk9Aj4MU

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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Audio: Paraguay

https://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-Paraguay.mp3 In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Paraguay, a small South American nation sometimes referred to as the “heart of South America”, bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. One of only two landlocked countries in South America, the other being Bolivia, Paraguay was home to a number of Native Indian groups, most prominently the Guarani, before being colonised by Spanish conquistadores in the early 1500s.

During the 17th century, Paraguay became home to a large number of Jesuit missions, where the native Guaraní people were settled and converted to Christianity. Following independence from Spain in the early 19th century, the country was involved in a number of regional conflicts and subject to the whims of numerous dictatorial governments. This period culminated in the disastrous Paraguayan War, which began in 1864 and resulted in the country losing up to half of its prewar population and up to a third of its territory. Since colonisation, the Guarani culture, language and traditions have remained integral to the country’s national identity, and the majority of modern day Paraguayans are mestizo, descending from a mix of settlers and Guarani. The country has around seven million inhabitants today, and has a land area of around 400,000 sq km or 150,000 sq miles, comparable in size to Norway and slightly smaller than the US state of California. Despite a history of poverty and political repression, Paraguay often ranks as the “world’s happiest place” based on global polling data.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

Some further reading:

• Do your homework if you haven’t already and check out our Uruguay episode from way back in season 2.
• Read more on the Jasuka Venda discovery of human habitation dating to 5,000 years, displaying “footprint style rock art”
• More on the indigenous groups, including the Payaguá (whence the name Paraguay), Guaycurú, M’bayá, Abipón, and Chiriguano.
• Historian Adalberto Lopez has written extensively on this region. His book on the The Revolt of the Comuñeros, 1721–1735 can be found here.
• For more on the life of the Guarani and how their traditions have persisted through to the modern day, check out this video, which Joe mentions toward the end of this episode.
• The trailer for period film The Mission, in all its glory, can be found on YouTube.
• The UNESCO World Heritage website has more on the Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue.
• The Library of Congress also has a wealth of info on Paraguay which can be found here.
• Wikipedia has a whole article dedicated to the unique Paraguayan Flag.
• This fascinating video shows how the Paraguayan War played out day by day using map visualisations.
• Military Wiki also has an extensive article on Francisco Solano Lopez, who is discussed at length in this episode.
• Historian Leslie Bethell has written a paper on the Paraguayan War which can be found here.
• Thomas L Whigham’s book The Paraguayan War: Causes and Early Conduct, quoted in this episode, is also available in its entirety online is here.
• Eliza Lynch has an extensive page over on Wikipedia.
• The two 150th anniversary articles referenced on the impact of the war on Paraguay are available from The Economist and The Guardian.
• The New York Times has an article on the 1887 Nueva Germania colony that Joe speaks about in his second section.
• TIME has a piece on the Nazi outposts in San Bernadino that are discussed in this episode, as does OZY.
• The US Library of Congress has a short paper on Paraguay and WWII.
• Read more on Paraguay’s hydropower capabilities at hydropower.org.
• José Felix Estigarribia, who Mark discusses in this episode, is profiled here at Britannica.

• The graphic below gives an interesting indication of the plurality of languages spoken in Paraguay in the modern day.

• For more on food, check out Culture Trip for 6 Traditional Foods You Have to Try in Paraguay

Some music by composers from in and around this region include:

• Sanapana music from the Gran Chaco tribe, taken from this video.
• The polka song, written in Guarani by Emiliano Fernandez about the Chaco War and performed by Romón Vargas Colman, can be found here.
• We also include some Paraguayan Harp in this episode, which you can find more of here.
• For a selection of music from Augustin Barrios, one of Paraguay’s most famous musicians, click here.

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/paraguay | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Paraguay, a small South American nation sometimes referred to as the “heart of South America”, bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. One of only two landlocked countries in South America, the other being Bolivia, Paraguay was home to a number of Native Indian groups, most prominently the Guarani, before being colonised by Spanish conquistadores in the early 1500s.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella) Guest: Prof. Nicole Eaton (Boston College)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/kaliningrad | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Kaliningrad, formerly Koenigsberg, a city on the Pregolya River, at the head of the Vistula Lagoon on the Baltic Sea.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella) Guest: Prof. Nicole Eaton (Boston College)

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Audio: Kaliningrad / Koenigsberg https://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days_KaliningradKoenigsberg.mp3 We’re (finally) kicking off season five! In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Kaliningrad, formerly Koenigsberg, a city on the Pregolya River, at the head of the Vistula Lagoon on the Baltic Sea. This city has a storied history, having been originally established as a Sambian or Old Prussian settlement, before being administered by the State of the Teutonic Order, the Duchy of Prussia, the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and Nazi Germany. Shortly after the second world war, Königsberg and the lands surrounding it were incorporated into the USSR, being renamed Kaliningrad.

City Flag of Kaliningrad

As a major transport hub, the city is home to the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy, and is one of the largest industrial centres in Russia. It is situated within the Kaliningrad Oblast, which is separated by around 400km from the next nearest Russian Oblast, bordered by Poland to the south, Lithuania to the north and east, and the Baltic Sea to the west. It is therefore impossible to travel overland between the Oblast and the rest of Russia without passing through at least two other countries. As of 2010, only a small number of ethnic Germans remain in the city, with most of residents being recent immigrants from other parts of the former Soviet Union. With a population of around 450,000, the city is similar in size to Miami, Florida, or Tallinn, Estonia, and is the 40th largest city in Russia. Kaliningrad and the lands surrounding are home to the world’s largest deposits of amber, with over 90% of the world’s supply.

Flag of Kaliningrad Oblast

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Dublin, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Galway, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella. We also have to give huge thanks to Professor Nicole Eaton of Boston College for her help with this episode, and for giving us a sneak preview of her upcoming book (German Blood, Slavic Soil: How Nazi Germany Became Soviet Kaliningrad (Cornell UP, Fall 2022)).

Some further reading:

• One of the few remaining remnants of Old Prussian culture are the so-called “babas” (or “Old Hags”) which are stone figures up to 2m tall of warriors and priests scattered around Poland. Read more about them on Atlas Obscura.
• Read more on the Sambians and their burial traditions here.
• The 1963 book Balts by Gimbutas, Marija is available on Archive.org
• PrussianHistory.org also contains a Short History of Koenigsberg.
• For more on the Order of the Teutonic Knights, see imperialteutonicorder.com.
• The architectural history and significance of Koenigsberg Cathedral, as well as some excellent archival photographs see here.
• For more of the Battle of Grunwald, which Mark mentions in his section, see here.
• Brandenburg-Prussia, in all it’s glory, can be seen in the map below:

Brandenburg-Prussia within and outside of the Holy Roman Empire (1618) * For more on ‘The Other Prussia’ see Karin Friedrich’s book The Other Prussia: Royal Prussia, Poland and Liberty, 1569-1772 * The Koenigsberg Bridge Problem is outlined in more detail by Brittanica * More about Immanuel Kant can be read in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy * History of Jews in Kaliningrad * More about bodybuilder Eugene Sandow from the UK’s National History Museum * Some of the material that Mark shared about the fall of Koenigsberg during World War 2 can be found at the following links: The Economist, WW2Today, “East Prussian Offensive“, Warfare History Network, * Exclave: Politics, Ideology, and Everyday Life in Königsberg-Kaliningrad, 1928-1948 by Nicole M. Eaton * “Building a Soviet City” (Wilson Center) * Information on the “House of Soviets” from Europe Between East and West * “Should Kant’s home once again be German?” By Stefan Berger in The Guardian * “The Future of Kaliningrad” by Sander Huisman (European Institute for Security Studies), 2002

Some music by composers from in and around this city include:

• Otto Nicolai Symphony No. 2 in D major
• Pavel Pabst Piano Concerto in E-flat Major
• Hans Tiessen Hamlet Suite Op.30 (1922)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/christmas-stories | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’re inviting you all to join us for a little festive celebration, after what’s been a very hard year for many of you out there.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/faroes | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast | Vote for us at www.podcastawards.com Education category |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Svalbard (also known as Spitsbergen), a small polar archipelago off the northern coast of Norway. Svalbard is by far the most northerly place we’ve covered on the show, lying roughly midway between continental Norway and the North Pole, around 580 miles (930 km) north of Tromsø, Norway.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/tierra-del-fuego | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Tierra Del Fuego, an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. Tierra Del Fuego, which translates to Land of Fire, consists of a main island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, often called simply Tierra del Fuego or Isla Grande, with an area of 48,100 km2 (18,572 sq mi), and a group of smaller islands.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/nepal | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Nepal, a small, landlocked country in South Asia. Nepal borders China in the north, India in the south, east and west, and Bhutan is separated from it by the Indian state of Sikkim. Home to eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, this small nation has an expansive and complex history, and was only declared a republic in 2008. 

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/vanuatu | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about The Republic of Vanuatu, a Pacific island country located in the South Pacific Ocean, around 1,700 kilometres (or 1,000 miles) east of northern Australia and 540 kilometres (340 miles) northeast of New Caledonia.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/utah | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Utah, the Beehive State. Named for the Ute people, a Native American tribe that has occupied for area for hundreds of years, Utah became the 45th state admitted to the U.S. on January 4, 1896, after the territory was won in the Mexican-American War in 1848.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes: www.80dayspodcast.com/apollo-8 | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this minisode, Mark takes us further than we've ever been before, in a story that's out of this world! From Houston, Texas, in 1968, we tell the story of the USA's space programme and how Christmas came to be the backdrop to the first voyage by humans around the moon. Often overshadowed by Apollo 11's Moon Landing a few months later, Apollo 8 laid vital foundations, and took place during the festive season, watched by millions of families around the world.

Hosts are Luke (@thelukejkelly), Mark (@markboyle86) and Joe (@anbeirneach). A list of music used is in the shownotes on our website. From all of us at 80 Days, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/trinidad-and-tobago | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about  Trinidad & Tobago, a twin island nation, located just off the northern coast of the South American mainland, around 11 kilometres or 7 miles from Venezuela. It is the southernmost of the West Indies island group, and today is home to around 1.3 million people.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/luxembourg | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about Luxembourg, a small, landlocked European country at one of the central crossroads of Europe, bordered by Belgium, France and Germany.  Officially known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the country has around 600,000 inhabitants and spans a total area of around 2,500 square kilometres or 1,000 square miles, making it roughly the same size as Hong Kong and about two thirds the size of the smallest US state - Rhode Island. The world’s only remaining Grand Duchy, it has been referred to throughout history as the ‘Gibraltar of the North’ for its strong fortifications and although that fortress has been occupied many times throughout its long history, since the 10th century it has always been a separate, if not autonomous, political entity. Today, the capital city of Luxembourg is one of three capitals of the European Union and is much better known for its financial prowess rather than its military fortifications. Most citizens here are at least trilingual, speaking French, German and Luxembourgish, and although it has one of the EU’s smallest populations, Luxembourg also has the fastest-growing population in Europe.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/djibouti | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Djibouti, a small nation located on the Northeast Coast of the Horn of Africa. Bordered by Eritrea to the North, Ethiopia to the West and Somalia to the south, Djibouti lies on the west side of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the narrowest point of Gulf of Aden.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/pitcairn | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Pitcairn Island, a tiny volcanic island in the South Pacific, most famous for its mutineer inhabitants, who fled there after the famous Mutiny on the Bounty in 1789.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/faroes | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast | Vote for us at www.podcastawards.com Education category |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Faroe Islands, an autonomous group of islands in the North East Atlantic. Home to almost 50,000 people and with historical links to Denmark, Faroe Islands is a country within the Kingdom of Denmark, but has a distinct culture all of its own, in part due to their isolation and remoteness from the Danish mainland (and pretty much everywhere else also.)

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Ireland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes: www.80dayspodcast.com/exclaves | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this minisode, Joe explores, literally, the idea of an exclave after wandering into one a couple of years ago. Although we've covered a couple of enclaves in the past (including San Marino and The Gambia), this episode is the first time we've examined the opposite concept - a tiny piece of a country marooned inside another's borders.

This is also something of a personal episode for Joe (@anbeirneach), as it marks an end to his time living in Switzerland. Luke (@thelukejkelly) and Mark (@markboyle86) also feature, and we discuss briefly our upcoming fourth season, which is due in a couple of weeks.

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Full shownotes https://80dayspodcast.com/Western-Sahara | Support http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Western Sahara, a disputed territory in North-West Africa. Home to roughly 550,000 people and bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the east, Mauritania to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara is partially controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and partially Moroccan-occupied, and is often called ‘Africa’s last colony.’ First colonised by Spain in 1885, the territory’s sovereignty has been fiercely disputed for decades, particularly since 1975, when Spain officially relinquished its claim over the region. Today it is alternately known as Morocco’s Southern Provinces or the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, however, we’ll be referring to the region as Western Sahara throughout most of this episode. At roughly 260,000 square kilometers or 100,000 square miles, Western Sahara is about the size of the US state of Colorado or just slightly larger than the UK. The territory consists mostly of uninhabitable desert, and nearly 40% of its inhabitants live in Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara, while up to 100,000 people from the region are currently living in refugee camps in neighbouring Algeria.

This episode, the Finale of Season 3, is our first Patreon-nominated and voted-on episode. Thanks to Erik Tastepe, in particular, for suggesting this interesting location and to all of you who voted. Join us over on www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast to have a say in the direction of future seasons or get access to various awards.Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes https://80dayspodcast.com/Turkmenistan | Support http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast | In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Turkmenistan, formerly known as Turkmenia, an independent nation in Central Asia. Bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west, Turkmenistan forms part of the historic Silk Road between East and West. Today, it has a population of around 5.5 million, the lowest of the Central Asian republics. With around 490,000 square km or 190,000 square miles of territory, Turkmenistan is the world's 52nd-largest country, making it slightly smaller than Spain and somewhat larger than the US state of California.

Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1881, it later became a part of the USSR, gaining independence again in 1991. Dominated by plains and deserts, temperatures here are extreme to say the least. The height of summer can see highs of 50 degrees celsius (120 fahrenheit) which is the highest temperature ever  recorded in the whole former Soviet Union, while in winter, temperatures plunge below freezing in many places. Although it’s a very dry country, Turkmenistan is rich in natural resources- beneath the Kara Kum desert, which dominates the middle of the country, lie massive deposits of oil, natural gss and coal. This is the only place we've talked about that has a flag with a carpet in it. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Joe Byrne @anbeirneach and Mark Boyle @markboyle86

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Full shownotes: https://80dayspodcast.com/lesotho | Support us on http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about the Kingdom of Lesotho, previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland. This small African country is entirely surrounded by South Africa, making it one of only three nations to be contained entirely within another country's borders. Lesotho is also one of the highest countries in the world, standing an average of 1500 metres above sea level, making it the fifth highest nation in the world by average elevation. Lesotho has a population of around 2 million, and its capital and largest city is Maseru.

At around 30,000 square kilometres, the country is roughly the size of Belgium or the US state of Hawaii. Its combination of high altitude and a relatively cool climate results in it being free of tropical diseases. Rainfall is highly variable, farming is difficult and the country has few natural resources. Sesotho is the national language, but English is the language of business, government and education. 

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Please take our quick survey about how you feel about Season 3 of the podcast: https://80dayspodcast.com/listener-survey/  | Please go to http://www.80dayspodcast.com/natal to see full shownotes, including sources for music and sound effects used in this episode. | If you're feeling generous this festive season, please consider supporting us at http://www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this minisode, Mark takes the lead to tell the story of the discovery of Natal by Portuguese explorer Vasca de Gama on Christmas Day 1497, a story that has intrigued him since he first heard it as a child. The story has a festive aspect to it, and introduces a special guest.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to our listeners from Mark (@markboyle86), Joe (@anbeirneach) and Luke (@thelukejkelly)! We'll see you in 2019.

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Full shownotes: https://80dayspodcast.com/suriname | Support us on http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

This episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast is about the Republic of Suriname, previously known as Dutch Guiana. Located on the northern coast of South America, this roughly square shaped nation borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the West and Brazil to the South. Modern Suriname is both one of the smallest and most ethnically diverse countries in South America, with up to 9 recognised languages and many different ethnic groups.

At just under 165,000 square kilometers (or 64,000 square miles), Suriname is roughly the size of the US state of Washington, or Tunisia. The country’s population is around 560,000, most of whom live in the capital city of Paramaribo, near the mouth of the river Suriname. The climate here is hot and humid year-round, as the country lies just a few degrees north of the equator. As a result, its southern portion is dominated by lush, dense rainforest.   

Originally established as a British colony, Suriname was eventually traded to the Dutch in 1667 for a little island in on the east coast of North America, then known as New Amsterdam. Since gaining its independence in 1975, Suriname has maintained close ties to The Netherlands, and is today the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes: http://80dayspocast.com/kuril | Support: http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode of "80 Days: an exploration podcast" we’ll be talking about the Kuril Islands. This island chain is located in the Northern Pacific, and stretches between northern Japan and Kamchatka, Russia. The 56 islands extend for more than 750 miles across the ocean, and they total 10,500 square kilometers (4,000 square miles) of territory altogether, making their entire landmass roughly the same size as Lebanon or the island of Puerto Rico. The islands today have a population of roughly 20,000, and are controlled by Russia. However, the islands were previously administered by Japan  from the 18th century up until WWII, and have been subject to a land dispute ever since. Japan claims the southernmost islands as their ‘Northern Territories,’ and the conflict over them has led Moscow and Tokyo to avoid signing the peace treaty that would have formally ended the Second World War.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at http://.80dayspodcast.com/new-caledonia | Support: http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast | In this episode we’ll be talking about the New Caledonia, a French unique collectivity in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 900 miles (1,500 km) east of Australia. It includes the island of New Caledonia, where the capital, Nouméa, is located; the Loyalty Islands; the Bélep Islands; and the Isle of Pines as well as a number of far-flung uninhabited islets.

The main island is by far the largest and contains about nine-tenths of the population. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which encloses a large number of lagoons. These lagoons, with their diverse reefs and associated ecosystems, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Sighted and named by Captain James Cook in 1774, it was later colonised by the French and turned into a penal colony.

New Caledonia has a land area of around 18,000 km2 (or 7,000 sq mi), making it just slightly smaller than Israel or the US state of New Jersey. Its population of around 270,000 consists mostly of a mix of Kanak people (the original inhabitants of New Caledonia), other Melanisians and people of European descent.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly in Hong Kong (@thelukejkelly), Joe Byrne in Bern, Switzerland (@anbeirneach), Mark Boyle in Surrey in the UK (@markboyle86) and our guest John Killeen (@johnkilleen90), who visited New Caledonia last year. Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle (@thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes: http://.80dayspodcast.com/saint-helena | Support: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast | Saint Helena - S3.04

In this episode of season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Saint Helena, a volcanic tropical island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and one of the most isolated points of land in the world. Saint Helena is more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) from its nearest mainland neighbour. The nearest port is Namibe in Angola. It was uninhabited up until its discovery by the Portuguese in 1502, and was later taken over by the British. Used for much of its life as an island of exile, its most famous inhabitant was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was exiled there after his defeat at Waterloo. The island today has a population of just over 4500, and is roughly the size of Staten Island in New York or San Marino, at just 121 square kilometeres, or 47 square miles, and its climate is generally mild.

The island is situated in the Western Hemisphere and despite having the same longitude as Cornwall in the United Kingdom, it is classified as being in West Africa by the United Nations.

Its inhabitants, known locally as "Saints", are the descendants of sailors, settlers and slaves, and are said to be fiercely loyal to the British monarchy. The island's economy is dependent on British grants and remittances, and up until recently its only link to the outside world was by a Royal Mail Ship, the St Helena, which made a five-day journey from Cape Town in South Africa, every three weeks.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full show notes, like totes... https://80dayspodcast.com/wyoming/ | Support us at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast | In this episode we’ll be talking about the US state of Wyoming, also known as “the equality state” and “the cowboy state.” Admitted to the US as the 44th state in 1890, Wyoming has always been among the least populous states in the nation. Roughly rectangular in shape and located in the western part of the country, straddling the continental divide, Wyoming is the 10th largest state by area, and its current day population is just over 585,000, making it the second-least densely populated state after Alaska. The climate here is semi-arid and continental, drier and windier than the rest of the U.S., with greater temperature extremes. The state is famous as the home of the first US National Park, Yellowstone and the first US national monument, Devil’s Tower. Historically important industries include coal, cattle and tourism.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes: http://80dayspocast.com/san-marino | Support: http://patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In this episode we’ll be talking about the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, the world’s oldest constitutional republic, and a country that is, in itself, a historical oddity. Similarly to other European microstates, such as Monaco, Liechtenstein and Andorra  it’s a relic of a time when borders were formed based on the area that a cannon could reach from a city’s walls. Founded on the slopes of Mount Titano in 301 AD, this tiny republic has seen the rest of Europe consolidate around it, surviving attacks by other self-governing Italian city-states, the Napoleonic Wars, the unification of Italy, and two world wars. Today, it’s borders are entirely enclosed by Italy, making it one of only three countries in the world to be enclosed by another nation.

It is the smallest independent state in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco and, until the independence of Nauru (1968), was the smallest republic in the world, at just 61 square kilometre (23.6 square miles). Tourism dominates the economy of modern day San Marino.  which plays host to more than three million visitors every year, while the republic is home to just over 30,000 people.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle @thatthomasfella)

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Full shownotes at www.80daypodcast.com/tasmania | Support us at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast |

In the first episode of  season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast,  we’ll be talking about Tasmania, the island state of Australia, known to early European explorers as Van Dieman's Land. This verdant island is roughly the size of Ireland but with only 8% of the population. Tasmania or ‘Tassie’ lies 240 km or 150 miles south of the Australian mainland, and the state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. Just over half a million people live in Tasmania, 40% of whom reside in the island largest city, Hobart, which is lies on the banks of the Derwent River on the south side of the island.

Up until the early 1800s, the island was inhabited exclusively by Aboriginal Tasmanians, but was soon after claimed by the British and converted into a penal colony. For the next 50 years, around 75,000 convicts were sent to the island, which was viewed as a kind of ‘prison without walls.’ In 1854 its name was changed to Tasmania, and in 1901 it became a state in the newly-created federation of Australia.  

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle) <8bygzvf4

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After a long wait, it's time for an update on Season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast! There are a few announcements about the future release schedule, some teasers of things to come and all the details about our new Patreon page, where you can sign up to support this podcast if you like what you do: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

You can support us at lots of different levels from $1 per episode up to $10 per episode, depending on what kind of rewards you want to benefit from.

The show will always be free, but we'd really appreciate any pennies you can throw or way to help cover the costs of making it possible. We're looking forward to sending out episode 1 of season 3 next week - the Australian Island of Tasmania.

Thanks

Joe, Luke and Mark

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Our second "minisode" focuses on the events that happened in Runnymede, England in 1216, when King John of England sealed a deal with his rebellious barons to bring some peace to his kingdom.

Thanks to Sam Hume from the History of Witchcraft Podcast for lending us his voice to give life to King John. Music this week comes from Lee Rosevere, and is used under Creative Commons License 3.0 (by attribution).

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Merry Christmas from the 80 Days team! We hope you enjoy this Christmas themed "minisode" - this is a new, shorter and more focused format of episode we're trying out before we launch Season 3. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this different style of storytelling (positive or negative), or indeed we'd love to hear your thoughts on anything on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @80dayspodcast or by email at 80dayspodcast@gmail.com

Best wishes for 2018, wherever you are around the world.

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Full shownotes at: www.80dayspodcast.com/jao || In the finale of season 2 of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we'll be discussing the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, a somewhat independent region in the Russian Far East wedged between Siberia and Northern China. Its capital is the city of Birobidzhan, and with 75,000 inhabitants it is by far the most populated part of the region. For that reason, the name Birobidzhan is often used to refer to the whole area.

Officially founded in 1934 as an attempt to create a Jewish state within Russian borders, the territory was the world’s first attempt at a Jewish national homeland in modern times, and today is Russia's only autonomous oblast. Aside from Israel, it is the world's only officially Jewish territory. As of the 2010 Census, JAO's population was 176,558 people, or 0.1% of the total population of Russia. Judaism is practiced by only 0.2% of the population of the JAO.

This special episode was commissioned by one our very generous Kickstarter backers, Ian Prince of New York City. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle)

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Full shownotes at www.80dayspodcast.com/liechtenstein | In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast,  we’ll be talking about Liechtenstein,  a tiny European principality, sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria that is still ruled by the same family since the early 18th century. In a small valley towards the beginning of the mighty Rhein river, it was frequented by the Romans and incorporated into the empire before that all went sideways and the Vandals earned their name. After passing through the infuential spheres of central Europe through the centuries they were eventually taken over by the Liechtenstein family in a bid to get more favor with the Austro-Hungarian Empire (which worked a treat as it happened.) They side-stepped the devastation of World War 2 and spent the latter half of the 20th century becoming a financial services powerhouse, while also making a surprisingly successful go of manufacturing - dentures and drills in particular. Builders drills. Not dentists drills. Though there's a business plan in there somewhere.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle)

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Full shownotes: http://www.80dayspodcast.com/georgia ~ In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast,  we’ll be talking about Georgia. Not the US state, but the country in the south caucasus, known to its inhabitants as “Sakartvelo”. This former Soviet Republic is nestled between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and is home to around 3.7 Million people with a history dating back thousands of years. Throughout its history, Georgia has been subject to numerous larger powers, including the Mongols, the Ottoman Empire, and dynasties of Persia (Iran) and the Soviet Union. As the Iron Curtain fell, Georgia declared its independence and has operated as a modern Republic ever since. It’s neighbour to the North, Russia, however, has ensured that Georgia’s hold over independence has never been as secure as most Georgians would like. Ethnic conflicts and economic turmoil beset the country throughout the 1990s, culminating in the brief Russo-Georgian war of 2008, from which tensions still remain to this day.  

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle)

Make sure to get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, all at @80dayspodcast

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[Full shownotes at https://80dayspodcast.com/the-gambia] In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about the Gambia, the smallest country on the African mainland. Cutting a small sliver out of the Western coastline of Senegal, the Gambia is one of just a handful of nations on earth to share a border with just one country. The entirety of the country surrounds its namesake the Gambia River, with the border running parallel to both banks of the river inland for about 250 km. Gambia’s population of around 2 million is largely impoverished. It’s GDP is ranked at 167th out of 188 countries around the world, and like much of West Africa, it’s history has been impacted heavily by the slave trade. Having gained its independence in 1965 from the British empire, the Gambia has come to rely on its growing reputation as a tourist destination, and recently made headlines following a political power struggle between presidential candidates.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle)

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In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast,  we return to Cuba to bring its story from the Castro Revolution, right up to the modern day. As US-Cuba relations have been in the news this week, it's impossible to keep up with all the twists and turns, but we do our best. If you haven't already listened to Part 1 of this episode, we recommend listening to that first to see how we got here. Cuba is an island in the Caribbean Ocean, just 90 miles south of the US state of Florida. Cuba is home to over 11 million inhabitants. Cuba gained independence from Spain in 1902, but soon fell under US influence and became a playground for the rich and powerful; this was particularly true following the 1952 coup that brought Fulgencia Batista to power. Following a turbulent revolution which spanned almost the entire 1950s, the Communist Party of Cuba, under the leadership of Fidel Castro, took control of the country in 1965. Although poverty is widespread, modern Cuba has an outstanding health care and education system and relations with the US are currently beginning to thaw after a protracted embargo that has been in place since the 1960s. Since Cuba has an awful lot of history, particularly in the 20th Century, we decided to split this episode into two parts: this is the second part.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland and - as a new voice for regular listeners - we're joined in this episode by  Erin Barclay in the USA. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle).

Topic List [02:20] Who is Fidel Castro? [06:36] Castro starts his "July 26" Movement [09:10] Exile in Mexico, meeting Che and the Voyage of the Granma [12:28] Revolution! [14:50] The ousting of Batista, victory for Castro [17:38] Break [18:12] Divisions within the revolution on the question of communism [20:15] Courting the US, and the 'communist closet' [24:20] Che's role in the world [26:11] Refugees and Operation Peter Pan [27:15] The Bay of Pigs invasion attempt [35:26] US Trade Embargo begins [36:57] The Cuban Missile Crisis - Armageddon averted [44:00] Che leaves the stage [46:03] 'Castro really liked milk', and other assassination attemps [49:45] Cuba in the Soviet economic sphere - old cars [51:42] "Los Frikis" punks [52:42] Mariel Boat Lift [54:03] Soviet Union falls, and the 'special period' [56:20] Medicine and oil [58:31] Elian Gonzalez case [60:21] Spies and political refugees [61:07] Thawing of US-Cuba relations under Raul Castro [64:10] What does the Pope have to do with this? [65:30] Death of Fidel [68:51] Trump's evolving policies towards Cuba [71:16] Sports! Baseball! [73:00] Afro-Cuban traditions [75:30] Some Cuban lunch

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In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast,  we’ll be talking about Cuba, an island in the Caribbean Ocean, just 90 miles south of the US state of Florida (Full shownotes at: https://80dayspodcast.com/2017/06/10/cuba-1/). Cuba is home to over 11 million inhabitants, and is the second-largest island in the Caribbean after Hispanola. The country has been subject to numerous territorial disputes and conflicts throughout its long and complex history, but finally emerged into independence in 1902. Following a turbulent revolution which spanned almost the entire 1950s, the Communist Party of Cuba, under the leadership of Fidel Castro, took control of the country in 1965. Although poverty is widespread, modern Cuba has an outstanding health care and education system and relations with the US are currently beginning to thaw after a protracted embargo that has been in place since the 1960s. Since Cuba has an awful lot of history, particularly in the 20th Century, we decided to split this episode into two parts: this is the first part.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland and - as a new voice for regular listeners - we're joined in this episode by  Erin Barclay in the USA. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle). Remember to support our sponsor by visiting http://www.hairybaby.com and using our promo code "80DAYS" to get 10% off any purchase.

Topic list [03:28]  Early History - Taíno and others [05:50]  In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue... and stuff happened [09:25] Spanish Colony, 'serfdom' and Hatuey's Uprising [12:25] Slavery, Slave Rebellions and Pirates [13:55] Trade monopolies and disputes [19:00] Sugar boom and population imbalance, and Haitian influx [20:39] Break [21:10] "What could go wrong?" - just six revolutions  [27:52] Leopoldo O'Donnell and 'The Year of the Lash' [29:00 ] The Cuban Wars of Independence [34:33] Sinking of the USS Maine and US entry into the war [35:57] Break [36:22] The Spanish-American War (and Teddy Roosevelt's 'Rough Riders') [39:49] An independent Cuba, the Banana Wars and US Interventions [43:45] World War 1 and, inter-war years and President Muchado [46:42] Batista leads the Uprising of the Sergeants [47:25] World War 2 ,Ernest Hemingway's  'Crook Factory', and the 'St Louis Affair' [50:58] America's Playground and a handful of boring presidents [53:52] Return of Batista: who needs democracy?

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In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Uruguay, a small but prosperous country sandwiched between two massive South American powerhouses, Brazil and Argentina. Widely considered one of the most politically stable and progressive countries in Latin America, Uruguay is home to just over 3.5 Million people and almost ten times as many sheep.

By land mass, it is the second-smallest nation in the region. After a four-way struggle between Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay declared its independence in 1825. The country then stabilised until the 1950s, when political turmoil ensued. In more recent years, Uruguay escaped the recession that spread throughout South America in the early 2000s, and has since emerged as a bastion of democracy, progressive policies and free speech.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle). Full show notes on our website: https://80dayspodcast.com/2017/05/29/uruguay/

Topic list: [02:12] Intro - Homer Simpson and trampy birds [08:30] Horny dirty Europeans and laissez faire gauchoing [15:00] The inevitable British interest [18:08] Artigas uncontemplative - not a calm guy [27:23] If you liked Artigas you'll love many endless wars forever [33:46] Colorados vs Blancos - mob on mob violence [40:39] Flores - Warlords don't like peace, shoot your gauchos [49:30] Jose Batlle - Mr 20th Century Uruguay [57:54] WW2 - neutral, until it's over and then they're totally against Hitler [1:06:08] Old timey radio show on Uruguay... is a bit dismissive of poor women [1:14:46] Pacheqism - NOT to be confused with pacifism, too much torture for that [1:16:30] Alive - plane crash and things only get worse from there [1:23:28] South America in the 80s, how do you think it's gonna go - "Politics is finished, I'm the leader." [1:30:38] Modern day - cannabis, football, music and good times

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In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we return to the north of North America and explore Newfoundland, a Canadian island in the North Atlantic. At over 100,000 square kilometres (40,000 sq mi), Newfoundland is the world's 16th-largest island, and Cape Spear, just south of the capital, St John's, is the easternmost point of North America, excluding Greenland. Newfoundland has long been a sparsely populated and harsh land, with residents traditionally relying heavily on fishing to survive. The area has a significant Gaelic heritage, with strong connections to Ireland and Britain. Modern-day Newfoundland has a population of just under half a million, and is the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle). Our guest contributor this week is Dr Philip Hiscock (Department of Folklore, Memorial University, Newfoundland)

Topic List: [01:16] Intro [01:57] Early history – indigenous peoples and pushy Catholics [09:00] Eric the Red – bad egg/ass [13:00] Soil update - no codding you [20:10] As usual the British turn up [25:40] 80 Days Guest Dr Philip Hiscock - with some local knowledge [30:00] The French arrive and shrug disinterestedly [41:54] Beothuk people try to avoid conflict... uh oh [47:40] Census, politics and telegraphy [54:11] World wars, & reluctant Canadification [1:09:06] I'm here from the government and I'm here to help (resettlement, cod & seals) [1:20:24] 9/11 "We're diverting you to Newfoundland. All of you."

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In this episode of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we are looking at the little island paradise of the Seychelles, a country made up of an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. This former British colony has a population of just over 90,000, the smallest of any independent African state, and lies 1,500 kilometres (or 932 miles) off East Africa. Like neighbouring Madagascar, the islands are best known for their unique geology and diverse wildlife populations. White sand beaches and clear blue oceans abound here, in what was once a haven for pirates marauding throughout the Indian Ocean. A tropical rainforest climate ensures that the islands are hot and humid year-round. Victoria, the capital city of Seychelles, is the smallest capital in the entire world, with a population of around 27,000 and the country today is one of the most prosperous in all of Africa.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne@anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music byThomas O’Boyle). Full show-notes with images and links available at www.80dayspodcast.com/2017/05/01/seychelles.

Topic list: [01:10] Intro - sounds pretty nice tbh [02:07] Early history - coco de mer the rudest fruit [06:28] Discovery - Seychelles can't get no respect [14:00] Pierre Poivre & other French colonial hijinks [19:54] As usual the British turn up and Seychelles surrenders many times [26:13] Welcome to the Empire Seychelles [29:24] Seychelles - exotic prison colony with balls, baths and Birch [36:30] Smut(s) and WW2's loyal aliens [40:30] Independence - Brits start to feel bad [45:44] Commie Coup [53:20] Mad Mike Hoare and his bad couping [1:00:37] Democracy, climate change and geology [1:04:22] Food - sharks and tiny persons [1:07:13] Economy - tourism & N. Korean... friendship [1:37:07] Modern day

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Welcome to our second episode in season 2 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast. Today we will be exploring the fascinating history and culture of Easter Island.

For full show notes and links, click the link below - https://80dayspodcast.com/2017/04/16/easter-island

Named by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, on Easter Sunday in 1722, the island is best known for the 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, which were built by the early Rapa Nui people. The island is one of the most isolated in the world, lying more than 1,289 miles from its nearest inhabited neighbour, and almost 2,200 miles from the closest continental point, in Chile. The tiny volcanic island consists of just 163.6 km2 or 63.2 sq mi, making it roughly twice the size of Manhattan. The native population, the Rapa Nui, have endured famines, disease, population collapse, civil war, slave raids and colonial power struggles, and the island was most recently annexed by Chile in 1888. Today, Easter Island is home to around 6,000 people, the majority of whom are descended from the original Rapa Nui settlers.

Topic list [01:20] Intro - a seriously isolated island [05:17] Dr Mara Mulrooney - on polynesian explorers [14:42] The mystery - where did all the people go? [18:08] Moai - giant stone heads [27:50] The other explanations for the mystery [36:53] "Discovery" - Roggeveen, Dutch idiot [42:32] Was there a Civil War...? [46:30] Birdman Cult [53:38] Catholics, slavery, smallpox and Joseph Byrne [1:07:44] Dutrou Bornier - A bad man [1:13:55] Salmond and his sheep and Chile takes over [1:21:11] Mana and the Routledge archaeological expedition [1:29:23] Thor Heyerdahl expedition [1:32:15] Pinochet's law is like Pinochet's love [1:37:07] Modern day

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Welcome to Season 2 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast. Today we will be exploring the fascinating history and culture of Singapore , the lion city. This tiny island city-state is home to 5.5 million people and is located just off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, one degree north of the equator. It’s a country without seasons, remaining hot and humid year-round, and gained full independence just 51 years ago, although it wasn’t a cause for celebration at the time, as we’ll see. Since then, Singapore has developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, despite its lack of any natural resources and today is one of the most well-developed and successful cities in the world. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne@anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music byThomas O’Boyle). Find full shownotes on www.80daypodcast.com

Topics: [05:02] Early History and founding of the "Lion City" [14:05] Dutch and British East India Companies in the area [17:41] Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds a British colony [26:20] Singapore growing, with little government [31:00] Music break (traditional) [31:25] World War 1 aftermath and fortification of Singapore [35:38] World War 2, Battle of Malaya [44:43] Japanese Occupation [48:35] Post-war unrest, self-determination, the rise of Lee Kuan Yew [52:00] A Malaysia including Singapore [56:15] Involuntary Independence [58:22] Music Break (modern patriotic song) [59:00] Modern Singapore [1:05:55] Economy [1:09:15] Population planning [1:13:49] Crime and punishment [1:19:32] Languages: melting pot of speech [1:24:54] Military song in Singlish

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Christmas Special: Lapland Follow this link to find our Kickstarter campaign for Season 2: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/80dayspodcast/80-days-podcast-season-2 - Thank you for any support you can give us!

For the festive season, "80 Days: an exploration podcast" brings you a Christmas special on the most appropriate place we could think of, complete with reindeer and Santa Claus: Lapland, or - as the native Sami people prefer to call it - Sápmi. This is a large region of Fennoscandanavia, north of the Arctic Circle, with its territory spanning parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. This episode will touch on all areas of Lapland, but will focus primarily on the Finnish and Norwegian sides. The area is named for the indigenous people, who have sparsely inhabited the region for several thousand years.

In Lapland, winter lasts from early October to early May, with temperatures well below freezing throughout the region and up to 60 cm or 23 inches of snow during midwinter. However, in summer the sun does not set on the region for several weeks at a time. Population has declined quite significantly since 1990, and the region is now home to approximately 180,000 people. Residents are spread across a total area of just over 100,000 square kilometers, or 38,000 square miles, and there are as many reindeer here as there are people. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne@anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Switzerland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle).

Find full show-notes (with links to related resources and articles) on www.80dayspodcast.com, or get in touch on Facebook or Twitter @80dayspodcast.

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For the Season Finale of the first season of 80 Days, we’re going to do something a little different and look at a place that no longer exists: Kowloon Walled City. Once the most densely populated place in the planet, this unique, untamable settlement existed in Hong Kong, growing up from a military settlement which was originally built to demarcate the border between the British and Chinese controlled areas in the territory. It grew in size and scope to become a tightly-packed labyrinth of illegal activity and squalor, unregulated by either the Chinese or British governments. At its peak, over 30,000 people lived in the Walled City, resulting in a population density of approximately 1,255,000 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,250,000/sq mi). It was demolished in 1994, shortly before China retook control of Hong Kong, but has since become a cultural touchstone, a fascinating example of what humanity can become when allowed to run unchecked. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne@anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Switzerland, respectively. (Theme music byThomas O’Boyle)

Get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter. Full show notes on www.80dayspodcast.com

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In this week's episode of 80 Days, we are talking about Brunei, a tiny independent state of just 2,200 square miles, located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Borneo is a tropical, equatorial island, one of the largest in the world, divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Brunei borders exclusively on the Malaysian section of Borneo. Its small section of coastline is inhabited by just over 400,000 people, and is among the richest nations in the world in terms of natural resources. Traditionally ruled by a Sultan, it became a British protectorate in 1888 and gained independence from the United Kingdom on January 1st 1984. Modern Brunei is ruled by a ‘Malay Islamic Monarchy’, where a Sultan acts as Supreme Head of State, ruling effectively as prime minister, finance minister, and commander of the armed forces. Brunei is the first and only country in East Asia to be ruled by Sharia law, introduced by the current Sultan in 2013. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

Full show notes are available on www.80dayspodcast.com. Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

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In this week's episode of 80 Days, we are talking about Gibraltar, the "key to the Mediterranean". Famous for the imposing Rock of Gibraltar, this 6.7 square kilometre British Overseas Territory is an historic anomaly at the tip of the Iberian peninsula with a unique status and culture. It forms the northern side of the Pillars of Heracles which mark the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny territory is also famous for its Barbary macaques, the only wild monkey population in Europe. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

Full show notes are on www.80dayspodcast.com. Get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or our website.

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In this week's episode of 80 Days, we are talking about the Isle of Man, a small island in the Irish sea that lies right between Britain and Ireland. From its highest point Snaefell (620 m, 2034 ft), it is said you can see 6 kingdoms: England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Man and Heaven. It’s known for its rugged landscape, motorsport and a very curious flag. Today, the island is a British crown dependency although it has never been a part of the United Kingdom. It’s 85,000 inhabitants, 28,000 of whom live in the capital, Douglas, on the east coast are spread over the island’s 572 square kilometers. The Isle of Man’s fascinating history has made for a unique pocket of culture within the British isles, a place that has never been truly overcome by the powers surrounding it, and has always stood apart. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

Full show notes on www.80dayspodcast.com. Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

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Audio: S1E06 Liberia This week in 80 Days, we looked at Liberia, a small country on the west coast of Africa. Founded by freed American and Caribbean slaves, Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic and takes its name from the the Latin phrase meaning “Land of the Free.” Unfortunately, the country is best known for a long … Continue reading Liberia (S1.06)

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This week on 80 Days, we talked about Alaska, the United States of America’s 49th state. The name Alaska comes from the Aluet word Alyeska, meaning great land, and it is a plentiful place in many respects. Rich in natural resources, Alaksa has a longer coastline than the other 49 states combined and is the largest state in the US. It contains over 3 millions lakes, as well as Denali, North America’s highest peak. about 500 miles separates Alaska from Washington state, its nearest neighbouring within the US, and it has a strong connection with Russia, which used to occupy and control the territory. Exploring Alaska for you are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Hong Kong, the UK and Switzerland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

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Full shownotes: www.80dayspodcast.com/bhutan | In this episode of 80 Days we’ll be talking about Bhutan a small, landlocked Asian nation with one of the best flags you’ll ever see. Bhutan is a country of less than a million people, bordered by the Tibetan region of China to the North and India pretty much everywhere else. Exploring Bhutan for you are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Hong Kong, the UK and Switzerland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

It’s the last of the Himalayan Buddhist kingdoms, which unlike Tibet and Sikkim has retained its independence. Also known as , the "Land of the Thunder Dragon" due to the prevalence of the Drukpa Lineage school of Buddhism (aka the Dragon People). Bhutan is a strongly Bhuddist country, which remained and cut off from the outside world for much of its history. It is one of only a few countries to have been independent throughout its entire history, never conquered, occupied, or governed by an outside power. Since opening its borders to tourists in the 1970s, Bhutan has embraced democracy and now it famously promotes the concept of gross national happiness which is reflected in the Bhutan Gross National Happiness Index.

Get in touch on Facebook and Twitter, and find full show-notes on 80dayspodcast.com

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In this week's episode of 80 Days, we are talking about Panama, a central American nation most famous its canal that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Located strategically on the tiny isthmus between Central and South America, control of this valuable trade route has been competed for by multiple powers throughout its fascinating history. The country is dominated by a central spine of mountains and hills that forms the continental divide. Today, Panama is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the east, the Caribbean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The capital, Panama City, is home to nearly half of the country's 3.9 million people. If you’re unfamiliar with the geography, just imagine the two continents of Central and South America hanging onto one another by a thread - Panama is that thread.

Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

Please leave us a review on iTunes, connect with us on Facebook or Twitter or drop us an email if there's anything you'd like to say. Full show-notes on www.80dayspodcast.com

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Full shownotes: www.80dayspodcast.com/nauru | Support us: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

In this week's episode of 80 Days, we are talking about Nauru, a small isolated island nation in the middle of the Pacific, only 60 km from the equator and about 3,000 km from Australia, the country it is largely a dependent of. It's a rags-to-riches-and-back-to-rags tale of an island paradise, once called Pleasant Island, its disastrous encounters with colonialism, the discovery of rich phosphate deposits, which led to it being the wealthiest nation per capita for a time, and poor administration which leaves the country where it is today - always in the news for the wrong reasons. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland, respectively. (Theme music by Thomas O'Boyle)

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @80dayspodcast

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In this week's episode of 80 Days, we are talking about Namibia, a large African nation, sharing its southern border with South Africa and with an Atlantic coastline of almost 1,000 miles, known as the ‘Skeleton Coast’. Major features include the Namib Desert, considered to be the oldest desert in the world and the famous Fish River Canyon. The country is roughly similar in size to Pakistan bigger than France or Germany and one of the driest places on earth. Its history includes colonisation by Germany and South Africa, with independence coming in the 1990s. Today it is a stable and developing young democracy. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach, in Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland, respectively. (Music by Thomas O'Boyle)

Connect with us on Facebook or Twitter. For full show-notes visit www.80dayspodcast.com/namibia

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Welcome to 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by three history and geography nerds in an internet-powered balloon. Your hosts are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly (in Hong Kong), Mark Boyle @markboyle86 (in the UK) and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach (in Switzerland). Each episode explores a little known country, city, territory or settlement from around the world.

This is an introductory episode, explaining who we are, the origins and structure of the podcast. We will release episodes once a fortnight in seasons of ten episodes each. Please subscribe to get the latest episodes as they come out.

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. For full show-notes go to www.80dayspodcast.com