Geography Now

• Paul Barbato sometimes nicknamed Barby or Barbs – creator and host.
• Barbato was born in 1987 in Minnesota to Korean immigrant parents. His father was born in Gyeonggi-do and his mother was born in Daegu. Barbato describes his parents as Hapas - half Korean and half white. {{cite web | url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G_IdpTRlTt8 | title=My DNA Heritage test results (I WAS SHOCKED) | website=YouTube | date=8 May 2022 }} Barbato also has French, Irish, and Italian ancestry; the latter is where his surname originates.{{cite web | url=https://geographical.co.uk/culture/paul-barbs-barbato-on-the-importance-of-geography-exploration | title=Paul 'Barbs' Barbato on the importance of geography & exploration | date=22 October 2024 }} Barbato grew up on the Near North Side of Chicago and currently resides in Los Angeles. {{cite web | url=https://www.newsweek.com/i-traveled-99-countries-learned-we-all-seek-same-things-1967554 | title=I've traveled to 99 countries and learned we all seek the same things | website=Newsweek | date=15 October 2024 }} Barbato started Geography Now! because he felt there were no channels specifically aimed at profiling every country, prompting him to create one himself. Barbato has emphasized the importance of geography education and criticized its scarcity in American curricula. As of October 2024, the conclusion of the series, he has visited 99 countries.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/i-traveled-99-countries-learned-we-all-seek-same-things-1967554|title=I Traveled to 99 Countries and Learned We All Seek the Same Things|publisher=Newsweek|first=Paul|last=Barbato|date=October 15, 2024|access-date=October 17, 2024}}
• Keith Everett – Music segment
• Hannah Bamberg, also known as "Random Hannah" – Culture segment
• Noah Gildermaster – Food segment
• Kaleb Seaton, formerly known as "Gary Harlow" (a "knockoff Steve Irwin") – Wildlife segment
• Arthur "Art" Napiontek – Sports segment
• Bill Rahko – Theme music composer
• Vincent Kierkels – Graphic designer/animator
• Peadar Donnelly – Graphic designer/animator
• Jared Stevenson – Graphic designer/animator
• Jason King – Graphic designer (formerly)
• Ken O'Donnell – Animator (formerly)

If the specified co-host does not appear for their segment, it will either be covered by Barbato or filled in by another crew member of Geography Now!.

Whenever possible, the channel also features guest contributors from the country being profiled. For example, Kierkels appeared in the Netherlands episode, Donnelly in the Ireland episode, and O'Donnell in the Philippines episode. Fellow internet personality Jay Foreman co-hosted the United Kingdom episode, while Barbato's mother co-hosted the South Korea episode.

Some episodes, especially ones with native co-hosts, were filmed in a makeshift studio inside the country. The Zimbabwe episode is the only one not filmed in a studio, instead taking place in the Zimbabwean countryside.

The channel series began on October 15, 2014, with the country of Afghanistan and concluded on October 15, 2024, with the country of Zimbabwe. The member states of the United Nations were covered in alphabetical order, with a few exceptions, such as when the country formerly named Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini after the letter E had already been passed.{{cite journal|url=https://the-avocado.org/2018/06/22/geography-now-night-thread/|title=Geography Now! Night Thread|journal=The Avocado|first=Sam|last=Aronow|date=June 22, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2019}} Another exception was the North Macedonia episode, which was released under F, because at the time, the UN listed its name as "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" to avoid controversy with Greek viewers, who consider the name "Macedonia" to be exclusively Greek. English names were also used for country titles; for example, the episode is titled "Ivory Coast" rather than "Côte d'Ivoire." Barbato has stated that he maintains a fast pace in his videos while incorporating visual graphics to enhance accessibility.{{Cite podcast|url=https://www.thelostgeographer.org/podcast.php?ep=Episode%2019%20-%20Geography%20Now!|title=Episode 19 - Geography Now!|website=The Lost Geographer|access-date=September 23, 2021|archive-date=January 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123155907/https://www.thelostgeographer.org/podcast.php?ep=Episode%2019%20-%20Geography%20Now!|url-status=dead}}

• The Flag Dissection segment examined the meaning and symbolism behind each country's flag. After signing with Studio 71, this segment was moved to a separate video known as Flag/Fan Fridays, later changed to Flag/Fan Days starting with the Cuba episode, though it was brought back in the Zimbabwe episode. These segments included the opening of mail and packages sent by fans. In the current format, flag segments are separated into short-format videos, with fan mail openings held in separate live streams.

• Political Geography provided a closer look at each country's borders, enclave and exclaves, territorial disputes and anomalies, administrative divisions, overseas territories, notable locations, and more.

• Physical Geography explored each country's land makeup, demarcations, landscape, arable land, climate, biodiversity, and food.

• Demographics covered each country’s population, plug type, driving side, people, diversity, traditions, culture, government, notable individuals, and a brief history (if not already discussed in a previous segment).

• Friend Zone analyzed the country's positive or negative relationships with other countries.{{Cite web|url=https://dgbriones.home.blog/2019/10/03/educational-youtuber-covers-the-philippines/|title=Educational YouTuber Covers the Philippines|website=DG Briones|date=3 October 2019|accessdate=23 September 2021|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123155858/https://dgbriones.home.blog/2019/10/03/educational-youtuber-covers-the-philippines/|url-status=dead}}

• Conclusion wrapped up each episode into a 1-2 minute segment.

Over the course of the channel's history, the duration of the episodes increased, with more topics and information included in each episode. While early episodes typically lasted 7-10 minutes, later episodes usually ran 30-40 minutes. As of October 15, 2024, the Zimbabwe episode is the newest and final episode covering a UN-listed country. The episode on the United States of America lasted 65 minutes, making it the longest episode by far.

A "new chapter" was announced at the end of the Zimbabwe episode.{{cite web|url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/meet-the-youtuber-who-spent-10-years-visiting-every-country-on-earth-2922387/|title=Meet the YouTuber who spent 10 years profiling every country on Earth|publisher=Dexerto|first=Virginia|last=Glaze|date=October 15, 2024|access-date=October 17, 2024}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2024}}

Flag/Fan Days, previously known as Flag/Fan Friday, were companion videos to the main episodes. In these videos, a country's flag and coat of arms are explained. Barbato also sometimes uses this opportunity to discuss topics he did not cover in the original video or to correct and clarify details. Afterward, he calls crew members and opens fan mail.

There is a recurring animation in most episodes of Flag/Fan Days where the red in a country's flag symbolizes the "blood of those who fight for their freedom", which has since become a running gag whenever the red on a country's flag is said to represent the blood of those who fought for the country in the past.

Following the release of the Venezuela–Zambia episodes, Paul Barbato decided to turn four Flag/Fan Day videos into YouTube Shorts due to the long time it took to research, film, and produce the videos.

The countries discussed in each episode follow the United Nations alphabetical list of members and go through them in the respective order.

Filler week videos occurred when the team was in the process of researching and creating scripts for upcoming episodes. Topics discussed in these videos included states or subregions of countries, current or cultural events, physical geography, specific ethnic groups, and infrastructure innovations.

Geography Go is the channel's travel vlog series. Countries visited include Qatar, Finland, Estonia, Greenland, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Singapore, and many more. Paul Barbato also later started posting YouTube Shorts on his channel about his travels to other countries like Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Croatia, the Central African Republic, Togo, and many others.

A Geograbee is the geography equivalent of a spelling bee, where participants are tested on geography. So far, Barbato has hosted these events in Hargeisa in Somaliland, Somalia, and Alaska.{{cite journal|url=https://www.ktva.com/story/37639263/youtube-star-hosts-geograbee-at-gruening-middle-school|title=Youtube star hosts GeograBee at Gruening Middle School|first=Cassie|last=Schirm|journal=KTVA|date=March 3, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2019|archive-date=October 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019210311/http://www.ktva.com/story/37639263/youtube-star-hosts-geograbee-at-gruening-middle-school|url-status=dead}} Other educational content is also uploaded.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetravelpocketguide.com/news/barbs-geography-now/|title=GEOGRAPHY NOW: BARBS' 10-YEAR GLOBAL JOURNEY – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW|publisher=The Travel Pocket Guide|date=October 15, 2024|access-date=October 17, 2024}}

For April Fools' Day, Geography Now! uploaded videos profiling fictional countries created by Barbato (with the exception of the 2016 and 2017 videos). These included:

• Bandiaterra (2015), a Danish-speaking island nation in the Indian Ocean.
• Limberwisk (2018), a Nordic country whose language consists entirely of whispers.
• Patch Amberdash / Datcsh (2019), a confederation of islands spread across three continents.
• Qitzikwaka (2020), a former Russian colony situated underground in the Sahara.
• Sovonthak (2021), a country situated on eight shallow reefs with a legally-recognized and taxed bartering system.
• Volanca (2022), a country with no territory, founded by UN interpreters, with citizens' residences serving as legal lodging.
• Ululiona-Linulu (2023), a sovereign Native American country created as a buffer between Mexico and the United States after the Mexican–American War.
• Geolandia (2024), a federation comprising all previous April Fools' countries. Citizenship is acquired by subscribing to Geography Now and purchasing its merchandise.

Geography Now! generally receives positive feedback from newspapers and magazines in the countries covered, such as Japan Today,{{cite journal|url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/informative-video-condenses-everything-about-japan-into-16-minutes-of-pure-gold|title=Informative video condenses everything about Japan into 16 minutes of pure gold|journal=Japan Today|first=Koh|last=Ruide|date=February 17, 2018|access-date=June 12, 2019}} Télérama,{{cite journal|url=https://www.telerama.fr/monde/la-france-vue-de-l-exterieur,151264.php|title=La France vue de l'extérieur|journal=Télérama|date=December 9, 2016|access-date=June 12, 2019|language=fr}} Dutch Metro,{{cite journal|url=https://www.metronieuws.nl/in-het-nieuws/2019/02/geography-now-lanceert-uitlegvideo-over-nederland|title=Geography Now lanceert uitlegvideo over Nederland|journal=Metro|first=Jemel|last=Visser|date=February 27, 2019|access-date=June 12, 2019|language=nl}} RTL,{{cite journal|url=https://vijesti.rtl.hr/novosti/zanimljivosti/1943429/kako-nas-amerikanci-vide-pogledajte-sto-sve-znaju-o-nama/|title=Kako nas Amerikanci vide: pogledajte što sve znaju o nama|journal=RTL|date=May 16, 2016|access-date=June 12, 2019|language=Croatian}} Nezavisne Novine,{{cite journal|url=https://www.nezavisne.com/zivot-stil/zivot/Kako-stranci-vide-BiH-Icar-konzerve-piramide-i-tri-jezika/314844|title=Kako stranci vide BiH: Icar konzerve, piramide i tri jezika|journal=Nezavisne Novine|date=July 10, 2015|access-date=June 12, 2019|language=Bosnian}} Life in Norway,{{cite journal|url=https://www.lifeinnorway.net/geography-now-comes-to-norway/|title=Geography Now Comes To Norway|journal=Life in Norway|first=David|last=Nikel|date=May 23, 2019|access-date=June 12, 2019}} Lovin Malta,{{cite journal|url=https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/living-in-malta/watch-malta-featured-on-popular-youtube-series-about-countries-and-geography|title=WATCH: Malta Featured On Popular Youtube Series About Countries And Geography|journal=Lovin Malta|first=Chiara|last=Micallef|date=19 August 2018 |access-date=June 12, 2019}} and Zoznam.{{Cite journal|url=https://hashtag.zoznam.sk/geography-now-pppeter-slovensko/|title=Státisíce videní za pár dní: Toto video o Slovensku je absolútnym hitom!|journal=Zoznam: Hashtag|date=4 January 2021|accessdate=23 September 2021|language=sk}} It has also received endorsements from educators and travel writers.{{cite journal|url=https://tomeoftrovius.com/2018/03/27/youtube-excellence-2-geography-now/|title=YouTube Excellence #2: Geography Now|journal=Tome of Trovius|date=March 27, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.laddingford.kent.sch.uk/countries/|title=Geography Now Videos|website=Laddingford St Mary's C of E Primary School|access-date=February 20, 2021}} The channel has appeared on several lists of recommended educational YouTube channels,{{cite podcast|url=http://nothingexempt.com/82-geography-now-with-paul-barbato/|title=82. Geography Now with Paul Barbato|website=Nothing Exempt|publisher=|host=Nicholas Pardini, Brian Peotter|date=September 15, 2018|time= |access-date=May 21, 2019}}{{cite journal|url=https://blacklabelexperience.com/geography-now-new-zealand/|title=Lights, Camera, Action….Geography Now!|first=Tania|last=Stoyanof|journal=Black Label|date=December 14, 2016|access-date=May 21, 2019}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/7-youtube-channels-everyone-should-follow-according-to-reddit-35155|title=7 YouTube Channels Everyone Should Follow, According To Reddit|journal=Bustle|first=Georgina|last=Lawton|date=February 2, 2017|access-date=June 12, 2019}} including one by the Van Andel Institute.{{Cite web|url=https://vaei.vai.org/2020/02/28/5-useful-and-fun-youtube-channels-for-your-classroom/|title=5 Useful (and Fun) YouTube Channels for Your Classroom|website=Van Andel Institute|date=28 February 2020|access-date=21 February 2021}}{{cite journal|url=https://yp.scmp.com/entertainment/tech-and-games/article/108344/maths-and-science-liberal-studies-these-are-7-best|title=From maths and science to liberal studies, these are the 7 best YouTube channels that will improve your grades|first=Joshua|last=Lee|journal=YoungPost|publisher=South China Morning Post|date=January 12, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2019}} A few criticisms typically relate to tone and pronunciation, particularly in earlier episodes.{{cite journal|url=https://medium.com/@dachmad/my-thoughts-about-geography-now-c127492a1c88|title=My thoughts about Geography Now|journal=Medium|date=January 26, 2019|access-date=June 12, 2019}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.geographynow.com Official website]

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