Today we look at the history of one of Latin America's lesser known UNESCO world heritage sites - the Quebrada de Humahuaca in northern Argentina. We give an overview of the region's long and fascinating history in preparation for an in-depth look at the unique features which have developed from that history and which make the area so culturally and historically vibrant.

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Today we engage with some anthropology, by trying to get our heads around how the Maya religion was - and still is - connected to the landscape. By discovering how natural features were ascribed with sacred importance, we also discover how that created connections to almost every other aspect of society - from the layout of cities to social hierarchy and even economics. By understanding how the Maya view geography as living, we can learn how everything they did was connected as part of one big whole in a way that is very different to our Western understanding of the world.

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Today's special episode looks at the history of one small island across history and the many bizarre stories which have occurred there. Among other things, there are deadly prison breaks, mass poisonings and mysterious Japanese terrorist cults.

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In the half of the story of Spanish Canada we look at the Nootka Crisis itself. How did this remote outpost cause an international incident which threatened to provoke a global crisis? What actually happened during the Nootka Crisis and Nootka Conventions? And what is the legacy of this story today?

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Spain's most northern outpost was short-lived, but it played an oversized role in world affairs. Not only does its story provide an interesting insight into Spain's relationship with the vast areas it claimed in North America, but it also opens a window onto the last decades of imperial power and the rise of the rivals that replaced it.

In this episode we provide the context to this story by looking at Spain's activities on the western coast of North America, as well as those of other powers. We also introduce the indigenous characters who will play a role in this story, and tell the stories of the British merchants who struck out on their own to challenge Spain's claims in the north.

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In the second and final part of the story of the conquest of Chiapas we look at the two rival expeditions which set off from Mexico and Guatemala and see which one would succeed. We also look at how the patterns set during this conquest era would endure and ponder how much of the character of the state today is a legacy of this time.

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Today we begin looking at the story of Spain's conquest of the Southernmost Mexican state - Chiapas. We set the scene by looking at why it took a little longer for the Spanish to bring it under their control and outlining what makes it such an interesting place. Then we tell the story of their first attempt to conquer it.

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In this second episode of this mini-series we move into the theoretical part of the discussion and look at how these hurricanes changed - or at least modified - Cuba's path in many different ways, as well as trying to pull apart these effects from already occurring trend. We look at how they may have been responsible for the creation of Cuba's most famous exports, how they changed the geography of the nation's economy and population, how external international relations were affected and we make a comparison with the pandemic which we all lived through to help us think about how large disruptive events can impact the direction of a society.

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In his book Winds of Change Louis Perez argues that a succession of 3 major hurricanes in six years had a major impact on Cuban history, beyond simply requiring a rebuild of existing physical and social structures. This episode is the first of two which examines this topic, and how it allows us to think about whether disasters can change the course of history or act as impetuses for already occurring trends. Today we talk about the experience of being in hurricanes and then look at the damage these specific ones cause.

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In the last episode of our look at the 2006 Oaxaca uprising, we walk chronologically through the major events that occurred during the course of the occupation. These include the seizing of TV and radio stations, an alternative Guelaguetza festival and the death of an American journalist.

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Having examined the origins of the occupation of Oaxaca last episode, today we turn our attention to what life was like living within it. We look at the political structures which were established to govern this radically egalitarian experiment, and how these structures had roots in both left-wing ideas and indigenous traditions. We also look at how the inevitable conflict with the state manifested itself, and how it included everything from competitive graffiti and occupations of public buildings to the building of barricades and allegations of covert death squads.

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Apologies for the lateness of this episode! I thought I had uploaded it, and have only just noticed that I hadn't.

In 2006, the city of Oaxaca was the scene of a remarkable political event. For months, a significant proportion of its population controlled the city centre - seizing control of it from the police and government, and organising the running of this new de facto state according to radical egalitarian ideas.

In the first episode of this mini-series, we look at the context for these events - how corruption had alienated many in Oaxaca, and how a teacher's strike turned into a much bigger event.

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