An important concept in geography involves central location. Whether we are talking the ideal location for a new shopping center, a regional hospital, a new school or the location of a country, state or national capital, it helps greatly if that location is equally accessible to all the people it is designed to serve. Further, in earlier times where people traveled by foot, on horseback or in horse drawn carriages and buggies, it was even more important that government services and officials, as well as places where they could purchase necessities not available to them on their farm or ranch, be located with no more than a day's round trip travel time. Students should understand that all things begin equal (which they never are in the real world), it is a decided advantage to be located close to the middle of things, not located somewhere distant or on the fringe. Younger students can first be introduced to this idea by finding who in their own class is in the "middle" in regard to e.g., height, weight or age. Who's seated closest to the middle of their classroom, and which classroom is closest to the middle of their school? Which street or school is in the middle of their town or city? Which city is closest to the middle of their country? Their state? Our nation or another nation they may be studying? Note: How do you determine the "middle" of an irregularly shaped political unit? Older students can research the location of country seats, state capitals and world capitals to determine which have the advantage of being centrally located. They should also determine, if they can, why some of these cities are not located centrally. Can they determine how physical features or political reasons may have played a role in choices for these non-central locations? The movement of capitals – both in our nation and worldwide – and the reasons for doing so, also provides the opportunity for individual/team further research. Capital city moves in modern times, e.g., Australia, Brazil, Cote D'Ivoire, Pakistan or Nigeria, or the reasons for divided governmental functions in, e.g., South Africa, Bolivia or the Netherlands, are also worth investigating. Where would they recommend the capital ideally be located in their own state? The United States? In other nations they are studying? And what reasons do they give to support their moves? What role might changing technologies play in their choices? Changing economic, political or national security considerations? Ethnic or minority concerns? Health or environmental issues?