Geography is not what it used to be. Nowadays, that subject is often buried--and therefore inadequately covered--in a social studies curriculum itself under siege because of the extended commitment in schools to reading and math. But geographical knowledge also is not what it used to be. It has become essential to understanding a brave new world of international economic and political developments, as well as preparing for a host of jobs that did not even exist 20 years ago. The release of revised national standards for geography later this year--the first revision since these standards were introduced in 1994--emphasizes the changing geographical landscape. In a 2004 report, the latest report available, the U.S. Department of Labor declared that geo-technology--the combination of geography with an ever-expanding array of new high-tech jobs--represents one of the labor megatrends for the 21st century. These changing realities are posing a problem--and an opportunity--for American schools and their students, who by most measures lag behind the rest of the world in geographical knowledge and skills. Advocates for geography education emphasize that getting started with geographical concepts early on will be essential to competing in a 21st-century world.