Geography & Travel
5 Transit Stations Worth Seeing
They are often a place to be passed through, not a destination, but these transit stations are worth an extended look.
© Joe Ravi/Dreamstsime.com
Strait of Hormuz
This sea channel links the oil-rich Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
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Editor's Picks
suburb
Merriam-Webster defines a suburb as “an outlying part of a city or town.” These residential areas that, in the United States, grew significantly after World War II have been heralded as the embodiment of the American Dream as well as criticized as soulless bastions of homogeneity. However they are
Sealand
Sealand, micronation located roughly 7.5 miles (about 12 km, or 6.5 nautical miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England, in the North Sea. Sealand sits atop Roughs Tower, a steel and concrete platform, one of a series of “sea forts” originally built to defend Great Britain during World War II. Roy
11 Must-See Buildings in Mexico City
Mexico City was founded in 1521, on the ruins of Tenochtitlán. It is a densely populated city surrounded on three sides by mountains, and at its heart is a gargantuan public square with a long history. These 11 buildings capture the dynamic spirit of Mexico City’s past and present. Earlier versions
Why Is Boston Called “Beantown”?
The origin story for Boston’s flavorful nickname is in some ways as old as the city itself. Founded by Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, Boston got its name from a hamlet in Lincolnshire, England. The genesis of its Beantown moniker dates to roughly that same time period when
National Mall
Often referred to as “America’s front yard,” the National Mall has been the site of historic protests, baseball games, and moments of profound national unity. Spanning more than two miles from the Capitol building to the Lincoln Memorial, it is also home to some of the country’s most iconic
Yonaguni Monument
Yonaguni Monument, underwater rock structure that was discovered in the mid-1980s near Yonaguni Island, Japan. While some believe the ziggurat-like formation is from an ancient city, others argue that it was naturally created. The rectangular monument, which was first detected by a scuba diver, is
world’s largest deserts
In terms of size, the desert biome is second only to the forest biome on land. The largest deserts are vast, harsh areas characterized by extremely dry conditions, sparse vegetation, and little or no precipitation. The majority of Earth’s hottest deserts are found on the western sides of continents
Four Corners
Four Corners is the only place in the United States where the borders of four states (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah) meet. The four states adjoin at right angles to one another—hence the name—and the site is a popular tourist attraction. The Four Corners location is marked by a granite
Spotlight: Antarctica
Antarctica is not only the world's southernmost continent. It is also the world's highest, driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent. How icy? There's about 7 million cubic miles of it (or 29 million cubic km), representing about 90 percent of the world's ice and 80 percent of its fresh water.
Quizzes
Which Country Is Larger? Quiz
See how these countries measure up.
Name That World Flag!
Our salute to flags from around the world. Can you name the countries they belong to?
Wonders of the World Quiz
Covering the ancient, new, and natural—prove you are no one-hit wonder.
A World of Food Quiz
In what country might you sit down to a smorgasbord? Why is durian fruit banned in several places? Take a trip around the world in this study of global cuisine.
Videos
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
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Featured Categories
Ancient Ruins
Petra
Petra, ancient city, center of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times, the ruins of which are in southwest Jordan. The city was built on a terrace, pierced from east to west by the Wadi Mūsā (the Valley of Moses)—one of the places where, according to tradition, the Israelite leader Moses
Roman Baths
Roman Baths, well-preserved public bathing facility built about 70 CE on the site of geothermal springs in Roman Britain, now in Bath, England, U.K. The hot mineral springs bubble up from the ground at temperatures well above 104 °F (40 °C), and the main one produces more than 300,000 gallons (1.3
Borobudur
Borobudur, massive Buddhist monument in central Java, Indonesia, 26 miles (42 km) northwest of Yogyakarta. The Borobudur monument combines the symbolic forms of the stupa (a Buddhist commemorative mound usually containing holy relics), the temple mountain (based on Mount Meru of Hindu mythology),
Chan Chan
Chan Chan, great ruined and abandoned city, the capital of the Chimú kingdom (c. 1100–1470 ce) and the largest city in pre-Columbian America. It is situated on the northern coast of present-day Peru, about 300 miles (480 km) north of Lima in the Moche valley, between the Pacific Ocean and the city
Religious Sites
Mahabodhi Temple
Mahabodhi Temple, one of the holiest sites of Buddhism, marking the spot of the Buddha’s Enlightenment (Bodhi). It is located in Bodh Gaya (in central Bihar state, northeastern India) on the banks of the Niranjana River. The Mahabodhi Temple is one of the oldest brick temples in India. The original
Mount Athos
Mount Athos, mountain in northern Greece, site of a semiautonomous republic of Greek Orthodox monks inhabiting 20 monasteries and dependencies (skítes), some of which are larger than the parent monasteries. It occupies the easternmost of the three promontories of the Chalcidice (Khalkidhikí)
Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath Temple, place of worship in the Kathmandu Valley on the Baghmati River, on the eastern outskirts of the city of Kathmandu, that is the holiest site in Nepal. It is devoted to the Hindu god Shiva in his form as Pashupati, protector of animals. There has been a religious foundation here
Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock, shrine in Jerusalem built by the Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān in the late 7th century ce. It is the oldest extant Islamic monument. The structure is situated on a flat elevated plaza known to Muslims as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (“The Noble Sanctuary”) and to Jews as the
Natural Wonders
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, waterfall on the Niagara River in northeastern North America, one of the continent’s most famous spectacles. The falls lie on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York state, U.S. For many decades the falls were an attraction for honeymooners and for such stunts as walking
Dead Sea
Dead Sea, landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia. Its eastern shore belongs to Jordan, and the southern half of its western shore belongs to Israel. The northern half of the western shore lies within the Palestinian West Bank and has been under Israeli occupation since
Uluru/Ayers Rock
Uluru/Ayers Rock, giant monolith, one of the tors (isolated masses of weathered rock) in southwestern Northern Territory, central Australia. It has long been revered by a variety of Australian Aboriginal peoples of the region, who call it Uluru. The rock was sighted in 1872 by explorer Ernest Giles
Iguaçu Falls
Iguaçu Falls, series of cataracts on the Iguaçu River, 14 miles (23 km) above its confluence with the Alto (Upper) Paraná River, at the Argentina-Brazil border. The falls resemble an elongated horseshoe that extends for 1.7 miles (2.7 km)—nearly three times wider than Niagara Falls in North America