Geography & Travel
New Seven Wonders of the World
Given that the original Seven Wonders list was compiled in the 2nd century BCE—and that only one entrant is still standing (the Pyramids of Giza)—it seemed time for an update.
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9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes
Deep lakes hold a special place in the human imagination, and these 9 run the deepest.
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Editor's Picks
What Is the Newest Country in the World?
Some countries seem as though they’ve been around since the dawn of time. But others are considerably newer. Which is the newest?
How Do Deserts Form?
What weather conditions cause deserts to form?
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, site of ancient Inca ruins located about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Cuzco, Peru, in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba of the Andes Mountains. It is perched above the Urubamba River valley in a narrow saddle between two sharp peaks—Machu Picchu (“Old Peak”) and Huayna Picchu (“New
8 Amazing Physical Features of Africa
Check out these jaw-dropping physical features of the African continent.
Exploring 7 of Earth’s Great Mountain Ranges
Get to know the plants and animals of major mountain ranges around the world.
Easter Island
Easter Island, Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world. It is famous for its giant stone statues. The island stands in isolation 1,200 miles (1,900 km) east of Pitcairn Island and 2,200 miles (3,540 km) west of Chile. Forming a
All the World’s a Stage: 6 Places in Shakespeare, Then and Now
Tour with the Bard from Denmark to Egypt.
9 Memorials and Monuments in the United States
A very brief history of the United States, in nine parts.
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
The historical significance of the Hagia Sophia
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Featured Categories
Ancient Ruins
Petra
Petra, ancient city, centre 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