Latest Notes
The Amazon rainforest is the world's biggest tropical rainforest and most biodiverse terrestrial environment, comprising over 5.5 million square kilometres (2.1 million square miles) across nine…
Jazz, often referred to as "America's classical music," arose in early twentieth-century New Orleans as a truly novel musical form—the first significant musical genre created entirely within American…
Niagara Falls, which straddles the US-Canada border between New York state and Ontario province, is North America's most powerful and geologically active waterfall system. The falls are actually…
Brazil's "racial democracy" story is a compelling but historically false mythology that claims the country successfully overcame racial prejudice through racial mixing (miscegenation), resulting…
Yellowstone National Park, which straddles the borders of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, is Earth's most geothermally active location, with nearly 60% of the planet's geysers…
Rio de Janeiro's Carnival is the world's largest carnival celebration, a nine-day festival held annually before Ash Wednesday that draws approximately 2 million street revellers and 500,000…
The Pantanal, the world's biggest tropical wetland, spans around 66,000 square miles (170,000 square kilometres) and includes Brazil (80%), Bolivia, and Paraguay. The Pantanal, sometimes…
Gun culture in the United States reflects the country's unique historical trajectory, with firearms strongly rooted in American identity since colonial settlement and constitutionally protected by…
Brazil's favelas (informal urban settlements) are predominantly centred in big cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, and Brasília, housing around 17.9 million people…
Native American cultures are humanity's oldest continuous civilisations north of Mexico, with archaeological evidence indicating human presence dating back 4,000 to…
Ipanema Beach, which stretches about 2.6 kilometres along Rio's Atlantic coast, is the polar opposite of Copacabana's tourist-oriented commercialism—a place where sophisticated bohemian…
Football (soccer) serves as Brazil's national passion, transcending athletic rivalry to become profoundly ingrained in national identity, social desire, and artistic expression. Brazil has won…
Iguazu Falls, which straddles the Brazil-Argentina border and includes a lesser cascade in Paraguay, is made up of around 275 separate waterfalls spread across a 2.7-kilometre (1.7-mile) crescent…
Brazil's indigenous peoples are one of the Americas' most diverse and culturally significant populations, encompassing over 300 unique ethnic groups speaking around 180 languages, ranging…
Hollywood, the entertainment industry concentrated in Southern California, is one of America's most important cultural exports—a system that has literally revolutionised how humanity tells…
The Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) annual championship game, has evolved beyond sporting competition to become America's de facto secular national holiday…
The Grand Canyon, which stretches approximately 277 miles (446 kilometres) along the Colorado River in northwestern Arizona, is one of the world's most visually stunning geological monuments…
The American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was one of history's most significant social upheavals, with African Americans dismantling legalised racial segregation that…
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is one of the world's most important historical organisations, recording the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945—one of the twentieth…
The Izu Peninsula (伊豆半島), which extends southeastward from Tokyo into Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, is a geological accident that has created one of Japan's…
Georgetown, Penang—Malaysia's UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008—offers dual attractions that make it among Southeast Asia's most rewarding destinations…
Iceland's work culture prioritises personal leisure over work, despite placing 26th out of 36 nations on the OECD work-life balance index. Icelanders work around 1,697 hours per…
Iceland is one of the most volcanically active locations outside tropical zones. Its geological character is defined by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge spreading zone meeting with a mantle hotspot, resulting…
Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san) is more than just Japan's highest mountain, standing at 3,776.24 meters (12,389 ft). This flawlessly symmetrical stratovolcano represents Japanese…
The Blue Lagoon, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland, is the most visited tourist destination in Iceland and one of the world's most stunning geothermal…
Nasi lemak, a popular Malaysian dish made with coconut milk and pandan leaves, has become a symbol of national identity and multicultural unity. It is served with spicy sambal…
The Japanese Alps (Nihon Arupusu) are divided into three mountain ranges: the Northern, Central, and Southern Alps, which run over central Honshu and reach elevations…
Thanksgiving, observed on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, is one of America's most important annual traditions—a holiday that combines religious thankfulness, harvest…