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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…

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…

Native American cultures are humanity's oldest continuous civilisations north of Mexico, with archaeological evidence indicating human presence dating back 4,000 to…

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…

The American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was one of history's most significant social upheavals, with African Americans dismantling legalised racial segregation that…

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…

Iceland celebrates Christmas with 13 distinct gift-giving characters known as the Jólasveinar (Yule Lads), who originate from mediaeval Icelandic folklore and symbolise the country's…

Modern Icelandic is one of Europe's most linguistically conservative languages, remaining so similar to Old Norse (the language spoken during Iceland's settlement in 870 AD) that…

George Town, the capital of Penang Island, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 alongside Malacca for its "unique architectural and cultural…

Batu Caves, located 13 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur, are Malaysia's most famous Hindu pilgrimage destination outside India. The sacred complex is…

Iceland's current history dates back to 874 AD, when Ingólfr Arnarson, a Norse farmer and chieftain fleeing political unrest in Norway, established the first permanent settlement…

From 1998 to 2004, the Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world, at 451.9 meters (1,483 feet) tall. This was the first time a construction outside the US held this…

Shibuya Crossing, also known as Shibuya Scramble Crossing (渋谷スクランブル交差点), is the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. This title is achieved via…

The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu, sadō, or chado—literally "the Way of Tea") involves more than just preparing and pouring tea. This highly ritualised art form…

Artigiano in Fiera is more than just a market; it is a concentrated tour of cultures and craftsmanship within Milan. The fair is arranged by geographical areas and themes…

The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles isn't just opulent—it's a 73-meter-long declaration of French supremacy that nearly sparked international conflict. Completed between 1678-1684…

Granada's Alhambra is the apex of Islamic architecture in Europe, a palace-fortress complex where the Nasrid dynasty ruled as Spain's last Muslim monarchy…

Beneath the romantic streets of Paris lies one of the world's most macabre monuments: the Catacombs, holding the remains of over six million people in underground tunnels…

Rising from vast tidal mudflats between Normandy and Brittany, Mont Saint-Michel has defied nature and invaders for over 1,300 years. Legend holds that in 708 AD, the Archangel…

The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, reflects almost 1,000 years of pilgrimage tradition that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, where…

Venice's terrifying plague doctor masks were more than just funfair decorations; they represented cutting-edge mediaeval medical expertise. During the horrific plague…

Twice a year, Siena's Piazza del Campo changes into a chaotic mediaeval warfare for the Palio, a bareback horse race that has remained mostly unchanged since 1656. This is…

Barcelona's Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is the world's biggest unfinished church, still under construction after 143 years. Antoni Gaudí's aim for…

Matera's Sassi regions are one of the world's oldest continually inhabited communities, with traces of human activity reaching back to the Palaeolithic period. These cave…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

Mount Kinabalu, at 4,095.2 meters (13,435 feet) above sea level in Sabah on Borneo's northern edge, is the tallest mountain between the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea…

Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a submarine mountain chain that marks the divergence of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. This spreading zone creates…

Vatnajökull, sometimes known as the "Glacier of Lakes," is the largest ice cap in Iceland and the second largest in Europe, behind Novaya Zemlya's Severny Island. As of 2023, the glacier…

The Cameron Highlands, located in west-central Peninsular Malaysia at elevations ranging from 800 to 1,603 meters (2,600 to 5,259 feet) above sea level, provide…

Mount Fuji is a stratovolcano, or a composite volcano formed by the accumulation of lava flows, ash, and pyroclastic materials deposited over 2.6 million years of eruptions…

Langkawi, a Malaysian archipelago of 99 islands off the northwestern coast, was designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2007, making it the first in Southeast…

As dusk approaches in the Dolomites, the jagged limestone peaks explode in shades of pink, orange, and scarlet, a phenomenon known as "enrosadira"—the turning rose. This stunning…

The Costa Brava, which translates as "Wild Coast" or "Rough Coast," describes Catalonia's northeastern Mediterranean beachfront, extending approximately 200 kilometres…

Stromboli, known as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean," has been erupting continuously for at least 2,000 years, making it one of the world's most active volcanoes. Every 15-20…

The Picos de Europa (or "Peaks of Europe") rise sharply from Spain's northern coast, forming a 20-kilometer limestone massif that symbolises some of the Cantabrian…

The “Aiguille du Midi” (Needle of Midday) offers one of the world's most breathtaking cable car journeys, rocketing passengers from Chamonix at 1,035 meters to 3,842 meters…

Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak at 3,718 meters (12,198 ft) above sea level, dominates the scenery of Tenerife and is the tallest point on any Atlantic Ocean island. Teide is…

The Camargue region of southern France defies every stereotype of the country—no Eiffel Towers or lavender fields here, but rather a 360-square-mile wild wetland…

The Gorges du Verdon in southeastern France claim the title of Europe's largest canyon system— a 25-kilometre (15.5-mile) limestone chasm reaching depths of 700 meters…

Lake Como creates one of Europe's most peculiar microclimates, with an enclave of Mediterranean vegetation flourishing in the shadow of Alpine peaks. This Y-shaped glacial…