The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Countries
New Zealand – Land and Landscape
Jan 8th
wayfaring.info
New Zealand is a jewel in the South Pacific, comprising large high islands, long isolated from the rest of the world and surrounded by vast stretches of ocean. Once covered in primeval forest, it is a land rich in biodiversity, and its geography is equally varied and stunning.
The country stretches more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the sandy subtropical peninsula at the northern tip to the glacier-carved fjords of the far south. In between lie mighty snow-covered peaks, smoking volcanoes, vast lakes, dense forests, and fertile grasslands. Beaches, bays, and coves punctuate a convoluted, 9,400-mile (15,000 km) coastline. More >
Palestine
Sep 12th
Palestine’s rugged hills, ancient olive groves and cities rich in history are complemented by a lively cafe scene in Ramallah and miles of Mediterranean beach. The future state of Palestine consists of two non-contiguous territories separated by Israel: the hilly, 5,640-square-kilometre West Bank of the Jordan River; and the flat, 360-square-kilometre Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem, annexed by Israel in 1967, as their official capital.
Virtually all they people living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are Arabs; 94 percent are Sunni Muslims and the remaining minority are generally Christians. Many residents of Palestine are refugees who fled what is now Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. More >
People’s Republic of China
Sep 12th
China is all about sensory overload: it is a high-decibel, nonstop roller coaster ride through urban chaos, cacophonic banquets, imperial remains and sacred mountains. China is one of the largest countries in the world and stretches from Siberian taiga and Mongolian steppe in the north through the wheat belt to the rice bowl and on to tropical rainforests. The Chinese word for landscape is ‘shanshui’, meaning ‘mountains and rivers’ – the two dominant features of a country that comprises less than 15 percent arable land. Major waterways include the Yangzi, Yellow and Pearl Rivers. Elevation ranges from a towering 8,611 metres down to 154 metres below sea-level in between the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts. More >
Republic of Senegal
Sep 10th
Between solitary plains in the north and lush tropical lands in the south, Senegal’s hectic capital Dakar is a fine slice of urban Africa, perched on a beach-lined peninsula.
Senegal is a patchwork of classic African landscapes. Northern Senegal lies just south of the Sahara, and the desert’s hot, dusty breath leaves its mark. In the south is the Casamance, a lush zone of tropical forests and swelling rivers. West are the beaches of the Atlantic coast; eastwards, towards the Malian border, are flat, dry plains dotted with mighty baobabs. More >
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
Sep 8th
Asia’s most secretive country and sole ‘axis of evil’ member, North Korea allows in a trickle of highly regimented tourists each year who are shown exactly what the government wants them to see in this fascinating communist time capsule.
North Korea is an extremely mountainous country, large swaths of which are inaccessible by roads even if foreigners were permitted to make their way off the beaten track. Biodiversity is greater here than in South Korea, because of the varying climate zones that are home for subarctic, alpine and subtropical plant and tree species. More >
South Korea
Sep 8th
South Korea is an undiscovered country, where you can travel for a week and never see a western face, and the language, culture and cuisine are unique – recognizably Asian but with a very Korean twist.
80 percent of South Korea is forest-covered mountains and hills, which are studded with brightly painted wooden Buddhist temples. The south-western plains are the country’s food basket, with small orchards, polythene greenhouses and irrigated rice fields patrolled by white egrets. Hundreds of hilly islands, mainly scattered off the southern coast, are rural idylls inhabited by fisherfolk and farmers. More >
Mongolia
Sep 8th
Vast and empty, Mongolia stretches for 2500 kilometres across the plains of northern Asia. Biologists consider it one of the most pristine landscapes anywhere, citing its lack of fences, infrastructure and people. But there is a reason for this vacuum of development: Mongolia has a harsh landscape with little water or arable land, which is compounded by brutal weather conditions.
Long before the Mongols came on the scene, Turkic-speaking tribes occupied what is now Mongolia. When not fighting each other, they banded together, headed south and terrorized China. The Chinese thought building a really big wall would keep them out, but the barbarians simply bribed the guards. More >
