Chile
Background:
Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while the indigenous Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia [...]

Bornholm formed part of the historical Lands of Denmark when the nation united out of a series of petty chiefdoms. It was originally administratively part of the province of Scania and was administered by the Scanian Law after this was codified in the 13th century. Control over the island evolved into a long-raging dispute between [...]

Stockholm is often nicknamed the “Venice of the North”. This moniker is owed in part to the city’s geographic location on 14 islands scattered over the fresh waters of Lake Mälaren. Stockholm is not only the capital of Sweden, but it is also one of the most naturally beautiful cities in Europe. It is part [...]

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has become one of Europe’’s (and the world’’s) most popular tourist destinations. It is the sixth most-visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its [...]

Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,000 to 13,114 feet (600 to 4,000 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak woodland, lower montane, upper montane, subalpine, and alpine. [...]

The Colorado River basin (of which the Grand Canyon is a part) has developed in the past 40 million years. A recent study places the origins of the canyon beginning some 17 million years ago. Previous estimates had placed the age of the canyon at 5 to 6 million years. The study, which was published [...]

Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu, “Old Peak”, is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the vicalamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu [...]

The desert is composed of stratified layers of mineral and decayed organic matter. The erosion of these layers by natural wind and rain patterns has resulted in the formation of many knobs, which are visually distinct due to the bands of grays, reds, oranges and yellows. The area is noted to be especially beautiful at [...]