In South Africa, one finds the world's strangest and most dramatic landscapes, a unique wealth of animal and plant life, a treasure of gold, diamonds and other minerals, and a kaleidoscope of fascinating cultures.

Central Asia stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north, including the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Big Sur, California, is where dramatic cliffs meet the vast Pacific, creating a stunning landscape that feels almost otherworldly. Stretching for about 90 miles along California's Highway 1, this iconic coastal region offers some of the most breathtaking views in the world, with the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains rising up from the ocean to create a panorama that has captivated artists, writers, and nature lovers for generations.

Denmark is almost completely surrounded by water: the North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east. It is a quaint and friendly country whose residents take great pride in their Danish culture.

Philippines is a republic in the western Pacific Ocean, made up of the Philippine Islands and forming in physical geography a part of the Malay Archipelago. Eleven islands contain most of the population: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Masbate.