"Driving through Iceland feels like driving through the Book of Genesis" -Andrew Evans

Located near the Arctic Circle, Iceland is a country full of geological mysteries and incredible wonders. The mid-Atlantic ridge passes right through the country, making it a hotbed of geological acitivity. The oldest rock you can see today in Iceland above sea level is 16 million years old. The older ones have fallen into the sea. The English word geyser is taken from the once-powerful Icelandic Geysir, like the famous one seen in the Golden Circle. 

The 2015 World Happiness Report, released in April by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranked Iceland as the second-happiest place on Earth. (It followed the landlocked nation of Switzerland, where nature also reigns supreme.)

 A look at the strange and beautiful geological wonders of Iceland.

Climate Change: The Defining Issue of our Time

The biggest topic of our time is climate change and we are at a defining moment. The impacts of climate change are global in nature and unparalleled in scale, from changing weather patterns that threaten food production to increasing sea levels that raise the risk of catastrophic flooding. Adapting to these impacts in the future would be more complicated and expensive without drastic action now.

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate change are now occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves.

Read more about this UN report: Climate Change

Exploring Australia

Australia is known as 'the land Down Under' for its position in the southern hemisphere. 
Australia is the smallest continent however, it is one of the largest countries on the globe. The country is an island lying between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific ocean in the southern hemisphere. The capital of Australia is Canberra however, some of the country’s more popular cities are Sydney and Melbourne. Australia is also the only continent in the world that doesn’t have an active volcano. Australia is also the second driest continent in the world after Antarctica. 

Australia, aside from this, also has other names. One of the most common nicknames is The Land of Oz. Oz is a phonetic derivative of an informal reference to an Australian from the word Aussie. The greenery and the abundance, though can trick you into thinking that it is the Wizard of Oz's magical land.

Read more: Why is Australia Called Down Under?

Turkey at a Glance

A little background about Turkey: It is mostly located in West Asia, however, a small portion of the country lies in southeastern Europe. Turkey’s capital is Ankara while its national language is Turkish. Its currency is the Turkish lira. Turkey is known for its fabulous food, cotton, and bazaars. Turkey’s climate varies across its different regions, but is generally dry and its heavily influenced but the sea to its north, south, and west. The climate is affected by the mountains that run through the country.

More than Just The Pyramids

Egypt is a country that lies on the southwest corner of Asia and northeast corner of Africa via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is the world’s only nation having borders adjacent to three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa.

The Pharaoh was the political as well as religious leader of the masses in ancient Egypt. The titles' High Priest of Every Temple 'and' Lord of the Two Lands 'were granted to him. The Greek form that was the name for the royal residence is the word 'pharaoh'. The pharaoh was considered a god on earth as the supreme leader of the people, a mediator between the gods and the people, and when he died, it was believed that he would become Osiris, the god of the dead.

Read more: EGYPT- The Land Of Pharaohs

The Land of Maple Leaf

Canada is a country in North America. There are 10 provinces and three territories, bordering the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Arctic Ocean and covers 9.98 million square kilometers, this makes it the world’s second-largest country. Canada is also the country with the most area covered by lakes. The Great White North is a region that has 563 lakes! This alone covers 18% of the Earth’s freshwater lakes. About half of the Canadian landmasses are covered by forest and there are almost 180 species of trees in Canada.

The red golden maple trees are grown abundantly throughout Canada. At least 13 varieties of maple leaf are found in the country in every part of it. These trees do not just enhance the beauty quotient of Canada but also represent the idea of ‘unity’ among Canadians.

God's Own Country
Stretching along the south-western corner of India along the tropical Malabar Coast, boasting everything from vast beaches and picturesque backwaters to exotic nature and rich heritage, Kerala is without question one of India’s most beautiful states. The wealth of natural beauty in the form of placid backwaters, lush greenery, picturesque hill towns, and beautiful beaches has resulted in the name ‘God’s Own Country.’ Munnar’s stunning tea plantations and Alappuzha’s serene backwaters make it into every list of what to see in Kerala.

Renewal, Rebirth & Destruction

The symbolism of the majestic Phoenix eagle, which is most commonly associated with the Sun, dies and is resurrected through cultures and across time in ancient mythology. 

The ancient legend paints an image of a sparkling and shimmering mystical bird that lives for several hundred years until it dies by bursting into flames. In order to start a new, long life, it is then resurrected from the ashes. The meaning is so strong that it is a theme and image that is still widely used in popular culture and folklore today.

Phoenix, the fabulous bird synonymous with the worship of the sun in ancient Egypt and in Classical antiquity. As tall as an eagle, with dazzling scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. At any point, there was just one phoenix, and it was very long-lived, with no ancient authority assigning it a life span of less than 500 years.


Read more on: Symbolism of the Mythical Phoenix Bird

Knowing More About Nihon

The expression "Land of the Rising Sun" is actually a translation of the name the Japanese use to refer to their country, Nihon. It's written using the kanji characters 日 (ni) which means "day", and 本 (hon), meaning "origin".

Nihon, then, would be the country of origin of the sun. It's a term that could refer to the geographical location of the country on the edge of Asia, but the name could also have a religious meaning associated with the sun goddess Amaterasu, believed to be an ancestor of the imperial lineage.

Japan is made up of 6,852 islands and its highest point in Japan is Mount Fuji which is 3,776 meters high. It is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire and has many earthquakes and volcanoes which sometimes result in a tsunami.

Text Source: The Land of the Rising Sun

Into the Wild and Endangered

Time on planet earth is running out for certain animals. With poaching, habitat loss and the impact of climate change causing a lot of issues, human beings are the biggest threat to the survival of endangered species. Read on to learn about our support, security and conservation of some of the magnificent species most in need.

Read more: Top 10 Most Endangered Animals

Land of Ice & Fire

Since they coexist equally in this region, Iceland has been called the "Land of Ice and Fire." Currently, ice covers just 10% of this contrasting island, and it has the largest glaciers in Europe.

There is a mere 330,000 national population, with the majority living in the capital, Reykjavik, and its immediate hinterland. Geologically, it is a young country, very barren, with active volcanoes, black sandy beaches, and roaring water.
One of the things that it is known for is its waterfalls, and they are among the lovely natural features that visitors can enjoy.

The Greek Goddesses

Cruel and fickle, passionate and vindictive, jealous and insecure, petty and insane: the inhabitants of Mount Olympus represent an attempt by the ancient Greeks to explain the chaos of the universe through human nature. 

Greek mythology is a myth about the Gods that were said to rule during the 700 BC in Greece. Greek myths took many forms, from religious myths of origin to folktales and legends of heroes. There were 12 main Gods- Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Hades, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon. There are many books and movies about the Greek Mythology.

Exploring the Dino Land

Dinosaurs are a wide group of reptiles. Currently, paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) have discovered over 700 different species of dinosaurs. However, paleontologists believe that there are many more dinosaurs yet to discover. Dinosaurs are estimated to have first appeared during the Triassic period (around 233.32 to 243 million years ago). They are believed to have gone extinct around 65 million years ago. The oldest known dinosaur is called Saltopus.

Amidst the Ice & Cold

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent. It contains 90 percent of all of the ice on Earth in an area just under 1.5 times the size of the United States. But the southernmost continent is much more than a big block of ice

There have already been measurable impacts on the atmosphere from global climate change. Glaciers have shrunk, ice is breaking up faster on rivers and lakes, plant and animal ranges have changed and trees are flowering sooner. There are now consequences that scientists have expected in the past would result from global climate change: loss of sea ice, rapid increase in sea level, and longer, more extreme heat waves.

The Architectural Masterpieces