Taiwan. The Republic of China. Formosa. All three names describe the same island.1 But before the island was settled by Han Chinese or colonised by Europeans, it was inhabited by aborigines. Taiwanese aboriginal people are genetically related to the native…

On Monday, October 4th, this filthy-looking reservoir in Hungary burst its walls, releasing 700,000 cubic metres (24 million cubic feet) of toxic sludge onto the surrounding countryside and villages. A byproduct of refining bauxite into alumina at the Ajkai Timfoldgyar…

The nigh unpronounceable Loughareema (Loch an Rith Amach) is, at first glance, nothing more than one of the many lochs and bogs that dot the Northern Irish countryside. That is, if you happen to be lucky enough to see it…

Standing outside their offices in Belo Horizonte, we find the Google Team,officially welcoming Street View to Brazil. We've recently heard rumors that, as with so many of Google's products, one of the engineers has a hidden message.... Perhaps it's this…

Zoom in on the South Shetland Islands, just off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, and you'll see what appears to be a giant Cheerio floating in the South Atlantic. This is actually Deception Island, an oddly shaped chunk…

The coastal Vietnamese city of Nha Trang is a well-known and well-traveled tourist destination. It is blessed with all the natural beauty a resort town could hope for: beautiful white sand beaches, crystal-clear water, and a bay full of unspoilt…