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[Bio4Climate] Featured Creature: Which creature is the largest terrestrial predator on the planet, has the most adorable cubs, and makes its own fresh water?

Dear Jon,

Welcome back to our Featured Creature series, where we share a creature whose evolutionary traits, special role within its ecosystem, or fun facts have captured our attention. 


This week we ask,

Which creature is the largest terrestrial predator on the planet, has the most adorable cubs, and makes its own fresh water? 

Polar Bears!

Polar Bear (Boar), Kaktovik, Barter Island, Alaska.
Image Courtesy Alan D. Wilson.

Wintry Beauties

 

Polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus, or “sea bears,” live in the Arctic Circle and on nearby land masses and sea ice in the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway.

 

These mammals are hypercarnivorous bears, which means that over 70% of their diet is meat and fat. They hunt ringed and bearded seals for their food primarily, spending most of their time hunting off the edge of sea ice or waiting by the holes in the ice where the seals come up for air. Depending on the time of year, they catch between 1-20% of the seals they hunt, so each success is vital to their survival.



When no sea ice is present, they live off of their fat reserves, and they can resort to eating whale carcasses, walruses, bird eggs, birds, fish, and to a small extent, berries, roots and kelp. Adult females typically weigh between 400 - 700 pounds, while adult males can weigh twice as much or more, between 500 - 1,700 pounds. They can stand up to 11 feet tall (a bit more than 3.3 meters) and their lifespan is approximately 25 years.

 

Polar bears, the only type of bears that swim in the sea, have many characteristics that are adapted for cold temperatures, swimming, and hunting. These include two thick layers of fur (an outer layer and an under layer) and a thick layer of fat that provide insulation, an oily coat that sheds the water off after swimming, 42 razor sharp teeth, a keen sense of smell, and large furry, webbed feet (the size of dinner plates) with bumpy footpads and short, sharp, stocky claws that allow them to swim, distribute their weight on the ice, and grip the ice as they pull up from the water’s edge. 

 

A polar bear’s hair is actually clear, yet it contains whitish keratin in its outer layer and a hollow core that scatters and reflects light, often giving it a whitish hue. Their skin underneath is black which absorbs the heat from the sun to help keep them warm.


A polar bear swims in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska.
Image Courtesy Steven Kazlowski.

Impressive Feats

 

Polar bears can swim up to 6 miles per hour and up to 3-4 minutes underwater when they are hunting for seals near the shore or on ice floes. They can also swim incredibly long distances. The longest recorded swim was over 426 miles in nine days straight by a female polar bear, a trip equivalent to the distance from Boston to Washington, DC. Some think these long swims may be increasing due to the melting sea ice and their need for food.




Since polar bears’ access to fresh water is limited to the snow, their body can actually metabolize the fat of the seal blubber they consume into water … In other words, polar bears make their own fresh water!  Additionally, their incredible sense of smell enables them to detect a carcass or a live seal up to 3 miles away!

 

Those Adorable Cubs!


Mom and her cubs. Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada.
Photograph by Daisy Gilardini.

Mating season begins in April when the polar bears gather on the sea ice during peak seal hunting season. Pregnant females proceed to eat twice their body weight and then dig out a maternity den for themselves, typically in snowdrifts a few kilometers inland from the coast. Some dens are made underground in the permafrost or on the sea ice. Expectant mothers then go into a dormant state in their dens for several months. 



Each litter consists of 1-3 cubs weighing less than 2 pounds each, and they are born blind with a light down fur. The mother nurses her cubs in the den until they are about 20-30 pounds. The family then ventures outside each day for about 2 weeks while the mother breaks her 5 month fast, grazing on vegetation while the cubs get stronger by walking and playing. They then start their long journey to the sea ice so she can hunt for seals while continuing to nurse her cubs for another 2 years.



Their Role in The Ecosystem

 

Polar bears are known as apex predators because they are at the top of the food chain in their region. They are also considered a “keystone species,” playing a critical role in the Arctic ecosystem — their presence affects the types and numbers of many other species in the region. The World Wildlife Fund considers polar bears to be an important indicator of the health of the Arctic marine ecosystem.

 

Ringed seals in the Arctic appear to regulate the population of polar bears and vice versa, and this seems to account for the differences between the seals in the Arctic and the Antarctic. Seals in the Arctic use more breathing holes, are more restless on the ice, and the fur of the baby seals is usually white, seeming to work as a camouflage from predators. Baby seals in the Antarctic are born with dark fur, where there is no threat from polar bears.

 

Other species in the ecosystem are also impacted by the presence of polar bears. For example, Arctic foxes and glaucous seagulls rely on the bears’ remaining seal carcasses as a source of food. 

 

Centuries ago, we humans had reverence for our place in nature. We understood the importance of limiting our consumption, using every part of our hunt, and being sure not to deplete the natural resources we depend on for our survival. Indigenous people of the Arctic still live this way. They hunt polar bears for their meat and fat for food, fat for fuel to light their homes, dried gallbladder and heart for medicine, fur for clothing and footwear, tendons for sewing thread, and large canine teeth as sacred talismans and symbols of protection. 

 

A Vulnerable Species


Polar bear testing melting sea ice, Svalbard, Norway.
Image Courtesy Peter Prokosch and the GRID-Arendal resources library.

As time has gone on, there have been increasing threats to the polar bear population including the fur trade, toxicity from environmental contaminants, habitat disruptions from fossil fuel exploration and development, and now the melting of sea ice due to planetary warming. Various measures have been implemented to curb these impacts including the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears in 1973, identifying polar bears as a ‘vulnerable species’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and more.

 

Today, many leading polar bear biologists are extremely concerned about the impacts of climate change on polar bears. One trend that biologists and hunters are seeing is an increase in hybridized bears, also known as ‘grolar bears’ or ‘pizzly bears!’ Biologists think that as polar bears migrate further south in search of food, and grizzly bears migrate further north for new opportunities of food, the incidence of mating between these biological sister species will continue to grow. Despite this adaptation, the U.S. Geological Survey is projecting that two-thirds of polar bears will be gone by 2050 and some are forecasting that polar bears will become extinct by 2100.

 

While I was doing the research for this article, I experienced a period of grief that went quite deep. It was painful and challenging, and fortunately, it eased up after I expressed this during our weekly Bio4Climate meeting. I continue to learn about the power and promise of the restoration of biodiversity and the magnificent creatures with whom we share the Earth.

 

Let's follow our bearings together as we recognize International Polar Bear Day today, Sunday February 27th.

 

With a deep bow of respect,









Louise Mitchell

Development and Outreach Specialist

P.S. We love sending out these Featured Creatures each week, and we hope you're enjoying them. You can help us keep our Featured Creature series going, along with all our other work to spread ecosystem restoration and heal the Earth, by joining our Eco-Restoration Team of ongoing supporters or by making a one-time gift. Many thanks!

Sources:

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Polar-Bear

https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/polar-bears 

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/polar-bear-fact-sheet/ 

https://northamericannature.com/how-do-polar-bears-get-their-food/ 

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/meet-polar-bear-tomorrow 


Our Contact Information

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Cambridge, MA 02139

781-674-2339

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Coming to terms with the nuclear risks of the Ukraine war

The US and Russia both have integrated doomsday weapons into conventional war plans. The risk is low but it isn’t zero. 

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

GRABLE EVENT - Part of Operation Upshot-Knothole, was a 15-kiloton test fired from a 280-mm cannon on May 25, 1953 at the Nevada Proving Grounds. Frenchman's Flat, Nevada - Atomic Cannon TestHistory's first atomic artillery shell fired from the Army's new 280-mm artillery gun. Hundreds of high ranking Armed Forces officers and members of Congress are present. The fireball ascending. (Photo: US Army)

If you are frightened by the current crisis in Ukraine, you are having a rational response.

We are closer to war between the two largest nuclear-armed states than we have been since the early 1980s. The United States and Russia are not in direct combat, and President Biden has wisely ruled out sending U.S. forces to Ukraine. Nor would either state intentionally launch a “bolt-out-of-the-blue” nuclear attack.

But the United States and Russia are in conflict. While they are carefully choosing which instruments of coercion to apply, they both have developed doctrines of “integrated deterrence” over the past 10 years that integrate nuclear weapons into the coercive options they employ.

This is meant to strengthen deterrence — but it also blurs the firebreak between nuclear, cyber, conventional, and economic weapons. Any miscalculation or misunderstanding could, in the heat of battle or on the brink of defeat, result in the use of one or more nuclear weapons. War games conducted over decades teach us that there is no logical termination point once nuclear war begins.

At least some in Russia also favor using nuclear weapons first in a conflict and some favor using them in a strategy known as “escalate to de-escalate.” That is, if Russia is losing a conventional war against the West, it would use a nuclear weapon first to signal the seriousness of the situation, and force the West to back down. That, of course, is unlikely to be the Western response.

Still, even given those factors, the chance that the conflict will escalate to the nuclear level is low. But it is not zero. That should terrify us.

Most Americans have not thought much about nuclear weapons since the end of the Cold War. But Putin has. He referenced them twice in his speech this week announcing his “special military operation.”

Putin made an explicit nuclear threat to all who dare oppose him, the first in many years issued by a leader of a nuclear-armed nation not named Donald Trump or Kim Jong-un.

“Even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states,” he said. “Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.”

The second reference was part of his explanation for why he had to invade Ukraine. “The showdown between Russia and these forces cannot be avoided. It is only a matter of time,” he warned. “They are getting ready and waiting for the right moment. Moreover, they went as far as aspire to acquire nuclear weapons. We will not let this happen.”

Ukraine does not have, nor can it build, nuclear weapons. The charge is absurd. But like claims that Iraq had nuclear weapons or that Iran was racing to get them, he cited the nuclear threat as justification for preemptive action. “Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist while facing a permanent threat from the territory of today’s Ukraine,” he said. “We have to take bold and immediate action.”

The leaders of the international nuclear abolition group, Global Zero, said in a statement Thursday, “In a world bristling with thousands of nuclear weapons ready to launch at a moment’s notice, the stakes of any conflict involving nuclear-armed governments are already unacceptably high. Our urgent focus must be on reducing these risks, not further exacerbating them.”

If and when we get through this crisis, we need a long, deep discussion of how we got here. We need to rethink our policies of the past 20-30 years. How could we have prevented this crisis? What could we have done to reduce the nuclear risks? Did we squander our “unipolar moment”?

Finally, why didn’t we act on the call issued in 2007 by George Shultz, William Perry, Sam Nunn and Henry Kissinger? They warned that unless we moved step by step to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, we would “be compelled to enter a new nuclear era that will be more precarious, psychologically disorienting, and economically even more costly than was Cold War deterrence.”

We are now in that world.


(Sources: Responsible Statecraft)

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See Stunning Architecture in India's First World Heritage City

The 15th-century walled city of Ahmadabad is celebrated for its mosques, tombs, and temples from the sultanate period. 

APRIL 26, 201

The 15-century walled city of Ahmadabad lies on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river in India’s State of Gujarat. The Bhadra citadel, mosques, tombs, and Hindu and Jain temples are celebrated as architectural heritage from the sultanate period.

Ahmadabad is both a living, modern city and a splendid relic of the past.

India’s famous walled city on the bank of the Sabarmati river is the nation’s first UNESCO World Heritage city. Built in the early 15th century by Sultan Ahmad Shah of the Gujarat kingdom, legend has it that the sultan chose the location at the site of his capital city after he witnessed the unusual spectacle of a hare chasing a dog along the riverbank and took it as an omen.

The city was conquered in 1573 by the Mughals, who further decorated it with lush gardens. Some six decades later, Ahmadabad was struck by famine, marking the beginning of the end of its golden age. After a series of conquests throughout the centuries, it eventually became a center of Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent movement for Indian independence. Visitors can still make a pilgrimage to the Gandhi Ashram built on the riverbank on the outskirts of the city.

The city’s historic center was guarded by imposing stone walls embellished with elaborately carved columns and arches and ornate gates. Inside, the city is a mosaic of religious and cultural influences, where mosques keep company with Hindu and Jain temples built in later periods.

WORLD'S HERITAGE SITES:


HISTORIC CITY OF AHMADABAD

The 15-century walled city of Ahmadabad lies on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river in India’s State of Gujarat. The Bhadra citadel, mosques, tombs, and Hindu and Jain temples are celebrated as architectural heritage from the sultanate period.

Travel tip: Stop by Jama Masjid (above), considered one of the most beautiful mosques in Ahmadabad and renowned for its intricately carved sandstone.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS CALDICOTT/DESIGN PICS, GETTY IMAGES


TAPUTAPUĀTEA

On the lush volcanic island of Ra’iatea in the center of the Polynesian Triangle, forested valley, lagoon, and coral reef make up the property of Taputapuātea. In addition to its stunning natural features, the marae complex—a political, ceremonial and funerary center—is evidence of traditional Polynesian worship.

Travel tip: Air Tahiti offers 40-minute flights to Ra’iatea from Papeete and Moorea, and daily 15-minute flights from Huahine and Bora Bora. The island can also be reached by ferry, but runs less frequently.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN ALVAREZ, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION


HISTORIC CITY OF YAZD

This earthen architecture city in central Iran dates from the 5th century C.E. It’s traditional hammams, mosques, synagogues, and Zoroastrian temples earned it the title of Dār al-ibada, or Home of Piety. In addition to its rich cultural heritage, the city’s use of qanats, a network of underground water tunnels, is evidence of man’s adaptability to a desert environment.

Travel tip: U.S. citizens must obtain valid visas from the Iranian Interests Section at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C., however, possession of a valid Iranian visa will not guarantee entry into the country.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RICHARD I'ANSON, GETTY IMAGES


THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT

Found in northwest England, these picturesque landscapes were shaped by glaciers from the Ice Age and modern agricultural systems. The combination of nature and manmade scenery in the mountains, lakes, gardens, parks, and houses throughout the area inspired early preservation efforts of this and other landscapes.

Travel tip: Finding a place to stay within England's largest national park is no struggle with hotels, campsites, log cabins, cottages, and more to choose from. Rather than booking one of the area's many attractions on site, those booked online help preserve England's largest national park.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY NICK BODLE, UNESCO


KULANGSU

Near the city of Xiamen, the small island of Kulangsu was a significant site of Sino-foreign exchange that forged an international community beginning in the early 20th century. This cultural fusion is evidenced by the island’s swath of architectural styles, including the Traditional Southern Fujian Style, Western Classical Revival Style, and Veranda Colonial Style. This melding of styles eventually influenced a new architectural movement known as the Amoy Deco Style.

Travel tip: Kulangsu is a pedestrian-only island, and can be reached via a short ferry ride from downtown Xiamen.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY QIAN YI, UNESCO


GELATI MONASTERY

The Gelati Monastery and complex in central Georgia is one of the country's most treasured religious and cultural landmarks. Construction began in 1106, and the site is renowned for its collection of twelfth- to nineteenth-century mosaics, wall paintings, enamels, and metalwork.

Travel tip: Visit during the Sunday morning service to be treated to beautiful Georgian chants.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY WOODHOUSE, GETTY IMAGES

SAMBOR PREI KUK

Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest”, served as the capital of the Chenla Empire from the late 6th and early 7th centuries C.E. Octagonal temples, decorative sandstone, pediments, and colonnades are examples of pre-Angkor decorative styles that laid the foundation for Khmer art and architecture during the Angkor period.

Travel tip: Tour operators offer day tours to Sambor Prei Kuk from the major tourist hubs of Siem Reap (two to three hours, one-way) and Phnom Penh (three to four hours, one-way).

PHOTOGRAPH BY SIGURD DOEPPEL, GETTY IMAGES


APHRODISIAS

Named after its patron goddess Aphrodite, this ancient city is a well-preserved history of both Greek and Roman civilizations in Turkey from the second century B.C.E. to the seventh century C.E. With quality marble quarries only a few kilometers away and a thriving, local art school, Aphrodisias developed a tradition of marble sculpture famous throughout the region, making it a center of both art and culture.

Travel tip: As public transportation to this remote site in southwest Turkey is limited, visit Aphrodisias by car or with a tour operator from nearby Izmir (two to three hours, one-way).

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY APHRODISIAS MUSEUM, UNESCO


VENETIAN WORKS OF DEFENSE

This property hosts 15 forms of defense in three countries across more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) between northern Italy and the eastern Adriatic Coast. The protected area includes fortified cities, fortresses, forts, and defense systems that exemplify the historical military culture of the region from land to sea.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MUNICIPALITY OF PALMANOVA, UNESCO


KUJATAA GREENLAND

In southern Greenland, the verdant region of Kujataa represents the earliest introduction of farming to the Arctic. Norse hunters-gatherers and Inuit hunters cultivated a landscape based on farming, grazing, and marine mammal hunting. Evidence of Eskimo and Greenlandic culture can be found along the coast, including remnants of turf houses, stone meat caches, hunting beds, and graves.

Travel tip: Visit Greenland during the summer months to experience the midnight sun.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MADS PIHL, UNESCO


PRIMEVAL BEECH FORESTS OF THE CARPATHIANS

Cropping up from a few isolated spots in the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees, the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany now stretch across more than 12 countries. The incredible forests in continental Europe show this special tree’s resilience and tolerance across different climates and other conditions.

Travel Tip: If short on time, head from Berlin to spend a day in Grumsin Forest in Brandenburg’s Schorfheide-Chorin biosphere reserve for easy hikes and lakes, bogs, and ponds between the towering trees.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTEST NEVIO AGOSTINI, UNESCO


STRASBOURG: GRANDE-ÎLE TO NEUSTADT

While the historic center of Strasbourg was initially inscribed in 1988, the Neustadt, or new town, was added to the property in 2017. The urban layout, inspired by the Haussmannian model and Germanic architectural styles, is specific to Strasbourg.

Travel tip: Cathédrale Notre-Dame, located in the historic center, is one of the most impressive Gothic churches in Europe.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEMIS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


LANDSCAPES OF DAURIA

Shared between Mongolia and the Russian Federation, the Daurian Steppe region is home to a diversity of species and ecosystems fostered by its unique climate. Grassland, forest, lakes, and wetlands host rare species of fauna, including the White-Naped crane, Great bustard, and millions of vulnerable migratory birds.

Travel tip: The Mongolian Daurian Landscape is a popular birding destination, where several endangered species inscribed on the IUCN Red List have been spotted.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY EVGENIY KOKUKHIN, UNESCO


ASMARA

Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, holds many well-preserved modernist buildings from the time when it was ruled by Italy (1889-1941). More than 400 outstanding examples survive, even through a decades-long conflict with Ethiopia. From the cantilevered wings of the Fiat Tagliero service station, inspired by a soaring airplane, to the lavish Impero cinema, the city is full of daring buildings that apply Italian futurist motifs to an African context—in a way Italian architects might not have tried at home.

Travel Tip: The country's culture is celebrated every summer at the annual Festival of Eritrea, with dance performances, artwork, and replicas of traditional villages. Travel outside Asmara is restricted, even for diplomats.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEMIS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK

Protecting some of the last sections of near-untouched Patagonian forest, this property in the Andes is home to many native and threatened species of flora and fauna. Shaped by glaciations over the years, the region's crystal-clear lakes, moraines, and glacial cirques are just three of the various ecosystems found throughout the park.

Travel tip: Aerolineas Argentinas offers two-and-a-half-hour flights to Esquel, the park's gateway city, once a day.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RICARDO VILLALBA, UNESCO


HEBRON/AL-KHALIL OLD TOWN

In the Judean hills south of Jerusalem, West Bank city of Hebron is especially contentious territory because both Jews and Muslims revere the same site, called the Tomb of the Patriarchs by Jews, and the Ibrahimi Mosque by Muslims. Clashes frequently erupt between the two hundred thousand Palestinians, and the several hundred Jewish settlers living in heavily guarded enclaves. The old town was build at the crossroads of trade routes to limestone between 1250 and 1517.

Travel tip: Try a locally-guided tour with Green Olive Tours, and don’t forget a passport to easily cross checkpoints between Jewish and Arab sides of the segregated city.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASIA FILE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


QINGHAI HOH XIL

The largest and highest plateau in the world, Qinghai Hoh Xil's geography and year-round sub-zero temperatures have created a unique ecosystem of plant species and herbivorous mammals native to the area. This uninhabited Chinese property also protects the entire migratory route of the Tibetan antelope, one of the flagship (and endemic endangered) species found there.

Travel tip: The highest railroad in the world, the Tibet Railway, travels from Xining, China, up to Lhasa in Tibet, where this site is passed during the journey.

PHOTOGRAPH BY XINHUA/GETTY IMAGES


MBANZA KONGO

Angola's Mbanza Kongo demonstrates, more than anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, the deep changes caused by the introduction of Christianity and the arrival of the Portuguese into Central Africa. The political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo for centuries, the town of Mbanza Kongo grew around the royal residence, the customary court, and the royal funeral places. The Portuguese arrived in the 15th century and built incredible stone buildings constructed in the European methods using local materials.

Travel Tip: Try to learn some basic phrases in Portuguese before arriving.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JOOST DE RAEYMAEKER, UNESCO


SACRED ISLAND OF OKINOSHIMA

Situated between the Japanese archipelago and Korean peninsula, this sacred Japanese island chronicles the progression of traditional worship rituals from the 4th to the 9th centuries C.E. The archaeological sites and shrines peppered across the island were an appeal to the gods to protect the surrounding waters, which served as significant trade routes in the region.

Travel tip: Okinoshima is not open to the public. Visitors who wish to pay homage to the sacred island are encouraged to visit Okitsu-miya Yohaisho and observe Okinoshima from afar.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY IMAKI HIDEKAZU, UNESCO


W-ARLY-PENDJARI COMPLEX

This transnational extension of Sudano-Sahelian savannah covers regions of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The collection of grasslands, shrub lands, wooded savannah, and gallery forests are home to significant terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savannah belt, including threatened wildlife species. It hosts the largest population of elephants in West Africa, cheetahs, leopards, and the only viable population of lions in the region.

Travel tip: Pendjari National Park in Benin is one of West Africa's best wildlife viewing spots, where visitors can view lions, leopards, elephants, baboons and hippos. The best viewing time is near the end of dry season, which lasts from November to February.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAQUEL MARIA CARBONELL PAGOLA, GETTY IMAGES


BAUHAUS

Between 1919 and 1933, the Bauhaus movement drastically overturned the widely accepted norms of architecture that endured since the Renaissance. The aesthetic, design, and construction of Bauhaus buildings in Weimar, Dessau, and Bernau, Germany, laid the foundations for a modernist movement that made a wide-scale impact on 20th-century architecture.

Travel Tip: Birthplace of Bauhaus Dessau-Rosslau is an easy day trip from Berlin, but spend the night to fully appreciate the greatest concentration of structures from the movement’s most creative period: 1925 to 1932.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DPA/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


ǂKHOMANI CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

On the border between Botswana and Namibia lies a large desert landscape inhabited by the previously nomadic ǂKhomani San people—one of the last indigenous communities in the region. This site depicts the group's cultural lifestyle and their ability to adapt to the harsh climate of southern Africa over thousands of years.

Travel tip: Although Botswana doesn't require U.S. citizens to obtain a tourist visa, Namibia grants them visas upon arrival.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY FRANCOIS ODENDAAL PRODUCTIONS, UNESCO


TARNOWSKIE GÓRY LEAD-SILVER-ZINC MINE

Located in southern Poland, the site hides underground and speaks to the mining-rich region and history of innovation. The 19th-century steam water pumping station makes use of undesirable water from the mines to supply towns and industry. Tarnowskie Góry contributed significantly to the global production of lead and zinc.

Travel tip: Tourists can peruses an interactive museum on site to learn how mining works before heading underground.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MIKOŁAJ GOSPODAREK, UNESCO


ASSUMPTION CATHEDRAL AND MONASTERY OF SVIYAZHSK

At the crossroads of the Silk Road and Volga route, Tsar Ivan the Terrible founded Sviyazhsk in 1551 as a fortress, to become the first Orthodox city in the middle reaches of the Volga River. The stone Assumption Cathedral was built ten years later. The cathedral’s stunning frescoes are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings, including the world’s only fresco of horse-headed St. Christopher.

Travel tip: An easy day trip, a ferry transports tourists from Kazan River Port right to Sviyazhsk in about two hours per way, but only operates in the summer months.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY DMITRII KARPOV, UNESCO


VALONGO WHARF

From 1811, nearly a million enslaved Africans arrived in South America through the old stone wharf in Rio de Janeiro—a vestige of the largest entry point for slaves in Brazil. The site is composed of several archaeological layers, including floor pavings from the original wharf, and considered and “a testimony to one of the most brutal episodes in the history of Humankind.”

Travel tip: The My Porto Maravilha exhibit center offers guided tours of the port region, including the Valongo Wharf.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAURO PIMENTEL, GETTY IMAGES


CAVES AND ICE AGE ART IN SWABIAN JURA

Home to some of the oldest figurative art in the world, the six caves in southern Germany feature items made by humans at the time of their first arrival in Europe 43,000 years ago. The carved figurines, musical instruments, and personal adornments created in the Ice Age help provide an origin story of modern art.

Travel tip: The best time to visit the caves is during summer as some of the caves are closed or have a shortened schedule in the winter.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY C.J. KIND, UNESCO

The centerpiece of the old city is Bhadra Fort, built as the royal complex in 1411. The fortified walls of the citadel contained 43 acres that housed royal palaces, mosques, and a public square. Outside the fort, the Jami Mosque, also dating to the 15th century, is one of the most stunning in India and a peaceful refuge from the chaotic modern city outside.

The mosque was hewn from intricately carved yellow sandstone carved with intricate embellishments typical of the time. In the main prayer hall, a veritable forest of 260 columns support the roof and its 15 domes, creating an engaging play of light and shadows. The tomb of Ahmad Shah lies nearby and is also a major tourist attraction, with its ornate construction of latticed windows, domes, and minarets.

Another popular site, the Jhulta Minar, or Shaking Minarets, is known both for the beauty of its design—the three-story minarets are covered in intricate carvings—and for an engineering curiosity. The minarets were designed so that if one of them is shaken, the other vibrates, while the connecting passage between them remains still.

Abby Sewell is a freelance journalist based in Beirut covering politics, travel, and culture. Follow her on Twitter at @sewella.

(Sources: National Geographic)

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