As with many aspects of German culture and society, popular perceptions about German food tend to be off the mark. While Germans still love their potatoes, meat, and sausage, eating habits have changed enormously over the years. Many...

China is one of the fastest growing economies, but what challenges is it facing? Think strong bureaucratic controls, environmental degradation, and socioeconomic disparities between rich cities and poor rural areas. Grasp the issues and...

Germany is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. In fact, in the Rhine-Ruhr Valley, there are no obvious boundaries between cities. It’s just a mass of urban sprawl. Explore commonalities among German cities, which tend...

Germany consists of sixteen states (or Länder), including three city-states—Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg. Generally grouped by region, these states have distinct social and cultural heritages. Discover the country’s varied regions and...

South Africa is facing acute, primarily financial, problems in delivering high-quality healthcare. Public-sector hospitals, subsidized by the state, serve 80 percent of the population, while the private hospitals serve only 20 percent....

Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban dominate the cultural and business life of South Africa. Explore the main cities as well as the legislative and industrial centers that make South Africa the most vibrant economy in Africa. Learn more...

In general, men in Mexico rule in matters of public affairs and women dominate in domestic and private matters. Like many things in Mexico, this dynamic is changing, especially in the cities and in middle-class families. More women are...

Mexico is one of the most populous countries in the world. At four times the size of Spain, it’s one of the largest. Geographically, it’s also one of the most diverse countries. It includes nearly every geological formation found in the...

The island of Kyushu claims a long history of trade and interaction with Europe, evident in the numerous churches on the island, and with Korea and China, which has made the locals far more open to foreigners than other Japanese. It’s...

The local currency in Brazil is the reai, called reais in plural. One reai is equal to 100 centavos. Learn more about local nuances for exchanging money in urban centers and rural towns. You’ll want to carry cash with you at all times,...

Travel back to 1889 and explore the Paris Exhibition, a world’s fair that celebrated art, science, and invention. Held to mark 100 years since the French Revolution, this international event brought people from all over the world to...

Ten infrastructure mega-projects America needs President Donald Trump and congress to fund and build in the near future.

A flyover simulation of what the world's major cities will look like after the climate warms two to four degrees and the oceans rise dozens of feet/meters.

China is building the world’s longest underwater tunnel beneath the Bohai Sea--at 76 miles long it will pass through two deadly earthquake fault zones, will be longer than the current first and second-ranked underwater tunnels combined...

China's high speed rail network is already larger than all other countries' combined--and it's only half complete.

Jing-Jin-Ji: China is in the midst of a construction spree unparalleled in human history. These are the Megaprojects that will lift China into the future. China wants to make its capital, Beijing, the center of the world’s largest...

Hong Kong and Shenzhen are each racing to finish multi-billion dollar mega-bridges across the Pearl River Delta to take advantage of inexpensive land and labor costs on the western side.

A straightforward explanation of Climate Change: the heat from human emissions is roughly equal to exploding 400,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs every day. Historically, every time carbon dioxide levels increase in Earth's atmosphere, the...

The Obama Center explained: when President Obama leaves office in January, 2017, he will be just 56 and-a-half years young, with at least two whole decades of productive working years ahead of him. He’ll also have the best perspective on...

This World Cultures video is about the rise of the Mongols.

This World Cultures video is about the Maya empire.

Some of the fastest-growing metros in the U.S. are also the riskiest when it comes to climate change. And we’ve long puzzled: WHY? In this episode, we explore how the Great Recession, liberal housing policy and well-intentioned community...

The Big One is coming and it could be far worse than anyone imagined. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, just off the Pacific Northwest coast, is building toward a massive earthquake and tsunami. But new research reveals an even more...

So far we've been focused predominately on Mesopotamia and the Near East. But the Indian subcontinent is also home to one of the earliest civilizations in human history, the Indus Valley civilization. When did this begin? Where were...