Travel News
Vietnam
Hurricane Yagi has wreaked havoc in Vietnam on 7 September. It caused 3 m tall waves and at least 4 fatalities.
Over 50,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas.
Learn more about:Vietnam
France
The Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy will close for renovation between 2 September and 16 December.
Travellers will have to use alternative routes and delays are expected.
Learn more about:France
Namibia
The government of Namibia wants to kill 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants and distribute the meat to residents who suffer food shortages as a result of a prolonged drought that has affected the country.
The whole of southern Africa is suffering from a lack of rain that is the worse in decades.
Learn more about:Namibia
Sudan
On 25 August, the Arbaat dam in the norhteast of Sudan collapsed as a result of heavy rains and poor maintenance.
Numerous villages were destroyed and some 50,000 people lost their home.
Learn more about:Sudan
Iceland
On 23 August a volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula has erupted for the 6th time since last December.
The eruption occurred after several heavy earthquakes and is part of a series of eruptions that started last December, after the volcano had been dormant for 800 years.
The town of Gridavik is now uninhabitable and the Icelandic government has puchaqsed most of the town's dwellings.
Learn more about:Iceland
Austria
Heavy rains have caused flooding in parts of the Austrian region of Tirol on 17 August.
The weather has caused mudslides and parked cars were swept into the river.
Learn more about:Austria
Money & Markets
CNN financial and business news
On these pages a different destination will be highlighted every week. Sometimes it's a tourist trap like one of the Spanish resorts; sometimes we will bring you detailed information on some more exotic places.
This week we will have a closer look at Latvia
Latvia is the second-largest of the Baltic countries, measuring 64589 km². The country is quite flat and some 10% lies below sea level. Latvia is bordered by Estonia in the north, Russia in the east, Belarus in the southeast and Lithuania in the south.
Latvia's capital of Riga is the Baltics' most vibrant city. It lies in the center of the country, on the Rigas Juras, the Gulf of Riga. The city is a popular destibnation for cruise ships from Germany, Sweden and Finland and the nearby coastal resort of Jurmala receives thousands of visitors too.
Other places of interest in Latvia include the Sigulda castles that overlook the Gauja river valley and the town of Rundale, where you can see the Rastrelli palace.
The best times of year to visit Latvia are spring and summer (April to September), when the weather is pleasant and there are plenty of folk and music festivals going on. Most tourists visit in July or August and during these months, hotels are often fully booked and prices rise. During the rest of the year, weather conditions can be extreme, with snowfall affecting most of the country during the winter.
Click on the images to learn more about this interesting destination. A map of Latvia will open full-screen. Just click on towns and places you want to know more about.
Next week: Dominican Republic
Geography QuizTest your geography skills. New questions every day.Question: How large is the surface of Sri Lanka? |  |
Continents
Africa Asia Central America Europe North America Oceania South America
FREE add-ons for your Homepage!
SunClock | MoonPhase | MeteoWeather |
- FREE Scientific Calculator
- FREE Calendar
- FREE World Time Zone Map
- FREE Small Time Zone Map
- FREE Periodic Table of the Elements
- More to come soon...
Roy Digital Design ©1995-2024 - all rights reserved
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Today's twenty most popular destinations in Gheos Worldguide.
| Destination: | Rate: | |
| 1 | Buea | 1.18% |
| 2 | Puri | 0.71% |
| 3 | Riga | 0.71% |
| 4 | Europas Centras | 0.71% |
| 5 | Turkmenistan | 0.71% |
| 6 | Saipan Island | 0.71% |
| 7 | Khövsgöl Nuur | 0.47% |
| 8 | Kamina | 0.47% |
| 9 | Islas Canarias | 0.47% |
| 10 | Wallis and Futuna | 0.47% |
| 11 | Moremi Wildlife Reserve | 0.47% |
| 12 | Fulufjället National Park | 0.47% |
| 13 | Seenu | 0.47% |
| 14 | Kochi | 0.47% |
| 15 | Bern | 0.47% |
| 16 | Central Plateau | 0.47% |
| 17 | Sunshine Coast | 0.47% |
| 18 | Old Dongola | 0.47% |
| 19 | Gulu | 0.47% |
| 20 | Ozark Plateau | 0.47% |
+ Map of Vlieland
+ Map of Vojvodina
+ City information updated
+ Scripts updated
Gheos World Guide will open fullscreen.Please read the instructions after opening carefully.
A sweeping new analysis enlisting scientists from 14 laboratories around the globe found that more than one-third of 1103 native species they studied could vanish or plunge to near extinction by 2050 as climate change turns plains into deserts or alters forests.
Among the already threatened species that could go extinct are Australia's Boyd's forest dragon, Europe's azure-winged magpie and Mexico's Jico deer mouse.
The researchers concede there are many uncertainties in both climate forecasts and the computer models they used to forecast future extinctions. But they said their dire conclusions may well come to pass if industrial nations do not curtail emissions of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.