Poulnabrone dolmen megalithic tomb, Burren, County Clare, Munster, Republic of Ireland (Eire), EuropeThe Burren (from Irish: Boireann, meaning - great rock) is a unique karst landscape in northwest County Clare, Ireland. The limestone area measures 300 square kilometres and is roughly enclosed within the circle comprised by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvarra, Gort, Corrofin, Kilfenora, Lisdoonvarna and the Black Head lighthouse. The definitive article (ie "The" Burren) has only been added to the name by academics in the last few decades as it has always been traditionally called Boireann or Boirinn in Irish and Burren in English.

Roughly built hut on Mount Passot,Nosy Be island,Republic of Madagascar,Indian Ocean

High perspective panoramic view of Portuguese Riviera coast from Sao Pedro do Estoril to Cascais, roughly 25km west of Lisbon, Portugal, Europe

Fashioned over hundreds of years by the Hani, these terraces in Yunnan cover an area of roughly 12500 hectares, Yuanyang, Yunnan Province, China, Asia

Adult Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) in the Falkland Islands. This is the smallest yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin in the genus Eudyptes. It reaches a length of 45-58 cm (18-23 in) and typically weighs 2-3.4 kg (4.4-7.5 lb), although there are records of exceptionally large rockhoppers weighing 5 kg (11 lbs). Their common name refers to the fact that unlike many other penguins which negotiate obstacles by sliding on their bellies or by awkward climbing using their flipper-like wings as aid, Rockhoppers will try to jump over boulders and across cracks. This behavior is by no means unique to this species however - at least the other "crested" penguins of the genus Eudyptes hop around rocks too. Southern Rockhopper Penguins have a global population of roughly 1 million pairs, perhaps a bit more. About two-thirds of the global population belongs to E. c. chrysocome which breeds on the Falkland Islands and on islands off Argentina and southern Chile. The Southern Rockhopper Penguin is classified as Vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Flying Squid Species in mid-air, roughly 100 nm North of Tristan Da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean. Flying Squid use membranes between their tentacles (visible on pic) & two fins at the rear of the mantle to glide through the air in a similar way to flying fish.

Flying Squid Species in mid-air leaving a water trail behind it, roughly 100 nm North of Tristan Da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean. Flying Squid use membranes between their tentacles (visible on pic) & two fins at the rear of the mantle to glide through the air in a similar way to flying fish.

Flying Squid Species in mid-air, roughly 100 nm North of Tristan Da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean. Flying Squid use membranes between their tentacles (visible on pic) & two fins at the rear of the mantle to glide through the air in a similar way to flying fish.

Flying Squid Species in mid-air, roughly 100 nm North of Tristan Da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean. Flying Squid use membranes between their tentacles (visible on pic) & two fins at the rear of the mantle to glide through the air in a similar way to flying fish.

Flying Squid Species in mid-air, roughly 100 nm North of Tristan Da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean. Flying Squid use membranes between their tentacles (visible on pic) & two fins at the rear of the mantle to glide through the air in a similar way to flying fish.

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

Palms and old pier in Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

The roughly 2500m high summit of Saentis mountain in the last sunlight as seen from the north, Appenzell Alps, canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Switzerland, Europe

Zen-ei Nakamura, an 88 year old fisherman form the town of Motobu, hauls up his catch from a net he had set earlier. "Fishing is my life" he said. "Ikigai" a Japanese word that roughly translated means "reason for living", is something most elderly Okinawans have always had.

Man diving into La Salle Lake while hiking on a two-week trek of the Sierra High Route in the John Muir Wilderness in California. The 200-mile route roughly parallels the popular John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada Range of California from Kings Canyon National Park to Yosemite National Park.

Hightech windmills, some standing 500 feet high when their blades are vertical, hum on the Altamont Pass of California as they produce clean electricity. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing energy source, expanding 25, 35 percent each year. In 2001, roughly 6000 megawatts of new wind capacity was installed around the world, enough to power 2 million American homes.