Nature and geographyHawaii (United States)
Hawaii: why you can't take sand or rocks home
In Hawaii, taking sand and coral from beaches is illegal, and rocks can't leave the national parks either. Even so, many people mail them back.
Nature and geography
Natural phenomena and places with unusual geography.
Articles on this topic
Nature and geographyIsrael and Jordan
Why the Dead Sea is shrinking
The Dead Sea drops more than a metre a year and has lost a third of its surface. What drains it, why sinkholes open and what it means for visitors.
Nature and geographyAustralia
Why Australia’s famous pink lake lost its colour
Lake Hillier had been bubble-gum pink for centuries. A storm in 2022 changed that. What makes a lake pink, and whether the colour will come back.
Nature and geographyIceland
Iceland had no mosquitoes. Until October 2025
For centuries, Iceland was one of the last places on Earth without mosquitoes. In 2025, the first ones turned up. Why it took so long, and what it means.
Nature and geographyJapan
Why you now pay to climb Mount Fuji
Climbing Mount Fuji now costs ¥4,000 and comes with a start-time curfew. Why Japan began charging and limiting climbers, and how to prepare for the climb.
