Hidden World Destinations

Explanation: Canberra was chosen in 1908 as the federal capital, a political compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, which were both vying for the role. The city — whose name means "meeting place" in the Aboriginal Ngunnawal language — was designed by American architect Walter Burley Griffin and inaugurated in 1913. It is home to about 430,000 people today, compared with 5.3 million in Sydney.

Explanation: Shibam in Yemen has adobe buildings of 5 to 11 stories dating from the 16th century. This unique architecture earned it the nickname "Manhattan of the Desert".

Explanation: Lake Baikal in Russia (Siberia) reaches 1,642 meters in depth. It contains about 20% of the planet's unfrozen fresh water.

Explanation: Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is a Chilean territory in the Pacific. Its 900 moai statues, carved between 1250 and 1500, remain an archaeological mystery.

Explanation: Bagan in Myanmar (former Burma) has more than 2,200 temples and pagodas built between the 9th and 13th centuries on a 42 km² plain.

Explanation: The Azores, a Portuguese archipelago, are famous for their volcanic landscapes, especially the Sete Cidades lake on São Miguel island with its blue and green waters.

Explanation: Samarkand in Uzbekistan was a major crossroads on the Silk Road. Its Registan Square, surrounded by three madrasas, is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.

Explanation: Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia covers 10,582 km². During the rainy season, it transforms into an immense mirror reflecting the sky.

Explanation: Andorra, a micro-state of 468 km², has the Grandvalira ski resort, the largest in the Pyrenees, reaching 2,640 meters.

Explanation: Petra in Jordan was the capital of the Nabataeans. Its treasury Al-Khazneh, carved from pink sandstone, is one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Explanation: Virunga Park in DR Congo, created in 1925, is home to about one-third of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, a critically endangered species.

Explanation: Borobudur on the island of Java in Indonesia dates from the 9th century. This pyramidal temple has 72 stupas and more than 500 Buddha statues.

Explanation: Trolltunga ("troll tongue") in Norway is a horizontal rock ledge jutting out 700 meters above Lake Ringedalsvatnet.

Explanation: Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan is located at 1,607 m altitude. Despite harsh winters, it never freezes due to its salinity and geothermal activity.

Explanation: Martinique is home to Mount Pelée, whose 1902 eruption destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre, killing 30,000 people in minutes.

Explanation: Cappadocia in Turkey features a lunar landscape formed by volcanic erosion. Its underground cities could shelter up to 20,000 people.