National Geographic Magazine

Amazing discoveries and experiences await you in every issue of National Geographic magazine. The latest news in science, exploration, and culture will open your eyes to the world’s many wonders.

Reconsidering Symbols of the Past

NEVER OUT OF SEASON • Specimens gathered over more than 300 years are carefully preserved in a London herbarium.

THE BACKSTORY • AT THIS MUSEUM, PLANTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE BEEN COLLECTED, PRESERVED—AND NOW PHOTOGRAPHED.

Are We Born to Wander? • TRAVELING IS NOT A RATIONAL ACTIVITY, BUT IT’S IN OUR GENES. HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD START PLANNING A TRIP NOW.

WINGING IN THE RAIN: THE SCIENCE

AMENITIES, IMPROVED • NASA REDESIGNED THIS SPACE TOILET TO WORK BETTER, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN ASTRONAUTS.

VOLCANIC VOLTAGE • Recent findings shed light on the intricate processes behind volcanic lightning.

A Quick Zip to Market • A PHOTOGRAPHER CHRONICLES A TRADITIONAL WAY OF LIFE BOUND BY A POWERFUL RIVER—AND THREATENED BY CHANGE.

NORWEGIAN COOL • The Lofoten Islands are among the world’s most scenic and formidable destinations for winter surfing.

TIMELESS TIME MACHINES

TOMAS DIAGNE

THESE TILES TELL TALES • PAINTED AZULEJOS RECALL PORTUGAL’S LEGACY OF EXPLORATION AND ENDURE THROUGH TIME—AND THEFT.

FEATURES

HOW VIRUSES SHAPE OUR WORLD • COVID-19 IS A REMINDER OF THEIR DESTRUCTIVE POWER, BUT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THEM.

OUR VIRAL WORLD

WOMEN ON THE MOVE • OUT OF FEAR, HOPE, OR DESPERATION, MILLIONS OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD MIGRATE EACH YEAR IN SEARCH OF NEW LIVES.

Hope and Resilience • In recent years millions of women have left their homes, traveling between villages and cities, and across borders, in pursuit of new lives. COVID-19 slowed the flow, but the pressures to migrate—violence, oppression, drought, poverty—persist. The hope for change drives many women to embark on journeys that can range from joyous to tragic.

Move—or Die • SHE LOST NEARLY EVERYTHING WHEN DROUGHT KILLED HER LIVESTOCK. NOW SHE BIDES HER TIME IN A CAMP FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE.

The Journey • FLEEING DANGER AT HOME, SHE BRAVED A PERILOUS TRIP TO THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER—ONLY TO FIND MORE VIOLENCE AND UNCERTAINTY.

Crossing Borders

The Contract • ETERMINED TO FIND FINANCIAL SECURITY, SHE RISKED LEAVING HER HOME IN RURAL VIETNAM FOR A BROKERED MARRIAGE TO A MAN IN A WEALTHIER COUNTRY.

Finding Peace • AFTER ESCAPING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AND ENDURING A HARROWING VOYAGE, SHE AND HER FAMILY HAVE FOUND FREEDOM AND SUPPORT IN A NEW HOME.

New Choices • LEAVING THE VIOLENCE OF THEIR HOME CITY, THEY CHOSE TO PURSUE AN EDUCATION—AND FOUND A MORE OPEN CULTURE THAT INSPIRED CREATIVITY AND DISCOVERY.

RECLAIMING HISTORY • CONFEDERATE SYMBOLS ARE TARGETS AS MANY AMERICANS DEMAND THAT U.S. COMMUNITIES CONFRONT SYSTEMIC RACISM.

MONUMENTAL UNDERTAKING

ICONS OF A DIVIDED PAST

PRESERVING PARADISE • COSTA RICA’S OSA PENINSULA IS A MODEL FOR CONSERVATION. NOW COVID-19 IS TESTING PROTECTIONS FOR THIS NATURAL WONDER.

A SWEET SPOT FOR WILDLIFE

GREG LECOEUR • FROM OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS