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Vander Ende—Onderdonk House from Onderdonk Avenue.
Queens, New York

Vander Ende-Onderdonk House

The oldest Dutch colonial stone house in New York City is a hidden gem on the border of Brooklyn and Queens.
The Gambia River at Janjanbureh, in the eastern part of the country.
news

The True Origin of The Gambia's Bizarre Borders

According to an apocryphal story, British ships defined the country by shooting cannonballs off the sides of their ships.
Sarah Laskow January 20, 2017
The Jardin d' Acclimatation, illustrated in Le Monde in 1861, brought emus, goats, and exotic plants to Paris.
colonialism

The Popular Victorian Clubs That Yearned To Fill Europe With Hippos

In the 19th century, dozens of Acclimatization Societies wanted to stock Europe with exotic beasts—and the colonies with tame ones.
Cara Giaimo December 8, 2016
Louis XIV's globes.
Paris, France

Louis XIV's Globes

Two awe-inspiring globes from the reign of the Sun King hang from the ceiling of France's national library.
Noonday Gun
Hong Kong

Noonday Gun

This naval gun is fired every day at noon, an odd timekeeping tradition the origin of which is local legend.
The abandoned Mughal fortress, Fatehpur Sikri.
Fatehpur Sikri, India

Fatehpur Sikri

An imperial fortress city that incorporated cultural elements from the entire Mughal empire, only to be abandoned the year it was finished.
Top of the La Gaitana Monument
Neiva, Colombia

La Gaitana Monument

This dramatic monument in Colombia honors a little-known indigenous fighter for independence.
swimming pools

How Racism Kept The World's Fastest Swim Stroke Out Of The Pool

We've known since 1844 that freestyle is a superior stroke.
Sarah Laskow August 11, 2016
insects

How Big Can Bug Nests Actually Get?

Insects need many generations of wealth to build their mega mansions.
Sarah Laskow June 21, 2016
Nzinga Mbandi as illustrated by Pat Masioni for UNESCO's series on women in African history.
kickass women

Portuguese Slave Traders Were No Match for Angolan Queen Nzinga Mbandi

The warrior queen fought colonizers for decades.
Urvija Banerji June 9, 2016
Champ de Mars Racecourse
Port Louis, Mauritius

Champ de Mars

Dating back to 1812, this is the oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere.
Church ruin layered with centuries of destruction in the distance
Zaña, Peru

The Not-So-Abandoned Town of Zaña

After an epic flood washed away its enslavers, this city has been part ghost town, part cultural wildcard for the past three centuries.
war history

Lakshmibai, The Warrior Queen Who Fought British Rule in India

She trained a regiment of women and led armies—with a baby in tow.
Urvija Banerji February 24, 2016
Main building
Jesús de Tavarangue, Paraguay

Jesuit Mission of Jesús de Tavarangüe

These spectacular ruins were built by Spanish padres in the 17th century.
The mosque of Bahar-ud-din Bhar
Junagadh, India

Mahabat Maqbara

This otherworldly palace-mausoleum complex is the stuff eternal dreams are made of.
Pecos Pueblo
Pecos, New Mexico

Pecos National Historical Park

Despite time, colonization, and the brutal New Mexican heat, these Pueblo ruins still stand.
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
Yuchi Township, Taiwan

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

This attraction is part anthropological journey and part amusement park.
Boh Tea Plantation and Factory
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

BOH Tea Garden and Factory

The largest tea plantation in Southeast Asia supplies gorgeous vistas alongside tea for the surrounding countries.