Douglas, Isle of Man

The theme here: 'the way it's supposed to be.' This is how we imagine a rural-urban dichotomy: without amorphous sprawl between town and country. Pack people into urban places and keep the rural landscapes open and available for agriculture. In this case, it's pastoral agriculture. [2011]

Oksan Seowan, South Korea

Travel through the Republic of Korea and you can still catch glimpses of yesteryear. With one of the highest standards of living in the world, however, agriculture will become ever more corporate, and farmers laboring on their own land will disappear. [2012]

Şirince, Turkey

 Şirince is located in Turkey but is billed by Turkish tourism as Greek. Last month was the high point of its existence. Because of its 'positive energy,' the village became one of the places on planet Earth where the Doomsday crowd assembled on December 21 to watch the world come to an end. But, we're still here, aren't we? [2007]

Brunswick, Georgia, USA

Quick Quiz: (1) What is the name of the citrus fruit pictured here? (2) How would you eat it? (3)  What city devotes an annual festival to this fruit? (4) Where did this and other citrus fruits originate? (5) What vitamin is this fruit and other citrus high in? [2007]

Las Palmas, Jalisco, Mexico

Un sacramento principal. The communion table awaits the faithful. It is set with the blood and body of Christ. Throughout Christendom, the ritual and the symbols are the same. Where you do get some argument is over the answer to this question: Do the wine and bread literally become the blood and body of Jesus? [2008]

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Child labor in Ljubljana looks like lots of fun. It's useful work, social skills are being honed, and the environment is pleasant. Don't think of it as a job; think of it as an internship in economics. He's just priced the grapes and is headed for the drupes: 5 euros. [2008]

Wakefield, Virginia, USA

Aristotle's advice: “If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.” Were he with us today, he would advise goober-lovers to visit Wakefield, Virginia, where the first commercial peanut crop in the United States was grown around 1842. [2012]