Katja Sassmannshausen

Unmistakably diverse—this is how Israel can be described in a few words. The north of the country stretches from the Mediterranean coast to the Golan Heights. There the river Jordan, the Sea of Galilee and places like Nazareth and Capernaum are the destinations of many Christian travelers. The port city and high-tech metropolis of Haifa and even more so Tel Aviv show how much the young state of Israel, founded in 1948, is shaped by the immigrants who come to the country from many parts of the world. Tel Aviv's founders, for example, dreamed of a New York on the Mediterranean. Today, Tel Aviv-Yafo is perhaps not quite as big, but it is as colorful and diverse as the melting pot on the east coast of the USA. And you can taste this variety in Israeli cuisine, by the way. Israel's south, where the desert comes alive, also offers a great variety: a diver's paradise in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, impressive nature parks and great historical sites from ancient times such as the rock fortress Masada, heroically defended against Roman troops, or the settlement of Qumran, where more than 850 scrolls from ancient Judaism have been found. And of course Jerusalem. An impressive city, where deep roots of culture and religion can be found. For the three great monotheistic religions Jerusalem is a holy or even the holy city. Nowhere else in the world are Judaism, Christianity and Islam closer to each other—geographically at least. Whoever experiences the Wailing Wall, the interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Dome of the Rock, gets an idea of what has moved people for thousands of years.

Geishas and samurais, karate and bonsai -no country in Asia has had a comparable influence on Western culture and global developments as Japan. It is a country full of beauty, exoticism - and contrasts. Dazzling mega-metropolises like Tokyo, Osaka or Yokohama on the one hand, rugged volcanoes, glittering mountain lakes and remote temples on the other. There is no question that Japan exerts a strong fascination on most people. This is also due to the people, for example those bustling suit and costume wearers who squeeze through the subways of the cities early in the morning and in the evening by the millions and who are willing to give up a large part of their annual vacation for the good of the company. Or even the ordinary employees, such as those gardeners in the many public gardens and parks who spend hours crouching with stoic calm, using small scissors to cut a tree into the right shape, leaf by leaf, branch by branch. For the Japanese love perfection, their goal is to bring structure to chaos. This brings disadvantages. A latent austerity pervades society, for whom harmony and politeness are paramount and where every word is weighed in the balance so as not to snub the other person. But anyone who flouts the many unwritten rules will quickly feel the authority of society. "You hit a nail that sticks out," says a well-known Japanese proverb. Harmony here also stands for conformity, and any deviation from the norm runs the risk of disrupting it. Foreigners are allowed, even expected, to make various missteps. Because - this is also a consensus in society - only a Japanese person can really understand the Japanese.

"L'Hexagone" is the down-to-earth description the French give their hexagonally-shaped country, which lies between Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Andorra, Spain, Monaco and Italy. The mythical capital, Paris, has the greatest urban, architectural and political appeal and still sets most trends. Chic fashions, philosophers and great cinema emanate from the metropolis. The fact that Paris is not France, and that it is possible to live like a god in France's traditional agrarian landscape, with its rich historical cultural heritage and the natural beauty of the countryside and the coasts, has long been known to the world. From the English Channel to Alsace and the French Alps to the Camargue and the Mediterranean, from Le Mans to Perpignan and the Pyrenees, from Bordeaux to the Basque Country, every landscape has its own specialities and facets. In this grandiose kaleidoscope of desires, everyone can find the piece of France that suits them. "La France" is a land of wine and cheese, of kir, cider and champagne, a land of menhirs, Roman aqueducts and amphitheatres, of castles and palaces, of Romanesque abbeys and great Gothic churches, of long rivers, the scent of lavender and pine, the chirping cicadas, the orchards, the patisserie, the nostalgic cars, the oysters de Bellone and the seafood platters that chansonnier George Brassens already enjoyed on the Sete canal. France is so much more and has crept into our minds, our stomachs and our hearts—with images that will remain unforgettable

The name Argentina already sounds auspicious, being derived from the Latin argentum, or silver. Between the Atlantic coast in the east and the Andes in the west streches the vast grassland of the Pampas and Patagonias. Here you can still experience the wild romanticism of the gaucho culture. The natural wonders of the impressive Iguazu waterfalls in the border region to Brazil, and the whales and elephant seals near the Valdéz peninsula, all offer unique worlds of experience, as do the spectacular glacier landscape of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego's lighthouse at the end of the World.

Proud towers, pituresque market squares with magnificent town halls, canals and bridges: Flanders owes everything to the sea and trade. With its cities like Bruges, Antwerp, and Ghent, Flanders has been one of the most important centers of Western art and culture since the middle Ages. The traces of flemish masters such as Rubens or Van Eyck are much a part of Flanders as the desire for pleasure and good food. It is no wonder then that the creative Flemings also draw comics, brew 100 different beers, invent chocolates, cook masterfully, and of course make the best French fries.

New Zealand-the country chosen by God, "God's own country," as the locals affectionately call their island twins, evokes associations with uniquely untouched nature, green hills and crystal clear lakes, lonely white and black sandy beaches and emerald green bays-but also ice-cold glaciers reaching into the rainforest, wide fjord landscapes, thunderous waterfalls, and a geothermal wonderland with smoking volcanoes, numerous hot springs, and spouting geysers.

Modern megacities, breathtaking natural backdrops, and a varied cultural landscape with a long tradition - China captivates with its contrasts and unbelievable diversity. The most populous country in the world can be seen here in over 500 impressive photographs.

It is difficult to define Brazil as a country; it is rather the sum of countries with very different characteristics such as the Amazon region with the longest river and the largest rainforest in the world, and Rio de Janeiro, with its legendary carnival and famous beaches. In addition, there are natural wonders such as the mighty Iguaçu Falls on the border with Argentina, and the wetland area Pantanal, with its unique variety of plants and animals in the west, as well as the magical desert landscape Sertao in the northeast.

The mountainous northern region, the flooded landscapes of the northeast during the rainy season, and the fertile agricultural land in the interior, irrigated by the Chao Phraya River, represent only a part of Thailand's special diversity. In addition there is the lively capital Bangkok and the dream beaches in the extreme south with the offshore islands in the Gulf of Thailand. More than 500 pictures show the country in all its beauty, which is influenced by Buddhism.

Snow-capped Himalayan mountains, palm-fringed sandy beaches, impenetrable tropical jungles and majestic tigers, wild elephants and brilliant birds are just some of the attractions India has to offer in over 400 photographs in this splendid volume. Besides the scenic beauty, the cultural aspects and the people make this country very special.

It is difficult to define Brazil as a country; it is rather the sum of countries with very different characteristics such as the Amazon region with the longest river and the largest rainforest in the world, and Rio de Janeiro, with its legendary carnival and famous beaches. In addition there a natural wonders such as the mighty Iguaçu waterfalls on the border with Argentina and the marshland Pantanal, with its unique variety of plants and animals in the west, as well as the magical desert landscape Sertao in the northeast.