Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[10 countries Americans need advance visas to visit]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/17/10-countries-americans-need-advance-visas-to-visit/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/17/10-countries-americans-need-advance-visas-to-visit/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/17/10-countries-americans-need-advance-visas-to-visit/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

advance visaWe live in an increasingly borderless world and we have access to many countries that were closed (or non-existent) 20 years ago. As reported earlier this week, Americans are especially lucky with access to 169 countries visa free. Still, there are still many countries that Americans need advance visas to visit. Visa applications and processing services can cost several hundreds of dollars and take a lot of time and energy to obtain, so figure in that into your travel planning but don't let it discourage you from visiting.

Nearly all countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, Western Europe, and the Middle East will give you a visa free or for a fee on arrival. See below for our guide to countries you will need to apply for advance visas, along with fees, useful information and links to consular websites.

Continue reading 10 countries Americans need advance visas to visit

10 countries Americans need advance visas to visit originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advance visaadvance visasAdvanceVisaAdvanceVisasAfghanistanaustraliaAzerbaijanbelarusBhutanbrazilCentral AmericaCubaHong KongIndiairanMacauMiddle Eastnews:topic:travelNigeriaNorth KoreaParaguayrussiaSaudi ArabiaSurinameTurkeyVietnamvisavisa freeVisaFreevisasWestern EuropeWorldWed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The world's top ten most desolate countries]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/12/the-worlds-top-ten-most-desolate-countries/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/12/the-worlds-top-ten-most-desolate-countries/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/12/the-worlds-top-ten-most-desolate-countries/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

most desolate

According to a Harvard study, the earth's population will hit seven billion humans in a few months. Earlier this summer, Gadling labs profiled the effects of increasing populations on finite land resources by showcasing the world's most crowded islands. The earth is, in its own way, an island, and 21st century humanity will be presented with the challenge of adapting to rising population levels and static resources.

While countries like India have wrestled with the conundrum of feeding and housing booming population levels in Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, the countries on this list bear no similarities to the billion strong Indian subcontinent. These countries are the ones with open space - lots of it. Countries like Greenland and Mongolia may someday be utilized for their vast expanses of open terrain, but today they are simply great places to go when you have tired of other human beings.

So while this extraordinarily hot summer may have included elbowing your way through thronged midtown Manhattan in 100 degree heat or hesitantly inhaling the stink rising off the sweaty crowd at Bonnaroo, this list is intended to take you way away from the crowds. From riding a horse through the empty steppes of Mongolia to exploring the glacial highlands of Iceland, each of these countries offers exercises in sweet sweet solitude. None of these countries have more than ten people per square mile.

Gallery: The world's ten most uninhabited countries

Number 10 - MauritaniaNumber 10 - MauritaniaNumber 10 - MauritaniaNumber 10 - MauritaniaNumber 10 - Mauritania

Continue reading The world's top ten most desolate countries

The world's top ten most desolate countries originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiadesolatedesolationFalkland IslandsFalklandIslandsFrench GuianaFrenchGuianagreenlandIcelandleast populatedLeastPopulatedmauritaniaMongoliamost desolateMostDesolatenamibiapopulation densityPopulationDensitySurinamewestern saharaWesternSaharaFri, 12 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The many languages of Suriname]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/03/23/the-many-languages-of-suriname/http://www.gadling.com/2008/03/23/the-many-languages-of-suriname/http://www.gadling.com/2008/03/23/the-many-languages-of-suriname/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

If you've been following any of the recent language controversy in Philadelphia, you begin to see that a country's language is a constantly evolving mix of the cultures, customs and the people who use it. Here at home, this interplay is at often work between our country's de facto official language, English, and an increasingly populous minority of Spanish-speaking immigrants. Now imagine this same language debate among as many as ten languages, and you begin to get a picture of the small South American nation of Suriname as featured in this article.

Suriname is a former Dutch colony on the northern coast of South America. Due to the country's colonial heritage, the official language is Dutch. But continuous waves of immigrants have left a unique mark on the country's language culture. This includes a recent influx Brazilians, who speak mostly Portuguese, a small population of Chinese-speakers from the Far East and Indonesian residents of Suriname who speak Javanese. Add to this mix a local language called Sranan Tongo, a dialect passed down from West Africa by many of the former colony's African slaves, and local indigenous languages like Arawak and Carib. AND, on top of all this, politicians in Suriname are urging the government to adopt English or Spanish as the new national language, hoping to create closer ties to with neighboring countries. Sound confusing? I'm with you.

It remains to be seen how this complicated language issue will play out in Suriname, but it raises some interesting questions. What factors should determine a country's official language? The U.S. for instance, will always speak English, but what concessions, if any, should be made as our country becomes increasingly multi-lingual? Should we base our decision on economic circumstances? Political? Cultural? It seems to me it's some combination of the three. What do you think?

[Via the New York Times]

The many languages of Suriname originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arawakcaribchinesedialectdutchenglishforeign languageForeignLanguageimmigrantimmigrantsjavaneselanguageportuguesespanishsranan tongoSrananTongoSurinameSun, 23 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Independence days and elephants]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/11/30/independence-days-and-elephants/http://www.gadling.com/2007/11/30/independence-days-and-elephants/http://www.gadling.com/2007/11/30/independence-days-and-elephants/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I've whipped out my International Calendar to see what might be left to tell about November before it slips away from Eastern Standard Time in a few hours. What I see is a whole lot of independence days and a slew of other politically geared occasions.

  • Nov. 1--Antigua-Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1980.
  • Nov. 3--Dominica gained independence from the UK in 1978. Panama gained Independence from Colombia in 1903 and Micronesia gained independence from the U.S. in 1980.
  • Nov. 9--Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953.
  • Nov. 11--Poland gained independence in 1918; Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
  • Nov. 18--Latvia gained independence from Russia in 1918; Morocco from France in 1956.
  • Nov. 25--Suriname gained independence
  • Nov. 28--Mauritania gained Independence from France in 1968 and Albania gained Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Panama gained independence from Spain in 1821 and East Timor gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
  • Nov. 30-Barbados gained independence from the U.K. in 1966

Other than these, Tonga has had Constitution Day (Nov. 4); Russia, Revolution Day (Nov. 7); Brazil, Republic Day (Nov. 15); and Vanuatu has had National Unity Day, (Nov. 29)

My favorite happening of the bunch of events that occurred this month, though, is the Surin Elephant Round-Up in Thailand.

Independence days and elephants originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Word for the Travel Wise (10/26/06)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2006/10/26/word-for-the-travel-wise-10-26-06/http://www.gadling.com/2006/10/26/word-for-the-travel-wise-10-26-06/http://www.gadling.com/2006/10/26/word-for-the-travel-wise-10-26-06/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Suriname FlagLong ago, way, way back earlier this year I mentioned a travel piece found in VIBE on their 2006 hot spots. One of those spots was surprisingly the tiny South American country known as Suriname, but is it really all that surprising? If you're trying to escape tourist crowded Brazil or Venezuela, Suriname comes in as a close much quieter fit - tropical temps, Afro-Dutch culture and delicious food to be found all over the island country. I've never been, but I imagine the food to be mouth-watering. Anyhow, we don't talk much about Suriname here, but as I mentioned before check out the VIBE piece or this one by Erik on Suriname and neighboring country Guyana.

Today's word is a Dutch word used in Suriname:

mooi - beautiful

I used AltaVista's Babel Fish Translation service for this word, so I pray it is correct. In other words don't blame me if there is a glitch in their translation services.

Dutch is a Western Germanic language spoken by some 22 million people mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is also spoken in Suriname, eastern Guyana, Aruba, South Africa and Indonesia. Check out additional information on Wikipedia. To learn Dutch online start with BBC Quick Fix which gives you the travel basics with full clear audio. LearnDutch.org offers distance-learning classes which they note as being used by people in 115 countries. All Free Dictionaries has a generator much like Babel Fish where you can type in a word or two and have it translated instantly. If you're hitting the road soon and need a guide for the backpack Rough Guides offers a Dutch Phrasebook which can be purchased on Amazon for a decent price. Click here to find schools abroad to further your knowledge of the Dutch lingo. With this language there are many resources online, but you'll have to sift through many to find the best one for you.

Word for the Travel Wise (10/26/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dutchforeign languageForeignLanguagelanguagesurinameseThu, 26 Oct 2006 20:00:00 EST