What it’s like to visit a country that doesn’t officially exist

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(CNN) — They have their own governments, passports, citizens and even currency in some cases.

But for various complicated reasons, a number of countries around the world do not officially exist — some are even left off maps.

That didn’t stop Guilherme Canever trying to visit them. The Brazilian author traveled to 16 unrecognized nations between 2009 and 2014 and recounts his experiences in his latest book “Unrecognized Nations: Travels To Countries That Do Not Exist,” which is released this month.

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Stunning Photos of the Vanishing Himilayan Glaciers

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Then and now photos of the melting Himilayan glaciers.

In an effort to raise awareness of vanishing glaciers, filmmaker and mountaineer David Breashears began a project called Rivers of Ice: Vanishing Glaciers of the Great Himalaya. Breashears, inspired the the beauty of the Himalayas captured in photographs taken in the last century, has traveled to the sites where those pictures were taken to see what has changed. The diagnosis, shown in the series of photographs that makes up the Rivers of Ice project, is not good. (Pics)

 

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Fungus Gold Rush In Tibetan Plateau Rebuilding Lives After Earthquake

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This Caterpillar Fungus is also known as Himalayan Viagra
Amid the wreckage of the devastating earthquake that recently ripped through this corner of the Tibetan plateau, local people are rebuilding their livelihoods with one of the world’s most ghoulish parasites – the caterpillar fungus. The government has accorded extra importance this year to the annual picking season for the ingredient, prescribed in traditional medicine to cure cancer and also nicknamed “Himalayan Viagra” because of its alleged aphrodisiac qualities.

Earthquake in Tibet – Amazing Photo Gallery

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Earthquake survivors cook on a makeshift stove in front of their demolished homes

On April 14th, residents of China’s remote Yushu County, located on the Tibetan plateau, were awoken by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. In the sparsely populated villages and the larger town of Gyegu, thousands of wood-earth buildings collapsed and many larger structured heavily damaged or destroyed. The region is difficult to reach for the response teams of the Chinese government outside aid groups – lying at an elevation of 3,700m (12,000 ft) and connected by few roads, most of which were damaged in the quake. Chinese state media now says the death toll has risen to 1,144. Rescuers continue to search for survivors as homeless residents work to recover what they can and set up shelter from the freezing overnight temperatures. (35 photos)

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The Bitter Irony Of A Chinese Factory Taking Overseas Orders For “Free Tibet” Flags

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A Government In Exile

Police in southern China have discovered a factory manufacturing Free Tibet flags. The factory in Guangdong had been completing Police in southern China have discovered a factory manufacturing Free Tibet flags. The factory in Guangdong had been completing overseas orders for the flag of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Workers said they thought they were just making colourful flags and did not realise their meaning.But then some of them saw TV images of protesters holding the emblem and they alerted the authorities.

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.