Photo by Diana Markosian markosian | A group of dancers in Grozny, Chechnya, wait to perform in the central square. After nearly two decades of war and 70 years of Soviet rule during which religious participation was banned, modern-day Chechnya is going through an Islamic revival. I traveled to Chechnya over the course of two years and watched as the republic transformed, with Chechen authorities building mosques in every village, prayer rooms in public schools, and enforcing a stricter Islamic dress code for both men and women.

Photo by Jasper Doest jasperdoest | My cousin Odette takes Flamingo Bob out for a swim or a stroll on the beach almost every week. She loves seeing Bob in his natural environment, but realizes that he would never be able to survive out there. She rescued him almost three years...See more

Photo by Ira Block irablockphoto | A quiet moment for a Moroccan cameleer in the sands of the Sahara, near the village of Merzouga. The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, and Merzouga is the gateway to Erg Chebbi, a great expense of sand dunes. me irablockphoto for more photos from our planet.