Nakhchivan is the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan located between Armenia, Iran, and Türkiye. The city lies in a broad valley surrounded by dry mountains, with the Nakhchivanchay River and irrigated farmland supporting orchards, vineyards, and gardens. Nakhchivan has a long history as a regional center of settlement, trade, and craftsmanship, and its landscape contains a notable concentration of historic monuments.

Fresno is a major city in California’s San Joaquin Valley, positioned between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges. Its flat agricultural surroundings are among the most productive farming areas in the United States, with orchards, vineyards, vegetable fields, and citrus groves extending beyond the urban area. Fresno also serves as a regional center for education, healthcare, business, and transportation.

Alkmaar is a historic city in the Dutch province of North Holland, known for its canals, narrow streets, traditional gabled houses, and long association with cheese trading. The old center is compact and largely walkable, with the Waagplein at its heart and the Waag building providing one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Canals such as the Oudegracht and Luttik Oudorp wind through the center, while bridges connect streets lined with shops, cafés, and historic buildings.

This is the most Moorish part of Portugal, the rich plain south of the Serra do Caldeirao, scalloped by the beaches and headlands of the Algarve. It is where, in early spring, blossoming almond trees carpet the still-brown hillsides with drifts of snow-like flowers, and the plain white facades of little houses are topped by intricately pierced chimneys that look like ice-cream cones.

Chiang Dao is a mountain district in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, known for its limestone peaks, cave systems, and quiet agricultural valleys. The town sits beneath Doi Luang Chiang Dao, one of the highest mountains in Thailand, which shapes the landscape and daily life of the area.