National Geographic People & Places

For three decades, National Geographic has set the standard for spellbinding television documentaries of exploration and discovery. From the first American expedition to summit Everest, to undersea worlds of danger and beauty with Jacques Ives Cousteau, to the historic discovery of fossils of our earliest ancestors with Louis and Mary Leakey, witness as National Geographic filmmakers capture the mystery and wonder of life around the world. From the delicate rhythms of the natural world to the many faces of human culture, 30 Years of National Geographic Specials chronicles a visual saga of humankind's quest for knowledge.

Behind each thrilling film scene there is always a cameraman unseen by viewers and often exposed to mortal danger. Cameramen Who Dared will take you behind the lens with the incredible documentary filmmakers who will risk their lives to get the perfect shot. Follow these fearless professionals as they dive with deadly sharks, come nose to nose with polar bears, record shocking scenes from Vietnam, and climb Mt. Everest to its summit. Discover what drives these people to pioneer with their cameras where limits are unknown.

This spectacular natural history special tells the story of the incredible struggle for survival of the dragons of the Galapagos archipelago. The lives of these giant lizards, called land iguanas, are intimately linked with the archipelago’s most active volcano. On the island of Fernandina, filmmakers David and Liz Parer will follow the annual migration of the land iguanas up the steep slopes of the volcano and into the steaming caldera where they lay their eggs. Off the coast, we will follow the world’s only sea going iguana as it makes its way into the most exciting marine environment on earth- a world of sperm whales and sharks, huge balls of baitfish and masses of seals, dolphins and penguins... an epic story on the scale of Arctic Kingdom.

Explore the Hawaiian Islands, an archipelago born of volcanic eruptions tens of millions of years ago. Fertile for evolution and protected by the immense Pacific Ocean, this isolated tropical haven produced an explosion of wildlife found nowhere else on earth. Once able to flourish, exquisite creatures such as the ancient green sea turtle, the playful monk seal, and the Hawaiian honeycreeper now exist in fragile habitats. Since the arrival of man 2,000 years ago, 70% of all native species have disappeared. Watch as conservation heroes dangle from the cliffs of Moloka'i, risking their lives to hand-pollinate endangered flowers. Ironically, Hawaii's plants and animals must now rely on man's intervention in order to survive. Join National Geographic and discover a land of precious and threatened life forms in HAWAII: STRANGERS IN PARADISE.

Early in the 19th century, the fog that long had shrouded Mesopotamia began to lift, in large part due to French-born Austen Henry Layard. Join National Geographic as we journey to the upper Tigris valley, where Layard gained the right to excavate along the banks of the river, and discovered the most fantastic artwork and architectural remains found anywhere outside of Egypt.

Only the fiercest hunters and most ingenious adapters survive Mexico's Baja Peninsula, where years may pass without a drop of rain. Towering above them all is the ten-ton giant cactus, the cardon, centerpiece of this community of strange and wonderful life-forms. From the deadly scorpions lurking in the sand to the lowly cactus mouse making a home in the thorns, each creature has specially adapted to this harsh place. Baja's rhythms of life also unfold in the neighboring Sea of Cortes, where manta rays and sea turtles glide past islands that are splendidly isolated from the mainland. Join National Geographic as we unlock the key to survival in this alien Mexican landscape.

The thrill of adventure, it's a mix of adrenaline, danger, excitement, and action. But trying to capture that thrill in an eye-catching image is never easy, especially when the photographer braves infernos, dangles from cliffs or skydives from 13,000 feet above the ground. Learn the stories behind the lens where split-second timing can spell the difference between exhilarating success and devastating failure.

Travel to Bali, a tiny enchanting island in the Indonesian archipelago that many revere as Heaven on Earth. Born of fiery volcanic eruptions, this isolated paradise is made up of two thousand square miles of spectacular mountains, enticing beaches and flourishing rice terraces. This distant land is home to an extraordinary culture where artistic expression serves to please the gods and placate the demons. Experience the intensity of religious beliefs through haunting music, exotic dance and mysterious rituals that animate every aspect of Balinese life. Join National Geographic for a feast that will fill your senses in Bali: Masterpiece of the Gods.

In the most distant villages of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, ophthalmologist Wondu Alemayehu and a handful of other eye doctors are performing "miracles" among the thousands of Ethiopians who suffer from curable blindness.

National Geographic host Lisa Ling journeys to Houston, where she gets to know NBA star, Yao Ming, the affable, intelligent 22-year-old known as “The Great Wall.” Then she travels to Shanghai to better understand the unique blend of globalization and cultural exchange that brought this talented center to American basketball and American basketball to the Chinese people.

World-renowned forensic anthropologist Clyde Snow and his Guatemalan-born protégé Fredy Peccerelli lead an international team that uncovers a 19-year-old mass grave of men who “disappeared” during Guatemala’s civil war, bringing closure to the little town of Paxcabal Che.

At Venezuela’s Angel Falls world-class aerial cinematographer and BASE jumper Tom Sanders is on a mission to capture the perfect skydiving moment and pay tribute to his wife, who died base jumping.

Two continental plates have ground together and torn apart to create a spectacular island nation.

After an Englishman vanishes from Fraser Island, Australia in 2001, investigators follow every lead without a trace until two years later, a hiker discovers his remains. Was it murder, suicide, or did he die of natural causes? Join National Geographic as we explore the possibilities.

Each March biologist John Hoogland returns to the snow-covered hills of Utah to play scientific voyeur to the hectic and hysterical lives of a group of prairie dogs. Join National Geographic and witness Hoogland's observations and discoveries.

A few years ago, Australian zoologist Hayden Turner hand-reared a young camel into adulthood. Hayden and the camel became friends for life. Ever since, Hayden has been gripped by a passionate desire to find out everything there is to know about camels. Now, National Geographic presents Hayden's ultimate camel adventure in the desert.

National Geographic captures the visual tapestry of the Okavango Delta during the annual floodwaters. There is no other place in Africa like the Okavango Delta, a watery refuge in the heart of one of the world’s largest deserts. Water defines this unique place often deciding who will survive and who will perish. Cheetahs and wild dogs rule the savanna, while hippos and crocodiles reign in the swamp. Producer/cinematographer Tim Liversedge captures all of the spectacular images in a film which celebrates the extraordinary diversity of life that flourishes in Botswana's Okavango Delta.

Nepal is a country overwhelmed by poverty and torn by a bloody civil war. National Geographic reporter Lisa Ling visits the country to witness the work of two eye doctors - one American, one Nepalese - who are working to prevent the cataract-caused blindness that can make life impossible for people living in rural areas. While watching the remarkable work these doctors are doing she also hears from the Nepalese people who are regaining their sight amidst this tumultuous conflict.

Wealthier and more powerful than any other ancient civilization, the Roman Empire enjoyed a long period of prosperity. But perhaps the greatest treasure of this period was not its riches, but its myth. Join National Geographic and relive the glories of the Roman Empire and see why it has inspired dreamers and dictators throughout the ages.

National Geographic presents the wrenching story of the collapse of the Romanov dynasty. Nicholas II had absolute power over his vast realm, yet he was helpless in the face of his son's hemophilia. Enter Rasputin, a wild-living Siberian "holy man" whose apparent ability to heal the heir won him the loyalty of Empress Alexandra...to the dismay of almost everyone else. The backdrop for this family melodrama was a nation under stress: military disasters, poverty, political unrest, and the spread of Bolshevism. Russia erupted in 1917, and the fierce revolution cost the lives of many...including Nicholas and his family. For decades no one knew where the royal family lay buried. A few determined souls searched doggedly—and discreetly. Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s could they reveal the resting place of Russia's last tsar.

Join National Geographic to experience the full force of coalition forces in Iraq and live life on the frontlines. The Devil Dog Diaries provides a rare, inside look at life in wartime from the perspective of the young men in a batallion of the 1st Marine Expeditionarry Force. With veteran filmmaker Gary Scurka in tow, the marines encounter ambushes and fire fights, engage in dangerous missions in cities along the way, endure sniper fire and sandstorms and lead the charge into Baghdad. Yet despite their feats, most of these Marines are young cadets straight out of high school, shipped to a far off desert to engage in a war for reasons they may not fully understand.

They would tantalize explorers for hundreds of years. Great ruined cities lost in the jungles of Central America and Mexico. Who had built these great cities? Join National Geographic and follow a celebrated writer and adventurer as they unlock the secrets of the Ancient Maya.

Take a harrowing journey with author Sebastian Junger and photographer Reza deep into Afghanistan for the last interview with the assassinated resistance leader, Ahmed Shah Massoud. With never-before-seen footage, National Geographic's Afghanistan Revealed explores this war-torn country and the lives of its people as they struggle against the Taliban.

National Geographic Ultimate Explorer host Lisa Ling examines the consequences of China's two-decade-old, ''one-child policy'' designed to curb the country's exploding population. Due to cultural, social and economic factors, traditional preference leans toward boys, so girls are often hidden, aborted, or abandoned. As a result, tens of thousands of girls end up in orphanages across China. Today, more than one quarter of all babies adopted from abroad by American families come from China - and nearly all are girls. Ling joins some of these families as they travel to China to meet their new daughters for the first time. Along this emotional journey, she shares in the joy of these growing families and also witnesses firsthand China's gender gap, its roots, and its possible repercussions.

Sacred to three religions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - Jerusalem's Old City lives in uneasy peace in a region wrought with conflict. Within this walled enclave, people of disparate cultures live side by side and millions of pilgrims come to celebrate their religious beliefs in a city whose rich history goes back 3,000 years. Join National Geographic as we pass through the gates of Jerusalem's Old City.

National Geographic presents an intimate and three-dimensional documentation of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and sheds light on the universal principles of Islam during the days of the Hajj. Learn the historical significance of the city to Muslim and non-Muslim populations alike. And, experience the epic journey of a lifetime, the Hajj, as we witness the personal stories of the pilgrims and the mental preparation, physical strain and spiritual ecstasy they encounter on their life-altering pilgrimage of faith.

They are symbols of affection - widely thought to be as pure as love itself - and the vast majority are legal stones that are mined, exported and sold in the clear light of day. But for years, some diamonds have been sold illegally - with devastating results linking to war, blood and brutality. In the diamond-rich West African nation of Sierra Leone, rebels have used the precious gems to bankroll a violent ten-year insurrection, leaving a terrorized population and a ravaged landscape in its wake. Join National Geographic from Europe to Africa to uncover the truth about the dark side of the diamond trade.

In a spectacularly beautiful and remote corner of northern Australia, a handful of people are living in the twilight of their culture. After 40,000 years, the Gandiu Aborigines are transferring the knowledge of their mysterious culture to what may be their last generation. Travel to their distant land to meet the tribal elders, explore the ancient myths of the Dreamtime, and see the extraordinary wildlife that inspires their sacred rock paintings. Join National Geographic for a moving and memorable portrait of Australia's Aborigines.

This is a land of harsh contradiction: hot, dry and rocky, yet built up and cut away by water.

In Namib, African desert and the ocean are married by the wind - a wind that brings life to both.