The birthplace of Jesus is today one of the most contentious places on Earth.

Carried by the longest wingspans of any bird, they soar for thousands of miles without ever setting webbed foot on land.

Conditions are tough, the pay is lousy, and there is no quittin' time. So why do cowboys love their job?

Vast reaches of the planet have been locked for millennia in stunning permafrost formations. But perhaps not permanently.

Photographers Michael Nichols and Brent Stirton explain the significance of the recent gorilla massacres in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Submit your photo, check out Your Shot jigsaw puzzles, and see reader photos published in National Geographic.

Decorate your desktop with beautiful images from this month's issue of the magazine.

Each month, National Geographic magazine features breathtaking photographs in Visions of Earth.

Editor in Chief Chris Johns writes about cowboy hats and buckaroos.

Photographer Ralph R. Doubleday made a career of catching cowboys in midair.