21st-Century Slaves

There are more slaves today than were seized from Africa in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The modern commerce in humans rivals illegal drug trafficking in its global reach—and in the destruction of lives.

MULTIMEDIA VIDEO "You can't solve a problem unless you understand it," says slavery expert Kevin Bales, who defines modern-day slavery and discusses steps to end this cruelest commerce.

FORUM This year the United States can seek to impose sanctions on countries listed as the worst offenders in trafficking men, women, and children as modern-day slaves. How effective would sanctions be? What more can be done? And how should the problem of 150,000 or so slaves in the U.S. be addressed? Enter>>

ONLINE EXTRA Kevin Bales outlines how this generation holds the power to end 21st-century slavery.

ONLINE EXTRA This interactive map shows you the global reach of modern-day slavery and how different countries are dealing with the issue. 

Zebras

They're born to roam: East Africa's plains zebras follow the rains in one of the greatest migratory shows on Earth.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of the migration route of plains zebras.

MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Go behind the scenes into the world of migrating zebras with photographer Anup Shah.

FINAL EDIT Rescued from the cutting room floor is this month's Final Edit, an image of a crocodile standing guard over its striped prey.

Saving Africa's Eden

The president of Gabon sets aside a big chunk of his country, preserving a little bit of Africa for everyone.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of Gabon's 13 new national parks.

MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Follow ecologist Mike Fay into the primordial world of Gabon's chimpanzees, gorillas, elephants, and other creatures rarely seen by human eyes.

WALLPAPER A large forest elephant churns up water as it charges toward a rival—and across your desktop.

FORUM The prospect of setting aside 11 percent of Gabon's unspoiled land for conservation and ecotourism presents a challenge: Once this vast pristine acreage is open to tourists, how will it remain pristine? Enter>>

Aquarius

What's the best way to study Florida's coral reefs and their finned inhabitants? Live where the action is.

MAP Download a printable, high-resolution map of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

MULTIMEDIA VIDEO Imagine living underwater with five other people in a stationary submarine the size of a school bus. Photographer Brian Skerry tells you what it was like.

VIDEO Get an intimate look inside Aquarius, the world's only underwater research laboratory.

FLASHBACK to the 1940s when photographer Lilo Hess lured a striped burrfish to a microphone to hear what it had to say.

Diary of a War

In her second dispatch, a veteran war photographer reports on daily life in Iraq during and after the bombing.

AUDIO Experience day-to-day life in a war zone as Alexandra Boulat reads from her diary.

MULTIMEDIA Boulat describes her most memorable moments covering the Iraq war.

FORUM After so much death and destruction—and with ongoing violence against troops—how can the rebuilding of Iraq move forward? Enter>>

SIGHTS & SOUNDS Look through the lens of photographer Alexandra Boulat and witness how war has changed the Iraqi people.

ZipUSA: 97210

A short walk from downtown Portland, Oregon, coyotes, joggers, and mountain bikers share a 5,000-acre (2,000-hectare) park.

NOMINATE your own wonderful, weird, or wacky choices for this magazine series. Enter>>

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