Buenos Aires is the capital and the largest city in Argentina, featuring some of the most important places in the entire country of Argentina. Originally named after a sanctuary in Sardinia, the city has grown today to be one of the most densely populated areas in Latin America.

Spain discovered the area in 1516 when a Spanish explorer reached the Rio de la Plata, the location of Buenos Aires. Although his expedition was cut short, Spanish settlement of the area began twenty years later as part of a Spanish expedition. A series of attacks by natives, though, left the area uninhabited until 1580, when the second, permanent settlement was created. Historically dependent on trade, Buenos Aires was regulated by the Spanish government, who controlled the amount of trade that the city could partake in. Over time, European immigration to the city began to shape it as something of a European outpost in South America, a phenomenon that persists today.

The city is bounded by the Rio de la Plata in the east and northeast. The Riachuelo and the Avenida General Paz, a highway, make up the rest of the boundaries. Located in the pampa region, which is the Spanish word for denoting the plains of South America, the region is relatively flat. Buenos Aires feature a humid subtropical climate, which means that the average temperature looms around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. During the Southern Hemisphere summer months of December, January, and February, many citizens of Buenos Aires head to cooler resorts on the Atlantic Coast to escape the heat.

Culturally, Buenos Aires is strongly influenced by European trends and styles. It is sometimes referred to as the Paris of South America because of this. A dialect of Spanish, reminiscent of a dialect spoken in Spain, is the prominent language in the city. Many European languages have grown into the local dialect, creating several unique terms and phrases. Architecture is reminiscent of that of Barcelona and Madrid, characterized by uniqueness in form and design. Tango music was born in Buenos Aires and has spread all over the world, but many will attest that the best dancers are those who are born and bred Argentineans.

While in Buenos Aires, you can enjoy outdoor activities, such as cycling, or cultural events, such as the opera. It’s also a terrific location for fine dining, shopping and dancing. The tango is very popular in Buenos Aires. Don’t be surprised if you see tango dancers performing on the streets.

Palm Springs, California is a desert city in Riverside County with a population of about 45,000. This city is one of the nine cities that make up the Coachella Valley. Tourists come to Palm Springs, California to enjoy the desert scenery of the city and participate in the outdoor activities popular throughout the area.

The modern day area of Palm Springs was once home to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for 500 years. The Cahuilla Indians still inhabit the city and are important in the local economy of the city. The native Americans operate plenty of business enterprises, which include land leasing, hotel and casino operations, and banking. “Se-Khi”, which means “boiling water”, was the Cahuilla name for the area surrounding the city, which probably refers to the desert life. A Spanish explorer named the area “Agua Caliente”, which means “hot water”. US Government surveyors contributed the name of Palm Springs for the area during the 1860s, and from then on, the official name became Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is surrounded by mountains. It has the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the west. The Palm Springs climate can be contributed to the geography, which gives its warm and dry climate, and less than 6 inches of rain annually. Palm Springs has average desert climate, with cold winters and hot dry summers. Snow is common on the mountains around the city but rarely falls directly in the city.

During the winter months, tourism is flourishing. With many five star hotels, restaurants and attractions, a wonderful water park, and high-end boutiques in uptown and downtown, Palm Springs caters to the many tourists. The Palm Springs Art Museum, Annenberg Theater, and the highly popular Palm Springs International Film Festival will provide much entertainment to any tourists that visit Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is a hot spot for golf. It’s actually considered one of the top golf destinations in the world.  While visiting Palm Springs, you will have more than 110 golf courses to choose from. If you don’t golf yourself, you still may like to attend one of the major golfing events that take place in Palm Springs every year.

In addition to golf, Palm Springs also features tennis, horseback riding, hiking and many other outdoor activities. The shopping and art galleries in the area are also top notch. From college students on spring break to retirees, it seems everyone enjoys vacationing in Palm  Springs.

Rome is one of the great cities of the Old World. It has been, at many points in history, one of the most powerful and important cities in the entire world. Today, it is an extremely popular destination for visitors all over the world who come to enjoy Italy and especially the distinct flavor of Rome.

While Rome is said to have been founded by twins Romulus and Remus, archeological evidence suggests that it involved growth from nearby farm settlements. It developed into the capital of the Roman Kingdom after the reign of seven kings and from there began an ascent to the seat of most expansive empire in history. Eventually, the Roman Empire declined, as did the political and commercial power of the city itself, although throughout the Renaissance it was an important artistic and cultural hub. Although Italy went through a brief bout of fascism between World War I and World War II, it is today a republic, with Rome as its capital.

Rome is located in central Italy, where the Aniene and Tiber rivers meet. The city itself extends to the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea, despite the fact that the center of the city is many miles away. Rome’s elevation does not change much throughout the city. A Mediterranean climate, typical for the coasts of Italy, graces Rome, offering a comfortable spring and autumn. The temperature can reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit and August, which traditionally would cause the city pause its affairs and the inhabitants to seek shelter from the heat, but this trend is disappearing. In the winter, lows below zero are not uncommon, while the high is usually around 55 degrees.

As far as Roman culture is concerned, the city is deeply connected with its ancient roots. Rome has a heavy Catholic population due to its historic ties with the Catholic Church and the Papal States. Protestants and Muslims make up the rest of the religious minority. The language spoken in Rome is a dialect called Romanesco as well as standard Italian. Music, cinema, and sports also make up an important part of the city’s culture, providing several reasons for tourists to visit the city.

As the capital and most populous city of the Catalonia region in Spain, as well as the second largest city in the country, Barcelona is an important cultural and economic hub for Spain. With a total population of over 3 million, Barcelona is a growing city and a popular tourist destination because of the variety of attractions that the city offers.

The founding of Barcelona remains uncertain, with two legends making up the lore on the matter. One legend attributes the creating of the city to Hercules, which was then rebuilt by Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian. The second legend gives most of the credit directly to Barca. The entire Iberian Peninsula was controlled by the Romans for a period of time starting in the year 19 BC, but over the course of the next several hundred years, the region would change hands again and again. Barcelona as a Spanish entity began to take shape in the 12th century, while modern Barcelona truly had its beginning in the 1970s.

Barcelona is located on the northeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula on a plateau facing the Mediterranean Sea. A coastal mountain range shelters the city to the northwest, towering above the city with peaks over 1,600 feet tall. Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers, temperatures tending to gravitate away from the extremes. Snowfall is extremely rare, even during the winter, as the average temperature is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sixty eight municipal parks dot the cityscape of Barcelona, providing an escape from the urban environment. Twelve of these are historic, while the rest are either botanical parks, urban parks, or forest parks. Barcelona also has seven beautiful beaches, although the sand tends to be blown away in storms. The city features a historical district and a financial district, one of the most important in Spain because of the influence that the city has on the country.

Entertainment and the performing arts are important parts of Barcelona’s culture, with traditional performances hosted alongside internationally-influenced presentations. Museums feature all areas and eras of artistic, cultural, and historical importance. The architecture is a stunning mix of contemporary styles, old Spanish Colonial style, and authentic Gothic architecture. The work of renowned architect Antonio Gaudi is featured throughout the city.

As a well-known destination for a vacation in paradise, the Bahamas is a tropical island chain with beautiful temperatures all year long and plenty for tourists to do. Thriving on tourism, the Bahamas continues to be on the top of the list of dream vacation sites for many people who crave the laidback beach atmosphere and a hint of island life.

The Bahamas was first home to the seafaring Taino people who migrated from Hispaniola and Cuba to the Bahamas in the 7th century. There, they came to be known as the Lucayans, numbering in the thirty thousands by the time Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. He landed at San Salvador Island and peacefully exchanged goods with the native people. Following visits by Spaniards reduced the population of the islands to nothingness, until Eleutherian Adventurers arrived in the mid 1600s. This marked the beginning of British occupancy of the islands, which would last until 1973, when the islands would become fully independent.

The islands that make up the Bahamas are low and flat, with elevations mostly at sea level. Some ridges rise up about sixty feet, and the highest point on the islands is Mount Alvernia, which rises 210 feet. About seven hundred islands form the archipelago of the Bahamas, all of which feature a climate that is either subtropical or tropical. This means that the summers are warm and the winters are mild, and the temperatures are moderated by the Gulf Stream current. It is also dangerous come hurricane season, which can hit the islands in force.

Since the 1950s, offshore financing and tourism have been the two major pillars of the country’s economy. The latter comprises over two thirds of the Bahamas’ gross domestic product. Tourists come to experience the beautiful, sculpted resorts and the stunning beaches, evoking images of other laidback island communities, like Hawaii. Because of the wealth that comes into the nation from all of the tourism, there are plenty of high society lifestyle activities that visitors can enjoy.

As the third most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the Midwest, Chicago has long been an important economic and cultural metropolis. Three million people call the city home, and its contribution to the global economy is such that it is classified as an alpha world city.

Until the beginning of the 1800s, Chicago was inhabited by Potawatomi Native Americans. It was then that American settlement of the area began, with the first trading post being constructed in the area in 1803. It was later destroyed in the 1812 Fort Dearborn massacre, marking the hostility between the native people and the colonists, but the land was ceded four years later.

Because of its prime position as a transportation hub between the eastern part of the United States and the western, the population of Chicago exploded, reaching 1 million people by 1890. In the 1920s, the city acquired a reputation for being the base of operations for several gangsters, but the era also brought about great industrial development and economic advancement. Today, the city continues to expand based on a progressive agenda that promotes poor and minority neighborhoods.

Located on the tip of Lake Michigan, Chicago sits on the continental divide. The land on which the city exists is relatively flat, with few minor changes in elevation throughout the city. Lake Michigan has historically been an important part of Chicago’s economy, allowing it to specialize in water transportation. Located in the humid continental zone, Chicago has four distinct seasons, with temperatures reaching 85 degrees Fahrenheit in July and dropping to 17 degrees in January. Annually, Chicago receives about 34 inches of precipitation.

As far as tourism goes, Chicago is a large hub of activity for vacationers who come to experience world-class shopping, fine dining, and a large entertainment district. Chicago’s distinctive architectural beauty also draws many tourists, who come to experience the sights that downtown has to offer. Popular destinations include the Art Institute of Chicago, the Millennium Park, and the historic Chicago Cultural Center.

As the southernmost part of an island that separates the Atlantic Ocean with Biscayne Bay, South Beach, a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, features all of the qualities that make Miami such an appealing city. It has plenty of characteristics that make it its own place as well.

South Beach was originally farmland until it was purchased in 1870 by Henry and Charles Lum for coconut farming. When the brothers left the area in 1886, they ceded the land to John Collins, who would continue their efforts, expanding the amount of land on their parcel. In 1912, Miami businessmen purchased 400 acres of the land with hopes to build single family residences.

Investments by a wealthy businessman allowed Collins to create a bridge between Miami and Miami Beach. This marked the beginning of the area’s development, which continued during the land boom in the 1920s and the architectural revolution of the 1930s. The area became a popular destination for retired people in the 1970s, and then base of operations for the “cocaine cowboys”, drug dealers dabbling in illicit activities. While the area had long been considered a poor area with a lot of crime, attention from the media dispelled the image, and it is now considered one of the most wealthy and commercial areas on the beach.

Today, the area is a major entertainment district, containing many famous nightclubs, restaurants, and boutique hotels, all of which are geared toward the more wealthy tourists. The nightlife can be especially difficult to break into for non-locals and those who do not plan ahead, because it tends to be expensive and exclusive.

One can usually find something to do, though, given the large number of clubs and restaurants spread throughout the city. A large amount of European tourism accounts for a unique multiculturalism; German is the third most spoken language, behind English and Spanish. The area is also uniquely popular for fashion shoots, with more than 1500 models living in the area.

As the de facto capital of Japan, due to its being the seat of the government and containing the Imperial Palace, Tokyo is one of the most important cities in the country. Along with the outlying areas of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama, Tokyo is the largest populous metropolitan area in the world, with over 35 million people.

The mainland portion of the city is located just northwest of Tokyo Bay, while the Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands lie within the administrative boundaries of the city as well. Because of the amount of land that is contained within Tokyo, the population density figures are skewed, belying the actual super-crowded nature of the area. The city is comprised of twenty-three special wards, each with its own mayor and assemblies, meaning that they are not all under the control of one large city, but some of their affairs are handled by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

As far as the cityscape goes, numerous parks and gardens are interspersed with modern, contemporary buildings. This is because of the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, followed by the extensive firebombing that occurred during World War II. Also because of this, there are very few older buildings in the city. Weather in Tokyo is hot and humid during the summer and mild during the winter, as is the case in the humid subtropical zone. The vast population of the city has plenty to do with the island’s climate because of the amount of energy that is given off in an urban setting as large as Tokyo.

Tourism is a part of Tokyo’s economy, fueled by visitors who come to visit downtown areas and entertainment districts. Fans of Japanese pop culture, anime, and Japanese art visit Tokyo in order to indulge in the areas dedicated to these things, such as the Tokyo National Museum. The Tsukiji Fish Market is a popular tourist destination with foreigners who come to enjoy the wholesale fish and seafood early in the morning.

Tokyo continues to grow, finding new ways to expand. Energy efficiency is an important goal for Tokyo’s government, which means that it will be taking steps to ensure that the city’s greenhouse gas emissions are minimized.