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Curling Wave, Massachusetts
Photograph by Michael Melford
Genuine or re-created, wrought by nature or man-made, gold dazzles the eye. Flora and fauna flaunt it. Sunlight paints the world with it. And the malleable metal—and its shine—has been capturing the human imagination for thousands of years.
Here, sunlight casts a gold filament onto a wave rolling toward Nantucket Island. The popular summer destination is located 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Chinook Salmon, Oregon
Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic
A chinook salmon digs its nest in the John Day River, a tributary of the Columbia River. Dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers have threatened the species on its migration from annual spawning grounds—a 900-mile journey to the sea.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Moscow, Russia
Photograph by Steve Raymer
Two women are a study in contrasts outside a Moscow metro station. The capital city of over ten million is the country’s largest.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Waterfall, Virginia
Photograph by Medford Taylor
Gold and russet autumn leaves frame a gently cascading waterfall in Virginia. Before leaves drop to the ground, trees store their nutrients for the coming winter, a process that helps to give leaves their vibrant color.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Silhouettes, China
Photograph by Justin Guariglia
Chinese characters arch across a backdrop at a cultural performance in the village of Nanjie in Henan Province.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Light Patterns, Utah
Photograph by Frans Lanting, National Geographic
At Clear Creek Canyon, Utah, light reflecting off water creates a pattern resembling gold filigree. Utah’s scenic diversity includes snowy mountain towns that attract winter sports enthusiasts and, at lower altitudes, desert landscapes known for their natural rock formations.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Seaweed, Scotland
Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic
Knotted wrack seaweed adds a touch of gold to a beach on North Uist Island in the Outer Hebrides. Located off Scotland’s northwest coast, the Inner and Outer Hebrides are made up of over 500 islands and islets.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Gold Mask, New York
Photograph by Robert Clark, National Geographic
A model receives a gold facial valued at $300. In all of history, the amount of gold that has been mined would barely fill two Olympic swimming pools.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Reclining Buddha, Thailand
Photograph by Jason Edwards
A detail shows the gold-edged robe of the 50-foot high Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Bangkok, Thailand.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Bush Plane, Alaska
Photograph by Frans Lanting
A bush plane flies over the University Range in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The 13.2-million-acre park—the largest in the U.S. National Park System—protects a landscape of mountains, tundra, forests, and ice fields.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Luang Prabang, Laos
Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita
Children run past the gilded walls of Wat Mai, or the New Temple, in the ancient city of Luang Prabang, Laos. Known as the “City of the Golden Buddha,” Luang Prabang has an array of historic Buddhist temples.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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Casino, Las Vegas
Photograph by Mike Theiss
Sunlight infuses the upper floors of a Las Vegas hotel casino with a golden glow. Some of the world’s largest hotels are located on the city’s famous Strip, a 4.5-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
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