Passports and Visas

The Republic of Lebanon and its capital, Beirut – the “Paris of the Middle East” – continues to draw tourists from Miami who enjoy its Mediterranean culture, historic sites, cuisine, and diverse architecture.  Tourism has largely recovered since the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990, restoring relative stability to the country, yet the U.S. State Department continues to maintain travel advisories due to persistent regional strife.

Located on the western shore of the Mediterranean Sea, the Republic of Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years before coming under French rule after World War I.  The country gained independence from France in 1943, which was followed by both civil war and armed conflict with neighboring Syria and Israel.  In recent decades, Lebanon has evolved into one of the most culturally influential countries in the Middle East, and is a destination that should not be overlooked by anyone in Miami desiring a deeper understanding of this region.  The republic offers a unique blend of Arabic and European influences, with colorful sites ranging from Roman temples and Malluk mosques to Crusader Castles and broad French-built boulevards.  While Arabic (Levantine Arabic) is the official language, French and English are commonly spoken, reflecting both its colonial history and its emerging role in global commerce.

Atlanta area tourists have been allowed to visit Saudi Arabia ever since the kingdom finally opened the door to leisure travelers in 2019, following decades when most visitors were businesspeople, government officials, Islamic pilgrims, and/or expatriates visiting family members.  The largest nation on the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia’s natural treasures range from the beaches of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to its hot dry deserts, mountain ranges, grasslands, and forests (located in the Asir Mountains).

The Republic of Angola – a former Portuguese colony that endured decades of civil strife during the Twentieth Century – has experienced a renaissance over the past 20 years. “Safe and welcoming, this friendly nation transports that laid-back, community-oriented lifestyle of southern Portugal to continental Africa – and travelers are once again discovering its charm,” the World Travel Guide noted (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/angola).

With 1,000 miles of Atlantic coastline, the southwest African nation beckons Memphis area travelers with tropical beaches, virgin rainforests, vast plains, savannahs, wetlands, and hardwood forests.  The gleaming skyscrapers of the capital city, Luanda, provide a dramatic counterpoint to the traditional villages that dominate a sprawling country that is over eleven times the size of Tennessee.

Editor's Note: U.S. passports are currently taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

More residents of Pensacola are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows, especially for students and faculty at University of West Florida, whose International Student and Scholar Services office has expanded its international exchange programs and faculty-led study abroad programs in recent years. 

The Florida Panhandle region’s strong economy and growing population are also contributing factors to the increased demand for new passports in recent years.  Owing to a business-friendly government that promotes economic freedom, Florida is now the fastest-growing state in the union.  Of Florida’s 22.2 million residents in 2022, over 500,000 people live in the Pensacola metropolitan area.  In 2022, the U.S. Department of State issued 1,315,125 passports for residents of the Sunshine State, making Florida the 4^th largest state for passport issuance (after California, Texas, and New York).

Algeria remains a mysterious and unexplored country for most San Francisco Bay Area tourists, as well as Silicon Valley business leaders seeking commercial opportunities overseas.

Bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and several other North African countries, Algeria’s tropical and subtropical climates encompass fertile land in its northern region and the Sahara Desert to the south.  The second largest country in Africa, Algeria is the continent’s fourth largest tourist destination.  The country also offers numerous business opportunities, particularly in the oil and gas, power, infrastructure, IT, and defense sectors (https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/algeria-market-opportunities).

The Republic of Guinea is not a common destination for residents of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest region, but it does provide unique experiences for adventurous travelers and those seeking new commercial opportunities in international trade. “Tarnished by the Ebola crisis and long-term political instability, it is a country most people stay away from,” the World Travel Guide noted  (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/guinea/). “But for travelers who like being far, far from the beaten path, Guinea has many enticements.”

Located on West Africa’s Atlantic coast, Guinea beckons travelers with thundering waterfalls, virgin rainforests, remote hills, and tropical beaches.  It contains five ecoregions: the Guinean montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, West Sudanian savanna, and Guinean mangroves.  However, travel outside major cities and tourist resorts can be difficult due to undeveloped transportation infrastructure -- and dangerous due to high levels of crime and corruption.  The impoverished country also faces frequent medical crises, as detailed by the CDC at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guinea.

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada and its metropolitan area, known as the Las Vegas Valley, includes Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, as well as several other unincorporated communities.  The Las Vegas Valley has a population of 2.3 million people and has been America’s fastest growing city the past decade.  Although Las Vegas ranks as only the 28th-most populous city in the United States, there could be as many as 300,000 tourists visiting here on any given day.  Known as “America’s Playground”, Las Vegas is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.  It has also become a diverse city with a population of over 200,000 people with Asian heritage, including an estimated 30,000 Chinese.  Immigrants from China first came to Las Vegas in the 1860’s during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad to work as laborers.  Like other towns in the American West, Chinese were well known for their participation in restaurant and laundry service businesses; Chinese would eventually expand into the casino business starting in the 1940s.  Nowadays, Las Vegas residents with Chinese heritage are well integrated into American society and contribute their talents across a broad array of professions.

The Republic of Mali -- a landlocked former French colony in West Africa -- is better known today for its continued civil strife than as a tourist destination.  The U.S., British, and other governments recommend citizens do not travel to Mali because the risks of crime, kidnapping, and terrorism remain high.  While civil unrest has closed some popular tourist destinations to the general public, many other attractions remain open for cautious, adventurous travelers from the New Orleans area.

Mali is one of the most remote countries in the world and one of the hottest.  Covering 480,000 square miles, the country stretches from the middle of the Sahara Desert in the north to the more heavily populated Sudanian Savanna to the south.  Drained by the Niger and Senegal rivers, the remote country offers travelers cultural treasures, desert sand dunes, rolling plains, tropical savannahs, and woodlands.  Mali’s largest metropolitan area, the capital city of Bamako, offers a more Westernized alternative to the traditional villages found across the country.  

Editor's Note: U.S. passports are currently taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

More residents of Tallahassee are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows, especially for students and faculty at Florida State University, whose Center for Global Engagement and office for International Programs has expanded its study abroad programs and international initiatives in recent years.  Tallahassee is also home to Florida A&M University, which continues to offer study abroad opportunities through its Office of International Education & Development.

The Florida Panhandle region’s strong economy and growing population are also contributing factors to the increased demand for new passports in recent years.  Owing to a business-friendly government that promotes economic freedom, Florida is now the fastest-growing state in the union.  Of Florida’s 22.2 million residents in 2022, over 385,000 people live in the Tallahassee metropolitan statistical area.  In 2022, the U.S. Department of State issued 1,315,125 passports for residents of the Sunshine State, making Florida the 4^th largest state for passport issuance (after California, Texas, and New York).

Ethiopia – the cradle of civilization – continues to welcome tourists from the Dallas area seeking historic cultural treasures, exotic natural beauty, and warm hospitality.  Ethiopia’s importance in the origins of mankind was confirmed by the 1972 discovery of “Lucy”, a fossilized 3.2 million-year-old female near the Awash River.  Today, tourism is the largest sector of the nation’s economy after agriculture. While “Lucy” was touring the United States and the United Kingdom in the first decade of the 21st century, visitors from other countries flocked to Ethiopia to explore its deep cultural history.  

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (previously known as Abyssinia) is located in northeastern Africa in the Horn of Africa.  Unique among African countries, Ethiopia resisted colonial rule for centuries -- until a brief Italian occupation during World War II.  Strategically located near the Middle East and Europe, Ethiopia’s access to major regional ports makes it a center of international trade and global influences.  More than 110 million Ethiopians live in a country covering more than 470,000 square miles –an area larger than France and Spain combined.  The population is a melting pot of African and Middle Eastern cultures, comprised of 80 various ethnic group who speak 90+ languages.  Almost two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, with most of the remaining inhabitants practicing Islam.  Half of the Ethiopian population was Jewish before Christianity was declared the national religion in the Fourth Century.  Today there are still several synagogues remaining in active use.