PASSPORTS AND VISAS 101

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – the second largest country in Africa and fourth most populous – offers Detroit area tourists and business travelers a range of natural tropical settings, unique wildlife, and cultural diversions not found in other parts of the continent.  From the mountain gorillas in the rainforest along the Congo River to its active mountain volcanoes, the DRC is one of a kind.

Formerly known as Zaire, the DRC (also referred to as Congo-Kinshasa) covers more than 2.3 million square miles—roughly the size of Western Europe.  It borders Angola, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, as well as the South Atlantic Ocean.  With more than 96 million residents, the Central African nation is also the largest French-speaking country in the world.

The East African nation of Malawi has gained new attention as an emerging tourist destination for residents of the Memphis area.  Known as the “Warm Heart of Africa”, the landlocked country lies in the Great Rift Valley and borders Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.  According to The New York Times, “Most tourists come to Malawi to go on safaris among bulbous baobabs in Liwonde National Park or sunbathe on the sparkling yellow beaches of Lake Malawi, which stretches for two-thirds of the country’s length.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/15/travel/rock-climbing-malawi.html). 

During the Victorian Era, missionary Dr. David Livingstone led expeditions throughout Malawi and Central Africa.  After decades as the British protectorate of Nyasaland, the Republic of Malawi became an independent nation in the mid-1960s.  English remains the official language of Malawi and almost 90 percent of its residents are Christian.

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.

A growing number of New Orleans residents are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows, especially among employees of large companies with a strong presence in the area.  The “Big Easy” is known globally for its lavish Mardi Gras celebrations, Creole cuisine, music, and Cajun culture.  Some 20 million global tourists visit the city annually, making tourism and hospitality a top economic driver.

However, the largest city in Louisiana also enjoys a diversified economy.  Top industries include energy, logistics and transportation, film production, software and technology, telecommunications, and light and advanced manufacturing.  Electric pow

Turkmenistan – one of the most repressive and isolated countries in the world – is also one of the least visited nations for travelers from Charlotte.  However, cautious, adventurous travelers who are not deterred by the difficult process for obtaining a Turkmen visa can enjoy historic, cultural and religious sites, as well as ancient Silk Road trading posts, rare desert wildlife, and resorts on the Caspian Sea.

More than 6.5 million people live in the former Soviet republic, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in Asia (as a point of reference, the population of the Charlotte metropolitan area is nearly 2.7 million).  Turkmenistan is bordered by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Uzbekistan.  For centuries, Turkmenistan has been a trade thoroughfare, as the ancient Silk Road spans the country.  In recent years, its major international trade activities have revolved around its large oil and natural gas reserves.

Minneapolis 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).

在芝加哥有着许多著名的学院、大学或其他的院校可以学习英语。无论您是为了教育、职业、又或者是为个人目标而奋斗，芝加哥的许多英语课程都可以为您提供帮助。

英语作为第二语言（ESL）和其他语言使用者英语（ESOL）课程能帮助非英语母语者学习或提高他们的语言技能。课程范围涵盖了从初级到高级进阶，且提供考试或大学入学准备，教授职业准备技能，并为学生用英语学习交流提供支持。无论你的目标是什么，你都可以在芝加哥找到你想要的。

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.

A growing number of Knoxville residents are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows, especially among employees of large companies with a strong presence in the area.  Knoxville is best known as a college town and home of the University of Tennessee Volunteers.  However, the regional economy is also driven by the transportation/logistics, tourism, clean energy, technology, tourism, and advanced manufacturing and materials industries.

When Knoxville submitted its successful bid to host the 1982 World’s Fair, the Wall Street Journal called it “the scruffy little city on the Tennessee River.” Although the community planted thousands of trees

如果您对提高您的语言能力感兴趣的话，那么在俄勒冈州波特兰市就有许多大学、学院和课程可以学习英语。这些课程能帮助国际学生、企业管理人员和专业人士学习必要的技能，以使其能在美国或其它英语环境中的教育、工作和生活中取得成功。

专注于英语作为作为第二语言（ESL）和其他语言使用者英语（ESOL）的学校可以帮助非英语母语的学生和员工获得英语语言能力。您可以在波特兰找到各种学习英语的机会，包括从初级课程到高级进阶课程。学习不同的技能，包掌握学习，扩展您目前的英语知识，以及为工作或考试做准备。

ELLs（英语学习者）可以在波特兰获得许许多多的学习机会，用以满足个人、学术或商业

Honolulu is the largest city in the state of Hawaii and is the most-populous city in the Oceania region (excluding cities in Australia and New Zealand).  Honolulu has a population of 390,000 people making this city the 56th most-populous metropolitan area in the United States, while the Urban Honolulu Metropolitan Statistical Area (this includes the entire population of the island of Oahu, the island where Honolulu is located) has a population of 975,000.  The state of Hawaii is the only island state in America, and includes 8 main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii (known as the “Big Island”).  There are over 200,000 ethnic Chinese living in Hawaii, three-quarters of whom live in Honolulu.  Similar to other ethic groups from East Asia, Chinese have long ties with the Hawaiian Islands that date back to the 18^th century when American and British traders began exporting sandalwood to Southern China.  This aromatic hardwood was used by the Chinese to produce medicines, perfumes, and musical instruments.  In the following century immigrants from China began moving to Hawaii to work as agricultural laborers and would eventually establish their own commercial and residential district (Chinatown) along Honolulu Harbor. 

Azerbaijan – the South Caucasus country at the crossroads of ancient empires that once ruled Eurasia – is coming into its own as a travel destination for visitors from the Atlanta area. “Having long been overlooked by visitors, Azerbaijan's new easy visas, bargain-value hotels and close-packed range of beautiful landscapes are starting to attract significant flows of tourists, though as yet few of them from Western countries,” Lonely Planet reported. (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/azerbaijan )

Stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Great Caucasus Mountains, the culture of Azerbaijan reflects strong Turkish, Iranian, and Russian influences that span centuries.  The ancient Silk Road trading route that connected Europe and Asia runs through Azerbaijan.  During its long history, parts of the country had been ruled by Iran, Turkey and Russia.  After the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the country gained independence as the Republic of Azerbaijan.  However, since then, an extended border war with neighboring Armenia and conflicts with separatist forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region have plagued the republic.