The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Dedicated to his late wife, Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal is beautiful not only for its mesmerising marble facade. Their love story is one of bittersweet tragedy: Mumtaz Mahal ('the Jewel of the Palace') died while giving birth to their 14th child, so the emperor vowed never to marry again and promised he would build her the finest mausoleum ever seen.

The Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain

Designed by famous Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Bilbao is an artwork in its own right. The sculpture-like structure boasts titanium-clad curves designed to catch the light in different ways as the day progresses, and has been continually hailed as one of the greatest buildings of our time.

The Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE

Often dubbed 'the world's only seven-star hotel' (erroneously, as official rankings stop at five), the Burj Al Arab is one of Dubai’s most iconic structures, and goes a long way to earning its nickname. Resembling a billowing ship's sail, it stands proudly just off the Dubai shoreline and is best seen from Jumeirah Beach at sunset, when the skies turn all shades of pink and orange.

The Amazing architecture

Beauty is, famously, in the eye of the beholder, but few would deny that these stunning architectural marvels rank among the world's most attractive structures. From opulent palaces and soaring modern skyscrapers to fairy-tale castles, it's no surprise that these spectacular buildings draw thousands of tourists every year.

The Tiger‘s Nest, Bhutan

One of the world’s most precariously placed monasteries, Paro Taktsang (better known as the Tiger’s Nest) perches tentatively on a cliffside in the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. The elegant structure is built around a cave in the cliff face that is said to have been used by Guru Padmasambhava for meditation in the 8th century. Legend has it that he flew to the cave on the back of a female tiger.

The Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Still under construction – it's finally slated for completion in 2026 – Gaudi’s most celebrated work nevertheless draws millions of visitors to experience its grandeur every year. The elaborate building’s most impressive part is its dramatic Nativity facade, which was created under the personal supervision of Gaudi himself and boasts thousands of intricate carvings related to the birth of Christ.

The Coast Survey International Program

Office of Coast Survey products and services have an inherently international dimension. Beginning with an Act signed in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson, Coast Survey became the nation's chartmaker in 1832. More than 200 years later, the U.S. depends upon maritime trade and economic activity associated with the use of coastal waters and resources. This trade supports the 1.3 billion metric tons of cargo valued at $1.8 trillion coming in and out of U.S. ports every year. The Coast Survey International Program and Plan builds upon Coast Survey's core strengths, capacities, and directions as a global leader in hydrography.

The International Engagement

Reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, like this reef in Australia, have greater coral species diversity than their counterparts in the Atlantic/Caribbean. Photo credit: Dave Burdick
Conserving the nation's coral reefs cannot be accomplished by domestic efforts alone. Our coral reefs are ecologically connected to those abroad. Additionally, the most significant threats they face—climate change and ocean acidification—are global in nature.

Effectively conserving coral reefs and the services they provide depends upon sound ecosystem-based management practices and good governance—from local communities to multinational regions. Together with our partners, we work in more than 40 countries and multilateral regions globally, with particular focus in the Coral Triangle, Micronesia, the South Pacific, and the wider Caribbean

The Explore: International Collaboration

International Collaboration
Explore our efforts with partners around the world to protect our natural resources, coastal communities, and economy.

The U.S. Makes a Mockery of Treaties and International Law

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other members of the Biden Cabinet are fond of proclaiming the “rules-based international order” (RBIO) or “rules-based order” every chance they get: in press conferences, on interviews, in articles, at international fora, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails. Along with the terms “human rights” and “democracy,” the RBIO is routinely used to claim a moral high ground against countries that they accuse of not following this RBIO, and wielded as a cudgel to attack, criticize, accuse, and delegitimate countries in their crosshairs as rogue outliers to an international order.

The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Dedicated to his late wife, Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal is beautiful not only for its mesmerising marble facade. Their love story is one of bittersweet tragedy: Mumtaz Mahal ('the Jewel of the Palace') died while giving birth to their 14th child, so the emperor vowed never to marry again and promised he would build her the finest mausoleum ever seen.

The Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain

Designed by famous Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Bilbao is an artwork in its own right. The sculpture-like structure boasts titanium-clad curves designed to catch the light in different ways as the day progresses, and has been continually hailed as one of the greatest buildings of our time.

The Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE

Often dubbed 'the world's only seven-star hotel' (erroneously, as official rankings stop at five), the Burj Al Arab is one of Dubai’s most iconic structures, and goes a long way to earning its nickname. Resembling a billowing ship's sail, it stands proudly just off the Dubai shoreline and is best seen from Jumeirah Beach at sunset, when the skies turn all shades of pink and orange.

The Amazing architecture

Beauty is, famously, in the eye of the beholder, but few would deny that these stunning architectural marvels rank among the world's most attractive structures. From opulent palaces and soaring modern skyscrapers to fairy-tale castles, it's no surprise that these spectacular buildings draw thousands of tourists every year.

The Tiger‘s Nest, Bhutan

One of the world’s most precariously placed monasteries, Paro Taktsang (better known as the Tiger’s Nest) perches tentatively on a cliffside in the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. The elegant structure is built around a cave in the cliff face that is said to have been used by Guru Padmasambhava for meditation in the 8th century. Legend has it that he flew to the cave on the back of a female tiger.

The Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Still under construction – it's finally slated for completion in 2026 – Gaudi’s most celebrated work nevertheless draws millions of visitors to experience its grandeur every year. The elaborate building’s most impressive part is its dramatic Nativity facade, which was created under the personal supervision of Gaudi himself and boasts thousands of intricate carvings related to the birth of Christ.

The Coast Survey International Program

Office of Coast Survey products and services have an inherently international dimension. Beginning with an Act signed in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson, Coast Survey became the nation's chartmaker in 1832. More than 200 years later, the U.S. depends upon maritime trade and economic activity associated with the use of coastal waters and resources. This trade supports the 1.3 billion metric tons of cargo valued at $1.8 trillion coming in and out of U.S. ports every year. The Coast Survey International Program and Plan builds upon Coast Survey's core strengths, capacities, and directions as a global leader in hydrography.

The International Engagement

Reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, like this reef in Australia, have greater coral species diversity than their counterparts in the Atlantic/Caribbean. Photo credit: Dave Burdick
Conserving the nation's coral reefs cannot be accomplished by domestic efforts alone. Our coral reefs are ecologically connected to those abroad. Additionally, the most significant threats they face—climate change and ocean acidification—are global in nature.

Effectively conserving coral reefs and the services they provide depends upon sound ecosystem-based management practices and good governance—from local communities to multinational regions. Together with our partners, we work in more than 40 countries and multilateral regions globally, with particular focus in the Coral Triangle, Micronesia, the South Pacific, and the wider Caribbean

The Explore: International Collaboration

International Collaboration
Explore our efforts with partners around the world to protect our natural resources, coastal communities, and economy.

The U.S. Makes a Mockery of Treaties and International Law

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other members of the Biden Cabinet are fond of proclaiming the “rules-based international order” (RBIO) or “rules-based order” every chance they get: in press conferences, on interviews, in articles, at international fora, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails. Along with the terms “human rights” and “democracy,” the RBIO is routinely used to claim a moral high ground against countries that they accuse of not following this RBIO, and wielded as a cudgel to attack, criticize, accuse, and delegitimate countries in their crosshairs as rogue outliers to an international order.