More people means more demands—for space, nourishment, security, opportunity. Can the needs of all be met? By Joel L. Swerdlow.

We are constantly on the move, from countryside to city and nation to nation, driven by ambition, political upheaval, and natural disasters. By Michael Parfit. Photographs by Karen Kasmauski.

Birthrates fall and hopes rise as women gain access to education and health care. By Erla Zwingle. Photographs by Karen Kasmauski.

So far, global food production has kept pace with a burgeoning population. Maintaining that balance and finding ways to share Earth’s bounty are critical challenges. By T.R. Reid. Photographs by Robb Kendrick.

Enthralled by “Barking Squirils” and unimagined vistas, these naturalist-explorers emerged from the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase in 1806 with a valuable treasure: a detailed account of the land and creatures of the Rockies and beyond. By Ron Fisher.

Join their historic trek at the Lewis and Clark Online Base Camp.

Orchestrating the fragrances of nature—and their chemical counterparts—master perfumers create a commodity no one needs but almost everyone wants. The multibillion-dollar scent industry is smelling like a rose. By Cathy Newman. Photographs by Robb Kendrick.

Visit our online forum Scents & Sensibility and share your thoughts on the power of fragrance and aromatherapy.

Scientists studying an ice-free enclave known as the Dry Valleys discover microscopic organisms living inside frozen rocks and minuscule worms that survive freeze-dried for decades. By Michael Parfit. Photographs by Maria Stenzel.

In Next Month’s Issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC:

America’s Wilderness; A Comeback for the Cossacks; Daring Maui’s Monster Waves; Red Colobus Monkeys; Shackleton Expedition; Abusir Tomb; Nebraska.