Gallery: Every World Cup Country, Seen in Beautiful Images From Space

  • Image may contain Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery Aerial View Land Urban and Mountain
    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=43743&src=eoa-iotd">NASA/USGS</a>
    01

    brasila-1000

    Brazil Group A Look closely and you will see the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha near the center of this image taken by NASA's EO-1 satellite in August 2001.
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    Photo: <a href="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2011/02/The_heart-shaped_island_of_Galesnjak">JAXA/ESA</a>
    02

    croatia-The-heart-shaped-island-of-Galesnjak-1100

    Croatia Group A The heart-shaped island of Galešnjak can be seen off the Croatian coast in this image taken by Japan's Earth observation satellite ALOS in March 2010.
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    Photo: <a href="http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS008&roll=E&frame=6826">NASA</a>
    03

    cameroon-ISS008-E-6826-1200

    Cameroon Group A Sun glint brightens Lake Mbakaou in this image taken in December 2003 by an astronaut on the International Space Station.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=48886">NASA</a>
    04

    mexico-colima-ali-2011022-1200px

    Mexico Group A A dust plume from a rockfall on Colima Volcano can be seen in this photo taken by NASA's EO-1 satellite in January 2010
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=5854">NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER Science Team</a>
    05

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    The Netherlands Group B The dikes protecting The Netherland's southern coast can be seen in this photo taken by NASA's Terra satellite in September 2002.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7421">NASA</a>
    06

    spain-ISS014-E-10547-1000

    Spain Group B Barcelona is a sea of red roofs this photo taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station in December 2006.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=76929">NASA</a>
    07

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    Australia Group B This image of salt-encrusted Lake Dundas was taken in November 2011 by NASA's EO-1 satellite.
  • Image may contain Mountain Outdoors Nature Ice Snow Glacier Art Painting Scenery and Landscape
    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=83901&eocn=home&eoci=iotd_title">NASA</a>
    08

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    Chile Group B San Quintín Glacier, shown here in an image taken by the [Destiny module](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/EarthKAM/) on the International Space Station on June 14, is the largest glacier in Chile's Northern Patagonia Icefield.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8412">NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER Science Team</a>
    09

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    Japan Group C Mount Tara looks like an emerald gem in this image taken by NASA's Terra satellite in January 2008.
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    Photo: <a ref="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=42063">NASA</a>
    10

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    Greece Group C The Acropolis sits on a hill near the center of this image of Athens taken by NASA's EO-1 satellite in July 2004.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=81223">NASA/JPL-Caltech UAVSAR</a>
    11

    colombia-galeras-sar-2013072-1200

    Colombia Group C This image of Galeras Volcano was taken with UAVSAR radar, which can penetrate tree cover, on a NASA Gulfstream C-20A aircraft in March 2013.
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    Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/14221654077/in/set-72157645280967653/">NASA</a>
    12

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    Ivory Coast Group C This image of the Ivory Coast was taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station in November 2008.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=4582">Robert Simmon/NASA/Digital Globe</a>
    13

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    Italy Group D This image of Venice was taken by Digital Globe's Ikonos satellite in 2001.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3200">NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER Science Team</a>
    14

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    England Group D The Thames looks like a purple snake in this false-color image of London taken by NASA's Terra satellite in October 2001.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=42425">Robert Simmon/NASA</a>
    15

    costarica-turrialba-ali-2010021-1200

    Costa Rica Group D A plume of volcanic gas can be faintly seen above Turrialba Volcano in this image taken by NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite in January 2010.
  • Image may contain Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery Land Aerial View and Water
    Photo: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montevideo,_Uruguay,_city_and_vicinities,_LandSat-5_satellite_image,_near_natural_colors,_2011-08-21.jpg">USGS/Wikimedia commons</a>
    16

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    Uruguay Group D This image of Montevideo was taken by Landsat 5 in August 2011.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6918">NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER Science Team</a>
    17

    IDL TIFF file

    Ecuador Group E Shrimp farms show up as blue rectangles in this image taken by NASA's Terra satellite in March 2006.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=11598">NASA</a>
    18

    france-AtlanticOcean.TMOA2003163-900

    France Group E A phytoplankton bloom hovers off the coast of France in this image taken by NASA's Terra satellite in June 2003.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=78178">NASA/USGS</a>
    19

    IDL TIFF file

    Honduras Group E Mangroves, wetlands and shrimp farms abound in this image taken by Landsat 5 in January 1999.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7066">NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER Science Team</a>
    20

    switzerland-rhone-ast-2001236-1200

    Switzerland Group E The Rhone Glacier can be seen near the middle of this image taken by NASA's Terra satellite in August 2001.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=50385">NASA</a>
    21

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    Argentina Group F Abandoned channels weave across the Paraná River floodplain in this image taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station in April 2011.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2432">NASA/USGS</a>
    22

    iran-landsat-art-kevir-1200

    Iran Group F This false-color image of the Dasht-e Kevir desert was made using infrared, green, and red wavelengths from Landsat 7 data taken in October 2000.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=38337">Amer Smailbegovic/NASA</a>
    23

    bosnia-tuzla-ast-2003264-1200

    Bosnia and Herzegovina Group F This shot of cola mines in the Tuzla Basin was taken by NASA's Terra satellite in September 2003.
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    Photo: <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Earth_from_Space_The_Niger_delta">ESA</a>
    24

    The-Niger-delta-1200

    Nigeria Group F The Niger delta is shrouded in wispy clouds in this image taken by ESA's Envisat satellite in February 2008.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=1642">NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER Science Team</a>
    25

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    Germany Group G In this shot of an agricultural area taken by the Terra satellite in August 2000, crops appear bright green, forest is dark green, soil is grey.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6470">NASA</a>
    26

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    United States Group G The lowest point in the country is visible near the light blue splotch in this composite, pseudo-natural color image of Death Valley taken by Landsat 7 in June and July 2000.
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    Photo: <a href="http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-32/html/iss032e015055.html">NASA</a>
    27

    portugal-1280px-ISS-32-Nighttime-image-of-Portugal-featuring-Porto-and-Vila-Nova-de-Gaia-1200

    Portugal Group G This nighttime image of Porto (left) and Vila Nova de Gaia (right) on either side of the Douro River was taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station in April 2012.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6076">NASA</a>
    28

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    Ghana Group G The Songor Lagoon, shown here in an image taken in 2000 by a Landsat satellite, is an important stop-over for migratory birds.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=77851">NASA</a>
    29

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    Algeria Group H The 2-mile-wide Qarkziz impact crater, created around 70 million years ago, is in the center of this image taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station in April 2012.
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    Photo: <a href="http://eros.usgs.gov/imagegallery/earth-art#26">USGS</a>
    30

    russia-lena-delta

    Russia Group H The Lena River delta, shown here in an image taken by Landsat 7 in July 2001, is an intricate maze of channels.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Land Landscape Ocean Water Sea Scenery Ice Shoreline Aerial View and Coast
    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6199">NASA/USGS</a>
    31

    belgium-bruge-l7-2001143-1200

    Belgium Group H This image of Bruge was taken by Landsat 7 in May 2001.
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    Photo: <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=39547">NASA</a>
    32

    korea-ISS020-E-09011-1200

    South Korea Group H This image of Phang on South Korea's east coast was taken in July 2009 by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.
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