# List of National Geographic cover stories (1990s)

National Geographic is an American magazine that is noted for its cover stories and accompanying photography. Throughout the 1990s National Geographic's cover stories showcased global historical events such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Cover stories included articles written by notable writers such as Joel Swerdlow, Paul Theroux and Paul F. Salopek. Cover photos were published by notable photographers such as David Doubilet, James Nachtwey and Frans Lanting.
The 1990s saw articles written and photographed at locations around the globe featuring marine life like the February 1994 issue titled "Sea Turtles: In a Race for Survival", written by Anne and Jack Rudloe with a photo on the cover of a Sea turtle, photographed by Bill Curtsinger. Articles featured on the cover of the magazine also included human-interest stories such as "1491: America Before Columbus", photographed by Jack Unruh featuring the Iroquois Native Americans in the October 1991 issue. Many geographical locations were featured including Petra, an archaeological city in Jordan, in the December 1998 article "Petra: Ancient City of Stone", written by Don Belt with photographs by Annie Griffiths.
In the August 1991 issue, Thomas Y. Canby wrote the cover story titled "The Persian Gulf: After the Storm", writing about the Kuwaiti oil fires after the Persian Gulf War. The photo on the cover of the magazine featured a picture of oil fields on fire, photographed by Steve McCurry.

## 1990

1990 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Alaska's Big Spill | January 1990 | Bryan Hodgson | Natalie Fobes | Oil spill covering a guillemot |
| Between Monterey Tides | February 1990 | Rick Gore | David Doubilet | Harbor seal |
| Siberia in from the Cold | March 1990 | Mike Edwards | Steve Raymer | Nenet woman chopping wood |
| A Personal Vision of Vanishing Life | April 1990 | Staff writer | James Balog | Orangutan |
| Growing up in East Harlem | May 1990 | Jere Van Dyk | Joseph Rodriguez | East Harlem resident |
| Austin | June 1990 | Elizabeth A. Moize | Michael O'Brien | Austin teenage prom dates |
| Florida Watershed | July 1990 | Nicole Duplaix | Farrell Grehan | Great egret |
| Yugoslavia: A House Much Divided | August 1990 | Kenneth C. Danforth | Steve McCurry | Albanian family |
| Track of the Manila Galleons | September 1990 | Eugene Lyons | Sisse Brimberg | Chinese girl in a dress |
| Suruga Bay: In the Shadow of Mount Fuji | October 1990 | David Doubilet | David Doubilet | Lionfish |
| The Baltic Nations | November 1990 | Priit Vesilind | Larry C. Price | cleaner on Statue of Stalin |
| Botswana | December 1990 | Frans Lanting | Frans Lanting | Hippopotamus |

## 1991

1991 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Northwest Australia: The Land & the Sea | January 1991 | Harvey Arden | Sam Abell | Australian rancher family |
| Hong Kong: Countdown to 1997 | February 1991 | Ross Terrill | Jodi Cobb | Child in refugee camp |
| Lechuguilla Cave | March 1991 | Tim Cahill | Michael Nichols | Lechuguilla Cave |
| A Season in the Minors | April 1991 | David Lamb | William Albert Allard | El Paso Diablos |
| Elephants: Out of Time, Out of Space | May 1991 | Douglas H. Chadwick | Frans Lanting | Elephant |
| East Europe's Dark Dawn | June 1991 | Jon Thompson | James Nachtwey | Romanian boys |
| The Wyeth Family | July 1991 | Richard Meryman | N. C. Wyeth | Treasure Island cover |
| The Persian Gulf: After the Storm | August 1991 | Thomas Y. Canby | Steve McCurry | Kuwaiti oil fires |
| A Shameful Harvest | September 1991 | Constance J. Poten | José Azel | Red fox pups |
| 1491: America Before Columbus | October 1991 | Not stated | Jack Unruh | Iroquois leader |
| Zaire River | November 1991 | Robert Caputo | Robert Caputo | Young Zaire fisherman |
| Ibn Battuta: Prince of Travelers | December 1991 | Thomas A. Abercrombie | James L. Stanfield | Veiled Islamic woman |

## 1992

1992 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Search for Columbus | January 1992 | Eugene Lyon | Bob Sacha | NiñaPintaSanta María |
| Bittersweet Success: Eastern Wildlife | February 1992 | James Conaway | Raymond Gehman | GeeseWorld Trade Center |
| A Curious Kinship: Apes and Humans | March 1992 | Eugene Linden | Michael Nichols | Frodo (Chimpanzee) |
| Good Luck City: Vancouver | April 1992 | Andrew Ward | Annie Griffiths Belt | Beluga whale in aquarium |
| India's Wildlife Dilemma | May 1992 | Geoffrey C. Ward | Raghu Rai | Tiger |
| Russia's Baikal: The World's Great Lake | June 1992 | Don Belt | Sarah Leen | Russian child sledding on Lake Baikal |
| Mountain Lions | July 1992 | Maurice G. Hornocker | Jim Dutcher | Mountain Lion cub |
| Struggle of the Kurds | August 1992 | Christopher Hitchens | Ed Kashi | Kurd woman |
| Dolphins in Crisis | September 1992 | Kenneth S. Norris | Flip Nicklin | Spotted dolphins |
| Our Disappearing Wetlands | October 1992 | John G. Mitchell | Mark Wilson | American bullfrog |
| The Sense of Sight | November 1992 | Michael E. Long | Joe McNally | Human eye |
| Crucibles of Creation: Volcanoes | December 1992 | Noel Grove | Roger Ressmeyer | Kīlauea volcano |

## 1993

1993 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Dinosaurs | January 1993 | Rick Gore | John Gurche | Saurolophus |
| Newborn Panda in the Wild | February 1993 | Lu Zhi | Lu Zhi | Giant panda cub |
| A Broken Empire | March 1993 | Mike Edwards | Gerd Ludwig | Stalin statue blindfolded |
| Andrew Aftermath | April 1993 | Rick Gore | Joel Sartore | Hurricane Andrew soldier with boy |
| Middle East Water: Critical Resource | May 1993 | Priit J. Vesilind | Ed Kashi | Egyptian woman drinking inNile |
| Hanging in the Balance: Chesapeake Bay | June 1993 | Tom Horton | Robert W. Madden | Chesapeake Bay boy leaping on dock |
| Lightning: Natures High Voltage Spectacle | July 1993 | William R. Newcott | Thomas Ives | Lightning |
| Tragedy Strikes the Horn of Africa | August 1993 | Robert Caputo | Robert Caputo | Somali woman with pale |
| India's Rabari | September 1993 | Robyn Davidson | Dilip Mehta | Indian child with camel |
| Labrador | October 1993 | Robert M. Poole | Richard Olsenius | Canadian boy smiling |
| The Red Sea | November 1993 | David Doubilet | David Doubilet | Emperor angelfish |
| Glass: Capturing the Dance of Light | December 1993 | William S. Ellis | James L. Amos | Glass with gold sparkles |

## 1994

1994 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Macaws | January 1994 | Charles A. Munn | Frans Lanting | Macaw bird eating fruit |
| Sea Turtles: In a Race for Survival | February 1994 | Anne and Jack Rudloe | Bill Curtsinger | Sea turtle swimming |
| Shanghai | March 1994 | William S. Ellis | Stuart Franklin | Shanghai bicyclists |
| The Everglades: Dying for Help | April 1994 | Alan Mairson | Chris Johns | Newborn alligators |
| Turkey | May 1994 | Thomas B. Allen | Reza | Turkish woman dancing |
| Powwow | June 1994 | Michael Parfit | David Alan Harvey | Native American family |
| Recycling | July 1994 | Noel Grove | Jose Azel | Recycling mill with worker |
| Lions of Darkness | August 1994 | Dereck Joubert | Beverly Joubert | Lion with killed Zebra |
| Ireland | September 1994 | Richard Conniff | Sam Abell | Irish children with horse |
| Our National Parks | October 1994 | John G. Mitchell | Kurt E. Smith | Mount Rainier National Park |
| Buffalo: Back Home on the Range | November 1994 | Bryan Hodgson | Sarah Leen | Bisons at Yellowstone |
| Animals at Play | December 1994 | Stuart L. Brown | Mitsuaki Iwagō | Japanese macaque |

## 1995

1995 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Grey Reef Sharks | January 1995 | Bill Curtsinger | Bill Curtsinger | Grey reef shark |
| Maya Masterpiece Revealed at Bonampak | February 1995 | Mary Miller | Doug SternEnrico Feroelli | Maya art |
| Dead or Alive: The Endangered Species Act | March 1995 | Douglas H. Chadwick | Joel Sartore | Red wolf pup in net |
| The New Saigon | April 1995 | Tracy Dahlby | Karen Kasmauski | Vietnamese bride to be |
| The Vimy Flies Again | May 1995 | Peter McMillan | James L. Stanfield | BiplaneTaj Mahal |
| Quiet Miracles of the Brain | June 1995 | Joel Swerdlow | Joe McNally | Human brain |
| Ndoki: Last Place on Earth | July 1995 | Douglas Chadwick | Michael Nichols | African forest elephant |
| Sicily | August 1995 | Jane Vessels | Robert Albert Ward | Sicilian actress |
| Hawaii's Vanishing Species | September 1995 | Elizabeth Royte | Chis Johns | ʻIʻiwi bird |
| Threatened by War | October 1995 | Paul F. Salopek | Michael Nichols | Mountain gorilla |
| Diminishing Returns | November 1995 | Michael Parfit | Robb Kendrick | Skipjack tuna |
| Jane Goodall | December 1995 | Peter Miller | Michael Nichols | Jane GoodallGregoire |

## 1996

1996 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Neandertals | January 1996 | Rick Gore | Kenneth Garrett | Neandertal skull |
| Into the Heart of Glaciers | February 1996 | Not stated | Carsten Peter | Greenland glacier |
| Emperors of the Ice | March 1996 | Glen Oeland | Frans Lanting | Emperor penguins |
| Storming the Tower | April 1996 | Alan Mairson | Bill Hatcher | MountaineerTrango Tower |
| Dinosaur Eggs | May 1996 | Philip J. Currie | Louie Psihoyos | Dinosaur egg |
| Australia's Cape York Peninsula | June 1996 | Cathy Newman | Sam Abell | Aboriginal Australian |
| A Place for Parks in the New South Africa | July 1996 | Douglas H. Chadwick | Chris Johns | Mother Leopard and cub |
| Emerging Mexico | August 1996 | Not stated | Tomasz Tomaszewski | Mexican worshipers |
| Hawk High Over Four Corners | September 1996 | T. H. Watkins | Adriel Heisey | Monument Valley |
| African Gold | October 1996 | Carol Beckwith Angela Fisher | Carol Beckwith | African woman wearing Jewellery |
| The Astronomer's' View of Home: Orbit | November 1996 | Jay Apt | NASA | Space Shuttle DiscoveryEarth |
| Genghis Khan | December 1996 | Mike Edwards | James L. Stanfield | Bronze Plaque of Genghis Khan |

## 1997

1997 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Beneath the Tasman Sea | January 1997 | David Doubilet | David Doubilet | Sawshark |
| Siberian Tigers | February 1997 | Mike Edwards | Mark Moritsch | Siberian tiger |
| Bearded Seals | March 1997 | Kit Kovacs | Flip Nicklin | Bearded seal |
| Hubble's Eye on the Universe | April 1997 | William R. Newcott | Raghvendra Sahai John Trauger | Dying sun |
| India Turning Fifty | May 1997 | Geoffrey C. Ward | Steve McCurry | Indian woman |
| French Polynesia | June 1997 | Peter Benchley | David Doubilet | Tahitian woman |
| Robot Revolution | July 1997 | Curt Suplee | George Steinman | Robot |
| Malaysia's Secret Realm | August 1997 | Mattias Klum | Mattias Klum | Silvered leaf monkey |
| China's Three Gorges | September 1997 | Arthur Zich | Bob Sacha | Chinese boatman |
| Zambezi | October 1997 | Paul Theroux | Chris Johns | Luvale children drumming |
| North Woods Journal | November 1997 | Jim Brandenburg | Jim Brandenburg | Mallard ducks |
| Wild Tigers | December 1997 | Geoffrey C. Ward | Michael Nichols | Tigress and her cub |

## 1998

1998 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Making Sense of the Millennium | January 1998 | Joel Swerdlow | George Steinmetz | Sahara Desert |
| Queen Maud Land | February 1998 | Jon Krakauer | Gordon Wiltsie | Kubus Mountain |
| Planet of the Beatles | March 1998 | Douglas H. Chadwick | Mark W. Moffett | Longhorn beetle |
| The Vanishing Prairie dog | April 1998 | Michael E. Long | Raymound Gehman | Prairie dog |
| Unlocking the Climate Puzzle | May 1998 | Curt Suplee | Joanna B. Pinneo | Tuareg family in the shade |
| Trans-Siberian Railroad | June 1998 | Fen Montaigne | Gerd Ludwig | Russian man |
| Dinosaurs Take Wings | July 1998 | Jennifer Ackerman | O. Louis Mazzatenta | Feathered dinosaur |
| Return to Mars | August 1998 | William R. Newcott | NASA | Sojourner (rover) |
| Valley of the Kings | September 1998 | Kent R. Weeks | Kenneth Garrett | King Tut Alabaster |
| Population | October 1998 | Joel L. Swerdlow | Karen Kasmauski | Bangladesh mother and child |
| Maui's Monster Waves: Jaws | November 1998 | Joel Achenbach | Patrick McFeeley | Laird Hamilton surfing |
| Petra: Ancient City of Stone | December 1998 | Don Belt | Annie Griffiths Belt | Petra |

## 1999

1999 :
| Title | Date | Author | Photographer | Images |
| Coral Eden | January 1999 | David Doubilet | David Doubilet | GobyGiant clam |
| Biodiversity: The Fragile Web | February 1999 | Joel L. Swerdlow | Frans Lanting | Australian Spadefoot frog |
| El Niño/La Niña | March 1999 | Curt Suplee | NASA | Hurricane Linda |
| Return to the Battle of Midway | April 1999 | Thomas B. Allen | David Doubilet | World War II planes |
| Africa's Wild Dogs | May 1999 | Richard Conniff | Chris Johns | African wild dogs |
| Cuba | June 1999 | John J. Putman | Alan Harvey | Cuban boy in car |
| Iran: Testing the Waters of Reform | July 1999 | Fen Montaigne | Alexandra Avakian | Iranian woman |
| Global Culture | August 1999 | Joel L. Swerdlow | Joe McNally | Fashion Model and her mother in India |
| Around at Last | September 1999 | Bertrand Piccard | Breitling SA | Breitling Orbiter 3 |
| Secrets of the Gene | October 1999 | James Shreeve | Karen Kasmauski | Genetically engineered pig |
| Inca Sacrifice | November 1999 | Johan Reinhard | Maria Stenzel | Inca gold figurine |
| Cheetahs | December 1999 | Richard Conniff | Chris Johns | Cheetah and her cub |