Tuvalu is a Pacific nation of three reef islands and six atolls, sitting about midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its land covers only about 25 square kilometres, and the 2022 census counted 10,643 people. The islands were first settled by Polynesians around three thousand years ago. Britain established a protectorate in 1892, and Tuvalu became independent in 1978. Because the land is so low-lying, rising seas threaten its freshwater and homes. The country relies on fishing licences, aid and remittances from seafarers, and it speaks for small island states in international climate talks.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.