the.com/passport
a tiny booklet that decides whether borders are doors or walls.
means An official government document that proves your identity and nationality, allowing you to travel between countries.
from From the French passeport, literally 'pass through a port' — passer ('to pass') plus port ('a port' or 'gate'). The popular image is of ships and harbors, but in earlier usage 'port' often meant a town gate or fortified passage as much as a seaport: the document was your permission to pass through. It sailed into English in the 1400s–1500s and never left.
- Power ranking
- Some passports open 190+ countries, others barely 30
- Original meaning
- Named for passing through a city's port gates
- Royal exemption
- The UK monarch travels without one
- Color rules
- Only four cover colors exist worldwide
- First photos
- Pictures weren't required until World War I
united states passport — issued by the u.s. department of state, over 18 million passports issued annually
british passport — hm passport office issues blue passports, over 3 million per year in the uk
schengen passport — allows visa-free travel across 27 european countries, used by 450+ million citizens