Election experts say it is unlikely the ballots will be able to reach the remote interior of a country where some 60, 000 polling stations are spread out over a territory the size of Western Europe.

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The Department of the Interior is stronger, this country is stronger, our natural resources are in a better place because of his extraordinary service.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Nominates Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior | The White House

He is credited with helping to change the perception of Australia's interior from that of the country's "dead heart" to one of a vital space, imbued with spiritual significance for indigenous peoples.

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At the same time, the interior ministry said that 85 percent of the country's 46 million eligible voters had cast ballots -- a record turnout.

CNN: Iran 101: Understanding the unrest

It has been my honor to host the conference at the Department of the Interior every year and to meet with so many dedicated, visionary leaders who are making a difference in Indian Country.

WHITEHOUSE: Looking back at the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference | The White House

It is a war partly of young against old, partly of countryside against town, the interior of the country resenting its exploitation by people living on the coast.

ECONOMIST: The darkest corner of Africa