Sochi, a former Soviet resort city of about about 400,000 people, has been turned into the sprawling venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics (a cost of about $50 billion).
The above picture puts the amazing transformation into perspective.
Marina Koren of the National Journal notes that the photo was taken last month by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft.
From National Journal:
In this image, a mix of visible and near-infrared light, vegetation is red, snow white, buildings gray, and the ocean dark blue. The circular area on the shoreline at bottom of the image is the Sochi Olympic Park Coastal Cluster. The cluster houses the Bolshoy Ice Dome, which held the Opening Ceremony and skating competitions. The Games' alpine events take place in the Mountain Cluster, located in a snow-capped valley at the top right of the photo.
Here's a closer look at the terrain:
Here's how the Olympic area came together:
