Indiana Capitol

STATES

QUIZ: Guess the Capitol

Jim Morin: GOP and Greece

Political Humor

Morin's Animated World

Alexis Bledel

NEXT AMERICA

QUIZ: Ethnicity of Celebs

mary richardson kennedy

PICTURES

Notable Deaths

PHOTOS

PICTURES: Where in the World Is Michelle Obama? The First Lady's Trips Abroad

CHARLES DHARAPAK/AFP/Getty Images

First Lady Michelle Obama holds a bouquet of flowers as daughters Malia and Sasha are draped in blankets given to them upon landing in Pretoria on June 28 en route to Johannesburg, South Africa, as they begin their weeklong trip to Africa.

The First Lady's Haiti Trip

By Theresa Poulson

Updated: June 24, 2011 | 12:34 p.m.
June 16, 2011 | 7:53 p.m.

Michelle Obama is on an official trip to Africa this week, visiting South Africa and Botswana in an effort to encourage youth leadership, education, and health and wellness -- particularly among girls and young women.

The first lady has made official visits to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, India, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, where she's made headlines for her colorful fashion choices and, on occasion, for busting a move. In addition to the official travel, she has also garnered (positive and negative) media attention for a couple of unofficial jaunts.

We'll follow her travels this week, and click through to see images and learn more about the first lady's trips abroad.

Michelle Obama Official Trips Abroad

<p>First lady Michelle Obama and her family are welcomed by traditional dancers in Gaborone, Botswana, on Friday.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama does push-ups with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, center, as they participated in activities aimed at raising awareness for HIV prevention at Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday. Also on Thursday, in an <a href="http://nationaljournal.com/abc-news-michelle-obama-wants-four-more-years-20110623">interview with ABC News</a>, the first lady said she wants four more years in the White House.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama answers students' questions at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama stands with Karen Dudley, right, at her restaurant, The Kitchen, as she makes an unscheduled stop for lunch in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama listens to Ahmed Kathrada, left, former political prisoner on Robben Island and anti-apartheid figure, as she visits the District Six museum in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday. Founded in 1867 as a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, and immigrants, the apartheid government in 1965 declared it "white" and forcibly removed 60,000 residents and bulldozed their homes. Also pictured, from third left: her mother, Marian Robinson; daughters Sasha and Malia; niece Leslie Robinson; and nephew Avery Robinson.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama gardens as she participates in a community service project at Vhuthilo Community Center in Soweto township, Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 22.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama lays a wreath at the Hector Pieterson Memorial, with Pieterson's sister, in South Africa on June 22. Pieterson was one the first students to be killed in the 1976 student uprising in Soweto. He has since become a symbol of youth resistance to apartheid.</p> - AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

<p>First lady Michelle Obama speaks to the Young African Women Leaders Forum at Regina Mundi Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 22.<p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama meets with children during a visit to the Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia visit the Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday.</p> - AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool

<p>First Lady Michelle Obama, accompanied by her daughters Malia and Sasha, met former South African President Nelson Mandela at this home in Houghton, South Africa, on Tuesday. The first lady was viewing some of Mandela's personal papers at his foundation when, according to White House officials, he sent word that he wanted to meet them.</p> - AP Photo/ Debbie Yazbek, Nelson Mandela Foundation

<p>First lady Michelle Obama holds a bouquet of flowers as daughters Malia and Sasha are draped in blankets given to them upon landing in Pretoria on June 21, 2011. They were en route to Johannesburg, South Africa, at the outset of a weeklong trip to Africa.</p> - CHARLES DHARAPAK/AFP/Getty Images

<p>Michelle Obama poses with students and dignitaries after delivering a speech at the University of Oxford in England on May 25, 2011. She joined female students from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in North London during the two-day state visit at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.</p> - Oli Scarff/Getty Images

<p>President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, before a dinner at the Winfield House in London on May 25, 2011.</p> - JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

<p>Michelle Obama raises her glass during a toast by President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador at an official dinner at the National Palace in San Salvador on March 22, 2011.</p> - SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

<p>Michelle Obama, clad in a periwinkle dress, and daughter Sasha leave Air Force One as they arrive in Santiago, Chile, on March 21, 2011.</p> - JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

<p>President Obama and and the first lady watch a Brazilian cultural performance while visiting Ciudad de Dues Favela in Rio de Janiero on March 20, 2011.</p> - JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

<p>The first family visits Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janiero on March 20, 2011.</p> - JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

<p>Michelle Obama was a hit in India after winning hearts with a Bollywood boogie (left) and displaying a common touch that critics say her husband sometimes lacks. She and the president toured Mumbai and New Delhi in November 2010.</p> - STF/AFP/Getty Images

<p>The first lady is shown leaving the beach club Villa Padierna in Estepona on August 6, 2010 during her vacation in southern Spain with her daughter Sasha and friends. She was criticized for the lavish trip, <a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-08-04/news/27071686_1_michelle-obama-water-dog-material-girl">labeled</a> the modern-day Marie Antoinette.</p>
<p> </p> - Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images

<p>Michelle Obama and Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala talk during their visit to the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City on April 14, 2010. The trip to Mexico was her first solo travel after her husband became president.</p> - LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images

<p>Port-au-Prince school children welcome Michelle Obama during her surprise visit to Haiti on April 13, 2010. The first lady stopped in Haiti on her way to Mexico.</p> - THONY BELIZAIRE/AFP/Getty Images

Michelle Obama Official Trips Abroad

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal’s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

Indiana Capitol

STATES

QUIZ: Guess the Capitol

Jim Morin: GOP and Greece

Political Humor

Morin's Animated World

Alexis Bledel

NEXT AMERICA

QUIZ: Ethnicity of Celebs

mary richardson kennedy

PICTURES

Notable Deaths

Leave a Comment

The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.

Comments powered by Disqus

Columns

Ronald Brownstein: Political Connections

Obama’s Checklist

5:00 p.m.

Wedge issues might not be enough to save the president in 2012. He also needs to articulate a second-term agenda.

Charlie Cook: Charlie Cook's The Cook Report

Flip a Coin

5:00 p.m.

All signs point to a presidential race that will be very tight. Neither candidate seems capable of pulling away.

Reid Wilson: On the Trail

Buy Early and Often

May 23, 2012

With so many candidates, super PACs, and party committees chasing limited TV ad time, the rules of the road have changed. An insider’s guide.

More Columns »

Expert Opinions

Transportation Experts

Not Waiting for the Feds

12:16 p.m.

Latest Response by Ken Orski: The Days of Multi-Year Bills May be Over

Energy Experts

Powering Our Military: What's the Role of Clean Energy?

11:16 a.m.

Latest Response by Tim Greeff: Advanced Energy Powers Stronger Military

Energy Experts

Powering Our Military: What's the Role of Clean Energy?

10:47 a.m.

Latest Response by Margo Thorning: Smart Energy Keeps Military Strong

More Expert Opinions »