Another idea could involve the main character see something that is very typical of their homeland and then muse over how important it is to the place as a whole. If that was a little hard to understand, take that your story where I live, Ireland. The main character could spy a shamrock near the start of their journey and think: "Shamrocks. What the whole world thinks of when they think of Ireland. I suppose it made a lot of sense. Ireland was just like the plant - a tiny, verdant speck. Of course, it had other features, like the rolling mountains in the north and west, as well as the rolling sandy beaches of the Sunny South East or the bustling cities. But on the whole, it was strong, a tiny shoot in the corner of Europe. No wonder people are so proud of the nation."
That's just an example, but showing the setting as a country or a culture, with national flowers and identity rather than just a setting will make the readers more intrigued to learn more, and willing to put up with longer explanations and descriptions. Putting it all at the beginning would be a bit of a bore, but you might be able to work it in slightly later, as long as the reader has some idea of where the story's set.
(Well, my description wasn't particularly apt, as the country's covered in snow today, but it's just an idea.)