<p>The King David Kalakaua Building in Honolulu, Hawaii is a government building formerly known as the USA Post Office, Customhouse, and Courthouse. It was the official seat of administration in the Territory of Hawaii and state of Hawaii for the United States federal government.</p><br>
<h2>Federal building</h2><br>
<p>The building was designed in 1918 and built from 1921 to 1922 in Mission/Spanish Revival architecture. An addition was added in 1929, and opened in 1931.</p><br>
<p>Among other functions, it held courtrooms and offices for the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.</p><br>
<p>It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on January 27, 1975, under the former name as site 75000620. In 1978 it was also included as a contributing property in the NRHP listing of the Hawaii Capital Historic District.</p><br>
<h2>State building</h2><br>
<p>In December 2003, the federal government sold most of the building to the state of Hawaii for US$32.5 million, upon which the building was renamed in honor of King David Kalākaua &mdash; last king of the Hawaiian monarchy. All federal agencies and departments moved their offices years earlier to the Prince Kuhio Federal Building near Honolulu Harbor, except for a small section that retains a post office.</p><br>
<p>The building holds offices of the Hawaii state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. It is located at 335 Merchant Street.</p><br>
<p>Passamaquoddy Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine. The southernmost point is formed by West Quoddy Head on the U.S. mainland in Lubec, Maine; and runs northeasterly through Campobello Island, New Brunswick, engulfing Deer Island, New Brunswick, to the New Brunswick mainland head at L&#39;Etete, New Brunswick in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.</p><br>
<h2>Overview</h2><br>
<p>The exact demarcation of the border in Passamaquoddy Bay was a long-standing issue between the United States and Britain/Canada. Already the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812, included a provision for the appointment of "commissioners to divide the islands of Passamaquoddy Bay between the United States and Great Britain" (see John Holmes). Nevertheless, confusions and ambiguities on this issue persisted.</p><br>
<p>The southern boundaries of the bay are sometimes confused, since Deer Island sections off the large open waters of the bay; however, the terminology of the Passamaquoddy Bay Treaty of 1910 specifies that Passamaquoddy Bay runs south of Treat Island (one of the islands that now comprise the city of Eastport, Maine), between Campobello Island and Lubec, Maine...</p><br>
<p>"Now, therefore, upon the evidence and arguments so presented, and after taking into consideration all actions, of the respective Governments and of their representatives authorized in that behalf and of the local governments on either side of the line, whether prior or subsequent to such treaties and award, tending to aid in the interpretation thereof, the High Contracting Parties hereby agree that the location of the international boundary line between the United States and the Dominion of Canada from a point in Passamaquoddy Bay accurately defined in the Treaty between Great Britain and the United States of April 11, 1908, as, lying between Treat Island and Friar Head, and extending thence through Passamaquoddy Bay and to, the middle of Grand Manan Channel, shall run in a series of seven connected straight lines for the distances and in the directions as follows...."</p><br>
<p>The largest community on Passamaquoddy Bay proper is St. Andrews, New Brunswick, although the twin communities of Calais-St. Stephen are sometimes included, despite being located on the St. Croix River. The city of Eastport, Maine lies between Passamaquoddy Bay and Cobscook Bay, to the city&#39;s west. The narrow passage between Maine and Deer Island is known as Western Passage. The passage between Eastport, Maine, and Friar Bay, Campobello Island, is known as Friar Roads.</p><br>
<p>The three entrances into Passamaquoddy Bay from the Bay of Fundy are Letete Passage northeast of Deer Island, Head Harbour Passage to the southeast of Deer Island and northwest of Campobello Island, and Quoddy Narrows, between southern Lubec, Maine, and southern Campobello Island. Running north from West Quoddy Head in Lubec, the passages known as Quoddy Narrows, Lubec Channel, Lubec Narrows, Friar Roads, and Western Passage also host the International Boundary between Canada and the United States.</p><br>
<p>The Head Harbour Passage is the deepwater entry to the Bay. The USA and Canadian governments agree that the passage is Canadian. The USA government believes that it is a territorial sea in which international law gives commercial vessels a right of passage. The Canadian government believes that it can regulate passage, and is considering doing so to prevent the use by supertankers carrying cargo to liquified natural gas plants proposed for the American coast of the bay.</p><br>
<h2>Smuggling</h2><br>
<p>After the American Revolution, Passamaquoddy Bay was the scene of a thriving smuggling trade. Smuggling peaked in 1808 during Jefferson&#39;s Embargo, when smugglers illegally moved tens of thousands of barrels of American flour from American territory into New Brunswick. During the War of 1812, a thriving illicit trade in British manufactured goods existed. After the War of 1812, the primary smuggled good was gypsum from Nova Scotia, which was usually deposited directly into American vessels on or near the border. Smuggling was winked at by both officials and locals in the region, who discouraged outside intervention by British or American authorities who wanted to stop or control it.</p><br>
<p>Ross Lake is a large reservoir in the North Cascade mountains of northern Washington state, United States, and southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The lake runs approximately north-south, is 23 miles  long, up to 1.5 miles  wide, and the full reservoir elevation is 1,604 feet above sea level .</p><br>
<p>The USA portion of Ross Lake is in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. North Cascades National Park is adjacent to the west and south, while the Pasayten Wilderness is east of the lake. In British Columbia the lake is a part of Skagit Valley Provincial Park, and Manning Provincial Park is nearby to the east.</p><br>
<h2>Hydrology</h2><br>
<p>Ross Lake is formed by the impoundment of the Skagit River by Ross Dam, which is operated by Seattle City Light for hydroelectric power generation serving Seattle, Washington, and surrounding areas. After leaving Ross Lake, the Skagit River flows through two more reservoirs before running to Puget Sound.</p><br>
<p>High peaks surround Ross Lake in all directions, and include Hozomeen Mountain, Ruby Mountain, Desolation Peak, and Jack Mountain, the summit of which is over 7,000 feet above the elevation of the lake. Rivers and creeks flowing into Ross Lake include the upper Skagit River, Hozomeen Creek, Silver Creek, Little Beaver Creek, Arctic Creek, Lightning Creek, Devils Creek, Big Beaver Creek, and Ruby Creek. Most of these creeks originate from glaciers and snowfields high in the North Cascades.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Ross Dam, originally called Ruby Dam, was built in three stages between 1937 and 1949, and currently stands 540 feet (160 m) tall. A fourth stage of construction was planned for the dam; however, in 1984 Seattle City Light made an electricity-purchasing agreement with British Columbia which delayed any further expansion of the Ross Lake Dam for 80 years. The lake and dam are named after James D. Ross, the superintendent of the Seattle City Light’s Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, which built the dam.</p><br>
<h2>Recreation</h2><br>
<p>Ross Lake is a major recreation destination within the North Cascades, attracting visitors with a multitude of fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking opportunities. The trout fishing, in particular, is well-renowned. Ross Lake is not home to anadromous fish such as salmon or steelhead trout as natural barriers in the river prevented these fish from traveling upstream on the Skagit River any further than a few miles past the Gorge Powerhouse.</p><br>
<p>Camping is allowed at a number of boat-in and hike-in campsites around the lake. Backcountry camping permits (free, first-come, first-served) are required, and may be obtained from the National Park Service in Marblemount.</p><br>
<p>The lake is also home to a floating resort called the Ross Lake Resort. Made up of several dozen cabins and bunkhouses, it is situated approximately a quarter mile from the dam and rests entirely on log booms. During the winter, when lake levels shrink, the resort detaches from its shore moorings and relocates to the center of the lake. This is due to lower water levels caused by annual drawdowns of the lake for flood control of the Skagit River.</p><br>
<p>A road from the Canadian side of the lake ends just inside the US. Travelers do not have to report to an official Port of Entry (as required at the nearby Pacific Coast Trail crossing), as they must reenter Canada to leave.</p><br>
<p>Cres  is an Adriatic island in Croatia. It is one of the northern islands in the Kvarner Gulf and can be reached via ferry from Rijeka, the island Krk or from the Istrian peninsula .</p><br>
<p>With an area of 405.78 km,</p><br>
<p>Cres is the same size as the neighbouring island of Krk, although Krk has for many years been thought the largest of the islands. Cres has a population of 3,079 (2011).</p><br>
<p>Cres and the neighbouring island of Lošinj once used to be one island, but were divided by a channel and connected with a bridge at the town of Osor. Cres&#39;s only fresh water source is the Lake Vrana.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Cres has been inhabited since the Paleolithic time period. Its name predates classical antiquity and is derived from Proto-Indo-European *(s)quer- ("cliff"). Although this is one view, another more historically correct is from classical antiquity, when the town was founded and inhabited by ancient Greeks, and called it Chersos (Χέρσος); "chersos" in Greek means "baren land", "uncultivated land" and "dry heaths". Later, "Chersos" was resounded to "Cresta", from which eventually the modern name "Cres" is derived.</p><br>
<p>Cres was later ruled by the Greeks and, since the 1st century B.C., the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire the island was taken over and became a part of the Byzantine Empire, and remained this way for centuries. In the 7th century the Croats invaded Cres and the islands around it. They returned to the islands in the early 9th century (believed to be somewhere around 812).</p><br>
<p>Then, around 866 the inhabitants saw the first conflicts with the Republic of Venice. The Venetians eventually took control of Cres and the neighboring islands in the 10th and 11th centuries.</p><br>
<p>However, the Croats regained the islands and the islands went through a change of rulers for centuries, being ruled by Croats, Hungarians, and for 400 years the Venetians took control of the islands. After Napoleon&#39;s victory over the Venetians, the island went under Austrian rule. After the defeat of Austria by Napoleon in 1809 the islands became part of the French Empire.</p><br>
<p>After the fall of Napoleon, Austria once again took control of the island for 100 years. During this time the economy developed with olive trees, sage, and other plants becoming key to the success of the island. At the end of World War I, with the Treaty of Rapallo signed in 1920, the island was once again handed over to Italy. This lasted until 1947 when the Islands, along with Istrian Peninsula, were assigned to Yugoslavia.</p><br>
<p>The island has gone through an agricultural downturn as many residents left the island in search of a better life on the mainland and abroad. This has resulted in many former agricultural areas becoming overgrown with local vegetation. Recently people, primarily retirees, have been returning to live on the island. Tourism has become an increasingly important industry and the population experiences significant seasonal variation.</p><br>
<h2>Towns of Cres</h2><br>
<p>The island has several villages, all of them connected by a road that runs down the middle of the island. On one side is the ferry from the mainland (to the city of Pula); on the other is the bridge to Lošinj (Lussino), which was once connected by land but is now separated by a waterway. Approaching the island from Pula, you will first come to Porozina.</p><br>
<p>A list of the villages with descriptions is below:</p><br>
<p>Porozina - A small village comprising the ferry terminal and a few shops.</p><br>
<p>Beli - This small village, at the end of a long and very narrow road, is home to a famed bird species, the endangered Griffon vulture.</p><br>
<p>Cres</p><br>
<p>Orlec - Another small village at the end of a narrow road, also home to the endangered vulture.</p><br>
<p>Valun - Visible on the way to Lubenice (see below), this village does not permit cars. A fee is charged for parking.</p><br>
<p>Lubenice - An ancient mountain village with a great view of the sea and neighboring islands. A restaurant and bar operate during the warmer months. Weekly musical concerts take place during the peak tourist season.</p><br>
<p>Belej</p><br>
<p>Stivan - On a side street this small hamlet of 16 people features a very private beach, old houses and a church, and is on the way to other villages.</p><br>
<p>Merag -with ferry connections.</p><br>
<p>Miholašćica (it.: San Michele, St. Michael)- A small village with a church which shares the same name as the community. Tourism has grown here since the arrival of the Zaglav community nearby.</p><br>
<p>Martinšćica (it.: San Martino in Valle, St. Martin in the Valley) - The home of a large vacation complex, Slatina, along with beaches and cafes.</p><br>
<p>Osor (it.: Ossero)- A town on the "border" between two islands. Founded by the Romans who also dug the channel thus dividing what was then known as the Osor island into Cres and Lošinj. Then a major port and commercial centre started to fade with coming of larger ships that could not pass the narrow channel or dock in the shallow port.</p><br>
<p>Pernat - The westernmost village on Cape Pernat. A quaint and rustic village forming a gateway to numerous walking trails and secluded beaches.</p><br>
<p>Podol - Between Lubenice and Valun. A tiny hamlet that resembles a large farmhouse. Its key feature is the mulberry tree located in the middle of the road.</p><br>
<p>Punta Kriza (it.: Punta Croce) - The southernmost part of Cres. FKK resort is here.</p><br>
<p>Vidovici - A short distance uphill from Martinšćica. A village with an extraordinary view of the Istrian Peninsula and numerous islands including Zeča, Lošinj and Unije forming part of the archipelago. A restaurant operates in the evenings during the warmer months.</p><br>
<h2>Lake Vrana</h2><br>
<p>Cres has its own fresh water lake, which is very highly guarded and illegal to swim or fish in. It supplies water to neighboring Lošinj (it. Lussino) as well. It is one of the deepest fresh water lakes in Eastern Europe, going down 76 meters at its deepest point (&gt;50 m below sea-level).</p><br>
<h2>Flora and fauna</h2><br>
<p>Cres is home to many different types of nonvenomous snakes, including Elaphe quatuorlineata, Zamenis longissimus, Zamenis situla, and Natrix tessellata, a snake rare or absent on other Adriatic islands. The island has a relatively large breeding population of the endangered Eurasian griffon vulture, which can often be seen soaring over the island.</p><br>
<p>The Wicomico River is a 24.4 mi tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore of Maryland. It drains an area of low marshlands and farming country in the middle Delmarva Peninsula. The name "Wicomico" derives from the words wicko mekee, meaning "a place where houses are built," apparently referring to an Indian town on the banks. The river is one of two in Maryland with this same name, along with the Wicomico River  in south central Maryland.</p><br>
<p>It rises in northern Wicomico County, close to the Delaware state line, and flows generally southwest, through Salisbury, its head of navigation is Monie Bay on the eastern edge of the Chesapeake Bay between Mt. Vernon and Waterview approximately 15 mi southwest of Salisbury. The lower 20 mi of the river form a tidal estuary.</p><br>
<p>The gentle free-flowing river is a popular destination for recreational canoeing and kayaking, as well as recreational fishing and crabbing. The river has also become a hotspot for water sports such as wakeboarding and water skiing due to its consistently smooth surface. Barge traffic on the river has made Salisbury the primary shipping points for goods on the Delmarva Peninsula over the last several centuries. Two automobile cable ferries cross the river at Whitehaven and Upper Ferry.</p><br>
<p>A civic group, the Wicomico Creekwatchers, have been testing water quality at different points along the river since 2002. This all volunteer organization releases their water quality report for the previous year each spring - all reports are available at their website.</p><br>
<p>In 2014, a group of students at Salisbury University created the "Wicomico River Stewardship Initiative," an attempt to increase regional awareness of, and appreciation for, the river. They run a comprehensive website dispensing information about the river.</p><br>
<h2>Tributaries</h2><br>
<p>There are various tributaries and ponds which contribute to the Wicomico River.</p><br>
<p>Beaverdam Creek</p><br>
<p>Colbourne Mill Pond</p><br>
<p>Johnson Pond</p><br>
<p>Parker Pond</p><br>
<p>Rockawalkin Creek</p><br>
<p>Schumaker Pond</p><br>
<p>Shiles Creek</p><br>
<p>Tony Tank Pond</p><br>
<p>Wicomico Creek</p><br>
<p>The Rotten Calder is a river to the east of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and along with the Rotten Burn it forms the southern and western boundaries of Blantyre.</p><br>
<p>It begins as the Calder Water at its source at Ardochrig, and is joined by the Cleughearn, Lea and Drumloch Burns around Langlands Moss which drain from the Eldrig Hills. This river has also been titled the &#39;West&#39; or &#39;South Calder Water&#39;, although the latter title is shared by another river in Motherwell. Upon being joined by the Rotten Burn to the south-east of East Kilbride, the river becomes the Rotten Calder Water. &#39;Water&#39; is a term used in Scotland to denote a small river.</p><br>
<p>The Rotten Calder runs through a romantic scenic gorge titled Calderglen, where it flows through East Kilbride Parish. This area of the gorge is under the jurisdiction of Calderglen Country Park, run by South Lanarkshire Council. Over 160 nature trails border the river on both banks, in addition to the forest which occupies the slopes, and ferns, mosses and liverworts on the rocky precipices. Otter, roe deer and European green woodpecker can be seen in the southern reaches of the park. Buzzards can be seen hunting over open areas by the river and the grey heron, grey wagtail and dipper are common sights too. The river flows by the site of the former Calderwood Castle (demolished 1947-1951).</p><br>
<p>The gorge of the Rotten Calder Water was celebrated in books and poems for its romantic grandeur and lush ivy-tied crags. Many traces of 18th- and 19th-century landscape additions can be traced in the park, as well as old mines, quarries, and religious sites. After passing under the General&#39;s Bridge at Stoneymeadow, the Water flows by Crossbasket Castle (House) in an easterly direction, and on through the former estates of Greenhall and Milheugh where the valley is seen to give way to wide flood plains.</p><br>
<p>After Milheugh the river again regains its steep gorge and flows through scenery before flowing into the River Clyde near Bothwell Castle. There are many waterfalls on the river, these are Millwell Linn, Flatt Linn (Crutherland Linn), Torrance Linn (Fairy Linn or Walk Fort Linn), Black Linn, Trough Linn, Calderwood Linn (Castle Falls), Crossbasket Linn, Horseshoe Falls, Old Horseshoe Linn, Small Falls, and Milheugh Falls.</p><br>
<p>East Kilbride Angling Club have the fishing rights and stock the river with brown trout each year. Permits are available from Lightbody Quality Butchers of Murray Square, East Kilbride.</p><br>
<p>The river flows via the north side of Blantyre and forms the eastern boundary of the Newton district of Cambuslang before joining the River Clyde opposite Daldowie.</p><br>
<p>The valley of the Rotten Calder includes hermitages, islets, caves, crannies, ancient markings, fountains, fairy wells, countless waterfalls, over 200 nature trails, summerhouses, ruined castles, steep cliffs, etc. and is amongst some of the most romantic, rugged and beautiful scenery in Scotland.</p><br>
<p>Kykuit, known also as the John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room National Trust for Historic Preservation house in Pocantico Hills, in Westchester County, New York, built by order of oil tycoon, capitalist and Rockefeller family patriarch John D. Rockefeller. Conceived largely by his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and enriched by the art collection of the third-generation scion, Governor of New York, and Vice President of the United States, Nelson Rockefeller, it has been home to four generations of the family.</p><br>
<p>Kykuit, derived from the Dutch word Kijkuit meaning "lookout", is situated on the highest point in the Town of Mount Pleasant hamlet of Pocantico Hills, overlooking the Hudson River at Tappan Zee. Located near Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, it has a view of the New York City skyline 25 miles to the south.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Kykuit was designed originally as a steep-roofed three-story stone mansion by the architects Chester Holmes Aldrich and William Adams Delano. Aldrich was a distant relative of the younger Rockefeller&#39;s wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, who was involved as artistic consultant and in the interior design of the mansion. The elder Rockefeller had purchased land in the area as early as 1893 after his brother William had built a 204-room mansion, Rockwood Hall, in the area.</p><br>
<p>The initial eclectic structure took six years to complete. Before being occupied it was substantially rebuilt in its present four-story Classical Revival Georgian form. Completed in 1913, it has two basement levels filled with interconnecting passageways and service tunnels. The home&#39;s interiors were designed by Ogden Codman, Jr., and feature collections of Chinese and European ceramics, fine furnishings and 20th-century art.</p><br>
<p>It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. In 1979, its occupant, Nelson Rockefeller, bequeathed upon his death his one-third interest in the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As a result, Kykuit is now open to the public for tours conducted by Historic Hudson Valley.</p><br>
<p>The imposing structure, of local stone topped with the Rockefeller emblem, is located centrally in a 250 acre inner compound (referred to as "the Park") within the larger Rockefeller family estate. This gated compound is guarded at all times. Save family residences, the rest of the estate (known as the open space) is open to the public for recreational purposes, as it always has been.</p><br>
<h2>Gardens</h2><br>
<p>Initially, landscaping of the grounds was given to the company of Frederick Law Olmsted, who had designed Manhattans Central Park. Rockefeller Senior was unhappy with this work however and assumed control of the design himself, transplanting whole mature trees, designing lookouts and the several scenic winding roads. In 1906, the further design of Kykuits grounds was undertaken by the architect William Welles Bosworth, who designed the surrounding terraces and gardens with fountains, pavilions and classical sculpture. These gardens in the Beaux-Arts style are considered Bosworth&#39;s best work in the United States, looking out over very fine views of the Hudson River. His original gardens still exist, with plantings carefully replaced over time, although his entrance forecourt was extended in 1913. The terraced gardens include a Morning Garden, Grand Staircase, Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, Japanese-style brook, Japanese Tea-house, large Oceanus fountain, Temple of Aphrodite, loggia, and semicircular rose garden.</p><br>
<p>Nelson transformed previously empty basement passages beneath the mansion that lead to a grotto into a major private art gallery containing paintings by Picasso, Chagall and Warhol, the latter two having visited the estate. Between 1935 and the late 1970s more than 120 works of abstract, avant garde and modern sculpture were added to the gardens grounds from Nelsons collection, including works by Picasso (Bathers), Constantin Brâncuși, Karel Appel (Mouse on Table), Jean Arp, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Georg Kolbe (Ruf der Erde), Gaston Lachaise, Aristide Maillol, Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, Isamu Noguchi (Black Sun&#39;), and David Smith.</p><br>
<p>Kykuit was renovated and modernized in 1995 by New Haven architect Herbert S. Newman and Partners. Included were major infrastructure changes enabling the estate to accommodate group tours of the first floor and art gallery, as were as a reconfiguration of third and fourth floor staff quarters into guest suites.</p><br>
<h2>Public tours</h2><br>
<p>The inner park area was opened to restricted conducted tours of the mansion and immediate surrounds in 1994, but remains occupied and controlled by the family by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which leased the area from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1991 and serves as steward of what is referred to as "the historic area".</p><br>
<p>Public tours are conducted by Historic Hudson Valley, an organization established in 1951 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. “to celebrate the region’s history, architecture, landscape, and material culture, advancing its importance and thereby assuring its preservation." Shuttle vans run from a visitor center located at the Philipsburg Manor House on Route 9 in Sleepy Hollow, New York.</p><br>
<h2>Pocantico, the family estate</h2><br>
<p>The vast estate, known as Pocantico or Pocantico Hills, occupies an area of 1,380 hectare. During much of the 20th century, the 1,420 hectare estate featured a resident workforce of security guards, gardeners, and laborers, and had its own farming, cattle, and food supplies. It has a nine-hole, reversible golf course, and at one time had 75 houses and 70 private roads, most designed by John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and his son. A longstanding witticism about the estate quips: "It&#39;s what God would have built, if only He had the money".</p><br>
<p>In 1901, John D. Rockefeller, Sr. hired golf course architect Willie Dunn, the designer of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, to build a golf course on the grounds.</p><br>
<p>In late 1946, two of Junior&#39;s sons, John D. Rockefeller III and Laurance Rockefeller, each offered their respective residences, Rockwood Hall and Fieldwood Farm, as headquarters for the then newly formed United Nations. Family patriarch Junior vetoed the proposals as the sites were too isolated from Manhattan. He tasked second son, Nelson, to buy a 6.9 hectare site along the East River, subsequently donated for the construction of the UN Headquarters.</p><br>
<p>Among guests hosted by Nelson and his brother David have been Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and their wives. Other notable visitors have included UN President Kofi Annan, President of the Republic of South Africa Nelson Mandela, Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, King Hussein of Jordan, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and Lord Mountbatten of Burma of the United Kingdom.</p><br>
<p>Presently, 10 or so Rockefeller families live within the estate, in the central compound and beyond. Much land has been donated over the decades to New York State, including the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, and is open to the public for horseback riding, biking, and jogging. Bill Clinton, who lives just north of the estate, in Chappaqua, has taken regular runs in the State Park.</p><br>
<h3>Residences</h3><br>
<p>Within the park:</p><br>
<p>"Hawes House", home of Nelson Rockefeller</p><br>
<p>"Kent House", home of Laurance Rockefeller</p><br>
<p>Outside the park:</p><br>
<p>"Abeyton Lodge", home of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., demolished when he occupied Kykuit after his father&#39;s death.</p><br>
<p>"Fieldwood Farm", home of John D. Rockefeller III.</p><br>
<p>"Hillcrest", a Rockefeller University property, formerly the mansion built for Martha Baird Rockefeller, second wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and current location of the 3-story underground bunker housing the Rockefeller Archive Center</p><br>
<p>"Hudson Pines", home of the late patriarch, David Rockefeller, just north of the Park (177 acre), originally built for and occupied by his only sister, Abby</p><br>
<p>"Hunting Lodge", second home of Nelson</p><br>
<p>"Rockwood Hall", home of Laurance Rockefeller, originally the 1,000 acre property of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.&#39;s, brother William Rockefeller. It was sold to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in 1937, who had the mansion and its outbuildings razed. Later he deeded the property to Laurance who, in 1970, sold 80 acre to IBM for its Americas/Far East headquarters; this is now owned and occupied by New York Life Insurance. Subsequently, Laurance leased the rest of the property to the State of New York as a public park for one dollar a year, underwriting the maintenance costs. He donated this property outright to New York State in 1999, as part of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve.</p><br>
<h3>Notable outbuildings</h3><br>
<p>The Pocantico Conference Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), in the Park, where there are regular conferences.</p><br>
<p>The "Playhouse", the family seat. In the park, this is the location, since 1994, of the regular semi-annual family meetings, in June and December.</p><br>
<p>The Orangerie, housing citrus plants, this is modeled after the original at the Palace of Versailles</p><br>
<p>Breuer Guest House, a modern house that was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, then disassembled, shipped to, and reassembled at the estate.</p><br>
<p>Underground Bomb Shelter, the location of cabinet papers and private telephone transcripts delivered to the estate during 1973 - and kept there for an unknown period of time - by the then Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.</p><br>
<p>The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, outside the park, this was opened by David Rockefeller and Peggy Dulany during 2004 and was established in memory of Rockefeller&#39;s wife, Peggy. It is a not-for-profit agricultural and educational facility on 32 hectare of farmland, in the middle of the 445 hectare family-donated Rockefeller State Park Preserve, allied to the family-funded Pocantico Central School. It sells organic local produce, meat and eggs to the nearby public for-profit restaurant, Blue Hill, as well as to local businesses in the Pocantico Hills area.</p><br>
<p>The Rockefeller Archive Center, a voluminous three-story underground bunker built below the foundations of the Hillcrest mansion of Martha Baird Rockefeller, situated just outside the Park area. This is an impressively equipped repository of 150-plus years of Rockefeller papers, memorabilia and other outside organizations&#39; collections. It is staffed by ten full-time archivists who patrol forty-foot-long shelves on rails, and it contains, for researchers, the publicly restricted and expurgated family history.</p><br>
<p>Additionally, family members have had a profound effect on the hamlet of Pocantico Hills, which is situated in the open space of the estate completely surrounded by family-owned land. The Union Church of Pocantico Hills, now owned by Historic Hudson Valley, was built by the Rockefeller family, which commissioned stained-glass windows by Matisse (an abstract rose window, memorializing Abby Aldrich), and Chagall (the remainder of the windows, emphasizing Biblical prophets and some New Testament themes, and memorializing various members of the family and others). They also helped finance the construction of the local Pocantico Hills School.</p><br>
<p>Mount Herzl , also Har ha-Zikaron , is the site of Israel&#39;s national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities, found on the west side of Jerusalem beside the Jerusalem Forest.</p><br>
<p>It is named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. Herzls tomb lies at the top of the hill. Yad Vashem, which commemorates the Holocaust, lies to the west of Mt. Herzl. Israels war dead are also buried there. Mount Herzl is 834 meters above sea level. Every plot section in Mount Herzl has a broad plaza for memorial services. Most state memorial ceremonies for those killed at war are conducted in the National Military and Police cemetery.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In 1934, Zionist leader Menahem Ussishkin organized the re-interment of Leon Pinsker in Nicanor Cave on Mount Scopus in an attempt to build a pantheon for the great leaders of the Jewish nation. Ussishkin was buried there himself in 1941. When Mount Scopus became an enclave, cut off from Jerusalem, the implementation of this plan was no longer feasible.</p><br>
<p>During summer 1949, Theodor Herzl&#39;s remains were reinterred on a hill in West Jerusalem which faced the Mount of Olives from a distance and renamed in his honour, Mount Herzl. In November 1949, soldiers who fell during the War of Independence in the Jerusalem area were buried on the north slope of the hill. In 1951 the government decided to establish a national cemetery for Israeli leaders and fallen soldiers at Mount Herzl. It has served this purpose ever since.</p><br>
<h2>Architects</h2><br>
<p>The military section is the work of two Hungarian-born architects. Architect Dr. Asher Hiram, born in 1897 in Budapest as Sigmund Kerekes, designed the main elements of the Israeli military cemeteries, which prevail until today; while landscape architect Haim Giladi designed the gardens at Mount Herzl.</p><br>
<h2>Purpose and significance</h2><br>
<p>Apart from Theodor Herzl, Mt. Herzl is the burial place of five of Israel&#39;s prime ministers: Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin (who is buried beside his wife Leah) and Shimon Peres. Israeli presidents are also buried on Mt. Herzl, as are other prominent Jewish and Zionist leaders.</p><br>
<p>Mt. Herzl is the venue for many commemorative events and national celebrations.</p><br>
<h2>Theodor Herzl's grave</h2><br>
<p>In 1903, Theodor Herzl wrote in his will:</p><br>
<p>I wish to be buried in a metal coffin next to my father, and to remain there until the Jewish people will transfer my remains to Eretz Israel. The coffins of my father, my sister Pauline, and of my close relatives who will have died until then will also be transferred there.</p><br>
<p>When Herzl died a year later, he was interred in Vienna. Forty-five years later, Herzls remains were brought to Israel and re-interred in Jerusalem. The location of the burial site was selected by a special state commission in the top of a hill in Jerusalem next to Military cemetery of Jerusalem. He was buried on 17 August 1949. A temporary stone marked his grave for several years until the site was developed into a national cemetery. Sixty-three entries were submitted in the competition for the design of his new tombstone. The winner was Joseph Klarweins design, consisting of an unadorned black granite stone inscribed with the name Herzl. The area around his tomb has been expanded into the plaza where the first Independence Day ceremony was held in 1950.</p><br>
<p>Despite Herzls wishes, his daughter Pauline and son Hans were not originally buried beside him. Their remains were moved to Mt. Herzl in 2006. A third daughter was murdered in the Holocaust and her place of burial is unknown. The small Stephen Norman Park, located between the Herzl Museum and the Herzl Educational Center, is dedicated to the memory of Herzls only grandson, who took his own life in the United States in 1946 after learning about the fate of his family during the Holocaust and being confronted with Jewish misery in the Displaced Persons camps, and was reinterred on Mt. Herzl in December 2007. Herzl&#39;s parents and sister are also buried at Mount Herzl.</p><br>
<h2>National Civil Cemetery</h2><br>
<p>Israels main cemetery for the leaders of the country and people who sacrificed their lives for the country is located on the southern slope of Mt. Herzl, established there in 1952 when Ben Gurion decided to bury the finance minister in Helkat Gedolei HaUma, close to Herzl&#39;s grave. The design of the cemetery area was continued over the following years when other famous people from the Zionist movement were brought to be buried there.</p><br>
<h3>Great Leaders of the Nation</h3><br>
<h4>Meaning</h4><br>
<p>The Great Leaders of the Nation&#39;s Plot or Memorial Park holds the graves of several Prime Ministers, Presidents, Knesset speakers and other chosen national leaders of the State of Israel. It forms a separate section of the Mount Herzl cemetery from that of the leaders of the Zionist Organization (after 1960: World Zionist Organization), which is situated nearby.</p><br>
<p>The Hebrew name Helkat Gedolei HaUma (חלקת גדולי האומה) is used in common parlance either in a narrower meaning, for the State of Israel leaders section, or in a wider one, which includes pre-state Zionist leaders.</p><br>
<p>Buried there are Presidents Zalman Shazar and Chaim Herzog, Shimon Peres and Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and his wife Leah Rabin. Other notable graves are those of the first speaker of the Knesset, Yosef Sprinzak and his wife Hanna, the first Minister of Finance, Eliezer Kaplan, and Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek. Despite the national significance of the cemetery, some Israeli leaders were buried elsewhere, most notably Chaim Weizmann (buried at Weizmann House), David Ben-Gurion (buried at Midreshet Ben-Gurion) and Menachem Begin (buried at Mount of Olives).</p><br>
<p>Deciding who should be buried on Mt. Herzl has sometimes been controversial. For example, the decision to bury Ze&#39;ev Jabotinsky, who died in 1940, on Mt. Herzl, was fiercely opposed by many Labour Party stalwarts, who claimed that Jabotinsky was an ultra-right nationalist undeserving of such an honour. Only in 1964 did Prime Minister Levi Eshkol decide in favor of burying him there, in the interest of promoting national reconciliation and setting aside political grievances. Soldiers awarded with the Medal of Valor may also be buried at Mount Herzl.</p><br>
<h3>(World) Zionist Organization Leaders; Herzl's family</h3><br>
<p>To the north of Herzl&#39;s grave is a plot reserved for the leaders of the (World) Zionist Organization, among them David Wolffsohn, Nahum Sokolow, Simcha Dinitz, and Arieh Dulzin. In the same section are the graves and cenotaphs of close relatives of Theodor Herzl.</p><br>
<h3>Ze'ev Jabotinsky</h3><br>
<p>The grave of Zeev Jabotinsky and his family is in a separate plot southwest of Herzls grave.</p><br>
<h3>Victims of Acts of Terror Memorial</h3><br>
<p>The Victims of Acts of Terror Memorial is the main memorial for all victims of terrorism in Israel from 1851 until today. The Memorial was opened in 1997, and every year a ceremony is held on the plaza, in memory of the victims of terror. The memorial is located in the National Civil Cemetery next to Helkat Gedolei Ha&#39;Uma.</p><br>
<h3>Other memorials</h3><br>
<p>Listed with the plot numbers and according to the on-site plans:</p><br>
<p>18. Olei Hagardom plot: Jewish underground fighters executed for their activities</p><br>
<p>20. Common grave of the 204 illegal immigrants who went down with the Salvador in December 1940</p><br>
<p>21. Common grave of the 44 immigrants aboard the Egoz (sank in 1961)</p><br>
<p>22. Memorial for the Last of Kin - last Holocaust survivors of their families, who died fighting in the Israel Defense Forces</p><br>
<p>27. Memorial for the Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia</p><br>
<h2>National military cemetery</h2><br>
<p>The main Israel Defense Forces cemetery is located on the northern slope of Mt. Herzl. It was established in November 1949, when soldiers who fell in</p><br>
<p>the Jerusalem area were buried here. In 1949, the government decided to turn the site into the main cemetery for IDF members who have fallen in the line of duty. The Israel Police cemetery, for police officers who have fallen in the line of duty, is also located there.</p><br>
<p>There are specific areas or monuments for following categories of fallen fighters, listed with the actual plot numbers and according to the on-site plans:</p><br>
<p>1. Memorial for the Jewish soldiers in the Red Army in World War II</p><br>
<p>2. Memorial for the Jewish soldiers in the Polish Army in World War II</p><br>
<p>3. Memorial for the volunteers of the Yishuv (Jewish community in Palestine) in World War II</p><br>
<p>4. Memorial for the 140 Jewish Palestinian soldiers who went down with the British ship SS Erinpura in 1943 during World War II</p><br>
<p>5. Memorial for the 23 (in Hebrew numerals: Kaf-Gimel) Palmach sea commandoes who disappeared during Operation Boatswain under British command in 1941</p><br>
<p>6. Common grave of the Nabi Daniel Convoy of 27 March 1948 (15 dead)</p><br>
<p>7. Garden of the Missing in Action (burial places are unknown)</p><br>
<p>8. Monument for the fallen fighters of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem (surrendered on 28 May 1948)</p><br>
<p>9. Memorial for the 69 soldiers who went down with the Dakar submarine in 1968 and whose bodies were never recovered</p><br>
<p>10. Common grave of the defenders of Neve Yaakov who fell in 1948</p><br>
<p>11. Common grave of the fighters fallen in the Battles of Latrun of 1948</p><br>
<p>12. Common grave of the Radar Hill fighters</p><br>
<p>13. Common grave of the defenders of Kfar Etzion who fell in 1948</p><br>
<p>14. Common grave of the Convoy of 35 of January 1948</p><br>
<p>15. Memorial for the Jewish Parachutists of Mandate Palestine killed in Europe in World War II</p><br>
<p>16. Operation Kadesh (1956) plot</p><br>
<p>17. Operation Peace for Galilee (First Lebanon War, 1982) plot</p><br>
<p>28. Soldiers who fell since 1990</p><br>
<p>29. Six-Day War, one of several plots</p><br>
<p>30. Yom Kippur War, one of several plots</p><br>
<p>All soldiers, regardless of rank or unit, are buried side by side. The gravestones are plain and unadorned, only recording name, rank, and place and date of birth and death.</p><br>
<h3>Christian, Muslim, and Druze soldiers</h3><br>
<p>The military cemetery also honours the memory of Israel&#39;s fallen Christian, Muslim, and Druze soldiers who have served in the Israeli security forces.</p><br>
<h3>Garden of the Missing in Action</h3><br>
<p>The Garden of the Missing in Action is a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Memorial and Memory Garden for soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and those who fought for the pre-state Land of Israel whose resting places are unknown from 1914 until today. The garden was established on 29 February 2004 in a ceremony attended by army chiefs, the Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and members of the Jerusalem Municipality at the National Military and Police cemetery. The garden also contains memorials to those lost aboard the submarine INS Dakar and the 23 Who Went Down at Sea.</p><br>
<p>An annual memorial service for the Missing Soldiers of Israel takes place in the garden&#39;s main plaza on Seventh of Adar day.</p><br>
<p>The garden includes "empty graves" and stone monuments to the memory of missing soldiers. At the entrance to the garden, there is a small plaza where memorial ceremonies to the missing are held. On the north side of the plaza there is a memorial to the missing sailors of the INS Dakar submarine, which sank in the Mediterranean sea. On the north side of the plaza is a memorial wall bearing the names of all missing soldiers and fighters from 1914 until today. On the top of the wall there is a waterfall.</p><br>
<h3>Hall of Names</h3><br>
<p>Israel plans to establish a new national memorial hall to be built at the entrance to the National Military and Police cemetery. The new memorial is intended to honour the memory of the 22,684 soldiers and security personnel who have fallen defending the land of Israel since 1860. It will be built in the shape of a torch rising some 18 meters where a fire will burn all year long. The Ministry of Defense plan includes all 22,684 names, each with a candle to be lit twice a year—once on the anniversary of the soldier&#39;s death, and on Memorial Day, as well as Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The estimated cost of the project is NIS40 million.</p><br>
<h2>National Garden</h2><br>
<p>Above the Herzl Museum and the main plaza is the Nations Garden, where trees have been planted by visiting presidents and heads of state. There are two small observation decks looking out over Jerusalem. A menorah sculpture stands opposite the main plaza entrance.</p><br>
<h2>Museums and education</h2><br>
<h3>Herzl Museum</h3><br>
<p>Herzl Museum, an interactive museum on the at the main entrance to Mt. Herzl, offers a glimpse into the life of Theodor Herzl, the man behind the dream of a Jewish homeland.</p><br>
<h3>Stephen Norman Memorial Garden</h3><br>
<p>Situated between the Herzl Museum and the Stella and Alexander Margulies Education Center, the Stephen Norman Garden is named for Herzls grandson, Stephen Norman. He was the only member of Herzls family to visit Palestine or to be a Zionist. It is a place for groups and students to gather to hear about Mount Herzl. On one wall of the garden, a quote from Norman, in 1945, is inscribed: "You will be amazed at the Jewish youth in Palestine...they have the look of freedom."</p><br>
<h3>Yad Vashem</h3><br>
<p>Yad Vashem is in the western region of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, 804 meters above sea level and adjacent to the Jerusalem Forest. Yad Vashem is complex containing two types of sites - memorial museums and monuments, and a research institute. Memorial sites include the Holocaust History Museum and the Museum of Holocaust Art; indoor memorials such as the Children&#39;s Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance; outdoor commemorative sites such as the Valley of the Communities, the Cattle Car memorial and various sculptures; and a synagogue. The Holocaust research facilities are grouped around a research institute and include archives, a library, publishing house and an educational center, The International School for Holocaust Studies. Yad Vashem honours non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust, at great personal risk, as the "Righteous among the Nations".</p><br>
<p>The Memorial Path, leading from the entrance of Yad Vashem up to the Mount Herzl national cemetery, was established in 2003 and includes plaques that mark important events from the beginning of Zionism until to the creation of the state of Israel.</p><br>
<h3>The Zionism study center</h3><br>
<p>A Zionism Studies Center was begun in 2010 next to the Herzl museum and was scheduled to open in 2013.</p><br>
<h3>Mitspe Karem</h3><br>
<p>Mitspe Karem is an archaeological park located in the Jerusalem Forest on the west side of the Mount of Remembrance, near the Yad Vashem museum. There are finds from various periods, including the Early Bronze Age, Iron Age, possibly Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine period.</p><br>
<h2>Official Ceremonies</h2><br>
<p>Memorial Day ceremony for Israel&#39;s Fallen Soldiers.</p><br>
<p>Memorial Day Ceremony for Victims of Terrorism, held at the memorial of terror in Israel.</p><br>
<p>Seventh of Adar ceremony for fallen soldiers whose resting place is unknown, held in Garden of the Missing Soldiers.</p><br>
<p>Independence Day ceremony, held at Mount Herzl Plaza.</p><br>
<p>Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem.</p><br>
<p>Fort Concho is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated since 1935 by the city of San Angelo, the seat of Tom Green County in West Texas. Situated on the North Concho River, near its confluence with the South and Middle Concho Rivers, the site selected for Fort Concho was strategic to the stabilization of the region, because of the location of no fewer than five major trails in the vicinity. Though the fort was surrounded by miles of flat, treeless prairie, it was considered to be “one of the most beautiful and best ordered posts in Texas."</p><br>
<p>Other forts in the frontier fort system were Forts Griffin, Richardson, Belknap, Chadbourne, Stockton, Davis, Bliss, McKavett, Clark, McIntosh, Inge, and Phantom Hill in Texas, and Fort Sill in Oklahoma. "Sub posts or intermediate stations" were also used, including Bothwick&#39;s Station on Salt Creek between Fort Richardson and Fort Belknap, Camp Wichita near Buffalo Springs between Fort Richardson and Red River Station, and Mountain Pass between Fort Concho and Fort Griffin.</p><br>
<h2>The earlier Fort Chadbourne</h2><br>
<p>Concho was established as a United States Army post in 1867, with five companies of the Fourth Cavalry under the command of Col. John P. Hatch, and named for the nearby Concho River. It replaced the earlier Fort Chadbourne in Bronte in Coke County north of San Angelo. Chadbourne was established in 1852 by elements of the 8th Infantry and named for Second Lieutenant Theodore Lincoln Chadbourne, who was killed in the Battle of Resaca de la Palma in the Mexican War. The post experienced a chronic water shortage, and was abandoned in 1867. Troops transferred to Fort Concho, but the military maintained a presence at Chadbourne until 1873. The Chadbourne ruins are open to the public, but no artifacts may be taken. The fort is a popular site for school field trips. The Fort Chadbourne Cemetery contains numerous poignant old markers. The oldest tombstone dates to 1877.</p><br>
<h2>Building the fort</h2><br>
<p>During its 22-year existence as an active Army fort, Concho mainly served to protect frontier settlers, stagecoaches, wagon trains, and the United States mail, and maintain trade routes. Several successful campaigns against the Comanches were launched from Fort Concho. In addition, the post played a pivotal role in the suppression of illegal profiteering between the Mexican and American traders known as Comancheros.</p><br>
<p>The initial site for Concho was abandoned after the expenditure of $28,000 to prepare the land for future construction. Pecan wood was first considered as the building material, but it was found to have been too hard and unmanageable. Adobe bricks were then used, but the soldiers lacked experience with that material. Soon, their work was melted away by heavy rains. Finally, sandstone from nearby quarries was used to build Concho, but no stonemasons were available. Therefore, private German contractors were recruited from Fredericksburg, the seat of Gillespie County in the Texas Hill Country to the south. The masons anchored the sandstone with pecan wood beams and rafters. Construction continued for the entire existence of the fort, and it was deactivated before it was ever actually completed. It consisted of 40 buildings on 40 acre.</p><br>
<h2>Commanding officers</h2><br>
<p>Among the infantry and cavalry officers who commanded Fort Concho were Colonels Ranald Slidell Mackenzie of New York, William R. Shafter of Michigan, Benjamin H. Grierson of Illinois, John Porter Hatch of New York, and Wesley Merritt. Under Grierson, African American troops were at the fort, as well, which became known as the headquarters of the buffalo soldiers, the black troops of the 10th Cavalry. One of the buffalo soldiers, George B. Jackson, later became a businessman, rancher, and politician in San Angelo.</p><br>
<p>Mackenzie was the dominant figure in the history of Fort Concho. He was long said to have continued to exert his command from beyond the grave. Numerous ghost stories have been told about Fort Concho.</p><br>
<p>In September 1872, Mackenzie and his troopers, called "Mackenzie&#39;s Raiders", surprised the Comanches and successfully attacked a large encampment. Twenty-three Indians were killed, and another 127 women and children were taken captive. The captives were marched to Fort Concho, where they were imprisoned through the winter in the stone corral. The following spring, the women and children were allowed to rejoin their families at the Indian reservation near Fort Sill, Oklahoma.</p><br>
<p>On the morning of September 27, 1874, Mackenzie and his troops were again thrust into battle with the Indians. Mackenzie came upon hundreds of teepees in the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle, considerably to the north of Fort Concho. Mackenzie immediately ordered his troopers to attack. Little early warning was given, and the Indians were routed and their village destroyed. Mackenzie&#39;s men slaughtered more than a thousand horses and livestock to keep the Indians from reclaiming them.</p><br>
<p>Colonel Grierson commanded the 10th Cavalry, and "Fort Concho served as regimental headquarters for the Tenth United States Cavalry, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, from 1875 until 1882."</p><br>
<p>Grierson, regimental commander of the 10th Cavalry, faced a personal tragedy at Fort Concho when his daughter Edith, about 12 years of age, died in the upstairs bedroom of one of the houses at the fort. The child was particularly fond of playing jacks.</p><br>
<h2>Deactivation of the fort</h2><br>
<p>By the late 19th century, the railroad arrived in West Texas, and the military protection became less necessary. In a nostalgic ceremony on June 20, 1889, a small remaining company of the 19th Infantry took down the American flag at evening retreat. The party left the next morning for San Antonio.</p><br>
<p>The 40 acres of land occupied by Fort Concho became privately owned, but increasing interest in the preservation of the fort in the early 20th century led to donations of part of the property to the city, and subsequent purchases of the other portions. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961.</p><br>
<p>The landmark today includes most of the original fort and 23 main structures, mostly original or restored, but some reconstructions. These structures include a headquarters, officers quarters, soldiers barracks, and the post hospital. Regular and changing exhibits in the fields of military history, the heritage of San Angelo and West Texas in general, and the daily life of a soldier and an officer are on display.</p><br>
<p>The main attraction for fort visitors today is the Fort Concho Museum, with its collection of more than 35,000 artifacts.</p><br>
<h2>Museums</h2><br>
<p>Fort Concho is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sundays from 1 to 5 pm. It is located at 630 South Oakes Street, between Avenues C and D. There is an admission charge. Pets on leashes are allowed on the premises. An annual festival "Christmas at Old Fort Concho" is held the first weekend of December.</p><br>
<p>Fort Concho is not air-conditioned, except for the museums. The fort features 23 original and restored buildings, including cavalry and infantry barracks, post hospital, schoolhouse/chapel, guardhouse, powder magazine, stables, commissary, quartermaster, headquarters, post NCO and surgeons quarters, officers quarters and the stable.</p><br>
<h3>Fort Concho Museum</h3><br>
<p>Historic exhibits and period rooms are placed in many of the restored buildings. The visitors&#39; center is located in Barracks 1, and includes free exhibits and a gift shop. Special living history reenactments are held during the year.</p><br>
<h3>E. H. Danner Museum of Telephony</h3><br>
<p>The E. H. Danner Museum of Telephony contains interesting models of telephones from the 1880s to modern times. Exhibits include a model of Alexander Graham Bells "Gallows Frame Phone", of which only five were assembled, a manual switchboard, an 1898 hotel lobby telephone, the Independent Telephone Pioneers Association Hall of Fame, which features photos and biographies of former Verizon leaders, and career memorabilia of former GTE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rocky Johnson. The museum occupies the old Officers Quarters No. 4.</p><br>
<h3>Robert Wood Johnson Museum of Frontier Medicine</h3><br>
<p>The Robert Wood Johnson Museum of Frontier Medicine features typical instruments, medicines, surgical kits, and hospital furniture of the 19th century. Some of the items are related to the medical history of San Angelo. The museum is located in the post hospital building.</p><br>
<h3>Fort Concho Historical Trail</h3><br>
<p>The Fort Concho Historical Trail showcases not only the fort, but also old buildings of the early community of San Angelo and other historical areas along the Concho River, which was named because of mussel shells in the water.</p><br>
<h2>Involvement with YFZ Ranch raid</h2><br>
<p>Beginning April 7, 2008, the 416 children and 139 women removed from the YFZ Ranch, operated by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints polygamist sect, were transported to Fort Concho and the Wells Fargo Pavilion (also in San Angelo), where they were housed until authorities decided what to do with them.</p><br>
<h2>Popular culture</h2><br>
<p>In the 1979 Disney comedy, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, the characters played by Don Knotts and Tim Conway arrive at Fort Concho after hitching a ride on a USA Army wagon to escape a crazed sheriff. They accidentally set fire to the fort, burning it completely to the ground. No mention is made of where this "Fort Concho" is located, and the desert canyon terrain does not match that of San Angelo, where the real Fort Concho is located. However, since only one Fort Concho was ever established by the USA Army, and the fort is so named due to its proximity with the Concho River, the film&#39;s producers are assumed to have meant to portray a loose copy of the real fort.</p><br>
<p>Clingmans Dome  is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. At an elevation of 6,643 ft, it is the highest mountain in the Smokies, the highest point in the state of Tennessee, and the highest point along the 2,174 mi Appalachian Trail. It is also the third highest point in all of Eastern North America, after the nearby Mount Mitchell  and Mount Craig .</p><br>
<p>Clingmans Dome has two subpeaks: 6,560 ft Mount Buckley to the west and 6,400 ft Mount Love to the east. The headwaters of several substantial streams are located on the slopes of Clingmans Dome, namely Little River on the north slope, and Forney Creek and Noland Creek (both tributaries of the Tuckasegee River) on the south slope. The mountain is located entirely within the Tennessee River watershed.</p><br>
<p>Clingmans Dome is protected as part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A paved road connects it to USA Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road). The 45 ft concrete observation tower, built in 1959 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers a panoramic view of the mountains. An air quality monitoring station, operated by the Environmental Protection Agency, is the second highest in eastern North America.</p><br>
<p>The Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest which covers Clingmans Dome occurs only at the highest elevations in the southeastern United States, and has more in common with forests at northern latitudes than with the forests in the adjacent valleys. Clingmans Dome stands prominently above the surrounding terrain, rising nearly 5,000 ft from base to summit. The forest on and around Clingmans Dome has experienced a large die-off of Fraser fir caused by the non-native insect, balsam woolly adelgid.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The Cherokee name for Clingmans Dome was Kuwahi, or "mulberry place." According to a Cherokee myth recorded by ethnologist James Mooney in the late 19th century, the mountain was the home of the White Bear, the great chief of all bears, and the location of one of the bears councilhouses. The enchanted lake of Ataga&#39;hi ("Gall Place"), the waters of which could cure wounded bears, was believed by the Cherokee to be located somewhere between Clingmans Dome and the headwaters of the Oconaluftee River to the east.</p><br>
<p>In 1789, an act passed by the North Carolina legislature ceded what is now Tennessee to the federal government. This act fixed a portion of the boundary between the two along the crest of the "Great Iron or Smoky Mountains," which would have included the mountain now known as Clingmans Dome.</p><br>
<p>The mountain was dubbed "Smoky Dome" by American settlers moving in from other areas. In 1859, the mountain was renamed by Arnold Guyot for compatriot Thomas Lanier Clingman (1812–1897), an American Civil War general who explored the area extensively in the 1850s and then spent many years promoting it. Guyot named the mountain for Clingman because of an argument between Clingman and a professor at the University of North Carolina, Elisha Mitchell, over which mountain was actually the highest in the region. Mitchell contended that a peak by the name of Black Dome (now known as Mount Mitchell) was the highest, while Clingman asserted that Smoky Dome was the true highest peak. Guyot determined that Black Dome was 39 ft higher than Smoky Dome.</p><br>
<p>In the early morning hours of June 12, 1946, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress crashed near the summit of Clingmans Dome, killing all twelve aboard.</p><br>
<h2>Geology</h2><br>
<p>Clingmans Dome is part of a geological formation known as the Copperhill Formation. It consists predominately of massive, coarse-grained metagreywacke and metaconglomerate. The Lower northern flanks of Clingmans Dome are underlain by thick layers of sulfidic, quartz-garnet-muscovite phyllite and schist, which occur within the metagraywackes and metaconglomerates. Adjacent to and south of its summit, thin, southward-dipping, and discontinuous beds of garnetiferous, locally graphitic and sulfidic, metasiltstone occur within the Copperhill Formation.</p><br>
<p>The Copperhill Formation is part of the greater Ocoee Supergroup, a body of clastic metasedimentary rocks formed 560 million years ago. They unconformably lie upon Precambrian granitic and gneissic rocks. The sediments that originally comprised the Ocoee Supergroup accumulated in a string of narrow, deep-water basins that stretched along the entire southern-central Appalachian margin from Tennessee, North Carolina, to Georgia. These basins were rift basins formed by the rifting of Rodinia.</p><br>
<p>The initial metamorphism of the Ocoee Supergroup occurred about 400 million years ago as the result of Ordovician-Silurian tectonism during the Taconic orogeny. Later, Devonian-Mississippian metamorphism of these strata occurred during the Acadian orogeny and additional Pennsylvanian to Permian alteration by retrograde metamorphism and deformation occurred during the Alleghanian orogeny. During the latest part of this orogeny, this segment of the Appalachian Mountains was formed by thrust faulting and folding that uplifted these strata as a series of complexly deformed thrust sheets. During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, the gradual uplift and erosion of this part of the Appalachian Mountains has continued.</p><br>
<p>Although a dense forest understory covers most of the mountain, outcroppings of the Copperhill Formation can be found on Clingmans Dome at the Forney Ridge Parking Lot at the end of Clingmans Dome Road. This outcrop exposes massive metaconglomerate of the Copperhill Formation. At this outcrop, it consists of massive 6 m thick beds of micaceous quartzite. It contains coarse pebbles of quartz and feldspar, flat pebbles of fine-grained black graywacke, and egg-shaped concretions up to 30 cm in diameter. These cobble-size concretions are readily eroded by weathering to leave rust-stained depressions or cavities in the metaconglomerate.</p><br>
<p>Soils of Clingmans Dome are mostly moderately deep to shallow, well drained dark brown loam or sandy loam of strong to extreme acidity; Breakneck and Pullback series are most common.</p><br>
<h2>Access</h2><br>
<p>Clingmans Dome is the most accessible mountain top in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 7 mi Clingmans Dome Road, which is open annually from April 1 through November 30, begins just past Newfound Gap and leads up the mountain to the Forney Ridge Parking Area, 300 ft below the summit. A half-mile (800 m) paved trail leads from the parking lot to the 45 ft observation tower at the top of the mountain. The short, steep trail provides a small visitor information center and park store staffed by the Great Smoky Mountains Association, garbage cans, and numerous benches to the side of the path. Vault toilet restrooms are available. The trail offers a glimpse of the often hostile environment of highland Appalachia, passing through the spruce-fir forest and its accompanying blowdowns and dead Fraser Firs.</p><br>
<p>The Appalachian Trail crosses Clingmans Dome, passing immediately north of the observation tower. A 7.5 mi leg of the trail connects the mountain with Newfound Gap, and provides the only access to the mountain in winter months. The nearest A.T. backcountry shelters are the Double Spring Gap Shelter, which is 2.6 mi to the west near the Goshen Prong junction, and the Mount Collins shelter, which is 4 mi to the east near the A.T.&#39;s Sugarland Mountain Trail junction. Clingmans Dome is the upper terminus for several additional hiking trails, including the Forney Ridge Trail (to Andrews Bald) and the Forney Creek Trail (to the Benton MacKaye Trail on the shores of Fontana Lake).</p><br>
<p>The western terminus of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which connects the Smokies to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is located atop Clingmans Dome. It follows the Appalachian Trail for 3.8 mi to the east, where it then begins to descend toward the Blue Ridge Parkway, via the Fork Ridge Trail.</p><br>
<h2>Clingmans Dome Observation Tower</h2><br>
<p>Built in 1959, the 45 ft concrete observation tower features a circular observation platform accessed by a spiral ramp. The ramp is 375 ft in length, and rises at a 12 percent grade, in synch with the Clingmans Dome Trail. The platform, 28 ft in diameter, allows spectators a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding terrain. Cantilevered signs point out the various peaks, ridges, cities, and other features visible in the distance. Depending on the haze, visibility ranges from 20 mi on hazy days to 100 mi on very clear days.</p><br>
<p>The tower was one of nine observation towers constructed as part of the "Mission 66" program (1955&ndash;1966), an effort by the National Park Service to upgrade its facilities to accommodate an influx of visitors to national parks during the post-World War II era. Designed by Hubert Bebb of the Gatlinburg-based architecture firm Bebb and Olson, the tower&#39;s modern design, especially the use of concrete as the primary building material, marked a departure from previous park structures, which favored more rustic elements. Though some criticized the Clingmans Dome tower as too "urban," two other park service observation towers&mdash; the nearby Look Rock tower along Foothills Parkway and the Shark Valley tower at Everglades National Park&mdash; were built using similar designs.</p><br>
<p>Bebbs original design consisted of a massive stone tower topped by a circular platform and fire observation cab, and accessed by a concrete ramp. Fred Arnold, head of the park services Forest and Wildlife Protection branch, rejected the inclusion of the fire observation cab, arguing that while Clingmans Dome was the highest point in the park, it wasnt particularly useful for fire detection purposes. Park service director Conrad Wirth objected to the use of a ramp, favoring instead a spiral staircase. After John B. Cabot, head of the park services Eastern Office of Design and Construction, convinced him of the ramp&#39;s usefulness, Wirth decided the stone tower would not be necessary, stating a single central support column would suffice.</p><br>
<p>The tower was built by the Waynesville-based construction firm of W.C. Norris at a cost of $57,000. Ground was broken in December 1958. After several weather delays, the tower was completed on October 23, 1959.</p><br>
<p>Cheaha Mountain, often called Mount Cheaha, is the highest natural point in the USA state of Alabama. It is located a few miles northwest of the town of Delta in scenic Cheaha State Park, which offers a lodge, a restaurant, and other amenities.</p><br>
<p>The highest point is marked with a USGS benchmark in front of Bunker Tower, a stone Civilian Conservation Corps building with an observation deck on top. The CCC also constructed a road to Cheaha, but the road has been closed for years. The old road is known as CC Road and contains interesting ruins. Near the peak is Bald Rock, which was recently improved with a wheelchair-accessible wooden walkway that provides an impressive overlook of the surrounding region. The entire area gives an impression of being at a much higher elevation than it actually is, in part because of the relatively low elevation of the adjacent area to the west.</p><br>
<p>Cheaha Mountain is part of the Talladega Mountains, a final southern segment of the Blue Ridge, unlike other elevations of the Appalachians in north Alabama, which are part of the Cumberland Plateau. The mountain also has the unique distinction of being the highest geographical point in the eastern portion of the Sun Belt (south of Interstate 20, and north of the Gulf of Mexico). Geologically it is composed of weakly metamorphosed sandstones and conglomerates of the Cheaha quartzite, of Silurian / Devonian age, and stands high topographically due to the erosional resistance of these rocks.</p><br>
<p>The mountain is a host to several commercial and public service transmitters. These radio antennas, along with sundry structures dating back to commercial schemes by the State of Alabama in the 1970s, stand in stark contrast to the surrounding natural environment. The Calhoun County Amateur Radio Association has a repeater near the peak, and Alabama Public Television has its transmitter for WCIQ TV 7 on a tower 176 m tall, rebuilt after the January 1982 ice storm brought the previous one crashing to the ground.</p><br>
<p>The mountain was opened to the public as a state park on June 7, 1939.</p><br>
<p>Argostoli  is a town and a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kefalonia, of which it is a municipal unit. It has been the capital and administrative centre of Kefalonia since 1757, following a population shift down from the old capital of Agios Georgios  to take advantage of the trading opportunities provided by the sheltered bay upon which Argostoli sits. Argostoli developed into one of the busiest ports in Greece, leading to prosperity and growth. The municipal unit has an area of 157.670 km. The 2011 census recorded a population of 10,633 in the Argostoli municipal unit. Its largest towns are Argostóli , Razata , Dilináta  and Kompothekráta .</p><br>
<h2>Urban landscape</h2><br>
<p>To the east of Argostoli, at the end of the bay, beneath the aforementioned Castle of St. George, sits the Koutavos Lagoon, a feeding ground for the Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Now a nature reserve, the Koutavos Lagoon was once an almost impassable swamp where mosquitoes and malaria were rife. Under the British governor of the island, General Sir Charles James Napier, a wooden bridge was constructed across the lagoon in 1813 by Colonel Charles Philip de Bosset, a Swiss engineer in the employ of the British army.</p><br>
<p>Four years later stone arches were added and, after some 26 years, the entire bridge was rebuilt in stone. In continuous use until 2005, this narrow bridge is now closed to traffic, currently undergoing renovation by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Almost halfway along the Drepano Bridge stands a stone column built by the British to celebrate their presence.</p><br>
<p>The coastal road out of Argostoli to the west was known during the Venetian period as the ‘Piccolo Gyro’. Along the Piccolo Gyro, in the Vlikha area facing Lixouri, lie the ‘Swallow Holes’ of Katovothres, a geological phenomenon. Sea water disappears underground and travels under the island, re-emerging around fourteen days later in the Karavomylos area of Sami, having passed through the nearby, underground Melissani lake. The power of this sea water was harnessed, in 1835, to power a water mill. Further along the Piccolo Gyro is the Agion Theodoron lighthouse, named after the small adjacent church. More commonly known as the Fanari lighthouse, this too was built during the British occupation, in 1829. The original building was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953, the recently restored present structure was rebuilt, complete with Doric-style columns, from the original plans.</p><br>
<p>Buildings that weren’t shattered by German bombing in 1943 were destroyed in 1953 by the earthquake that razed virtually all of Kefalonia, apart from the Fiskardo area, to the ground.</p><br>
<p>Opposite the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli are the law courts, originally constructed by the British with stone from the Cyclopean site at nearby Krani. Along Lithostroto, next to the Catholic Church, is a tiny museum (open some mornings and most evenings) dedicated to the soldiers of the Acqui Division. A little further along is the Bell Tower. Rebuilt in 1985 to house the original clock mechanism.</p><br>
<p>On the Ionian Sea coast southwest of the town centre is the holiday resort town Lassi, which has several small beaches.</p><br>
<h2>Subdivisions</h2><br>
<p>Following the “Kapodistrias Law” of 1997, communities around the town united to form a larger municipality of Argostoli, which included the settlements of Spilia, Helmata, Kompothekrata, Lassi, Minies and ten former communities: Agona, Davgata, Dilinata, Zola, Thinia, Kourouklata, Nifi, Troyiannata, Faraklata and Farsa. This municipality, a municipal unit of the municipality of Kefalonia since 2011, was subdivided into the following municipal districts (communities since 2011). Constituent villages are given in brackets:</p><br>
<p>Agkonas</p><br>
<p>Argostoli (Argostoli, Kokolata, Kompothekrata, Minia)</p><br>
<p>Davgata</p><br>
<p>Dilinata</p><br>
<p>Faraklata (Faraklata, Drapano, Prokopata, Razata)</p><br>
<p>Farsa</p><br>
<p>Thinaia (Kardakata)</p><br>
<p>Kourouklata</p><br>
<p>Nyfi</p><br>
<p>Troianata (Troianata, Demoutsantata, Mitakata)</p><br>
<p>Zola</p><br>
<h2>Transportation</h2><br>
<p>Between the Koutavos Lagoon and the Drepano Bridge is the new bus station which connects Argostoli with the other towns and some of the villages on the island, as well as with Athens and Patras. The old bus station, just past these market stalls, is likely to accommodate a proposed seaplane service connecting Argostoli with Patras, due to commence Spring 2006. The main ferry port, connecting Argostoli with the mainland (via Kyllini) and Zakynthos (also known as Zante) is next to this building with the Lixouri ferry (once an hour in winter, twice an hour in summer) docking a little further along.</p><br>
<p>Car ferry service to Kyllini (mainland) and Zakynthos (Zante)</p><br>
<p>Car ferry to Lixouri</p><br>
<p>KTEL Bus service to Athens, via Kyllini, Patras and the Corinth Canal bridge</p><br>
<p>Infrequent bus service to Poros, Sami, Skala, Fiskardo and various villages en route</p><br>
<p>Frequent summer service to Lassi</p><br>
<p>NO bus service to Kefalonia Airport</p><br>
<p>Scheduled flights to Zakynthos and Athens, charter flight in summer, via Kefalonia Airport</p><br>
<p>Seaplane service, Argostoli - Patras (due Spring 2006)</p><br>
<p>Taxis from Plateia Valianos and seafront, car and motorcycle/scooter hire</p><br>
<h2>Historical population</h2><br>
<h2>People</h2><br>
<p>Gerasimos Arsenis, politician</p><br>
<p>Aris Maliagros (1895–1984), actor</p><br>
<p>Andreas Metaxas (1786–1860), politician</p><br>
<p>Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), general, politician and dictator</p><br>
<p>Constantine Phaulkon (1647–1688), merchant and adventurer</p><br>
<p>Antonis Tritsis (1937–1992), mayor of Athens</p><br>
<p>Christian Zervos (1889–1970), art collector, writer and publisher</p><br>
<p>Gerasimos Pitzamanos (1787-1825), painter and architect</p><br>
<p>Athanassios S. Fokas (born 1952), Greek mathematician</p><br>
<h2>Climate</h2><br>
<h2>International relations</h2><br>
<p>Argostoli is twinned with:</p><br>
<p>Šabac in Serbia.</p><br>
<p>Brăila in Romania.</p><br>
<p>Azekah  was a town in the Shephelah guarding the upper reaches of the Valley of Elah, about 26 km  northwest of Hebron. The current tell  by that name has been identified with the biblical Azekah, dating back to the Canaanite period. Today, the site lies on the purlieu of Britannia Park. According to Epiphanius of Salamis, the name meant "white" in the Canaanite tongue. The tell is pear shaped with the tip pointing northward. Due to its location in the Elah Valley it functioned as one of the main Judahite border cities, sitting on the boundary between the lower and higher Shephelah. Although listed in Joshua 15:35 as being a city in the plain, it is actually partly in the hill country, partly in the plain.</p><br>
<h2>Biblical history</h2><br>
<p>In the Bible, it is said to be the place where the Amorite kings were defeated by Joshua, and their army destroyed by a hailstorm. It was given to the tribe of Judah. In the time of Saul, the Philistines massed their forces between Sokho and Azekah, putting forth Goliath as their champion. Rehoboam fortified the town in his reign, along with Lachish and other strategic sites. Lachish and Azekah were the last two towns to fall to the Babylonians before the overthrow of Jerusalem itself. It was one of the places re-occupied by the people on the return from the Captivity.</p><br>
<h2>Identification</h2><br>
<p>Although the hill is now widely known as the Tel (ruin) of Azekah, in the early 19th-century the hilltop ruin was known locally by the name of Tell Zakariyeh. In 1838, British-American explorer Edward Robinson passed by the site of Tell Zakariyeh, which stood to the left of the modern village bearing the same name. French explorer Victor Guérin thought Tell Zakariyeh to be the village mentioned in the Book of I Maccabees (6:32), known then as Beit Zakariah. "As for Azekah," Guérin writes, "it has not yet been found with certainty, this name appearing to have disappeared." Scholars believe that the town&#39;s old namesake was changed at some early time in Jewish history.</p><br>
<p>In the mosaic layout of the Madaba Map of the 5th century CE, the site is mentioned in conjoined Greek uncials: Το του Αγίου Ζαχαρίου, Βεθζαχαρ (= site of St. Zacharias, Beth Zachar). Epiphanius of Salamis writes that, in his day, Azekah was already called by the Syriac name Ḥǝwarta.</p><br>
<h2>Non-Biblical mention</h2><br>
<p>Azekah is mentioned in two sources outside of the Bible. A text from the Assyrian king Sennacherib describes Azekah and its destruction during his military campaign.</p><br>
<p>Azekah is also mentioned in one of the Lachish letters. Lachish Letter 4 suggests that Azekah was destroyed, as they were no longer visible to the exporter of the letter. Part of the otracon reads:</p><br>
<h2>Archaeological findings</h2><br>
<p>Excavations by the English archeologists Frederick J. Bliss and R. A. Stewart Macalister in the period 1898-1900 at Tel Azekah revealed a fortress, water systems, hideout caves used during Bar Kokhba revolt and other antiquities, such as LMLK seals. Azekah was one of the first sites excavated in the Holy Land and was excavated under the Palestine Exploration Fund for a period of 17 weeks over the course of three seasons. At the close of their excavation Bliss and Macalister refilled all of their excavation trenches in order to preserve the site. The site is located on the grounds of a Jewish National Fund park, Britannia Park.</p><br>
<p>The Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition, part of the regional Elah Valley Project, commenced in the summer of 2012. It is directed by Prof. Oded Lipschits of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, together with Dr Yuval Gadot of TAU and with Prof. Manfred Oeming of Heidelberg University. and is a consortium of over a dozen universities from Europe, North America, and Australia. In its first season 300 volunteers worked for six weeks and uncovered walls, installations, and many hundreds of artifacts. As part of the Jewish National Fund park, whenever possible structures will be conserved and displayed to the public.</p><br>
<p>West Hartford is an unincorporated community village in the town of Hartford, Windsor County, Vermont. It is the most rural of Hartford&#39;s five villages, situated on the White River and crossed by the Appalachian Trail. Almost half of the village was wiped out by a flood in 1927. Some areas have been developed for residential use, but significant forest, farming and open lands remain. West Hartford features a country store, a post office, a small library and a town park along the White River which is a popular fishing site. The village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the West Hartford Village Historic District.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>West Hartford is located in far northern Hartford, seven river miles up the White River from its mouth at the Connecticut River. Its center is at geographical coordinates 43° 42′ 44" North, 72° 25′ 7" West (43.71212, -72.418541). The White River runs through the Village, and along Clifford Park, a great place for fishing and canoeing.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The West Hartford village was settled in the late 18th century, primarily organized around mills and outlying agricultural areas. The oldest surviving house in the village was built in 1795 by Francis and Abigail (Hazen) Savage; she was the granddaughter of the area&#39;s first colonial landowner. A turnpike, now Vermont Route 14, was built along the river in 1800. The focal center of the village was established at Harper Savage Lane by construction of the first bridge to span the White River in the village in 1820, and then by the construction of a railroad station nearby. By 1830 the village had a church and post office, and the village continued to thrive during the 19th century, mainly due to its proximity to White River Junction, one of the most important railroad hubs in the region. Much of the village was destroyed by a major flood in 1867. This eliminated much of the local industry, but retail presence, driven by the presence of the railroad, continued.</p><br>
<p>In the spring of 1927 the Vermont rivers flooded, taking out several bridges, including the West Hartford bridge, then a covered bridge. Shortly after the flood the bridges were all replaced with "cookie cutter" bridges that were tall, green, steel truss bridges. In 2006 the West Hartford Bridge was replaced with a new single-span bridge, Veterans Bridge. The old bridge had a pool off the downstream side that local teens, children, and adults would jump off the bridge into the water. The new bridge is in a location where it is dangerous to jump because the deep pool is no longer accessible, though the teens, children, and adults still jump off the bridge. At the foot of the new bridge is a small area in remembrance of Hartford Veterans that have died in the wars.</p><br>
<p>Clifford Park is a town maintained park that includes nature trails, a softball field, horseshoe pits, and a picnic area on the river. Every summer, it is turned into a major landing area for the hot air balloons that have taken off at the Quechee Balloon Festival, and every Halloween it is the Haunted Area for local youths sponsored by the Hartford Parks and Recreation Department. The park is named Clifford, after the former owner of the land that now holds the park, and the land that is the Westfield Drive community.</p><br>
<p>On August 28, 2011 West Hartford was hit by Tropical Storm Irene. Several houses, the country store, the library, and the post office were affected. The post office was torn down, the store repaired, and the library has been rebuilt.</p><br>
<p>The bridge and road also suffered damage from this event. The bridge was out of commission for several weeks forcing people to find alternative routes to get to work and into more populated areas. As for the road, Route 14, it was usable to a certain point. It was repaired slowly and in the village itself there were several large holes where the river gouged away the pavement, dirt, and gravel.</p><br>
<p>The day after, August 29, people were out and about using their tractors and snowplows to clear Rt. 14 of mud and debris. While there were plenty of volunteers and they were very helpful and appreciated greatly, the people of West Hartford did not wait to be rescued; they rescued themselves.</p><br>
<p>The little white church became a place for workers, local, out of town, and even out of state, to get something to eat and drink and a place to relax for a while. The church was also used as a place for donated items and food to be collected for victims of Irene.</p><br>
<p>Clifford Park was a mess. It acquired at least a foot of mud and the playground, basketball half-court, tennis courts, and base ball field all had to be redone. Now the slide, swings, and tire swing are all back in place. There are picnic tables underneath a roof, benches stand here and there around the perimeter of the field, and the gravel parking lot is now outlined by a wooden fence.</p><br>
<p>It&#39;s cleaned up and repaired now, but you can still see the evidence of that day. Houses still bear the mark of Irene and that of people trying to fix the problems. You can still see where the river eroded the edges of the road and banks, underneath the patches that were put there.</p><br>
<h2>Schools</h2><br>
<p>West Hartford elementary students attend Ottoquechee School in Quechee, VT (K-5) and then attend middle and high school at Hartford Memorial Middle School (6-8) and Hartford High School (9-12). Families looking for their children to be in private school usually turn to the Upper Valley Waldorf School in Quechee (K-8), or Mid Vermont Christian School in Quechee (K-6) and the Middle School (7-8) and High School (9-12).</p><br>
<p>Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest US Army Corps of Engineers&#39;  lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Grayson County, Texas, about 726 mi upstream from the mouth of the river. It is located at the confluence of the Red and Washita Rivers. The damsite is about 5 mi northwest of Denison, Texas, and 15 mi southwest of Durant, Oklahoma. Lake Texoma is the most developed and most popular lake within the USACE Tulsa District, attracting around 6 million visitors a year.</p><br>
<h2>Hydrology</h2><br>
<h3>Tributaries and outlet</h3><br>
<p>Lake Texoma&#39;s two main sources are the Red River from the west and Washita River from the north. Other notable sources include Big Mineral Creek, Little Mineral Creek, Buncombe Creek, Rock Creek, and Glasses Creek. Lake Texoma drains into the Red River at the Denison Dam.</p><br>
<h3>Water levels</h3><br>
<p>Normal elevation of the conservation pool varies from 615 to 619 ft National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) depending on the time of year. The flood control pool extends to elevation 645 ft NGVD. The lake has crested the dams spillway at a height of 640 ft five times: once in 1957, again in 1990, 2007, May 24, 2015, and most recently on June 18, 2015. (USACE 2003a) The lakes previously highest elevation was recorded on May 6, 1990, at 644.76 feet.</p><br>
<p>This record was broken on May 29, 2015, and the lake crested on June 1, 2015, at a new record elevation of 645.72 feet. The top of Denison Dam is at 670 feet.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Lake Texoma is situated on the border between the states of Oklahoma and Texas in the Oklahoma counties of Bryan, Marshall, Johnston, and Love, and the Texas counties of Grayson and Cooke. It has a surface area of 93,000 acres (360 km²), a conservation water volume of 2,525,568 acre.ft, and a flood-control volume of 5,194,163 acre.ft.</p><br>
<h3>Cities</h3><br>
<p>Notable cities surrounding the lake in Texas are Denison, Sherman, and Gainesville. In Oklahoma, the most notable city is Durant.</p><br>
<p>Other towns and cities near the lake in Bryan County, Oklahoma, include Cartwright, Colbert, Calera, Platter, and Mead. In Marshall County, Oklahoma, they include Little City, Cumberland, Kingston, Woodville, McBride, Willis, and the unsubmerged portion of Aylesworth. Most of Aylesworth was submerged under the water of the lake. Other towns and cities in Texas include Gordonville, Locust, Fink, Pottsboro, and Preston.</p><br>
<h3>Islands</h3><br>
<p>Several small islands on Lake Texoma are accessible only by means of water transportation. Some of the island names include, in order from west to east, West Island, Wood Island, Hog Island, Treasure Island, Little Island, and North Island.</p><br>
<h3>Parks</h3><br>
<p>Lake Texoma features two state parks and 54 USACE-managed parks. The northern and southern reaches of the lake each terminate within a national wildlife refuge.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Denison Dam and Lake Texoma were authorized for construction by the Flood Control Act approved June 28, 1938, (Public Law 75-791) for flood control and generation of hydroelectric power. The dam, spillway, and outlet works were started in August 1939 and completed in February 1944. At that time, Denison Dam was the largest rolled, earthfilled dam in the United States. The project was put into operation for flood control in January 1944. The first hydroelectric turbine was placed in operation in March 1945, while a second unit became operational in September 1949. The town of Woodville, Oklahoma, was submerged by the lake. The site was later exposed by a severe drought in 2011. Most of the town of Aylesworth was submerged by the construction of the lake. Lake Texoma is also the only lake in the contiguous United States to have its own independent government known as Lake Texoma Indian Territory.</p><br>
<p>The lake was constructed during WWII. North of Gainesville, Camp Howze was constructed for military training. German prisoners were sent there. Some were used to clearcut the timber below the flood line for Lake Texoma. The lake was pristine until flood waters rose above the clear cut line in 1957.</p><br>
<p>The lake attracted worldwide media attention in June 2015 when water was drained following a flood, causing a vortex with 2.5-m-wide hole to form.</p><br>
<h2>Popularity</h2><br>
<p>Lake Texomas popularity is largely attributed to its sheer size and proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The lake is about an hours drive north from the metropolitan area. The Lake Texoma area, known simply as Texoma or Texomaland, is experiencing rapid economic growth due to heavy tourist use.</p><br>
<h2>Recreation</h2><br>
<p>Diverse recreational opportunities include two wildlife refuges, two state parks, 54 USACE-managed parks, 12 marinas, 26 resorts, hundreds of campgrounds, and a variety of excellent golf courses. Power boating, sailing, personal watercraft, water skiing, and wind surfing are all popular. The lake has become a major sailing center based on its size, depth, and miles of sailing shoreline.</p><br>
<p>During the spring break and Fourth of July holidays, many college students home for the holidays gather in an area called "Fobb Bottom" on the Oklahoma side.</p><br>
<p>Lake Texoma is also home to the Lakefest Regatta, widely considered to be the first inland charity regatta in the United States. The event typically attracts up to 100 keelboats and more than 500 sailors each spring. Since its inception, Lakefest has raised more than $2 million in support of various children’s charities in North Texas. The current beneficiary is the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas.</p><br>
<p>Former professional funny car race driver "Flash" Gordon Mineo organized many "poker run" events on Lake Texoma. Gordon and Ann Mineo, along with three others, died in a boating accident during a poker run on Lake Texoma in September 2006.</p><br>
<h3>Fishing</h3><br>
<p>Management of the fishery resources at Lake Texoma is the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Lake Texoma provides habitat for at least 70 species of fish, several of which were introduced by the ODWC and TPWD. These agencies maintain a supplemental stocking program to improve the fishery resource. Those species popular for recreational fishing include largemouth, spotted, white, and striped bass (Micropterus salmoides, M. punctulatus, Morone chrysops, and M. saxatilis); white crappie (Pomoxis annularis); and channel, blue, and flathead catfish (Ictalurus punctatus, I. furcatus, and Pylodictis olivaris). The striped bass fishery in particular is very popular and is considered one most successful in the nation. In addition, downstream of the dam is a tailwater fishery that supports the species and the three local catfish. American gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), threadfin shad (D. petenense), and inland silverside (Menidia beryllina) are important forage species. Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), gars (Lepisosteus spp.), buffaloes (Ictiobus spp.), and river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio) also inhabit the lake.</p><br>
<p>The lake was stocked with striped bass in the late 1960s, and has proven to be an excellent habitat for them. It is one of the seven USA inland lakes where the striped bass reproduce naturally, instead of being farmed and released into the waters. The "stripers" feed on large schools of shad, and often reach sizes of 12 to 20 lb, with a lake record of 35.12 lb caught April 25, 1984. The town of Kingston celebrates the importance of striper fishing to the local area with the annual Kingston Striper Festival each September.</p><br>
<p>In 2004, a blue catfish was pulled from the lake that weighed 121.5 lb, temporarily setting a world weight record for rod-and-reel-caught catfish.</p><br>
<p>The fish was moved to a freshwater aquarium in Athens, Texas. More commonly, catfish in Lake Texoma weigh between 5 and.</p><br>
<p>Historically, Texas and Oklahoma have not had a reciprocal fishing license agreement, which has posed a problem for anglers. Recent boundary resolutions have given Oklahoma jurisdiction over most of the fishing in Lake Texoma. An Oklahoma fishing license allows fishing most of the lake, up to within 400 yd of Denison Dam. To fish the entire lake, a Lake Texoma fishing license was established and made available in 1979.</p><br>
<h3>Camping</h3><br>
<p>Many campgrounds, both public and private, exist along the shores of Lake Texoma. Among these are Eisenhower State Park, named for President Dwight Eisenhower, who was born in nearby Denison and Camp All Saints owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.</p><br>
<h2>Private development initiatives</h2><br>
<p>Recently, several large transfers of public land to private developers have been authorized by the federal government.</p><br>
<p>The Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-53 113 Stat. 359), authorized USACE to sell to the state of Oklahoma about 1,580 acre of federally owned land on the north shore of Lake Texoma in Marshall County, Oklahoma, under lease at that time to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. The land was part of the Lake Texoma State Park, a conglomerate of state-owned and federally owned lands leased to the state, totaling around 1,882 acre. The park was home to numerous state- and concession-operated facilities and activities, including a resort lodge with 106 guest rooms and suites.</p><br>
<p>Initially, the State of Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office purchased only 558 acre from USACE in March 2007. Soon after, the state reached an agreement with Pointe Vista Development, LLC, for the sale of roughly 750 acres (to include the land purchased from USACE and land already owned by the state) for the development of home sites and an upscale resort. Pointe Vista is a partnership between Mark Fischer, president and chief executive of Chaparral Energy, and Aubrey McClendon, chairman and chief executive of Chesapeake Energy. Also in 2007, the Governor of Oklahoma, Brad Henry, indicated that the state would likely purchase all or most of the remaining land at Texoma State Park under lease from USACE to transfer to Pointe Vista for further development. The new development is proposed to include 18–36 holes of championship golf, a club house and practice facility, aquatic center, outdoor recreation center, nature parks, campgrounds, retail shops, and an amphitheater. The new development will cost an estimated $360 million, which will also include housing, as well as a full-service hotel with restaurants, gym, business center, multiple swimming pools, spa, and meeting rooms. The proposed private community will have 250–350 high-end homes, ranging in size from 1500 to 4000 sqft.</p><br>
<p>The Lake Texoma Lodge, built in 1951, officially closed its doors on December 1, 2006. The lodge was in poor repair, resulting in a steady decline in the facility&#39;s use.</p><br>
<p>Section 3182(j) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, authorized USACE to convey approximately 900 acre of land at Lake Texoma to the city of Denison, Texas. The provision was backed by USA Congressman Ralph Hall (R) as an economic development initiative. The sale is to be at fair market value and the city of Denison is responsible for all costs associated with the transaction (costs for completing NEPA compliance documentation, surveys, appraisals, USACE administrative costs, etc.). The city in turn intends to sell the property to George Schuler, a local developer, for the creation of a private residential and recreational development on the conveyed land and adjacent land already owned by Mr. Schuler. The eventual development may result in as many as 10,000 residents locating in the Grandpappy Point area.</p><br>
<p>The city and Mr. Schuler attempted to lease the same land from the Corps of Engineers in 2004, but abandoned those attempts in favor of legislation mandating the transfer, due to the inability to use the land for the intended purposes under a lease without an update of the Corps Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) for Lake Texoma. The majority of the land is currently zoned as Limited Development, Protected Area (suitable for nature hiking, birdwatching, etc.) and Aesthetic or Scenic areas. The Corps has previously stated that any revision of the SMP will require the completion of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the entire Lake Texoma project that will consider the cumulative impacts of the extensive development that has occurred around the Lake since the original EIS was conducted in the 1970s. Completion of a lake-wde SEIS has been estimated by the Corps to take up to 2 years to complete at a cost of approximately $2.5 million. Since Section 3182(j) contained no provisions exempting the sale from the requirements of NEPA, it is expected that completion of the SEIS and revision of the SMP will also be required prior to completion of the sale, and that the city of Denison will be required to bear that as a cost associated with the transaction.</p><br>
<h2>Proposed park closure in 2018</h2><br>
<p>In March 2017, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation published a list of 16 state parks that may be closed to help offset a reduction in its budget for 2018. Lake Texoma State Park is on this list. This list represents approximately one-half of the parks remaining after the department closed seven parks in 2011.</p><br>
<p>Gavdos  is the southernmost Greek island, located to the south of its much larger neighbour, Crete, of which it is administratively a part, in the regional unit of Chania. It forms a community with surrounding islets and was part of the former Selino Province. The island is situated at the southern tip of Greece, thus making it the southernmost point of the entire European continent.</p><br>
<h2>Name</h2><br>
<p>Gavdos has been known by a wide variety of names. For example, it appears in the biblical account of Paul&#39;s journey to Rome in Acts 27 as "Clauda" (Κλαῦδα) or "Cauda" (Καῦδα). The island was also referred to as "Cauda" by Roman geographer Pomponius Mela, and as "Gaudos" by Pliny. Ptolemy called Gavdos "Claudos" (Κλαῦδος). The Venetians called it "Gotzo", perhaps in imitation of the Maltese island "Gozo". From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the island was known as "Gondzo". A Turkish name of Godzo was "Bougadoz".</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The island is 26 nmi south of Chora Sfakion. The area of the municipality, which includes the small island Gavdopoula, is 32.424 km&sup2;. The island is roughly triangular in shape. Its highest point is Mount Vardia, 345 m. The southeastern corner is a rocky peninsula with a natural arch carved by the elements, called Trypiti. A sculpture of an oversized chair sits on top of Trypiti.</p><br>
<p>There is an islet called Gavdopoula (Γαυδοπούλα, "little Gavdos") to the north west of Gavdos. Gavdos and Gavdopoula are covered with phrygana (φρύγανα), low-lying shrubs. Both are important stops for migrating birds. Local birds include the Eurasian scops owl and the European shag. Gavdos also has a variety of other vegetation, such as maquis as well as forests of pines and junipers.</p><br>
<h3>Climate</h3><br>
<h2>Demographics</h2><br>
<p>There are only a small number of year-round residents of Gavdos and services for tourists are basic., the total population of Gavdos was measured as 152 people. In reality, fewer than 50 people live permanently on the island. In the summer the total people on the island can reach over 3,500, most of whom are campers and tourists. The largest man-made harbour for ferries is Karave. The island&#39;s capital is Kastri. The southernmost populated village is Vatsiana, with a total permanent population of 31 people.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Gavdos has supported a permanent population since Neolithic times. However, the island currently has very few permanent residents.</p><br>
<p>Gavdos has been identified as a possible site of the mythical Ogygia where Kalypso held Odysseus prisoner. Archaeological evidence showed that the Roman empire was active on the island. During that time the flora of the island was overexploited and that started a process of erosion which has continued to this day.</p><br>
<p>Gavdos had approximately 8,000 inhabitants by 900 AD. During the Ottoman Empire&#39;s reign on the island, which lasted from 1665 until 1895, Gavdos was known as Gondzo. During this period the population decreased considerably to only 500 by 1882. A reference to Saracens on the island survives: the beach Sarakiniko ("of the Saracens").</p><br>
<p>In the 1930s the island was used as a place of exile of communists; more than 250 people were exiled including leading figures of the Greek movement, such as Markos Vafiadis. During World War II, allied forces evacuated some forces to Gavdos following the German victory in the battle of Crete.</p><br>
<p>Later on, the general phase of urbanization that started in other parts of Greece in the 1960s took place in the 1950s on Gavdos. During that period the islanders exchanged their land on Gavdos with ex-Turkish land on Crete, which had now become exchangeable via the state. Upon settling in Crete they created a community known as Gavdiotika, which is part of the town of Paleochora.</p><br>
<h2>Economy</h2><br>
<p>There are many abandoned terraces on Gavdos where farmers used to grow crops on the hillsides. There still is some agriculture on Gavdos. During the summer, the population of the island swells to a few thousand because of tourists, although there are few facilities for tourists. There is one year-round cafe in Carave (Karabe) on Gavdos run by Evangelina Tsigonakis. There is a modern non-functioning reproduction lighthouse tower on Gavdos which now serves as a cafe during the summer season; the complex also contains a museum on the history of the original lighthouse with several rooms of photos and antique equipment. Gavdos has a FM radio station, Gavdosfm 88.8, which is also available online.</p><br>
<h2>Politics</h2><br>
<p>Following years of isolation, in 1996 the island came to media prominence. In a NATO exercise Gavdos was the focal point of a confrontation between Greece and Turkey. Following that, Prime Minister Costas Simitis visited Gavdos and announced a five-year, €1.5 million plan for the island&#39;s development.</p><br>
<p>In 2001, Costis Stephanopoulos, the Greek President, inaugurated a telemedicine centre on Gavdos, an island which has not had a full-time doctor in recent memory. This effort, however, was marred as the island&#39;s infrastructure could not provide the necessary power required by the centre. For the purposes of the inauguration, generators were brought in, which were then removed. However, according to a 2008 BBC News report the island now features stable electrical power, and young medical graduates can serve for six months on Gavdos in lieu of compulsory military service. But visitors to Gavdos in June 2008 found that the power station was not functioning and that businesses were relying on gas generators operated for a few hours per night; locals stated that the power station worked initially, but no longer serves the entire island reliably.</p><br>
<p>In 2002, the island was in the news again, due to the arrests of members of the extremist Marxist group 17 November. The leader of this organization had been living openly for several years on Gavdos as a beekeeper.</p><br>
<h2>Gavdos in Literature</h2><br>
<p>Gavdos is featured in James Aldridge&#39;s 1944 novel The Sea Eagle, which tells the story of the escape of a Greek partisan and two Australian soldiers after the Battle of Crete. The three join an expedition to liberate some Cretan fishermen from a Metaxas-era prison on the eastern end of the island. The attack on the cliffs of Khavro Spahti Bay is described in Chapters 24-28.</p><br>
<p>Cabo da Roca  is a cape which forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal, continental Europe and the Eurasian land mass. The cape is in the Portuguese municipality of Sintra, near Azóia, in the southwest of the district of Lisbon, forming the westernmost extent of the Serra de Sintra.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Cabo da Roca was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The cape is within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, 42 kilometres west of the city of Lisbon and in the southwest of Sintra. A location (38&deg;47&prime;N latitude, 9&deg;30&prime;W longitude) is inscribed on a stone plaque, located on a monument at the site.</p><br>
<p>The western coast is a mixture of sand beaches and rocky cliff promontories: around Cabo da Roca, cliffs are more than 100 metres in height, and cut into crystalline rocks, composed of strongly folded and faulted sedimentary units. These forms are disturbed by dikes and small beaches. This promontory of "high" beaches is the extreme western immersion of the ancient eruptive Sintra massif, as evident from the rose-coloured granite in the north and syenite of the Ribeira do Louriçal in the south. In the vicinity of the Cape, there are geomorphological examples of gabbro-diorite, volcanic breccia, and granite.</p><br>
<p>Part of the granite formations show evidence of strong coastal erosion, while in other areas there are limestone deposits embedded in the granite.</p><br>
<p>Much of the vegetation on this cape is low-lying and adapted to saltwater and windy conditions. Once home to a variety of plant life, Cabo da Roca has been overrun with the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis. This creeping, mat-forming plant, a member of the Aizoaceae succulent family, was introduced as ground cover by local residents several decades ago, but now covers much of the arable land on Cabo da Roca.</p><br>
<p>Many migratory and marine birds roost temporarily along the cliffs and protected coves of the coastal area.</p><br>
<p>Middle Mouse  is an uninhabited island situated 1 kilometre off the north coast of Anglesey. It is notable as the northernmost point of Wales. The island measures a maximum of 207 metres by 110 metres, with a maximum area of 3.7 acres and has a maximum altitude of 16 metres above sea level. It is one of a chain of three islands off the north of Anglesey, the others being Ynys Amlwch and Maen y Bugail.</p><br>
<p>Local legend has it that St Patrick was shipwrecked there, giving rise to its Welsh name. He then swam ashore and eventually founded the nearby church of Llanbadrig in about 440 AD, believed to be the oldest Christian site in Wales.</p><br>
<p>Middle Mouse is a favoured place for cormorants, guillemots and razorbills. For visiting scuba divers the attractions are steep underwater cliffs that drop away to 40 metres with abundant marine life. There is very little protection from the fierce tidal flow, so accurate timing for slack water is required.</p><br>
<p>During the 19th century the island was used as a navigational aid to ships sailing into Liverpool. Any vessel that passed the island without signalling, and waiting for, a pilot was liable to incur a fine. The S.S. Liverpool, following a collision with a ship named Laplata, was shipwrecked near Middle Mouse in 1863. She had on board a shipment of tin ingots.</p><br>
<p>In 2005, the island was put up for sale as part of a 168 acre estate.</p><br>
<p>The Furneaux Group  is a group of approximately 100 islands located at the eastern end of Bass Strait, between Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. The islands were named after British navigator Tobias Furneaux, who sighted the eastern side of these islands after leaving Adventure Bay in 1773 on his way to New Zealand to rejoin Captain James Cook. Navigator Matthew Flinders was the first Westerner to explore the Furneaux Islands group in the Francis in 1798, and later that year in the Norfolk.</p><br>
<p>The largest islands in the group are Flinders Island, Cape Barren Island, and Clarke Island. The group contains five settlements:</p><br>
<p>Killiecrankie, Emita, Lady Barron, Cape Barren Island, and Whitemark on Flinders Island, which serves as the administrative centre of the Flinders Council. there are also some small populated ranches on the remote islands.</p><br>
<p>The Aboriginal woman Dolly Dalrymple was born in the area.</p><br>
<p>King Island, at the western end of Bass Strait, is not a part of the group.</p><br>
<h2>Administration</h2><br>
<p>The Furneaux Group consists of approximately 100 islands. The major ones are: Anderson Island, Babel Island, Badger Island, Billy Goat Reefs, Big Green Island, Briggs Islet, Cat Island, Chalky Island, Cooties Reef, Doughboy Island, East Kangaroo Island, Fisher Island, Fisher Island Reef, Forsyth Island, Great Dog Island, Inner Sister Island, Outer Sister Island, Isabella Island, Little Anderson Island, Little Chalky Island, Little Dog Island, Little Green Island, Long Island, Low Islets, and another of the same name Low Islets, Middle Pasco Island, Mile Island, Moriarty Rocks, Mount Chappell Island, Neds Reef, Night Island, North Pasco Island, Passage Island (Tasmania), Pelican Island, Prime Seal Island, Puncheon Island, Puncheon Islets, Roydon Island, Rum Island, Samphire Island, Sentinel Island, South Pasco Island, Spences Reefs, Spike Island, Storehouse Island, Swan Island, Tin Kettle Island, Vansittart Island.</p><br>
<p>The Furneaux Group, together with the groups of islands to the north west Kent Group, Hogan Island Group, Curtis Group, Wilsons Promontory Islands (only Tasmanian part) form the Furneaux Islands Council.</p><br>
<h2>Table of islands</h2><br>
<h2>Geology</h2><br>
<p>The islands contain granite from the Devonian period, as well as unconsolidated limestone and sand from Cenozoic periods. During the ice age, a land bridge joined Tasmania to the Australian mainland through this group of islands.</p><br>
<p>The Aravalli Range is a range of mountains running approximately 692 km  in a northwest direction, starting in North India from Delhi and passing through southern Haryana, through to Western India across the states of Rajasthan and ending in Gujarat.</p><br>
<h2>Etymology</h2><br>
<p>Aravalli, a composite Sanskrit word from "ara" and "vali", literally means the "line of peaks".</p><br>
<h2>Natural History</h2><br>
<h3>Geology</h3><br>
<p>The Aravalli Range, an eroded stub of ancient mountains, is the oldest range of fold mountains in India. The natural history of the Aravalli Range dates back to times when the Indian Plate was separated from the Eurasian Plate by an ocean. The Proterozoic Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt in north west India is similar to the younger Himalayan-type orogenic belts of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic era (of the Phanerozoic) in terms of component parts and appears to have passed through a near-orderly Wilson supercontinental cycle of events. The range rose in a Precambrian event called the Aravalli-Delhi Orogen. The Aravalli Range is a northeast-southwest trending orogenic belt that is located in the northwestern part of Indian Peninsula. It is part of the Indian Shield that was formed from a series of cratonic collisions. In ancient times, Aravalli were extremely high but since have worn down almost completely by millions of years of weathering, where as the Himalayas being young fold mountains are still continuously rising. Aravalli, being the old fold mountains, have stopped growing higher due to the cessation of upward thrust caused by the stopping of movement of the tectonic plates in the Earths crust below them. The Aravalli Range joins two of the ancient earths crust segments that make up the greater Indian craton, the Aravalli Craton which is the Marwar segment of earths crust to the northwest of the Aravalli Range, and the Bundelkand Craton segment of earths crust to the southeast of the Aravalli Range. Cratons, generally found in the interiors of tectonic plates, are old and stable parts of the continental lithosphere that has remained relatively undeformed during the cycles of merging and rifting of continents.</p><br>
<p>It consists of two main sequences formed in Proterozoic eon, metasedimentary rock (sedimentary rocks metamorphised under pressure and heat without melting) and metavolcanic rock (metamorphised volcanic rocks) sequences of the Aravalli Supergroup and Delhi Supergroup. These two supergroups rest over the Archean Bhilwara Gneissic Complex basement, which is a gneissic (high-grade metamorphism of sedimentary or igneous rocks) basement formed during the archean eon 4 Ga ago. It started as an inverted basin, that rifted and pulled apart into granitoid basement, initially during Aravalli passive rifting around 2.5 to 2.0 Ga years ago and then during Delhi active rifting around 1.9 to 1.6 Ga years ago. It started with rifting of a rigid Archaean continent banded gneissic complex around 2.2 Ga with the coexisting formation of the Bhilwara aulacogen in its eastern part and eventual rupturing and separation of the continent along a line parallel to the Rakhabdev (Rishabhdev) lineament to the west, simultaneous development of a passive continental margin with the undersea shelf rise sediments of the Aravalli-Jharol belts depositing on the attenuated crust on the eastern flank of the separated continent, subsequent destruction of the continental margin by accretion of the Delhi island arc (a type of archipelago composed of an arc-shaped chain of volcanoes closely situated parallel to a convergent boundary between two converging tectonic plates) from the west around 1.5 Ga. This tectonic plates collision event involved early thrusting with partial obduction (overthrusting of oceanic lithosphere onto continental lithosphere at a convergent plate boundary) of the oceanic crust along the Rakhabdev lineament, flattening and eventual wrenching (also called strike-slip plate fault, side ways horizontal movement of colliding plates with no vertical motion) parallel to the collision zone. Associated mafic igneous rocks show both continental and oceanic tholeiitic geochemistry (magnesium and iron rich igneous rocks) from phanerozoic eon (541–0 million) with rift-related magmatic rock formations.P. K. VermaR. O. Greiling, December 1995,</p><br>
<p>, Geologische Rundschau, Volume 84, Issue 4, pp 683–696.</p><br>
<p>The Aravalli-Delhi Orogen is an orogen event that led to a large structural deformation of the Earth&#39;s lithosphere (crust and uppermost mantle, such as Aravalli and Himalayas fold mountains) due to the interaction between tectonic plates when a continental plate is crumpled and is pushed upwards to form mountain ranges, and involve a great range of geological processes collectively called orogenesis.</p><br>
<h3>Minerals</h3><br>
<p>The achean basement served as a rigid indentor which controlled the overall wedge shaped geometry of the orogen. Lithology of area shows that the base rocks of Aravalli are of Mewar Gneiss formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally sedimentary rock with earliest life form that were formed during the archean eon, these contain fossils of unicellular organism such as green algae and cyanobacteria in stromatolitic carbonate ocean reefs formed during the paleoproterozoic era. Sedimentary exhalative deposits of base metal sulfide ores formed extensively along several, long, linear zones in the Bhilwara aulacogen or produced local concentration in the rifted Aravalli continental margin, where rich stromatolitic phosphorites also formed. Tectonic evolution of the Aravalli Mountains shows Mewar Geniss rocks are overlain by Delhi Supergroup type of rocks that also have post-Aravalli intrusions. Metal sulfide ores were formed in two different epocs, lead and zinc sulfide ores were formed in the sedimentary rocks around 1.8 Ga years ago during Paleoproterozoic phase. The tectonic setting of Zinc-lead-copper sulfides mineralization in Delhi supergroup rocks in Haryana-Delhi were formed in mantle plume volcanic action around 1 Ga years ago covering Haryana and Rajasthan during mesoproterozoic. In the southern part of Aravalli supergroup arc base metal sulfides were generated near the subduction zone on the western fringe and in zones of back-arc extension to the south-east. Continued subduction produced W-Sn (Tungsten-Tin) mineralisation in S-type (sedimentary unmetamorphosed rock) felsic (volcanic rock) plutons (underground crystallised solidified magma). This includes commercially viable quantities of minerals, such as rock phosphate, lead-zinc-silver mineral deposits at Zawar, Rikahbdev serpentinite, talc and pyrophyllite) and asbestos, apatite, kyanite and beryl.</p><br>
<h3>Mining</h3><br>
<p>Mining of copper and other metals in the Aravalli range dates back to at least 5th century BC, based on carbon dating. Recent research indicates that copper was already mined here during Sothi-Siswal period going back to c. 4000 BCE. Ancient Kalibangan and Kunal, Haryana settlements obtained copper here.</p><br>
<h3>Geographical features</h3><br>
<p>The Aravalli Range can be divided into the following parts (north to south direction):</p><br>
<p>Archean basement, is a Banded Gneissic Complex (BGC) with schists (medium grade metamorphic rock), gneisses (high grade regional metamorphic rock), composite gneiss and quartzites. It forms the basement rock for both Delhi Supergroup and Aravalli Supergroup.</p><br>
<p>Delhi Supergroup</p><br>
<p>Alwar Group, with arenaceous and mafic volcanic rocks</p><br>
<p>* Delhi Ridge, in north</p><br>
<p>* Haryana Aravalli ranges, in the west</p><br>
<p>** Tosham Hill range, basement rocks are quartzite with chiastolite, the upper layers of quartz porphyry ring dyke, felsite, welded tuff and muscovite biotite granite rocks have commercially nonviable tin, tungsten and copper.</p><br>
<p>* Rajasthan Alwar range, in the east</p><br>
<p>Ajabgarh Group-Kumbhalgarh Group, with Carbonate, mafic volcanic and argillaceous rocks</p><br>
<p>Raialo Group, with Mafic volcanic and calcareous rocks</p><br>
<p>Aravalli Supergroup</p><br>
<p>Debari Group, with Carbonates, quartzite, and pelitic rocks</p><br>
<p>Jharol Group, with Turbidite facies and argillaceous rocks</p><br>
<p>The Delhi Ridge is the northernmost end of the Aravalli range, which begins in Central Delhi at Raisina hill. The ridge diagonally traverses to the South Delhi (hills of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary), where at the hills of Bandhwari, it meets the Haryana Aravalli range consisting of various isolated hills and rocky ridges passing along the southern border of Haryana.</p><br>
<p>The Aravalli supergroup passes through Rajasthan state, dividing it into two halves, with three-fifths of Rajasthan on the western side towards Thar Desert and two third on the eastern side consisting of the catchment area of Banas and Chambal rivers bordering the state of Madhya Pradesh. Guru Shikhar, the highest peak in the Aravalli Range at 5650 feet (1722 meters) in Mount Abu of Rajasthan, lies near the south-western extremity of the Central Aravalli range, close to the border with Gujarat state. The southern Aravalli Supergroup enters the northeast of Gujarat near Modasa where it lends its name to the Aravalli district, and ends at the center of the state at Palanpur near Ahmedabad.</p><br>
<h2>Human history</h2><br>
<p>The Aravalli Range has been site of three broad stages of human history, early stone age saw the use of flint stones; mid-stone age starting from 20,000 BP saw the domestication of cattle for agriculture; and post stone age starting from 10,000 BP saw the development of the Kalibangan civilization, 4,000 years old Aahar civilization and 2,800 years old Gneshwar civilization, Aarayan civilization and Vedic era civilizations.</p><br>
<h3>Early stone age</h3><br>
<h3>Mid-stone age</h3><br>
<h3>Post stone age</h3><br>
<h4>Ganeshwar sunari Cultural Complex</h4><br>
<p>Ganeshwar sunari Cultural Complex (GSCC) is a collection of third millennium BC settlements in the area of the Aravalli Hill Range. Among them, there are similarities in material culture, and in the production of copper tools. They are located near the copper mines.</p><br>
<p>"The GSCC is east of the Harappan culture, to the north-east of Ahar-Banas Complex, north/north west to the Kayatha Culture and at a later date, west of the OCP-Copper Hoard sites (Ochre Coloured Pottery culture-Copper Hoard Culture). Located within the regions of the Aravalli Hill Range, primarily along the Kantli, Sabi, Sota, Dohan and Bondi rivers, the GJCC is the largest copper producing community in third millennium BC South Asia, with 385 sites documented. Archaeological indicators of the GSCC were documented primarily in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar districts of Rajasthan, India..."</p><br>
<p>Among their pottery, we find the incised ware, and reserved slip ware.</p><br>
<p>There are two main type sites, Ganeshwar, and Sunari, in Tehsil Kot Putli, Jaipur District (Geo coordinates: N 27° 35 51", 76° 06 85" E).</p><br>
<h2>Environment</h2><br>
<h3>Climate</h3><br>
<p>The Northern Aravalli range in Delhi and Haryana has humid subtropical climate and hot semi-arid climate continental climate with very hot summers and relatively cool winters. The main characteristics of climate in Hisar are dryness, extremes of temperature, and scanty rainfall. The maximum daytime temperature during the summer varies between 40 and. During winter, its ranges between 1.5 and 4 °C.</p><br>
<p>The Central Aravalli range in Rajasthan has an arid and dry climate.</p><br>
<p>The Southern Aravalli range in Gujarat has a tropical wet and dry climate</p><br>
<h3>Rivers</h3><br>
<p>Following rivers flow from the Aravalli range.</p><br>
<p>North-to-south flowing rivers, originate from the western slopes of Aravalli range in Rajasthan, pass through the southeastern portion of the Thar Desert, and end into Gujarat.</p><br>
<p>Luni River, originates in the Pushkar valley near Ajmer, ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch.</p><br>
<p>Sakhi river, ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch.</p><br>
<p>Sabarmati River, originates one the western slopes of Aravalli range of the Udaipur District, end into the Gulf of Cambay of Arabian Sea.</p><br>
<p>West to north-west flowing rivers, originate from the western slopes of Aravalli range in Rajasthan, flow through semi-arid historical Shekhawati region, drain into southern Haryana. Several Ochre Coloured Pottery culture sites, also identified as late Harappan phase of Indus Valley Civilisation culture, has been found along the banks of these rivers.</p><br>
<p>Sahibi River, originates near Manoharpur in Sikar district flows through Haryana, along with its following tributaries:</p><br>
<p>* Dohan river, tributary of Sahibi river, originates near Neem Ka Thana in Alwar district).</p><br>
<p>* Sota River, tributary of Sahibi river, merges with Sahibi river at Behror in Alwar district.</p><br>
<p>* Krishnavati river, former tributary of Sahibi river, originates near Dariba copper mines in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, flows through Patan in Dausa district and Mothooka in Alwar district, then disappears in Mahendragarh district in Haryana much before reaching Sahibi river.</p><br>
<p>West to north-east flowing rivers, originating from the eastern slopes of Aravalli range in Rajasthan, flow northwards to Yamuna.</p><br>
<p>Chambal River, a southern-side tributary of Yamuna river.</p><br>
<p>* Banas River, a northern-side tributary of Chambal river.</p><br>
<p>** Berach River, a southern-side tributary of Banas River, originates in the hills of Udaipur District.</p><br>
<p>*** Ahar River, a right-side (or eastern side) tributary of the Berach river, originates in the hills of Udaipur District, flows through Udaipur city forming the famous Lake Pichola.</p><br>
<p>*** Wagli River, a right-side tributary of the Berach River.</p><br>
<p>*** Wagon River, a right-side tributary of the Berach River.</p><br>
<p>*** Gambhiri River, a right-side tributary of the Berach river.</p><br>
<p>*** Orai River, a right-side tributary of the Berach River.</p><br>
<h2>Ecology</h2><br>
<h3>Flora</h3><br>
<p>The Aravalli Range has several forests with a diversity of environment.</p><br>
<h3>Fauna</h3><br>
<p>The Aravalli Range is rich in wildlife. The first ever 2017 wildlife survey of 200 square meter area cross five districts (Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat, Rewari and Mahendergarh) of Haryana done by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) found 14 species, including leopards, striped hyena (7 sightings), golden jackal (9 sightings, with 92% occupancy across the survey area), nilgai (55 sightings), palm civet (7 sightings), wild pig (14 sightings), rhesus macaque (55 sightings), peafowl (57 sightings) and Indian crested porcupine (12 sightings). Encouraged by first survey, wildlife department has prepared a plan for the comprehensive study and census of wildlife across the whole Aravalli range, including radio collar tracking of the wild animals.</p><br>
<h3>Concerns</h3><br>
<p>In May 1992, some parts of the Aravalli hills in Rajasthan and Haryana were protected from mining through the Ecologically Sensitive Areas clauses of Indian laws. In 2003, the central government of India prohibited mining operations in these areas. In 2004, India&#39;s Supreme Court banned mining in the notified areas of Aravalli Range. In May 2009, the Supreme Court extended the ban on mining in an area of 448 km across the Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat districts in Haryana, covering the Aravalli Range.</p><br>
<p>A 2013 report used high resolution Cartosat-1 & LISS-IV satellite imaging to determine the existence and condition of mines in the Aravalli Range. In the Guru Gram district, the Aravalli hills occupy an area of 11,256 hectares, of which 491 (4.36%) hectares had mines, of which 16 hectares (0.14%) were abandoned flooded mines. In the Faridabad and Mewat districts, about 3610 hectares were part of mining industry, out of a total of 49,300 hectares. These mines were primarily granite and marble quarries for India&#39;s residential and real estate construction applications. In the Central Rajasthan region, Sharma states that the presence of some mining has had both positive and negative effects on neighboring agriculture and the ecosystem. The rain induced erosion brings nutrients as well as potential contaminants.</p><br>
<h2>Economy</h2><br>
<p>The Aravali Range is the source area of many rivers, resulting in development of human settlements with sustainable economy since pre-historic times. The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, North Western Railway network, Jaipur-Kishangarh Expressway and Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, all run parallel to the length of the Aravalli Range providing an economic boost.</p><br>
<h2>Tourism</h2><br>
<p>Aravali range is the home of several forests, wildlife and protected areas, UNESCO heritage listed forts, hundreds of rivers and ancient history to sustain a large tourism industry.</p><br>
<h2>Concerns</h2><br>
<p>Damage to the environment and ecology from the unorganised urbanisation, overexploitation of the natural resources including water and minerals, mining, untreated human waste and disposal, pollution, loss of forest cover and wildlife habitat, unprotected status of most of the Aravalli and the lack of an integrated Aravalli management agency are the major causes of concern.</p><br>
<p>Goli otok  is a barren, uninhabited island that was the site of a political prison in use when Croatia was part of Yugoslavia. The prison was in operation between 1949 and 1989. The island is located in the northern Adriatic Sea just off the coast of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia with an area of approximately 4 square kilometers .</p><br>
<h2>Goli otok prison</h2><br>
<p>Despite having long been an occasional grazing ground for local shepherds&#39; flocks, the barren island was apparently never permanently settled other than during the 20th century. Throughout World War I, Austria-Hungary sent Russian prisoners of war from the Eastern Front to Goli otok.</p><br>
<p>In 1949, the entire island was officially made into a high-security, top secret prison and labor camp run by the authorities of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, together with the nearby Sveti Grgur island, which held a similar camp for female prisoners. Until 1956, throughout the Informbiro period, it was used to incarcerate political prisoners. These included known and alleged Stalinists, but also other Communist Party of Yugoslavia members or even non-party citizens accused of exhibiting sympathy or leanings towards the Soviet Union. Many anticommunist (Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Albanian and other nationalists etc.) were also incarcerated on Goli otok. Non-political prisoners were also sent to the island to serve out simple criminal sentences and some of them were sentenced to death. A total of approximately 16,000 political prisoners served there, of which between 400</p><br>
<p>The prison inmates were forced to labor (in a stone quarry, pottery and joinery), without regard to the weather conditions: in the summer the temperature would rise as high as 35 to 40 C, while in the winter they were subjected to the chilling bura wind and freezing temperatures. Inmates were also regularly beaten and humiliated either by guards or, predominantly, by other inmates. Guards did not kill inmates themselves, but did not intervene when inmates killed each other.</p><br>
<p>After Yugoslavia normalized relations with the Soviet Union, Goli otok prison passed to the provincial jurisdiction of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (as opposed to the Yugoslav federal authorities). Regardless, the prison remained a taboo topic in Yugoslavia. Antonije Isaković wrote the novel Tren (Moment) about the prison in 1979, waiting until after Josip Broz&#39;s death in 1980 to release it. The book became an instant bestseller.</p><br>
<p>The prison was shut down on 30 December 1988 and completely abandoned in 1989. Since then it has been left to ruin. Today it is frequented by the occasional tourist on a boat trip and populated by shepherds from Rab. Former Croatian prisoners are organized into the Association of Former Political Prisoners of Goli otok. In Serbia, they are organized into the Society of Goli otok.</p><br>
<h3>Notable prisoners</h3><br>
<p>Nikola Kljusev- Former Prime Minister of Macedonia</p><br>
<p>Adem Demaçi ‒ Kosovar-Albanian politician and author</p><br>
<p>Šaban Bajramović ‒ Serbian Roma musician</p><br>
<p>Panko Brashnarov ‒ Bulgarian and Macedonian politician</p><br>
<p>Vlado Dapčević ‒ Montenegrin revolutionary and partisan</p><br>
<p>Teki Dervishi ‒ Albanian writer</p><br>
<p>Vlado Dijak ‒ Bosnian writer</p><br>
<p>Alija Izetbegovic - Former president of Bosnia and Herzegovina</p><br>
<p>Tine Logar ‒ Slovenian linguist</p><br>
<p>Venko Markovski ‒ Bulgarian and Macedonian writer</p><br>
<p>Dragoljub Mićunović ‒ Serbian partisan, sociologist, and politician</p><br>
<p>Dragoslav Mihailović ‒ Serbian writer</p><br>
<p>Alfred Pal – Croatian painter and graphic designer</p><br>
<p>Dobroslav Paraga ‒ Croatian politician</p><br>
<p>Igor Torkar – Slovenian writer</p><br>
<p>Savo Zlatić ‒ Croatian physician and politician</p><br>
<h2>Goli otok in literature</h2><br>
<p>1981: Noč do jutra ‒ fictional novel by Slovenian author, Branko Hofman</p><br>
<p>1981: Herezia e Dervish Mallutes - allegorical novel by Kosovar author, Teki Dervishi</p><br>
<p>1984: Umiranje na obroke ‒ autobiographical book by Slovenian author, Igor Torkar, about Goli otok prison conditions</p><br>
<p>1984: Goli Otok: The Island of Death ‒ non-fiction book by Bulgarian/Macedonian author, Venko Markovski, detailing a history of Goli otok prison</p><br>
<p>1996: Goli Otok: stratište duha ‒ non-fiction book by Croatian author, Mihovil Horvat, containing the events of his arrest and imprisonment during Informbiro period</p><br>
<p>1997: Goli Otok: Italiani nel Gulag di Tito ‒ historical report by Italian-Croatian author, Giacomo Scotti</p><br>
<p>1997: Tito&#39;s Hawaii ‒ fictional novel by Yugoslavian-born author, Rade Panic</p><br>
<p>2005: Razglednica s ljetovanja ‒ autobiographical short novel by the Croatian author Dubravka Ugrešić; published in the Belgrade literary review REČ časopis za književnost i kulturu, i društvena pitanja, br. 74/20, 2006, and in the book Nikog nema doma, ed. devedeset stupnjeva, Zagreb 2005. Italian translation Cartolina Estiva by Luka Zanoni Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso, 2008</p><br>
<p>2010: Island of the World - fictional novel by Canadian author, Michael D. O&#39;Brien.</p><br>
<h2>Goli otok in film/television</h2><br>
<p>2007: Goli Otok ‒ documentary film directed by Darko Bavoljak</p><br>
<p>2009: Die Geschichte der Gefängnisinsel Goli otok ‒ German-language documentary film with 8 former prisoners; produced/directed by Reinhard Grabher</p><br>
<p>2013: Lost Survivors ‒ Travel Channel reality TV survival series episode entitled "Prison Island"</p><br>
<p>Serra da Estrela  is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousã it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portugal&#39;s highest point at 1,993 m above mean sea level . This point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point in a plateau, being known as Torre . Torre is an unusual summit in that it is accessible by a paved road. The peak has a topographic prominence of 1,204 m and its parent peak is Pico Almanzor, in Spain.</p><br>
<p>There is a ski resort at the summit, named Vodafone Ski Resort.</p><br>
<p>The mountain range, situated between the municipalities of Seia, Manteigas, Gouveia, Guarda and Covilhã, is about 100 km long and is 30 km across at its widest point. It is formed from a huge granite ridge that once formed the southern frontier of the country.</p><br>
<h2>Rivers</h2><br>
<p>There are three rivers that have their headwaters in the Serra da Estrela: the Mondego, which is the biggest river entirely within Portuguese territory; and the Zêzere, which is a tributary to the Tagus; a tributary of the Mondego, the Alva also has its headwaters in the range.</p><br>
<p>It is 1,691 m high.</p><br>
<h2>Nature Park</h2><br>
<p>The mountain range is now part of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park and offers plentiful skiing opportunities in the ski resort of Loriga, Seia Municipality.</p><br>
<h2>Serra da Estrela dog</h2><br>
<p>The Cão da Serra da Estrela (Estrela Mountain Dog) is a breed of livestock guardian dog that takes its name from this region.</p><br>
<h2>Serra da Estrela cheese</h2><br>
<p>Queijo Serra da Estrela (Serra da Estrela cheese) is a soft cheese from the region of Serra da Estrela. The recipe is more than 2000 years old. It is made from cardoon thistle, raw sheep&#39;s milk and salt. The cheese is soft and gooey. The cheese becomes harder and chewier as time goes by.</p><br>
<h2>The Conchos dam</h2><br>
<p>The Serra da Estrela is also home to a hydroelectric system of dams, part of which is the Covão dos Conchos. The Covão dos Conchos looks like a natural sinkhole within the lake at first glance, but it was constructed as a spillway in 1955 and acts as a water diversion from Ribeira das Naves to Lagoa Comprida.</p><br>
<h2>History, legends and myths</h2><br>
<p>A legend associated with the mountain is mentioned in chapter 41 of the American literary classic, Moby-Dick:</p><br>
<p>Archaeological investigations have allowed a picture of life during the fifth millennium BC, the Early Neolithic to emerge, where small communities sustained themselves by small game hunting, the gathering of acorn and other winter fruits, and migratory pastoralism. The raising of sheep and goats, introduced to the region by the first Neolithic settlers - suggests that spring and summer were spent on high ground pastures and winter on the lower grounds of the river valleys. The significance of the Serra da Estrela in Neolithic culture can be seen in the discovery that megaliths in the Mondego River basin were predominantly built with an alignment that allowed the mountain range to be seen from within the inner chamber. At the same time the rise of Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, behind the mountains could also be seen and its Heliacal rising in late April/early May could have been used as a temporal marker for the movement to the high pastures of Serra da Estrela. This archaeological narrative closely mirrors the local folklore that explains the name of the mountain range.</p><br>
<p>The Fort Randall Military Post was established in 1856 to help keep peace on the frontier. It was located on the south side of the Missouri River in South Dakota, just below the present site of the Fort Randall Dam. The site for the fort was selected in 1856 by General William S. Harney. The fort served as a strategic site on the river to defend two lines of transportation; it operated for 36 years. It was named for Colonel Daniel Randall, a career Army officer who also served as Deputy Paymaster General of the Army</p><br>
<p>Its strategic location along the Missouri River made it a key fort in two lines of western frontier defense. It was the last link in a chain of forts protecting the overland route along the Platte River. It was also the first fort in a chain of forts on the upper Missouri River. The most important mission assigned to the soldiers of Fort Randall was to mount expeditions to try to control the many Indian tribes on the Great Plains, primarily the Teton Sioux (Lakota people).</p><br>
<p>After serving as an important base in the Indian Wars, Fort Randall closed in 1892.</p><br>
<h2>Location</h2><br>
<p>Fort Randall is located in Gregory County, South Dakota at 43° 01 north latitude, 98° 37 west longitude (43.0244, -98.6242).</p><br>
<p>Mount Evans is the highest summit of the Chicago Peaks in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 14,271-foot  fourteener is located in the Mount Evans Wilderness, 21.6 km southwest by south  of the City of Idaho Springs in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest.</p><br>
<p>The peak is one of the characteristic Front Range peaks, dominating the western skyline of the Great Plains along with Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, and nearby Mount Bierstadt. Mount Evans can be seen from over 100 miles away to the east, and many miles in other directions. Mount Evans dominates the Denver Metropolitan Area skyline, rising over 9,000 ft above the area. Mount Evans can be seen from points south of Castle Rock, up to (65 mi south) and as far north as Fort Collins (95 mi north), and from areas near Limon (105 mi east). In the early days of Colorado tourism, Mount Evans and Denver were often in competition with Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Mount Evans is the highest peak in a massif known historically as the Chicago Peaks. The peak is 35 mi west of Denver, "as the crow flies", and approximately 51 mi by road, via Idaho Springs. The other peaks in the massif are:</p><br>
<p>Mount Spalding (13,842 ft), 1.1 mi northwest</p><br>
<p>Gray Wolf Mountain (13,602 ft), 2.2 mi north-northwest</p><br>
<p>The Sawtooth (13,780 ft), 1.2 mi west</p><br>
<p>Mount Bierstadt (14,060 ft), 1.5 mi west-southwest</p><br>
<p>Mount Warren (13,307 ft), 1.2 mi north-northeast</p><br>
<p>Rogers Peak (13,391 ft), 2.33 mi northeast.</p><br>
<p>At least 7 deep glacial cirques cut into the Chicago Range. The cirques around Mount Evans are the deepest cirques in the Colorado Rockies. The bottoms of many of these contain tarns, the most notable being:</p><br>
<p>Summit Lake at the head of Bear Creek, 0.5 miles north</p><br>
<p>the Chicago Lakes at the head of Chicago Creek, 2 miles north</p><br>
<p>Abyss Lake at the head of Lake Fork, 1 mile west-southwest</p><br>
<p>The Mount Evans Scenic Byway consists of State Highway 103 from Idaho Springs, Colorado on I-70 about 13 mi to Echo Lake, and Colorado 5 from Echo Lake 15 mi, ending at a parking area and turnaround just below the summit. The latter has long been the highest paved road in North America and is only open in the summer. Colorado 103 continues east from Echo Lake to Squaw Pass, from which it connects, via Clear Creek County Road 103 and Jefferson County Road 66, to Bergen Park from which Colorado 74 leads to Evergreen Colorado.</p><br>
<p>The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway passes within 4 mi west of Mount Evans, linking Georgetown and I-70 with Grant and US 285, 22 mi to the south.</p><br>
<p>A marked hiking trail roughly parallels the highway from Echo Lake to the summit, and a second marked trail links Guanella Pass to Mount Bierstadt. A difficult side route of the latter climbs to the northeastern peak of The Sawtooth, from which an easy ridge leads to the summit of Mount Evans.</p><br>
<p>Most of the Mount Evans massif is now part of the Mount Evans Wilderness area in Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest. The exception is a narrow corridor along the highway from Echo Lake that is excluded from the wilderness. Summit Lake Park and Echo Lake Park, are part of the historic Denver Mountain Parks system.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Mount Evans was originally known as Mount Rosa or Mount Rosalie. Albert Bierstadt named it for the wife of Fitz Hugh Ludlow, whom he later married. The name is also a reference to Monte Rosa, the highest peak in Switzerland. Bierstadt and his guide, William Newton Byers, approached the mountain along Chicago Creek from Idaho Springs in 1863, and spent several days painting sketches of the mountain from the Chicago Lakes before climbing to Summit Lake and onward to the summit. Bierstadt&#39;s sketch, Mountain Lake, accurately portrays the view of Mount Spalding over the Chicago Lakes. His painting, A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie, is based on that and other sketches.</p><br>
<p>A second claim to be the first to ascend is attributed to Judge Lunt and a friend in 1872.</p><br>
<p>William Henry Jackson, attached to the Hayden Survey, visited the Chicago Lakes in 1873, where he took numerous photographs; the summit of Mount Evans is barely visible in several of these, peeking over the col between upper Chicago Lake and Summit Lake. The Hayden survey reported that Mount Rosalie was 14,330 feet above sea level, measured by triangulation.</p><br>
<p>In 1895, 30 years after he was forced to resign as governor because of his part in the infamous Sand Creek Massacre and its subsequent cover-up, Colorado&#39;s legislature officially renamed the peak in honor of John Evans, second governor of the Colorado Territory from 1862 to 1865.</p><br>
<p>The history of the Mount Evans Scenic Byway is part of a larger story of the Denver Mountain Parks system. It ultimately began when the City and County of Denver initiated the construction of a series of automobile “scenic loops” to allow Denverites to explore the mountains. One road circuit, Circle G, was to traverse the ridge to Squaw Pass on to Echo Lake, culminate in a climb up Mt. Evans, and loop down to Idaho Springs. In order to achieve this goal, Denver Mountain Parks acquired a series of land parcels, including the acquisition of Bergen Park in 1915. The Bear Creek segment from the Genesee saddle to Bergen Park was finished in 1915, while the Denver Mountain Parks committee worked to make Mt. Evans a National Park, going as far as getting support in Congress for the construction of a “cement road” to the mountain. The first mile was paid for by Denver with the understanding that the State Highway Commission would do the rest.</p><br>
<p>The Denver Mountain Parks committee was not without disagreement and setbacks, however. $30,000 was acquired early in 1916 to construct the Bergen Park to Squaw Pass segment and all seemed to be flowing towards the goal of Mount Evans when the mayor of Denver, Robert W. Speer, appointed W.F.R. Mills as the Commissioner of Improvements, who summarily stopped the construction of the road, stating that “It is a road that starts nowhere, ends nowhere, and never gets there”. After studying the issue, Mills later recanted and became a supporter of the park system, and the segment between Bergen Park and Squaw Pass was constructed beginning in the spring of 1918. The next act was to get Mount Evans classified as a National Park, but 1916 was a tumultuous time between the National Park system and the USA Forest Service, who currently held claim to the mountain. Already in bitter struggle to prevent the formation of a National Park Service, Chief Forester Graves adamantly blocked the relinquishment of this area of National Forest, in exchange for Forest Service development of the area including the immediate construction of a road between Squaw Pass and Echo Lake (Colorado). This joint exercise between the City and County of Denver, the USA Congress, the State Highway System, and now the Forest Service would be completed with help of a newly formed Federal Agency, the Bureau of Public Roads. In 1918, the Bureau of Public Roads provided the plan to construct 9.41 miles of road from Soda Pass (now called Squaw Pass) to Echo Lake beginning in 1919. By 1920, the road had only managed to be constructed to Chief Mountain. By October 1 of 1921, the Bureau of Public Roads had completed construction to Echo Lake.</p><br>
<p>The first survey for the road from Echo Lake to the peak of Mount Evans was made in 1923, finishing the layout by January 1924 despite a flu outbreak in the camp, damaging windstorms, and nearly insurmountable environmental hardships. Battling the unusual problems that come with high-altitude construction (steam shovels performing only half as effective at high altitude, difficulty of hauling coal and water, horse suicide, etc.) the last 600 feet were finally built by hand, being completed in 1930.</p><br>
<p>The ruins of the Crest House (1941–1942) sit nearby. Once containing both a restaurant and a gift shop, it burned down on September 1, 1979 and was not rebuilt, but remains as a place of contemplation today. The rock foundation and walls remain as a windbreak for mountain travelers, and the viewing platform is one of Colorado&#39;s premier scenic overlooks.</p><br>
<p>Mt. Evans also hosts the annual Mt. Evans Hill Climb, a 27.4 mi bicycle race with a total of 6,915 ft of climbing.</p><br>
<h2>Environment</h2><br>
<h3>Climate</h3><br>
<p>The atmospheric pressure on the summit is around 460 torr, while a standard atmosphere (sea level) is 760 torr. At this pressure, many people suffer from altitude sickness.</p><br>
<p>The climate on the summit of Mount Evans can be extreme. The mean annual temperature on the summit is 18 °F (-8 °C). Temperatures rarely fall below 0 °F (-18 °C), but occasionally fall as low as -40 °F (-40 °C). The highest temperature recorded on the summit was 65 °F (18 °C), and below freezing temperatures may occur at any time of year. The maximum wind speed measured was 107 knots (123 mph or 198 km/h), while the average is from 25 to 30 knots (28 to 35 mph or 46 to 56 km/h). When the wind speed is over 15 knots (17 mph or 28 km/h), the wind is almost always from the west-southwest.</p><br>
<h3>2012 Tornado</h3><br>
<p>At 2:51 pm on July 28, 2012 a weak, short-lived tornado touched down northeast of Mount Evans&#39; summit at an elevation estimated by the National Weather Service of 11,900 ft above sea level. The tornado was the second highest recorded in the United States but did not cause any damage because it was above tree line.</p><br>
<h3>Flora</h3><br>
<p>The slopes of Mount Evans include several distinct environments. Below Echo Lake, the montane forest is dominated by lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and in some areas, blue spruce (Picea pungens), with patches of quaking aspen. Echo Lake is high enough to be in the subalpine forest, where Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) dominate.</p><br>
<p>At tree line, the trees are reduced to krummholz, battered and twisted by wind and frost. The bristlecone pine grove on the east slope of Mount Goliath (39&deg;38&prime;24.95&Prime;N latitude, 105&deg;35&prime;56.24&Prime;W longitude) contains at least one tree that sprouted in the year 403 AD. For many years, these were the oldest known trees in Colorado, but in 1992, trees dating to 442 BC were found in the southern Front Range and South Park. The Mount Goliath Natural Area, jointly managed by the United States Forest Service and the Denver Botanic Gardens protects this grove of old trees.</p><br>
<p>Above tree line, the landscape is mostly alpine tundra. In the lower tundra, dwarf willow (Salix herbacea) is common, along with a wide variety of flowering plants such as Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia saximontana) and various species of dwarf alpine sunflowers. Toward the summit, the vegetation shrinks until the largest plants are little more than compact green cushions in the cracks between the rocks. Here, Alpine Forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris) plants with hundreds of blossoms occupy areas of only a few square centimeters and rise only centimeters above the soil surface.</p><br>
<p>The tundra around Summit Lake, particularly in Summit Lake Flats, the gently sloping area east of the lake, is frequently described as the southernmost area of arctic tundra in the world because it is water saturated and underlain by an extensive area of permafrost.</p><br>
<h3>Fauna</h3><br>
<p>The top predators found in the area are mountain lions (Puma concolor), anywhere on the mountain, and black bears (Ursus americanus), generally below tree line. These prey on bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), as well as one of the highest densities of yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) in the region. Above tree-line, pikas (Ochotona princeps) are common. Below tree line, elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are common.</p><br>
<p>Among birds, the white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus) are present on the mountain, but so well camouflaged that they are difficult to see even when almost underfoot. Brown-capped rosy finches (Leucosticte australis), pipits and rock wrens (Salpinctes obsoletus) are also seen near the summit.</p><br>
<h2>Geology</h2><br>
<p>Mount Evans was carved from the rock of the Mount Evans Batholith, formed by an intrusion of magma into the earth&#39;s crust about 1.4 billion years ago (in the Mesoproterozoic Era of the Precambrian Eon). Much of the rock is granodiorite, a close relative of granite, modified by later intrusions of quartz and pegmatite.</p><br>
<p>The body of this batholith has been deeply cut by glacial cirques and canyons. Each of the nearby lakes, Summit Lake, the Chicago Lakes, Lincoln Lake and Abyss Lake are tarns located in cirques or glacial canyons surrounding Mount Evans. Echo Lake was dammed by a lateral moraine of the glacier that formed Chicago Canyon. Prior to glaciation, Mount Evans, Long&#39;s Peak and several other summits were monadnocks in an upland Peneplain. Glaciation has not entirely destroyed the ancient Flattop Peneplain, named for Flattop Mountain in Grand County. The peaks of these mountains are all remnant features of this peneplain.</p><br>
<h2>Scientific research</h2><br>
<p>The easy access to the summit provided by the Mount Evans Highway has made it a popular location for scientific research. Arthur H. Compton conducted pioneering research on cosmic rays on the mountain in 1931, shortly after the road to the summit was completed. The University of Denver built a pair of A-frame buildings on the summit to house cosmic-ray researchers. By the 1950s, Mount Evans, the Aiguille du Midi, the Pic du Midi and the Jungfrau were considered the premier locations for high-altitude physics experiments.</p><br>
<p>The first accurate measurement of the lifetime of the muon (originally called the mesotron) by Bruno Rossi in 1939, used sites at Mount Evans, Echo Lake, Denver and Chicago. This experiment verified the reality of time dilation, one of the key predictions of Einstein&#39;s theory of relativity.</p><br>
<p>In the summer of 1948, MIT, Cornell, Princeton, NYU and the universities of Michigan and Chicago and Denver conducted an intensive experimental program on the mountain and at Echo Lake. Bruno Rossi and Giuseppe Cocconi were among those involved.</p><br>
<p>In 1965, the Midwestern Universities Research Association began doing high-energy physics experiments on the summit using cosmic rays to explore energies above those accessible with the most powerful particle accelerators of the day. The first experiments were conducted in a semi-trailer, and then in 1966, a temporary laboratory building was erected near the summit. This building was moved to Echo Lake that fall, where research continued until 1972.</p><br>
<p>The University of Denver erected the 0.6m (24 inch) Ritchey–Chrétien telescope in its summit laboratory in 1972. This was used to observe comets Kohoutek and Halley in 1972 and 1986. In 1996, the University finished construction on the Meyer–Womble Observatory, near the site of the A-frame laboratory buildings. At 14,148 feet (4,312 m) this was, from 1972 to 1999, the world&#39;s highest optical observatory. It is now the third-highest.</p><br>
<p>Mount Evans has also been the site of significant research in the life sciences. In 1940, for example, it was the site of a significant study of high-altitude physiology. Pioneering studies on the effects of altitude training on track athletes were conducted on Mount Evans in 1966.</p><br>
<p>Mount Evans Road is also noteworthy as a high-altitude vehicle testing venue for auto manufacturers. With full visibility on a public road, most manufacturers&#39; road test teams tend to conceal their designs with various creative styles of camouflage, e.g. wild zebra paint motif, possibly paired with other temporary body coverings.</p><br>
<p>Etowah Indian Mounds  are a 54 acre archaeological site in Bartow County, Georgia south of Cartersville, in the United States. Built and occupied in three phases, from 1000–1550 CE, the prehistoric site is located on the north shore of the Etowah River. Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site is a designated National Historic Landmark, managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. It is the most intact Mississippian culture site in the Southeastern United States.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In the 19th century, European-American settlers mistakenly believed that the mounds had been built by the Cherokee, who then occupied the region; however, the Iroquoian-speaking tribe did not reach this part of Georgia until the late 18th century and could not have built the mounds.</p><br>
<p>Late 20th-century studies showed the mounds were built and occupied by prehistoric indigenous peoples of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture (a regional variation of the Mississippian culture) of eastern North America. They were ancestors of the historic Muskogean language-speaking Muscogee (Creek) people who later emerged in the area. Etowah is a Muskogee word derived from italwa meaning "town". The federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Poarch Band of Creek Indians consider Etalwa to be their most important ancestral town. From 1000–1550 CE, Etowah was occupied by a series of cycling chiefdoms (see Coosa confederacy) over the course of five and a half centuries.</p><br>
<h3>Site chronology</h3><br>
<p>Tykeon Wilkes used changes in ceramic styles across multiple sites in the Etowah River Valley to determine timelines for the region. The ceramics found at Etowah and other regional sites have been reconstructed and allow Etowah to be placed into the following sequences. The town was occupied in three distinct archaeological phases: ca. 1000–1200 CE, ca. 1250–1375 CE, and ca. 1375–1550 CE. It was at its peak roughly from 1325–1375 CE.</p><br>
<h2>Site description</h2><br>
<p>Etowah has three main platform mounds and three lesser mounds. The Temple Mound, Mound A, is 63 ft high, taller than a six-story building, and covers 3 acre at its base. In 2005-2008 ground mapping with magnetometers revealed new information and data, showing that the site was much more complex than had previously been believed. The study team has identified a total of 140 buildings on the site. In addition, Mound A was found to have had four major structures and a courtyard at the height of the community&#39;s power. Mound B is 25 ft high; Mound C, which rises 10 ft, is the only one to have been completely excavated. Magnetometers enabled archaeologists to determine the location of temples of log and thatch, which were originally built on top of the mounds. Adjacent to the mounds is a raised ceremonial plaza, which was used for ceremonies, stickball and chunkey games, and as a bazaar for trade goods.</p><br>
<p>When visiting the Etowah Mounds, guests can view the "borrow pits" (which archaeologists at one time thought were moats) which were dug out to create the three large mounds in the center of the park.</p><br>
<p>Older pottery found on the site suggest that there was an earlier village (ca. 200 BCE–600 CE) associated with the Swift Creek culture. This earlier Middle Woodland period occupation at Etowah may have been related to the major Swift Creek center of Leake Mounds, approximately two miles downstream (west) of Etowah.</p><br>
<p>War was commonplace; many archaeologists believe the people of Etowah battled for hegemony over the Alabama river basin with those of Moundville, a Mississippian site in present-day Alabama. The town was protected by a sophisticated semicircular fortification system. An outer band formed by nut tree orchards prevented enemy armies from shooting masses of flaming arrows into the town. A 9 ft to 10 ft deep moat blocked direct contact by the enemy with the palisaded walls. It also functioned as a drainage system during major floods, common for centuries, from this period and into the 20th century. Workers formed the palisade by setting upright 12 ft high logs into a ditch approximately 12 in on center and then back-filling around the timbers to form a levee. Guard towers for archers were spaced approximately 80 ft apart.</p><br>
<h3>Artifacts</h3><br>
<p>The artifacts discovered in burials within the Etowah site indicate that its residents developed an artistically and technically advanced culture. Numerous copper tools, weapons and ornamental copper plates accompanied the burials of members of Etowah&#39;s elite class. Where proximity to copper protected the fibers from degeneration, archaeologists also found brightly colored cloth with ornate patterns. These were the remnants of the clothing of social elites.</p><br>
<p>Numerous clay figurines and ten Mississippian stone statues have been found through the years in the vicinity of Etowah. Many are paired statues, which portray a man sitting cross-legged and a woman kneeling. The female figures wear wrap-around skirts and males are usually portrayed without visible clothing, although both usually have elaborate hairstyles. The pair are thought to represent lineage ancestors. Individual statues of young women also show them kneeling, but with additional characteristics such as visible sex organs, which are not visible on the paired statues. This female figure is thought to represent a fertility or Earth Mother goddess. The birdman, hand in eye, solar cross, and other symbols associated with the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex appear in many artifacts found at Etowah.</p><br>
<h3>Trade</h3><br>
<p>The Etowah River is a tributary of the Coosa and Alabama rivers, and forms the border between the southern edge of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians and the Piedmont Plateau. Trade and tribute brought whelk shells from the Gulf of Mexico; copper, mica and flint from the Cumberland Plateau; and "galena, graphite, and an array of ochers to provide pigment for painting buildings, bodies, and works of art; greenstone and marble to furnish raw material for tools, weapons and ritual objects" from the Piedmont. The loamy riverbed soil could be easily tilled with digging sticks and stone and shell hoes. Its fertility was annually renewed by the river&#39;s floods. Free of frost most of the year, the land yielded rich harvests of corn, beans, and squash.</p><br>
<h3>Habitat</h3><br>
<p>Chestnut, walnut, hickory, and persimmon trees that grew in upland forests provided nuts and fruit for both the people of Etowah and the white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and smaller game they hunted. Other plants that were gathered include stinging nettle, paper mulberry, and a native holly whose leaves and stems were brewed into the Black drink imbibed in ritual purification ceremonies. River cane grew in dense thickets and was made into arrow shafts, thatching for roofs, splits for baskets, benches, and mats for walls and floors.</p><br>
<p>River shoals abounded in freshwater mussels and turtles. The Mississippians built v-shaped rock weirs to pen and channel catfish, drum and gar, which they caught in rivercane baskets. Researchers have found remains of more than 100 rock weirs along the Etowah River. One has been restored within the grounds of the historic site.</p><br>
<h2>Post-contact</h2><br>
<p>Archaeological research on the subject is not conclusive, but the Etowah site may be the same as a village of a similar name visited by Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1540. The chroniclers of the de Soto Expedition made no mention of any large mounds in their record of visiting a town named Itaba. Itaba means "boundary" or trail crossing in the Alabama language. The origin of the English name for the mounds, Etowah, is an archaic Muscogee place name, Etalwa. Etalwa probably referred to the solar cross symbol originally. In the modern Muskogee language it means "town."</p><br>
<p>Until studies of the late 20th century were publicized, most Georgians believed Etowah to have been built by the well-known historic Cherokee. But, the Cherokee did not arrive in this part of Georgia until the late 18th century, two to seven centuries after the mounds&#39; construction. Scholars have evaluated sufficient evidence to determine the mound complex was unquestionably built and occupied by peoples more closely related to the Muskogean-speaking Creeks.</p><br>
<p>Both the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Poarch Band of Creek Indians consider Etalwa to be their most important ancestral town. Related to this, the official title of the Creek Nation&#39;s Principal Chief is Etalwa Mikko, from this source (the Creek word for chief is miko). A new, large-scale model of Etalwa is on permanent display in the rotunda of the Muskogee (Creek) Capitol in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.</p><br>
<h2>History of excavation and studies</h2><br>
<p>Missionary Elias Cornelius visited the site in 1817 and described it in his journal published by Bela Bates Edwards in 1833. He realized a mound must have been over two hundred years old, due to the size of trees growing on it, but had little idea of its real history.</p><br>
<p>Cyrus Thomas and John P. Rogan tested the site for the Smithsonian Institution in 1883. But, the first well-documented archaeological inquiry at the site did not begin until the winter of 1925, conducted by Warren K. Moorehead. His excavations into Mound C at the site revealed a rich array of Mississippian culture burial goods. These artifacts, along with the collections from Cahokia, Moundville Site, Lake Jackson Mounds, and Spiro Mounds, would comprise the majority of the materials which archaeologists used to define the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (SECC). The professional excavation of this enormous burial mound contributed major research impetus to the study of Mississippian artifacts and peoples. It greatly increased the understanding of pre-Contact Native American artwork.</p><br>
<p>In 1947, the government built the Allatoona Dam upstream for flood control. The Etowah site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.</p><br>
<p>The Etowah Indian Mounds museum displays artifacts found at the site, including Mississippian culture pottery, monolithic stone axes, Mississippian stone statuary, copper jewelry, shell gorgets, and other artifacts.</p><br>
<p>Ġgantija  is a megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic on the Mediterranean island of Gozo. The Ġgantija temples are the earliest of the Megalithic Temples of Malta. The Ġgantija temples are older than the pyramids of Egypt. Their makers erected the two Ġgantija temples during the Neolithic , which makes these temples more than 5500 years old and the worlds second oldest existing manmade religious structures after Göbekli Tepe. Together with other similar structures, these have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Megalithic Temples of Malta.</p><br>
<p>The temples are elements of a ceremonial site in a fertility rite. Researchers have the numerous figurines and statues found on site associated with that cult. According to local Gozitan folklore, a giantess who ate nothing but broad beans and honey bore a child from a man of the common people. With the child hanging from her shoulder, she built these temples and used them as places of worship.</p><br>
<h2>Description and design</h2><br>
<p>The Ġgantija temples stand at the end of the Xagħra plateau, facing towards the south-east.</p><br>
<p>This megalithic monument encompasses in fact two temples and an incomplete third, of which only the facade was partially built before being abandoned. Like Mnajdra South it faces the equinox sunrise, built side by side and enclosed within a boundary wall. The southerly one is the larger and older one, dating back to approximately 3600 BC. It is also better preserved. The plan of the temple incorporates five large apses, with traces of the plaster that once covered the irregular wall still clinging between the blocks.</p><br>
<p>The temples are built in the typical clover-leaf shape, with inner facing blocks marking the shape which was then filled in with rubble. This led to the construction of a series of semi-circular apses connected with a central passage. Archaeologists assume that the apses were originally covered by roofing.</p><br>
<p>The effort is a remarkable feat when considering the monuments were constructed when the wheel had not yet been introduced and no metal tools were available to the Maltese Islanders. Small, spherical stones have been discovered. They are associated to the use as ball bearings for the transport vehicles of the enormous stone blocks used for the temples.</p><br>
<p>The temple, like other megalithic sites in Malta, faces southeast. The southern temple rises to a height of 6 m. At the entrance sits a large stone block with a recess, which led to the hypothesis that this was a ritual ablution station for purification before entering the complex. The five apses contain various altars; the finding of animal bones in the site suggests the site was used for animal sacrifice.</p><br>
<h2>Excavations and recognition</h2><br>
<p>Residents and travelers knew about the existence of the temple for a long time. In the late 18th-century, before any excavations were carried out, Jean-Pierre Houël drew a mostly correct plan based on that knowledge. In 1827, Col. John Otto Bayer, the Lieutenant Governor of Gozo, had the site cleared of debris. The soil and remains were thus lost without having been properly examined. However the German artist Brochtorff had painted a picture of the site within a year or two prior to removal of the debris, so there was a record of the site before clearance.</p><br>
<p>After the excavations in 1827, the ruins fell into decay. The remains were included on the Antiquities List of 1925. The land was held privately until 1933, when the Government expropriated it for public benefit. The Museums Department conducted extensive archaeological work in 1933, 1936, 1949, 1956–57 and 1958–59. Its goal was to clear, preserve and research the ruins and their surroundings.</p><br>
<p>The Ġgantija temples were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. In 1992, the Committee decided to expand the listing to include five other megalithic temples situated across the islands of Malta and Gozo. The Ġgantija listing was renamed "the Megalithic Temples of Malta"</p><br>
<p>The temple and the surrounding areas were restored or rehabilitated in the 2000s. Lightweight walkways were installed in the temple in 2011, while a heritage park was opened in 2013.</p><br>
<p>Fort Towson was a frontier outpost for Frontier Army Quartermasters along the Permanent Indian Frontier located about two miles  northeast of the present community of Fort Towson, Oklahoma. Located on Gates Creek near the confluence of the Kiamichi River and the Red River in present-day Choctaw County, Oklahoma, it was named for General Nathaniel Towson.</p><br>
<h2>Early history</h2><br>
<p>It was established in May 1824, under Col. Matthew Arbuckle, on the southern edge of Indian Territory to guard the border with Spanish colonial territory to the south. It was named for Nathaniel Towson, Paymaster General of the Army. Originally called "Cantonment Towson," it was abandoned in April 1829, and the garrison moved to Fort Jessup. The cantonment was only intended as a temporary facility, having nothing but tents and a few wooden shacks, In November 1830, the Army ordered the construction of a permanent fort in the area assigned for the relocation of the Choctaws. A new site was chosen about 6 mi from the original site. The new fort was reestablished as "Camp Phoenix" to protect the Choctaw Nation, and was renamed Fort Towson in 1831.</p><br>
<h2>Fort description</h2><br>
<p>The new Fort Towson was much more substantial. The north side was atop the bluffs of Gates Creek. The fort occupied a rectangle containing about half an acre. The officers quarters consisted of three buildings on the north side of the rectangle. These structures were built of logs, 1.5 stories tall, had 3 ft limestone foundations and covered porches facing south. Four other buildings were located on two sides of the rectangle, facing each other. These were one story high, but had higher foundations, effectively creating basements. Those closest to the officers quarters were a combination of sub-officers quarters, quartermasters office, amusement parlor, and school room. The last two buildings were barracks for common soldiers. The kitchens and dining halls were in the basements. All the buildings were painted white. The square in front of the buildings served as a parade ground. A hospital building was on the east side, about 250 ft from the last barracks building. Stables, shops and gardens were outside the rectangle on the east. The sutler&#39;s building, the dairy and poultry yards were outside the rectangle on the west. The cemetery was about 300 yd farther west.</p><br>
<h2>Conversion to Choctaw Agency</h2><br>
<p>After the construction of Fort Washita 70 mi to the west in 1842, Fort Towson lost importance. It was garrisoned until June 1854, when it was turned over to the use of the Choctaw Indian Agency, then run by Indian Agent Douglas H. Cooper. A storm in the same month blew the roofs off several buildings and did some other damage to the facility. A few years later, a fire destroyed all of the buildings except one of the barracks and the hospital. The remaining facilities are now managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society.</p><br>
<h2>Civil War and abandonment</h2><br>
<p>The Confederacy took over the remaining buildings of the fort at the beginning of the American Civil War, as the Choctaw allied with them. The fort was used as the headquarters of Confederate General Samuel B. Maxey. The last remaining Confederate Army troops were commanded by General Stand Watie, a Cherokee and principal chief of his nation until the end of the war. He surrendered to Union forces at Fort Towson on June 23, 1865.</p><br>
<p>The post was abandoned at the close of the Civil War. Soldiers buried in the cemetery were moved to Fort Gibson. The buildings all fell into ruin and even the foundation stones were hauled off by local residents</p><br>
<p>The location of the fort is an Oklahoma Historic Site and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#70000531) in 1970.</p><br>
<p>Teraina or Teeraina, also known as Washington Island  is a coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean and part of the Northern Line Islands which belong to Kiribati. Obsolete names of Teeraina are Prospect Island and New York Island. The island is located approximately 4.71° North latitude and 160.76° West longitude. Teeraina differs from most other atolls in the world in that it has a large freshwater lake , concealed within its luxuriant coconut palm forest; this is the only permanent freshwater lake in the whole of Kiribati.</p><br>
<p>Measuring about 5.4 by NW-SE and SW-NE, it has a land area of about 9.55 km&sup2</p><br>
<p>There are two dirt roads around the island&#39;s perimeter - an outer (Beach Road) and an inner one (Ring Road). Transport inland is done by boat on artificial canals, rather uniquely for a Pacific island. A 21 m navigation light tower and two radio masts stand near Tangkore. What cannot be produced locally is shipped in about twice a year; there is also some minor inter-island traffic by ship or boat. The old landing was at the western tip, but this was dangerous due to being exposed to surf breaking on the reef flats; it has been more recently replaced by a new and more easily accessible landing south of Tangkore, where the canal system feeds into the ocean. A rough airstrip of some 1,000 m length exists near Kaaitara. It may become temporarily unusable after heavy rains.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In 1798, Teeraina was not settled, nor, it seems were definite remains of prehistoric human settlements (as opposed to simple human presence) ever found. There is some circumstantial but nonetheless strong indication (see also below) that there was at least a minor and temporary presence of Polynesian seafarers, which arrived probably from Eastern Polynesia and maybe from the Society Islands, before Western contact. Gilbertese. it may have also had a temporary presence, but this is unlikely as the island was not on one of their major trading routes, and due to the prevailing westerly winds and currents, getting back to the Gilbertese heartland would have been almost impossible.</p><br>
<p>Teeraina was sighted on 12 June 1798 by the American whaling captain Edmund Fanning of the Betsy; he named the island for George Washington but did not attempt to land. The island was subsequently claimed under the Guano Islands Act of 1856 for the United States under the name "Prospect Island". Guano was never mined or exported to any notable extent, however; the humid climate prevents the formation of substantial deposits. It was occupied by Captain John English and people from Manihiki in about 1860. It was annexed by the British by Commander Nichols of the HMS Cormorant on May 29, 1889. It became a part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1916. The name of the island was changed to Teeraina in 1979 when Kiribati gained independence. The major export of Teeraina is copra, the dried meat of the coconut.</p><br>
<p>The Burns Philip Copra Company operated plantations on the island after the Second World War (WWII). At various times, contract laborers were brought from Manihiki, Tahiti, and the Gilbert Islands to work the coconut plantations. More recently, settlement from Gilbert group has been encouraged during the re-settlement schemes of 1989-1995.</p><br>
<p>Washington Island Post Office opened on 1 February 1921, closed around 1923, reopened in 1924, closed in 1948 and reopened again around August 1979.</p><br>
<h2>Political geography</h2><br>
<p>The population of Teeraina lives in 9 villages. It is increasing; from 416 in 1978, it had risen to 936 in 1990 and had exceeded 1,000 by 2000. The population of Teeraina in the 2010 census was 1,690. Compared to the 2005 population of 1,155 and the 2000 population of 1,087, the population is growing very rapidly. The population of Teeraina grew by 535 people between 2005 and 2010, an annual population growth of 7.9%.</p><br>
<p>All villages are listed in the following table, with the preliminary census results of 2005, counterclockwise around the perimeter of the atoll, starting in the northeast with Abaiang and ending in the southeast with Onauea. Tangkore is near the westernmost point of Teraina:</p><br>
<p>Teeraina has an unusual age structure; nearly half the population (44%) is aged under 15 and one in five people (19%) are children under five years. There are more boys than girls in almost all age groups except the elderly.</p><br>
<h2>Physical geography</h2><br>
<p>As regards its physical characteristics, this is one of the most interesting islands in the Pacific. It is a raised coral atoll, but it has not filled up with sand and soil, yet still retains a significant remnant of the former lagoon. The lake, however, is only just barely perceptibly brackish, as its only significant source is the plentiful rain. The lake is only a few feet (around 1–2 meters) deep for the most part, though the supposed maximum depth is nearly 10 m. Being only about 520 km away from the equator, Teeraina is inside the ITCZ; its climate is thus extremely humid, making it one of the "wet" Pacific islands.</p><br>
<p>The western inland is made up by peat bog, which is still flooded much after heavy rains, and constitutes infilled former lakebed. It is not clear in what way the western lake or lakes - there are now 2 main areas of bogland, which may correspond to former lake basins - were connected to the remaining waterbody. One bog is immediately adjacent to the lake&#39;s western end, the other is halfway between that and the island&#39;s NW tip. Canals have been cut into the bogs, for punting, rowing and motor boats transporting people and produce. There is some removal of peat and sediments to stem the lake&#39;s ongoing infilling; in addition it seems that in recent times, the lake&#39;s level is slowly rising again so that the eastern bog&#39;s area has receded somewhat. The peat reaches thicknesses of about 1-1.5 meters (some 3–5 ft), much of which is located above sea level.</p><br>
<p>It is also not precisely known where the last connection of the inland waters to the ocean were, and when they closed. The SE end is more likely however, as the island is in the Equatorial Counter Current which runs west to east, and drifting coral and other reef-builder larvae as well as flotsam would therefore predominantly land at the island&#39;s western side. Thus, it is to be expected that land build up faster there. This also agrees with the eastern location of the remaining lake. In any case, the canal network now opens to the sea south of Tangkore, and there is a direct connection from the lake to the ocean at Teeraina&#39;s eastern tip.</p><br>
<h2>Ecology</h2><br>
<p>Ecologically, Teeraina is also highly interesting, for several reasons. First, as is readily apparent from its peculiar geographical and geological features, it possesses a combination of ecosystems that is quite unique in the entire world. Second, it holds the world&#39;s largest population of a rare bird species though it is over 2,500 km from that bird&#39;s original home. Furthermore, it was until fairly recently home to some enigmatic dabbling ducks which are now extinct. Last, the island&#39;s biodiversity seems to prove quite conclusively that, probably by about 1200 AD or so, the island was temporarily inhabited by a significant number of humans.</p><br>
<p>At present, there is no formal protection for the islands&#39; ecosystems or species, but it has been suggested to legally protect key habitat, namely the boglands. it actually benefits from human land use change and the feral cats. The former provides the birds with more habitat, while the cats have so far managed to keep Teraina completely free of black rats (Rattus rattus) which due to their tree-climbing habits would seriously jeopardize the species&#39; existence, should they become established in numbers. Given the negative experience e.g. from Rennell Island, maintenance of a vigorous tilapia fishery would seem to be advisable. These fish certainly represent a valuable source of protein on Teraina, and in fact were originally introduced for that purpose.</p><br>
<h3>Flora</h3><br>
<p>Over 30 species of flowering plants are known from the island, but most seem to be not originally native. Cocos nucifera, the coconut palm, is the most conspicuous tree on Teeraina. It is found planted, but also constitutes one of the dominant forest trees. The palms occur in wet forest around the bogs, mixed with Pandanus (screwpine), and an undergrowth dominated by the ferns Asplenium pacificum and Phymatosorus scolopendria. In more elevated places near the beach, Pisonia (catchbird tree) atoll forest is found, though Teeraina has not that much of this ubiquitous Pacific ecosystem for its size.</p><br>
<p>The most conspicuous plants of the boglands are the arum Cyrtosperma chamissonis and the giant bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus).</p><br>
<p>Among the local crops, sugar-apple (Annona squamosa), breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), papaya (Carica papaya), bananas (Musa cultivars, including Fe&#39;i bananas) and apple guava (Psidium guajava) are the most significant, apart from the coconuts. Frangipani (Plumeria) and hibiscus are popular as ornamental plants.</p><br>
<h3>Birds</h3><br>
<p>Though numerous seabirds nest on Teeraina, for many such species the limited habitat makes it a less important rookery than other, similar-sized raised atolls. About 10 species of seabirds breed here, most significantly tree-nesters like the little white tern (Gygis microrhyncha) and the red-footed booby (Sula sula). The eastern reef egret (Egretta sacra), widespread throughout the region, can also be found on Teraina.</p><br>
<p>Among migratory birds, the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), sanderling (Calidris alba), bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis), Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva), and grey-tailed (Tringa brevipes) and wandering tattlers (T. incana) use Teeraina as stopover location or winter quarters on a regular basis. Other shorebirds, gulls, and occasionally ducks of North American and East Asian species may occur as vagrants.</p><br>
<p>In historic times, two species of landbirds and one subspecies of duck have been recorded. The latter, Coues&#39;s gadwall (Anas strepera couesi), was the only distinct subspecies of the widespread gadwall. It is surrounded by considerable mystery, mainly as regards the origin of the population, the age and therefore validity of the subspecies (it is sometimes disputed to be significantly distinct), and the causes and date of its disappearance. Only two specimens are known - a couple that is not fully mature, and therefore only limited information can be gleaned from it. What is certain is that there was a duck population of some size in the mid-1870s, while in 1900 all were gone.</p><br>
<p>The bokikokiko (Acrocephalus aequinoctialis) is Kiribati&#39;s endemic reed-warbler. This small greyish passerine is well-known, due to its bold and inquisitive habits, and its song, a series of alternating higher and lower squeaks after which it is named.</p><br>
<p>The Rimitara lorikeet (Vini kuhlii) is present with about 1,000 birds. It is a tiny parrot with brilliant plumage and an endearing and highly social behavior, owing to which they were known to late 19th century settlers as "love-birds". This species was originally native to the Austral and Cook Islands in SE Polynesia, a long distance to the south. They were treasured by the natives of the Society Islands and were an item of high value in inter-island trade; these birds were kept as pets, and in addition their feathers were used in crafts and art. In any case, there is considerable evidence from Ancient Hawaiʻi that Polynesian seafarers travelled between southeastern Polynesia and Hawaiʻi with some regularity, perhaps as early as 400 AD, but certainly by about 1200 AD. Since it is almost inconceivable - given the prevailing winds, ocean currents, known trade routes, and the difficulty with which these birds can be kept alive during voyages - that Vini kuhlii was transported from the Austral or Cook Islands to the Gilbert Islands and from there to Teeraina, the presence of the birds there is best explained by them having been introduced by SE Polynesian travelers. Today, the species is extinct on many islands on which it formerly occurred, while the Teeraina population, considered crucially important for its survival, contains some 60% of the remaining global wild population. Ironically, the reason for the Rimitara lorikeet thriving on Teeraina is the replacement of native forest with coconut plantations; these birds feed mainly on the nectar of coconut palm flowers and nest in old coconut shells or husks.</p><br>
<p>As it thus seems clear that there was prehistoric human activity of some degree on Teeraina, it is also likely that birds became extinct consequently, like on all such Outer Pacific islands for which research has been conducted. David Steadman in his comprehensive review lists several such hypothetical taxa for Kiribati as a whole. For Teeraina specifically, considering the habitat and what birds still exist, one or more rails (Gallirallus and/or Porzana), an imperial-pigeon (Ducula), and maybe a Todiramphus kingfisher or an Aplonis starling make the most likely candidates for birds gone extinct prehistorically. It must be considered, however, that given the lack of fieldwork it is not quite clear what effect changing sea levels would have had on Teraina. If the sea level were only half a meter (c. 2 ft) higher it is certainly possible that the forest and freshwater lake would be replaced by shrubland or dunes and a brackish lagoon. That notwithstanding, it is well possible that a Prosobonia sandpiper related to or identical with the mysterious taxon from Kiritimati one lived on Teeraina.</p><br>
<h3>Other fauna</h3><br>
<p>As with most outer Pacific islands, there are no native land mammals.</p><br>
<p>Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) are present on Teeraina, apparently since prehistoric times. They may have arrived with flotsam after storms further west, or accidentally or deliberately (as food) been introduced by prehistoric seafarers. Their present-day impact on the bird population is minor, but if rails were once present on Teeraina, the rats had probably some role in these birds&#39; disappearance, and maybe in that of any other birds gone extinct in prehistoric times too. If a Prosobonia sandpiper once bred on Teeraina, it is almost certainly those rats that are responsible for these birds&#39; disappearance; only a single taxon of Prosobonia remains today, precariously holding its own on atolls that are devoid of any rat species.</p><br>
<p>Feral dogs, cats and pigs occur in varying numbers on Teraina; the cats especially are responsible for some decline in the number of ground-nesting seabirds. On the other hand, as noted above, the cats have thus far kept the rat population at bay.</p><br>
<p>Lacustrine species reported from Teeraina include fish. and some unspecified "shrimp", i.e. (in all probability) a member of the Crustacea. Teeraina&#39;s freshwater fish include the marbled eel (Anguilla marmorata), a Caranx freshwater trevally, and Oreochromis tilapias and the milkfish (Chanos chanos). The latter two, and perhaps also the trevally, were introduced in recent times. The eels were already established by 1877; like many Anguillidae they are catadromous and able to migrate some distance on dry land. Thus it may be presumed that the lake is continuously being restocked from the Pacific, though apparently no actual field data exists on the habits of the eels of Teeraina.</p><br>
<p>As on many Indopacific islands rich in coconut (Cocos nucifera) trees, the coconut crab (Birgus latro) is often encountered on Teeraina.</p><br>
<p>A few green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nest on the beaches. It is not a very important nesting site however and the clutches have a rather low probability of success, as Teeraina is one of the Kiribati islands where turtle egg collecting is permitted.</p><br>
<p>The Mathias Ham House is a 19th-century house in Dubuque, Iowa that is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located at the intersection of Shiras and Lincoln Avenues,</p><br>
<h2>Description</h2><br>
<p>The house was designed by John F. Rague and built for local businessman and lead miner Mathias Ham in 1856. Ham had owned an island in the Mississippi River at Dubuque, called Ham&#39;s Island (which has since renamed City Island and then Chaplain Schmitt Memorial Island, after Father Aloysius Schmitt). The architect, John F. Rague, who had designed the original state capitol buildings at Springfield, Illinois and at Iowa City, Iowa, designed the house in the Italian Villa style.</p><br>
<p>The Mathias Ham House has been restored and transformed into a museum showcasing life during the Antebellum era; it contains American and European furnishings from that period. The property also features a double log cabin in the dogtrot style, which is considered the oldest building in Iowa. The cabin was built originally at the location of 2nd and Locust Streets in Dubuque, then moved to Eagle Point Park in Dubuque before being moved to the Mathias Ham House Historic Site.</p><br>
<p>Additionally, a one-room schoolhouse (the former Humke School) was relocated to the property. A replica mine shaft and "badger hole" or "badger hut" were constructed on the property to educate the public about Dubuque&#39;s lead mining history.</p><br>
<h2>Museum</h2><br>
<p>The museum is operated by the Dubuque County Historical Society, which also operates the Old Jail Museum and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium.</p><br>
<p>Mintons Playhouse is a jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Cecil Hotel at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem and is a registered trademark of Housing and Services, Inc. a New York City nonprofit provider of supportive housing. The door to the actual club itself is at 206 West 118th Street where there is a small plaque. Mintons was founded by tenor saxophonist Henry Minton in 1938. Mintons is famous for its role in the development of modern jazz, also known as bebop, where in its jam sessions in the early 1940s, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, pioneered the new music. Mintons thrived for three decades until its decline near the end of the 1960s, and its eventual closing in 1974. After being shuttered for more than 30 years, the newly remodeled club reopened its doors on May 19, 2006, under the name Uptown Lounge at Minton&#39;s Playhouse. However, the reopened club was closed again in 2010. Remodeling began again in 2012.</p><br>
<h2>The club's beginnings</h2><br>
<p>Minton’s original owner, Henry Minton, was well known in Harlem for being the first ever black delegate to the American Federation of Musicians Local 802. In addition, he had been the manager of the</p><br>
<p>Rhythm Club, in Harlem, in the early part of the 1930s, a place where Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Earl Hines frequented. The novelist Ralph Ellison later wrote that because of his union background and music business experience, Minton was aware of the economic and artistic needs of jazz musicians in New York in the late 1930s. Minton&#39;s popularity and his penchant for generosity with food and loans, made his club a favorite hang-out for musicians.</p><br>
<p>Minton started a policy of holding regular jam sessions at his club, which would later prove to be a key factor in the development of bebop. Because of his union ties, Minton was able to ensure that musicians would not be fined for their participation in jam sessions, an activity that was prohibited by the union. Dizzy Gillespie recalled that there were "walking" delegates from the union that would follow musicians around and fine them "a hundred to five hundred dollars" for participating in jam sessions, but that they were "somewhat immune from this at Mintons because of Henry Minton." According to Ralph Ellison, Mintons Playhouse provided "a retreat, a homogeneous community where a collectivity of common experience could find continuity and meaningful expression."</p><br>
<h2>Minton's in the 1940s</h2><br>
<p>In late 1940, Minton hired Teddy Hill, a former bandleader, to manage the club. Both Clarke and Guy were in Teddy Hills band before it disbanded in 1939. According to Clarke, Teddy Hill wanted to "do something for the guys that had worked with him" by giving them work during difficult times. The house band at Mintons in 1941, with the addition of frequent guests, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Christian, was at the center of the emergence of bebop in the early 1940s. Later, the band was led by tenor saxophonist Kermit Scott.</p><br>
<h2>Monday celebrity nights</h2><br>
<p>A feature of Mintons Playhouse during Teddy Hills tenure as manager was the popular Monday Celebrity Nights sponsored by the Schiffmans who owned the nearby Apollo Theater. The Schiffmans treated their performers to free dinner and drinks after the conclusion of a long week of work. The food at Mintons became almost as popular as the music as noted by many present at that time. In an interview with Al Fraser (1979), Dizzy Gillespie told his recollection of Monday nights at Mintons:</p><br>
<p>On Monday nights, we used to have a ball. Everybody from the Apollo, on Monday nights, was a guest at Mintons, the whole band. We had a big jam session. Monday night was the big night, the musicians night off. There was always some food there for you. Oh, that part was beautiful. Teddy Hill treated the guys well.</p><br>
<h2>Cutting sessions and duels</h2><br>
<p>During the Monday Celebrity Nights, many notable guest musicians such as Roy Eldridge, Hot Lips Page, Ben Webster, Don Byas, and Lester Young would sit in. The trumpet duels between Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie became legend, with Gillespie eventually surpassing his mentor. Speaking to Al Fraser, Gillespie recalled how Thelonious Monk one night teased Eldridge after being out-played by Gillespie saying, "Look, youre supposed to be the greatest trumpet player in the world...but thats the best." Even though Eldridge was an established musician in the older swing style, he was an active figure at Minton&#39;s and contributed through his encouragement of Gillespie and Clarke to further their explorations.</p><br>
<p>Eldridge and the other swing masters who participated in the early cutting sessions at Minton&#39;s played an important role in the evolution of swing toward bebop by inspiring the next generation of musicians. A young Sonny Stitt witnessed the great battles between the master saxophonists of the day in the early 1940s:</p><br>
<p>Can you imagine Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry, Don Byas, and Ben Webster on the same little jam session? They had a place called Mintons Playhouse in New York. Its kaput now. And these guys, man, nothing like it. And guess who won the fight?...Don Byas walked off with everything.</p><br>
<p>Byas was one of the first tenor saxophonists to assimilate bebop into his style, in contrast to Young, Hawkins, and Webster, who stayed close to their swing roots through the development of bebop.</p><br>
<p>Herman Pritchard, who tended bar at Mintons "in the old days", would watch as Ben Webster and Lester Young would "fight on those saxophones...like dogs in the road." Ralph Ellison believes that what was occurring at Mintons from 1941 to 1942 was a "continuing symposium of jazz, a summation of all the styles, personal and traditional, of jazz."</p><br>
<h2>Charlie Christian and the house band</h2><br>
<p>One of the pioneers of the new style, which would eventually become known as bebop, was the young electric guitarist from Benny Goodmans band, Charlie Christian. He played nightly at Mintons and was one of its stars. Although Christian was in his early twenties in 1941, his time at Mintons was significant, but brief; he would die the next March after being confined to a sanatorium stricken with tuberculosis. As evidenced by recordings made by Columbia University student Jerry Newman in 1941, Christians playing was breaking new ground. Gunther Schullers assessment of Christians playing on those recordings is as follows:</p><br>
<p>His work here seems to me relentlessly creative, endlessly fertile, and is so in a way that marks a new stylistic departure. Indeed, it signals the birth of a new language in jazz, which even Parker did not have as clearly in focus at that time.</p><br>
<p>Kenny Clarke and the band at Mintons would look forward with anticipation to Christians arrival after finishing his set with Goodman. Christian was admired by his peers at Mintons, including Thelonious Monk who "loved listening to Charlie play solos with fluid lines and interesting harmonies." Hill bought Christian an amplifier to use so he would not have to bring his along. Hill had it up until his death in 1978. Gillespie and Monk do not appear on the Christian recordings. Joe Guy and Kenny Kersey are the trumpet and piano on "Swing to Bop" and "Stompin at the Savoy."</p><br>
<h2>Bird and Dizzy</h2><br>
<p>Soon after Charlie Christians death, alto saxophonist Charlie Parker emerged as a new leader of the bebop movement. Parkers collaboration with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Kenny Clarke, at sessions at Mintons, would build on the earlier experiments of Christian. Before 1942, Parker was known to have spent more time at Clark Monroes Uptown House, another Harlem club where jam sessions extended into the early morning than he spent playing at Mintons. After leaving Jay McShanns band at the end of 1941, Parker joined Earl Hiness band in 1942 and was reunited with Dizzy Gillespie, who he had met sometime earlier. It was during this period of time starting in 1942 that Parker, nicknamed Bird, could be found sitting-in at Mintons on Monday nights as recalled by Miles Davis:</p><br>
<p>On Monday nights at Minton’s, Bird and Dizzy would come in to jam, so you’d have a thousand up there trying to get in so they could listen to and play with Bird and Dizzy. But most of the musicians in the know didn&#39;t even think about playing when Bird and Dizzy came to jam. We would just sit out in the audience, to listen and learn.</p><br>
<p>Parker never was officially a member of the house band at Minton&#39;s during that period, however sensing his importance to the bebop movement, Clarke and Monk approached Teddy Hill about hiring Parker into the band. Hill refused so Clarke and Monk decided to pay Parker out of their salaries.</p><br>
<p>After Parkers arrival on the scene in Harlem, a new generation of player followed. Miles Davis, Fats Navarro, Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Max Roach and many others were drawn to Mintons. Miles Daviss search for Charlie Parker brought him to Mintons where he "cut his teeth" at the jam sessions. Miles remembered:</p><br>
<p>The way went down up at Minton&#39;s was you brought your horn and hoped that Bird and Dizzy would invite you to play with them up on stage. And when this happened you better not blow it...People would watch for clues from Bird and Dizzy, and if they smiled when you finished playing, then that meant your playing was good.</p><br>
<p>Daviss remarks reflect on the frenzy in Harlem for the new sounds of bebop that surrounded Parker, Gillespie and Mintons.</p><br>
<h2>Sitting-in at Minton's</h2><br>
<p>Mintons Playhouse became so popular in those days that the house band began to develop ways of weeding out less skilled musicians who wanted to sit in. According to bassist Milt Hinton, Gillespie prompted the band to play standards, such as Gershwins "I Got Rhythm", in difficult keys in order to discourage beginners from sitting in. Bassist Charles Mingus remembers being required to audition to get up on stage:</p><br>
<p>To play at Minton’s you couldn’t just walk in and grab a bass. They made you go in a back room or a kitchen and call a few tunes. They did it to me too. They said, “Can you play ‘Perdido’? Can you play ‘Body and Soul’?”</p><br>
<p>Practices such as these challenged up-and-coming jazz musicians to get their acts together in order to participate in the jam sessions, which kept the music at a high level.</p><br>
<h2>The end of an era</h2><br>
<p>Minton’s changed its open jam policy in favor of big name acts in the 1950s. By the late 1960s bands were no longer at the cutting edge. Harlem writer, Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) wrote in Black Music (1967), that "The groups that come into Minton&#39;s are stand-up replicas of what was a highly experimental twenty-five years ago." Although the club was open for a little more than three decades, Minton’s Playhouse will always be associated with the 1940s and the jam sessions that gave birth to bebop.</p><br>
<h2>The new Minton's</h2><br>
<p>In 2013, Richard Parsons revived Mintons as an upscale Jazz club and restaurant. The restaurants cuisine was entrusted to noted restaurateur Alexander Smalls. The new club was designed by architect Sarah Garcia of Estudio Sarah Garcia and a new brand identity designed by New York designer John Simoudis.</p><br>
<p>The Little White House was the personal retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, located in the Historic District of Warm Springs, Georgia. He first came to Warm Springs  in 1924 for polio treatment, and liked the area so much that, as Governor of New York, he had a home built on nearby Pine Mountain. The house was finished in 1932. Roosevelt kept the house after he became President, using it as a presidential retreat. He died there on April 12, 1945, three months into his fourth term.</p><br>
<p>The house was opened to the public as a museum in 1948. A major attraction of the museum is the portrait that the artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff was painting of him when he died, now known as the "Unfinished Portrait". It hangs near a finished portrait that Shoumatoff completed later from sketches and memory.</p><br>
<p>The house is operated by the State of Georgia as the Little White House Historic Site, also known as Roosevelt&#39;s Little White House Historic Site.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Residents of Georgia, particularly Savannah, began spending vacations at Bullochville in the late 18th century as a way to escape yellow fever, attracted by the number of warm springs in the vicinity. In the late 19th century, traveling to the warm springs was a desirable way to escape from Atlanta. Traveling by railroad to Durand, people would then go to Bullochville. One of the places benefiting from this was the Meriwether Inn. Once the automobile became popular in the early 20th century, tourists began going elsewhere, starting the decline of the inn.</p><br>
<p>In 1921, Roosevelt, aged 39, was diagnosed with poliomyelitis. The few things that seemed to ease his pain were immersion in warm water, bathing and engaging in physical exercise. His first time in Warm Springs was October 1924. He went to a resort in the town that had a permanent 88 &deg;F natural spring, but whose main house was described as "ramshackle". Roosevelt bought the resort and the 1,700 acre farm surrounding it in 1927 (the resort became known as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation). Five years later, in 1932, after winning the presidency for the first time, he ordered a six-room Georgia pine house to be built on the property. This house was his retreat throughout his presidency and became known as the Little White House. In total, he made 16 trips there during his presidency, usually spending two to three weeks at a time, as it took a day to reach Warm Springs from Washington, D.C. by train.</p><br>
<p>The Little White House is a six-room Colonial Revival structure made of Georgia pine. Three of the rooms were bedrooms: one for Roosevelt, one for his wife Eleanor, and one for his personal secretary. The other rooms were an entrance hall, a living room and a kitchen. Access to the Little White House was from an unpaved road that now only exists in parts. The garage-servants quarters was built in 1932, followed by the single-story frame cottage that served as a guesthouse in 1933, and finally a cottage for Georgia Wilkins in 1934. Wilkins family were the original owners of the property.</p><br>
<p>Roosevelt used the Little White House as a base to replace Georgia politicians who refused to follow his policies. This was most notable in 1938 when Roosevelt tried and failed to have United States Senator Walter George replaced with a Roosevelt loyalist, even though both were Democrats.</p><br>
<p>World War II affected Roosevelt&#39;s time at the Little White House. The only year he did not go to the Little White House was 1942, as he was preoccupied by the beginnings of US involvement in the war. It is believed that he vacationed as much as he did in 1943–45 at the Little White House because his real love for vacations, sailing on the Atlantic, was too dangerous during wartime, even if it was just on inland waterways like the Chesapeake Bay or the Potomac River. One major change was that soldiers from Fort Benning were stationed at the Little White House to patrol the woods surrounding the farm.</p><br>
<p>His last trip to the Little White House was on March 30, 1945. He felt he did not achieve enough rest at his Hyde Park home. According to some observers at Warm Springs, Roosevelt looked "ghastly" and his usual cordial waves to the residents were weak. Unlike his previous visits, he avoided the swimming pool he used to comfort himself in previous trips. On April 12, 1945, he was sitting for a portrait at the Little White House when he suffered a stroke. Roosevelt died two hours later of cerebral hemorrhage.</p><br>
<p>Most of Roosevelt&#39;s property was willed to Georgia Warm Springs Foundation, which gained control of all the properties in 1948 except for the Georgia Wilkins Cottage, which Wilkins lived in until her 1959 death. Both John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Jimmy Carter in 1976 used the property for their campaigns to become president; Carter even launched his campaign there.</p><br>
<h2>Current</h2><br>
<p>Today, the Little White House is part of Georgia&#39;s state park system and is open to visitors. It has been preserved and is as it was the day Roosevelt died. All buildings and furnishing are original to the house and property. Items on display, besides the Unfinished Portrait, include his customized 1938 Ford convertible and his stagecoach.</p><br>
<p>On August 9, 2011, the McCarthy Cottage and the E.T. Curtis Cottage next to the Little White House were destroyed in a fire which investigators believed had been started by lightning and thunderstorms that were in the area at the time.</p><br>
<h3>The Little White House</h3><br>
<h3>Memorial Museum</h3><br>
<h3>Warm Springs Pools</h3><br>
<p>The Rotorua Caldera is one of several large volcanoes located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on the North Island of New Zealand. Its last major eruption was about 240,000 years ago. At this time, the Mamaku ignimbrite, covering about 4000 square km, was deposited. After the eruption, the magma chamber underneath the volcano collapsed. The circular depression left behind is the current caldera, about 22 km in diameter and now occupied by Lake Rotorua. Mokoia Island, close to the centre of the lake, is a rhyolite dome. There are other domes like Hinemoa Point, Ngongotaha, Pohaturoa and Pukeroa. The most recent magmatic eruption occurred less than 25,000 years ago, creating some of the smaller lava domes. There is also much geothermal activity.</p><br>
<p>Fuji Five Lakes is the name of the area located at the base of Mount Fuji in the Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan. It has a population of about 100,000. and sits approximately 1,000 meters above sea level. The name Fuji Five Lakes comes from the fact that there are five lakes formed by previous eruptions of Mount Fuji. The principal city in the region, Fujiyoshida, has a population of roughly 54,000 and is particularly famous for its udon noodles. Another point of interest is Aokigahara Jukai Forest. The Fuji Five Lakes was selected by the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun and Osaka Mainichi Shimbun as one of the Twenty-Five Winning Sites of Japan in 1927.</p><br>
<h2>Lakes of the Fuji Five Lakes</h2><br>
<p>The five lakes are located in an arc around the northern half of Mount Fuji. In ancient times, lava flow from a volcanic eruption of Mount Fuji spread across the area, damming up rivers and resulting in the formation of these lakes. They are all considered excellent tourist attractions and fishing spots.</p><br>
<h3>Lake Kawaguchi</h3><br>
<p>Lake Kawaguchi (河口湖 Kawaguchi-ko) is the most famous of the five lakes, and images of this lake are usually used in posters and commercials for the Fuji Five Lakes area. A large number of hotels line its banks, as do locals providing boat rides to the tourists. It is the only lake in the Fuji Five Lakes area that has an island. Many local cultural events are run near this lake throughout the year.</p><br>
<h3>Lake Motosu</h3><br>
<p>Lake Motosu (本栖湖 Motosu-ko) is the ninth deepest lake of Japan, at 140 meters. This lake, along with Lake Sai and Lake Shōji, was formed by lava flowing across what is now Aokigahara Jukai Forest and into the enormous lake that once dominated the area, and these three lakes remain still connected by underground waterways.</p><br>
<h3>Lake Sai</h3><br>
<p>The western side of Sai (西湖 Sai-ko) shares its banks with the infamous Aokigahara Jukai Forest.</p><br>
<h3>Lake Shōji</h3><br>
<p>Lake Shōji (精進湖 Shōji-ko) is the smallest of the five lakes. Remnants of lava flow still jut out of the water. Locals usually fish from these rocks.</p><br>
<h3>Lake Yamanaka</h3><br>
<p>The easternmost and largest of the five lakes, Lake Yamanaka (山中湖 Yamanaka-ko) is also the third highest lake in Japan, standing at 980 meters above sea level.</p><br>
<h2>Tourism industry</h2><br>
<p>Most of the capital coming into the area comes from the tourism industry. Approximately 100,000,000,000 yen is spent by 9,000,000 sightseers every year. The main attractions of the area include:</p><br>
<p>Mount Fuji</p><br>
<p>Onsens</p><br>
<p>Fuji-Q Highland – an amusement park featuring one of the world&#39;s highest roller coasters.</p><br>
<p>The lakes - sightseeing, sailing, and fishing.</p><br>
<p>Hiking and mountain climbing.</p><br>
<p>Village of Healing (いやしの里 iyashinosato）– a historically accurate, rebuilt Japanese village.</p><br>
<p>Mount Spurr is a stratovolcano in the Aleutian Arc of Alaska, named after United States Geological Survey geologist and explorer Josiah Edward Spurr, who led an expedition to the area in 1898. The Alaska Volcano Observatory  currently rates Mount Spurr as Level of Concern Color Code Green. The mountain is known aboriginally by the Denaina Athabascan name Kidazqeni, literally that which is burning inside&#39;.</p><br>
<p>Mount Spurr, the highest volcano of the Aleutian arc, is a large lava dome constructed at the center of a roughly 5 km-wide horseshoe-shaped caldera that is open to the south. The volcano lies 130 km west of Anchorage and NE of Chakachamna Lake. The caldera was formed by a late-Pleistocene or early Holocene debris avalanche and associated pyroclastic flows that destroyed an ancestral Spurr volcano. The debris avalanche traveled more than 25 km to the SE, and the resulting deposit contains blocks as large as 100m in diameter. Several ice-carved post-caldera domes lie in the caldera. Present Mt. Spurr is the highest of the post-caldera. This regrown summit peak of Spurr experienced a heating event in 2004 which created a small crater lake. By 2008, the summit crater had cooled enough to have begun to have accumulated significant amounts of snow again. The youngest post-caldera dome, Crater Peak (2309m, 7575 ft), formed at the breached southern end of the caldera about 3.2 km south of Spurr, has been the source of about 40 identified Holocene tephra layers. Spurrs two historical eruptions, from Crater Peak in 1953 and 1992, deposited ash on the city of Anchorage. Crater Peak has a summit crater that is itself slightly breached along the south rim; the north wall of the crater exposes the truncated remains of an older dome or lava lake. Before the 1992 eruption, a small crater lake occupied the bottom of Crater Peaks crater. As with other Alaskan volcanoes, the proximity of Spurr to major trans-Pacific aviation routes means that an eruption of this volcano can significantly disrupt air travel. Volcanic ash can cause jet engines to fail.</p><br>
<h2>Recent activity</h2><br>
<p>On July 26, 2004, the AVO raised the "Color Concern Code" at Spurr from green to yellow due to an increasing number of earthquakes. Earthquakes beneath a volcano may indicate the movement of magma preceding a volcanic eruption, but the earthquakes might also die out without an eruption. In the first week of August 2004, the AVO reported the presence of a collapse pit, filled with water forming a new crater lake, in the ice and snow cover on the summit. This is a third volcano occurred in this pit may have been caused by an increase in heat flow through the summit lava dome.</p><br>
<p>On May 3, 2005, a debris flow was observed in webcam images, as well as by a nearby pilot. A subsequent overflight revealed that much of the sitting pond within the melt hole had drained away, a notable depth.</p><br>
<p>Bonaventure Island  is an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence located 3.5 km off the southern coast of Quebec&#39;s Gaspé Peninsula, 5 km southeast of the village of Percé in Canada. Roughly circular in shape, it has an area measuring 4.16 km&sup2;.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Bonaventure Island (Île Bonaventure), with Percé, was among the early seasonal fishing ports of New France, and was associated with the lineage of Nicolas Denys. Settlers from southern Ireland came in the early 1790s. Peter Du Val, a native of Jersey, set up a fishery company on lot number one before 1819, population rose to an apex, but the company endured until 1845. The island became a migratory bird sanctuary in 1919 due to the 1916 Migratory Bird Convention between Canada and the United States. The Province of Quebec acquired ownership of the entire island by act of expropriation in 1971, evicting the whole population. At this time approximately 35 families were forced to move elsewhere, all residents were evicted. Later the Province of Quebec grouped it together with Percé Rock into the Parc national de l&#39;île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé (Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock National Park) in 1985. One of the largest and most accessible bird sanctuaries in the world, with more than 280,000 birds, Bonaventure Island is a major tourist destination with boat and island tours from May to October.</p><br>
<p>The aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure was named after the island.</p><br>
<h2>Birds</h2><br>
<p>293 different species of birds have been recorded as visiting, migrating to, or living on Bonaventure island.</p><br>
<p>The most common bird found on the island is the northern gannet. The island is home to one of the largest colonies of gannets in the world, with 47,800 pairs in 2011. This is down from 2009, when there were over 121,000 birds.</p><br>
<p>Other populous colonies include the black-legged kittiwake and the common murre. terns, black guillemots, auks, herring gulls, great black-backed gulls, razorbills, Leach&#39;s storm-petrels, great cormorants, double-crested cormorants, Atlantic puffins, boreal chickadees and blackpoll warblers can also be observed on Bonaventure.</p><br>
<h2>Poetic landmark</h2><br>
<p>Bonaventure Island has been an important source of inspiration to numerous artists and poets. The surrealist writer André Breton declared that, while working on his novel Arcane 17, as he stayed in Percé (1944), he would never tire watching the birds of the Island. The Island never ceased attracting painters and writers: the American painter Frederick James (d. 1905), Franco-Germans Claire et Yvan Goll (1946), — by the sixties several artists would spend the summer on the Island, and would stay over the summer with the inhabitants -descendants of Irish and Norman settlers- the best known of whom was the naturalist William Du Val. Among these inspired visitors: painter Jacques Hurtubise and Kittie Bruneau, the sculptor Morton Rosengarten, the poet Michaël La Chance. Artists and landowners were evicted in the seventies.</p><br>
<p>Shanbally Castle was located near Clogheen, County Tipperary and built for Cornelius O&#39;Callaghan, the first Viscount Lismore, in around 1810. It was the largest house built in Ireland by the noted English architect John Nash. The castle was acquired by the Irish Land Commission in 1954. On 21 March 1960 the castle, after much controversy, was demolished.</p><br>
<h2>Destruction</h2><br>
<p>The protests against the demolition of Shanbally Castle came from some local sources, An Taisce, a few academics such as Professor Gwynn and some political voices such as Senator Sean Moylan, the Minister for Agriculture until his death in November 1957, and TD from Mitchelstown, John W Moher. Politically, the Fianna Fáil Government had no love for houses of the ascendancy and local TD Michael Davern was in favour of its demolition.</p><br>
<p>For a brief period it seemed that a purchaser could be found in the form of the London theatre critic Edward Charles Sackville-West, 5th Baron Sackville, who had a tremendous love of the Clogheen area, which he had known since childhood. He agreed to buy the castle, together with 163 acre, but pulled out of the transaction when the Irish Land Commission refused to stop cutting trees in the land he intended to buy.</p><br>
<p>When this sale did not happen, the Irish Government claimed that it could not find another suitable owner for the castle.</p><br>
<p>In March 1960, The Nationalist reported the final end of a building which was once the pride of the neighbourhood. "A big bang yesterday ended Shanbally Castle, where large quantities of gelignite and cortex shattered the building," it said. The explosion could be heard up to 10 mi away.</p><br>
<p>A statement from the Irish Government released after the demolition of the Castle said in response to protests favouring the retention of Shanbally Castle for the nation: "Apart from periods of military occupation the castle remained wholly unoccupied for 40 years".</p><br>
<p>Plynlimon  is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales, and the highest point in Mid Wales. It is a massif that dominates the countryside of northern Ceredigion.</p><br>
<p>The highest point of the massif itself is Pen Pumlumon Fawr at 752 m. Its other important peaks are Pen Pumlumon Arwystli, Y Garn, Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan and Pumlumon Fach.</p><br>
<p>The longest river in Britain, the River Severn, has its source on the mountain, as do the rivers Wye and Rheidol.</p><br>
<p>Folklore says there is a sleeping giant in Pumlumon.</p><br>
<h2>Habitat</h2><br>
<p>The Pumlumon area is the largest watershed in Wales and is the source of the rivers Wye, Severn and Rheidol.</p><br>
<p>Since 2007 the Wildlife Trusts of Wales have been working to improve the habitat as a "living landscape" project. This watershed area has been affected by loss of biodiversity, erosion of the peaty soils&#39; structure, and accelerated drainage. Some believe the drainage issues have contributed significantly to flooding in areas some distance downstream, though this cannot be clearly proved.</p><br>
<p>Like most of the uplands across Wales, intensive land use activities have resulted in many habitats being either lost or degraded. Over-grazing of sheep has induced soil compaction, which has resulted in increased flooding of the lowland areas.</p><br>
<p>The principal land cover within the project area is dominated by a complex mosaic of locally, nationally and internationally important habitats and species, such as dry and wet dwarf-shrub heathland, blanket bog, unimproved acid grassland and a number of oligotrophic lakes. Agriculturally improved grassland, broadleaved woodlands and forestry plantation are also characteristic features of the area.</p><br>
<p>The Pumlumon area is also important for breeding, wintering and feeding bird fauna particularly hen harrier, merlin, short-eared owl and red and black grouse, and a number of Red Data Book and UK BAP invertebrates.</p><br>
<h2>Severn Way</h2><br>
<p>The Severn Way runs for 210 miles (337 km) along the River Severn between the mouth of the Severn at Bristol, England, and its source at Pumlumon, Wales.</p><br>
<p>Cornwallis Island is one of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic. It lies to the west of Devon Island and at its greatest length is about 113 km. At 6,995 km&sup2; in size, it is the 96th largest island in the world, and Canada&#39;s 21st largest island. Cornwallis Island is separated by the Wellington Channel from Devon Island, and by the Parry Channel from Somerset Island to the south. Northwest of Cornwallis Island lies Little Cornwallis Island, the biggest of a group of small islands at the north end of McDougall Sound, which separates Cornwallis Island from nearby Bathurst Island.</p><br>
<p>Cape Airy is located at the islands southwestern extremity. Also on the southwestern coast, Griffith Island lies directly across from the islands populated hamlet Resolute (Qausuittuq), separated by the 6.5 mi wide Resolute Passage. The airport at Resolute acts as a communications hub for the central Arctic islands of Nunavut. This is Canada&#39;s second most northerly community.</p><br>
<p>The first European to visit Cornwallis Island was Sir William Edward Parry in 1819 and named for British Royal Navy admiral Sir William Cornwallis.</p><br>
<p>Cornwallis Island is also home to microbiological colonies known as hypoliths, from their tendency to take hold under ("hypo") stones ("lith").</p><br>
<p>Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago , lying off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is separated only by a narrow channel from the other principal island of the group, Moresby Island . It has a population of 4,475 , an area of 6,361 km², and is the 101st largest island in the world, Canada&#39;s 22nd largest island.</p><br>
<p>Graham Island was named in 1853 by James Charles Prevost, commander of HMS Virago, for Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time.</p><br>
<h2>Communities</h2><br>
<p>Juskatla</p><br>
<p>Masset</p><br>
<p>Old Massett</p><br>
<p>Port Clements</p><br>
<p>Queen Charlotte City</p><br>
<p>Skidegate</p><br>
<p>Tlell</p><br>
<h2>Attractions</h2><br>
<p>Naikoon Provincial Park</p><br>
<p>North Beach</p><br>
<p>Kano Inlet</p><br>
<p>Tierra del Fuego—literally Land of the Fire, formerly Isla de Xativa and also known as Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego—is an island near the southern tip of South America from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan. The western portion  of the island  is in Chile , while the eastern portion  is in Argentina . It forms the major landmass in an extended group of islands or archipelago also known as Tierra del Fuego.</p><br>
<p>The island has an area of 47,992 km&sup2, making it the 29th largest island in the world. Its two biggest towns are Ushuaia and Río Grande, both in Argentina. Other towns are Tolhuin, Porvenir, Camerón, and Cerro Sombrero. The Argentine side, Tierra del Fuego Province, has 127,205 inhabitants (2010), whereas the Chilean side, even though its area is significantly larger, has only 6,656 (2012), almost all located in the Tierra del Fuego Province.</p><br>
<p>Its highest point is Monte Darwin (2,488 m), in Chile. The northern parts of the island have oil deposits; Cerro Sombrero in Chile is the main extraction centre in the island.</p><br>
<p>In 1949 an earthquake occurred in the Chilean portion, near the Argentine border. Recorded as 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale, it was the most powerful ever recorded in the south of Argentina.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Tierra del Fuego is bounded on the east by the South Atlantic, on the north by the Magellan Straits and on the south and west by a series of fjords and channels linked to the Pacific Ocean. One of the few prominent features of the northeast shore is San Sebastián Bay. To the south the island is bounded by the Beagle Channel, south of which lie a series of islands included in Chilean territory. To the west the island has two major inlets, Inútil Bay and Almirantazgo Fjord. The latter lies along the Magallanes–Fagnano Fault and is a continuation of the Cami Lake depression in southern Tierra del Fuego.</p><br>
<p>The southwest part of the island, between the Almirantazgo Fjord and the Beagle Channel and extending west to end at Brecknock Peninsula on the Pacific Ocean, is mountainous with a heavily indented coastline, dominated by the Cordillera Darwin. Most of this part of the island is included in the Alberto de Agostini National Park of Chile.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The earliest human settlement occurred more than 10,000 years ago, as people migrated from the mainland, perhaps under pressure from competitors. The Yaghan people were some of the earliest known humans settling in Tierra del Fuego. Certain archeological sites at locations such as Navarino Island, within the islands of Tierra del Fuego, have yielded artifacts and evidence of their culture from the Megalithic era.</p><br>
<p>The name Tierra del Fuego derives from Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first European to visit these lands in 1520, while sailing for Spain. He believed he was seeing the many fires (fuego in Spanish) of the Amerindians, which were visible from the sea and that the "Indians" were waiting in the forests to ambush his armada. These were fires lit by the Yamana Indians who lived in the northern part of the island, to ward off the low temperatures in the area. Originally called the "Land of Smoke," it was later changed to the more exciting "Land of Fire."</p><br>
<p>The British commander Robert Fitzroy, on his first voyage with the HMS Beagle in 1830, captured four native Fuegians after they stole a boat from his ship. The men included Orundellico, later named Jemmy Button by his crew. Fitzroy taught them English and took them with him on his return to England, where he took them to Court to meet the King and Queen in London. They became early celebrities. The surviving three were returned to Tierra del Fuego on the second voyage of the Beagle, which included the naturalist Charles Darwin, who made extensive notes about his visit to the islands.</p><br>
<p>In 1881 the island was divided between Argentina and Chile, each of which had previously claimed it entirely.</p><br>
<p>The 1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquake took place on 17 December 1949, at 06:53:30 AM. It recorded magnitude 7.8 in the Richter scale. Its epicenter was located in the east of the Chilean Tierra del Fuego Province, close to the Argentine border, at a depth of 30 km (19 mi).</p><br>
<p>This was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the south of Argentina. It was felt with grade VIII in the Mercalli intensity scale, and affected the settlements and some others like Punta Arenas and Río Gallegos. Due to low population density, damage was limited.</p><br>
<h2>Climate</h2><br>
<p>The region has a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfc) with short, cool summers and long, wet, moderate winters. The northeast is characterized by strong winds and little precipitation, while in the south and west it is very windy, foggy, and wet most of the year, with precipitation levels averaging 3,000 mm a year. The permanent snow line begins at 700 m.</p><br>
<h2>Flora</h2><br>
<p>Only 30% of the islands have forests, which are classified as Magellanic subpolar; the northeast is made up by steppe and cool semidesert.</p><br>
<p>There are six species of tree found in Tierra del Fuego: Canelo or Winter&#39;s Bark (Drimys winteri), Maytenus magellanica, Pilgerodendron uviferum the southernmost conifer in the world, and three kinds of southern beech; Nothofagus antarctica, Nothofagus pumilio and the evergreen Nothofagus betuloides. Edible fruits grow in open spaces in these forests, such as beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis var. chiloensis forma chiloensis) and calafate (Berberis buxifolia), which have been collected by Indians and residents alike. These forests are unique in the world for having developed in a climate with such cold summers. Tree cover extends very close to the southernmost tip of South America. Winds are so strong that trees in wind-exposed areas grow twisted by the force of winds, and people call the trees "flag-trees" for the shape that they need to take in the fight with the wind. Tree vegetation extends as far south as the Isla de los Estados, Navarino Island and the north of Hoste Island. At altitudes above, dwarf nothofagus communities are found. Going further south, Wollaston Islands and the south of Hoste Island are covered by subantarctic tundra.</p><br>
<p>The forests of Tierra del Fuego have been a source of trees that have been planted abroad in places with a similar climate but that were devoid of trees, such as the Faroe Islands and nearby archipelagos. Most species were gathered from the coldest places in Tierra del Fuego bordering the tundra. This resulted in positive changes, as the heavy winds and cool summers in the Faroe Islands had not formerly allowed the growth of trees from other regions in the world. In the Faroe Islands, the imported trees are used ornamentally, as curtains against wind, and for fighting erosion caused by storms and grazing.</p><br>
<h2>Economy</h2><br>
<p>The main industries are oil, natural gas, sheep farming and ecotourism. On the Argentine side several electronics companies have been established. Ushuaia is home to the small brewing company Cervecería Fueguina, which produces three beers under the Beagle brand name.</p><br>
<p>Ashton Court is a mansion house and estate to the west of Bristol in England. Although the estate lies mainly in North Somerset, it is owned by the City of Bristol. The mansion and stables are a Grade I listed building. Other structures on the estate are also listed.</p><br>
<p>Ashton Court has been the site of a manor house since the 11th century, and has been developed by a series of owners since then. From the 16th to 20th centuries it was owned by the Smyth family with each generation changing the house. Designs by Humphry Repton were used for the landscaping in the early 19th century. It was used as a military hospital in the First World War. In 1936 it was used as the venue for the Royal Show and, during the Second World War as an army transit camp. In 1946 the last of the Smyth family died and the house fell into disrepair before its purchase in 1959 by Bristol City Council.</p><br>
<p>The estate developed from the original deer park and is Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. It is the venue for a variety of leisure activities, including the now-defunct Ashton Court Festival, Bristol International Kite Festival and the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. It is home to charity The Forest of Avon Trust.</p><br>
<h2>Early history</h2><br>
<p>Ashton Court dates back to before the 11th century. It is believed that a fortified manor stood on the site, given to Geoffrey de Montbray, Bishop of Coutances, by William the Conqueror. In the Domesday Book it is referred to as a wealthy estate owned by the Bishop of Countances, with a manor house, a great hall, and courtyards entered through gatehouses. The property passed through successive owners and at the end of the 14th century it was considerably expanded when Thomas De Lions, a nobleman originally from France, obtained a permit to enclose a park for his manor. The house was owned by the Choke family for some time. In 1506 it was sold to Sir Giles Daubeney, a knight and a Chamberlain of Henry VII. Henry VIII gave the estate to Sir Thomas Arundel in 1541 and four years later in 1545 Sir Thomas sold it to John Smyth. The Smyth family owned the property for the next 400 years. Smyth also bought the land which had been owned, until the Dissolution of the Monasteries, by Bath Abbey. He used the land to extend the deer park, bringing him into conflict with the residents of Whitchurch, who complained that he had used common land.</p><br>
<h2>Thomas and Florence Smyth</h2><br>
<p>Thomas Smyth (1609–1642) was the first member of the family to make major alterations and additions to the original manor house. He was a Member of Parliament and a successful lawyer. In 1627 at the age of only eighteen he married Florence daughter of John Poulett, 1st Baronet Poulett of Hinton St George.</p><br>
<p>In 1635 Thomas added a new southern front which was in the style of Inigo Jones. It was described by Collinson in 1791 in the following terms:</p><br>
<p>Further major additions were made to the building by Sir John Hugh Smyth (1734–1802). He inherited the estate in 1783 and added the new library to the north west of the house. Sir John also asked the famous landscape designer Humphry Repton for advice about the east front of the house. Repton drafted a plan but Sir Johns death halted any further work on the house. However Reptons landscape designs were implemented by Sir John&#39;s successor Sir Hugh Smyth. In his book Humphry Repton gave a detailed description of the old and newer parts of the house before the library additions and included a drawing of the eastern front of the house as he saw it in about 1790.</p><br>
<h2>Sir John Smyth</h2><br>
<p>As reported by Esme Smyth, Ashton Court&#39;s last resident, Sir John Smyth (1776–1849) was responsible for the remodeling of the house. In about 1940 she was interviewed by Raymond Gorges, who was researching a book, and she gave him an engraving of the house showing the additions that she said were made by Sir John.</p><br>
<p>Sir John was a bachelor. He was said, by Lady Emily Smyth, to be devoted to horses and kept an extensive stud. His importance as a major builder of Ashton Court is verified by John Evans who in 1828 wrote a book about Bristol and its surrounding area. He said:</p><br>
<h2>Sir Greville and Lady Emily Smyth</h2><br>
<p>Sir Greville Smyth inherited the property in 1852 and remained a bachelor until he was 48 years old. During that time he undertook extensive renovations. He also kept a very impressive garden which was described in detail in gardening magazines and newspapers.</p><br>
<p>In 1872 he commissioned the well-known architect Benjamin Ferrey to make additions which were described as follows.</p><br>
<p>Even more extensive alterations were made between 1884 and 1885. Shortly before he married Emily, the widow of George Oldham Edwards, he employed the notable Bath architect Major Charles Edward Davis to transform the house. The work took 18 months to complete. A detailed description of the alterations was given in the Bristol Mercury. in 1885. He converted the stables in the south east wing to living areas which included a huge museum for his natural history collection. He built a grand hall with richly carved oak panels. In the west wing he built a massive carved oak staircase with twist bannisters and introduced perpendicular windows. He also built a winter garden by enclosing the clock court. This is now the Winter Garden Bar. The following description of this elaborate room with a waterfall fountain is given in this newspaper article as follows:</p><br>
<p>Also in the 1880s 4 acre of formal gardens were laid out including a terrace garden, which is now a lawn, a wilderness garden with basin fountain and a rose garden. Avenues of sequoias and cedars were planted along with other specimen trees.</p><br>
<p>In 1891 Lady Emily Smyth held an interview where she outlined further details of these alterations made by Sir Greville. She also gave a few details of some interesting secret rooms and passages in the medieval part of the building on the western side which she referred to as "Draxs Kennel" and "The Foxs Hole". Sir Greville Smyth died in 1901 and Lady Emily Smyth died in 1914.</p><br>
<p>The next and last residents of the house were Gilbert and Esme Smyth. They lived there for the next thirty years. Gilbert died in a 1940 and Esme in 1946 and the house was left to their daughter Esme Francis Cavendish. She and her husband tried to sell the house immediately in 1946 to help pay the death duties. However the Cavendish family did not succeed until thirteen years later in 1959 during which time the house was unoccupied and started to decay. It was sold at this time to Bristol City Council who still owns it today.</p><br>
<h2>Archives</h2><br>
<p>Archives of the Ashton Court estate (including estate management and estate office papers) and personal papers of the Smyth family are held by Bristol Archives (Ref. AC) (). Bristol Record Office also holds photos and papers about the redevelopment of Ashton Court mansion and stables (Ref. 43326) () and (Ref. 45390) (). Other records relating to the Ashton Court estate are also held by Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre and the University of Bristol Special Collections.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Due to successive remodelings and enlargements the architecture at Ashton Court is complex and seldom what it seems. The core of the house, a 15th-century manor, has been obliterated by later wings, which have in turn been remodelled and altered, most substantially around 1635. Therefore, the plan of the house has evolved as irregular with many juxtapositions and little cohesion; while the majority of the house was built in the 17th century, a time of classical architecture, remodelling and alteration to the fenestration has created an overall Gothic appearance.</p><br>
<p>In the early 19th century, the house was given a 300 ft long facade in an attempt to provide some uniformity and some classical grandeur. However even here, the architecture does not remain faithful to a single style. At the centre of this facade is a much altered Tudor gatehouse, probably built in the 16th century as a portal to the 14th-century manor house. In order to create the long facade, the existing stables, to the right of the gatehouse, were converted to domestic use and given seven bays of Gothic mullioned windows. To the left of the gatehouse, the flanking south-west wing is of a different style.</p><br>
<p>This classically designed wing has been attributed to Inigo Jones, but without supporting evidence; as with a similar attribution at Brympton d&#39;Evercy, also in Somerset, it seems to be based solely on the alternating segmental and pointed pediments over the groundfloor windows, and ignoring the irregularities in their spacings and placings, which Jones is unlikely to have countenanced.</p><br>
<p>To give the long facade with its two wings of contrasting architectural styles a uniting, common feature, the third story of oval windows of the left-hand wings, which was then topped with a Jacobean balustrade was repeated above the Gothic right-hand wing; however, inexplicably the attempt at classical unity was broken by the use castellations instead of a balustrade on the right-hand side. Overall, its length, contrasting styles, high gatehouse and lack of symmetry give the facade a collegiate rather than domestic appearance. The focal point of the facade, the gatehouse, has multi-faceted turrets at its corners, In 1885, the gatehouse was given a Gothic makeover, which included raising its height and adding the fan vaulting to the ceiling of the passage leading, not to a great base court, as such grandiose architectural feature would suggest, but to a small glazed inner courtyard (the Winter Garden).</p><br>
<p>The north wing was included in the remodelling work of 1805 and given ogee headed windows in the delicate Strawberry Hill Gothic style, popular at turn of the 19th century; it was a forerunner of the more medieval ecclesiastical Gothic style that was to characterise the architecture of the 19th century, and employed at Ashton Court during the 1885 alterations.</p><br>
<h2>Recent history</h2><br>
<p>During the First World War the estate was used as a military hospital, and in the Second World War was requisitioned by the War Office and used in turn as a transit camp, RAF HQ and US Army Command HQ. The estate was the venue for the 1936 Royal Show. One of the exhibition buildings, despite its temporary nature, was an innovative piece of modernist architecture still remembered as the Gane Pavilion. It was designed by Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer as a show house for the Bristol furniture manufacturer Crofton Gane. For most of the 20th century Ashton Court was the venue for the North Somerset Show, however this is now held in Wraxall.</p><br>
<p>In 1946, the last resident of Ashton Court Dame Esme Smyth, died. After the house became derelict, it was taken over by the City in 1959. Restoration has been an ongoing process since then, but even after extensive investment by both the council and from Heritage Lottery Fund grants, presently only about a quarter of the building is occupied or usable. The available facilities of the house are rented out for business conferences, parties and weddings. In 2013 a fire damaged the northern wing. It was contained by Avon Fire and Rescue Service, otherwise the rest of the building would have been at risk.</p><br>
<p>The mansion house and stables have been designated by Historic England as a Grade I listed building. The house is listed on the Heritage at Risk register and described as being in "slow decay". The lower lodge to Ashton Court and attached gates, railings and bollards, which were built in 1805 by Henry Wood, are Grade II* listed buildings. The lower lodge was fully refurbished in 2016 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and is now named Ashton Gatehouse. The building is now a heritage site managed by Ashton Park School. The garden and perimeter walls and railings are also listed.</p><br>
<h2>Location and surroundings</h2><br>
<p>The house stands within a large estate spanning the boundary between Bristol and North Somerset, approximately 2 km from the city centre. It is on the western side of the River Avon close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the suburb of Leigh Woods and the Leigh Woods National Nature Reserve which are east of Ashton Court. To the north and west are open countryside. The estate was previously much larger than it is today and included areas which are now suburbs of Bristol including Ashton Gate, Ashton Vale and Southville where the Greville Smyth Park is located. The land for the park was donated by the Smyth family and then landscaped by the city council.</p><br>
<p>The estate covers 850 acre of woods and open grassland laid out by Humphry Repton. It includes two pitch-and-putt golf courses, a disc golf course, an orienteering course and horse riding and mountain bike trails. Bristol&#39;s weekly parkrun event (a free, timed 5 km run organised by volunteers) is held at Ashton Court.</p><br>
<p>There is a deer park which was started in the 14th century and extended in the 16th and 17th centuries. There are still two areas of the estate with deer enclosures. The park contains a great variety of wildlife; much of the site (an area of 210.31 hectares) was notified in 1998 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the presence of rare woodland beetles including: Ctesias serra, Phloiotrya vaudoueri and Eledona agricola.</p><br>
<p>The 2.37 hectares of Ashton Court Meadow is managed as a nature reserve by the Avon Wildlife Trust. It contains a wide range of flowering plants, including wild carrot, yellow-wort and field scabious. Some unusual parasitic plants are also found here, such as common broomrape which feeds off clovers, and yellow rattle, which feeds partly off grass.</p><br>
<p>Clarken Combe, at the western edge of the estate, is a woodland area with a range of plant species, including narrow-lipped helleborine, which grows here in small numbers under beech.</p><br>
<p>In 2002 a 700-year-old oak tree, called the Domesday Oak, was selected by The Tree Council as one of 50 Great British Trees. In 2011 a crack appeared in the trunk and oak support beams were fitted to support the tree. The supports were only partly successful and a section of the tree collapsed; the remaining part of the tree was pruned to reduce the weight of the surviving section.</p><br>
<p>Mount Warning (Aboriginal: Wollumbin</p><br>
<p>Lieutenant James Cook saw the mountain from the sea and named it Mount Warning.</p><br>
<h2>Shield volcano</h2><br>
<p>Mount Warning is the central volcanic remnant of an ancient shield volcano, the Tweed Volcano, which would have been about 1,900 m above sea level or just under twice the height of the current mountain. This volcano erupted around 23 million years ago. As the mountain&#39;s central vent cooled it shrank, forming a depression at the top that has greatly eroded.</p><br>
<p>Today the vast areas that were part of the volcano include many mountains and ranges at some distance from Mount Warning, and include the Border Ranges, Tamborine Mountain, the McPherson Range and both the Lamington Plateau and Springbrook Plateaus. The erosion caldera formed since this eruption is easily visible around the summit and forms the rim of the Tweed Valley.</p><br>
<p>During the last stages of eruption, different and more resistant forms of lava that were cooler than those flows that created the shield volcano remained to form the current peak. The whole central Mount Warning massif was also pushed up by forces that remained active after lava eruptions had stopped.</p><br>
<h2>Aboriginal significance</h2><br>
<p>Wollumbin was removed as the name of the peak NNE of Mt Warning and applied as a dual name to Mt Warning by NSW Geographical names board in 2006. The mountain remains a place of cultural and traditional significance to the Bundjalung people and is a sacred site where particular ceremonies and initiation rites are performed. The Bundjalung people observe cultural and traditional restrictions forbidding the uninitiated from climbing the mountain, and, as such, ask that others also do not attempt to climb the mountain.Aboriginal call for crackdown on climbing Mt Warning</p><br>
<p>. Retrieved 30 April 2017 The government National Parks and Wildlife Service advertise this request and do not encourage climbers to hike the Mt. Warning/Wollumbin Trail up the mountain, but it is not forbidden by park regulations.</p><br>
<h2>Etymology</h2><br>
<p>On 16 May 1770, Lieutenant James Cook was the first European to record seeing "… a remarkable sharp peaked Mountain lying inland…" from a point of land he named Cape Byron. Just five hours later while sailing North, Cook was forced to change course to the East after encountering the dangerous reefs that run 3 miles to the East from Fingal Head, now named Danger Reefs (Inner, South, and Outer reefs).</p><br>
<p>The next morning, Cook recorded:</p><br>
<p>"…We now saw the breakers again within us which we past at the distance of 1 League, they lay in the Lat de of 38°.8 & stretch off East two Leagues from a point under which is a small Island. There situation may always be found by the peaked mountain before mentioned which bears SWBW from them this and on this account I have named Mount Warning it lies 7 or 8 Leagues inland in the latitude of 28°.22" S° the land is high and hilly about it but it is conspicuous enough to be distinguished from everything else.</p><br>
<p>The point off which these shoals lay I have named Point Danger to the northward of it the land which is low trends NWBN but we soon found that it did not keep that direction long before it turned again to the northward."</p><br>
<h2>Protected area</h2><br>
<p>The mountain is now protected by the surrounding Wollumbin National Park, and access is regulated by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Mount Warning is part of the United Nations World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.</p><br>
<h2>Walking track</h2><br>
<p>Over 60,000 people a year make the 8.8 km, five-hour round-trip trek to the top from.</p><br>
<p>An ascent of the mountain is discouraged out of respect for local Aboriginal lore, but if undertaken, takes approximately 1½ to 3½ hours (one way) and requires a good level of fitness. There are also viewing platforms at the summit. The total journey is 8.8 km (5.5 mi).</p><br>
<p>Axel Heiberg Island is an island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located in the Arctic Ocean, it is the 31st largest island in the world and Canada&#39;s seventh largest island. According to Statistics Canada, it has an area of 43,178 km&sup2;. Named after Axel Heiberg.</p><br>
<p>One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is also a member of the Sverdrup Islands and Queen Elizabeth Islands. It is known for its unusual fossil forests, which date from the Eocene period. Owing to the lack of mineralization in many of the forest specimens, the traditional characterization of "fossilisation" fails for these forests and "mummification" may be a clearer description. It is clear that the Axel Heiberg forest was a high latitude wetland forest.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Axel Heiberg Island has been inhabited in the past by Inuit people, but was uninhabited by the time it was named by Otto Sverdrup, who explored it in 1900-01. He named it after Axel Heiberg, financial director of the Norwegian Ringnes brewery which sponsored the expedition. Other explorers visited the island during the early 20th century, during which time it was claimed by Norway until 1930. It is now part of Nunavut Territory, Canada. It wasnt until the late 1940s that the island was aerially photographed by the United States Army Air Forces Operation Polaris. In 1955 two geologists of the Geological Survey of Canada, N.J. McMillan and Souther, traversed the interior as part of Operation Franklin. McMillan&#39;s observations of Bunde Glacier, in northwest Axel Heiberg Island, are the earliest glaciological observations on the ground to have found their way into a scientific publication.</p><br>
<p>In 1959, scientists from McGill University explored Expedition Fiord (previously Sør Fjord or South Fiord) in central Axel Heiberg Island. This resulted in the establishment of the McGill Arctic Research Station (79&deg;26&prime;N latitude, 90&deg;46&prime;W longitude), constructed 8 km inland from Expedition Fjord in 1960. It consists of a small research hut, a cookhouse and 2 temporary structures that can comfortably accommodate 8-12 persons. The station was initially heavily utilied during the early 1960s, during which a population of 20 was present. The McGill Arctic Research Station is active from March to August with research currently focused on polar geomorphology, geology, glaciology, permafrost, climate change, and polar microbiology. Over the last 10-15 years, it has served as a significant Mars analogue for astrobiology investigations studying life and habitability of polar cryoenvironments and field testing planetary exploration instrumentation platforms.</p><br>
<p>In the summer of 1972 a British Army Mountaineering Association expedition resulted in the naming of Scaife Glacier.</p><br>
<p>During the summer of 1986, a Canadian expedition headed by Dr James Basinger set out to investigate a very unusual fossil forest on Axel Heiberg. The findings of these and subsequent expeditions have since been popularly reported in Canada. Over 40 million years ago during the Eocene era, a forest of tall trees flourished on Axel Heiberg island. The trees reached up to 35 metres in height; some may have grown for 500 to 1,000 years. At the time, the polar climate was warm, but the winters were still continuously dark for three months long. As the trees fell, the fine sediment in which the forest grew protected the plants. Instead of turning into petrified "stone" fossils, they were ultimately mummified by the cold, dry Arctic climate, and only recently exposed by erosion.</p><br>
<p>Nunatsiaq Online, 26 October</p><br>
<p>As late as 1999, the preservation of this unique site was a concern, as the fossil wood was easily damaged and eroded once exposed. There were concerns that wood was being taken by Arctic cruise ship tourists, and that the site was being disturbed by Canadian military helicopters from a nearby base, and even by scientists themselves in their studies. There were calls for more protection for the area. It currently has no official status, in part because land claims had to be settled. But now Nunavut is looking at how best to protect the fossil forest, possibly by setting up a territorial park to be called Napaaqtulik, "where there are trees".</p><br>
<p>Interesting animal fossils have been discovered on the island, including a remarkably preserved specimen of an ancient Aurorachelys turtle and, identified in 2016, the humerus of a Tingmiatornis arctica.</p><br>
<h2>Glaciation</h2><br>
<p>White Glacier is a valley glacier occupying 38.7 km&sup2; in the Expedition Fiord area of Axel Heiberg Island (79&deg;30&prime;N latitude, 090&deg;50&prime;W longitude). It extends in elevation from 56 to 1782 m above sea level, a range which, as noted by Dyurgerov (2002), is exceeded only by Devon Ice Cap in the world list of glaciers with measured mass balance. Ice thickness reaches or exceeds 400 m. Its maximum extension in recent history, marking the advance of the glacier in response to the cooling of the Little Ice Age, was reached not earlier than the late 18th century, and more probably at the beginning of the 20th century. There is evidence that the retreat of the terminus, previously at about 5 m per year, is decelerating (Cogley et al. 1996a; Cogley and Adams 2000). White Glacier has been the subject of many papers in the glaciological literature since 1960, e.g. Müller (1962) was the source of a now-classical diagram elaborating and illustrating the concept of "glacier facies".</p><br>
<h2>Population</h2><br>
<p>The island is uninhabited except for the seasonal McGill Arctic Research Station operated by McGill University.</p><br>
<h2>Lost Hammer Spring</h2><br>
<p>The Lost Hammer Spring, located in the central west region of the island (79&deg;07&prime;N latitude, 090&deg;21&prime;W longitude) is the coldest and saltiest of all Arctic springs described to date. It is characterized by a perennial hypersaline (24%) discharge at subzero temperatures (~-5 &deg;C) flowing to the surface through a hollow, 2 m high cone-shaped salt tufa structure. Continuous gas emissions from the spring indicate an underlying thermogenic methane source. On the basis of these properties, this spring is considered a significant astrobiology analogue site for possible habitats currently present on Mars and the cold moons Europa and Enceladus.</p><br>
<p>Pulau Yos Sudarso or Pulau Dolak is an island separated only by the narrow Muli Strait from the main island of New Guinea. It is part of the Merauke Regency, in the Indonesian province of Papua. The island is leaf-shaped, about 165 km long with an area of 11,740 km&sup2;. It was known as Frederik Hendrik Island until 1963. Local and alternative names of the island include Dolok, Kimaam and Kolepom.</p><br>
<p>With about 11,000 inhabitants, the island&#39;s population density is less than 1 /sqkm. The native population speaks Kolopom languages, including Kimaghima, Ndom, and Riantana/Kimaan. Communities on the island include Kaba, Kimaan, Kladar, Pembre, Wan, and Yomuka. Kimaan (or Kimaam) is the main settlement. It lies in the southeast on the Buaya Strait that separates the smaller island of Komoran from Dolak.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The island was discovered by Europeans in about January 1606 when Willem Jansz and his crew on the ship Duyfken rounded it on their way to and returning from their discovery of Australia. The Duyfken spent considerable time in the bight in between the island and the mainland. Jansz&#39;s map of the expedition describes the island as lowland and muddy land and with the name "Tiuri". When rounding the prominent southwest cape, jutting into the Arafura Sea, in 1623, Jan Carstensz named it Valse Kaap (Dutch for "False Cape"), a name retained to date (Indonesian Tanjung Vals, English "Cape Vals").</p><br>
<p>It was considered to be a part of main New Guinea until 1835, when between April 26 and May 9 the Dutch captains Langenberg, Kool and Banse sailed their schooners Postillon and Sireen through the narrow channels. They named the waterway Princess Marianne Strait (now Muli Strait) and the island after Prince William Frederick Henry, a grandson of the king, who lived in the Dutch East Indies for a while. Until at least 1884 Komoran was thought to be part of Dolak. After the handover of Western New Guinea to Indonesia in May 1963, the Indonesian government renamed the island after the Indonesian naval officer Yos Sudarso, who was in charge of a raid on the New Guinea coastline 700 km to the northwest in January 1962, but was killed in the process.</p><br>
<p>Southampton Island  is a large island at the entrance to Hudson Bay at Foxe Basin. One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Southampton Island is part of the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut, Canada. The area of the island is stated as 41,214 km&sup2; by Statistics Canada. It is the 34th largest island in the world and Canada&#39;s ninth largest island. The only settlement on Southampton Island is Coral Harbour , called in Inuktitut Salliq.</p><br>
<p>Southampton Island is one of the few Canadian areas, and the only area in Nunavut, that does not use daylight saving time.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Historically speaking, Southampton Island is famous for its now-extinct inhabitants, the Sadlermiut (modern Inuktitut Sallirmiut "Inhabitants of Salliq"), who were the last vestige of the Tuniit. The Tuniit, a pre-Inuit culture, officially went ethnically and culturally extinct in 1902-03 when infectious disease killed all of the Sallirmiut in a matter of weeks.</p><br>
<p>The island&#39;s first recorded visit by Europeans was in 1613 by Welsh explorer Thomas Button.</p><br>
<p>At the beginning of the 20th century, the island was repopulated by Aivilingmiut from Repulse Bay and Chesterfield Inlet, influenced to do so by whaler Capt. George Comer and others. Baffin Islanders arrived 25 years later. John Ell, who as a young child travelled with his mother Shoofly on Comers schooners, eventually became the most famous of Southampton Islands re-settled population.</p><br>
<p>The Native Point archaeological site at the mouth of Native Bay is the largest Sadlermiut site on the island.</p><br>
<h2>Geology</h2><br>
<p>Southampton Island does have geological resources that are of scientific and industrial interest.</p><br>
<p>However, full knowledge of the island is still lacking according to the Nunavut government.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>It is separated from the Melville Peninsula by Frozen Strait. Other waterways surrounding the island include Roes Welcome Sound to the west, Bay of Gods Mercy in the southwest, Fisher Strait in the south, Evans Strait in the southeast, and Foxe Channel in the east.</p><br>
<p>Hansine Lake is located in the far north. Bell Peninsula is located in the southeastern part of the island. Mathiasen Mountain, a member of the Porsild Mountains, is the islands highest peak. The islands shape is vaguely similar to that of Newfoundland.</p><br>
<h2>Fauna</h2><br>
<p>East Bay Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Harry Gibbons Migratory Bird Sanctuary are located on the island and are important breeding sites for the lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens). The island is also the site of two Important Bird Areas (IBAs), the Boas River wetlands in the southwest and East Bay/Native Bay in the southeast. Both host large summer colonies of the lesser snow goose, together comprising over 10% of the world&#39;s snow goose population, with Boas River site alone hosting over 500.000 individuals nesting there. Smaller, but also important, are the colonies of the brent goose (Branta bernicla) and numerous other polar bird species there. Southampton Island is one of two main summering grounds known for bowhead whales in Hudson Bay.</p><br>
<p>The Lahontan Dam is a dam situated on the Carson River in the Carson Desert between Carson City, Nevada and Fallon, Nevada in the United States. Its impoundment is known as the Lahontan Reservoir or Lake Lahontan. It is currently operated by the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District.</p><br>
<p>The Lahontan Dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Newlands Project. It is an earthen structure, 162 ft high by 1,700 ft long and contains 733,000 cubic yards of fill. When it was completed in 1915, it was the largest earth-fill dam in the United States. The reservoir receives water from an area of 1,450 square miles and provides a storage capacity of 295,500 acrefeet at spillway crest. An additional 23,900 acrefeet can be stored by raising the gates, bringing the total capacity to 319,400 acrefeet.</p><br>
<p>The primary purpose of the dam is to impound water for irrigation use. The site also includes hydroelectric generators with a total capacity of 4,000 kilowatts.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Construction began as part of the Truckee-Carson Project in 1911 and Lahontan City, Nevada, a company town, was built for the workers. Water distribution for irrigation began in 1916 and in the same year the project was renamed to the Newlands Project.</p><br>
<p>Lake Chelan is a narrow, 50.5 mi long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, USA It is the largest natural lake in the state by any measure. Upon the completion of Lake Chelan Dam in 1927, the elevation of the lake was increased by 21 ft to its present maximum-capacity elevation of 1,100 ft. Two communities lie on the southern end of the lake, and a third sits at the far north end, providing a gateway to the North Cascades National Park.</p><br>
<h2>Name</h2><br>
<p>The name Chelan is a Salish Indigenous word, "Tsi - Laan," meaning Deep Water.</p><br>
<h2>Hydrology</h2><br>
<p>On an annual basis, an average of 2,200 cf per second flow into the lake. Approximately seventy-five percent of the water that flows into the lake comes from two tributaries. The Stehekin River alone contributes 65% of all water to Lake Chelan, averaging 1,401 cf per second annually. The other major tributary, Railroad Creek, averages 202 cf per second annually. The remaining water is added via a number of smaller tributaries as well as direct rain and snowfall.</p><br>
<p>With a maximum depth of 1,486 ft, The total watershed of the lake is a modest 924 square miles</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<h3>Basins</h3><br>
<p>Lake Chelan is composed of two basins. The lower basin, Wapato, is shallower and approximately a fourth the total length of the lake. The upper basin, Lucerne, is much deeper and extends for the remainder of the length of the lake. The two basins are separated by a sill rising to within 122 feet of the surface, at a point known as the narrows, at which the lake is only 0.35 mi wide. First, the Chelan glacier came down from the Stehekin valley and scoured the valley, potentially as far as the Columbia River. Later, the Okanogan lobe came up the Chelan Valley as far as Wapato Point. As the Okanogan lobe retreated, it left huge amounts of debris in the valley originally scoured by the Chelan glacier.</p><br>
<h4>Wapato Basin</h4><br>
<p>The lower basin, Wapato, is the shallower of the two, with a maximum depth of only 400 ft. About 600 ft of glacial sediment and rockslide deposits rest between the lake bottom and bedrock. This section of the lake is 12 mi long, and has an average depth of 190 ft.</p><br>
<p>Due to the relatively modest size of this basin, water resides in this basin for only 0.8 years, compared to 10 for Lucerne Basin.</p><br>
<h4>Lucerne Basin</h4><br>
<p>Lucerne basin, 38 mi long with an average depth of 1,148 ft, is by far the larger of the two basins. It is in this part of the lake that the maximum depth of 1,486 ft is found. Lucerne basin contains 92% of the water in Lake Chelan and 74% of the surface area, leaving Wapato with only 8% of the total volume of water and 26% of the surface area.</p><br>
<p>The upper basin of Lake Chelan is surrounded by mountainous terrain, resulting in few beaches along the shoreline. Approximately 50 mi of the shoreline of this basin are in National Forest lands, and 12 mi in National Park lands.</p><br>
<h3>Climate</h3><br>
<p>The climate of Lake Chelans watershed is varied. From the southern end of the lake in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, to the northern tip of the lake located in the eastern Cascades, the climate of Lake Chelans watershed is as diverse as the lake is long. The south end&#39;s weather is notably dry, with Chelan averaging only 11.4 in of rain per year, along with 21.8 in of snow. Stehekin receives an average of 35.5 in of rain per year, and 122.5 in of snow. Other than precipitation trends, the climates are remarkably similar. Both locations average around 60 &deg;F for a high, and 40 &deg;F for a low throughout the course of the year.</p><br>
<h3>Cities</h3><br>
<p>Due to the isolated nature of Lake Chelan, especially at its northern reaches, there is not a large population that resides along the shore. Chelan, which had 3,918 residents at the 2010 census, is currently the only incorporated city situated along the lake shore. The city is located at the southern terminus of the lake, adjacent to the Lake Chelan Dam and the Chelan River outflow. The census-designated place of Manson, which had 1,418 residents in 2010, is also located at the southern end of the lake. The unincorporated community of Stehekin, Lucerne is also the primary gateway to the community of Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center located 11 miles inland from the lake. With approximately 50 long-term residents, Holden includes one of the few remaining public K-12 two-room schools in the contiguous United States.</p><br>
<h2>Recreation</h2><br>
<h3>Fishing</h3><br>
<p>Fishing is a popular recreating activity on Lake Chelan. The following fish are or were native to the lake: Bull Trout, Westslope cutthroat trout, Largescale sucker, Longnose sucker, Bridgelip sucker, Northern pikeminnow, Peamouth, Redside shiner, Mountain whitefish, Pygmy whitefish.</p><br>
<p>In addition to these native species, six species have been introduced to the lake, primarily for sport fishing purposes: Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Rainbow trout, Kokanee, Brook trout, Chinook salmon, Lake trout)</p><br>
<h4>State Records</h4><br>
<p>There is currently one state record fish that was pulled from Lake Chelan. In 2013, a 35.63 lb Lake Trout was caught, setting the state record.</p><br>
<h3>Protected Lands</h3><br>
<p>At the north end of the lake, surrounding the town of Stehekin, is Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Surrounding much of the lake on either side is Wenatchee National Forest. Two state parks are located on the southern edge, not far from the city of Chelan. These state parks are Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park and Lake Chelan State Park.</p><br>
<p>In addition to the protected land located directly on the shores of Lake Chelan, Stehekin serves not only as a gateway to the Lake Chelan NRA, but also to the rest of the North Cascades National Park Complex, Stephen Mather Wilderness, and adjacent National Forest Wilderness Areas. Approximately 87% of the Lake Chelan watershed is owned by either federal, state, or local entities, with the rest in private ownership.</p><br>
<h2>Images</h2><br>
<p>Thurston Island is an ice-covered, glacially dissected island, 215 km long, 90 km wide and 15,700 km² in area, lying a short way off the northwest end of Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. It is the third largest island of Antarctica, after Alexander Island and Berkner Island.</p><br>
<p>Thurston Island is separated from the mainland by Peacock Sound, which is occupied by the western portion of Abbot Ice Shelf. It divides Bellingshausen Sea to the east from Amundsen Sea to the west.</p><br>
<p>The island was discovered from the air by Rear Admiral Byrd on February 27, 1940, who named it for W. Harris Thurston, New York textile manufacturer, designer of the windproof "Byrd Cloth" and sponsor of Antarctic expeditions.</p><br>
<p>Originally charted as a peninsula, the feature was not recognised an island until 1960.</p><br>
<p>The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini&#39;s designs from 1706 to 1740. In the early 1920s, it was still used as a prison and execution ground by the Bolshevik government.</p><br>
<p>Today it has been adapted as the central and most important part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg History. The museum has gradually become virtually the sole owner of the fortress building, except the structure occupied by the Saint Petersburg Mint (Monetniy Dvor).</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<h3>From foundation until 1917</h3><br>
<p>The fortress was established by Peter the Great on May 16 (by the Julian Calendar, hereafter indicated using "(J)&quot May 27 by the Gregorian Calendar) 1703 on small Hare Island by the north bank of the Neva River, the last upstream island of the Neva delta. Built at the height of the Northern War in order to protect the projected capital from a feared Swedish counterattack, the fort never fulfilled its martial purpose. The citadel was completed with six bastions in earth and timber within a year, and it was rebuilt in stone from 1706 to 1740.</p><br>
<p>From around 1720, the fort served as a base for the city garrison and also as a prison for high-ranking or political prisoners. The Trubetskoy Bastion, rebuilt in the 1870s, became the main prison block. The first person to escape from the fortress prison was the anarchist Prince Peter Kropotkin in 1876. Other people incarcerated in the "Russian Bastille" include Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, Artemy Volynsky, Tadeusz Kościuszko, Alexander Radishchev, the Decembrists, Grigory Danilevsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Maxim Gorky, Mikhail Bakunin, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Leon Trotsky and Josip Broz Tito.</p><br>
<h3>Russian Revolution and beyond</h3><br>
<p>During the February Revolution of 1917, it was attacked by mutinous soldiers of the Pavlovsky Regiment on February 27 (J) and the prisoners were freed. Under the Provisional Government, hundreds of Tsarist officials were held in the Fortress.</p><br>
<p>The Tsar was threatened with being incarcerated at the Fortress on his return from Mogilev to Tsarskoe Selo on March 8 (J); but he was placed under house arrest. On July 4 (J) during the July Days demonstrations, the Fortress garrison of 8,000 men declared for the Bolsheviks. They surrendered to government forces without a struggle on July 6 (J).</p><br>
<p>On October 25 (J), the fortress quickly fell into Bolshevik hands. Following the ultimatum from the Petrograd Soviet to the Provisional Government ministers in the Winter Palace, after the blank salvo of the Cruiser Aurora at 21.00, the guns of the Fortress fired 30 or so shells at the Winter Palace. Only two hit, inflicting only minor damage, and the defenders refused to surrender– at that time. At 02.10 on the morning of October 26 (J), the Winter Palace was taken by forces under Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko; the captured ministers were taken to the Fortress as prisoners.</p><br>
<p>In 1918-1921 at least 112 persons including 4 grand dukes were killed here.</p><br>
<p>In 1924, most of the site was converted to a museum. In 1931, the Gas Dynamics Laboratory was added to the site. The structure suffered heavy damage during the bombardment of the city during WWII by the German army who were laying siege to the city. It has been faithfully restored post-war and is a prime tourist attraction.</p><br>
<h3>Public perception</h3><br>
<p>In the years before and after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Peter and Paul Fortress was portrayed, by Bolshevik propaganda, as a hellish, torturous place, where thousands of prisoners suffered endlessly in filthy, cramped, and grossly overcrowded dungeons amid frequent torture and malnutrition. Such legends had the effect of turning the prison into a symbol of government oppression in the minds of the common folk. In reality, conditions in the fortress were far less brutal than believed; no more than one hundred prisoners were ever kept in the prison at a time, and most prisoners had access to such luxuries as tobacco, writing paper, and literature (including subversive books such as Karl Marx&#39;s Das Kapital). When the fortress was liberated during the early stages of the revolution in February 1917, the prison was holding only nineteen recently incarcerated prisoners: The ringleaders of a mutinous army regiment that had sided with the revolutionaries during the mass protests on the 26th.</p><br>
<p>Despite their ultimate falsehood, stories about the prison were vital to the spread of Bolshevik revolutionary sentiment. The legends served to portray the government as cruel and indiscriminate in the administration of justice, helping to turn the common mind against Tsarist rule. Many inmates, after being released, wrote chilling and increasingly exaggerated accounts of life there that solidified the structures horrible image in the public mind and pushed the people further towards dissent. Writers often purposely exaggerated their experiences to garner more hatred for the government; as writer and former Peter and Paul inmate Maksim Gorky would later state, "Every Russian who ever sat in jail...as a political&#39;... it his holy duty to bestow on Russia his memoirs of how he suffered".</p><br>
<h2>Sights</h2><br>
<p>The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral (1712–1733), which has a 122.5 m bell-tower (the tallest in the city centre) and a gilded angel-topped cupola.</p><br>
<p>The cathedral is the burial place of all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III, with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI. The remains of Nicholas II and his family and entourage were re-interred there, in the side chapel of St. Catherine, on July 17, 1998, the 80th anniversary of their deaths. Toward the end of 2006, the remains of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna were brought from Roskilde Cathedral outside Copenhagen and reinterred next to her husband, Alexander III.</p><br>
<p>The newer Grand Ducal Mausoleum (built in the Neo-Baroque style under Leon Benoiss supervision in 1896-1908) is connected to the cathedral by a corridor. It was constructed in order to remove the remains of some of the non-reigning Romanovs from the cathedral, where there was scarcely any room for new burials. The mausoleum was expected to hold up to sixty tombs, but by the time of the Russian Revolution, there were thirteen. The latest burial was of Nicholas IIs first cousin once removed, Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrilovich (1992). The remains of his parents, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich and his wife Viktoria Fyodorovna, were transferred to the mausoleum from Coburg in 1995.</p><br>
<p>Other structures inside the fortress include the still functioning mint building (constructed to Antonio Porta&#39;s designs under Emperor Paul), the Trubetskoy Bastion with its grim prison cells, and the city museum. According to a centuries-old tradition, a cannon is fired each noon from the Naryshkin Bastion. Annual celebrations of the city day (May 27) are normally centered on the island where the city was born.</p><br>
<p>The fortress walls overlook sandy beaches that have become among the most popular in St. Petersburg. In summer, the beach is often overcrowded, especially when a major sand festival takes place on the shore.</p><br>
<p>Clougha Pike is a hill in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, England. From the west it looms over the Conder Valley, the city of Lancaster and Lancaster University. It is visible from as far away as Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland mountains such as the Old Man of Coniston, and Blackpool Tower. From the west, it appears to be a large dome shape, with a cliff-like section at the very top. From the south-west, a series of notches or cloughs are visible in its flanks, giving the hill its distinctive name. The notches vary in size and run across the side of the hillside, but not down it. The largest notch has had part of its floor filled in by a small lake and swamp and is a dramatic gritstone boulder-strewn feature. These notches are thought to have been cut by meltwater flowing south-west from the area of Littledale, along the side of a glacier which occupied the Quernmore valley. They are known as marginal notch channels and are among the best examples of these features in Britain.</p><br>
<p>Clougha can be reached from the west, by a pleasant path that travels up its slopes by Rowton (spelt variously) Brook and then diagonally up the final steep broken rock section. It can also be reached from the east from Grit Fell, over boggy land along a muddy path that is sometimes difficult to distinguish. An approach from the north, from the direction of Caton, is also possible. A small car park is also available close to Clougha Pike, just off Rigg Lane. Another starting point to ascend Clougha is from the Victorian folly of Jubilee Tower, where there is also a car park.</p><br>
<p>Its summit furniture includes an Ordnance Survey trig point and a wind shelter. The view west from the top is over Morecambe Bay. On a clear day views from Clougha Pike extend to Snowdonia, the Ribble estuary, the Isle of Man (directly behind Barrow-in-Furness), the fells of the Lake District and many of the Pennine hills.</p><br>
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