<p>Aroania , also known as Helmos or Chelmos , is a mountain range in Achaea, Peloponnese, Greece. At 2,355 m elevation, Aroania is the third highest mountain of the Peloponnese, after Taygetus and Kyllini, and the highest in Achaea. The largest town near the mountain is Kalavryta. The municipal unit Aroania took its name from the mountain.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Aroania is situated in southeastern Achaea, near the border with Corinthia. The slightly higher Kyllini mountain is about 15 km to its east, separated from Aroania by the valley of the river Olvios. The mountain Erymanthos is about 30 km to the west, across the valley of the river Vouraikos. The rivers Krios, Krathis and Vouraikos drain the mountain towards the Gulf of Corinth in the north. The river Aroanios drains the mountain towards the southwest, to the Ionian Sea.</p><br>
<p>The mountain is the site of the Aristarchos telescope and of a ski resort. Points of interest on the mountain include the Cave of the Lakes (Spilaio ton Limnon), the monastery of Mega Spilaio and the mountain town Kalavryta. Mountain villages on the mountain are Planitero and Peristera. There are several protected areas on Aroania.</p><br>
<p>A list of the highest peaks of Mount Aroania:</p><br>
<p>Psili Koryfi, 2355 m</p><br>
<p>Neraidorachi, 2341 m</p><br>
<p>Aetorachi, 2335 m</p><br>
<p>Kokkinovrachos, 2315 m</p><br>
<p>Gardii, 2182 m</p><br>
<p>Avgo, 2138 m</p><br>
<p>Nisi, 2080 m</p><br>
<h2>Flora and fauna</h2><br>
<p>The parts of Aroania between 800 m and 1,800 m elevation are covered with pine forests. The higher areas consist of grasslands and barren rock. Aroania is rich in butterfly species, including the Chelmos blue (Agrodiaetus iphigenia) which is found between 1,100 m and 1,800 m.</p><br>
<p>Aroania  is a village and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 173.804 km. The population is 1,619 . The seat of administration was in the town Psofida. The municipality is named after the village and the mountain.</p><br>
<h2>Subdivisions</h2><br>
<p>The municipal unit Aroania is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):</p><br>
<p>Agrampela (Agrampela, Platanitsa)</p><br>
<p>Agridi</p><br>
<p>Alestaina</p><br>
<p>Anastasi (Anastasi, Moni Agion Theodoron)</p><br>
<p>Aroania</p><br>
<p>Desino</p><br>
<p>Kamenianoi (Kamenianoi, Drovolovo)</p><br>
<p>Lechouri (Lechouri, Kerasea, Selli)</p><br>
<p>Livartzi (Livartzi, Livadi, Livartzino)</p><br>
<p>Plaka</p><br>
<p>Psofida (Psofida, Ano Psofida, Ano Tripotama, Kato Tripotama, Tripotama, Vasiliki)</p><br>
<p>Seires (Seires, Agioi Theodoroi, Agios Georgios, Krini, Thomaiika)</p><br>
<h2>Notable people</h2><br>
<p>Ioannis Sofianopoulos (1887–1951), politician</p><br>
<h2>Population</h2><br>
<p>Bylazora or Vilazora was a Paeonian city from the period of early classic antiquity. It is located near the village of Knezhje, which is part of the municipality of Sveti Nikole in the Republic of Macedonia.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Polybius tells us:</p><br>
<p>"King Philip V captured Bylazora, the largest town of Paeonia, and very favourably situated for commanding the pass from Dardania to Macedonia: so that by this achievement he was all but entirely freed from any fear of the Dardani, it being no longer easy for them to invade Macedonia, as long as this city gave Philip the command of the pass."</p><br>
<p>In 219 BC, the Dardanians collected their forces for a raid into Macedonia and at that time Bylazora must already have been in their hands. With its location at Veles, Bylazora commanded the entrance to a long defile and, no less important, a route southwestwards into Pelagonia via the Babuna Valley, or Raec Valley into Styberra and interior of the Macedonian Kingdom. It can be assumed that Bylazora, as the largest Paeonian town, must have been in Dardanian possession when Philip V captured it in 217 BC, with the aim of garrisoning it and ending Dardanian raids. Bylazora is also mentioned by Livy in his "The History of Rome" when Perseus in 168 BC arranged military support from the Gauls who were campaigning in Desudaba, Maedica, requesting the Gaulish army to shift their camp to Bylazora, a place in Paeonia, and their officers to go in a body to him at Almana on the River Axius.</p><br>
<p>The geographic dominance over the surrounding valley has determined the communications significance of the city in ancient times. It was situated between the states (or sometimes provinces) of the Dardani, and of Thrace and Macedonia. Ancient Bylazora was the largest and most significant city of Paionia, mentioned in the records of Polybius and Titus Livius. They emphasize its strategic geographic position as a frontier of the northern border of Macedonia against the Dardanians.</p><br>
<p>According to experts, there are two significant dates related to the relations between ancient Macedonia and Bylazora: The first is 217 B.C. when king Philip V of Macedonia reconstructed its fortifications; The second is 168 B.C. when king Perseus of Macedonia, during the Third Macedonian War, arranged military support from the Gauls who were camping nearby in defending the city against the Romans.</p><br>
<h2>Discovery</h2><br>
<p>A strange fabrication, to the effect that Bylazora was located at the village of Kneze near Sveti Nikole stems from professor Ivan Mikulcic, who in 1976 set foot on the hill called Safara and claimed "this is Bylazora" without presenting a single substantial fact. In that manner he was able to move the ancient Bylazora on the bank of the Axius River to the inland of Paeonia at Kneze near Sveti Nikole.</p><br>
<p>In August 2008, a team of researchers led by archaeologist Boban Husenovski from the National Museum of Macedonia with the participation of researchers from The Texas Foundation for Archaeological & Historical Research discovered the main gate of a city, fortification walls, and plenty of small archaeological finds that have been dated to between the 6th and 3rd century B.C.</p><br>
<p>From these findings, they have been able to confirm that these are in fact the remains of the ancient Paeonian city of Bylazora. The excavations are ongoing (2008).</p><br>
<p>Taal Volcano  is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is located about 50 km south of the capital of the country, the city of Manila.</p><br>
<p>The volcano had several violent eruptions in the past causing loss of life in the island and the populated areas surrounding the lake, with the death toll estimated at around 5,000 to 6,000. Because of its proximity to populated areas and its eruptive history, the volcano was designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters. All volcanoes of the Philippines are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.</p><br>
<h2>Etymology</h2><br>
<p>As of 1821, the Taal Volcano was also called Bombou.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Taal Volcano and Lake are wholly located in the province of Batangas. The northern half of Volcano Island falls under the jurisdiction of the lake shore town of Talisay, and the southern half to San Nicolas. The other communities that encircle Taal Lake include the cities of Tanauan and Lipa, and the municipalities of Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo, Santa Teresita, Alitagtag, Cuenca, Balete and Mataas na Kahoy.</p><br>
<p>Permanent settlement on the island is prohibited by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS, declaring the whole Volcano Island as a high-risk area and a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ). Despite the warnings, poor families have settled on the island, risking their lives, earning a living by fishing and farming crops from the rich volcanic soil.</p><br>
<h3>Vulcan Point</h3><br>
<p>The crater lake on Volcano Island is the largest lake on an island in a lake on an island in the world. Moreover, this lake contains Vulcan Point, a small rocky island that projects from the surface of the crater lake, which was the remnant of the old crater floor that is now surrounded by the 2 km wide lake, now referred to as the Main Crater Lake. Vulcan Point is often cited as the largest third-order island (island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island) in the world, though this is also claimed to be an unnamed Canadian island located within Victoria Island.</p><br>
<p>Therefore, Taal has an island within a lake, that is on an island within a lake, that is on an island: Vulcan Point Island is within Main Crater Lake, which is on Volcano Island, which is within Taal Lake, which is on the main Philippine Island, Luzon.</p><br>
<h2>Recent activity</h2><br>
<p>Although the volcano has been quiet since 1977, it has shown signs of unrest since 1991, with strong seismic activity and ground fracturing events, as well as the formation of small mud pots and mud geysers on parts of the island. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) regularly issues notices and warnings about current activity at Taal, including ongoing seismic unrest.</p><br>
<h3>2011</h3><br>
<p>From April 9 to July 5, Alert Level on Taal Volcano was raised from 1 to 2 for eleven weeks because of increased seismicity on Volcano Island. Frequency peaked to about 115 tremors on May 30 with maximum intensity at IV, accompanied by rumbling sounds. Magma was intruding towards the surface, as indicated by continuing high rates of CO2 emissions in the Main Crater Lake and sustained seismic activity. Field measurements on 24 May 2011 showed lake temperatures slightly increased, pH values slightly more acidic and water levels 4 cm higher. A ground deformation survey conducted around the Volcano Island 26 April – 3 May 2011 showed that the volcano edifice inflated slightly relative to the 05-11 April 2011 survey.</p><br>
<h3>2010</h3><br>
<p>June 8. PHIVOLCS raised the volcano status to Alert Level 2 (scale is 0–5, 0 referring to No Alert status), which indicates the volcano is undergoing magmatic intrusion which could eventually lead to an eruption. PHIVOLCS reminds the general public that the Main Crater remains off-limits because hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur, along with the possible build-up of toxic gases. Areas with hot ground and steam emission such as portions of the Daang Kastila Trail are considered hazardous.</p><br>
<p>May 11-24. Crater lake temperature increased by 2 -. The composition of Main Crater Lake water has shown above normal values of Mg/Cl, SO4/Cl and Total Dissolved Solids. There has been ground steaming accompanied by hissing sounds on the northern and northeast sides of the main crater.</p><br>
<p>April 26. Volcanic seismicity had increased.</p><br>
<h3>2009</h3><br>
<p>July 20. National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) executive officer Glenn Rabonza warned that although there were no volcanic quakes detected at Taal since the detection of nine volcanic quakes from June 13 to July 19, and there had been no steaming activity monitored since last recorded on June 23, PHIVOLCS Alert stands at Level 1, warning that Taal’s main crater is off-limits to the public because steam explosions may occur or high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate.</p><br>
<h3>2008</h3><br>
<p>August 28. PHIVOLCS notified the public and concerned authorities that the Taal seismic network recorded ten (10) volcanic earthquakes from 5:30 AM to 3 PM. Two (2) of these quakes that occurred at 12:33 and 12:46 PM, were both felt at intensity II by residents at barangay Pira-piraso. These quakes were accompanied by rumbling sounds. The events were located northeast of the volcano island near Daang Kastila area with depths of approximately 0.6 km (12:33 PM) and 0.8 km (12:46 PM).</p><br>
<h2>Geological history</h2><br>
<p>Taal Volcano is part of a chain of volcanoes along the western side of the edge of the island of Luzon, which were formed by the subduction of the Eurasian Plate underneath the Philippine Mobile Belt. Taal Lake lies within a 25 – caldera formed by explosive eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 BP. Each of these eruptions created extensive ignimbrite deposits, reaching as far away as where Manila stands today.</p><br>
<p>Since the formation of the caldera, subsequent eruptions have created a volcanic island within the caldera known as Volcano Island. This 5 km island covers an area of about 23 km&sup2; with the center of the island occupied by the 2 km Main Crater with a single crater lake formed from the 1911 eruption. The island consists of different overlapping cones and craters of which forty-seven have been identified. Twenty six (26) of these are tuff cones, five are cinder cones and four are maars. With its highest elevation at only 311 m, Taal is one of the lowest volcanoes in the world.</p><br>
<h2>Eruption history</h2><br>
<p>There have been 33 recorded eruptions at Taal since 1572. The first eruption of which there is any record occurred in 1572, the year the Augustinian friars founded the town of Taal on the shores of the lake (on what is now San Nicolas, Batangas). In 1591, another mild eruption took place featured by great masses of smoke issuing forth from the crater. From 1605 to 1611, the volcano displayed such great activity that Father Torna de Abreu had a huge cross of anubing wood erected on the brink of the crater.</p><br>
<p>Between 1707 and 1731, the center of activity shifted from the Main Crater to other parts of Volcano Island. The eruptions of 1707 and 1715 occurred in Binitiang Malaki crater (the cinder cone visible from Tagaytay City). Minor eruptions also emanated from the Binintiang Munti crater on the westernmost tip of the island in 1709 and 1729. A more violent event happened on September 24, 1716, when the whole southeastern portion of the crater (Calauit), opposite Mount Macolod, was blown out. The 1731 eruption off Pira-Piraso or eastern tip of the island created an island. No studies had been done to determine whether Napayon or Bubuin Island was formed in the eruption, or just a pumice raft.</p><br>
<p>Activity returned to the Main Crater in 1749, and it was remembered for being particularly violent (VEI=4). Then came the great 200-day eruption of 1754, the greatest eruption of Taal which is described below.</p><br>
<p>Taal remained quiet for 54 years except for a minor eruption in 1790. Not until March 1808 did another big eruption occur. While this outbreak was not as violent as the one in 1754, the immediate vicinity was covered with ashes to a depth of 84 cm. It brought great changes in the interior of the crater, according to chroniclers of that time. "Before, the bottom looked very deep and seemed unfathomable, but at the bottom, a liquid mass was seen in continual ebullition. After the eruption, the crater had widened and the pond within it had been reduced to one-third and the rest of the crater floor was higher and dry enough to walk over it. The height of the crater walls has diminished and near the center of the new crater floor, a little hill that continually emitted smoke. On its sides were several wells, one of which was especially remarkable for its size."</p><br>
<p>On July 19, 1874, an eruption of gases and ashes killed all the livestock on the island. From November 12–15, 1878, ashes ejected by the volcano covered the entire island. Another eruption took place in 1904 as a result of which a new outlet was formed in the southeastern wall of the principal crater. The last eruption from the Main Crater was in 1911 which obliterated the crater floor creating the present lake. In 1965, a huge explosion sliced off a huge part of the island, moving activity to a new eruption center, Mount Tabaro. Eruptions have also been recorded in 1634, 1635, 1641, 1645, 1790, 1825, 1842, 1873, 1885, 1903, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976 and 1977. Some of the major eruptions are described below:</p><br>
<h3>The 1754 eruption</h3><br>
<p>Taal Volcano&#39;s greatest recorded eruption occurred in 1754 which lasted from May 15 to December 1. The following is the narrative account of Fr. Buencuchillo, parish priest of Sala, and stationed at Taal at that time:</p><br>
<h3>1911 eruption</h3><br>
<p>One of the more devastating eruptions occurred in January, 1911. During the night of the 27th of that month, the seismographs at the Manila Observatory commenced to register frequent disturbances, which were at first of insignificant importance, but increased rapidly in frequency and intensity. The total recorded shocks on that day numbered 26. During the 28th there were recorded 217 distinct shocks, of which 135 were microseismic, while 10 were quite severe. The frequent and increasingly strong earthquakes caused much alarm at Manila, but the observatory staff was soon able to locate their epicenter in the region of Taal Volcano and assured the public that Manila was in no danger, as Taal is distant from it some 37 mi.</p><br>
<p>In Manila in the early hours of January 30, 1911, people were awakened out of their sleep by what they at first took for loud thunder. The illusion was heightened when great streaks of lightning were seen to illumine the southern sky. Those who investigated further, however, soon learned the truth. A huge, fan-shaped cloud of what looked like black smoke rose to a great height. It was crossed and crisscrossed with a brilliant electrical display, which the people of Manila at first took for lightning. This cloud finally shot up in the air, spread, then dissipated, and this marked the culmination of the eruption, at about 2:30 a. m.</p><br>
<p>On Volcano island, the destruction was complete. It seems that when the black, fan-shaped cloud spread, it created a blast downward that forced hot steam and gases down the slopes of the crater, accompanied by a shower of hot mud and sand. Many trees had the bark shredded and cut away from the surface by the hot sand and mud blast that accompanied the explosion and contributed so much to the loss of life and destruction of property. The fact that practically all the vegetation was bent downward, away from the crater, proved that there must have been a very strong blast down the outside slopes of the cone. Very little vegetation was actually burned or even scorched. Six hours after the explosion, dust from the crater was noticeable in Manila as it settled on furniture and other polished surfaces. The solid matter ejected had a volume of between 70,000,000 and (VEI=3.7). Ashes fell over an area of 2,000 km&sup2, although the area in which actual destruction took place measured only 230 km&sup2;. The detonation from the explosion was heard over an area more than 600 mi in diameter.</p><br>
<h4>Death toll</h4><br>
<p>The eruption claimed a reported 1,335 lives and injured 199; although it is known that more perished than the official records show. The seven barangays that existed on the island previous to the eruption were completely wiped out. Post mortem examination of the victims seemed to show that practically all had died of scalding by hot steam or hot mud, or both. The devastating effects of the blast reached the west shore of the lake where a number of villages were also destroyed. Cattle to the number of 702 were killed and 543 nipa houses destroyed. Crops suffered from the deposit of ashes that fell to a depth of almost half an inch in places near the shore of the lake.</p><br>
<h4>Observations on the Volcano Island after the eruption</h4><br>
<p>Volcano Island sank from three to ten feet as a result of the eruption. It was also found that the southern shore of Lake Taal sank in elevation from the eruption. No evidences of lava could be discovered anywhere, nor have geologists been able to trace any visible records of a lava flow having occurred at any time on the volcano back then. Another peculiarity of the geologic aspects of Taal is the fact that no sulphur has been found on the volcano. The yellow deposits and encrustations noticeable in the crater and its vicinity are iron salts, according to chemical analysis. Slight smell of sulfur was perceptible at the volcano, which came from the gases that escape from the crater.</p><br>
<h4>Changes on the crater after the eruption</h4><br>
<p>Great changes took place in the crater after the eruption. Before 1911, the crater floor was higher than Taal lake and had several separate openings in which were lakes of different colors. There was a green lake, a yellow lake, a red lake and some holes filled with hot water from which steam issued. Many places were covered with a shaky crust of volcanic material, full of crevices, which was always hot and on which it was rather dangerous to walk. Immediately after the explosion, the vari-colored lakes had disappeared and in their place was one large lake, about ten feet below the level of the lake surrounding the island. The crater lake gradually rose until it is on a level with the water in Taal Lake. Opinions after the creation of the lake that the presence of the water in the crater has a tendency to cool off the material below and thus lessen the chances of an explosion or make the volcano extinct, but the preponderance of expert opinion was otherwise.(The subsequent eruption in 1965 and succeeding activities came from a new eruptive center, Mount Tabaro.)</p><br>
<p>Ten years after the eruption, no changes in the general outline of the island could be discerned at a distance. On the island, however, many changes were noted. The vegetation had increased; great stretches that were formerly barren and covered with white ashes and cinders became covered with vegetation.</p><br>
<h3>1965 to 1977 eruption</h3><br>
<p>The most recent period of activity lasted from 1965 to 1977 with the area of activity concentrated in the vicinity of Mount Tabaro. The 1965 eruption was classified as phreatomagmatic, generated by the interaction of magma with the lake water that produced the violent explosion that cut an embayment on Volcano Island. The eruption generated "cold" base surges which traveled several kilometers across Lake Taal, devastating villages on the lake shore and, killing about a hundred people. That eruption, in particular, led to the recognition of base surge (one of the American geologists who witnessed an atomic bomb explosion as a soldier and visited the volcano shortly after the 1965 eruption, compared it to an atomic base surge) as a process in volcanic eruption, which are now called pyroclastic surges when relating to volcanoes. The population of the island was evacuated only after the onset of the eruption. Precursory signs were not interpreted correctly until after the eruption.</p><br>
<p>After nine months of repose, Taal reactivated on July 5, 1966 with another phreatomagmatic eruption from Mount Tabaro, followed by another similar eruption on August 16, 1967. The strombolian eruptions which started five months after on January 31, 1968 produced the first historical lava fountaining witnessed from Taal. Another strombolian eruption followed a year later on October 29, 1969. The massive flows from the two eruptions eventually covered the bay created by the 1965 eruption, reaching the shore of Lake Taal. The last major activities on the volcano were the phreatic eruptions of 1976 and 1977.</p><br>
<h2>Eruption precursors at Taal</h2><br>
<p>Increase in frequency of volcanic quakes with occasional felt events accompanied by rumbling sounds</p><br>
<p>On the Main Crater Lake, changes in the water temperature, level, and bubbling or boiling activity on the lake. Before the 1965 eruption began, the lakes temperature rose to about 15 &deg;C degrees above normal. However, on some eruptions there is no reported increase in the lakes temperature.</p><br>
<p>Development of new or reactivation of old thermal areas like fumaroles, geysers or mudpots</p><br>
<p>Ground inflation or ground fissuring.</p><br>
<p>Increase in temperature of ground probe holes on monitoring stations.</p><br>
<p>Strong sulfuric odor or irritating fumes similar to rotten eggs.</p><br>
<p>Fish kills and drying up of vegetation.</p><br>
<h3>Other possible precursors</h3><br>
<p>Volcanologists measuring the concentration of radon gas in the soil on Volcano island measured an anomalous increase of the radon concentration by a factor of six in October 1994. This increase was followed 22 days later by the magnitude 7.1 Mindoro earthquake on November 15, centered about 50 km south of Taal, off the coast of Luzon.</p><br>
<p>A typhoon had passed through the area a few days before the radon spike was measured, but when Typhoon Angela, one of the most powerful to strike the area in ten years, crossed Luzon on almost the same track a year later, no radon spike was measured. Therefore, typhoons were ruled out as the cause, and there is strong evidence that the radon originated in the stress accumulation preceding the earthquake.</p><br>
<p>New Hall Manor is a medieval manor house, now used as a hotel, in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England.</p><br>
<p>It is claimed to be one of the oldest inhabited moated houses in Britain, dating from the 13th century when the Earl of Warwick built a hunting lodge on the site. The first reference to the site as a manor is from 1435 when by the homage in a court baron at Sutton after Sir Richard Stanhope&#39;s death, when he held it of the Earl of Warwick. The core of the present building, including the great hall, dates from the 16th century when the Gibbons family (relatives of Bishop Vesey) were in residence. Thomas Gibbons is said to have bought New Hall in 1552. Later owners included the Sacheverells, who received it from Thomas and Edward Giddons, and the Chadwicks, who were bequeathed it from George Sacheverell. In 1739, the Sacheverells mortgaged the New Hall estate to Francis Horton of Wolverhampton.</p><br>
<p>The buildings served briefly as a school from 1885; Lt. Col. Wilkinson restored the Hall to residential use in 1903. In 1923 it was acquired by Alfred Owen of Rubery Owen and remained the Owen family home until the 1970s. It was converted to a hotel in 1988 by Ian Hannah and Ken Arkley, of Thistle Hotels. It is now owned and operated by Hand Picked Hotels.</p><br>
<p>The house gives its name to Sutton New Hall ward, New Hall Valley and the New Hall Valley Country Park therein, and also the New Hall Estate and New Hall Manor Estate, which was constructed on New Hall Farm, both residential developments.</p><br>
<p>Plants Brook used to drive New Hall Mill before being channelled away from the mill.</p><br>
<p>The building is Grade I listed, with other Grade II structures.</p><br>
<p>Bon Jovis video for Sleep when Im dead was filmed at New Hall Manor in 1993.</p><br>
<p>Nikaia , known before 1940 as Kokkinia , is a suburb in the western part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikaia-Agios Ioannis Rentis, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Nikaia is located 2.5 km north of central Piraeus, and 7 km west of central Athens. The municipal unit has an area of 6.649 km. The main streets are Gregori Lambraki Street and Petrou Ralli Street.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Nikaia, like many other places around Greece, owes its population eruption to Greek refugees who left the Asia Minor coast after the 1922 war ended. It was part of the municipality of Piraeus until 1933, when it became a separate municipality, then still under the name Nea Kokkinia. It was renamed to Nikaia in 1940.</p><br>
<p>The 8th International Tournament of Nikaia, a chess tournament, took place between August 19 and 27, 2000. The Greek Weightlifting Grand Prix took place in Nikaia on December 9 and 10, 2003.</p><br>
<h2>Sports</h2><br>
<p>Nikaia has four sport clubs with important history. These are Proodeftiki with a great successful history in the football, Ionikos Nikaias with successful departments in the football (Ionikos Nikaias F.C.) and basketball (Ionikos Nikaias B.C.), A.E. Nikaias and Aris Nikaias.</p><br>
<h2>Sites of interest</h2><br>
<p>Klimakia Gallery</p><br>
<p>Piraeus-Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall, a hall which was used for weightlifting in the 2004 Summer Olympics. It is connected with the Piraeus venue.</p><br>
<p>Platon National Sports Centre</p><br>
<p>Nikaia Municipal Gymnasium for Proodeftiki</p><br>
<p>Neapoli Stadium for Ionikos FC</p><br>
<p>Katrakeio Theater, an open-air theater dedicated to Manos Katrakis</p><br>
<h2>Historical population</h2><br>
<h2>Sister Cities</h2><br>
<p>Frýdek-Místek</p><br>
<p>The Ulhas River is a west flowing river in Western India in the state of Maharashtra draining an area 4,637 km in size.</p><br>
<h2>Origin</h2><br>
<p>The Ulhas River originates in a valley north of the Rajmachi hills formed by mountain streams draining the northern slope of those hills which are part of the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.</p><br>
<h2>Course</h2><br>
<p>From the point of origin the river flows north turning left where it is joined by River Salpe, its right-bank tributary. It then begins its north-eastward journey and passes the Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy which is situated on its right bank at Khandpe village. The river bypasses the Palasdhari village where it receives the discharge from the Palasdhari Dam starting a northward course beyond this point coming to lie parallel to the rail tracks only to be distracted by the town of Karjat. Meandering through Karjat, it reaches further north synapsing with River Peg between Bhivpuri Road and Neral. Continuing its run along Neral it is joined by River Poshir, another right-bank tributary at Nikhop village. It flows north skirting Badlapur where it receives the run-off from Chikhloli Dam. Near Raw water pump house of MIDC Jambhul the river meets Barvi Dam discharge water also called as Barvi River. The confluence is a tourist and fishing hub for villagers around. The river flows through Ulhasnagar to which it gives its name.It then passes under the rail bridge connecting Ambivali and Shahad(A part of Ulhasnagar city) and shortly after confluences with its biggest tributary formed by merging of River Bhatsa and River Kalu which together account for 55.7% of the total catchment area of River Ulhas.</p><br>
<p>Beyond Kalyan the river, nearly flowing at sea level, merges with the creek waters and its flow comes to be dictated by the tidal forces. From here on it forms an estuary and also supports a mangrove forest near Diva-Dombivali. In rainy season and during low tide the river continues to flow till Thane where splits into two branches which flow west and south, respectively, around Salsette Island, on which lies the metropolis of Mumbai. The main branch turns northwestward to Ghodbunder, where it opens into the estuary of Vasai Creek. Thane Creek flows south to empty into Bombay Harbour. The estuary of the Ulhas is the site of the historical ports of Kalyan, Kopri and Sopara</p><br>
<p>The total length of the river from its origin to its outfall in the Arabian sea is 122 km.</p><br>
<h2>Catchment area</h2><br>
<p>The Ulhas basin lies between North latitudes of 18° 44′ to 19° 42′ and East longitudes of 72° 45′ to 73° 48′. The Ulhas drains an area of about 4,637 km which lies completely in Thane, Raigad and Pune districts in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It receives most of its water from the South-West monsoon during the months of June to October when average rainfall in the basin area is about 2,943mm. he Kalu and Bhasta tributaries of Ulhas are the major right bank tributaries which together accounts for 55.7% of the total catchment area of Ulhas.</p><br>
<h2>Tributaries</h2><br>
<p>Barvi</p><br>
<p>Bhivapuri</p><br>
<p>Murbari</p><br>
<p>Kalu</p><br>
<p>Bhasta</p><br>
<p>Poshir</p><br>
<p>Shilar</p><br>
<h2>Uses</h2><br>
<p>The Ulhas River is used to supply drinking water to the cities of Badlapur and Navi Mumbai, Kalyan Dombivali.</p><br>
<p>Haystacks, or Hay Stacks, is a hill in England&#39;s Lake District, situated at the south-eastern end of the Buttermere Valley. Although not of any great elevation , Haystacks has become one of the most popular fells in the area. This fame is partly due to the writings of Alfred Wainwright, who espoused its attractions and chose it as the place where he wanted his ashes scattered. Its summit is interesting and contains a number of attractive rock formations and tarns.</p><br>
<h2>Topography</h2><br>
<p>The Western Fells occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale, the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Although lower than its neighbours, Haystacks provides the connection between the Great Gable group and the northern branch of the horseshoe. Immediately to the south east are Brandreth, Green Gable and Great Gable, forming the head of Ennerdale. North west are the well known trio of Buttermere fells, High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike.</p><br>
<p>The Buttermere- Ennerdale watershed descending from Brandreth is initially indistinct, running north west across a broad plateau. After half a mile it reaches the rocky protuberance of Great Round How (1,817 ft) and then its character changes completely. The watershed narrows to fine ridge, steep enough on the Ennerdale side and rimmed by crags throughout above the head of Buttermere. The beauty of the scene is completed by a succession of rocky tops and nestling tarns, until the high point is reached at the western end. A sharp descent over rock now follows, leading to Scarth Gap (1,460 ft), a walkers&#39; pass between the two valleys. Beyond the ridge rises again to High Crag, a steep climb on scree.</p><br>
<p>The summit of Haystacks has a number of tarns. The highest is just below the top, generally referred to as the summit tarn but officially unnamed. Halfway along the ridge is Innominate Tarn, a popular beauty spot with an indented rocky shore and a line of tiny islets. At the eastern end is Blackbeck Tarn, a long slender pool which overflows through a cleft in the crags.</p><br>
<h2>Geology</h2><br>
<p>The summit area is composed of flow banded andesite lavas, the Haystacks Member. A minor intrusion of quartz-feldspar-phyric microgranite runs along the crest of the ridge. To the west the Round Hows are examples of bedded breccias sandstone and tuffs.</p><br>
<h2>Summit</h2><br>
<p>The summit sits on a short rocky spine, set at right angles to the ridge. Both ends of the ridge have cairns, that at the northern end being the accepted summit. A lower parallel ridge lies just to the east. The view is excellent, the high points being Gable Crag on Great Gable and the western panorama of Ennerdale Water and High Crag. Crummock Water and Buttermere are also well seen. The foreground picture revolves around Innominate Tarn, lying in full view to the east.</p><br>
<h2>Ascents</h2><br>
<p>Haystacks is most often climbed from Buttermere, either via the Scarth Gap Pass to the west, or Warnscale in the east. These can be combined to give a fine circuit. A longer variation of the Warnscale route via Dubs Quarry is also possible. Dubs can also be reached from the summit of Honister via the Drum House, significantly reducing the ascent required. Scarth Gap can be reached from Ennerdale to the south, particularly if staying at Black Sail Youth Hostel.</p><br>
<h2>Name</h2><br>
<p>Haystacks derives from the appearance of the summit cliffs. According to Wainwright, the name comes from the Icelandic stack meaning a columnar rock and the correct translation of this should be High Rocks.</p><br>
<h2>Wainwright</h2><br>
<p>Haystacks was the favourite summit of influential guidebook author Alfred Wainwright. He neglected to name the fell as a whole in his "best half-dozen" at the end of the Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells because of inferior height, but stated that "for beauty, variety and interesting detail, for sheer fascination and unique individuality, the summit area of Haystacks is supreme. This is in fact the best fell-top of all". Wainwright&#39;s ashes were scattered by his wife, Betty, near the shores of Innominate Tarn. In Buttermere Church, there is a memorial to Wainwright, and one can look out of the window to Haystacks.</p><br>
<p>The Amirante Islands  are a group of coral islands and atolls that belong to the Outer Islands of the Seychelles.</p><br>
<p>They stretch about 155 km from the African Banks (African Islands) in the north to Desnœufs (Isle des Noeufs) in the south, all on the shallow Amirantes Bank (Amirantes Plateau, with depths of mostly 25 to 70 m), except the main island Île Desroches in the east, and submerged Lady Denison-Pender Shoal at the northern end. 90 km south of the Amirante Islands is Alphonse Group, the closest group of islands, which are sometimes considered part of the Amirantes.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The Amirantes were discovered by Vasco da Gama on his second voyage of exploration in 1503, and later named "Ilhas do Almirante" (Admiral Islands). Previous knowledge of the islands by Arab and Indian traders is possible. The islands were claimed by Sieur Michel Blin for France in 1802. By the Treaty of Paris (1814), the islands were passed officially to the British, as a part of Mauritius. In 1909, the Seychelles became a separate colony, thereby including the Amirantes. On November 8, 1965, the United Kingdom split Île Desroches from the Seychelles to become part of the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory. The purpose was to allow the construction of a military base for the mutual benefit of the United Kingdom and the United States. On June 23, 1976, Île Desroches was returned to the Seychelles as a result of it attaining independence.</p><br>
<p>The total land area is 11.5 km. The total population is 300.</p><br>
<p>The biggest concentrations are the Prison 2 km from Marie Louise village and the Collins group construction camp which is 2 km from the capital village of Desroches village (which had a population of 35 in the last census).</p><br>
<h2>Islands</h2><br>
<p>There are eight single islands (five low sand cays and three uplifted sand cays), plus three atolls with a total of 18 islets (St. Joseph Atoll with 14, Desroches with 1, Poivre Atoll with 3). In addition to these 11 units, the following table also has entries for a reef and a shoal without islets, for the sake of completeness. The five largest ones in area are inhabited. The different island types are marked by different background colours in the table.</p><br>
<h3>Alphonse Group</h3><br>
<p>90 km south of the Amirante Islands is Alphonse Group, the closest group of islands, which are sometimes considered part of the Amirantes chain because they are a southern continuation or extension of the Amirantes chain. Alphonse Group lies south of the Amirantes Bank, separated from it by deep water (generally 1000 to 2000 metres deep).</p><br>
<h2>Image gallery</h2><br>
<p>Scoresby Sund  is a large fjord system of the Greenland Sea on the eastern coast of Greenland. It has a tree-like structure, with a main body approximately 110 km long that branches into a system of fjords covering an area of about 38,000 km&sup2;. The longest of the fjords extends 340–350 km  inland from the coastline.</p><br>
<p>On the northern side of the mouth of the Scoresby Sund stands Ittoqqortoormiit, the only permanent settlement in the region, with a population of 469 (in 2010).</p><br>
<p>The name of the sound honours English explorer William Scoresby, who in 1822 mapped the fjord area in detail.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The land surrounding the fjord is mostly mountainous, with steep rising edges.</p><br>
<p>The mouth is 29 km wide between the Kangikajik (Cape Brewster, 70°09N) at the end of the Savoia Peninsula and Uunarteq (Cape Tobin 70°24N). Its southern part is a steep, 1000–2000 m (3,280-6,560 ft) tall wall of basalt, and the northern side is lower and more rounded. The mouth extends for about 110 km (68 mi) to the west, slightly turns north, widens, and forms a basin called Hall Bredning.</p><br>
<h3>Main Fjords</h3><br>
<p>The Hall Bredning basin splits into several branches including the Nordvestfjord, Ofjord (Øfjord) —which splits into the Rype Fjord and Hare Fjord, Rode Fjord (Røde Fjord), Gase Fjord (Gåsefjord) and Fonfjord (Fønfjord). Between the Ofjord and Fonfjord lies the largest island of the system, Milne Land.</p><br>
<p>Fonfjord (Fønfjord)</p><br>
<p>Rode Fjord (Røde Fjord)</p><br>
<p>Vestfjord</p><br>
<p>Gaasefjord (Gåsefjord)</p><br>
<p>Hurry Inlet</p><br>
<p>Ofjord (Øfjord)</p><br>
<p>Hare Fjord</p><br>
<p>Rype Fjord</p><br>
<p>Snesund</p><br>
<p>Nordvestfjord</p><br>
<p>Flyver Fjord</p><br>
<h3>Islands</h3><br>
<p>Among the islands in the Scoresby Sund the largest is by far Milne Land and the other islands in the sound are near it. Milne Land has an area of 3,913 km&sup2; and is located to the west of the basin in a central position. Other islands are Storo and Sorte Island off the northwestern shore of Milne Land, Rode Island further south in Rode Fjord, Denmark Island off Milne Land&#39;s southern coast, and the Bjorne Islands off the northeastern headland of Milne Land.</p><br>
<h2>Climate</h2><br>
<p>The climate is Arctic, with the long cold winter and severe storms. The temperatures of January–March vary between –22.5 °C (-8.5 °F) and –8.4 °C (16.9 °F) with the average between –15 °C (5° F) and –18 °C (0° F) over the period 1971–1981. The mean summer temperatures are below 5 °C (41 °F). Precipitation is low, at about 30 mm (1.2 in) per month. Tides are semidiurnal, with the amplitude of 1.3 meters (4 ft 4 in).</p><br>
<h2>Fauna</h2><br>
<p>The fauna of the region is unusually rich for Greenland. This is because of several factors, such as availability of open water in the mouth, with polynyas not freezing even in winter, protection from the winds by the high relief, and relatively fertile land. The land animals include muskox, Arctic fox, stoat, mountain hare and lemming.</p><br>
<p>Birds are represented by barnacle goose, pink-footed goose, snow goose, whooper swan, king eider, common eider, long-tailed duck, Brunnich&#39;s guillemot, black guillemot, little auk, puffin, fulmar, herring gull, glaucous gull, great black-backed gull, kittiwake, Arctic tern, red-throated diver, great northern diver, red-breasted merganser, ptarmigan, raven, snowy owl, Greenlandic gyrfalcon, etc. Most of them are migrating species and form large colonies which may contain up to millions of individuals (for little auk).</p><br>
<p>Fishes of the area include Arctic char, Greenland halibut, polar cod, cuttlefish, wolf fish, sea scorpion and Greenland shark. Aquatic mammals are dominated by seals (ringed, hooded, harbor, bearded and harp seal) which feed on fish in winter (mostly polar cod) and crustaceans in summer. Larger species include Atlantic walrus, narwhal and sometimes beluga whale. Atlantic walrus feeds on mussels, fish and ringed seals that urges ringed seals to disappear from the area when walruses stay there for prolonged periods.</p><br>
<p>Concannon Vineyard is the second-largest winery in the Livermore Valley of California, producing around 30,000 cases annually. It is well known for its Petite Sirah and Concannon was the first winery to bottle this grape as a varietal wine in 1961. It also produces several other varieties of wine, including Chardonnay. Concannon is owned by The Wine Group.</p><br>
<p>Concannon was founded in 1883 by James Concannon of Inishmore, County Galway. Its success in producing and selling sacramental or altar wine for the Roman Catholic Church helped it to survive national Prohibition. Grape cuttings from this vineyard were introduced to Mexico between 1889 and 1904 for the improvement of its commercial viticulture. As such, the vineyard has been designated a California Historical Landmark (#641).</p><br>
<p>The Mae Klong , sometimes spelled Mae Khlong or Meklong, is a river in western Thailand. The river begins at the confluence of the Khwae Noi or Khwae Sai Yok and the Khwae Yai River or Khwae Si Sawat in Kanchanaburi, passes Ratchaburi Province and empties into the Gulf of Thailand in Samut Songkhram Province.</p><br>
<p>In the 1960s the upper stretch of the river to the town of Kanchanaburi was renamed Khwae Yai (แควใหญ่, big tributary), as the famous Bridge on the River Kwai spanned the Mae Klong and not the Khwae (Kwai) river. However the actual origin of the river is in the Tenasserim Hills, around the Khuean Srinagarindra National Park area in the north of Kanchanaburi Province.</p><br>
<p>An early portion of Khwae Yai River in Umphang District, Tak Province is also called Klong River. It becomes known as Khwae Yai River when it flows into Kanchanaburi Province.</p><br>
<p>It feeds the giant Umphang Thee Lor Sue Waterfall in its upper reaches.</p><br>
<h2>Environment</h2><br>
<p>Giant freshwater stingrays have inhabited the river for years. A sudden die-off of 45 animals in September 2016 may threaten them with local extinction. Authorities suspected that pollution was the cause of the die-off. It was later attributed to molasses waste water which leaked from a sugar/ethanol factory in Ban Pong District of Ratchaburi Province on 30 September that continued until 7 October. High levels of free ammonia killed the animals. The waste water was have been reused by farms and not discharged into the environment. The Pollution Control Department will sue Rajburi Ethanol Co for allowing molasses wastewater to leak.</p><br>
<p>Built on a steep incline on the south-west coast of the Greek island of Lefkada, the village of Athani  is the last major populated region of the island accessible by sealed road. It is the nearest village to the famed beach of Porto Katsiki.</p><br>
<h2>Nearest places</h2><br>
<p>Agios Petros, north</p><br>
<p>Vassiliki, east</p><br>
<h2>Subdivisions</h2><br>
<p>Agios Nikolaos Niras ( Άγιος Νικόλαος Νηράς)</p><br>
<h2>Information</h2><br>
<p>The first inhabitants of Athani were from Italy and was first name Azani (Αζάνι). Around 1490, the Spanish speaking Jews arrived in Athani.</p><br>
<p>From the 1950s until the late 1960s, a significant part of the population emigrated overseas or to the major regional centers within Greece. It has recently been discovered by Europeans and its dwindling population is gradually being fortified by new "blow ins". These new residents make Athani their temporary home during the summer months, leaving the cold and harsh seasons to the local diehards.</p><br>
<p>Athani is highly regarded for honey as well as its views over the Ionian Sea.</p><br>
<p>It suffered minor damage during the October 2003 Lefkada earthquake. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake on 17 November 2015 severely damaged property and killed a woman.</p><br>
<h2>Historical population</h2><br>
<p>The County Sessions House stands at the bottom of Islington in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, to the east of the Walker Art Gallery. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The courthouse was built between 1882 and 1884, and was designed by the Liverpool architects F & G Holme. It functioned as a local county courthouse, and contained three courtrooms, chambers for barristers and judges, cells, and facilities for administration. It is no longer used for these purposes.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The building is constructed in ashlar stone on a granite base. The windows have round arches and are flanked by Ionic pilasters. At the sides, five bays have similar columns, beyond which the building is plainer, in yellow brick and stone. The interior is complex and richly decorated. It contains an Italian Renaissance staircase.</p><br>
<p>Willamette Heritage Center is a museum in Salem, Oregon, United States. The 5-acre site features several structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places including the Thomas Kay woolen mill, the Jason Lee House, Methodist Parsonage, John D. Boon House and the Pleasant Grove  Church. The houses and church were relocated to the mill site. The Center also includes a research library and archives of Marion County history.</p><br>
<p>The Center was created in 2010 from the merger of the Mission Mill Museum Association (est. 1964) and the adjacent Marion County Historical Society (est. 1950).</p><br>
<h2>Mill history</h2><br>
<p>The Thomas Kay Woolen Mill was started in 1889, by Thomas Lister Kay, whose descendants eventually founded Pendleton Woolen Mills. The workforce of 50 labored 60-hour weeks. In 1895, a fire destroyed the mill. Ground was broken on a new mill structure on December 20, 1895 in the same location. This building, designed by architect W.D. Pugh, is the brick structure that stands today. the building opened to the public on May 15, 1896 to speeches, demonstrations and music.</p><br>
<p>The mill was operated by four generations of Kay family members. Thomas Lister Kay died in 1900 and his son Thomas B. Kay took over as president and served until his own death in 1931. Thomas B. Kays son Ercel took over for his father, and Ercels son Tom Kay took over for him.</p><br>
<p>The mill announced its closure in 1959, and all operations ceased by 1962.</p><br>
<h2>Museum</h2><br>
<p>Visitors can tour the mill buildings with displays of original 19th and 20th century machinery and photos about industrial wool processing.</p><br>
<p>The houses and church have been restored and furnished to a mid 19th-century appearance. The Jason Lee House features a special exhibit about early Oregon during the time of the Methodist Mission.</p><br>
<p>The museum includes a water power interpretive exhibit by Portland General Electric. The exhibit demonstrates how the mill was run using the water from Mill Creek.</p><br>
<h2>Structures on the National Register of Historic Places</h2><br>
<p>Jason Lee House (1841) - a home of Jason Lee which, with the Parsonage, are the earliest known frame buildings in Salem, and perhaps the oldest remaining in the state</p><br>
<p>Methodist Mission Parsonage (1841)</p><br>
<p>John D. Boon House (1847)</p><br>
<p>Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church (1858)</p><br>
<p>Thomas Kay Woolen Mill (1889/1896)</p><br>
<p>Napuka, or Pukaroa, is a small coral atoll in the Disappointment Islands, in the northeastern part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located only 15 km to the southeast of Tepoto Nord, its nearest neighbor, forming a small group. These two atolls are quite isolated, the nearest land being Fangatau Atoll 170 km to the south.</p><br>
<p>Napuka Atoll is 10.5 km long and about 4 km wide. Its reef is quite broad, completely enclosing the lagoon. The total dry land area of the thirty islands on Napuka&#39;s reef is 8 km². The surface of the lagoon is 18 km².</p><br>
<p>Napuka has 299 inhabitants according to the 2012 census. The main village is Tepukamaruia (Te Puka Maru Ia).</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The first recorded European to reach Napuka Atoll was the British explorer John Byron, in 1765. He named Napuka and Tepoto "Disappointment Islands" because he found the natives to be of a hostile disposition toward him.</p><br>
<p>Napuka was visited by the historic United States Exploring Expedition, on 23 Aug. 1839. This atoll was probably the one that Charles Wilkes called "Wytoohee" or "Wutoohee".</p><br>
<p>The airport on Napuka opened in 1977.</p><br>
<h2>Administration</h2><br>
<p>Napuka Atoll is the head of the commune of Napuka, which consists of the atolls of Napuka and Tepoto Nord.</p><br>
<p>Fidalgo Island is an island in Skagit County, Washington, located about 60 mi north of Seattle. To the east, it is separated from the mainland by the Swinomish Channel, and from Whidbey Island to the south by Deception Pass. The island is named after the Spanish explorer and cartographer Salvador Fidalgo who explored the area in 1790.</p><br>
<p>Its largest city is Anacortes with a population of 15,778 according to the 2010 Census. Ferries leave daily from Anacortes to Sidney, British Columbia, and several ports in the San Juan Islands.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Fidalgo Island has a land area of 106.684 km² (41.19 sq mi). There are at least eight major lakes on Fidalgo Island: Campbell, Little Cranberry, Erie, Heart, Mud, Pass, Trafton/Crater, and Whistle.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Fidalgo Island was originally inhabited by the Samish and Swinomish peoples.</p><br>
<p>Fidalgo Island is named for the Spanish explorer and cartographer Salvador Fidalgo who explored the area in 1790 with the fleet of Francisco de Eliza. Charles Wilkes discovered that it was an island rather than part of the mainland. He named it Perry Island in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry, the American commander who won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Following this theme, Wilkes named the island&#39;s highest point Mount Erie. When Henry Kellett reorganized the official British Admiralty charts in 1847, he removed Wilkes&#39; name Perry and bestowed the name Fidalgo to honor the Spanish explorer. The highest point retained the name Erie.</p><br>
<p>Settlement peaked in the 1850s due to the Fraser River Gold Rush and in 1890 due to speculation that the area would become a terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Later the island became an important fishing and lumber center.</p><br>
<h2>Transportation</h2><br>
<p>From 1924 to 1935, Fidalgo Island was linked to Whidbey Island by the Deception Pass ferry, which was superseded in 1935 by the construction of the Deception Pass Bridge. Today, Fidalgo Island is the site of the main ferry terminal that links the San Juan Islands to the rest of the State.</p><br>
<h2>Notable residents</h2><br>
<p>*Morris Graves, painter</p><br>
<p>*Phil Elverum, musician</p><br>
<p>Lake Bella Vista is in northwest Cannon Township, Kent County in the USA state of Michigan. The lake was originally known as "Grass Lake" and once lay in the center of a marsh surrounded by pastureland as well as apple and cherry orchards. Grass Lake was one of the so-called "triplet lakes" lying along M-44. Its sister lakes to the east are Silver Lake and Bostwick Lake. Developed by the Velting family contractors in the mid-1970s, Grass Lake was expanded and a large dike was added to the western edge to raise the water level. Residential and commercial development was soon constructed and in the early 21st century, a lakeside suburban sub-division also called "Lake Bella Vista" functions very much as a community. Lake Bella Vista is bordered by M-44, , on the south, and Blakely Road on the east. To the south are the Lockhart family orchards and the beginning of the Stout Creek watershed which cuts through forest-concealed glacial dunes bordering the Woodbrook area.</p><br>
<p>In the spring of 2013, the Rockford High School Rowing Team used the lake for team practices during a flood which made their boathouse, on the Grand River, inaccessible.</p><br>
<p>Mataiva , Tepoetiriura  or Lazarev atoll is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is located in the Palliser group, and is the westernmost of the Tuamotus. The nearest atoll, Tikehau, is located 35 km to the east. Rangiroa is located 79 km to the east, and Tahiti is 311 km to the south.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The atoll&#39;s oval-shaped lagoon is 5.3 km wide and 10 km long, and is almost completely surrounded by land. In the lagoon the decaying coral morphed into linear rocky structures 50 to 300 meters wide. Some of these coral structures top above the water, forming about 70 basins. The varying depths of these basins and the clear water gives the lagoon a blue and green tesselated appearance when viewed from above. This type of lagoon structure is unique in French Polynesia. Rich phosphate deposits have been discovered at the bottom of these basins, up to an estimated 10 to 15 million tonnes. Although similar deposits exist in Makatea and Nauru, Mataiva inhabitants and ecosystems protection activists have successfully prevented its exploitation for the time being.</p><br>
<p>The lagoon is open to the sea at a single pass in the Northwest, the site of Pahua, the only village on the atoll. The pass at Pahua is only a few feet deep and is not navigable; the 110 m (360 ft.) concrete levee, which connects the two halves of the village, is the longest bridge in French Polynesia. A number of narrow passages (known in Tuamotuan as hoa&#39;a) along the south-central part of the reef are known as the "Nine Eyes", giving the name to the atoll. Aside from the rocky coral features, there are also several small islets located within the lagoon serving as a sanctuary and breeding ground for rare maritime birds.</p><br>
<p>The forest on the atoll is vastly untouched by human activity.</p><br>
<h2>Historical facts</h2><br>
<p>The first recorded European to visit Mataiva was the Russian Admiral and oceanic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, on July 30, 1820 on ships Vostok and Mirni. He named this atoll "Lazarev" after Mikhail Lazarev.</p><br>
<p>On April 14, 1980, the voyaging canoe Hokulea - a replica of an ancient vessel of the kind that carried native explorers throughout the Pacific - made landfall on Mataiva. The canoe had been navigated from Hawaii without instruments or charts for 31 days by Nainoa Thompson. Thompson navigated in the ancient way - using only the stars, winds, waves and flight of birds to find land. In the last 26 years Hokulea has voyaged virtually all the routes taken by Polynesians throughout the Pacific, helping to ignite a renaissance of culture among Polynesians everywhere.</p><br>
<p>Mataiva Airport was inaugurated in 1999. Air Tahiti operates flights to and Papeete.</p><br>
<p>In the southeastern part of the main island is an ancient ceremonial platform (marae in Tuamotuan), called Marae Papiro, after its association with a pre-Christian turtle cult. It is constructed of large blocks of cut coral and was the site of the main village on the atoll until 1906. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Tuamotus.</p><br>
<h2>Economy</h2><br>
<p>Mataiva&#39;s primary export is vanilla, cultivated at a small plantation on the interior of the island. The islands are covered with coconut palms, the source of the other main economic activity: copra production. Since the inauguration of the airport in 1999, tourism is becoming a new economic activity on Mataiva.</p><br>
<h2>Administration</h2><br>
<p>Mataiva Atoll belongs to the commune of Rangiroa, which consists of 3 atolls (Rangiroa itself, Tikehau and Mataiva, and a separate island (Makatea).</p><br>
<p>The Louth Navigation was a canalisation of the River Lud. It ran for 11 mi from Louth in Lincolnshire, England, to Tetney Haven, at the mouth of the Humber. It was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1763 and completed in 1770, under the supervision of the engineer John Grundy Jr. and then by James Hogard. Eight locks were required to overcome the difference in altitude, six of which were constructed with sides consisting of four elliptical bays, a design only ever used on this canal in Britain.</p><br>
<p>The Act did not provide the normal provisions for raising capital for the construction, as finance could only be obtained by leasing of the tolls. When completed, the commissioners leased the tolls to Charles Chaplin, who held ten shares and was also a commissioner, for an initial period of seven years. When the lease was due for renewal, no other takers were found, and Chaplin was granted a 99-year lease, despite the fact that the Act did not authorise such an action. He collected the tolls but failed to maintain the navigation. When complaints were received, a new Act of Parliament was obtained in 1828, to alter the tolls and legalise Chaplin&#39;s long lease. The lease was transferred to two railway companies in 1847, and reverted to the commissioners in 1876. The operation was a moderate success until the beginning of the twentieth century, when there was a rapid decline in income, and the canal formally closed in 1924.</p><br>
<p>Because the canal also acted as a channel for land drainage, it was not subject to infilling, and is now a designated main river, managed by the Environment Agency, with drainage of the surrounding land managed by the Lindsey Marsh Internal Drainage Board. It acts as a feeder for Covenham Reservoir, from which treated water enters the public water supply. Water from Waithe Dike supplements the supply, effectively flowing upstream along the canal, and when required, additional water is pumped into the canal along a pipeline from the Great Eau.</p><br>
<p>The Louth Navigation Trust was formed in 1986 to promote the canal as an amenity and has established a base in a restored canal warehouse in Louth. A feasibility study for restoring the canal for navigation was commissioned in 2004, and the Trust is hoping that this could be a reality by 2020.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Despite being separated from the sea by a low coastal plain, which made contact with the wider world difficult, Louth had become a prosperous market town with a forward-looking town corporation by the eighteenth century. Realising that a link to the North Sea would provide opportunities for trade and expansion, they commissioned the engineer John Grundy, Jr. to survey a route in October 1756. He suggested a route from Louth to Tetney Haven, and on 28 January 1760, subscriptions were invited to pay for a full survey and an Act of Parliament. The fund soon reached £850, and on 18 February 1760 the town clerk approached John Smeaton to carry out this survey. Smeaton advised caution, suggesting that they obtained the consent of as many landowners as possible before proceeding with a bill, as opposition in Parliament could be difficult to counter.</p><br>
<p>In August, Smeaton reviewed Grundy&#39;s plans, which was for a river navigation. Cuts would be made to straighten the River Lud, and a sea sluice and lock would be provided where the river joined the Humber. The length would be a little over 11 mi, and nine more locks would be required along its course, together with several bridges. Costs for different sizes of canal were provided, from £15,590 for a two barge canal to £10,884 for a canal suitable for lighters drawing 2 ft. The committee then asked Grundy to accompany them to Lincoln Races, where they would show the plans to the Noblemen and Gentlemen. This produced a favourable response, and with little local opposition, the pace of the project slowed. The reports were printed in September 1761, and the bill was submitted to Parliament on 6 December 1762.</p><br>
<p>The canal obtained its Act of Parliament on 24 March 1763, but it did not contain proper provision for raising the capital needed to build the canal. Money could only be borrowed against the expected tolls, and this caused difficulties. On 30 May, the commissioners tried to find someone willing to lend £14,000, in return for all of the tolls. A year later, they tried to raise £12,000 in transferable shares of £100 each, but the uptake on these was slow. However, by 13 February 1765, the full amount had been subscribed, and Grundy was engaged as Chief Engineer at a salary of £300 per year. He employed James Hogard as resident engineer, and work began in March. By mid-1767, the outfall sluice and lock at Tetney Haven had been completed, as had the first 7 mi of cut. The cut was of sufficient depth that water levels were around 2 ft below the land surface, so that the navigation could act as a land drain as well as a canal. The first 5 mi from Tetney Haven to Fire Beacon Lane were opened in May 1767. Hogard then took over from Grundy as Chief Engineer, at a salary of £140 per year, and began the construction of the final section including seven locks. Additional subscriptions had to be found to fund the work, but eventually the navigation reached Riverhead basin at Louth, and a formal opening was held in May 1770. The total cost was £27,500.</p><br>
<p>At Louth, the River Lud was diverted from its original course to the north of the Riverhead basin, and followed a new course along its south side. It supplied Bain&#39;s Water Mill, from which water discharged into the basin to maintain its level. When the mill was not in use, water levels were topped up through a 4 ft diameter culvert, which passed under a stables and granary to reach the basin. Initially, the commercial community around Riverhead was separate from the main centre of population in Louth, but after the coming of the railway, ribbon development resulted in the two areas being connected. Six of the eight locks were built in an unusual way with the sides of the lock chambers consisting of four elliptical bays, to help them resist soil movement in the surrounding ground. It is not known which of the engineers involved in the construction designed the locks, which are unique in Britain. The two other locks had conventional straight walls. The locks were not built to a standard size, varying in length between 86 and and in width between 15.25 and, although all had a depth of 5.33 ft over the sill, to cater for the keels and sloops that used the navigation.</p><br>
<h3>Operation</h3><br>
<p>The Act allowed the commissioners to lease the tolls for periods of up to seven years, and the first lease was granted to Charles Chaplin, one of the commissioners who held ten shares, in January 1770. He agreed to pay a rent of 4 per cent per year to the other shareholders, and to contribute a maximum of £500 per year towards maintenance costs. If more than £500 was needed, the commissioners were to supply any additional amounts. Although Chaplin had an option to renew the lease after 7 years, he did not do so, and no other takers could be found. The commissioners then negotiated with Chaplin, and revised terms were agreed. In return for a 99-year lease, he would fund all repairs, pay the salaries of the officers of the canal, and pay 5 per cent interest to the subscribers. Clearly, the 99-year lease was not authorised by the enabling Act, but nobody challenged its legality for over 50 years. Chaplin was not thorough in carrying out his side of the bargain and had to be reminded that he had not been paying the interest in 1782 and again in 1788.</p><br>
<p>There were problems with water levels in 1792. A lack of maintenance had resulted in silting, and horses were used to tow the barges, rather than them sailing along the navigation. To prevent grounding of the boats, the water levels had been raised, preventing natural drainage from the surrounding land and causing flooding. Chaplin was ordered to carry out repairs but failed to do so, and died soon afterwards. His son Thomas took over, and tried to negotiate an end to the lease. On paper, this appears to have been accepted, but it is not clear that it was carried out, since George Chaplin, the son of Thomas, paid for the navigation to be made wider and deeper in 1811, and spent another £400 on repairs in 1814. There are no records of actual tolls, but estimates suggest that they rose from around £2,000 in the 1770s to £5,000 in the 1820s. Interest payments were £1,375 per year, and Chaplin argued that it had only become a profitable enterprise for him in the 1820s.</p><br>
<p>Users of the canal felt that the tolls, which had not altered since 1770, were too high, as the volume of traffic using the navigation had increased. In order to rectify the situation, a new Act of Parliament was obtained in 1828, which reduced the tolls and formalised the 99-year lease of 1777. In 1847, the East Lincolnshire Railway Company obtained an Act which allowed them to purchase the lease of the Louth Navigation, and later the same year, the Great Northern Railway Company (GNR) obtained another Act allowing them to purchase or lease the East Lincolnshire Railway and Canal. They held it for the remaining 29 years, as a tactical move to prevent opposition from the existing leaseholders. When the lease came to an end, the General Manager of the GNR reported that they had kept the tolls as high as was legally possible, but suggested that they refrain from renewing the lease. The commissioners were unable to find anyone wanting to bid for the tolls, and collected them themselves until a bidder was found three months later. Although the tolls were lower than they had been under railway ownership, income was satisfactory into the early 1900s.</p><br>
<h3>Decline</h3><br>
<p>The early years of the twentieth century saw a rapid decline in the use of the canal and the First World War killed what traffic was left. Income for 1916 was only £66. The final blow was the devastation caused by the Louth Flood of 1920 to the Riverhead area, the terminus of the canal. The commissioners applied to the Minister of Transport, asking to be relieved of their liability to maintain the canal. In 1924, the County Council and the Rural District Council agreed to take over maintenance of the bridges. The final annual general meeting took place on 5 September 1924, and the assets of the navigation were sold on 8 October. The sale raised £6,240, of which £1,500 had to be paid to the councils towards the bridge works. The remainder was distributed to the shareholders in 1927.</p><br>
<h2>Present function</h2><br>
<p>With the demise of navigation and the decay of the lock structures, water levels are considerably lower than they once were. The whole of the canal, together with parts of the old channel of the River Lud, the Black Dike, the Poulton Drain and the Waithe Dike, which feeds into the Mother Drain before it joins the canal, are designated as main rivers, and are the responsibility of the Environment Agency. The land drainage functions for the low-lying land surrounding the lower reaches of the canal are the responsibility of the Lindsey Marsh Internal Drainage Board (IDB). This was formed in November 2000, when the Louth IDB, the Alford IDB, and the Skegness District IDB amalgamated. The Lindsey Marsh IDB maintains five pumping stations which pump into the canal, and because of the lower water levels, a number of drains which discharge into the canal by gravity.</p><br>
<p>Most of the flow from the River Lud is fed into the canal, and the Environment Agency maintain a tilting weir at the site of the original Top Lock. This controls water levels in the Riverhead Basin, and also includes a gauging station which measures the flow along the canal. The water is used for three main purposes. Some of the water is fed back into the River Lud, to maintain its ecology. Some is licensed to be abstracted for spray irrigation of crops. Large volumes are also pumped from a feeder into Covenham Reservoir, from which it is treated and fed into the public water supply. Water from the Waithe Dike supplements this, and effectively flows upstream along the canal. In summer months, the available supply is not always sufficient to meet the demand, and additional water is pumped along a 36 in pipeline from the Great Eau. The pumping station is located at Cloves Bridge, to the east of Saltfleetby All Saints, and the 6.8 mi pipeline empties into the canal below the site of Outfen Lock.</p><br>
<p>In order to protect the drinking water supply from contamination by salt water entering the canal through the outfall sluice, the original Tetney Lock has been replaced by a tilting weir. This is controlled automatically, and maintains a difference in level between its upstream and downstream sides. The difference is between 6 and in winter, rising to between 40 and in summer.</p><br>
<h2>Louth Navigation Trust</h2><br>
<p>The Louth Navigation Trust was formed in 1986 as a registered charity, with the primary aim of preservation, conservation and restoration of the canal and of the buildings associated with it, including the lock structures. They have carried out several projects, using voluntary labour, which have included maintenance of Ticklepenny lock and clearance work on the towpath. They are based at the Navigation Warehouse at Riverhead, Louth, which they helped to restore to a high standard in 1998/9, in partnership with Groundwork Lincolnshire.</p><br>
<p>The towpath may be walked along the whole length of the canal, parts of which are in shallow water. The Trust are engaged in a scheme to restore the full length of the canal by 2020. To assist in this, a feasibility study was commissioned in September 2004, and was carried out by Faber Maunsell. The costs of the study were shared by the Trust, Louth Town Council, Lincolnshire County Council, the Inland Waterways Association, East Lindsey District Council, and Anglian Water.</p><br>
<p>The Louth Navigation, unlike many other disused canals, is in water throughout its length and has not been in-filled or built over as it is important for drainage of the surrounding land. Several formerly movable bridges have since been replaced with fixed bridges. The eight locks are in varying states of repair; two have been completely obliterated, while Alvingham lock is the best surviving example.</p><br>
<h2>Route</h2><br>
<p>The Navigation begins at a large basin near the centre of Louth, which runs in a north-easterly direction. At the end are two Grade II listed warehouses. To the west is Navigation Warehouse, a rectangular building with five bays and three storeys, constructed of red brick with a pantile roof. It is little altered from when it was built in 1790. It was used to store grain and wool, which was then shipped down the navigation. It was largely open-plan, but has since been converted into offices, although most of the original features are still visible. To the east is Jackson&#39;s Warehouse, with ten bays, two storeys and an attic. It was converted into a dwelling in 2003, which resulted in minor changes to the doors and windows, but the open-plan interior has been retained. The two buildings are complemented by the Woolpack Inn, also Grade II listed.</p><br>
<p>Baines Flour Mill, which supplied water to the basin, is a red-brick building, dating from around 1800, with hipped pantile roofs. The main section has three storeys, and there is a two storey office range. Adjacent to the mill was the works of the Louth Gaslight Company, which were built in 1826. Baines erected a stone to define the boundary between his land and that of the Gaslight Company in 1878, following a dispute over encroachment. Soon the site of the top lock is reached. This has been replaced by a tilting weir, which controls water levels in the basin.</p><br>
<p>Keddington, where much of the parish church dates from the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, was the site of Keddington Church Lock, although little of it remains. Ticklepenny Lock is better preserved, with four concave sections separated by timber posts. The third section is partially hidden by a twentieth century concrete bridge, which carries a minor road over the lock chamber. Nearby are the Grade I listed ruins of Louth Abbey, a Cistercian abbey dating from 1139. Willows Lock is also reasonably well preserved, and is of a similar construction to Ticklepenny Lock, as is Salter Fen Lock, although it differs in having a large opening which acts as an overflow in the south-eastern side.</p><br>
<p>Sandwiched between the canal and the River Lud is a sewage treatment plant. The treated effluent is discharged into the canal below the lock site. Beyond the works are Alvingham Fisheries, and then a bridge which carries Lock Road over the canal. Alvingham Lock has two semi-circular drain openings in its western wall, and an inverted syphon carries water from the River Lud under the lock, to feed the mill pond for Alvingham Mill. The canal then passes the church of St Mary, once the chapel for a Gilbertine Priory, which dates from the eleventh to fourteenth centuries. It was the parish church for North Cockerington, and is Grade I listed. In the same churchyard is the parish church of St Adelwold, also Grade I listed, and build in the thirteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The churches separate Alvingham Water Mill from the canal. The present building was constructed in 1782 by John Maddison, with extensions in 1900, and it was restored in 1972. Most of the machinery, including an 11 ft diameter breast shot water wheel, dates from 1782, and was in regular use following restoration. The building replaced an earlier structure, as a water mill is known to have existed on the site since 1155. Water from the mill stream flows into Westfield Drain and returns to the canal a little further downstream. This is only possible because of the lowered water levels in the canal. Before closure to navigation, there was another inverted syphon under the canal, which returned the water to the River Lud, but this has been blocked up and abandoned.</p><br>
<p>At High Bridge, the canal turns to the north, and the River Lud continues to the north-east as the Old Eau. Outfen Lock was one of the locks constructed with straight sides. The western wall has collapsed, but the eastern wall survives. The surrounding countryside is very flat and low lying, being crossed by numerous drainage ditches. The Black Dike enters the channel from the west. Water from Austen Fen is pumped into the canal by Austen Fen East and West pumping stations. These, and the other pumping stations that discharge into the canal are owned and operated by the Lindsey Marsh Internal Drainage Board. The canal continues past Canal Farm and under Fen Bridge. On the east bank is a nineteenth century nine-bayed warehouse with three storeys and an attic. Biergate East and West pumping stations are situated near Covenham Reservoir, constructed in the 1960s to supply drinking water. The works to treat the water is near Fire Beacon Farm and bridge, the temporary terminus of the opened waterway during construction.</p><br>
<p>Fulstow East and West pumping stations are close to Heelgate Farm. The only major road to cross the canal is the A1031, which does so at Thoresby Bridge. By the bridge is another surviving warehouse, built in 1821 with seven bays and three storeys, and Thoresby Bridge pumping station. The final straight sided lock was at Tetney, but nothing remains of it. It has been replaced by a sluice with rising sector gates. The final section is now protected from high sea levels by an outfall sluice at Tetney Haven, with two sets of pointed doors.</p><br>
<h2>Points of interest</h2><br>
<p>Halti  is a fell at the border between Norway and Finland. The peak  of the fell is in Norway, on the border between the municipalities of Nordreisa and Gáivuotna–Kåfjord, about 1 km north of the border with Finland. The highest point of the fell on the Finnish side is at 1,324 m above sea level, and thus the highest point in the country. The Finnish side of Halti belongs to the municipality of Enontekiö in the province of Lapland.</p><br>
<p>The peak on the Norwegian side is known as Ráisduattarháldi. The highest point in Finland is a spur of Ráisduattarháldi at 1,324 m known as Hálditšohkka at the border of Norway. The highest mountain whose peak is in Finland is Ridnitšohkka, at 1,316 m. Halti was measured and mapped by the Finnish person Erkki Perä.</p><br>
<p>A 50 km trekking path leads from Saana, Kilpisjärvi to Halti.</p><br>
<h2>Proposed border change</h2><br>
<p>In 2015, a group of Norwegians began a campaign to give the peak of Hálditšohkka to Finland for its centenary in 2017 by moving the border between the two countries by 200 m. The idea gained substantial public support in both countries, and in July 2016 it was reported that the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg was seriously considering ceding the peak. Norway ultimately chose not to move the border, citing the Norwegian constitution&#39;s definition of the country as an "indivisible and inalienable" realm.</p><br>
<p>The Caroni River is the largest river in Trinidad and Tobago, running for 40 km from its origins in the Northern Range on the island of Trinidad, through the northern lowlands of the Caroni Plains and enters the Gulf of Paria at the Caroni Swamp.</p><br>
<p>The Caroni and its tributaries drain into one of the most densely populated parts of Trinidad, the "East-West Corridor", and also provides most of its drinking water through the Caroni-Arena Dam. Point and non-point pollution is thus a major concern, as is the deforestation of its watershed on the southern slopes of the Northern Range. The banks of the Caroni River are one of the two main sites for Hindu cremations.</p><br>
<p>The River is known to have strong currents and occasionally floods during heavy rainfall, devastating crops, livestock, fields, and farms in the Caroni area.</p><br>
<p>Ulawun is a basaltic and andesitic stratovolcano situated on the island of New Britain, in West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.</p><br>
<p>It is about 130 km south-west of Rabaul. It is the highest mountain in the Bismarck Archipelago at 2,334 m, and one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. The first recorded eruption of Ulawun was by William Dampier in 1700; there have been 22 recorded eruptions since the 18th century. Several thousand people live near the volcano.</p><br>
<h2>Recent activity</h2><br>
<p>The last few years have seen almost constant activity at Ulawun, with frequent small explosions.</p><br>
<p>Volcanoes in Papua New Guinea are some of the world&#39;s most prolific sources of sulphur dioxide. Recent studies have shown that Ulawun releases about 7 kg/s of SO2, which is about 2% of the global total of SO2 emissions into the atmosphere.</p><br>
<h2>View</h2><br>
<p>It is a mud form and is rock which leads magma upwards due to magma and the eruptions</p><br>
<h2>Decade Map</h2><br>
<p>Ulawun has been named one of the Decade Volcanoes, 16 volcanoes identified as being worthy of particular study, in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and their proximity to populated areas.</p><br>
<p>Cueva de los Casares is a cave in Riba de Saelices in Guadalajara, Spain. Discovered in 1933, it contains a number of paleolithic cave paintings, and is most notable for a series of paintings depicting what some have argued is the earliest representation of human understanding of the reproductive process, featuring images of copulation , pregnancy, childbirth, and family life. Mammoths and other animals feature frequently in the illustrations. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1935.</p><br>
<p>There are many representations of animals, anthropomorphs (human-like figures), and ideomorphs (including penises, vulvas, tools, and more abstract images).</p><br>
<p>The cave and its paintings are little known to scholars outside Spain.</p><br>
<p>Îles de Los  are an island group lying off Conakry in Guinea. Their name is derived from the Portuguese: Ilhas dos Ídolos, "Island of the Idols".</p><br>
<p>The islands are best known for their beaches and forested interiors and are popular with tourists. Ferries sail to the Los from Conakry.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>There are three main islands: Tamara (Fortoba), Kassa and Roume. Île de Corail, Île Blanche, Île Cabris, Île Poulet, Îlot Cabri and Îlot de la Bouteille are smaller islands and islets located in the southern half.</p><br>
<h3>Tamara</h3><br>
<p>Tamara is home to the Île Tamara lighthouse. There was also a prison built on Tamara.</p><br>
<h3>Roume</h3><br>
<p>This island has also previously been known as Crawford Island, when under British rule. Roume is said to have inspired the novel Treasure Island.</p><br>
<h3>Kassa</h3><br>
<p>This island has also previously been known as Factory Island. The name is derived from the Portuguese word "casa".</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The islands been inhabited for a long time and rose to prominence for their role in slave trade. In 1755 Miles Barber of the African Company of Liverpool established a factory there employing workers skilled in ship repair as well as pilots for the local rivers. This led to Kassa being known as "Factory Island". English language sources in the 18th century gave various corrupted names for the islands including "Isles of Loss", "the Edlesses", "The Idols", or "Las Idolas".</p><br>
<p>In 1812 Samuel Samo, a Dutch slave trade was seized by the British there and taken to Freetown, Sierra Leone where he appeared before the vice admiralty court. He was the first person tried under the British Slave Trade Felony Act 1811.</p><br>
<h3>British possession (1818-1904)</h3><br>
<p>Charles MacCarthy, the Governor of Sierra Leone signed a treaty with Mangé Demba whereby the islands were ceded to the British for the payment of an annual rent on 6 July 1818. McCarthy then asked Peter Machlan, a surgeon with the 2nd West Indian Regiment to write an account of the islands and surrounding areas. This was published as Travels into the Baga and Soosoo country during the year 1821.</p><br>
<h3>Part of French Guinea (1904-1958)</h3><br>
<p>Following a visit by Edward VII to France, and a return visit by President Loubet of France, a Franco-British agreement was reached by 7 April 1904: Îles de Los was handed over to France in exchange for France relinquishing fishing rights in Newfoundland and Labrador. They were incorporated into French Guinea, one of the constituent parts of French West Africa on July 1904. Scipio O&#39;Connor was the first colonial administrator appointed by the French.</p><br>
<p>The Mohonk Mountain House, also known as Lake Mohonk Mountain House, is a historic American resort hotel located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York. Its prominent location in the town of New Paltz, New York is just beyond the southern border of the Catskill Mountains, west of the Hudson River. Mohonk Mountain House is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The National Historic Landmark Programs "Statement of Significance", as of the sites historic landmark designation on June 24, 1986, states:</p><br>
<p>The historic resort is located on the shore of Lake Mohonk, which is half of a mile (800 m) long and 60 ft deep. The main structure, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, was built by Quaker twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley between 1869 and 1910.</p><br>
<p>The property has been owned and operated by descendants of the Smiley brothers since 1869. The Smiley brothers envisioned a peaceful retreat where people could enjoy the beauty of nature in a truly spectacular setting. From its earliest days, the resort has maintained values of stewardship, reflection, and renewal.</p><br>
<p>From 1883 to 1916, annual conferences took place at Mohonk Mountain House, sponsored by Albert Smiley, to improve the living standards of Native American Indian populations. These meetings brought together government representatives of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the House and Senate committees on Indian Affairs, as well as educators, philanthropists, and Indian leaders to discuss the formulation of policy. The 22,000 records from the 34 conference reports are now at the library of Haverford College for researchers and students of American history.</p><br>
<p>The hotel hosted the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration between 1895 and 1916, which was instrumental in creating the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. Those conference papers were donated by the Smiley Family to Swarthmore College for future research.</p><br>
<p>The house was given a National Historic Landmark designation in 1986, and a United Nations Environment Programme Award in 1994 in honor of "125 years of stewardship". According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Through its buildings and roads, its land, and its spirit, Mohonk exemplifies America&#39;s history and culture. Mohonk has since managed to maintain its 19th century character into the 21st century." In the 21st century, the resort also retains an emphasis on eco-friendly, environmentally green practices.</p><br>
<h2>Description</h2><br>
<p>Mohonk Mountain House has 259 guest rooms, including 28 tower rooms, an indoor pool and spa, and an outdoor ice-skating rink for winter use. The picturesque setting of the resort on the lake was featured in a print by Currier & Ives.</p><br>
<p>The property consists of 1,325 acre, and much of it is landscaped with meadows and gardens. It adjoins the Mohonk Preserve, which is crisscrossed by 85 mi of hiking trails and carriage roads. The Smileys conveyed the majority of their property to the preserve, and have received recognition for the stewardship of their land and their early environmental awareness.</p><br>
<h2>Notable guests</h2><br>
<p>The Mohonk Mountain House has hosted many famous visitors including industrialist John D. Rockefeller, naturalist John Burroughs, industrialist Andrew Carnegie, and American presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, and Bill Clinton. Guests have also included former First Lady Julia Grant, author Thomas Mann, and religious leaders such as Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, Reverend Ralph W. Sockman, Reverend Francis Edward Clark. `Abdul-Bahá, the eldest son of Baháí Faith founder Baháulláh, stayed there in 1912 during the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration as part of his journeys to the West.</p><br>
<h2>In popular culture</h2><br>
<p>The resort was the setting of the film, The Road to Wellville (1994), starring Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Broderick.</p><br>
<h2>Awards</h2><br>
<p>Mohonk Mountain House has received dozens of awards from magazines and news outlets. Condé Nast Traveler has given it nine awards since 2008, including "Number One Resort Spa in the United States" (2013). Travel + Leisure has given the resort seven awards since 2009, including "Number Two Hotel Spa in the United States" (2013) and "Number Six Hotel Spa in the World" (2013).</p><br>
<p>Mohonk has received numerous and repeated awards from spa magazines, including Spafinder Wellness, Organic Spa Magazine, Spas of America, and Spa. Fodor&#39;s listed it as one of "10 Best Spa Trips" for 2012, and in 2010 named it as one of 10 Best Hotels for Kids and Families. In 2011, Every Day with Rachael Ray listed Mohonk as one of "Our Eight Favorite Resorts". The resort has received awards from Wine Spectator Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and it has also garnered numerous awards and commendations for being green and eco-friendly.</p><br>
<p>Italica  was an elaborate Roman city in the province of Hispania Baetica and the birthplace of Roman Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.</p><br>
<p>The modern town of Santiponce overlies the pre-Roman Iberian settlement and part of the well-preserved Roman city.</p><br>
<h2>Roman history</h2><br>
<p>The nearby native and Roman city of Hispalis (Seville) was and would remain a larger city, but</p><br>
<p>Italica was founded in 206 BC by the great Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio (later given the nickname Africanus) to settle his victorious veterans from the Second Punic Wars against Hannibal and the Carthaginians, and close enough to the Guadalquivir to control the area. The city was built upon a native Iberian town of the Turdetani dating back at least to the 4th c. BC. The name Italica reflected the veterans&#39; Italian origins, i.e from auxiliary Italic units.</p><br>
<p>The vetus urbs (original or "old" city) developed into a prosperous city and was built on a Hippodamian street plan with public buildings and a forum at the centre, linked to a busy river port. At some point members of the Roman tribes Gens Ulpia and Aelia had moved to Italica, as these tribes were the respective families of the Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian who were later born here.</p><br>
<p>Italica thrived especially under the patronage of Hadrian, like many other cities in the empire under his influence at this time, but it was especially favoured as his birthplace. He expanded the city northwards as the nova urbs (new city) and, upon its request, elevated it to the status of colonia as Colonia Aelia Augusta Italica even though Hadrian expressed his surprise as it already enjoyed the rights of "Municipium". He also added temples, including the enormous and unique Trajaneum in the centre of the city to venerate his predecessor and adopted father, and rebuilt public buildings.</p><br>
<p>The city started to dwindle as early as the 3rd century; a shift of the Guadalquivir River bed, probably due to siltation, a widespread problem in antiquity that followed removal of the forest cover, left Italica&#39;s river port high and dry whilst Hispalis continued to grow nearby.</p><br>
<p>The city may have been the birthplace of the emperor Theodosius I.</p><br>
<p>Italica was important enough in late Antiquity to have a bishop of its own, and had a garrison during the Visigothic age. The walls were restored by Leovigildo in 583 AD during his struggles against Hermenegildo.</p><br>
<h2>Rediscovery and Excavations</h2><br>
<p>In recent centuries, the ruins became the subject of visits, admiration and despair by many foreign travellers who wrote about and sometimes illustrated their impressions. Italica&#39;s prestige, history and fame were not enough, however, to save it from being the subject of continued looting, and a permanent quarry for materials from Ancient times to modern ones. In 1740 the city of Seville ordered demolition of the walls of the amphitheatre to build a dam on the Guadalquivir, and in 1796 the urbs vetus was used to build the new Camino Real of Extremadura. The first law of protection for the site took effect in 1810 under the Napoleonic occupation, reinstating its old name of Italica, and allocating an annual budget for regular excavation.</p><br>
<p>One of the first excavators was the British textile merchant and Seville resident Nathan Wetherell, who uncovered nearly 20 Roman inscriptions in the vicinity of Italica in the 1820s that were later donated to the British Museum. Regular excavation, however, did not materialise until 1839-1840. By Royal Order of 1912 Italica was declared a National Monument, but it was not until 2001 that the archaeological site of Italica and the areas of protection were clearly defined.</p><br>
<h2>The Site</h2><br>
<p>As no modern city covered many of Italica&#39;s buildings, the result is an unusually well-preserved Roman city with cobbled Roman streets and mosaic floors still in situ. Many rich finds can also be seen in the Seville Archaeological Museum, with its famous marble colossus of Trajan.</p><br>
<p>The archaeological site of Italica encompasses mainly the urbs nova with its many fine buildings from the Hadrianic period. The original urbs vetus (old town) lies under the present town of Santiponce.</p><br>
<p>Extensive excavation and renovation of the site has been done recently and is continuing.</p><br>
<p>The small baths and the Theatre are some of the oldest visible remains, both built before Hadrian.</p><br>
<p>Italica’s amphitheatre was the third largest in the Roman Empire at the time, being slightly larger than the Tours Amphitheatre in France. It seated 25,000 spectators, about half as many as the Colosseum in Rome. The size is surprising given that the city&#39;s population at the time is estimated to have been only 8,000, and shows that the local elite demonstrated status that extended far beyond Italica itself through the games and theatrical performances they funded as magistrates and public officials.</p><br>
<p>From the same period is the elite quarter with several beautiful (and expensive) houses decorated with splendid mosaics visible today, particularly the:</p><br>
<p>House of the Exedra</p><br>
<p>House of the Neptune Mosaic</p><br>
<p>House of the Birds Mosaic</p><br>
<p>House of the Planetarium Mosaic</p><br>
<p>House of Hylas</p><br>
<p>House of the Rhodian Patio.</p><br>
<h3>The Traianeum</h3><br>
<p>The Traianeum was a large, imposing temple in honour of the Emperor Trajan, built by his adopted son and successor, Hadrian. It occupies a central double insula at the highest point of nova urbs. It measures 108 x 80 m and is surrounded by a large porticoed square with alternating rectangular and semicircular exedra around its exterior housing sculptures. The temple precinct was decorated with over a hundred columns of expensive Cipollino marble from Euboea, and various fountains.</p><br>
<h3>Aqueduct</h3><br>
<p>The aqueduct of 37 km total length was first built in the 1st c. AD and extended under Hadrian to add a more distant source for supplying the expanded city. It fed a huge cistern at the edge of the city which remains intact. Some of the piers of the arches are still visible near the city.</p><br>
<p>Mosaico de Neptuno, ruinas romanas de Itálica, Santiponce, Sevilla, España, 2015-12-06, DD 17-2.JPGNeptune mosaic</p><br>
<p>Mosaico del Templo de Isis, ruinas romanas de Itálica, Santiponce, Sevilla, España, 2015-12-06, DD 20.JPGIsis temple mosaic</p><br>
<p>Lake Oroville is a reservoir formed by the Oroville Dam impounding the Feather River, located in Butte County, northern California. The lake is situated 5 mi northeast of the city of Oroville, within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Known as the second-largest reservoir in California, Lake Oroville is treated as a keystone facility within the California State Water Project by storing water, providing flood control, recreation, freshwater releases assist in controlling the salinity intrusion Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and protecting fish and wildlife.</p><br>
<p>The lake is a popular nationally renowned bass fishing location, while coho salmon are stocked from the Feather River Fish Hatchery. This hatchery is a main component of Lake Oroville.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The local indigenous tribe were the Konkow Maidu (translation is man) who originally settled the lake region and Feather River for many years. Today many of the small towns including Oroville were originally occupied by the Maidu people. In 2002, a Sonoma State study took archaeological inventory of the 15,476 acres of Lake Oroville to learn 250 sites are from the prehistoric era relating to the Native American life along the Feather River and an additional 478 sites dating to the Gold Rush. These sites included open-air residential sites, caves and rockshelters, limited lithic scatters, rock art, quarries and workshops, bedrock milling sites and cemetery areas. Natives lives were disrupted by gold discovery in 1848 and the white miners infiltrated their lands. In April 1848, only three months after gold was discovered at Sutters Mill, John Bidwell found gold on the Feather River at a spot known today as the town of Bidwell Bar. Bidwell began to work the claim using local Konkow Maidu workers, due to the rapid spreading news of the California strikes under a year Californias non-native population climbed from 20,000 to 100,000 and by 1850 Butte County alone supported 3,052 miners.</p><br>
<p>Construction on the dam began in 1957 to relocate what is now Highway 70 and the then Western Pacific (now Union Pacific) Railroad. A few years later the partially completed dam checked flooding on the Feather River in December 1964. This saved the Sacramento Valley from flooding.</p><br>
<p>Prior to impoundment by the Oroville Dam, the current main basin of Lake Oroville was the location of the confluence of the North Fork Feather River with the Feather River (39&deg;33&prime;20&Prime;N latitude, 121&deg;28&prime;0&Prime;W longitude) and the now-inundated towns of Bidwell (39&deg;33&prime;25&Prime;N latitude, 121&deg;27&prime;56&Prime;W longitude) and Land (39&deg;33&prime;13&Prime;N latitude, 121&deg;28&prime;04&Prime;W longitude). Completed in 1968, Oroville Dam is an earthen dam and is the tallest dam located in the United States, measuring over 770 feet (235 m) high and 6,920 feet (2109 m) across. The dam was the largest earth-fill dam in the world until succeeded by Aswan High Dam in Egypt. It was built by the California Department of Water Resources as part of the California State Water Project. The dam houses the Edward Hyatt Powerplant, an underground hydro-electric plant that was completed in 1967. Six generators are used to provide a maximum generating capacity of 819 MW.</p><br>
<h2>Hydrology</h2><br>
<p>Lake Oroville and Oroville Dam are part of a water infrastructure complex including the Hyatt Powerplant, Thermalito Diversion Dam and Powerplant, the Feather River Fish Hatchery, Thermalito Power Canal, Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Pumping-Generating Plant, Thermalito Afterbay, and the Lake Oroville Visitors Center.</p><br>
<p>The lake is fed by the North Fork, Middle Fork, West Branch and South Forks of the Feather River watershed. This watershed drains an area of 3,611 square miles. The North Fork and Middle Fork Feather Rivers comprise 3,222 square miles of this area which includes portions of the foothill and mountain regions of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range. Storing over 3,500,000 acre.ft, it is the second-largest reservoir in California, after Shasta Lake. About one-third of the water released from the reservoir goes to uses between the Oroville and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.</p><br>
<p>Lake Oroville plays an important role in flood management, water quality, and the health of fisheries affecting areas downstream like the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. During the warm season, the primary source of streamflow is melting snow, occurring April 1 - July 31, and Lake Oroville receives about 40 percent of the annual total inflow. The lakes storage and releases are a key part of the hydropower and water-supply facilities of the Oroville Complex, the reason its a pillar and major source of flexibility of the SWP. The downstream flow limits set by the USACE for Lake Oroville are north of Honcut Creek, above the mouth of the Yuba River, and south of the Bear River.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses hydroelectric facilities such as the Edward Hyatt Power Plant at Oroville Dam. California&#39;s Department of Water Resources and stakeholders recently participated in a six-year renewal process for a 50-year hydroelectric license for the Oroville Facilities. This agreement commits the state to: restore salmon and steelhead habitat, improved river recreation and community benefits, and a fish passage study to determine and launch a project to enhance passage in the Feather and surrounding river basins.</p><br>
<p>Due to federal flood control requirements, by mid-October each year, the lake&#39;s storage must be reduced to a specified level within the range of a maximum flood control pool of 750,000 acre.ft and a minimum of 375,000 acre.ft. Each day the allowable level within the range is recalculated using an index reflecting the watershed wetness and the anticipation of heavy runoff from incoming storms. As a wet season like 1997-98 occurred progresses the allowable storage trends to coincide with the maximum flood control pool. The reservoir operators must balance the conflicting objectives of controlling the current flood event and preparing for a possible future one.</p><br>
<p>In February 2017, extreme precipitation and high spillway releases caused significant damage to the main concrete spillway. Due to this damage, releases were cut back and lake level increased to 101% of capacity, causing the emergency spillway to overflow for the first time in the Lake&#39;s history. Below the emergency spillway, severe erosion was noticed, and fear of a failure of the emergency spillway prompted evacuation of about 100,000 downstream residents. The extent of the damage to the two spillways is not yet known.</p><br>
<h2>Recreation</h2><br>
<p>The lake offers multiple recreational activities for the public to participate in. The Lake Oroville Visitor Center has a museum, exhibits, videos and a store. People like to look through the two high-powered telescopes on the 47-foot tall tower to see the lake, Sierra Nevadas, valley, foothills, and the Sutter Buttes mountain range.</p><br>
<h3>Fishing</h3><br>
<p>Is described as outstanding at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. People can fish for Largemouth and Small Mouth Bass, Chinook, Catfish, Mackinaw, Sturgeon, White Crappie and Brown Trout. The largest Mackinaw caught was nineteen pounds and a 3-pound White Crappie. It is permitted all year long but a California sport fishing license is required.</p><br>
<h3>Boating</h3><br>
<p>A year-round activity is boating - waterskiing, trolling, and more boats can use five multi-lane boat launch ramps. These are located at Bidwell Canyon, Loafer Creek, Spillway, Lime Saddle, Enterprise, Nelson Bar, Vinton Gulch, Foreman Creek, and Dark Canyon. Boat supplies and rentals are available on the south end of the Lake at Bidwell Marina or the north end at Lake Oroville Marina.</p><br>
<p>Visitors can rent kayaks, canoes, sailboats, paddleboats and more at the Forebay Aquatic Center located at the North Forebay.</p><br>
<h3>Camping</h3><br>
<p>Another major activity is camping by using the campground, floating campsites, boat-in camps, or equestrian campsites.</p><br>
<h2>Feather River Fish Hatchery</h2><br>
<p>A key component of Lake Oroville, is the hatchery that manages thriving populations of Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout for the Feather River Ecosystem. It has an interesting history of how it came to be.</p><br>
<p>In the past there have been many attempts to artificially spawn salmon, shad and trout in the Feather River and its drainages. Before the Oroville Dam was constructed, a majority of the fish hatcheries were located on the Eastern side of the mountain range (about 100 miles northeast of the hatcherys current location). The first hatchery was constructed in 1916, the Yuba River Shad Hatchery was built on the Feather River to stop the over fishing of shad in the lower Sacramento River. This effort failed leading to the hatchery closure, because the Shads first run did not produce enough eggs and the river had a light run. Domingo Springs built in 1916 main goal was to supply fish to the lakes and streams in Lassen National Park and the surrounding area. In 1937 floods damaged the hatchery and eventually was abandoned. The next phase built near Clio in Plumas County was a 60 trouph hatchery building and employee cabins that operated for 30 years. In 1953 the work was outdated so the operation was abandoned, creating a 14-year gap in hatchery work. The Department of Water Resources built the Oroville Dam in 1961 that altered the river flow so DWR built the present hatchery with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The dam was blocked salmon and steelhead trout access to upstream spawning areas, to further mitigate fisheries impacts, a barrier and ladder system was built that allows adult salmon and steelhead to be captured at the Feather River Fish Hatchery.</p><br>
<p>Today the hatchery is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife raising spring and fall-run Chinook Salmon and Steelhead along the Feather River, directly below Lake Oroville. The hatchery is divided into two sections. The first section located on the east side of Table Mountain Boulevard includes: fish barrier dam, observation platform and underwater viewing. The second section located on the west side of Table Mountain Boulevard includes: spawning room, hatchery and rearing ponds. Salmon spawning operations can be observed mid-September until mid-November, but fish are present in the rearing ponds all year.</p><br>
<p>Annually on the 4th Saturday of September the Oroville Salmon Festival occurs at the hatchery and downtown Oroville. Known as the only California Salmon Festival where personnel work Chinook Salmon to harvest and fertilize eggs.</p><br>
<h2>Climate</h2><br>
<p>Lake Oroville has a Mediterranean type climate with hot, dry summers and cool wet winters. A semi-permanent, high pressure area of the mid-Pacific Ocean dominates and controls the weather in northern California. During the summer this high-pressure cell pushes storm tracks into the north causing this hot dry summer. In winter, it moves south allowing storms to cross northern California bringing wetter and cooler winters.</p><br>
<p>The annual high temperature is 75.2 °F and annual low is 49 °F with average temperature of 62.1 °F. The coldest months are winter - December to January with average high 56 °F and low 38 °F. The warmest months are in the summer - June, July and August with average high 93 °F. The average annual rainfall precipitation is 30.66 inches while January is the wettest month 5.71 inches and July being the driest at 0.08 inches.</p><br>
<p>In 2015, Northern California experienced a drastic drought reducing the lake level to 39% capacity in January 2016. Some climate scientists state this may be the future of California reservoirs water storage due to lower annual precipitation. Some scientists disagree with that assessment.</p><br>
<p>Regardless, the year of 2017 has made up for the five-year drought by having above-average precipitation. Although drought is not a present concern for Oroville Lake, this excess of water is concerning and appears as a new danger (see 2017 Oroville Dam crisis).</p><br>
<h2>Wildlife</h2><br>
<p>Species of Fish</p><br>
<p>The species raised at the Feather River Fish Hatchery include Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout.</p><br>
<p>Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha are supported by California streams. They display a wide array of life history patterns allowing them to live in the diverse, variable riverine and ocean environments. Known as anadromous fish who migrate upstream as adults to spawn in freshwater streams and as juveniles they migrate downstream to the ocean growing into mature adults. There are seventeen distinct runs of Chinook salmon recognized in California, classified into six major groups or Evolutionarily Significant units. Currently, these are a Species of Concern under the Federal Endangered Species Act.</p><br>
<p>The hatchery spawn, rear and release the Fall and Spring Run Chinook salmon of local origin. The trout being an anadromous form of rainbow trout spawn for multiple years in rivers and creeks, transition into the ocean but return to the rivers to start the lifecycle again.</p><br>
<h2>Downriver facilities</h2><br>
<p>The Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant source water for the Feather River is released from two discharge tunnels at up to 17,500 cuft/s during peak demand and "little or no release the remainder of the day". The power plant also routinely draws up to 5,610 cuft/s Hyatt releases are stored in the 4.40 mi serpentine river channel (Thermalito Diversion Pool) which extends from the river&#39;s source to the Thermalito Diversion Dam.</p><br>
<p>Mount Edgecumbe is a dormant volcano located at the southern end of Kruzof Island, Alaska. The volcano is about 16 km east of the Queen Charlotte Fault that separates the North American and Pacific Plates, and is the highest point in the Mount Edgecumbe volcanic field, an area of about 260 km&sup2; on Kruzov Island that also includes Crater Ridge and Shell Mountain.</p><br>
<h2>Name</h2><br>
<p>The indigenous Tlingit people considered the mountain to be sacred. In the Tlingit language, the mountain is called L’ux, which means "to flash" or "blinking," purportedly because the Tlingit people first discovered it while it was smoking or erupting.</p><br>
<p>On 16 August 1775, Spanish explorer Juan de la Bodega named the mountain Montaña de San Jacinto to honor Saint Hyacinth, whose feast day is celebrated on 17 August.</p><br>
<p>Captain James Cook passed the mountain on 2 May 1778 during his third voyage and named it Mount Edgecumbe, presumably after a hill overlooking Plymouth Harbor, England, or possibly for George, Earl of Edgcumbe.</p><br>
<p>Explorer George Vancouver later adopted the name chosen by Cook, and it came into popular usage.</p><br>
<h2>Ascent</h2><br>
<p>The first recorded ascent was made in July 1805 by Captain Urey Lisianski of the Imperial Russian Navy.</p><br>
<p>The Mt. Edgecumbe Trail is roughly 11 km, ascending through taiga and muskeg before becoming steep and ending in a barren landscape of snow and red volcanic ash above the treeline, at about 2,000 ft, with sign-posts directing hikers toward the crater rim. A three-sided cabin built by the Conservation Corps lies about 4 mi up trail. The trail can be muddy and wet in places, the last 3 mi are a steep climb, and bears may be present. The difficulty of the trail is listed as "moderate."</p><br>
<h2>Eruptions</h2><br>
<p>7620 BC</p><br>
<p>3810 BC</p><br>
<p>2220 BC ±100 years</p><br>
<h3>Eruption hoax</h3><br>
<p>On April 1, 1974, a local prankster named Oliver "Porky" Bickar ignited hundreds of old tires in the crater, which he had flown in for an April Fools&#39; Day joke. The dark smoke rising from the crater convinced nearby residents of Sitka, Alaska that the volcano was erupting. The hoax was soon revealed, as around the rim of the volcano, "April Fool" was spray-painted in 50 ft letters. The Guardian reports that Bickar had been planning the prank for four years, and lists it among the ten best Aprils Fools hoaxes of all time.</p><br>
<p>Hao, or Haorangi, is a large coral atoll in the central part of the Tuamotu Archipelago. It has c. 1000 people living on 35 km². It was used to house the military support base for the nuclear tests on Mururoa. Because of its shape, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville named it Harp Island.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Hao is 920 km east of Tahiti. It is 50 km long and 14 km wide. The lagoon is the fourth largest atoll in French Polynesia (after Rangiroa, Fakarava, and Makemo) and has only one navigable passage, at Kaki, on the north end of the atoll where strong currents prevail up to 20 knots with bores. The lagoon covers an area of 720 km².</p><br>
<p>The climate is maritime, with temperatures oscillating between 23 and 32 °C throughout the year.</p><br>
<p>The chief town is the village of Otepa, where the main economic activity is the cultivation of pearls.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The first recorded European arriving on Hao was Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 10 February 1606. He named it Conversion de San Pablo. He was followed by José Andía y Varela in 1774.</p><br>
<p>Because of its shape, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville named it Harp Island. In some maps it also appears as Bow Island.</p><br>
<p>Hao was the first atoll of the Tuamotus that Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen visited in 1820 on the ships Vostok and Mirni.</p><br>
<p>In the late-1980s, two French intelligence (DGSE) operatives were briefly confined to the military base on the island after France obtained their release from a New Zealand prison for sinking the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior. Their earlier-than-agreed-upon repatriation from the island by the French government became a diplomatic incident between New Zealand and France.</p><br>
<p>Hao&#39;s military airfield, now known as Hao Airport, was transferred to the civilian authorities in 2000. This airport serves many of the smaller eastern Tuamotus, whose landing strips are too short to land aircraft large enough to make the flight to Tahiti.</p><br>
<p>The economic future of the atoll remains in question: the military base, which was the support base for nuclear testing on the nearby Mururoa atoll, was permanently shut down in 2002, along with its many support facilities, including the electrical and desalinization plants and the hospital. The livelihood of many of the atoll&#39;s inhabitants was directly tied to the military base.</p><br>
<h2>Administration</h2><br>
<p>Hao forms the commune of Hao (Main village: Otepa), which also includes Ahunui (uninhabited), Nengonengo, Manuhangi (uninhabited) and Paraoa (uninhabited). As of the 2016 census, the atoll&#39;s total population was 1275.</p><br>
<p>The commune of Hao is associated with the commune of Amanu and the commune of Hereheretue.</p><br>
<h2>Demographics</h2><br>
<p>see Administrative divisions of French Polynesia for demographics information.</p><br>
<h2>Transport</h2><br>
<p>Hao Airport is in the island&#39;s north. It is used as a base by Air Tahiti Nui, the domestic airline of French Polynesia.</p><br>
<h2>Related article</h2><br>
<p>French Polynesia</p><br>
<p>Mati  is a village in Greece. This holiday resort is on the east coast of the Attica region, 29 km east of Athens.</p><br>
<h2>Overview</h2><br>
<p>Mati is a popular tourist destination harboring several hotels, fish restaurants, tavernas, cafés, bars, night clubs, open air cinemas, sandy beaches, yacht marinas and hotels. The harbour in nearby Rafina serves as an access point to the Aegean Sea and is frequently used by tourists to reach many of Greece&#39;s numerous islands. The Penteli mountains that are covered with forests lie to the west and northwest. Beaches cover the eastern part and restaurants, hotels, and tavernas line the shore.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Rafina lies east of the Penteli mountains, on the Marathonas Avenue north of Rafina and south of Nea Makri. Mati is about 30 km east of downtown Athens.</p><br>
<h2>Road and sea access</h2><br>
<p>The town can be accessed through Marathonos Avenue (GR-54) to the west or alternatively via the Dionissos mountains Northwest of Athens.</p><br>
<p>Mati is closely located to the port of Rafina, which serves as a local hub for holiday ferry boats to the Cyclades islands.</p><br>
<h2>Panorama view</h2><br>
<p>The Sacred Valley of the Incas  or the Urubamba Valley is a valley in the Andes of Peru, 20 km at its closest north of the Inca capital of Cusco. It is located in the present-day Peruvian region of Cusco. In colonial documents it was referred to as the "Valley of Yucay." The Sacred Valley was incorporated slowly into the incipient Inca Empire during the period from 1000 to 1400 CE.</p><br>
<p>The scenic and historical Sacred Valley is a major tourist destination. In 2013, 1.2 million people, 800,000 of them non-Peruvians, are estimated to have visited Machu Picchu, its most famous archaeological site. Many of the same tourists also visited other archaeological sites and modern towns in the Sacred Valley.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The valley, running generally west to east, is understood to include everything along the Urubamba River between the town and Inca ruins at Písac westward to Machu Piccu, 100 km distant. The Sacred Valley has elevations above sea level along the river ranging from 3,000 m at Pisac to 2,050 m at the Urubamba River below the citadel of Macchu Piccu. On both sides of the river, the mountains rise to much higher elevations, especially to the south where two prominent mountains overlook the valley: Sahuasiray, 5,818 m and Veronica, 5,893 m in elevation. The intensely cultivated valley floor is about 1 km wide on average. Side valleys and agricultural terraces (andenes) expand the cultivatable area.</p><br>
<p>The valley was formed by the Urubamba river, also known as the Vilcanota River, Willkanuta River (Aymara, "house of the sun") or Willkamayu (Quechua). The latter, in Quechua, the still spoken lingua franca of the Inca Empire, means the sacred river. It is fed by numerous tributaries which descend through adjoining valleys and gorges, and contains numerous archaeological remains and villages. The Sacred Valley was the most important area for maize production in the heartland of the Inca Empire and access through the valley to tropical areas facilitated the import of products such as coca leaf and chile peppers to Cuzco.</p><br>
<p>The climate of Urubamba is typical of the valley. Precipitation, concentrated in the months of October through April, totals 527 mm annually and monthly average temperatures range between 15.4 &deg;C in November, the warmest month, to 12.2 &deg;C in July, the coldest month. The Incas built extensive irrigation works throughout the valley to counter deficiencies and seasonality in precipitation.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The early Incas lived in the Cuzco area. By conquest or diplomacy, during the period 1000 to 1400 CE, the Inca achieved administrative control over the various ethnic groups living in or near the Sacred Valley.</p><br>
<p>The attraction of the Sacred Valley to the Inca, in addition to its proximity to Cuzco, was probably that it was lower in elevation and therefore warmer than any other nearby area. The lower elevation permitted maize to be grown in the Sacred Valley. Maize was a prestige crop for the Incas, especially to make chicha, a fermented maize drink the Incas and their subjects consumed in large quantities at their many ceremonial feasts and religious festivals.</p><br>
<p>Large scale maize production in the Sacred Valley was apparently facilitated by varieties bred in nearby Moray, either a governmental crop laboratory or a seedling nursery of the Incas.</p><br>
<p>The Inca customarily divided conquered lands into three more-or-less equal parts. One part was for the emperor (the Sapa Inca), one part for the religious establishment, and one part for the communities of farmers themselves. In the 1400s, the Sacred Valley became an area of royal estates and country homes. Once a royal estate was created by an emperor it continued to be owned by descendants of the emperor after his death. The estate of the emperor Yawar Waqaq (ca. 1380 CE) was located at Paullu and Lamay (a few kilometers downstream from Pisac); Huchuy Qosqo, the estate of the emperor Viracocha Inca (c. 1410-1438), overlooks the Sacred Valley; the estate of Pachacuti (1438-1471 CE) was at Pisac; and the sparse ruins of Quispiguanca. the estate of the emperor Huayna Capac (1493-1527 CE), are in the town of Urubamba. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for Pachacuti.</p><br>
<p>Agricultural terraces, called andenes, were built up hillsides flanking the valley floor and are today the most visible and widespread signs of the Inca civilization in the Sacred Valley.</p><br>
<p>In 1537, the Inca Emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui fought and won the Battle of Ollantaytambo against a Spanish army headed by Hernando Pizarro. Nevertheless, Manco soon withdrew from the Sacred Valley and the area came under the control of the Spanish colonialists.</p><br>
<p>Raise is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands on the main spine of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells, between Thirlmere and Ullswater.</p><br>
<h2>Topography</h2><br>
<p>The Helvellyn range runs broadly north–south for about 7 mi, remaining above 2,000 ft (600 m) its entire length. Raise is near the centre of this ridge, with Stybarrow Dodd to the north and White Side to the south. As with many of these fells, Raise displays smooth grassy slopes on the west and rougher ground to the east. Here however the contrast is much less marked than further south around Helvellyn and Nethermost Pike.</p><br>
<p>To the north of Raise the pedestrian route of Sticks Pass crosses the ridge at a height of 2,445 ft (745 m), this being the highest pass in the District crossed by a regular bridleway. Now of use purely to hillwalkers, it once provided the only connection between the communities on either side of the Helvellyns. The name is believed to be taken from the guideposts originally used to mark the route. The becks flowing from either side of the pass summit are both officially named Sticks Gill, the (East) and (West) having been added by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells and utilised by later guidebook writers. To the north, beyond the pass, the ground rises again to Stybarrow Dodd and all here is grass.</p><br>
<h2>Mining history</h2><br>
<p>South of Raise the ridge swings a little to the west, crossing an unnamed col on the way to White Side. The eastern face of this ridge is gouged deeply by Kepple Cove, a corrie whose back wall is named Red Screes. Kepple Cove once contained an artificial tarn, although today the bed is merely marshy except after heavy rain. The water from the tarn was used in a hydroelectric scheme to drive electric winding gear at Greenside Mine. Commissioned in 1891, this was the first such system in the country. It continued in use until the night of 29 October 1927 when the Kepple Cove dam burst during a heavy storm, leaving an 80 ft wide gap in the earthworks. The resulting wave passed down the valley and through Glenridding village, flooding buildings and causing extensive damage. The breached dam can still be seen today.</p><br>
<p>A further tarn serving Greenside Mine was created in Sticks Gill (East) by the construction of a stone barrage. Called Top Dam, this was still in existence in the 1950s but is now a dry bed. There are other signs of mining activity on the Stang ridge, in particular the stone smelter flue. Prominently marked chimney on Ordnance Survey maps, the flue ran over half a mile up the fellside to a stone chimney at about 2,250 ft. There are also the remains of a number of leats, artificial channels to divert streams to the thirsty mine. Stang now carries the marks of a more modern industry, with the Lake District&#39;s only permanent ski-tow installed on the northern slope. There is some rock outcropping on the eastern slopes of Raise, particularly at Stang End above the Glenridding Beck.</p><br>
<h2>Geology</h2><br>
<p>Geologically, the summit of Raise is part of the Birker Fell Formation of plagioclase-phyric andesite lava, with pyroclastic breccia to the south west. There are also substantial areas of gravel drift.</p><br>
<h2>Summit</h2><br>
<p>Alone among the northern Helvellyns, Raise has a summit area of outcropping rock, an island amid the sea of grass. A little to the east of the top is a rock tor which would be insignificant elsewhere, but in these surroundings draws the eye. A path follows the ridge, with a surfeit of cairns to the south. The view is extensive with all of the major fells being seen. Thirlmere can also be brought into view by walking a few yards to the west.</p><br>
<h2>Ascents</h2><br>
<p>The main routes of ascent are via Sticks Pass, starting from either Legburthwaite or Glenridding. More direct climbs from the west can be made by following Fisherplace Gill and then striking up across the pathless prairie as required. From the east there is a path rising directly up the Stang ridge and a further old route zig-zags up from Glenridding Beck beside Kepple Cove.</p><br>
<h2>Ski Club</h2><br>
<p>The Lake District Ski Club, operate a poma style ski lift from pylons on Raise when weather conditions are suitable for skiing or snowboarding. The lift is over 300 metres long and the runs are in a natural snow bowl called Savages Gulley where snow drifts form. The Lake District Ski Club has operated for 75 years in 2011 and recently expanded their facilities to include the "Powder room" lavatory facilities attached to the engine hut.</p><br>
<p>Hānaiakamalama or Queen Emma Summer Palace, served as a retreat for Queen Emma of Hawaii from 1857 to 1885, as well as for her husband King Kamehameha IV, and their son, Prince Albert Edward. It is a now a historic landmark, museum, and tourist site located at 2913 Pali Highway, less than a ten-minute drive outside of downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is maintained with entrance fees, revenue from the gift shop, and other funds raised by the Daughters of Hawaii.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Hānaiakamalama is located in the Nuuanu Valley, long a popular location first for Hawaiian chiefs and royalty, and later for non-Hawaiian residents, who found the cooler climate of the uplands more comfortable than downtown Honolulu.</p><br>
<p>The frame of the home was built in Boston, in 1848, and shipped to Hawaii via Cape Horn. It was then assembled on a property purchased by John Lewis from the Kingdom of Hawaii. It had six rooms, one story, and a porch with Doric columns in the Greek Revival style.</p><br>
<p>In 1850, two years after it was completed, the home was purchased at auction by Keoni Ana (John Young II) for $6,000. Young owned the estate until 1857, when he gave it to his niece, Queen Emma. In 1869, Queen Emma added a large room called the Edinburgh Room to the rear of the structure, in preparation for the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh.</p><br>
<p>After Queen Emma’s death in 1885, the Kingdom of Hawaii bought the estate. In 1911, Territorial Governor Walter F. Frear declared it a park to be maintained by the City and County of Honolulu. At one point, plans were made to build a baseball park over the site. However, the Daughters of Hawaii were able to acquire the building and have since restored and maintained it as a museum. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s.</p><br>
<h2>Current status</h2><br>
<p>Today, Queen Emma’s Summer Palace sits on a 2.16 acre plot owned by the Queen Emma Estate, and maintained by the Daughters of Hawaii. The grounds are extensively landscaped, with many plants native to the Hawaiian Islands.</p><br>
<p>The house itself is a museum displaying Queen Emma’s possessions, along with those of her husband, King Kamehameha IV, their son, Prince Albert Edward, and other members of the Hawaiian royal families. The rooms and their principal contents are as follows:</p><br>
<p>Entrance Hall - feather standards (kāhili); royal coat of arms.</p><br>
<p>Front Bedroom (originally the Dining Room) - Large bed of Acacia koa; Prince Alberts cradle; Queen Emmas sleigh bed; Prince Albert Edward&#39;s bathtub</p><br>
<p>Parlor - Queen Emma&#39;s baby grand piano; 3 feather capes; koa dining table and chairs; imari porcelain jardinière given by Emperor Meiji to King Kalākaua</p><br>
<p>Cloak Room - Royal feather cloak</p><br>
<p>Back Bedroom - Queen Emmas koa bed; Prince Albert Edwards koa crib; display cabinet with Prince Albert&#39;s velvet suit, etc.</p><br>
<p>Center Hall - Silver christening vessel given by Queen Victoria; tiger claw necklace; stereopticon given by Napoleon III on Queen Emma&#39;s visit to France in 1865; kapa cloth artifacts; feather standards (kāhili)</p><br>
<p>Edinburgh Room - Royal cabinet with china given by Queen Victoria; rosewood furniture; piano; chair and settee</p><br>
<p>The house also contains a number of portraits of historical interest. Subjects include William Charles Lunalilo, John Young II, Julia Alapai, Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Kamehameha III, Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Queen Emma of Hawaii, Prince Albert Edward Kauikeaouli, etc.</p><br>
<h2>Nearby sites of interest</h2><br>
<p>Not far from Hānaiakamalama is the Pali Lookout, site of the battle of Nuuanu Pali, where Kamehameha I defeated the forces of the King of Oahu, consolidating his claim as monarch of the Hawaiian Islands.</p><br>
<p>Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake wholly contained within Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Lake Wawasee has a long history extending from the Pleistocene epoch, early settlement by the white man, and its growth from the 19th century through today. The lake is named for Miami chief Wawasee (Wau-wuh-see), brother of Miami chief Papakeecha, which translated means "Flat Belly."</p><br>
<p>Lilly, Eli. Early Wawasee Days. Indianapolis: Studio Press Inc., 1960.</p><br>
<p>Lake Wawasee has a history of being a summer vacation area for residents from Indianapolis and Chicago. The Spink&#39;s Hotel (now condominiums) overlooking Lake Wawasee was a luxury hotel that hosted famous vacationers including Al Capone. Eli Lilly maintained residence on Lake Wawasee, and his home remains a landmark on the lake.</p><br>
<h2>Geographic places</h2><br>
<p>Known geographic place names around Wawasee: Blacks Point, Black Stump Point, Jones Landing, Willow Grove, Pickwick Park, Kale Island, Oakwood, Lakeview-South Park, Ogdens Island, Sand Point, Johnsons Bay, Buttermilk Bay, Vawter Park, Ideal Beach, Waveland Beach, Conkling Hill, Morrisons Island, and Natti Crow Beach.</p><br>
<h3>Black Stump Point</h3><br>
<p>Located at the northwest end of Lake Wawasee, Black Stump Point protrudes northeasterly out into the lake. Roads on this geographic point are E. Waco Drive and N. Waco Point Drive. Businesses located during the 1950s and 1960s were Mocks&#39; Marina and Waco, a boat-in and drive-in restaurant.</p><br>
<h3>Crow's Bay</h3><br>
<p>Crows Bay is located on Wawasees eastern shore and between Cedar Point to the north and Morrisons Island to the south. Crows Bay is named after Nathaniel Crow who established the Crows Nest. Natti Crow Beach is a prominent area on the bay&#39;s southern end.</p><br>
<h3>Jarrett's Bay</h3><br>
<p>Also known in recent years as Buttermilk Bay, Jarretts Bay is the extreme southern end of Wawasee. Jarretts Bay extends southeast with Morrisons Island to the east and Clarks Point to the west. This bay was named after Lewis Jarrett who owned a resort known as Buttermilk Point.</p><br>
<p>Also see: Lake Wawasee history: Buttermilk Point</p><br>
<h3>Johnson's Bay</h3><br>
<p>Johnsons Bay is located on Wawasees east side. Ogden Island and Cedar Point serve as the two prominent points of land creating this bay. Johnson&#39;s Bay is, for the most part, barren of lakeside homes as its northern, northeastern, and northwestern sections are cat tailed marsh. Due to its location it became a haven for water skiing at least as far back as the 1950s. Cedar Point affords a break from north winds and lacks the heavy boat traffic found on much of the lake.</p><br>
<h3>Morrison Island</h3><br>
<p>Morrison Island, originally Eagle Island, is named after William T. Morrison who lived on this island until 1890. Today, the island has a number of homes lining the lakeside (north, south, west) and boat houses lining the eastern side with channel access to Wawasee. The island has seawalls with the ground just a couple of feet from the lake&#39;s level. Morrison Island is one of the lowest elevation residential areas on Lake Wawasee. A 1,000 by public grass green space lined with trees occupies the center of the island. Access by car via E. Morrison Island Road.</p><br>
<h3>Main channel</h3><br>
<p>The main channel is not officially part of Lake Wawasee but does perform as an outlet for water heading north. The main channel begins at the lakess northwest shore with Oakwood Park on its west and Kale Island on its east and flows north through Mudd Lake and finally into Syracuse Lake. The main channel is lined with homes and a marina on its west for its first third of travel. On the channels east side is a large wetland marsh where a gristmill once stood.</p><br>
<h2>Recreation</h2><br>
<h3>Marinas</h3><br>
<p>Griffiths Wawasee Marina was founded in 1946 and is located on Wawasees southeast end overlooking Buttermilk Bay and tucked behind Morrison Island to the marina&#39;s west.</p><br>
<p>Main Channel Marina was established in 1976 and is located on the west side of the Main Channel on the northwest side of Wawasee.</p><br>
<p>Johnsons Bay Marina is no longer in service (condos)and used to be located in a channel on the east side of Johnsons Bay.</p><br>
<p>Wawasee Boat Company was founded in 1929 and is located on Wawasee&#39;s north shore off of E. Cornelius Road.</p><br>
<h3>Wawasee Yacht Club</h3><br>
<p>The Wawasee Yacht Club (est. 1935) is located on the northeast shore. During the summer season, the club is home to four competitive one-design fleets: 28-foot E-Scow, 19-foot Lightning (dinghy), 20-foot I-20 Scow, and 13-foot Sunfish (sailboat) class boats.</p><br>
<p>Their mission is to foster, promote and encourage the sport of sailboat racing, and to promote the science of seamanship.</p><br>
<h3>Restaurants</h3><br>
<p>The Frog Tavern is accessible by boat. It is located in a channel on the north end of Conklin&#39;s Bay and is open seven days a week. Diners can feed the ducks that are in the water at restaurantside, but keep an eye out for the cat that lives across the water from the restaurant. The cat has "duck dinner" on its mind. The Frog offers cruises on its boat, called the SS Lillypad II, which travels at about 7 kn and stays roughly 200 yd offshore. A cruise covering the entire lake takes around 3-hours.</p><br>
<p>The Channel Marker is accessible by boat. It is located on the east side of the Main Channel near the Pickwick Drive bridge. It offers indoor and outdoor dining.</p><br>
<p>Oakwood Resort Restaurants:The Pier and Back Porch. These two restaurants are located lakeside at the Oakwood Resort on Lake Wawasees Conklin Bay. The Pier offers a wide variety of upscale food inside with great views of the lake out the windows and Back Porch is more casual and outside on the patio near the waters edge.</p><br>
<h3>Events</h3><br>
<p>Independence Day fireworks - The 4th of July weekend on Saturday sports a fireworks display launched from a waterborne platform and synchronized with music played by a local radio station. There is also a Flotilla which features decorated boats in a parade around the lake.</p><br>
<h3>Wawascene.com</h3><br>
<p>Wawascene.com is an online magazine dedicated to life at Lake Wawasee & Syracuse Lake. Formed in 2009, this website hosts a live webcam controllable by users, water temperature, photos, blogs, news, video, a local business directory and resident directory.</p><br>
<h2>Bathymetry</h2><br>
<p>Wawasee&#39;s bottom consists of channels and rises. It was noted in 1895 that if the water level in Wawasee were dropped 30 ft, 4 distinct bodies of water would then be visibly connected by channels 100 to 200 ft wide and 8–10 feet deep.</p><br>
<p>The first body would be in front of Crow&#39;s Nest (Crow Bay) with a depth of 19 ft.</p><br>
<p>The second body would be 50% of Jarrett&#39;s Bay with maximum depth of 38 ft.</p><br>
<p>The third would be the main body of Wawasee with a decreased width of 50% and maximum depth of 38 ft.</p><br>
<p>The fourth would be a small just northwest of Black Stump Point with a maximum depth of 40 ft.</p><br>
<p>If Wawasee lost 40 ft of water there would be 4 distinct lakes without channels connecting them.</p><br>
<h2>Hydrology</h2><br>
<h3>Classification</h3><br>
<p>Lake Wawasee measures 12 km² (3060 acres) in size and is classified as a Trophic Class 1 lake with two major basins. The north basin has a eutrophication index value of 10 and the south basin has a eutrophication index of 12. The maximum depth is 22 m (77 ft) and an average depth of 6.7 m (22 ft). The lake is presently healthy and has a balanced aquatic ecosystem.</p><br>
<h3>Water sources</h3><br>
<p>Lake Wawasee is a spring fed lake with exposed springs flowing into Wawasee from south, west, and east sides. Lake Papakeechie, sitting a few feet higher in elevation, provides a vast amount of water from a spillway at Buttermilk Bay at Wawasees south end. Wawasees structure is typical of natural lakes in the formerly glaciated portions of the Midwest. It is supplied by a watershed of 23,618 acres (95.5 km²) which starts at Little Knapp Lake and Harper Lake in Noble County and flows down through 10 lakes by way of Turkey Creek into Lake Wawasee. Water exits into through the wetlands of Main Channel and Mudd Lake into Syracuse Lake. The Wawasee Watershed is an area of that encompasses Wawasee, Syracuse, Bonar Lake and Papakeechie lakes as well as the ten lakes in the upper Turkey Creek and Papakeechie subwatersheds.</p><br>
<p>There are two smaller lakes near Wawasee. Syracuse Lake to the north is accessible from Wawasee through the Main Channel. Lake Papakeechie to the south is at an elevation slightly higher than Wawasee. It is not accessible by boat from Wawasee.</p><br>
<h2>Water quality and wetlands</h2><br>
<p>The community around Wawasee pushes for water clarity and keeping the lake clean for future generations. One of the most active organizations involved in wetland and water quality protection is the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation (WACF). This non profit group has a documented history of action and lake preservation. The WACF was formed in 1991 to anticipate, discover, and correct threats to the Wawasee Area Watershed and to its water quality. The WACF is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the area and works hand-in-hand with property owner groups, the State Department of Natural Resources and other governmental and civic organizations that share its concerns.</p><br>
<p>One ongoing battle concerning preservation involves a local farmer who has a permit to open a hog farm in the area. So far the conservancy has been successful in dissuading the local farmer.</p><br>
<p>Lake Wawasee is unusually clear for a Midwest lake. This is, in part, due to its location just a few miles from a continental divide that separates water that runs off to the Mississippi River basin and Lake Michigan. Another reason for this clarity is that most of the lakes nutrients are tied up in vegetation and zebra mussels. According to a 1995 study, Wawasees water clarity allows for viewing up to 15 ft depths, whereas other Midwest lakes, on average, have clarity allowing for viewing 2 to 6 ft depths.</p><br>
<p>Since 1991, invasive Zebra Mussels have been found in Lake Wawasee and have become a nuisance to the local marinas, fishermen, and property owners.</p><br>
<p>Fripp Island is a 6.546 sq mi  barrier island located along the Atlantic coast of the lowcountry part of South Carolina. It is approximately 21 miles from Beaufort, 96 miles south of Charleston, and 65 miles north of Savannah, Georgia. Some of the neighboring islands include Hunting Island, St. Helena Island, and Lady&#39;s Island. The island mostly serves as a residential vacation resort, but several hundred residents make it their permanent home. It is also the most seaward of the South Carolina Sea Islands. Fripp is renowned for its resort amenities and natural conservation.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Although it has had several names over its history, the island is presently named after Captain Johannes Fripp, a British sailor charged with protecting the Carolina colony from Spanish attacks. Local folklore history has long suspected Fripp to be the location where Edward Teach, the pirate known as Blackbeard, had stowed away some of his treasures. There may have been pirates who stopped at the island, but treasure was seldom brief by 18th-century sea rovers.</p><br>
<p>Due to its relatively remote location, the island was utilized primarily as a private hunting range for most of its history. In the mid-20th century, completion of bridges connecting Beaufort with nearby Hunting Island State Park, investors looked to develop a residential resort community on Fripp. Upon securing bonds and establishing a public service district, a bridge was built in 1961 that connected Fripp with Hunting Island, USA Highway 21, and nearby Beaufort and began to stimulate residential development. Within 10 years, developers had built the Ocean Point Golf Links, a Racquet Club for tennis, a marina and a variety of homes and condominium units that would serve as the benchmark for development for the next thirty years.</p><br>
<p>In 1994, the island underwent its final major development phase on its southwestern end. Ocean Creek golf course designed by Davis Love III was built, as well as a new amenities center. Additional housing styles were offered and the marina was expanded. Though the island will not undergo any future expansion, nearly one-third of the lots on the island remain undeveloped.</p><br>
<h2>Island Services</h2><br>
<h3>Fire Department</h3><br>
<p>The need for a fire department was determined in 1962 by legislation establishing the Fripp Island Public Service District. Originally, the fire department and first fire truck was housed in a three-sided building. The fire department started as a volunteer effort and was later recognized by South Carolina as a volunteer organization. In 1982, a new fire station was built to park the two trucks owned by the department. Four years later the Public Service District hired its first professional Fire Chief to operate the department on a daily basis. The fire station that serves as the islands current station was built in 1999. A full-time paramedic was later hired by the county in 2001. The department is composed of 34 volunteers and 19 paid personnel. The department has owned two fire truck pumpers, a squad truck, a Quick Response Vehicle, and a 6-wheeled Beach Rescue ATV since 2006. The fire departments main services include Fire Suppression, Search and Rescue, Medical Emergency Response, Vehicle Extrication, Top Water Rescue, and Fire Prevention and Public Fire Education.</p><br>
<h3>Water System</h3><br>
<p>In the early days of the islands population, all drinkable water had to be transported onto the island. St. Helena Island started to pump water into Fripps central water tank by 1965. By 1980, all water was bought from the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority and pumps an average 172 million gallons a year into the island for use by the public.</p><br>
<h3>Fripp Inlet Bridge</h3><br>
<p>The main bridge leading to Fripp Island was completed in 1964. The legislation authorizing the 2,067 foot bridge called for a two dollar toll; it is now toll-free. The bridge is owned and managed by the Fripp Island Public Service District.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Geologically speaking, Fripp Island is considered to be a barrier island. The island is the most seaward of the Sea Islands and forms a de facto cape. Located halfway between Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia along the coast, it is locally positioned between Hunting Island State Park to the north and Pritchards Island to the southwest. A wide marsh and estuarine system separates these islands from the larger St. Helena&#39;s Island to the northwest. The upland acreage of the island is approximately 3,000 acre. Fripp has approximately three miles of beachfront along the Atlantic, though some parts of beach are fully submerged at high tide.</p><br>
<p>Fripp Island is located approximately 20 miles (30 km) from Beaufort and is connected with the city via USA 21. Savannah is approximately a 75-minute drive by car while Charleston is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes away. Bermuda lies 900 miles (1,450 km) due east of Fripp.</p><br>
<h2>Population and governance</h2><br>
<p>According to the 2000 census, Fripp Island has a year-round primary population of 887 residents. The realistic figure is likely higher than reported because many homeowners consider Fripp Island property as second homes and may spend weeks or months on the island, but do not consider it their primary residence. In summer months the island&#39;s population can rise to about 5,000 due to an increase in visitors.</p><br>
<p>Fripp Island is a private, gated community, run by the Fripp Island Property Owners Association (FIPOA) since the mid-1980s. It is not a municipality or a census designated place, though it maintains island operations via a public service district and property owners association. In addition to providing a security force and fire/rescue squad, the island also maintains its own bridges, roads, paths, parks, and beach access routes. Meetings and gatherings are typically held at the Fripp Island Community Centre. An all-faiths chapel is also located on the island.</p><br>
<h3>Transportation</h3><br>
<p>Although cars and trucks are allowed on roads and streets, golf carts are the prevailing method of transportation on the island. Bicycles are also popular and are used among residents and visitors alike and several streets offer parallel bike trails to separate bicyclists from motor vehicles.</p><br>
<h2>Amenities</h2><br>
<p>All amenities are owned and operated by Fripp Resorts. These include all restaurants, golf courses, tennis courts, pools and stores. The initiation fee is $20,000. There are three levels of membership with an annual fee depending on the membership level.</p><br>
<h3>Restaurants</h3><br>
<p>The Beach Club Restaurant</p><br>
<p>Ocean View Sports Bar</p><br>
<p>The Bonito Boathouse</p><br>
<p>The Ocean Point Grille</p><br>
<p>Cabana Club Restaurant</p><br>
<p>The Food Club</p><br>
<p>The Marina Deli</p><br>
<p>The 19th Hole</p><br>
<h3>Golf</h3><br>
<p>Ocean Point Golf Links</p><br>
<p>Ocean Creek (designed by Davis Love III)</p><br>
<h3>Rentals</h3><br>
<p>The island offers stand up paddle surfing rentals and tours.</p><br>
<p>Bicycles</p><br>
<p>Golf carts</p><br>
<p>Mopeds</p><br>
<p>Kayaks and canoes</p><br>
<p>Beach canopy rentals offered by Sun and Shade HHI</p><br>
<h2>Nature</h2><br>
<h3>Flora</h3><br>
<p>Most of the island&#39;s trees are loblolly pine, though there are some hardwood live oak and magnolia stands located throughout the island. Spanish moss is a prevalent feature as well.</p><br>
<h3>Fauna</h3><br>
<p>Prior to human development, the island was fertile ground for several wild animals, including wild hogs. Development though has been carefully undertaken to preserve much of the wildlife habitat that existed beforehand. It is common to see deer in any area across the island, and population control of deer has been a major concern for the island. There are several small mammals that inhabit Fripp, including squirrels, raccoons, opossums, bats, and armadillos. Most interior lagoons contain an alligator population.</p><br>
<p>Fripp and its surrounding areas are home to dozens of species of birds. Among the most striking include populations of egrets, herons, osprey, and pelicans, though seagulls are the most common. Island residents established an Audubon Club in 1978 and the entire island is an Audubon-designated bird preserve.</p><br>
<p>The island is a major loggerhead turtle hatchery and an active group of residents works to make the beaches safe for the laying turtles by observing outside lighting precautions during nesting seasons and protecting nests from predation by humans, raccoons and other animals.</p><br>
<p>Numerous fish and crustacean species can be found in the waterways and estuaries that surround the island, and the island remains a popular destination for fishing and crabbing. Fiddler crab is the most common of crab species, while blue crab is the most common species caught.</p><br>
<h2>Media</h2><br>
<p>The Pat Conroy novel "Beach Music" makes reference to the "Isle of Orion", which is a fictional stand-in for Fripp Island. Conroy himself was a full-time resident of the island for many years, but resided in Beaufort until his death in March 2016.</p><br>
<p>The Vietnam War scenes from the movie Forrest Gump (1994) were filmed on Fripp Island. Also, many other scenes were filmed in the Beaufort area. The Gay Seafood Company, right outside of Fripp, sold shrimp to the production and served as a real life prop for the shrimping boat scene.</p><br>
<p>Taumako is the largest of the Duff Islands. This 5.7 km island has steep sides and rises to a height of 400 m above sea level. It is composed of basaltic lavas and pyroclastics like the other islands in the Duffs .</p><br>
<p>The inhabitants of the Duff Islands are Polynesians, and their language, Vaeakau-Taumako, is a member of the Samoic branch of Polynesian languages.</p><br>
<p>On the Duff Islands live about 439 people (1999 census). The islands were settled at least as early as 900 BC, by people who made pottery known as Lapita. Archaeological research has shown that this pottery was made using local clay and sand from the island. These Lapita people spread far as wide from the coastal area of Papua New Guinea to the islands of Tonga and Samoa; that is, throughout islands known as both Melanesia and Polynesia. Consequently, the people of Taumako experienced wide-ranging influences, and could be said to have been both Melanesian and Polynesian throughout their long history.</p><br>
<p>The way of life is traditional by subsistence gardening and fishing. Taumako has no roads, airport, telephones, or electricity. Contact with outsiders comes by battery-powered marine radio and the regular monthly inter-island ship from Honiara.</p><br>
<h2>Traditional Navigation</h2><br>
<p>Studies of David Lewis and Marianne (Mimi) George uncovered that full traditional Polynesian navigational technique is still preserved in these islands (Finney and Lowe, 2006, p163). The people of Taumako are the builders of one of the oldest documented proa sailing canoe, called Te Puke and known to westerners as Tepukei.</p><br>
<h2>Prehistory</h2><br>
<p>People have been living in the Duff Islands for 3,000 years. The first people on these islands made pottery using clay and sand temper which was available locally. A small amount of this pottery was decorated in the distinctive Lapita style with dentate stamping. These first inhabitants made stone tools using high quality chert which was also local. This same chert has been found in archaeological sites in the nearby Reef Islands, dating at least two centuries before the first known evidence in the Duff Islands.</p><br>
<p>Later archaeological sites dating from AD 1,000 through to the 19th century contain a diverse range of personal ornaments, many of which are similar to those present in ethnographic collections from Santa Cruz displayed in numerous museums around the world. Several of these ornaments can now be shown to be present throughout the 3,000 years of their prehistory. Amongst these are the famous Tridacna shell breast pendants. Several specimens have imprints of fine loom woven cloth, representing the first unequivocal evidence for the presence of the loom in prehistoric Oceania. The backstrap loom has an unusual distribution in the Pacific region, including amongst the Atayal people of Taiwan, the islands of Yap in Micronesia, the Polynesian atholl of Kapingamarangi, and the Santa Cruz area in the Solomons.</p><br>
<p>Throughout the Duff Islands&#39; prehistory there is clear archaeological evidence of contact with other Pacific Island peoples from as far afield as the Fiji-Samoa area. This is evident from stone adzes in these islands made from a form of basalt only found in the stone quarries of Tutuila in American Samoa. Most evidence of contact, however, is predictably from closer to Taumako, especially the nearby Santa Cruz region. These wide-ranging external contacts have resulted in a population of people which shows a profound mixture of Melanesian and Polynesian physical features.</p><br>
<p>Life in the Duff Islands during the prehistoric period was far from idyllic with a high incidence of the infectious disease yaws. This affected children as well as adults and in later life was often debilitating (ibid.: 229). There is also archaeological evidence of inter-personal hostility with deaths being caused by spear wounds</p><br>
<p>. Some of this may have resulted from warfare between different groups, either locally or with arrivals from further afield.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The first known European visit to the Duff Islands was the expedition led by the Spanish explorer Quiros in AD 1606. One of the late archaeological sites contained objects made from European materials. Amongst these, a piece of pottery has a mineralogy consistent with Spanish pottery of Quiros&#39; period. In addition a small piece of brass has a chemical composition suggesting the same derivation.</p><br>
<p>Starting in 1996 the Vaka Taumako project has been working to perpetuate the ancient Polynesian seafaring techniques of the people of Taumako.</p><br>
<p>Anuta is a small high island in the southeastern part of the Solomon Islands province of Temotu, one of the smallest permanently inhabited Polynesian islands. It is one of the Polynesian Outlier communities in Melanesia.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The island lies about 311 mi to the east-southeast of Nendö. It is a small volcanic island with a fringing coral reef. The highest point on the island is 213 ft above sea level. The island has a diameter of only about 820 yd.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Anuta was first mentioned in 1791, and the political and geographical circumstances led to isolation of Anuta&#39;s population.</p><br>
<p>According to oral traditions, Anuta was settled by voyagers from Tonga and &#39;Uvea about fifteen generations ago. The time frame of the migration is not precisely identified but is understood to be some time between the 10th century and the mid-13th century, although the arrival of the voyagers in Anuta could have occurred later. The pattern of settlement that is believed to have occurred is that the Polynesians spread out from Tonga and other islands in the central and southeastern Pacific islands. During pre-European-contact times, there was frequent canoe voyaging between the islands, because Polynesian navigation skills are recognised to have allowed deliberate journeys on double-hull sailing canoes or outrigger canoes. The voyagers moved into the Tuvaluan atolls, with Tuvalu providing a stepping-stone to migration into the Polynesian Outlier communities in Melanesia and Micronesia.</p><br>
<p>The current social structure was established about ten generations ago, when the chief, Tearakura, his two brothers, and one brother-in-law slew the remainder of the islands male population. These men, along with Tearakuras two sisters, were founders of the islands four kainanga, large descent groups that are sometimes described in English as clans. Anglican missionaries arrived in 1916 and established a church, which plays an important part for Anutans, offering church services twice a day. During the 1990s, Anutas advisors rejected western medicines on the island, arguing that it would indicate a lack of faith in the church.</p><br>
<p>In December 2002, the island was impacted by Cyclone Zoe.</p><br>
<h2>Society and culture</h2><br>
<p>Anuta has a human population of about 300. This is one of the highest population densities in the world, perhaps equalling that of Bangladesh.</p><br>
<p>The island has two systems for naming villages (noporanga, or "dwelling places"). In one system there are three villages called Mua, Muri, and St. John. Mua, meaning "front", is to the east. Muri, meaning "back" is west of Mua. After establishment of the Anglican church in 1916, a third village grew up to the west of Muri and took the name of the church, St. John. In the second system, Mua and Muri are combined under the name, Rotoapi, and contrasted with the new village which, in the second system, is called Vatiana. Anutans use the uninhabited island of Fatutaka, about 37 mi to the southeast, as a place to hunt birds.</p><br>
<h3>Language</h3><br>
<p>Anutans speak the Anuta language (locally te taranga paka-Anuta), which is related to other Polynesian languages.</p><br>
<h3>Relationship with environment</h3><br>
<p>An important value in Anutan society is aropa, which emphasizes collaboration, sharing and compassion for others. The concept of aropa encourages islanders to share their finite resources equitably. Because Anutas high population density has not had a severely negative impact on the islands ecosystem, Anuta has attracted interest from scientists interested in sustainability. The BBC documentary series South Pacific devotes part of an episode to the ability of Anutans to maintain their island&#39;s bounty, contrasting it with the environmental destruction found on Easter Island.</p><br>
<p>The Anuta tribe takes care to fulfil their needs with respect to the environment, to preserve it. At certain times they do not catch certain fish or hunt animals.</p><br>
<h3>Social life</h3><br>
<p>Like most of the other Polynesian islands, Anuta has traditions of choral polyphonic singing. Free time is spent dancing, singing and swimming.</p><br>
<h2>Research and media exposure</h2><br>
<p>Anthropologist Raymond Firth visited Anuta for a day in 1952. Ethnobotanist Douglas Yen, along with archaeologists Patrick Kirch and Paul Rosendahl, spent about two months there in 1971, and anthropologist Richard Feinberg lived on Anuta for almost a year in 1972–1973. He has remained in communication with the Anutan community from that time onward and has made several additional visits.</p><br>
<p>In January 2005 Italian documentarists Elisabetta (Lizzi) Eordegh and Carlo Auriemma sailed aboard the sailing boat "Barca Pulita" with a crew of four (including two doctors) and visited the island for one week. In 2006, Bruce Parry of the BBC visited for several weeks, during which he and his team filmed an episode of the TV show, Tribe. In 2008, another film team from the BBC made a brief visit, and in 2012 a team from the Seoul Broadcasting Service filmed a TV show there for a Korean audience.</p><br>
<p>The Reef Islands are a loose collection of 16 islands in the northwestern part of the Solomon Islands province of Temotu. These islands have historically also been known by the names of Swallow Islands and Matema Islands.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The islands lie about 80 km north of Nendo, the largest of the Santa Cruz Islands. The center of the group is at approximately 10°12&#39;36" S lat., 166°10&#39;12" E. long.</p><br>
<p>The islands or atolls of the group are:</p><br>
<p>*Lomlom</p><br>
<p>*Nifiloli</p><br>
<p>*Fenualoa</p><br>
<p>*Ngalo</p><br>
<p>*Ngawa</p><br>
<p>*Ngandeli</p><br>
<p>*Nyibangä Temââ</p><br>
<p>*Nyibangä Nede</p><br>
<p>*Matema Island</p><br>
<p>*Ngatendo</p><br>
<p>*Pigeon Island</p><br>
<p>Numa Miombilou or "Great Reef" is one continuous shoal, extending about 25 km west of Nifiloli. About 10 km to the south of this shoal are 4 small coral reefs:</p><br>
<p>*Malani</p><br>
<p>*Malim</p><br>
<p>*Manuwa</p><br>
<p>*Matumbi</p><br>
<p>Separated from these groups are what are called the "outer islands":</p><br>
<p>*Nalongo and Nupani at 10°6&#39;36" S. lat., 165°19&#39;12" E. long., located at about 75 km (45 mi.) northwest of the main group</p><br>
<p>*Nukapu located about 35 km (21 mi.) to the northwest of the main group</p><br>
<p>*Makalom about 17 km (10 mi.) to the northwest of the main group</p><br>
<p>*Pileni about 9 km (5.5 mi.) to the northwest of the main group</p><br>
<p>*Patteson Shoal about 100 km (60 mi.) away from the main group</p><br>
<h2>Population and languages</h2><br>
<p>The total population of the Reef Islands is about 5,600, according to 2003 estimates. This includes a Polynesian community, believed to be descendants of people from northern Tuvalu.</p><br>
<p>Two very different languages are spoken in the Reef Islands, both Oceanic, yet genealogically and typologically very different. The inhabitants of Pileni, Matema, Nupani and Nukapu, speak Vaeakau-Taumako (a.k.a. Pileni), a Polynesian outlier language. The remaining Melanesian (non-Polynesian) population speaks Äiwoo, a member of the Reefs–Santa Cruz group of Oceanic.</p><br>
<p>Encounter Bay is a bay on the south central coast of South Australia about 100 km south of the Adelaide city centre. It was named by Matthew Flinders after his encounter on 8 April 1802 with Nicolas Baudin, the commander of the Baudin expedition of 1800-03. It is the site of both the mouth of the River Murray and the regional city of Victor Harbor. It is one of four ‘historic bays’ located on the South Australian coast.</p><br>
<h2>Extent</h2><br>
<p>There are at least two definitions of the bay’s extent.</p><br>
<p>Firstly, an American source states that Newland Head is its westerly extremity while the mouth of the River Murray is the easterly extremity.</p><br>
<p>Secondly, Australian authorities consider the bay’s extent consists of all of the sea north of a line running east from the southern tip of Rosetta Head to the Younghusband Peninsula. Encounter Bay is one of four bays on the South Australian coast considered by the Australian government to be a ‘historic bay’ under the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 and was proclaimed as such in 1987 and again in both 2006 and 2016, with the result that the mouth of the bay is on the territorial seas baseline and the waters within the bay are internal waters as per the definition used in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.</p><br>
<h2>Description</h2><br>
<p>Traditionally the land of the Ramindjeri clan of the Ngarrindjeri people, the bay&#39;s coastline is the site for the following settlements: Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton and Goolwa. The Murray, Inman and Hindmarsh Rivers drain into the bay.</p><br>
<p>Islands located within Encounter Bay include (from west to east): Wright Island, Granite Island, Seal Island (also known as Seal Rock) and Pullen Island.</p><br>
<h2>European arrival</h2><br>
<p>Encounter Bay was named by Matthew Flinders on 8 April 1802 after his encounter with Nicolas Baudin, both of whom were charting the Australian coastline for their respective countries (Britain and France). The encounter between the scientists was peaceful, even though they believed their countries were at war at the time. (Both parties were unaware that the Treaty of Amiens, ceasing hostilities, had been signed on 25 March 1802.)</p><br>
<h2>Protected areas</h2><br>
<p>The following protected areas exist within the bay’s waters: the Granite Island Recreation Park, the Pullen Island Conservation Park and the West Island Conservation Park, while the bay’s waters are within the boundaries of the Encounter Marine Park. The following protected areas adjoin the shores of the bay: the Coorong National Park.</p><br>
<p>Cape Trafalgar  is a headland in the Province of Cádiz in the south-west of Spain. The 1805 naval Battle of Trafalgar, in which the Royal Navy decisively defeated Napoleon&#39;s combined Spanish and French fleet, took place off the cape.</p><br>
<p>It lies on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the Strait of Gibraltar. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the Western limit of the strait and the Mediterranean Sea as a line that joins Cape Trafalgar to the North to Cape Spartel to the south.</p><br>
<p>The most prominent structure on the cape is a 34-metre-high lighthouse (51 metres above sea level), the faro de Cabo Trafalgar, built in 1860.</p><br>
<h2>Etymology</h2><br>
<p>The name is of Arabic origin, deriving either from Taraf al-Ghar (طرف الغار cape of the cave/laurel), In both cases, taraf (طرف) means edge or extremity and refers to a promontory. In modern Arabic, however, the place is sometimes re-transcribed as al-Taraf al-Aghar (الطرف الأغر).</p><br>
<p>Loveland Pass is a high mountain pass in the western United States, at an elevation of 11,990 ft above sea level in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado.</p><br>
<h2>Background</h2><br>
<p>It is located on the Continental Divide in the Front Range west of Denver on USA Highway 6. The twisty road is considered to be especially treacherous during the winter months. A steep, steady 6.7% grade, along with numerous hairpin turns on either side, make it difficult to snowplow the road regularly.</p><br>
<p>Loveland is the highest mountain pass in Colorado that regularly stays open during a snowy winter season. When the Eisenhower Tunnel opened in March 1973, it allowed motorists on Interstate 70 to avoid crossing the pass directly. Trucks that cannot pass through the tunnel (those carrying hazardous materials and those over in height) must still take US 6 across Loveland Pass, 800 vertical feet (244 m) above the tunnel. The same is true for bicyclists, pedestrians, and those drivers who wish to stop along the road to admire the scenery.</p><br>
<p>Loveland Ski Area is located north west of the pass, and Arapahoe Basin is on the south/south east side. The pass itself is a popular destination for backcountry skiers. Occasionally during the winter, the pass road may be closed by a blizzard and all traffic must use the tunnel, even the normally forbidden HAZMAT-carrying vehicles. In the event of less serious winter storms, chain restrictions are often imposed. At the Loveland Pass parking lot, visitors can access trails to the summits of Mount Sniktau and other nearby mountain peaks.</p><br>
<p>The pass is named for William A.H. Loveland, the president of the Colorado Central Railroad and a resident of Golden during the late 19th century. The city of Loveland, in Larimer County near Fort Collins, is also named after him.</p><br>
<h2>Incidents</h2><br>
<h3>Plane crash</h3><br>
<p>On a clear Friday in early October 1970, a plane crash occurred about two miles (3 km) north of the summit, and only nine of the forty on board survived. The plane carried members of the Wichita State University football team, as well as coaches, administrators, and boosters. The cause was attributed to several pilot errors.</p><br>
<h3>Avalanche</h3><br>
<p>On April 20, 2013, an avalanche at Loveland Pass killed five snowboarders in the deadliest avalanche in Colorado since 1962. A sixth snowboarder involved in the incident survived, extracted himself, and flagged down a truck from the state&#39;s Transportation Department.</p><br>
<p>Yonah Mountain  is a mountain ridge located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia, United States. It is between the towns of Cleveland and Helen. Yonah is the Cherokee word for Bear.</p><br>
<p>There is a signed trailhead from Chambers Road and an approximately 2.3 mile trail (gaining 1500 feet in elevation) leads to the summit. There are also side trails that lead to neighboring Pink Mountain.</p><br>
<p>The 5th Ranger Training Battalion, Ranger Training Brigade of the United States Army conducts the Mountain Phase of Ranger School on Yonah Mountain. It has been a popular training ground for rock climbers.</p><br>
<p>Yonah Mountain is the site of a Native American legend about a beautiful Cherokee maiden named Nacoochee who fell in love with the Chickasaw warrior Sautee. When their love was forbidden by the tribal elders, a war party followed the eloping lovers and threw Sautee off the mountain, with Nacoochee then jumping to her death, a Lover&#39;s Leap. Although he did not invent the legend, George Williams, the son of one of the original white settlers, popularized it in his 1871 Sketches of Travel in the Old and New World.</p><br>
<p>The Sierras de Córdoba is a mountain range in central Argentina, located between the Pampas to the east and south, the Chaco to the north and the foothills of the Andes to the west. Almost the entire range, except for the southwestern margin in San Luis Province, is located in Córdoba Province.</p><br>
<h2>Origin and topography</h2><br>
<p>Much older than the Andes, having been formed in the Paleozoic and extensively eroded, the Sierra de Córdoba still manages to reach a height of 2880 metres at Mount Champaquí, east of Villa Dolores. The northern part, known as the Sierra de Norte, is considerably lower and less rugged. The mountains, when first built, formed the boundary between Gondwana and the then-expanding Pacific Ocean, and consist chiefly of metamorphic rocks such as quartzite, which were formed when large quantities of marine sediment were subject to enormous heat and pressure. In the Ordovician, there was extremely intense volcanism over the region, almost all of which is now completely eroded, forming the many salt lakes on the western side of the range, which is an elevated plateau leading to the foothills of the Andes.</p><br>
<p>The Sierras de Córdoba where the effects of the ancient Pampean orogeny can be observed, owes it modern uplift and relief to the Andean orogeny in the Tertiary.</p><br>
<p>The range has a largely rounded contour, and there are few major valleys. Salt lakes (salinas), the largest of which is Salinas Grandes receive most runoff from the mountains, except for the eastern part which drains into swamps in the Pampas. Though regarded as part of the Paraná River basin, under present climatic conditions almost no water reaches the river even in wet years.</p><br>
<h2>Climate</h2><br>
<p>At lower altitudes, the Sierra de Córdoba has a warm temperate climate (Köppen Cwa), with hot, wet summers with frequent thunderstorms and mild, dry winters. Average annual rainfall at Córdoba is about 715 mm (28 inches) but is highly variable. On the eastern side of the Sierra, rainfall can be as high as 1200 mm (47 inches) per year, but it quickly drops off on the western side to less than 400 millimetres (16 inches). Maximum temperatures at low elevations are high, ranging from 33 °C (92 °F) in summer to 16 °C (60 °F) in winter, but at an altitude of 2000 metres, temperatures are about 14 °C (25 °F) cooler and exposure is very high. However, because the winters are so dry, very little snow falls even at the highest altitudes and there is no evidence of glacial or periglacial features from the Pleistocene.</p><br>
<p>The cooler climate in the mountains has encouraged development of many summer resorts for the wealthy of Córdoba, notably Alta Gracia and Jesus Maria.</p><br>
<h2>Vegetation</h2><br>
<p>The flora of the Sierra de Córdoba is related to that of the Chaco region (see for details) and consists at low altitudes of forest dominated by Lithrea ternifolia and Fagara coco, with Schinopsis haenkeana dominant on the dry western slopes. High exposure causes the limits of tree growth to be quite low at about 2000 metres, above which an extensive alpine grassland dominated by various species of Stipa predominates. Many of the species in this alpine zone are very rare, but the level of conservation is not high, with most of the mountain range unprotected. More than 100 bird species are common in the mountains, but ranching has reduced most native mammal populations severely.</p><br>
<p>It is believed that the vegetation of the Sierra de Córdoba has varied greatly over the Quaternary, with some periods in the Holocene between 8000 and 500 years before today when forests extended to the now-dry western side of the mountain range and the adjacent Sierra de San Luis. At other times, such as glacial periods and the earliest part of the Holocene, the whole mountain range was completely treeless due to extremely low rainfall. This may explain why few endemics are found outside the zone above the timberline &mdash; where species that have inhabited the area for thousands of years take a kind of refuge from a warmer, wetter climate.</p><br>
<h2>People</h2><br>
<p>Most of the population of the region lives in Córdoba city, which contains about half the provincial population &mdash; with most of the rest in the Pampas region well east of the range. The lack of arable land means that few people live in the mountains themselves, where the major industries are grazing and tourism.</p><br>
<h2>Tourism</h2><br>
<p>The Sierras de Córdoba is one of the most important holiday centers of Argentina. Three million tourists visit the Sierras annually. The most important tourist destinations are Villa Carlos Paz, Cosquín, La Falda, Alta Gracia, and Villa General Belgrano amongst others.</p><br>
<h2>Wineries</h2><br>
<p>Two areas were large producers of wine in the past: Colonia Caroya in the north, and Villa Dolores in the west. These areas traditionally focused on cheaper, sweet wines for domestic consumption.</p><br>
<p>In recent years, sophisticated wine-making has begun taking place, both in these traditional locations, as well as in exciting terroirs in the eastern side of the mountains, around Villa General Belgrano and La Cumbrecita. The area has a cooler climate, with some (light) snowfall in the winter, and a number of boutique wineries have experimented with different grape types and techniques, sometimes with exceptional results (Familia Navarro Torre recently was awarded a gold medal in the Vinandino competition with a Cabernet-Malbec from 2009). The region is otherwise known for its craft beers because of the large German Argentine community established there.</p><br>
<p>Table Mountain is a peak rising on the north side of the Columbia River in Washington state, about 4 mi north-northwest of Bonneville Dam. It is one of the most spectacular landmarks of the Columbia River Gorge. Its southeast face drops 2,400 ft in less than one horizontal mile , and is topped by an almost vertical 800 ft cliff. Table Mountain is joined by the similar Greenleaf Peak to the northeast, and also by Hamilton Mountain to the southwest, which is lower, , but similarly steep and much closer to the Columbia. Together these peaks form an impressive group on the Washington side of the Gorge.</p><br>
<p>Sometime between 1060 and 1760 AD the south side of Table Mountain sheared off and dammed the Columbia River in an event known as the Bonneville Slide.</p><br>
<p>The river soon carved a new bend around to the south, but for a while Native Americans living in the area could walk across. This led to the legend known as the Bridge of the Gods.</p><br>
<p>Martin&#39;s Cove is a historic site in Wyoming. The 933 acre  cove is located 55 miles  southwest of Casper, Wyoming, in Natrona County. It is located on the Mormon Trail and is also part of the North Platte-Sweetwater segment of the Oregon Trail. The Cove was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1977.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In November 1856, about 500 Mormon emigrants in the Martin Handcart Company were halted for five days in the Cove by snow and cold while on their way to Salt Lake City. The Martin Handcart company had begun its journey on July 28, 1856 which was dangerously late in the season and would ultimately lead to the disaster. Although the number who died in the Cove is unknown, more than 145 members of the Martin Company died before reaching Salt Lake City. A few days prior to their arrival at Martins Cove, the company was met by a small rescue party with food, supplies, and wagons that LDS Church President Brigham Young had sent from Salt Lake City, Utah. On November 4 the company and rescuers forded the bitterly cold Sweetwater River and sought shelter in the cove. That evening a powerful north wind blew the tents to the ground. The tents were set up again, but a blizzard brought heavy snow. The company remained in the camp for five days, unable to proceed due to the snow and cold. A number of the companys cattle died there and were preserved in a frozen state. When the weather warmed, on November 9, the company was able to move on toward Utah. With assistance from the original rescue party and from additional rescue parties that met them along the way, the survivors finally reached Salt Lake City on November 30.</p><br>
<p>Later many other emigrants would pass by the Cove on their way to Utah, California and Oregon along with Pony Express Riders. During the 1870s, Tom Sun, a French-Canadian frontiersman, purchased the area around the Cove and established Sun Ranch.</p><br>
<h2>Ownership</h2><br>
<p>Following the LDS Churchs purchase of nearby Sun Ranch in the 1990s it tried to purchase the Martins Cove property; to operate it as a historic site. In 2002, a congressional bill for the sale of the property passed the House but then stalled in the Senate, due to worries about the sale of public land to a religious group. The concerns were mainly the result of the land including areas commonly used as campgrounds by emigrant trains, the Pony Express, and other landmarks such as Devil&#39;s Gate. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management, part of the Interior Department, had to negotiate a long-term lease with the Church. This lease was signed in 2004, and allowed the Church to manage and maintain the property for 25 years.</p><br>
<p>In 2006 a settlement following a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, modified the way the site is administered, and required that the BLM remove religious references from the site and that the Church provide a public entrance to the cove through their property, but independent of the Visitors Center. The Churchs volunteers at the site were also required to simply answer questions rather than approach visitors with anything that could be interpreted as proselytizing.</p><br>
<h2>The site today</h2><br>
<p>About 100,000 people visit the site each year, of which the majority are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every year thousands of LDS Youth participate in "Handcart Treks" through the area near Martins Cove. These Treks involve dressing up in period clothing while spending several days pulling handcarts and camping out along the Mormon Trail. The highlight of their Trek is visiting Martins Cove and nearby Devils Gate along with the LDS Visitors Center.</p><br>
<p>The Steble Fountain stands in William Brown Street, Liverpool, England, to the west of Wellington&#39;s Column. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It was donated to the city by a former mayor to fill a vacant plot to the west of the column.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Towards the end of the 19th century, this was the only undeveloped portion of land between St Georges Hall and the buildings in William Brown Street. In 1877 Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Fell Steble offered £1000 (equivalent to £ as of ) to the Improvement Committee of Liverpool City Council towards the erection of a fountain on the site. Steble had been Mayor of Liverpool from 1845 to 1847. The fountain was designed by Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard and was unveiled in 1879. The casting from which the fountain was derived had originally been designed for the Paris Exposition of 1867. At the opening ceremony in 1879 the mayor turned the fountain on with a silver key presented by Steble, but the water pressure was low and the effect was "dismal". The water was pumped by a steam pump in the basement of St Georges Hall, and the noise from this tended to disrupt the proceedings in the courts above. The steam pump was later replaced by an electric pump. The fountain was restored in 1992 when the Tall Ships&#39; Race came to Liverpool.</p><br>
<h2>Description</h2><br>
<p>The fountain is constructed in cast iron with some bronze fittings. At the base of the fountain is a circular basin with a diameter of 30 ft. From the centre of the basin rises an octagonal stem on a cruciform base with the statue of a marine god at each corner. These statues depict Neptune, Amphitrite, Acis, and Galatea. Above this is a shallow octagonal bowl with a diameter of 12 ft. It has 16 overflow outlets; these are decorated with scallops, Lancastrian roses, and marine grotesques. From the centre of this bowl rises another bowl about 8 ft in diameter. This is surmounted by a mermaid holding a cornucopia. The total height of the fountain is 23 ft.</p><br>
<p>The Demerara River is a river in eastern Guyana that rises in the central rainforests of the country and flows to the north for 346 kilometres until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Georgetown, Guyana&#39;s largest seaport and capital, is situated on the east bank of the river&#39;s mouth. The river divides Essequibo Islands-West Demerara  on the west bank from Demerara-Mahaica  to the east. The Demerara&#39;s estuary is narrow and the flowrate is rapid. This scouring action maintains a 5-to-6-metre-deep direct channel to the ocean. The river&#39;s deep brown color is primarily the result of the massive quantities of silt carried from upriver by the powerful currents. So powerful are these currents, that the ocean retains the Demerara&#39;s brown color for a considerable distance out to sea.</p><br>
<p>The Demerara&#39;s width and depth allow oceangoing vessels up to 5,000 t to navigate up to Linden (105 km from the mouth), while smaller vessels may reach up to Malali (245 km from the mouth). Beyond Malali, numerous rapids make further upstream travel impossible.</p><br>
<p>A floating bridge, the Demerara Harbour Bridge, crosses the river 4 mi south of Georgetown from Peter&#39;s Hall, East Bank Demerara to Schoon Ord, West Bank Demerara.</p><br>
<p>Tributaries of the Demerara River include the Haiama River, Kuruabaru River, Haiakwa Creek and Haianari Creek.</p><br>
<p>The islands Inver, Borselem, and Biesen are found 15 to 20 mi from the mouth. Borselem was once the location of the Dutch capital of Demerara.</p><br>
<p>A Dutch colony of the same name was situated along the river&#39;s banks. The colony founded the sugarcane industry that continues to thrive today. Sugar from this industry is used to make the widely exported El Dorado Rum. Bauxite is also mined around the Demerara, and Linden is a major export centre.</p><br>
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<p>The South Creek or Wianamatta, a creek that is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, is located on the Cumberland Plain, also referred to as Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.</p><br>
<h2>Course and features</h2><br>
<p>The creek rises in Sydney&#39;s south western suburbs below the former Oran Park Raceway about 4 km north-east of Narellan and 7 km west of Minto. In its upper catchment, the creek forms the boundary between the suburbs of Oran Park and Catherine Field. The creek flows generally north, joined by seventeen tributaries including Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Ropes Creek and Eastern Creek, until reaching its confluence with the Hawkesbury River, near Windsor. The creek descends 94 m over its 70 km course.</p><br>
<p>From source to mouth, the creek flows through or forms the boundary of the suburbs of Bringelly, Rossmore, Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Claremont Meadows, Orchard Hills, Werrington, St Marys, Werrington County, Dunheved, Llandilo, Shanes Park, Berkshire Park, Windsor Downs, Riverstone, Vineyard, Mulgrave, Windsor, McGraths Hill and Pitt Town Bottoms.</p><br>
<h3>Tributaries</h3><br>
<p>The South Creek or Wianamatta is joined by Lowes Creek and Rileys Creek at Bringelly; by Thompsons Creek at Rossmore; by Badgerys Creek and by Kemps Creek at the suburb of Badgerys Creek; by Cosgrove Creek at Luddenham; by Blaxland Creek at Orchard Hills; by Byrnes Creek at St Marys; by Claremont Creek at Werrington; by Werrington Creek at Werrington County; by three unnamed creeks at Llandilo, Marsden Park, and Riverstone; by Ropes Creek at Shanes Park; by Eastern Creek at Vineyard; by McGraths Hill Wetlands and by McKenzies Creek at McGraths Hill.</p><br>
<h2>Etymology</h2><br>
<p>Wianamatta is an Aboriginal word of the Dharug language, meaning mother place. Evidence of early Aboriginal people has been found in several locations within the Blacktown Local government area. Shell middens from the Darug people have been found near the sewage treatment plant on Breakfast Creek and South Creek.</p><br>
<p>South Creek was dual-named as Wianamatta on 28 March 2003 by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales (GNB).</p><br>
<p>It was dual-named after a submission that the name be changed. However, a lengthy investigation followed, and after consultation with local Aboriginal Land Councils it was decided after extensive workshops carried by the GNB, that instead, a dual-naming proposal should be pursued instead. Following that decision, the GNB carried out an extensive consultation throughout the entire state of NSW, contacting all Aboriginal land councils on record as well as placing entries in every prominent and regional newspaper explaining the proposal and inviting comments.</p><br>
<h2>Township</h2><br>
<p>A township of South Creek used to exist near St Marys. The name only existed for a few years in the early settlement of New South Wales and now it is part of St Marys/Dunheved. One of its pioneer settlers was Thomas Jamison (1753–1811) who arrived with the First Fleet and became Surgeon-General of New South Wales in 1801. Jamisontown in the Penrith area is also named after him (http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jamison-thomas-2269).</p><br>
<p>The Windward Islands  are the eastern group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. These islands were originally named the Georgian Islands in honor of King George III of England.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The archipelago comprises an administrative division (subdivision administrative) of French Polynesia, and includes the following islands:</p><br>
<p>Tahiti</p><br>
<p>Moorea</p><br>
<p>Mehetia</p><br>
<p>Tetiaroa</p><br>
<p>Maiao</p><br>
<p>The capital of the administrative district is Papeete on the island of Tahiti. Tahiti, Moorea, and Mehetia are high islands. Tetiaroa and Maiao are coral atolls.</p><br>
<h2>Culture</h2><br>
<p>The majority of the population speaks French and Tahitian (co-official with French throughout French Polynesia).</p><br>
<h2>Administrative</h2><br>
<p>Administratively, the Windward Islands form the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands (subdivision administrative des Îles du Vent), one of French Polynesias five administrative subdivisions. Geographically, the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands is identical with the electoral district of the Windward Islands (circonscription des Îles du Vent), one of French Polynesias 6 electoral districts (circonsriptions électorales) for the Assembly of French Polynesia (see also Politics of French Polynesia).</p><br>
