<p>Fortín San Juan de la Cruz , known locally as El Cañuelo, was built on Isla de Cabras , at the western end of the entrance to San Juan Bay, in Puerto Rico. The square coastal fort has massive sandstone walls that date back to the 1630s. Although the USA Navy bombarded the fort in 1898, the fort survived. Today the fort is part of the San Juan National Historic Site, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on the National Register of Historic Places. One cannot enter the fort, but one may walk around it.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The original fort built on this site in the late 1500s was made of wood and burned to the ground in 1625 during a Dutch attack. However, the Spaniards replaced it with a stone fort between 1630 and 1660.</p><br>
<p>El Cañuelo was the smallest fort in the harbor defense system. Cannon fire from the fort and from Castillo San Felipe del Morro created a crossfire to protect the entrance to San Juan bay. The fort also guarded the mouth of the Bayamón River on the other side. It is said that, at one time, there was a huge chain crossing from El Morro to El Cañuelo that was extended during attacks to provide a physical barricade across the bay entrance.</p><br>
<p>On 12 May 1898, during the Spanish–American War, the United States Navy bombarded El Cañuelo as part of its bombardment of San Juan. Spanish records do not list any guns or troops at El Cañuelo at the time.</p><br>
<h2>Other information</h2><br>
<p>The square fort is about 80 feet (24 m) per side, with one guerite (garita in Spanish). It is also estimated to cover a 3.4 acre area. El Cañuelo Island was originally a rocky islet completely surrounded by water and accessible only by boat. A some point after 1986 nearby Isla de Cabras was artificially expanded to incorporate it.</p><br>
<p>A causeway connects Isla de Cabras to the main island; the road is Puerto Rico Highway 870, and it passes by the fort as it reaches the island. The site features fabulous views of Boca Vieja Cove to the west and San Juan Bay to the east. The fort itself is closed to the public, but one can walk around its walls. There is a small recreation area with picnic tables at the site of the fort.</p><br>
<p>The Ishikari River, at 268 km long, is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river drains an area of 14,330 km&sup2, making it the second largest in Japan, with a total discharge of around 14.8 km3 per year.</p><br>
<p>It originates from Mount Ishikari in the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group and flows through Asahikawa and Sapporo. Major tributaries of the river include the Chūbetsu, Uryū, Sorachi and Toyohira rivers. Until 40,000 years ago, it flowed into the Pacific Ocean near Tomakomai. Lava from the volcanic Shikotsu mountains dammed the river and moved its mouth to the Sea of Japan.</p><br>
<p>The name of the river is derived from the Ainu for "make(s) itself go round about something" (i-si-kari &lt; kari meaning "(to be a) circle, round, loop; spin, turn, go around, go back and forth," si- "reflexive prefix, itself, oneself," and i- "it, something, an impersonal third person object marking prefix, middle voice inflection prefix), i.e. "winding (river)." As it suggests, the river once meandered in the Ishikari plain and was as long as the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan. Massive construction shortened the river by 100 kilometers and left many oxbow lakes in the plain.</p><br>
<p>Hillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. It is the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the official residence in Northern Ireland of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British Royal Family when they visit the region, as well as a guest house for prominent international visitors.</p><br>
<p>From 1924 until the post&#39;s abolition in 1973, it was the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland. Since April 2014, it has been managed by Historic Royal Palaces, and is open to the public on certain dates.</p><br>
<h2>Origins</h2><br>
<p>Hillsborough Castle, which is located in the village of Hillsborough in north-west County Down, is not a true castle. It is a Georgian country house built in the 18th century for the Hill family, Marquesses of Downshire, who owned it until 1922, when the 6th Marquess sold the mansion and its grounds to the British government. In buying it, the government solved a practical problem. Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 a new, distinct region of the United Kingdom called Northern Ireland had been created within the traditional province of Ulster but minus 3 counties Cavan Donegal and Monaghan which became part of the Irish Free State. Executive authority had been vested for both Northern Ireland and sister region Southern Ireland in the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who was supposed to be one of two all-Ireland features (along with the Council of Ireland) in the new home rule structure. However, that office was abolished in a law change following the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which in effect aborted Southern Ireland (which had in reality only existed on paper) and established the Irish Free State.</p><br>
<p>A new office for Northern Ireland alone was created, that of Governor of Northern Ireland. As the Viceregal Lodge in Dublin became unavailable, physically and politically, a new residence was needed. Hillsborough Castle, though outside the largest city of Northern Ireland, Belfast, was deemed a suitable location. After some renovations, the first governor, The 3rd Duke of Abercorn, moved in during 1925. Upon becoming the official residence of the governor, the building was officially renamed Government House.</p><br>
<h2>Secretary of State</h2><br>
<p>Following the decision to abolish Northern Irelands devolved system of government and institute direct rule from London, all Northern Irish governmental posts, including that of Governor and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, were abolished. Those two posts were in effect combined to create the office of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. As the Queens representative, the Secretary of State resides in Hillsborough Castle – as do junior ministers, though members of the Royal Family, when visiting Northern Ireland, stay there also.</p><br>
<p>Queen Elizabeth and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh stayed in Hillsborough Castle during their visit to Northern Ireland as part of the Golden Jubilee tour of the United Kingdom in 2002.</p><br>
<h3>Investitures</h3><br>
<p>In 2014 the Prince of Wales held an investiture at Hillsborough Castle, the first one to be held in Northern Ireland since the venue became a Royal Palace.</p><br>
<h2>Anglo-Irish Agreement</h2><br>
<p>Hillsborough Castle became the controversial location of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement on November 15th, 1985. Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Garret FitzGerald believed that signing the Agreement in Hillsborough Castle would mollify unionist opposition to the Agreement somewhat. However, many unionists took offence at the signing of the Agreement in the Throne Room of the castle, igniting their opposition further.</p><br>
<h2>Political talks</h2><br>
<p>Many of the crucial talks leading up to the signing of the Belfast Agreement took place in the secretariat attached to the castle. Leaders such as Gerry Adams (Sinn Féin), John Hume (Social Democratic and Labour Party), David Trimble (Ulster Unionist Party) and, on occasion, The Rev. Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party) met Secretaries of State to discuss sensitive political and constitutional issues.</p><br>
<p>It was also used in January 2010 for talks between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen and representatives of the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin over the crisis over Northern Irish policing which threatened to derail the Northern Irish government.</p><br>
<h2>Breaking new ground</h2><br>
<p>Mo Mowlam broke new ground when she opened the extensive grounds of the castle to the public. Previous Secretaries of State had not done so because of the fear of Provisional IRA attack. The security impact on the castle can be seen (top photo) in the presence of bullet-proof glass in plastic frames in front of the Georgian windows at the public front of the building.</p><br>
<h2>Prominent visitors</h2><br>
<p>Apart from members of the British Royal Family and politicians from Northern Ireland, elsewhere in the United Kingdom or from the Republic of Ireland, some international figures have visited or stayed at the castle. The then President of the United States, George W. Bush, visited the castle in 2003.</p><br>
<h2>Footnotes</h2><br>
<p>See for an explanation of how</p><br>
<p>to generate footnotes using the tags, and the template below</p><br>
<p>--&gt</p><br>
<p>The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Ely, Nevada and operated by a historic foundation dedicated to the preservation of the Nevada Northern Railway.</p><br>
<p>Museum activities include restoration and operation of historic railroad equipment, steam-powered excursions throughout the year, winter photo shoots, locomotive rentals, hand car races, lectures, an annual railroad history symposium, changing exhibits, a resident reality camp, and a variety of special events.</p><br>
<h2>Location and history</h2><br>
<p>The museum is situated at the East Ely Yards, which are part of the Nevada Northern Railway. The site is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places as the Nevada Northern Railway East Ely Yards and Shops and is also known as the "Nevada Northern Railway Complex". The rail yards were designated a National Historic Landmark District on September 27, 2006.</p><br>
<h2>Collection</h2><br>
<p>The museum collection includes three steam locomotives, an electric locomotive, and several diesel-electric locomotives, as well as a collection of maintenance equipment and numerous historic freight and passenger rail cars. Usually two of the steam locomotives are in operation in regularly scheduled events throughout the year. Check the web site for details.</p><br>
<p>The museum also maintains an extensive fleet of its original rolling stock, including passenger cars, wood-side box cars, ore cars, and work trains, all dating from the 1910s. It has the oldest operating tank car and the oldest operating coal-fired steam crane on any American railroad.</p><br>
<p>During the 2002 Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City, the railroad was part of the Olympic Steam Team, carrying spectators to the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue. The railroads No. 93 steam-engine, joined Utahs Heber Valley Railroad&#39;s Nos. 618 and 75 steam-engines, in pulling eight-car trains full of passengers, to the Soldier Hollow depot where they disembarked and continued to the venue entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh. The day prior to the Opening Ceremony of the games, all three locomotives were combined into one triple-headed train, and used to transport the Olympic flame from Soldier Hollow to Heber City, Utah as part of the torch relay.</p><br>
<h2>Depot building</h2><br>
<p>The East Ely Depot served passengers on the Nevada Northern. The Mission Revival style depot was designed by Frederick Hale and built in 1907. It reflects a standardized vernacular that borrows primarily from the Mission Revival style, as well as from Renaissance Revival.</p><br>
<p>The two story depot is set on a stone foundation. The ground floor is rusticated stone, separated from the upper level by a painted stone belt course, with a stuccoed second story. The gables are curvilinear in the accepted Mission Revival style. The well-preserved interior retains separate mens and womens waiting rooms, with baggage and express rooms. Offices are on the second floor.</p><br>
<p>The depot was a significant location on the Nevada Northern as the chief embarkation point for the copper mining region of White Pine County. The location of the depot was a matter of controversy between the railroad and residents of Ely, who successfully sued the railroad to change the depots name from Ely to East Ely to reflect its distance from the main townsite. The railroad, originally owned by the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company, was transferred to the Kennecott Copper Company in 1933 when it took over Consolidateds mining operations. Passenger service on the Nevada Northern stopped in 1941, and the depot was used for Kennecott offices until 1985. The state of Nevada acquired the depot in 1990 for the museum.</p><br>
<p>The East Ely Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.</p><br>
<h2>Special event trains</h2><br>
<p>At periodic times or seasons, the museum operates the following special event trains:</p><br>
<h3>Rockin & Rollin Geology Train</h3><br>
<p>This special event train excursion features presentations by local geologists covering railroad & mining history with a show and tell of ore samples from the Robinson Nevada Mining District. The event includes an authentic miner-style dinner - a beef and potato and Cornish pasty. Reservations are suggested.</p><br>
<h3>BBQ Express</h3><br>
<p>This dinner train features a real western BBQ - on rails. Seating is usually limited. Reservations are suggested.</p><br>
<h3>Wild West Limited</h3><br>
<p>This steam train excursion includes cowboys and cowboy grub. Watch your wallet - this train may just be held up!</p><br>
<h3>Steptoe Valley Flyer</h3><br>
<p>This museum-highlight train travels back in time to deliver a classic railroad experience. The Steptoe Valley Flyer was the train that carried 4.5 million passengers from 1906 to 1941 to White Pine County, Nevada. Departing from the original depot, passengers board the original first-class passenger car #5 (built in 1882) behind baggage/railway US Post Office car #20 (built in 1906) and steam locomotive #40 (built in 1910). Reservations are suggested for these much-in-demand trips. An emigrant&#39;s meal is served.</p><br>
<h3>Haunted Ghost Trains</h3><br>
<p>Riders should prepare themselves for a scary trip on a haunted train. Ghost stories come alive as local volunteers create a thematic experience for all those aboard. Zombies, ghosts, ghouls, aliens and even Bigfoot could appear at any time!</p><br>
<h3>Polar Express</h3><br>
<p>This Christmas seasonal train is one of the highlights of the year. The Polar Express heads to the "North Pole" to visit with Santa Claus. On the trip, volunteers serve hot chocolate and cookies as they read the story the Polar Express. Reservations are suggested for these much-in-demand trips.</p><br>
<h2>Heritage railroad</h2><br>
<p>The museum operates a short rail line that was formerly owned by the Nevada Northern Railway as a heritage railroad. This line was called the "Ore Line" and the museum runs excursion trains westward from Ely to Ruth, and northeast from Ely to the vicinity of McGill. One of the trains is advertised as the Ghost Train of Old Ely.</p><br>
<h2>In popular culture</h2><br>
<p>The depot building was used for scenes in the 2001 film, Rat Race. The museum appeared in a 2010 episode of Modern Marvels, titled "Super Steam." The museum also appeared in six episodes of American Restoration, and was referenced in a 2017 episode of The Big Bang Theory.</p><br>
<p>Ale&#39;s Stones  is a megalithic monument in Scania in southern Sweden. It is a stone ship, oval in outline, with the stones at each end markedly larger than the rest. It is 67 m long formed by 59 large boulders, weighing up to 1.8 tonnes each.</p><br>
<p>The carbon-14 dating system for organic remains has provided seven results at the site. One indicates that the material is around 5,500 years old whereas the remaining six indicate a date about 1,400 years ago. The latter is considered to be the most likely time for Ales Stenar to have been created. That would place its creation towards the end of the Nordic Iron Age.</p><br>
<h2>Excavations</h2><br>
<p>In 1989, during the first archaeological excavations performed in order to scientifically investigate and date the monument, archaeologists found a decorated clay pot with burned human bones inside the ship setting. The bones are thought to come from a pyre and to have been placed in the pot at a later date. The pot&#39;s contents varied in age; some material was from 330–540 CE while a piece of charred food crust also found inside was determined to be from 540–650 CE. The archaeologists working on the project also found birch charcoal remains from 540–650 CE underneath an undisturbed boulder. According to the Swedish National Heritage Board, carbon-14 dating of the organic material from the site indicates that six of the samples are from around 600 CE, while one sample is from ca. 3500 BCE. The diverging sample came from soot-covered stones that are believed to be the remnants of an older hearth, found close to the ship setting. On the basis of these results, the Swedish National Heritage Board has set a suggested date of creation for Ales Stenar to 1,400 BP, which is the year 550 CE.</p><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli  is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros regional unit in East Macedonia and Thrace. It is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.</p><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli is one of the newest cities in Greece, as it was only a fishing village until the late 19th century. However, the modern city is located at the site of ancient Sale (Greek: Σάλη), a Greek city of the classical era founded by colonists from the island of Samothrace, mentioned by Herodotus.</p><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli benefits from its position at the centre of land and sea routes connecting Greece with Turkey. Landmarks in Alexandroupoli include the citys lighthouse in the port, the archaeological sites of the Mesimvria Zone and Maroneia stretching out to the small port of Agios Charalambos, the citys waterfront (the centre of commercial activity), and the nearby Evros Delta.</p><br>
<h2>Municipality</h2><br>
<p>The municipality of Alexandroupolis was created in 2011 by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:</p><br>
<p>Alexandroupolis</p><br>
<p>Feres</p><br>
<p>Traianoupoli</p><br>
<p>The municipality has an area of 1,216.954 km, the municipal unit 642.245 km.</p><br>
<h2>Province</h2><br>
<p>The province of Alexandroupoli (Επαρχία Αλεξανδρούπολης) was one of the provinces of the Evros Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Alexandroupoli, except the villages Peplos and Trifylli. It was abolished in 2006.</p><br>
<h2>Name</h2><br>
<p>The modern city of Alexandroupoli was founded as a small fishing village in the early 19th century (when what is now northeastern mainland Greece was still under the rule of the Ottoman Empire) by fishermen from the villages of Makri and Maroneia and it became known as Dedeağaç (Δεδεαγάτς, Dedeağaç Дедеагач ). According to the legend, the name was based on a wise old Turkish man or dede who spent much of his time in the shade of a local tree (in Turkish ağaç) and was eventually buried beside it. In 1920, King Alexander I of Greece visited the city, and the local authorities decided to rename the city Alexandroupoli ("city of Alexander") in his honor, a request which was approved by central Greek government.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli is about 14.5 km west of the delta of the river Evros, 40 km from the border with Turkey, 346 km from Thessaloniki on the newly constructed Egnatia highway, and 750 km from Athens. Around the city one finds small fishing villages like Makri and Dikella to the west, and suburban Maistros, Apalos, Antheia, Aristino, Nipsa, Loutra to the east, while north of the city are the ever closing Palagia, Avantas, Aissymi and Kirkas. At the 2001 census, the main city had a population of 48,885 and the municipal unit had a population of 52,720. The current metropolitan population is estimated at around 70,000 inhabitants, and its area covers the southern portion of the regional unit, running from the Rhodope regional unit to the Evros Delta. Besides Alexandroúpolis, its other largest settlements are the villages of Mákri (pop. 820), Ávas (497), Sykorráchi (309), Aisými (289), and Díkella (288).</p><br>
<h2>Climate</h2><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The settlement&#39;s history goes back to the 19th century, when the area was part of the Ottoman Empire. Long used as a landing ground for fishermen from the coast of Samothrace opposite, a hamlet developed in the area during the construction of a railway line connecting Constantinople to the major cities of Macedonia from Kuleliburgaz. The work was part of an effort to modernise the Empire, and was assigned to engineers from Austria-Hungary. The settlement soon grew into a fishing village known as Dedeağaç.</p><br>
<p>In 1873 it was made the chief town of a Kaza, to which it gave its name, and a Kaymakam was appointed to it. In 1884 it was raised in administrative rank from a Kaza to a Sanjak, and the governor became a Mutasarrıf. In 1889 the Greek archbishopric of Aenus was transferred to Dedeağaç. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Dedeağaç was part of the Adrianople Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire.</p><br>
<h3>Russo-Turkish War</h3><br>
<p>Dedeağaç was captured by the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, and Russian forces settled in the village. The officers in charge saw that reconstruction incorporated wide streets running parallel to each other, allowing the quick advance of troops, and avoided cul-de-sacs. This was very unlike the narrow alleys, cobbled streets, and dead-ends that were characteristic of Ottoman cities at the time. The city returned to Ottoman control by the end of the war, but the brief Russian presence had a lasting effect on the design of Alexandroúpoli&#39;s streets.</p><br>
<h3>Balkan Wars</h3><br>
<p>The building of a railway station in Dedeağaç led to the development of the village into a town, and a minor trade centre by the end of the century. The town became the seat of a Pasha as the capital of a sanjak. Ottoman control of the town would last until the Balkan Wars. On 8 November 1912, Dedeağaç and its station was captured by Bulgarian forces with the assistance of the Hellenic Navy. Bulgaria and Greece were allies during the First Balkan War, but opponents in the Second Balkan War. Dedeağaç was captured by Greek forces on 11 July 1913. The Treaty of Bucharest (10 August 1913) however, determined that Dedeağaç would be returned to Bulgaria along with the rest of Western Thrace.</p><br>
<p>In September 1913 after the end of the Second Balkan War about 12 000 Bulgarian refugees took temporary asylum at the outskirts of the city. They were from 17 different villages all over the Western Thrace fleeing ethnic cleansing.</p><br>
<h3>World War I</h3><br>
<p>The defeat of Bulgaria by the Allies in World War I (1914–1918) ensured another change of hands for the town. Western Thrace was withdrawn from Bulgaria under the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly. Alexandroupoli was under temporary management of the Entente led by French General Charpy. In the second half of April 1920 in San Remo conference of the prime ministers of the main allies of the Entente powers (except United States) Western Thrace was given to Greece. However, Bulgaria retained the right of transit to use the port of Dedeagach to transport goods through the Aegean Sea. The change of guard between French and Greek officials occurred on May 14, 1920 in the city&#39;s Post Office. In the interior of the Post Office there is a memorial plaque concerning this event. The city was soon visited by Alexander of Greece. He was the first King of Greece to visit the town which was renamed in his honour.</p><br>
<h3>Greco-Turkish War</h3><br>
<p>Following the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), the Greek Army under General Theodoros Pangalos retreated from Eastern Thrace to the area of Alexandroupoli. Bulgaria used the opportunity of the Greek defeat to demand that Alexandroupoli either be returned to its control or declared a neutral zone under international control. Both demands were soundly rejected by the Greek leadership and found no support in the League of Nations.</p><br>
<p>The Treaty of Lausanne (24 July 1923) affirmed that Western Thrace and Alexandroupoli would continue to be controlled by Greece. A previous agreement allowing a Bulgarian presence in the town port had expired.</p><br>
<h3>World War II</h3><br>
<p>During World War II (see Axis occupation of Greece), the Nazis gave Alexandroupoli to their Bulgarian partners Alexandroupoli was subsequently under Bulgarian occupation between May 1941 and 1944. The city suffered some damage to buildings and loss of population during the war, but was largely spared the effects of the Greek Civil War (1946–1949). Forces of the communist Democratic Army of Greece in and around the town area were small and loosely organized, resulting in the absence of major battles in the area; the return of peace allowed for Alexandroupoli to grow from a town of 16,332 residents in 1951 to a city of 57,812 residents by 2011.</p><br>
<h3>Modern</h3><br>
<p>It has a sister city, Edirne, since November 30, 2007.</p><br>
<h2>Education</h2><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli houses four Departments of the Democritus University of Thrace (based in Komotini). These Departments are the following:</p><br>
<p>Department of Medicine</p><br>
<p>Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics</p><br>
<p>Department of Primary Level Education</p><br>
<p>Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood</p><br>
<p>Some highly specialised medical operations are performed in the new Regional University Hospital – Research center, currently the largest one in the Balkans.</p><br>
<p>The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of the city council (though the student are subjects under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education). There are also many private language schools, most of them offering European Languages courses. Languages spoken by the citizens include: Greek, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Armenian, German, and Turkish. The city has a reputation of consistently sending large number of students to attend national and international universities.</p><br>
<h2>Transport</h2><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli is served by Dimokritos International Airport (IATA:AXD) in the suburbs of Apalos, about 6 km from Alexandroupoli city centre. It is one of the busiest airports in Greece and a main hub for Olympic Airways and Aegean; there are 6 daily flights to Athens, and also flights to Crete, while during the summer months some seasonal flights operate to/from Germany and Russia. The airport is connected to the city by highway, taxi services and scheduled bus services. The port of Alexandroupolis has been used principally by travellers. There are daily services to the Island of Samothraki and a weekly Trans-Aegean service to all the eastern islands of the Aegean, with the final destination of the island of Rhodes.</p><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli has two train stations: Alexandroupoli and Alexandroupoli Port. Both are served by trains to Thessaloniki and to Dikaia. There is an extensive network of train and bus replacements services throughout the region of Evros. There were railway connections to Burgas in Bulgaria and to Edirne and Istanbul in Turkey, but those were suspended.</p><br>
<p>The bus network is much more extensive and frequent. Hourly buses to the major municipalities within Macedonia and Thrace offered from the Regional Coaches KTEL as well as daily services to Bulgaria and Turkey. OSE-Varan and Ulusoy have daily services to Istanbul and Athens each and depart from Alexandroupolis Railway Station in early mornings.</p><br>
<h2>Sport</h2><br>
<p>The main sporting facilities are situated around the football and athletics stadium Fotis Kosmas. The stadium hosts various football teams, such as:</p><br>
<p>also:</p><br>
<p>Nea Chili F.C.</p><br>
<p>Omilos Filon Thalassis Alexandroupolis (nautical club)</p><br>
<p>In 2009, the stadium hosted an international rugby match between Greece and Bulgaria; the match was the first time that Greece had played a home match outside of Attica.</p><br>
<p>The citys volleyball team, Ethnikos Alexandroupolis, regularly competes in the A1 Ethniki, the top division of the Greek volleyball championship and plays in the citys indoor sports stadium, Klisto Gimnastirio Alexandroupoli, next to the football stadium.</p><br>
<h3>Communities</h3><br>
<p>The municipal unit Alexandroupoli is subdivided into the following communities (constituent settlements in brackets):</p><br>
<p>Alexandroupoli (Alexandroupoli, Agnantia, Amfitriti)</p><br>
<p>Aisymi (Aisymi, Leptokarya)</p><br>
<p>Avas</p><br>
<p>Kirki</p><br>
<p>Makri (Makri, Dikella, Ennato, Koimisi Theotokou, Mesimvria, Panorama, Paralia Dikellon, Plaka)</p><br>
<p>Sykorrachi (Sykorrachi, Atarni, Avra, Komaros, Mesti, Perama, Stathmos)</p><br>
<h2>Notable people</h2><br>
<p>Arthur Derounian, Armenian-American journalist and writer</p><br>
<p>Hrysopiyi Devetzi (1976), Greek athlete</p><br>
<p>Todor Dinov (1919–2004), Bulgarian graphic artist and animator</p><br>
<p>Nikos Hadjinikolaou, Greek journalist</p><br>
<p>Lefteris Hapsiadis (1953), Greek Lyrics Creator and Writer</p><br>
<p>Demis Nikolaidis (1973), Greek footballer</p><br>
<p>Marinos Ouzounidis (1968), Greek footballer</p><br>
<p>Stavento, Greek hip-hop music group</p><br>
<p>Athanasios Tsigas (1982), Greek footballer</p><br>
<h2>Historical population</h2><br>
<p>La Poudre Pass elevation 10,184 ft is a high mountain pass located in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States.</p><br>
<p>The pass straddles the Continental Divide, and separates the headwaters of La Poudre Pass Creek, which drains into the Mississippi River and eventually the Atlantic Ocean, from the headwaters of the Colorado River, which drains into the Gulf of California. At the pass, the Continental Divide is the boundary between Grand and Larimer counties, and is also the northern boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park.</p><br>
<p>The pass itself is a broad, flat, swampy area. In the wet meadow just south of the divide, the Colorado River begins its course as a tiny stream emerging from La Poudre Pass Lake. The Rocky Mountain National Park La Poudre Pass Ranger Station is also located in the pass.</p><br>
<p>The pass is traversed by a hiking trail, by the Grand Ditch as it carries water from the Never Summer Mountains into the Cache La Poudre River, and by a private, gated, maintenance road for the Grand Ditch.</p><br>
<p>To visit the pass, follow Long Draw Road south from its junction with State Highway 14 in Poudre Canyon, just east of Cameron Pass. Long Draw Road is unpaved, but can be traveled by regular passenger automobiles. After passing Long Draw Reservoir the road ends at the La Poudre Pass Trailhead parking area. It&#39;s a very short walk from here to the pass, which is marked by the entrance sign to Rocky Mountain National Park. At this sign, you are standing on the Continental Divide.</p><br>
<p>Ialysos  is a town and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 16.700 km. It is the second-largest town on the island of Rhodes. It has a population of approximately 11,300, and is located eight kilometres  west of the town of Rhodes, the islands capital, on the islands northwestern coast.</p><br>
<h2>Overview</h2><br>
<p>The town is situated near the site of the ancient Doric polis of Ialysos, homeland of the famous ancient boxer Diagoras of Rhodes. The municipal unit consists of the town Trianta/Ialysos and the surrounding areas. While official sources use Trianta as a name for the town, and Ialysos for the whole municipal unit, unofficial usage tend to favour Ialysos to describe both the modern town and the municipal unit.</p><br>
<p>Until the mid-1980s Trianta/Ialysos was a village with a population of around 2500 people, but during the following years population grew to an official 10,107 at the 2001 census, as it to an increasing degree became a suburban district to the town of Rhodes. Ialysos has in addition become a tourist destination, with several hotels and resorts located on the coast, especially in the new settlement of Ixia, situated between the towns of Ialysos and Rhodes. Being on the usually windward north-western coast of the island, it is also a noted location for wind-surfing. The municipal unit has a land area of 16.700 km², the smallest of any on Rhodes.</p><br>
<h2>Notable people</h2><br>
<p>Timocreon (5th century BC) poet</p><br>
<p>Diagoras of Rhodes (5th century BC) boxer</p><br>
<p>Wave Hill is a 28 acre estate in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale, Bronx, in New York City. Wave Hill currently consists of public horticultural gardens and a cultural center, all situated on the slopes overlooking the Hudson River, with expansive views across the river to the New Jersey Palisades. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the estate includes two houses and a botanical garden. The oldest part of the main house, Wave Hill House, dates back to 1843; Glyndor House dates from 1927 and contains a multi-room art gallery. Perkins Visitor Center, which was originally a garage, contains a gift shop and an information desk.</p><br>
<p>During the late 19th century and early 20th century, numerous highly notable people resided in Wave Hill, either because they owned it, leased it, or stayed there as guests. In 1960, the estate was given to the City of New York, and Wave Hill is now a cultural center as well as a garden. In addition to the free, constantly changing, contemporary visual arts exhibits that are on display in the Glyndor Gallery within Glyndor House, paid-ticket concert series take place on some Sunday afternoons in Armor Hall, featuring music that includes such styles as chamber music and jazz.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The original Wave Hill House was a gray fieldstone mansion built in 1843 by lawyer William Lewis Morris. It was owned from 1866 to 1903 by publisher William Henry Appleton, who enlarged the house in between 1866 and 1869 and again in 1890, and added greenhouses and gardens to the grounds.</p><br>
<p>The house was purchased in 1903 by George Walbridge Perkins, a partner of J. P. Morgan, along with adjacent property, including Glyndor, a house built by the Harriman family in 1888, which later burned down and was rebuilt in 1927. In 1910, Perkins added an underground building for recreation which included a bowling alley. Perkins performed extensive landscaping on the site and leased Wave Hill House to an eminent ichthyologist, Bashford Dean of the American Museum of Natural History, who built a stone addition to the building as a private museum, Armor Hall.</p><br>
<p>Other famous residents of the estate included the conductor Arturo Toscanini (1942–1945) and chief members of the British Delegation to the United Nations (1950–1956).</p><br>
<p>In 2005, Wave Hill was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.</p><br>
<p>On an annual basis, about 65,000 people visit Wave Hill, making it one of the most popular sites in Riverdale.</p><br>
<h2>Gardens</h2><br>
<p>The special features of Wave Hill&#39;s gardens include:</p><br>
<p>Alpine House and Dry Garden</p><br>
<p>Aquatic & Monocot Garden</p><br>
<p>Bee hives in the woodland area</p><br>
<p>The Herbert & Hyonja Abrons Woodland, 10 acre of native second-growth forest, with a woodland path that stretches around the perimeter of the property</p><br>
<p>The Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory, including a cactus room and a tropical room</p><br>
<p>The Perennial Flower Garden</p><br>
<p>Pergola and vistas of the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades</p><br>
<p>Special Collections, including the Shade Border, Elliptical Garden and Conifer Slope</p><br>
<p>Wild Garden</p><br>
<h2>Shop</h2><br>
<p>The Shop contains gifts from local artists that reflects Wave Hills mission of connecting people with nature, such as educational toys, hand-crafted soaps, naturally inspired ceramics, glass and jewelry, seasonal plants, garden products, and local honey, including honey from Wave Hills own hives.</p><br>
<p>Fresh Pond is a reservoir and park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Prior to the Ponds use exclusively as a reservoir, its ice had been harvested by Bostons "Ice King", Frederic Tudor, and others, for shipment to North American cities and to tropical areas around the world.</p><br>
<p>Fresh Pond Reservation consists of a 155-acre (627,000 m²) kettle hole lake, and 162 acres (656,000 m²) of surrounding land, with a 2.25 mile (3.6 km) perimeter road popular with walkers, runners and cyclists, and a nine-hole golf course.</p><br>
<h2>Early history</h2><br>
<p>Native Americans used the pond for fishing and drinking water for several thousand years. Starting in the seventeenth century colonists fished for alewives using fishing weirs in Alewife Brook (which passed through the swamps to the north of Fresh Pond) following the Native Americans methods. The colonists also used the fields around Fresh Pond for growing hay, and they hunted ducks in the Pond. In the eighteenth century, settlers started farms to the south, west and north of the Pond. In 1796 Jacob Wyeth constructed the Fresh Pond Hotel to the east of the Pond on land that is now part of Kingsley Park. In 1798 a wealthy resident constructed a country estate north of the pond on Blacks Nook. In the early 1800s clay was removed from the swamps surrounding Fresh Pond for use in the brick making industry. Starting in the 1820s entrepreneurs began cutting ice from Fresh Pond.</p><br>
<h2>Water and ice</h2><br>
<p>In the mid-19th century, the Pond was privately owned and home to a flourishing ice-harvesting industry, with ice shipped as far as Europe, China, and India. In 1856, a private company began supplying its customers with drinking water from the Pond. In 1865 the business came under city ownership. By the end of the century the Pond and the land surrounding it was entirely city-owned, and an elaborate public water supply system had been developed.</p><br>
<p>Fresh Pond is part of the overall Cambridge water system. Its water is fed to the pond via an aqueduct from the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Reservoirs, located in Lexington, Lincoln, Waltham and Weston, Massachusetts. After purification at the Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility adjacent to Fresh Pond, the water is pumped upwards to the underground Payson Park Reservoir in Belmont. From there it flows back to Cambridge, with gravity providing the pressure to distribute drinking water to residents and businesses.</p><br>
<h2>Transportation</h2><br>
<p>Fresh Pond is bordered by Fresh Pond Parkway, Huron Avenue, Grove Street, Blanchard Road, and Concord Avenue. The Reservation can be reached via the Minuteman Bikeway or MBTA 72, 74, 75, and 78 buses. It is about a ten-minute walk from Alewife Station on the MBTA Red line.</p><br>
<h3>Proposed Watertown-Cambridge Greenway</h3><br>
<p>A portion of the abandoned Watertown Branch Railroad is situated between Fresh Pond Parkway and the water treatment facility. Currently overgrown in parts, this single track line enters the Fresh Pond reservation at its northeastern edge, near the Concord Avenue–Fresh Pond Parkway rotary. The line continues in a southerly direction along much of the eastern boundary of the reservation until it reaches the Huron Avenue overpass to the south. The branch terminates in the nearby town of Watertown. There are plans to have this rail line, disused since 2001, converted into a rail trail and linear park. A section in Watertown, from Grove Street to School Street, opened in 2011. Construction of the remaining section is planned for 2017.</p><br>
<p>Gore Pass  is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Colorado in the United States.</p><br>
<p>The pass crosses a gap in the northern end of the Gore Range in southwestern Grand County west of Kremmling. The pass provides the route of State Highway 134 east of Toponas, furnishing a motor vehicle route between Middle Park and the valley of the Yampa River to the west. It has a mild approach to the west, while the east side has a moderate 5.4% grade.</p><br>
<p>Gore Pass is named for Sir St. George Gore, an Irish baronet from Sligo whose sole purpose was to break records and fill his trophy room. In 1975, there was a sign on Colorado State Road Hwy 84 which read "GORE PASS, Altitude 9,000 feet. Here in 1855 crossed Sir St. George Gore, an Irish baronet bent on the slaughter of game and guided by Jim Bridger. For three years he scoured Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, accompanied usually by fort men, many carts, wagons, hounds, and unexampled camp luxuries. More than 2,000 buffalo, 1,600 deer and elk, and 100 bears were massacred for sport." Readers are referred to pages 305-312 of the book, "The Trail of Tears (The Story of the American Indian Removals 1813-1855" by Gloria Jahoda, 1975.</p><br>
<p>Driskill Mountain  is the highest natural summit in Louisiana, with an elevation of 535 feet  above sea level. It lies about 5.3 miles  southeast of Bryceland, Louisiana. It is located in the northeastern corner of Sec. 32, T. 17 N., R. 5 W. within Bienville Parish.</p><br>
<p>Driskill Mountain is a landform created by the erosion of unlithified Paleogene sediment. Its summit consists of nonmarine quartz sands of the Cockfield Formation. These sands overlie shallow marine and coastal clays, silts, and sands of the Cook Mountain Formation, which form the bulk of Driskill Mountain.</p><br>
<p>James Christopher Driskill, the person for whom Driskill Mountain was named, was born in Henry County, Georgia, on June 27, 1817. In 1840, he married the former Eugenia Irwin Walker. In October 1859, Driskill sold his land in Troup County, Georgia, and moved his family, which by then consisted of his wife, eight boys, and one girl, to Louisiana. By December 1859, Driskill had purchased in Louisiana 324 acre, which included Driskill Mountain. During the American Civil War, Driskill served in the Home Guard. His eldest son, William B. Driskill, was killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia on May 5, 1864. Another one of his sons, James B. Driskill, disappeared after he had left Louisiana to fight in the Civil War. Except for one son and daughter, Driskill&#39;s family remained in Bienville Parish, and his descendents still live in the area.</p><br>
<p>One may walk the trail to the top and sign the logbook located in an army box. A large pile of rocks marks the high point.</p><br>
<p>The Chester River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is about 43 mi long, and its watershed encompasses 368 square miles, which includes 295 square miles of land. Thus the total watershed area is 20% water. It forms the border between Kent County and Queen Annes County, Maryland, with its headwaters extending into New Castle County and Kent County, Delaware. Chestertown, the seat of Marylands Kent County, is located on its north shore. It is located south of the Sassafras River and north of Eastern Bay, and is connected with Eastern Bay through Kent Narrows.</p><br>
<p>The Chester River begins at Millington, Maryland, where Cypress Branch and Andover Branch join together. It ends at the Chesapeake Bay in a very wide mouth between Love Point on Kent Island, and Swan Point, near Gratitude, Maryland. Cypress Branch rises in southwestern New Castle County, Delaware, and Andover Branch, with its tributary, Sewell Branch, rises in northwestern Kent County, Delaware. Millington is the head of navigation. Sewell Branch and Andover Branch join in a private impoundage of approximately 30 acre about two miles (3 km) above joining with Cypress Branch and then becoming the Chester River.</p><br>
<p>Its main tributaries are Langford Creek and Morgan Creek on the north side and the Corsica River and Southeast Creek on the south side. There are also several small creeks on the northern shore, including Church Creek, Grays Inn Creek, Shippen Creek, Jarrett Creek, Browns Creek, Broad Creek, Dam Creek, Morgan Creek, Radcliffe Creek, and Mills Branch. On the southern shore the small creeks include Queenstown Creek, Tilghman Creek, Reed Creek, Grove Creek, Hambleton Creek, Rosin Creek, Foreman Branch and Unicorn Branch.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Local lore has it that in 1774, colonists boarded a British ship anchored in the Chester River at Chester Town, also called New Town on Chester, and threw its load of tea overboard, mimicking the Boston Tea Party and its act of defiance against King George III. This came to be known as the Chestertown Tea Party.</p><br>
<p>While primary source documents show that Chestertown residents did have at least one meeting to discuss the presence of tea aboard the locally owned merchantman Geddes, and later the residents sent food to aid the blockaded Bostonians, contemporary source material has yet to be found.</p><br>
<p>Boon Island is a barren piece of land located in the Gulf of Maine 6 miles  off the town of York on the Maine coast. The island is approximately 300 by 700 feet  in size at low tide, and is the site of Boon Island Light, the tallest lighthouse in New England.</p><br>
<p>It is often said that the island got its name when the coastal trading vessel, the Increase, wrecked on it in the summer of 1682. Four survivors — three white men and one Indian — spent a month on the island, subsisting on fish and gulls eggs. One day they saw smoke rising from Mount Agamenticus several miles away in York, so they built a fire to attract attention to their plight. The Indians at Mount Agamenticus saw the smoke from the island and the castaways were soon rescued. Seeing their survival as a boon granted by God, the men are said to have dubbed it Boon Island. Its a good story but in fact John Winthrop mentions in his journal passing by Boon Island by name some eighty years earlier. Celia Thaxter called the ironically named Boon Island "the forlornest place that can be imagined."</p><br>
<p>More famous was the shipwreck on December 11, 1710, of the British merchant ship, Nottingham Galley. All fourteen crewmen aboard survived the initial wreck, however two died from their injuries and another two drowned attempting to reach the mainland on an improvised raft. The remaining ten crewmen managed to stay alive despite winter conditions with no food and no fire for twenty-four days, until finally rescued. They resorted to cannibalism which gave the incident a notoriety that it retains even today. The story also features a conflict between the captain and members of his crew, who had mutinied off the coast of Ireland prior to wrecking on Boon Island. A vigorous public relations battle ensued in London the following summer between the Captain and members of his unhappy crew, which also helped make the story famous in its day. The harrowing story was fictionalized by Kenneth Roberts in his 1956 novel Boon Island. The only non-fiction history of the event, "Boon Island: A True Story of Mutiny, Shipwreck and Cannibalism," by Andrew Vietze and Stephen Erickson, appeared in 2012. It is said that after the Nottingham Galley disaster, local fishermen began leaving barrels of provisions on Boon Island in case of future wrecks.</p><br>
<p>A wooden day beacon was erected in 1799 but lasted only five years. Fierce storms repeatedly scour Boon Island, which has an elevation of 14 ft above sea level at its highest point. Violent seas can heave boulders across its surface, demolishing structures. A stone day beacon was constructed. In 1811, a stone lighthouse was built which stood 32 feet above the water, then rebuilt in 1831 to stand 49 feet. But damage from the elements was relentless. Consequently, in 1854–1855 the tallest lighthouse in New England was built — 133 feet (40 m) of massive granite blocks at a cost of US$25,000. It had a focal plane of 137 feet (42 m). Keepers willing to live in such a desolate place were few, arriving and departing in steady succession. Only one man seemed to thrive there; William W. Williams stayed 27 years and lived past the age of 90.</p><br>
<p>In February 1944, the Empire Knight, a 428-foot (130 m) British freight ship, ran aground at Boon Island and later broke into two sections. The stern section, which included the ship&#39;s cargo holds, sank in approximately 260 feet (80 m) of water, one and one half miles (2–3 km) from the Island. In August 1990, the United States Coast Guard became aware of the existence of a plan of stowage dating from 1944 for the ship indicating that 221 flasks (7,620 kg) of mercury may have been loaded onto the vessel. Investigation revealed that such flasks had been placed on the ship but had since deteriorated, releasing the mercury. An estimated 16,000 pounds (7¼ t) of mercury remain unrecovered and it is believed to have settled in the low point of the cargo hold.</p><br>
<p>In 1978, two lightkeepers on the island had to retreat from a powerful winter storm. They took shelter in the light chamber while the seas and wind demolished all other structures on the island. Water rose five feet up the tower and dislodged a number of its segments. Next day, they were rescued by helicopter. The tower was repaired and automated, no longer requiring a resident keeper. It is now powered by solar power.</p><br>
<p>In May 2000, the USA Coast Guard leased Boon Island Lighthouse to the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) for the restoration and preservation of the historic isolated sea sentinel.</p><br>
<p>In an effort to raise funds to restore and maintain the remote lighthouse, a fictional lighthouse nation declared its independence as The Republic of Boon Island on April 1, 2003.</p><br>
<p>In 2014 the lighthouse was sold to real estate developer Art Girard. It has since been sold several more times, and is currently own by Boon Island LLC.</p><br>
<p>Cowichan Lake is a large freshwater lake located on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located along the Cowichan Valley in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, with its eastern shore about 28 km west of Duncan, British Columbia. Cowichan Lake is about 30 km in length, running mostly from west to east, and is about 4 km wide at its widest point. The lake is also the source of the Cowichan River.</p><br>
<p>Cowichan Lake has several communities along its shores. The town of Lake Cowichan is located at the east end of the lake, at the start of the Cowichan River, and is the largest community. Along the south side of the lake are the communities of Mesachie Lake and Honeymoon Bay, and also Gordon Bay Provincial Park. On the north shore is the community of Youbou.</p><br>
<p>The Cowichan Valley was once a thriving lumber centre in British Columbia. In the past, two major railroads had spur lines to and around parts of the lake. With the change in the logging industry, these rail lines have now been abandoned by the railroads and are now part of a major public trail system which leads eastward toward the lower end of the Cowichan Valley. The lake area is largely undeveloped because of the extensive logging by timber companies holding the land surrounding the lake. Currently there are several development projects at new locations around the lake.</p><br>
<p>The Tone River is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is 322 km in length  and has a drainage area of 16,840 km&sup2; . It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō ; Bandō is an obsolete alias of the Kantō Region, and Tarō is a popular given name for an oldest son. It is regarded as one of the "Three Greatest Rivers" of Japan, the others being the Yoshino in Shikoku and the Chikugo in Kyūshū.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The source of the Tone River is at Mount Ōminakami (大水上山) (1,831 m) in the Echigo Mountains, which straddle the border between Gunma and Niigata Prefectures in Jōshin&#39;etsu Kōgen National Park.</p><br>
<h2>Tributaries</h2><br>
<p>Major tributaries of the Tone River include the Agatsuma, Watarase, Kinu, Omoi, and the Kokai. The Edo River branches away from the river and flows into Tokyo Bay.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The Tone River was once known for its uncontrollable nature, and its route changed whenever floods occurred. It is hard to trace its ancient route, but it originally flowed into Tokyo Bay along the route of the present-day Edo River, and tributaries like the Watarase and Kinu had independent river systems. For the sake of water transportation and flood control, extensive construction began in the 17th century during the Tokugawa shogunate, when the Kantō region became the political center of Japan. The course of the river was significantly changed, and the present route of the river was determined during the Meiji period, with the assistance of Dutch civil engineer Anthonie Rouwenhorst Mulder. Its vast watershed is thus largely artificial.</p><br>
<p>Two ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy were named after the river, one of World War I vintage and another from World War II, the lead ship of its class.</p><br>
<h2>Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster</h2><br>
<p>As a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster radioactive cesium concentrations of 110 becquerels per kilogram were found in silver crucian carp fish caught in the Tone River in April 2012. The river is 180 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Plant. Six fishery cooperatives and 10 towns along the river were asked to stop all shipments of fish caught in the Tone.</p><br>
<h2>Use</h2><br>
<p>The Tone River was an indispensable inland water link between the capitol at Edo, and later Tokyo, to the Pacific Ocean. It carried not only local products like soy sauce from Choshi, but also products from the Tohoku region, in order to save time and to avoid risk in the open sea. With the advent of the railway in the 19th century major shipping on the Tone quickly declined, and inland ports such as Noda, Sekiyado, now part of Noda, Nagareyama, and Sawara, now part of Katori diminished in importance. Today the river has several dams that supply water for more than 30 million inhabitants of metropolitan Tokyo and large-scale industrial areas such as the Keiyō Industrial Zone.</p><br>
<h2>Rafting and kayaking</h2><br>
<p>The Minakami onsen area in Gunma Prefecture is near the source for the Tone River and during the Spring snow melt period, April - June, the river provides consistent grade 4 rapids (on the International Scale of River Difficulty) over a 12 km stretch. The river provides some of the best white water rafting and kayaking in Japan. The snow melt swells the river to grade 4 in spring; in the summer it is a gentle grade 2. The Momijikyo section has 7 grade 3-4 rapids for 1 km and is 12 km long in total.</p><br>
<p>Sliabh Liag, sometimes Slieve League or Slieve Liag , is a mountain on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Ireland. At 601 m, it has some of the highest sea cliffs on the island of Ireland. Although less famous than the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Slieve League&#39;s cliffs reach almost three times higher.</p><br>
<p>The Belfast naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger wrote in 1939:A tall mountain of nearly 2000 feet, precipitous on its northern side, has been devoured by the sea till the southern face forms a precipice likewise, descending on this side right into the Atlantic from the long knife-edge which forms the summit. The traverse of this ridge, the "One Man&#39;s Path", is one of the most remarkable walks to be found in Ireland - not actually dangerous, but needing a good head and careful progress on a stormy day....The northern precipice, which drops 1500 feet into the coomb surrounding the Little Lough Agh, harbours the majority of the alpine plants of Slieve League, the most varied group of alpines to be found anywhere in Donegal.</p><br>
<h2>Road to viewpoint</h2><br>
<p>Slieve League is often photographed from a viewpoint known as Bunglass. It can be reached by means of a narrow road that departs from Teelin. The final few kilometers of this route is built along a precipice and includes several places where it turns at the crest of a rise.</p><br>
<h2>Image gallery</h2><br>
<p>The John Bowne House is an historic home important for its role in establishing religious tolerance located at 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, Queens, New York.</p><br>
<p>Built around 1661, it was the location of a Quaker meeting in 1662 that resulted in the arrest of its owner, John Bowne, by Peter Stuyvesant, Dutch Director-General of New Netherland. Bowne appealed his arrest successfully to the Dutch West India Company and established a precedent for religious tolerance and freedom in the colony. His appeal helped to serve as the basis for the later guarantees of freedom of religion, speech and right of assembly in the Constitution.</p><br>
<p>The Bowne House has been a museum since 1947, except for being closed the last ten</p><br>
<p>years. After an exterior renovation, it has recently reopened on Wednesday afternoons and by appointment.</p><br>
<p>The home is a wood-frame Anglo-Dutch Colonial saltbox, notable for its steeply pitched roof with three dormers. The house was altered several times over the centuries, and several generations of the Bowne family lived in the house until 1945, when the family deeded the property to the Bowne Historical Society. The Bowne House reportedly served as a stop on the Underground Railroad prior to the American Civil War.</p><br>
<p>Archaeological investigations have been conducted by Dr. James A. Moore of Queens College, City University of New York.</p><br>
<p>It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is also a New York City landmark.</p><br>
<p>Sabino Canyon is a significant canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents and visitors of Southern Arizona, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Minutes away from the desert are large waterfalls along Sabino Creek with minor bridges constructed over them. Wildlife in the canyon includes deer, javelina, skunks, tortoises, rattlesnakes and mountain lions.</p><br>
<h2>History and formation</h2><br>
<p>The history of Sabino Canyon began with the formation of the Santa Catalina Mountains over 12 million years ago. Around 5 million B.C., the mountains ceased formation around the Tucson valley. Present-day varieties of plant life first appeared between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago, and some of the earliest human occupants of Sabino Canyon were the Native American Hohokam people.</p><br>
<p>The 1887 Sonora earthquake dislodged massive boulders lining the canyon walls, which came to rest in the valley below. In 1905 the newly created USA Forest Service began administering Sabino Canyon. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Emergency Relief Administration (ERA) built Sabino Dam and nine bridges over Sabino Creek in an attempt to build a road to the top of Mount Lemmon. The road travels about 4.5 miles into the canyon, but was not completed due to the steep terrain at the end of the canyon.</p><br>
<h2>Trams</h2><br>
<p>The first trams in Sabino Canyon began operating in October, 1978. From that point forward, access by cars was restricted to allow visitors to reach Upper Sabino Canyon by foot, bicycle or tram. Sabino Canyon Tours was founded in May 1985 and provides visitors the opportunity to experience the noted beauty of Sabino Canyon.</p><br>
<h2>Flooding</h2><br>
<p>On July 31, 2006, flooding from a thunderstorm washed out the bridge at Rattlesnake Creek (just beyond mile marker 1 and shuttle stop #1), restricting the tram to the road below this point. Many portions of the roadway above Rattlesnake Creek also received damage from the flooding, including silt and debris scattered onto it. Tram service has now been completely restored, with the tram being able to complete all nine stops.</p><br>
<h2>Funding</h2><br>
<p>Federal funding is increasingly unable to keep pace with the pressures that urbanization and over a million visitors a year have placed on Sabino Canyon. Friends of Sabino Canyon, an independent non-profit organization, was founded in 1993 to raise additional funds to preserve and enhance Sabino Canyon.</p><br>
<p>Friends of Sabino Canyon has provided nearly $500,000 for projects in Sabino Canyon, including trail rehabilitation in the aftermath of the Aspen Fire, a water well, educational exhibits in the visitor center, new entrance plaza facilities, research into bats, amphibians and reptiles, and the restoration of the original Lowell House Ranger Station and the historic depression-era bridges and other stonework.</p><br>
<p>Friends of Sabino Canyon holds an outdoor holiday concert, Music in the Canyon, every year to raise funds for its work, and its major donors are recognized on hand-painted tiles at the entrance to Sabino Canyon, reflecting a variety of southwestern themes.</p><br>
<p>Bear Canyon Trail at Sabino Canyon.jpgBear Canyon Trail</p><br>
<p>Sabino creek, Tucson.jpgSabino Creek</p><br>
<p>Sabino Canyon Tucson Arizona.jpgSabino Canyon in winter</p><br>
<p>Nea Erythraia  is a suburb in the northeastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kifisia, of which it is a municipal unit.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Nea Erythraia is situated at the western end of the forested Penteli mountain range. The municipal unit has an area of 4.831 km. The small river Kifisos forms the northwestern border of the municipal unit. Nea Erythraia is situated 14 km northeast of Athens city centre. The built-up area of Nea Erythraia is continuous with that of the neighbouring suburb Kifisia. Motorway 1, Greek National Road 1 and Greek National Road 83 pass through the town.</p><br>
<p>For many years, Nea Erythraia was home to the senior division of Campion, one of Greece&#39;s oldest English-language schools.</p><br>
<p>On September 14, 2004, the paralympic flame arrived in Nea Erythraia as it travelled from Marathon.</p><br>
<h2>Historical population</h2><br>
<p>Jeju Island  is the largest island off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, and the main island of Jeju Province of South Korea. The island lies in the Korea Strait, south of South Jeolla Province. The island contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Jejudo has a moderate climate; even in winter, the temperature rarely falls below 0 &deg;C.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<h3>Historical names</h3><br>
<p>Historically, the island has been called by many different names including:</p><br>
<p>Doi (, hanja:, literally "Island barbarian")</p><br>
<p>Dongyeongju (; hanja: 東瀛州)</p><br>
<p>Juho (, hanja: )</p><br>
<p>Tammora (탐모라, 耽牟羅)</p><br>
<p>Seomra (섭라, 涉羅)</p><br>
<p>Tangna (탁라, 乇羅)</p><br>
<p>Tamna (탐라, 耽羅)</p><br>
<p>Quelpart, Quelparte or Quelpaert Island</p><br>
<p>Joonwonhado (준원하도, 준원下島 meaning southern part of peninsula)</p><br>
<p>Taekseungnido (, meaning the peaceful hot island in Joseon)</p><br>
<p>Samdado (, meaning "Island of Three Abundances")</p><br>
<p>Before the Japanese annexation in 1910, the island was usually known as Quelpart to Europeans. The name apparently came from the first European ship to spot the island, the Dutch Quelpaert, which sighted it after being blown off course on its way to the Dutch trading base in Nagasaki, Japan, from Taiwan (then the Dutch colony of Formosa).</p><br>
<p>"According to Korean records, a fleet of seventy pirate craft attacked Quelpart Island and adjacent parts of the Korean peninsula in 1555."</p><br>
<p>When Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, Jeju then became known as Saishū, which is the Japanese reading of the hanja for Jeju.</p><br>
<p>Before 2000, when the Seoul government established the official Revised Romanization of Korean, Jejudo was spelled Cheju-do. Almost all written references to the island before that use that spelling.</p><br>
<h3>Jeju Uprising</h3><br>
<p>From April 3, 1948 to May 1949, the South Korean government conducted an anticommunist campaign to suppress an attempted uprising on the island. The main cause for the rebellion was the election scheduled for May 10, 1948, designed by the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea (UNTCOK) to create a new government for all of Korea. The elections were only planned for the south of the country, the half of the peninsula under UNTCOK control. Fearing that the elections would further reinforce division, guerrilla fighters for the South Korean Labor party (SKLP) reacted violently, attacking local police and rightist youth groups stationed on Jeju Island.</p><br>
<p>Atrocities were committed by both sides, but those by South Korean government forces are the best-documented. On one occasion, American soldiers discovered the bodies of 97 people who had been killed by government forces. On another, American soldiers encountered police who were executing 76 villagers.</p><br>
<p>Between 14,000 and 30,000 people died as a result of the rebellion, or up to 10% of the island’s total population. In the decades after the uprising, memory of the event was suppressed by the government through strict punishment.</p><br>
<p>In 2008, bodies of victims of a massacre were discovered in a mass grave near Jeju International Airport.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>Jejudo is a volcanic island, dominated by Hallasan: a volcano 1,950 m high and the highest mountain in South Korea. The island measures approximately 73 km across, east to west, and 41 km from north to south.</p><br>
<p>The island was created by volcanic eruptions approximately 2 million years ago, during the Cenozoic era. The island consists chiefly of basalt and lava.</p><br>
<p>An area covering about 12% (224 km&sup2;) of Jejudo is known as Gotjawal Forest. This area remained uncultivated until the 21st century, as its base of ʻAʻā lava made it difficult to develop for agriculture. Because this forest remained pristine for so long, it has a unique ecology.</p><br>
<p>The forest is the main source of groundwater and thus the main water source for the half million people of the island, because rainwater penetrates directly into the aquifer through the cracks of the ʻAʻā lava under the forest. Gotjawal forest is considered an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention by some researchers because it is the habitat of unique species of plants and is the main source of water for the residents, although to date it has not been declared a Ramsar site.</p><br>
<h3>Formation</h3><br>
<p>About 2 million years ago, the island of Jeju was formed through volcanic activity.</p><br>
<p>About 1.2 million years ago, a magma chamber formed under the sea floor and began to erupt.</p><br>
<p>About 700 thousand years ago, the island had been formed through volcanic activity. Volcanic activity then stopped for approximately 100 thousand years.</p><br>
<p>About 300 thousand years ago, volcanic activity restarted along the coastline.</p><br>
<p>About 100 thousand years ago, volcanic activity formed Halla Mountain.</p><br>
<p>About 25 thousand years ago, lateral eruptions around Halla Mountain left multiple oreum (smaller parasitic cones on the flanks of the primary cone).</p><br>
<p>Volcanic activity stopped and prolonged weathering and erosion helped shape the island.</p><br>
<h3>Climate</h3><br>
<p>Jeju has a humid subtropical climate, making it warmer than that of the rest of South Korea. Four distinct seasons are experienced on Jeju; winters are cool and dry while summers are hot, humid, and sometimes rainy.</p><br>
<p>In January 2016, a cold wave affected the region. Snow and frigid weather forced the cancellation of 1,200 flights on Jejudo, stranding approximately 90,300 passengers.</p><br>
<h2>Places of interest</h2><br>
<p>Manjanggul Lava Tube, 8 km long with a 1 km publicly accessible portion</p><br>
<p>Seongsan Ilchulbong or "Sunrise Peak," a volcanic tuff cone and crater</p><br>
<p>Mount Hallasan, the island&#39;s central dominant peak</p><br>
<p>Seongeup Folk Village</p><br>
<p>Jeju Teddy Bear Museum</p><br>
<p>Jeju Loveland, a sex themed sculpture park</p><br>
<p>O&#39;Sulloc Tea Museum.</p><br>
<h2>Utilities</h2><br>
<p>The island&#39;s power-grid is connected to mainland plants by the HVDC Haenam–Cheju, and electricity is also provided by generators located on the island. As of 2001, there were four power plants on Jeju, with more under planning and construction. The most notable of these are the gas-fired generators of Jeju Thermal Power Plant, located in Jeju City. The present-day generators of this plant were constructed from 1982 onwards, replacing earlier structures that dated from 1968. As elsewhere in Korea, the power supply is overseen by the Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO.</p><br>
<p>In February 2012, the governor of the state of Hawaii (USA), Neil Abercrombie, and the director of the Electricity Market and Smart Grid Division at the Korea Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Choi Kyu-Chong, signed a letter of intent to share information about Smart Grid technology. The Jeju Smart Grid was initially installed in 6,000 homes in Gujwa-eup and is being expanded. South Korea is using the pilot program of the Smart Grid on Jejudo as the testing ground in order to implement a nationwide Smart Grid by 2030.</p><br>
<h2>Transportation</h2><br>
<p>As of 2012, the Seoul – Jeju City air route is by a significant margin the world&#39;s busiest, with 10,156,000 passengers flown between the two cities that year.</p><br>
<h2>Cheju/Jeju Naval Base</h2><br>
<p>In 1993 the Republic of Korea (ROK) began planning a naval base on Jejudo (Jeju) Island, and in 2007, construction began in the village of Gangjeong, with planned completion by 2011. The base was planned to accommodate 20 warships, three submarines and two 150,000-ton cruise ships, as a private-military complex port, similar to those in Sydney and Hawaii. Jeju residents, environmentalists, and opposition parties opposed the base, causing delays in the construction schedule. The base was completed in 2016 and the official name is the Jeju Civilian-Military Complex Port. Activists opposed to the plan claim environmental hazards will damage the “Island of Peace” designated as such by the government.</p><br>
<p>The Ceahlău Massif is one of the most notorious mountains of Romania. It is part of the Bistriţa Mountains range of the Eastern Carpathians division, in Neamţ County, in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca  and Ocolaşul Mare . It is bounded to the east by the Bistriţa River and Lake Bicaz, to the south by the Bicaz River. From the south, the main access point is the village of Izvorul Muntelui, located 12 km north from the town of Bicaz. To the north, Mount Ceahlău is also accessible from Durău.</p><br>
<h2>Activities</h2><br>
<p>Ceahlău National Park shelters a large variety of flora and fauna; some of the species are endemic or rarely seen elsewhere in Romania.</p><br>
<h3>Hiking</h3><br>
<p>Mount Ceahlău is a popular hiking destination in Romania. There are seven main marked trails built for hikers and tourists. There are entering fees for visiting Ceahlău National Park. and fines for non respecting park&#39;s regulations. The park is monitored by local rangers and there is also a mountain rescue service (Salvamont).</p><br>
<h3>Skiing</h3><br>
<p>There are ski slopes located at Durău.</p><br>
<h3>Camping</h3><br>
<p>Camping is permitted only in a few designated places: in Durău, near Dochia Chalet and in Izvorul Muntelui.</p><br>
<h3>Chalets and refuges</h3><br>
<p>Izvorul Muntelui Chalet (757 m of altitude, basecamp), near Bicaz</p><br>
<p>Dochia Chalet (1750 m, near Toaca Peak)</p><br>
<p>Fântânele Chalet (1220m, near Durău)</p><br>
<p>Ceahlău - Toaca weather station</p><br>
<h3>Notable sights and places</h3><br>
<p>Duruitoarea waterfall</p><br>
<p>Panaghia rock</p><br>
<p>Piatra Lată din Ghedeon rock formation</p><br>
<p>Ocolaşul Mic Peak</p><br>
<p>Dochia Rock</p><br>
<p>Turnul lui Butu Stone</p><br>
<p>Poiana Maicilor (engl: Nuns&#39; glade)</p><br>
<p>Poiana Stănile</p><br>
<p>Poliţa cu crini protected area</p><br>
<p>Gardul Stănilelor</p><br>
<h2>Other uses of the name</h2><br>
<p>Ceahlăul Stadium, in Piatra Neamţ</p><br>
<p>FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ, a Romanian soccer team</p><br>
<p>The George F. Barton House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, built between 1903 & 1904, and is located at 118 Summit Avenue in Buffalo, New York. The Barton House is part of the larger Darwin D. Martin House Complex, considered to be one of the most important projects from Wright&#39;s Prairie School era.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The complex was commissioned by Darwin D. Martin an entrepreneur who worked at the Larkin Soap Company. The site was purchased by Martin in 1902 as a location where he planned to build two houses, one for himself, and one for his sister, Delta Martin Barton, and her husband, George F. Barton.</p><br>
<p>Martin and Barton were colleagues at the Larkin Company, and Wright also designed houses for other Larkin employees William R. Heath and Walter V. Davidson, as well as the Larkin Company&#39;s administration building.</p><br>
<p>Of the Martin Complexs six buildings construction on the Barton House began first and not only was it the first building of the complex to be completed but also the first of Wrights in Buffalo.</p><br>
<p>The Barton House is on the north east corner of the complex.</p><br>
<p>The basic floor plan is cruciform, with the principal living spaces concentrated in the center two-story portion of the house where the reception, living and dining areas open into each other. The two main bedrooms are on the second story, at either end of a narrow hall. The kitchen is at the north end, behind the main stairway, while an open porch is to the south.</p><br>
<p>Wright&#39;s K. C. DeRhodes House in South Bend, Indiana, is a mirror image of the Barton House. The F.B. Henderson House in Elmhurst, Illinois is also similar in plan.</p><br>
<p>The Martin House Restoration Corporation operates guided public tours and presents educational programs for both volunteers and the general public.</p><br>
<p>Lake Wingra is a small lake located inside the city limits of the USA city of Madison, Wisconsin. The smallest of the five major lakes drained by the Yahara River in Dane County, Lake Wingra is bordered by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum on the south and west and the City of Madison on the remaining shoreline. The lake is considered an important fishery and is known for spring runs of large muskellunge. Henry Vilas Zoo, Wingra Boats, Wingra Park, and Edgewood College are located on the Lake&#39;s northern shoreline. The majority of the shoreline is publicly owned.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Historically, Native Americans made extensive use of the lands surrounding Lake Wingra, which takes its name from the word for "duck" in the language of the Ho-Chunk Nation.</p><br>
<p>In the past, Lake Wingra was a very productive lake ecosystem with significant groundwater inputs. These inputs primarily took the form of surface springs and subsurface seepage, with drainage running through Wingra Creek to Lake Monona and the Yahara River, which is part of the Upper Rock River drainage, a tributary to the Mississippi River.</p><br>
<p>Over the past two hundred years, human use of the lake and its watershed have changed significantly. Only a fraction of the historical springs feeding the lake still remain and a much greater percentage of the lake&#39;s water budget comprises chemically, biologically and thermally polluted surface runoff. Lake Wingra, like other lakes in the Yahara chain (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa), is severely stressed by a combination of toxic pollutants, such as mercury and PCBs, thermal pollution, sedimentation, exotic species (plant, animal and microbial), intense human recreational use and hyper-nutrification with nitrogen and phosphorus.</p><br>
<p>Stormwater management in the Lake Wingra basin was essentially ignored during the period of greatest development in the watershed. Storm drains ran directly to Lake Wingra and combined sewer issues resulted in discharges of zoo wastes into the Lake and Wingra Creek. This problem has been addressed successfully by the City of Madison. In other locations, stormwater is directed to holding and settling ponds which slow flows and trap pollutants before they move downstream to the lake itself. These ponds are contaminated with a variety of biological and chemical pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals (e.g. Hg, Cd, Zn, Ni), and organic chemicals (phthalates, etc.). Restoration activities on the UW Arboretum will include removal of contaminated sediments from holding ponds which have not already been upgraded.</p><br>
<p>Efforts to restore Lake Wingra are taking place but so far, these have been small, mostly demonstration projects rather than a comprehensive basin-wide approach. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is experimenting with removal of non-native carp in Lake Wingra during 2006/2007.</p><br>
<p>The USGS has a 2007 project () located on the Edgewood College campus near the shore of Lake Wingra that tests the effectiveness of two rain gardens in containing water, with hopes this will lead to improved rain garden efficiency.</p><br>
<p>Lake Mendota is the northernmost and largest of the four lakes in Madison, Wisconsin. The lake borders Madison on the north, east and south, Middleton on the west, Shorewood Hills on the southwest, Maple Bluff on the northeast, and Westport on the northwest.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The shorelines of Lake Mendota and Monona define the isthmus upon which Madison was built, with the lakes connected by the Yahara River. Much of it is lined with expensive luxury homes and condominiums. The banks of the lake also contain protected natural areas and parks, including James Madison Park, as well as university housing, the UW Student Union and a handful of hotels and restaurants. Summers bring boaters out in force, especially on the weekends, though Lake Mendota is rarely crowded. There are several boat launching sites and two major marinas serving the lake. On a typical summer day, the lake is filled with those engaging in water sports, including fishing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, canoeing, wind-surfing, kayaking, and sailing. With an average freeze date of December 20, Lake Mendota is used in the winter by sports enthusiasts for ice-boating, ice-skating, ice fishing, cross country skiing, ice hockey and snowkiting.</p><br>
<p>The Wisconsin State Capitol building and much of the state government is located in this narrow stretch of land, as much as the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus is situated along the southern shore of Lake Mendota. In the early 20th century, Chancey Juday and Edward A. Birge founded an influential school of limnology there as a component of the university. The university&#39;s Hoofer Sailing Club operates at Memorial Union.</p><br>
<h2>Beaches</h2><br>
<p>The city of Madison maintains five beaches on Lake Mendota, three of which are staffed with lifeguards.</p><br>
<h2>Lake study</h2><br>
<p>Lake Mendota has been called the most studied lake in the United States, with the UW–Madison Center for limnology resting on its southern bank. The lake has a remote sensor buoy, affectionately known as David Buoy, that is part of the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network. It has Surface Area of 3,988 ha.</p><br>
<p>Maximum depth: 24.9 m.</p><br>
<p>Mean depth: 12.5 m.</p><br>
<p>Volume: 500M m^3.</p><br>
<p>Surface elevation: 259m.</p><br>
<p>Shore Length: 34.8 km.</p><br>
<p>The pH of Lake Mendota: 8.3-8.4.</p><br>
<p>Specific Conductance of 407.8 mS/cm.</p><br>
<p>Dissolved Organic Carbon as 5.3-5.7 mg/L.</p><br>
<p>On September 11, 2009, the invasive spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) was discovered by the limnology class at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, making it the third known inland lake to harbor this species in Wisconsin.</p><br>
<p>Brooklyn Museum - Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin - Joseph Rusling Meeker - overall.jpgLake Mendota by Joseph Rusling Meeker</p><br>
<p>WindSurfer2.jpgWindsurfer on the lake</p><br>
<p>Poveglia is a small island located between Venice and Lido in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. A small canal divides the island into two separate parts.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The island is first mentioned in chronicles of 421, when people from Padua and Este fled there to escape the barbarian invasions. In the 9th century the island&#39;s population began to grow, and in the following centuries its importance grew steadily, until it was governed by a dedicated Podestà. In 1379 Venice came under attack from the Genoan fleet; the people of Poveglia were moved to the Giudecca.</p><br>
<p>The island remained uninhabited in the subsequent centuries; in 1527 the doge offered the island to the Camaldolese monks, who refused the offer. From 1645 on, the Venetian government built five octagonal forts to protect and control the entrances to the lagoon. The Poveglia octagon is one of four that still survive.</p><br>
<p>In 1776 the island came under the jurisdiction of the Magistrato alla Sanità (Public Health Office), and became a check point for all goods and people coming to and going from Venice by ship. In 1793, there were several cases of the plague on two ships, and consequently the island was transformed into a temporary confinement station for the ill (lazaretto); this role became permanent in 1805, under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, who also had the old church of San Vitale destroyed; the old bell-tower was converted into a lighthouse. The lazaretto was closed in 1814.</p><br>
<p>In the 20th century the island was again used as a quarantine station, but in 1922 the existing buildings were converted into an asylum for the mentally ill and for long-term care. After 1968, when the hospital was closed, the island was briefly used for agriculture and then completely abandoned.</p><br>
<p>In 2014 the Italian state auctioned a 99-year lease of Poveglia, which would remain state property, to raise revenue, hoping that the buyer would redevelop the hospital into a luxury hotel. The highest bid was from Italian businessman Luigi Brugnaro but the lease did not proceed as his project was judged not to meet all the conditions.</p><br>
<h2>Buildings and structures</h2><br>
<p>The surviving buildings on the island consist of a cavana, a church, a hospital, an asylum, a bell-tower and housing and administrative buildings for the staff. The bell-tower is the most visible structure on the island, and dates back to the 12th century. It belonged to the church of San Vitale, which was demolished in 1806. The tower was re-used as a lighthouse.</p><br>
<p>The existence of an asylum on Poveglia seems to be confirmed by a sign for "Reparto Psichiatria" (Psychiatric Department) still visible among the derelict buildings, as photographed by Ransom Riggs in his May 2010 photo-essay documenting his visit to Poveglia. However, there seems to be no evidence of an alleged prison.</p><br>
<p>A bridge connects the island on which the buildings stand with the island that was given over to trees and fields. The octagonal fort is on a third, separate island, next to the island with the buildings, but unconnected to it. The fort itself today consists solely of an earthen rampart faced on the outside with brick.</p><br>
<p>The island contains one or more plague pits. Some estimates suggest that 100,000 people died on the island over the centuries.</p><br>
<h2>Popular culture</h2><br>
<p>Some time after the island had become a quarantine station for ships arriving at Venice in the 18th century, a plague was discovered on two ships. The island was sealed off and used to host people with infectious diseases, leading to legends of terminally ill Venetians waiting to die before their ghosts returned to haunt the island.</p><br>
<p>In 1922, the island became home to a mental hospital where a doctor allegedly experimented on patients with crude lobotomies. He later threw himself from the hospital tower after claiming he had been driven mad by ghosts. The island has been featured on the paranormal shows Ghost Adventures and Scariest Places on Earth.</p><br>
<p>The island also featured in the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz as "Malagosto", the main assassin training centre for SCORPIA.</p><br>
<p>A dark Polish graphic novel by Roman Pietraszko (art) and Maciej Kur (script) titled "Żyjesz?" ("Are you alive?") is set on the island of Poveglia during the Plague and focuses on a sick girl and a boy trying to escape from the island while being hunted down by the plague doctors.</p><br>
<p>An island inspired by Poveglia is the main location in the Sandman graphic novel Endless Nights, in the first story Death and Venice. The island is owned in the 18th century by a rich nobleman and alchemist, who finds a way to shield his palazzo, himself, and his guests from the ravages of time to repeat the same day over and over. The narrator visits the island as a boy and later as an adult, where (like Poveglia) it has been long since abandoned with a reputation of being haunted.</p><br>
<p>Is the title of book #4 in the "After The Cure" series of post-apocalyptic novels by Deirdre K. Gould. Like the 3 preceding books in the series, the novel "Poveglia" is set in a world ravaged by a quasi-zombie plague of "The Infected" and takes place 8 years after the initial outbreak, by which time a cure has been developed and administered so that most of the formerly Infected and those who were Immune are now coexisting in what may be the only remaining civilized city.</p><br>
<p>Independence Pass, originally known as Hunter Pass, is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. It is at elevation 12,095 ft on the Continental Divide in the Sawatch Range. The pass is midway between Aspen and Twin Lakes, on the border between Pitkin and Lake counties.</p><br>
<p>State Highway 82 traverses it, in the process reaching the highest elevation of a paved Colorado state highway on a through road. After Cottonwood Pass to the south, it is the second-highest pass with an improved road in the state, the fourth-highest paved road in the state and the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the USA Because of the heavy snowfall at its elevation, it is closed in wintertime, isolating Aspen from direct access from the east during the ski season.</p><br>
<p>When the pass is open in warmer weather, it is a popular destination. A scenic overlook near the pass allows visitors to take in the alpine tundra environment above treeline, and offers excellent views to the east of Mount Elbert, Colorado&#39;s highest peak and the second-highest mountain in the contiguous United States. Rock climbers are drawn to nearby bouldering opportunities, and informal paths lead to nearby mountain summits of even higher elevation. Backcountry skiers make use of the slopes during the late spring and early summer. Since 2011 the pass has been on the route of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.</p><br>
<p>The pass was formed by glacial action and erosion in the region, and its first recorded sighting was by Zebulon Pike in 1806. Ferdinand Hayden surveyed it in 1873. As part of the Continental Divide, it was the limit of European settlement in the region at the time, with the land to the west reserved for the Ute people. Prospectors who defied governor Frederick Walker Pitkins order crossed the pass on July 4, 1879, giving it its current name and setting up a similarly named village (now a ghost town) to its west. A toll road built across the pass was abandoned and neglected after a railroad connection was made to Aspen. A new road replaced it in the 1920s; portions of the old route can still be seen along the western approach. The Independence Pass Foundation, based in Aspen, works to repair damage to the passs environment caused by both roads since 1984.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>At the pass, the main ridge of the Sawatch Range, and thus the Continental Divide, turns from running generally south to more southwesterly. North of the pass slopes rise to an unnamed 13,440 ft peak a half-mile (1 km) away; a ridge of about the same length connects it to the nearest named summit, 13,711 ft Twining Peak. To the south the ridge rises more gently around Mountain Boy Gulch to an unnamed 13,198 ft summit 2 miles (3.2 km) distant. The first named summit in this direction is Grizzly Peak, Colorado&#39;s highest thirteener.</p><br>
<p>The terrain is level enough, and the ridge broad enough, to allow for a 500-foot (150 m) parking lot along the south side of Highway 82 at the height of land. The pass is split evenly between Pitkin and Lake counties, as well as White River and San Isabel national forests. Boundaries of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and the Mount Massive Wilderness are near the pass on the south and north respectively. The Hunter–Fryingpan Wilderness is also nearby.</p><br>
<p>West of the parking area is a small maintenance shed; on the east are toilet facilities. Both are maintained by the USA Forest Service. A paved walkway system extends to a pair of overlooks 500 feet (150 m) to the south allowing views in that direction over the Lake Creek valley to Mount Elbert, at 14,440 ft the highest peak both in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, and La Plata Peak, another fourteener and the state&#39;s fifth-highest peak. A wide dirt path continues southward three miles (4.8 km) along the ridge to an unnamed 13,020 ft summit. Across the road a use path leads 2.5 mi to the summits of the unnamed peak and Twining.</p><br>
<p>The pass comes roughly in the middle of a 32 mi stretch of Highway 82 between the two winter gates, a corridor that is sometimes referred to in its entirety as Independence Pass. Aspen is 19 mi to the west, with Twin Lakes 18 mi to the east. Beyond Aspen the highway continues down the valley to the mouth of the Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs. East of Twin Lakes Highway 82 continues a short distance to its eastern terminus at USA Highway 24, 15 mi south of Leadville.</p><br>
<p>On both approaches, the dropoff is steep enough for Highway 82 to require a 6% grade and switchbacks: one on the west and three on the east. The former approach uses the narrow valley of the Roaring Fork River, a tributary of the Colorado, which rises from Independence Lake west of the pass. Its walls are steeper but shallower than those of the North Fork of Lake Creek, which drains into Twin Lakes Reservoir and the headwaters of the Arkansas River, on the east.</p><br>
<p>The pass is above tree line, so the surrounding terrain is alpine tundra. Open grassy expanses are occasionally broken by low shrubbery and bare patches of rock, particularly on the steep slope to the north. Snow lingers in some areas year-round. Adjacent to the road and parking area are small ephemeral pools on the southwest, with a larger, permanent one north of the road.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Like the surrounding mountains, the pass was created by glaciation and erosion over thousands of years. Before European-American settlers arrived, it was in the territory of the Ute Native American tribe. One of the earliest sightings by a European-American was in 1806, when Zebulon Pike, mapping the southern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase, spotted the gap in what would later be named the Sawatch Range from the upper Arkansas River valley. It was not explored until Ferdinand Hayden and his team surveyed it in 1873. At the time it was known as Hunter Pass.</p><br>
<p>Three years later, in 1876, Colorado became a state. At the time settlement had pushed as far west from its capital, Denver, as Leadville. There was a variety of metals and minerals in the surrounding mountains, and some miners had become rich from their claims there. Those who had not been so successful heard about reports from prospectors of abundant silver deposits further west, over the Divide.</p><br>
<p>Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin had ordered all settlers to stay to the east of the Divide, as the state and federal governments had not made peace with the Utes. Nevertheless, some defied the order, drawn by the prospect of mining fortunes. Settlers sometimes used Hunter Pass to get to Ashcroft, an early camp on Castle Creek above the Roaring Fork. However, they preferred to take the southern route over the slightly higher Cottonwood Pass through Taylor Park and then back over Taylor Pass to get there, even though this made for a 100-mile (160 km) journey, 40 miles (64 km) more than the direct route offered by Hunter Pass.</p><br>
<p>On July 4, 1879, a group from Leadville struck gold in the uppermost Roaring Fork valley below the pass. Four miles (6.4 km) to the west, they established a settlement in the upper Roaring Fork Valley that eventually took the name Independence from the holiday on which it was established. The pass, the lake from which the Roaring Fork rises and another nearby mountain all took that name as well. The Twin Lakes and Roaring Fork Toll Company, established to build a road through to the camps in the lower Roaring Fork Valley, improved the original path over the pass sufficiently enough by 1880 that horses could be used for the trip.</p><br>
<p>Independence grew quickly when more gold was found in the nearby mountains. Within two years of its settlement permanent buildings had replaced the original tents, and a mining concern from Leadville had bought up all the claims. In Aspen, further down the valley, silver was found in even greater abundance than Independence&#39;s gold. B. Clark Wheeler, an early investor in those mines, funded the construction of a stage road to Leadville, the first road to cross the pass. It opened in November 1881, with winter already in full swing at the pass.</p><br>
<p>The road charged 25 cents ($ in modern dollars) for saddle horses and twice that for two-axle stagecoaches.</p><br>
<p>The road improved Independences economy, since coaches often stopped there on the multi-day journey. However, the year of its construction would turn out to be the settlements economic peak year. Gold production dropped off after 1884. Independences decline in population, remote location and severe high-altitude winters cost it the opportunity to be seat of newly formed Pitkin County to Aspen, located on a larger plain further down the river and growing much more rapidly due to the Colorado Silver Boom. When a rail connection was made to that city in 1888, the stage road fell into disuse, further hurting Independences economy. All but one of the remaining residents decamped as a group to Aspen on improvised cross-country skis during the severe winter of 1899. The holdout, J.R. Williams, remained until 1920. The nearby Williams Mountains were named for him.</p><br>
<p>By then Aspens prosperity had receded as well. Congress repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in response to the Panic of 1893, which took the largest buyer of the citys silver out of the market. Aspen began a period of steady decline known today as "the quiet years" as mines gradually closed down. The route over the pass remained useful, however. In 1895 a telephone line was routed over it.</p><br>
<p>Although its population had dropped below a thousand by the late 1920s, in 1927 the state replaced the stage road with what eventually became Highway 82. Unlike the stage road, it was closed during the winter months. While most of the old route was used for the new road, a portion of the original grade remains three miles below the pass on the east side. It includes the foundation of the gatekeeper&#39;s house and the remains of the gate.</p><br>
<p>During the Great Depression, another large public works project involved the pass. The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) oversaw the construction of the Twin Lakes Tunnel, which diverted water from Grizzly Reservoir, on Lincoln Creek, a southern tributary of the Roaring Fork, to Twin Lakes, where it was used for irrigation purposes by beet and watermelon farmers in the Rocky Ford and Ordway areas. Starting in 1935, 50,000 acre-feet (about 61.7 million m³) were made available this way.</p><br>
<p>Another WPA effort recognized the pass as a scenic attraction. A travel guidebook for automobile touring produced by the Federal Writers&#39; Project gave as one route the trip along Highway 82 from Twin Lakes. It noted the distinctive landscape of the pass:</p><br>
<p>After World War II, Aspen began to grow and prosper again due to the establishment of a popular ski resort, an annual music festival, and a relaxed lifestyle which attracted many celebrities and corporate executives to the city. Visitors to Aspen generally had to take Highway 82 up from Glenwood Springs or fly in, as few wanted to drive over the unpaved pass road. In 1967 the State Highway Department remedied this by paving the road over the pass. It has since been designated part of Colorado&#39;s "Top of the Rockies" scenic byway by the state and federal departments of transportation.</p><br>
<h2>Environment</h2><br>
<p>The alpine biome of the pass extends below it on either side to an elevation of approximately 11,500 ft, or about the altitude of the Linkins Lake trailhead on the western side, Highway 82&#39;s uppermost crossing of the Roaring Fork. Below it is a subalpine zone where lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir and aspen dominate the forest. A few patches of those trees persist above that elevation, but they are mostly stunted krummholz.</p><br>
<p>Tree growth above those patches is curtailed by the alpine climate of the pass. It is characterized by severe changes in temperature, high winds and the deep winter snow. The resulting short growing season is made even shorter by the thin soil.</p><br>
<p>The most predominant plant species in the alpine zone around the pass are the grass species adapted to the harsh climate. Other alpine flora, such as moss and lichens on the rocks, and wildflowers in season, make appearances. Shrubs that survive among them include strawberry, snowberry, willows and bog birch. Animals in the alpine zone include ptarmigans, small burrowing species like pika, marmots, and pocket gopher, and mountain goats.</p><br>
<p>Two types of rock are found in the pass and its vicinity. Quartz monzonite forms many of the cliffs, while the crags are biotite gneiss. The glaciation, which dates to as recently as 12,000 years ago, smoothed much of the rock to the point of it being slippery.</p><br>
<h2>Visitor attractions</h2><br>
<p>Many visitors stop at the parking lot and walk the paved path to the scenic overlook. In clear enough weather it offers views east of Mount Elbert, Colorados highest peak, and La Plata Peak, the states fifth-highest at 14,336 ft. To the west more fourteeners—the Maroon Bells, Snowmass Mountain and Capitol Peak—stand out among the mountains. A trail with Braille interpretive plaques is available for visually impaired visitors.</p><br>
<p>Other outdoor recreation opportunities exist at and near the pass. Between the pass and Difficult Campground, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Aspen, there are many popular rock climbing areas, some with grades up to 5.12 under the Yosemite Decimal System. The Grotto Wall across from Lincoln Gulch campground is a frequent destination. Closer to the pass are Instant Karma Cliff and Putterman&#39;s Dome. A pair of rocks along either side of Highway 82 on the east approach to the pass are popular bouldering spots.</p><br>
<p>On the days after the pass reopens in the spring, backcountry skiers often take advantage of the remaining snow on the slopes. In years following heavy winters, skiing is possible into July.</p><br>
<p>Water-based recreation is available near the pass as well, particularly on the Roaring Fork side. At the Grottos climbing cliffs eight miles (14.4 km) to the west of the pass, a short trail leads to an area along the river known as the Devil&#39;s Punchbowl, with high stone cliffs on either side and waterfalls. It is a popular swimming hole due to its deep and cool waters. The river is popular with anglers casting for trout as well, and some even make the hike from the pass up to Blue Lake for its lake and cutthroat trout stocks.</p><br>
<p>Four miles (6.4 km) west of the pass is the site of Independence, the village whose establishment on July 4 led to the pass&#39;s current name. It has been a ghost town since the early 20th century. In 1973 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of its buildings were cannibalized for their building supplies, but a few log cabins remain. The Aspen Historical Society, in conjunction with the USA Forest Service, built an interpretive trail with plaques.</p><br>
<p>In 2011 the USA Pro Cycling Challenge bicycle race around Colorado was held for the first time. A 131 mi stage from Gunnison to Aspen was routed over both Cottonwood and Independence passes. Spectators were allowed to camp at the pass; their impact on the passs environment led to a ban on camping within 10 miles (16 km) of it for the following years event. The Forest Service posted signs reminding spectators at the pass of the fragility of the surrounding tundra</p><br>
<h2>Travel advisories and restrictions</h2><br>
<p>The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) restricts the use of Highway 82 through the pass. Most significant is the winter closure. The road is typically closed after the first significant winter snowfall, or by November 7 at the latest (but there have been exceptions.). CDOT tries to reopen just before Memorial Day weekend in late May, the traditional beginning of summer in the United States, when enough of the accumulated snowpack has melted to make it possible to clear and repair the road. Some years, after light winters, the pass has reopened as early as May 12. Two gates, just east of Aspen on the west end and west of the remaining buildings of the stage stop of Everett on the east, prevent motor vehicles from passage. When the road is closed, Aspen is isolated from the east and Highway 82 up the valley from Glenwood Springs becomes the only vehicular access to the city during its busy ski season.</p><br>
<p>Even when the pass is open, not all vehicles may use the road. Oversized and overweight vehicles are prohibited from the pass, as are all vehicles or vehicle combinations longer than 35 ft regardless of weight or size. This precludes use of the pass by tractor trailers, buses, and recreational vehicles.</p><br>
<p>Some truck drivers use the pass despite the prohibition. They are generally either unaware of the restriction and following routes plotted by their GPS devices, or aware of it and willing to risk the fine for the sake of the time and distance saved. The resulting accidents have sometimes forced the closure of the pass. CDOT put up larger signs advising drivers of the ban and worked with GPS device manufacturers so their software notes the restriction. Aspen officials have suggested increasing the fines as a deterrent.</p><br>
<p>Driving through the pass is challenging. Both approaches require 6% grades due to the height of the pass, and require navigating hairpin turns with advisory speeds of 10 mph (15 km/h). Rockfalls, particularly on the approach from Aspen, have narrowed some sections to a single lane 12 feet (4 m) wide with temporary traffic lights. On the Twin Lakes approach, they have resulted in temporary closures. Other vehicles frequently enter the road unexpectedly at the many parking areas for campgrounds and other recreational attractions, and bicyclists make frequent use of Highway 82 as well. CDOT advises anyone coming to the pass for outdoor recreation to take precautions against the effects of the high altitude and the changeable weather.</p><br>
<h2>Independence Pass Foundation</h2><br>
<p>Since the days of the stage road avalanches and rockfalls often forced closures of the highway, partly due to the massive disturbance of the land during the road&#39;s construction. No attempt was made to remedy this until shortly after the automobile road was built. In the 1930s, as a relief project during the Great Depression, a crew from the Civilian Conservation Corps replanted the slopes around Independence, by then abandoned for two decades.</p><br>
<p>At that time, Aspen was a faded mining town whose population had dwindled to fewer than a thousand. Later in the decade the first efforts to develop a ski resort began. They continued after World War II, and in the later decades of the 20th century the city began to grow again. Other than paving the road, CDOT was unable to undertake any significant improvements to the highway corridor due to its projects elsewhere in the state and the requirement to coordinate efforts with the Forest Service, which owns most of the damaged land.</p><br>
<p>Beginning in 1976, Bob Lewis, an environmental activist in Aspen, organized revegetation efforts on some sections of the pass near the road that were having serious erosion problems. He realized eventually that a dedicated nonprofit organization would be a better way to address the many issues that remained. The Independence Pass Foundation (IPF) was established in 1989. Its first project, coordinated with the Forest Service, CDOT and Pitkin County, was the reconstruction of a curve near the popular Weller Lake trailhead.</p><br>
<p>The success of the Weller Curve project cleared the way for work on the Top Cut, the 1.5 mi stretch just below the summit on the western side, which includes the most seriously eroded slopes anywhere in the pass corridor. Lewis had always intended to focus the IPF&#39;s efforts on it, and the organization began the first of several ongoing projects there in 1996. Work included the construction of stone retaining walls as well as revegetation. By the 2010s the results were evident.</p><br>
<p>With the success of these projects, IPF has been doing revegetation projects along the road below the Top Cut since 2004. Compost blankets were applied to large sections of the soil to replace lost nutrients.</p><br>
<p>IPF has undertaken other projects to promote awareness of the work that needs to be done at the pass to protect its distinctive environment. Groups from local schools have spent a day up in the pass working and learning. Many have adopted the same sites and work on them with a new class each year. Along with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, the foundation also cosponsors a "My Independence" all-day walking tour of the pass for adults that covers ecological topics in depth.</p><br>
<p>Every May since 1994, just before CDOT reopens the pass, the foundation holds its popular Ride for the Pass, a charity bicycle race that serves as a major outreach event and fundraiser. It follows a 9.5 mi route from the gate east of Aspen to the Independence townsite, climbing 2,500 ft in the process. The IPF has canceled it twice due to poor weather.</p><br>
<p>Hagerman Pass, elevation 11,925 ft, is a high mountain pass that crosses the continental divide in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. The pass traverses the Sawatch Range west of Leadville, connecting the headwaters of the Arkansas River on the east with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River above Basalt, in the basin of the Colorado River.</p><br>
<p>The pass was named for James J. Hagerman, builder of the Colorado Midland Railroad. The Colorado Midland railroad crossed the continental divide through one of two tunnels (initially the Hagerman Tunnel (1877), later the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel (1893) at lower altitude) near the top of Hagerman pass. The latter tunnel now serves as a water diversion tunnel draining Ivanhoe Lake on the west side of the pass into the Arkansas River basin.</p><br>
<p>In 1909, the Shoshone Transmission Line was built to connect a generating station near Glenwood Springs with Leadville and Denver. This historic electric transmission line has been modernized several times and is still in use.</p><br>
<p>The pass is traversed by an unimproved road that is passable only with four-wheel drive vehicles, bicycles, ATVs, or on foot. Two-wheel drive vehicles will find it difficult due to some stream crossings and rocky sections. It is open from approximately late May through the arrival of the first heavy snow in mid or late autumn. The road has occasionally been blocked by fallen trees.</p><br>
<p>Tennessee Pass elevation 10,424 ft is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. The pass was named after Tennessee, the native state of a group of early prospectors.</p><br>
<h2>Route</h2><br>
<p>The pass traverses the continental divide north of Leadville in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range to the east. It connects the headwaters of the Arkansas River to the south with the upper valley of the Eagle River (in the watershed of the Colorado River) to the north. The pass is traversed by USA Highway 24, allowing access between Leadville and Interstate 70 in the Eagle Valley. The pass has a gentle approach on both sides with few steep gradients and no major hairpin curves. The summit of the pass is nearly level. The road over the pass is generally open all year round, easily negotiable by most vehicles, and closes only during severe winter storms.</p><br>
<p>The summit of the pass is the location of Ski Cooper, a ski area in the San Isabel National Forest operated by permit from the United States Forest Service. Most of the area is above the tree line, providing a panoramic view of the peaks of the Sawatch Range to visitors. The area was formerly a World War II training ground for United States Army troops of the 10th Mountain Division from nearby Camp Hale. A memorial to troops of the division is located at the summit of the pass.</p><br>
<h2>Railroad line</h2><br>
<p>The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad constructed a narrow gauge railroad over Tennessee Pass in 1881 as part of their extension to the Aspen area in order to beat the Colorado Midlands standard gauge route to the rich mining area. In 1890, a new standard gauge line was built from Pueblo, to Grand Junction, and jointly with the Colorado Midland Railway, a tunnel was constructed about 200 ft below the summit. In 1945, the old Tennessee Pass Tunnel was replaced by a newer tunnel. In recent times, the Rio Grandes Tennessee Pass line was the highest active mainline railroad mountain pass in the United States. The line, now owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, is currently embargoed (the tracks are out of service but still in place).</p><br>
<p>Once the Moffat Tunnel and Dotsero Cutoff were constructed, the line through Tennessee Pass became a secondary route. The Moffat Tunnel route had a maximum grade of 2%. The west side of the Tennessee Pass route has grades up to 3%. However, the east side of the Tennessee Pass has a maximum grade of only 1.4%.</p><br>
<p>The Denver & Rio Grande&#39;s acquisition and merger to Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1988 made Tennessee Pass once again the preferred transcontinental route. SP had a central route from California through to Kansas via Donner Pass, Tennessee Pass and trackage rights on the former Missouri Pacific route from Pueblo, Colorado into Kansas. The Moffat Tunnel route was still kept in use.</p><br>
<p>In 1996, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) bought Southern Pacific. UP preferred the Moffat Tunnel for routing traffic. The last revenue train went over the Tennessee Pass on August 23, 1997. Soon after Union Pacific ran this last train, they applied to the Surface Transportation Board for permission to abandon the line.</p><br>
<p>Currently, the line is not of much use as the former Missouri Pacific line to Pueblo has been partially abandoned so trains would have to travel from Denver, Colorado down to Pueblo, Colorado before heading west.</p><br>
<p>The 12 mi of the Tennessee Pass line through the Royal Gorge is currently operated by the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, who operates excursion trains out of Cañon City.</p><br>
<p>On July 10, 2012, part of the old tunnel collapsed, creating a sinkhole that damaged USA Highway 24 and forced its temporary closure between Redcliff, Colorado and Leadville, Colorado. The newer tunnel was not damaged.</p><br>
<p>A report released by the Colorado Department of Transportation on September 4, 2014 stated the following about the line:</p><br>
<p>"...The Tennessee Pass line has been identified as significant to CDOT because of its potential to carry both passengers and</p><br>
<p>freight, and because it is the only existing trans-mountain alternative in Colorado to the</p><br>
<p>Moffat Tunnel line, which often runs near capacity. The Tennessee Pass Line may be</p><br>
<p>able to be used as an alternate route as trans-mountain rail demand grows due to</p><br>
<p>increased development on the Western Slope or if the Moffat Tunnel were damaged or</p><br>
<p>closed for any reason. Such an event would have a significant impact on Colorado,</p><br>
<p>particularly on the Western Slope, since the railroads would be forced to move freight</p><br>
<p>through Wyoming. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad currently offers scenic, tourist rail</p><br>
<p>trips on 12 miles of the Tennessee Pass Line west of Cañon City. No freight has been</p><br>
<p>shipped on the Tennessee Pass Line since 1997, but in relatively recent (2011)</p><br>
<p>conversations with the UP, there was no indication that UP would abandon this line in the</p><br>
<p>near future. There have been no changes since."</p><br>
<h2>Water diversion</h2><br>
<p>Tennessee Pass is the location of the first transbasin diversion project to move water from the Colorado River Basin over the continental divide to the Arkansas River. The 1.5 mile (2.4 km) Ewing Placer Ditch (or just Ewing Ditch) was constructed in 1880 and remains in use. It transfers water from Piney Creek east of the pass, a tributary of the Eagle River over the pass to the head of Tennessee Creek. The ditch may have originally been used to provide water for placer mining, but the Otero Canal Company used the water for irrigation before selling the ditch to the Pueblo Board of Water Works in 1955. The ditch has a capacity of 18.5 cubic feet per second (0.52 m/s), and in an average year, it diverts approximately 1000 acre feet (1.2 million m).</p><br>
<p>A second ditch was constructed at Tennessee pass in 1929, the 6 mile (9.7 km) Wurtz Ditch. This was built to provide irrigation water, but Pueblo purchased this ditch in 1938, and in 1953, they extended the ditch another 6.5 miles (10.5 km) westward along the south flank of the Eagle River valley. After extension, the ditch has a capacity of 100 cubic feet per second (2.8 m/s) and diverts an average of about 2700 acre feet (3.3 million m) of water.</p><br>
<p>Lough Gill Loch Gile meaning bright or radiant lake is a freshwater lough  mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. The lake is mentioned in the poetry of W. B. Yeats.</p><br>
<p>Lough Gill and the district of Calry adjoining it is famous for its beautiful scenery.</p><br>
<h2>Location and environment</h2><br>
<p>Lough Gill is about 8 km or 5 miles long and 2 km or 1 mile wide. The Lough Gill system consists of the river Bonet that flows into the eastern end of the lake and the River Garavogue which drains the lake to the west near Sligo Town.</p><br>
<p>The picturesque lake is surrounded by woodlands, such as Slish Wood, Dooney Rock, and Hazelwood all of which contain popular nature trails and viewing points along the lake. The wooded hills of Slieve Killery and Slieve Daean dominate the south shore.</p><br>
<p>It is a popular location for birdwatchers.</p><br>
<h3>Flora and fauna</h3><br>
<p>Lough Gill has a unique micro climate and is noted for the high number of rare or scarce animal and plant species. It is a candidate SAC (Area of Special Conservation) for three habitats listed on Annex I of the E.U. Habitats Directive, including one with priority status including, old oak woodlands, alluvial forest, and the naturally eutrophic lake, all habitats listed in the EU Habitats Directive.</p><br>
<p>The Lough Gill water system gets a very early run of spring salmon.</p><br>
<p>The vegetation of the area was dominated by mixed woodland from 4,600 BC to at least 1400 AD. Scots pine was dominant until 3,400 BC.</p><br>
<p>In a scientific study, Arbutus unedo pollen was found at Slish Lake dating from as early as 100 AD, and so it is considered native to this area.</p><br>
<p>The woods surrounding the lake are dominated by oak (Quercus spp.), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and willows (Salix spp.).The shores of the lake are home to the northernmost specimens of the rare Mediterranean strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) in the world. It is a small evergreen tree of the family Ericaceae, which in Ireland can grow to be a forest tree, reaching heights of up to 15 metres. Its Irish name is caithne.</p><br>
<p>The lake shore supports several rare plant species, including yellow birds-nest (Monotropa hypopitys), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla glaucescens), ivy broomrape (Orobanche hederae), black bryony (Tamus communis), intermediate wintergreen (Pyrola media) and birds-nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis).</p><br>
<p>It is also home to the following rare or protected species, sea lamprey, river lamprey, brook lamprey, white-clawed crayfish, Atlantic salmon and otter.</p><br>
<p>A small colony of common terns breed on the lakes islands (20 pairs in 1993). Kingfishers are also found on the lake.</p><br>
<h3>Islands</h3><br>
<p>The lake contains about 20 small islands, including the Isle of Innisfree, made famous by W. B. Yeats, Church Island, and Beezie&#39;s Island, which was inhabited until 1951.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In 1836 Thomas O&#39;Connor of the Ordnance Survey noted a saying amongst the people that went "Connacht is the Grianán of Ireland, Cairbre is the Grianán of Connacht, Calry is the Grianán of Cairbre and the Hill is the Grianán of Calgaich. Gríanán is a word meaning literally "sunny place" and implies a place of great natural beauty. The hill of Grianán is at the eastern shore of Lough Gill.</p><br>
<p>In the early historic era (5th-8th centuries), the area was home to a branch of the Cálraighe. Parke&#39;s castle, a plantation fortified house on the northern shore, was built in the early 17th century by Captain Robert Parke on the site of a former tower house of the Uí Ruairc clann. The Uí Ruairc clan ruled the area from about the 7th century up to the time of Oliver Cromwell.</p><br>
<p>The two largest islands on Lough Gill, namely, Church Island, and Cottage Island, each contain ecclesiastical remains. An early Christian ruin lies on Church Island and belonged to the O&#39; Rourkes, kings of Bréifne. The church is said to have been founded by St Loman.</p><br>
<p>In 1416, according to the Annals, "the church of Inis Mor was burned, and Screaptra O Curnin and the Leabhar Gearr of the O&#39; Curneens, as well as many other precious objects, were burned."</p><br>
<p>The building is oblong, has loophole windows and a recess at one end. Near the door there is a cavity in a rock, known as Ladys Bed, which was a frequent place of pilgrimage for pregnant women. St Loman, whose feast day is on 4 February, is mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallaght. The ruin on Cottage or Gallaghers Island belonged to the church of Kilross, in Riverstown parish, which in turn belonged to the Premonstratensians of Trinity Island on Loch Ce.</p><br>
<h3>Annal entries</h3><br>
<p>In 1196 - Congalach, the son of Farrell O&#39;Rourke, was slain by the men of Lúighne, on Slieve-da-én (Mountain of the Two Birds).</p><br>
<p>1346 - A war broke out between ORourke, i.e. Ualgarg, and Rory, the son of Cathal OConor; and an engagement took place between them in Calry-Lough-Gill, in which ORourke was routed, and all his gallowglasses slain, i.e. Mac Buirrce, and Mac Neill Cam with their people. ORourke was afterwards pursued by Rory O&#39;Conor and the Clann-Donough, and was killed by Mulrony Mac Donough. This was a lamentable deed.</p><br>
<h3>Recent history</h3><br>
<p>The lake became part of the Hazelwood estate in the 17th century.</p><br>
<h2>Mythology</h2><br>
<p>The Metrical Dinnsenchus tells the following story of how the lake came to be and how it got its name.</p><br>
<p>"Bright Gile, Romra&#39;s daughter, to whom every harbour was known, the broad lake bears her name to denote its outbreak of yore.</p><br>
<p>The maiden went, on an errand of pride that has hushed the noble hosts, to bathe in the spray by the clear sand-strewn spring.</p><br>
<p>While the modest maiden was washing in the unruffled water of the pool, she sees on the plain tall Omra as it were an oak, lusty and rude.</p><br>
<p>Seeing her lover draw near, the noble maid was stricken with shame: she plunged her head under the spring yonder: the nimble maid was drowned.</p><br>
<p>Her nurse came and bent over her body and sat her down yonder in the spring: as she keened for Gile vehemently, she fell in a frenzy for the girl.</p><br>
<p>As flowed the tears in sore grief for the maiden, the mighty spring rose over her, till it was a vast and stormy lake.</p><br>
<p>Loch Gile is named from that encounter after Gile, daughter of Romra: there Omra got his death from stout and lusty Romra.</p><br>
<p>Romra died outright of his sorrow on the fair hill-side: from him is lordly Carn Romra called, and Carn Omra from Omra, the shame-faced</p><br>
<p>Loch Gile here is named from Gile, Romra&#39;s daughter."</p><br>
<p>Carn Romra and Carn Omra are the names of the two large neolithic cairns on Cairns hill overlooking the lake.</p><br>
<p>Sliabh Dhá Éan is also associated with myth.</p><br>
<h2>Amenities and events</h2><br>
<p>The lake is home to the Lough Gill 10 km Swim for the North West Hospice in Sligo. This annual fundraiser began in 2011 raising over €34,000 to date for the hospice also winning the coveted Irish Long Distance Swimming Association swim of the year in both 2011 and 2012. It is run by a committee made up of local swimmers and friends of the family of Neill McGarry, for whom the event trophy is dedicated. 57 swimmers completed the 2012 swim.</p><br>
<p>The first man to successfully swim the English Channel, Captain Matthew Webb, used the lake as part of his training for the feat. He was a friend of W.B. Yeats&#39;s grandfather, who lived in the area.</p><br>
<p>The Ohio Statehouse, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the house of government for the state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building houses the Ohio General Assembly and the ceremonial offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and auditor.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<h3>Design and construction</h3><br>
<p>When the state government relocated to the new city of Columbus in 1816, it occupied a modest two-story building on the corner of High and State Streets. This early capitol had chambers for the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate, but the rapid growth and expansion of government functions resulted in overcrowding. Efforts to relieve the cramped quarters with additional small buildings were ineffective and it soon became apparent that the government would require a larger facility.</p><br>
<p>In 1838, Ohio&#39;s government announced a competition to select the design for a new Statehouse. This strategy was not unusual at the time, as important public buildings such as the USA Capitol had resulted from similar contests. From about fifty entries, three winners were selected: first prize was awarded to Henry Walter of Cincinnati, the second to Martin Thompson of New York, and the third to painter Thomas Cole, also of New York. However, the organizing commission responsible for choosing the winners was unable to agree on a final design for construction.</p><br>
<p>When the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1839, the commission was still without a final design. Consultation with New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis resulted in a composite design that merged some key features of the three winning entries, but it was rejected as being too expensive. Henry Walter, the first-place winner of the design contest, was chosen to supervise construction of the new capitol and he began working on another composite design that was based largely on the design of third-place winner, Thomas Cole.</p><br>
<p>It seems likely that Henry Walter was chosen to receive the first premium basically because he was an Ohioan and though the entry submitted by Cole may have been more favored by the commission overseeing the design process, his status as an "outsider" may have been a problem. Cole had a personal friendship with one of the commissioners, a man named William A. Adams who was from Steubenville. Cole&#39;s nephew, William Henry Bayless, coincidentally a Steubenville native, was apprenticed in the office of Alexander Jackson Davis.</p><br>
<p>Work on the building&#39;s foundation and lower level had only just begun when the Statehouse project encountered the first of many difficulties. The legislation that made Columbus the official capital city of Ohio was set to expire. While various factions within the government engaged in debate over relocating the capitol to another city, construction of the Statehouse was stopped. Open excavations were refilled with earth, and Capitol Square became open pasture for livestock.</p><br>
<p>The Statehouse remained neglected until February, 1848, when William Russell West and J.O. Sawyer of Cincinnati were appointed architects and general supervisors of the project. By May of that same year construction had resumed. Unfortunately, a cholera epidemic began in Columbus, prompting widespread flight to the countryside by residents. Once the epidemic subsided, work on the Statehouse continued, interrupted only by intermissions during the harsh Ohio winters. Comparing plans of the various architects it is apparent that perhaps the most striking change and one that has endured in the finished building, was the fact that West and Russell eliminated the rounded dome that all previous designers had suggested for the building, instead replacing it with a low conical roof.</p><br>
<p>Fire consumed the old two-story capitol building in 1852, which created a new urgency to complete the Statehouse project as government offices were forced to relocate to various buildings around Columbus. While some suspected arson, the exact cause of the fire remains a mystery to this day. With the Statehouse exterior nearing completion by 1854, Columbus architect Nathan Kelley was hired to supervise the design and construction of the building’s interiors. One of his major tasks would be to provide a system for heating and ventilation in the building, which had not been considered previously. An innovative steam heating system was constructed, with warmed air moved through the building in what Kelley called "air sewers"—small passages made of bricks that linked the various floors of the building. With great fanfare, the new Statehouse opened to the public on January 7, 1857, and soon thereafter the Ohio General Assembly convened in their new chambers. By now, most of the building was completed, with the notable exception of the rotunda. Although actual work on the building was proceeding smoothly, government officials were deeply dissatisfied with Mr. Kelley, citing problems with his working methods and aesthetic choices.</p><br>
<p>Isaiah Rogers, a well known architect based in Cincinnati at the time, was recruited to supervise the final stages of the Statehouses construction. During his tenure, Rogers oversaw completion of the buildings interior and coordinated work on the distinctive rotunda and its enclosing cupola. One of the building&#39;s most distinctive exterior features is the low, conical roof atop the cupola, positioned where many viewers expect to see a dome. In the long span between beginning construction on the Statehouse and its completion, the "finished" design changed many times and various proposals included a round dome atop the building. Rogers, in deciding not to use a dome, was actually reverting to a design scheme by architects West and Sawyer. In the end, the building featured a low conical roof that some critics would deride as "a Chinese hat." Construction of Capitol Square, including its buildings, grounds, and landscaping, was finally completed in 1861.</p><br>
<h3>Changes and expansion</h3><br>
<p>As the function of State government changed and expanded, changes and expansions occurred at the Ohio Statehouse. Originally, the building was the main location for all aspects of state government. As more offices and work rooms were required, large spaces would be subdivided into smaller areas. The most prominent example was the conversion to offices of the four open courts that occupied areas on the interior of the building. These open areas were from top to bottom of the structure and were intended to admit light and fresh air to the inner reaches of the building. The advent of electric lighting coupled with the need for space meant that levels of offices would come to occupy these large open areas. The fifty-four rooms the building originally held increased to 317 rooms by 1989.</p><br>
<p>In 1901, the Supreme Court was moved to a separate building on the east side of Capitol Square to alleviate crowding, and to give the court the prestige of its own building. The new building, named the Judiciary Annex, was constructed of the same Columbus limestone as the Statehouse. Neoclassical on the exterior, the interior spaces, especially the grand central staircase are Beaux Arts in style.</p><br>
<h3>Restoration</h3><br>
<p>The two buildings became crowded, and decay from heavy usage and inadequate maintenance was evident. Both buildings survived despite proposals made to either demolish one or both buildings, or remodel them substantially. In 1989, a massive project commenced to restore the buildings to the splendor their original builders envisioned as well as make them useful and practical government buildings. Original furniture was sought for return to the building when possible and modern reproductions of long gone items such as carpets and light fixtures were created. The large scale light fixtures in the House and Senate were based in large part on surviving period fixtures in the Vermont State House, which was being restored at the same time. The Atrium, which connected the Statehouse with the Judiciary Annex, was completed in 1993. After the renovation, the Judiciary Annex became the Senate Building.</p><br>
<h2>Description</h2><br>
<p>The Ohio Statehouse is located on Capitol Square, a 10 acre (40,000 m²) plot of land donated by four prominent Columbus landowners. The Statehouse stands upon foundations 18 feet (5 m) deep, built in part by prisoners sentenced to hard labor.</p><br>
<p>The Statehouse features a central recessed porch with a colonnade of a forthright and primitive Greek Doric mode, built of Columbus limestone that was quarried on the west banks of the Scioto River. A broad and low central pediment supports the windowed astylar drum, referred to as a Cupola, which contains an oculus that lights the interior rotunda.</p><br>
<p>Unlike many USA state capitol buildings, the Ohio Statehouse owes little to the architecture of the United States Capitol. It was designed and built before the USA Capitol was enlarged to its present form, with the large white dome that would become ubiquitous on government buildings in America.</p><br>
<p>The Ohio Statehouse has been termed a supreme example of Greek Revival style. It is not patterned on one single building, but is a combination of stylistic elements from Greek sources, melded with contemporary needs and functions. The cupola shows direct influence by the Tholos of Delphi, a circular temple built about 360 BC. The Parthenon of Athens is also an influence. No ancient Greek building would have contained windows, but they were a major part of Greek Revival for a more practical reason: before electric light, sunlight was the major source of illumination.</p><br>
<p>The ceremonial offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and auditor are located on the first floor of the building. The relocation of the governors working office to the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, located across High Street from the Statehouse, was originally a temporary action taken while the historic building was undergoing an extensive restoration and upgrading. At the completion of the project the governor, George Voinovich preferred the larger, more modern space and did not return to the Statehouse office except for occasional ceremonial use. Voinovichs successor Bob Taft used the historic governors office in a similar way, as does current governor John Kasich. Kasichs immediate predecessor, Ted Strickland, however, used the Statehouse office on a regular basis. Strickland considered the presence of the Governor in a building where the Legislature also works as both symbolic and practical examples of how the parts of government relate to each other.</p><br>
<p>The Ohio General Assembly chambers are on the second floor. Although in general its appearance is similar to its original appearance, it has been modernized in many ways. Modern information and communication capabilities have been added.</p><br>
<p>The Atrium, which connects the Statehouse with the Senate building, is a large open space which hosts government functions and ceremonies as well as various meetings and events. It is constructed of the same limestone as the two adjoining buildings.</p><br>
<h3>Art works and monuments</h3><br>
<p>The Statehouse contains many large scale art works both within the walls and on the grounds of the building. There are a great number of portraits of governors and lt. governors contained in hearing rooms and offices throughout the building, and in public spaces there are several large scale artworks that memorialize individuals or events significant to the state or the nation. Ohio artist Howard Chandler Christy is represented with two paintings that depict the Signing of the Treaty of Greenville, a seminal event in state history, and a painting that honors another Ohio native, Thomas Edison. President Abraham Lincoln visited the building on three different occasions, and a large marble bust erected after his death memorializes him and also depicts the Union victory at Vicksburg.</p><br>
<p>On the grounds of the building a large statuary group by Hermon MacNeil is dedicated as a monument to Ohio governor and USA president William McKinley. The floor of the Statehouse rotunda is composed of almost 5,000 individual pieces of marble, all cut and fitted by hand. The design at the center of the floor traces the development of the United States: the 13 stones in the center represent the original colonies; the three rings symbolize areas of territory that enlarged the nation; surrounding the rings is a star burst with 32 points, one for each of the states in the Union when the floor was laid down; and surrounding the entire design is a gray band representing the USA Constitution.</p><br>
<h3>Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center</h3><br>
<p>The Ohio Statehouse functions both as a working government building that contains the activities of a legislature and governor&#39;s office, and as a museum. During calendar years 2007 and 2008 almost 70,000 visitors participated with organized tours of the building each of the years. The tours, exhibits and other public education activities are organized by the Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center, a non-partisan entity funded and staffed by the Capitol Square review and advisory board, the government agency that is the manager of the physical structure.</p><br>
<p>Tours are available every day the building is open, and are provided at no cost. Tours for casual visitors, tourists or small groups are given on the hour seven days a week, and groups larger than ten persons can schedule throughout the day between the hours of 9:30 am and 3:15 pm weekdays.</p><br>
<p>The staff of the Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center was assisted by more than 90 volunteers. Tour content could be tailored to the age range and interest level of each group. The largest demographic group of visitors were fourth graders who were learning both state history and government process in their classrooms, but tours targeting political process, Ohio presidential history and Art and Architecture were also available.</p><br>
<p>One of the most notable tour programs available at the Ohio Statehouse was named "The Portals of History", which used the building as a stage to introduce characters from the states history. As a tour group made their way through the building, they encountered living history presenters portraying notable individuals from the past. It also holds a memorial sign on one of its pillars showing the exact location that Abraham Lincoln, prior to his run for president, stood to give a speech on the buildings steps.</p><br>
<p>The Black Isle  is a peninsula within Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish Highlands.</p><br>
<p>It includes the towns of Cromarty and Fortrose, and such villages as Conon Bridge, Muir of Ord, Munlochy, Avoch, Rosemarkie, Tore, North Kessock, and Culbokie.</p><br>
<h2>Description</h2><br>
<p>Despite its name, the Black Isle is not an island, but a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water &ndash; the Cromarty Firth to the north, the Beauly Firth to the south, and the Moray Firth to the east. On its fourth, western side, its boundary is delineated by rivers. The River Conon divides Maryburgh, a mile outside Dingwall, from Conon Bridge which is the first village on the Black Isle from the north-western side. Its southwestern boundary is variously considered to be marked by either a minor tributary of the River Beauly separating Beauly (in Inverness-shire) and Muir of Ord (on the Black Isle in Ross and Cromarty), dividing the two counties and also delineating the start of the Black Isle; or alternatively, the River Beauly itself, thus including Beauly in the Black Isle despite its official placement in Inverness-shire.</p><br>
<h2>Castles</h2><br>
<p>Castles on the Black Isle (whether ruinous or otherwise) include Castlecraig, Redcastle, and Kilcoy Castle. Cromarty House stands on the site of former Cromarty Castle and is built in part from its reclaimed stone and timbers. Kinkell Castle has been recently restored. Former castles of the Black Isle for which there are no physical remains include Castle Chanonry of Ross and a mound indicating the former site of Ormond Castle.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Conventional middle to modern Black Isle history is well documented at a number of visitor centres and cottage museums sprinkled across the peninsula. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, it was originally called Ardmeanach (Gaelic ard, height; maniach, monk, from an old religious house on the wooded ridge of Mulbuie), and it derived its customary name from the fact that, since snow does not lie in winter, the promontory looks black while the surrounding country is white.</p><br>
<p>Rosehaugh, near Avoch, belonged to Sir George Mackenzie, founder of the Advocates&#39; Library in Edinburgh, who earned the sobriquet of "Bloody" from his persecution of the Covenanters. Redcastle, on the shore, near Killearnan church, dates from 1179 and is said to have been the earliest inhabited house in the north of Scotland. On the forfeiture of the earldom of Ross it became a royal castle (being visited by Mary, Queen of Scots), and afterwards passed for a period into the hands of the Mackenzies of Gairloch.</p><br>
<p>The Black Isle was one of the earliest parts of the northern Highlands to experience the clearances and was settled with many Lowland shepherds and farmers, especially from the north east.</p><br>
<h2>Education</h2><br>
<p>The principal secondary school on the Black Isle is Fortrose Academy which currently has around 780 pupils.</p><br>
<h2>Customs</h2><br>
<p>In addition to its Gaelic heritage, the Black Isle had its own dialect of North Northern Scots, used mainly among fisherfolk in Avoch and Cromarty, where it became extinct in October 2012, upon the death of Bobby Hogg, the last native speaker.</p><br>
<p>The Ebright Azimuth is the point with the highest benchmark monument elevation in the USA state of Delaware. It is marked with a geodetic benchmark monument and has an elevation of 447.85 ft above sea level. The only state high-point with a lower elevation is Britton Hill in the state of Florida at 345 ft above sea level.</p><br>
<p>The Ebright Azimuth is located about 6.5 mi north of downtown Wilmington, Delaware, in far northern New Castle County, within a few feet of the Pennsylvania state line. It is near Concord High School, to the north of Naamans Road, at the middle of the intersection of Ebright Road and Ramblewood Drive. This is an entrance to the Dartmouth Woods development.</p><br>
<p>Surveying by Delaware Geological Survey personnel indicates that the mobile home park just west of Ebright Road is at least 2 ft higher than the benchmark.</p><br>
<p>"Ebright Azimuth" is not a person&#39;s first and last name. James and Grant Ebright owned the property on which the benchmark was placed.</p><br>
<p>Since the schematic photograph was taken the blue and yellow monument sign has been moved across the street closer to the geodetic marker. A curb extension has been installed and the area around the sign has been modestly landscaped.</p><br>
<h2>Radio tower history</h2><br>
<p>The self-supporting radio tower just south of the benchmark was constructed in 1947 by Western Union as part of an historic C-band microwave radio relay system that linked New York City and Washington, D.C. This site was assigned the name "Brandywine" in recognition of Brandywine Creek located several kilometers to the west and was licensed with the call sign KGB29.</p><br>
<p>Western Union&#39;s engineers specified a heavy-duty prefabricated fire tower structure, which allowed the microwave transmitters and receivers to be installed inside the cab. "Dish" antennas, mounted behind the window openings, were aimed towards the adjacent relay stations at Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, 33.8 mi to the northeast, and Elk Neck near Elkton, Maryland, 30.5 mi to the southwest.</p><br>
<p>Like most of their early microwave relay sites, Western Union decommissioned the Brandywine installation near Ebright Azimuth as more-reliable broadband fiber systems were developed. The structure now supports several VHF and UHF land mobile radio antennas.</p><br>
<p>Morristown National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, consisting of four sites important during the American Revolutionary War: Jockey Hollow, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense and the New Jersey Brigade Encampment site.</p><br>
<p>The sites are located in Morristown and Harding Township, both in Morris County, and in Bernardsville in Somerset County.</p><br>
<p>With its establishment in March 1933, Morristown became the country&#39;s first National Historical Park.</p><br>
<h2>Sites</h2><br>
<p>Jockey Hollow, a few miles south of Morristown along Route 202 in Harding Twp., was the site of a Continental Army encampment. It was from here that the entire Pennsylvania contingent mutinied and later, 200 New Jersey soldiers attempted to emulate them.</p><br>
<p>Fort Nonsense occupied a high hilltop overlooking Morristown, and is believed to have been the site of a signal fire, along with earthworks.</p><br>
<p>The Ford Mansion, in Morristown proper, was the site of the "hard winter" (December 1779 – May 1780) quarters of George Washington and the Continental Army. That winter remains the coldest on record for New Jersey. Theodosia Ford, widow of Jacob Ford Jr., and her four children shared their household with Washington, his staff, including Alexander Hamilton, along with their servants and sometimes, their family members. Martha Washington traveled to Morristown to spend the winter with her husband.</p><br>
<p>Washingtons Headquarters Museum, the adjacent museum is open to the public Wednesday thru Sunday from September–June and seven days a week from July- August from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The museum has three exhibit rooms and a sales area. A video production "Morristown: Where America Survived" (New Jersey Network/2009) is shown. The Ford Mansion is shown only by guided tour which begin in the Museum.The Museum hosted one of the events of the CelebrateHAMILTON 2015 program: hosted by the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, a talk by Author and Historian Michael E. Newton - "Hamiltons Revolutionary War Services", who also presented his book "Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years." at the same event.</p><br>
<p>The New Jersey Brigade Encampment Site is located south of Jockey Hollow, mostly in Bernardsville, Somerset County. It was used by about 1,300 soldiers during the winter of 1779–80.</p><br>
<h2>Park history</h2><br>
<p>In April 1932, the National Park Service (NPS) published a report recommending that the site of the Continental Army&#39;s winter encampments in 1776-77 and 1779-80 become a "Federal Historical Reserve&quot the report included two sites: Jockey Hollow and the Ford Mansion.</p><br>
<p>In January 1933, a conference consisting of representatives of the NPS, the Secretary of the Interior, and civic and business leaders from the Morris County area, drafted a bill supporting the concept of a national historical park, with "the rank and dignity equal to the scenic program in the West."</p><br>
<p>The bill for creating the Morristown National Historical Park was submitted in mid-January (H.R. 14302; S. 5469), with the support of Secretary Ray Lyman Wilbur, who called it "the most important park project before this department at the present time."</p><br>
<p>In March 1933, in the last days of Herbert Hoovers presidency, the 72nd Congress established Morristown as the countrys first National Historical Park.</p><br>
<p>Mount Karthala or Karthola  is an active volcano and the highest point of the Comoros at 2,361 m above sea level. It is the southernmost and larger of the two shield volcanoes forming Grande Comore island, the largest island in the nation of Comoros. The Karthala volcano is very active, having erupted more than 20 times since the 19th century. Frequent eruptions have shaped the volcano’s 3 km by 4 km summit caldera, but the island has largely escaped broad destruction. Eruptions on April 17, 2005 and May 29, 2006 ended a period of quiet.</p><br>
<h2>April 2005 eruption</h2><br>
<p>The eruption, which carried a risk of lava flows and deadly volcanic gas, caused the evacuation of 30,000 residents.</p><br>
<p>The crater was clearly changed by the April 2005 eruption. A grey field of ash surrounds the crater and the caldera itself seems larger and deeper. The crater lake, which formed after Karthala&#39;s last eruption in 1991 and once dominated the caldera, is now gone completely. In its place were rough, dark grey rocks, possibly cooling lava or rubble from the collapsed crater.</p><br>
<h2>May 2006 activity</h2><br>
<p>On May 29, Reuters reported that residents of Moroni could see lava at the top of the volcano. Within a few days the volcanic activity subsided.</p><br>
<h2>Flora and fauna</h2><br>
<p>The mountain is covered by moist evergreen forest up to about 1800 metres above sea-level. Higher up the vegetation consists of stunted trees and heathland where the giant heath Erica comorensis grows.</p><br>
<p>Many of the species found on the mountain are unique to the Comoros and four bird species are found only on the slopes of Mount Karthala: Humblot&#39;s flycatcher, Comoro white-eye, Comoro drongo and Karthala scops owl.</p><br>
<p>The mountain&#39;s forest is threatened by logging and the spread of agriculture. A nature reserve has been proposed to cover the mountain; it has not yet been created.</p><br>
<p>Chota  is a historic Overhill Cherokee town site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Developing after nearby Tanasi, from the late 1740s until 1788 Chota was the most important of the Overhill towns, replacing Tanasi as the de facto capital of the Cherokee people.</p><br>
<p>A number of prominent Cherokee leaders were born or resided at Chota, among them Attakullakulla, Oconostota, Old Hop, Old Tassel, Hanging Maw, and Nancy Ward.</p><br>
<p>The former Chota and Tanasi sites are listed together on the National Register of Historic Places; Tanaxi also has an archaeological site designation (40MR62) in 1972. Since 1979, both sites have been mostly submerged by the Tellico Lake impoundment of the Little Tennessee River. Archeological excavations were conducted before the dam was completed.</p><br>
<p>The Chota townhouse site was found during the excavations. This area was raised above the reservoir&#39;s operating levels and connected via a causeway to the mainland. The Chota monument, situated directly above the ancient townhouse site, consists of eight pillars &mdash;one for each of the seven Cherokee clans, and one for the nation. The grave of the chief Oconostota, uncovered in the 1969 excavations, was re-interred next to the monument. This site is now managed by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.</p><br>
<h2>Geographical setting</h2><br>
<p>The Little Tennessee River enters Tennessee from its source in the Appalachian Mountains and flows for just over 50 mi through parts of Blount, Monroe, and Loudon counties before emptying into the Tennessee River near Lenoir City. Tellico Lake, created by the completion of Tellico Dam in 1979, spans the lower 33 mi of the river. The Chota site is located approximately 27 mi above the mouth of the river, opposite a sharp bend in the river known as Bacon&#39;s Bend.</p><br>
<p>Both Chota and Tanasi were developed by the Cherokee on a relatively flat terrace flanked by steep hills rising to the south. These hills are part of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Physiographic Province, which is characterized by narrow, elongate ridges and steep hills. The Great Smoky Mountains and the Unicoi Mountains, both part of the main Appalachian crest, rise a few miles to the southeast and southwest, respectively.</p><br>
<p>The Tanasi and Chota monuments are located just off Highway 360 (Citico Road) on Bacon Ferry Road, which ends in a cul-de-sac parking lot. A short, maintained trail connects the parking lot to the Chota monument.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<h3>Rise of Chota</h3><br>
<p>Chota does not appear in historical records until around 1745. Tanasi is first mentioned much earlier in the century, namely as the base or destination of various traders and diplomats. Tanasi appears on multiple maps of the Overhill territory produced in the 1720s and 1730s, but Chota does not. This suggests that Chota may have been part of Tanasi, or may not have been considered a town before the 1740s. In the 1720s, the head man of Tanasi&mdash; known simply as the "Tanasi Warrior"&mdash; was the chief of the Overhill towns in what is now Tennessee and the Middle and Valley towns in North Carolina.</p><br>
<p>In 1730, however, Moytoy of Tellico, with the help of flamboyant emissary Alexander Cuming, was crowned "Emperor of the Cherokee." This effectively shifted the overall capital to his town of Great Tellico, where Moytoy was chief. When Moytoy died in 1741, his son, Amouskositte, attempted to succeed him as emperor. Old Hop, the head man at Chota, began to consolidate power, and by 1753 Chota had usurped Great Tellico as the "mother town" of the Overhill Cherokee.</p><br>
<p>Around this time, on the eve of the French and Indian War, the Cherokee were reportedly leaning toward the French side, prompting the English colonies of Virginia and South Carolina to increase contact with the Overhill towns. Virginia sent Major Andrew Lewis with 60 men to build a fort at Chota, which was completed in August 1756. It was never garrisoned because the Cherokee allied with the English against the French. Later that year, South Carolina sent engineer William de Brahm with 300 men to build Fort Loudoun, which was completed in March 1757. By 1760, relations between the British and Cherokee had soured, breaking into conflict in the Anglo-Cherokee War. The warriors took spoils from the sack of Fort Loudoun to Chota.</p><br>
<h3>Timberlake's visit, 1761-2</h3><br>
<p>After the fall of Fort Loudoun, the Overhill towns sued for peace, which was granted in the Treaty of Long Island in 1761. Virginia dispatched a delegation led by Henry Timberlake to solidify peace with the Overhill towns. He reached Chota in late December 1761, accompanied by Ostenaco (the head Cherokee man at Tomotley). At a ceremony inside the Chota townhouse, Ostenaco ceremoniously buried a hatchet, symbolizing peace between the British and Cherokee. Timberlake spent the night in Old Hop&#39;s "hot-house" (a circular dwelling used by the Overhill Cherokee in cooler months) before proceeding to Citico the next day.</p><br>
<p>Timberlake&#39;s "Draught of the Cherokee Country" reported 52 dwellings and a townhouse at Chota. Kanagatucko (Old Hop) was listed as governor of both Chota and Tanasi. The 175 warriors available at Chota made up the second-largest contingent among the Overhill towns, behind only Citico.</p><br>
<h3>Decline</h3><br>
<p>At the outbreak of the American Revolution, the Cherokee aligned with the British, hoping to expel American colonists from their territory. In 1776, Dragging Canoe (the head man at Mialoquo) and Old Abraham of Chilhowee led an unsuccessful two-pronged attack against Fort Watauga and Heaton&#39;s Station. In response, Virginia sent Colonel William Christian with a small force to subdue the Overhill towns. Christian entered the Little Tennessee Valley unopposed, and negotiated a truce with Attakullakulla and Oconastota. When Dragging Canoe refused to negotiate, however, Christian destroyed the towns of Great Tellico, Citico, Mialoquo, Chilhowee, and Toqua.</p><br>
<p>In 1780, John Sevier, who had just returned from the Battle of Kings Mountain, led an invasion of the Overhill country in response to several attacks on American settlements by renegade Cherokees. Most of the remaining Overhill towns, including Chota, were destroyed. Chota was rebuilt by 1784, but it never recovered its former status. In 1788, Old Tassel&mdash; who had become the leader of the Overhill towns after the death of Oconastota&mdash; was murdered by Americans under a flag of truce at Chilhowee. Largely in response to this incident, the Cherokee moved their capital south to Ustanali, near modern Calhoun, Georgia.</p><br>
<p>In the late 1790s, the Duke of Orleans paid a visit to the Tellico Blockhouse while on a tour of East Tennessee. The duke witnessed over 600 Cherokees engage in a "ballplay" at Chota, and bet 6 gallons of brandy on the outcome. By this time, only five dwellings were standing in the town.</p><br>
<h2>Archaeological findings</h2><br>
<p>Cyrus Thomas, working for the Smithsonian Institution, conducted survey of earthwork mounds in the Little Tennessee Valley in the 1880s. Thomas excavated a mound at the Chota site and uncovered several artifacts. In 1939, a University of Tennessee team, mainly under the auspices of Thomas Lewis and Madeline Kneburg, conducted excavations at the Chota site with the aid of laborers paid by the Works Projects Administration. Their findings, which Lewis and Kneburg hoped would provide comparison data for their Hiwassee Island findings, included 85 pit features, 12 burials, and one structure.</p><br>
<p>After the Tennessee Valley Authority announced plans to build Tellico Dam in 1967, which would flood historic Cherokee sites, the University of Tennessee initiated a plan to conduct salvage archeological excavations throughout the Little Tennessee Valley. Excavations were conducted at Chota between 1969 and 1974, as litigation stalled the dam project. The excavations uncovered 783 features (mostly refuse pits), the postmold layouts of 31 structures, and 91 burials. Burial 10, uncovered in 1969, was identified by its grave goods (namely a pair of wire spectacles) as that of chief Oconostota. Thousands of stone and ceramic artifacts were uncovered, including projectile points dating to the Archaic period (8000–1000 B.C.).</p><br>
<p>The structures uncovered at Chota included two townhouses, one of which had a diameter of 60 ft and another a diameter of just over 50 ft. The smaller townhouse, which was slightly older, may have been the Tanasi townhouse. Other structures included a 48 ft x 23 ft summer pavilion flanked by a 100 ft x 160 ft village plaza, and 11 rectangular summer dwelling/circular winter dwelling pairings. Dwellings were spaced between 40 ft and 100 ft apart, and were located as far as 2,000 ft from the townhouse. One of the dwellings was classified as Early Mississippian culture (c. 1000–1300 A.D.), while the others were Cherokee.</p><br>
<p>In 1986, the burials revealed at the Chota site were reinterred in a burial mound at the Sequoyah Museum, near Vonore. The exception were the remains of Oconostota, which were buried next to the Chota monument over the townhouse site, as desired by the Cherokee.</p><br>
<h2>Chota monument</h2><br>
<p>The pillars stand for the seven clans and the Cherokee nation as a whole.</p><br>
<p>Tanasi   was an historic Overhill Cherokee village site in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The village was the namesake for the state of Tennessee. Abandoned by the Cherokee in the 19th century, since 1979 the town site has been submerged by the Tellico Lake impoundment of the Little Tennessee River. Tanasi served as the de facto capital of the Cherokee from as early as 1721 until 1730, when the capital shifted to Great Tellico.</p><br>
<p>The Cherokee town of Chota developed immediately north of and later than Tanasi (the two sites were divided by an unnamed stream); by the 1740s had become the more prominent of the two towns, holding the townhouse where chiefs would meet with colonial emissaries. Although Chota and Tanasi had distinct political, social, and demographic traits, excavators in the late 1960s determined that the two towns are archaeologically indistinguishable. They were among what were called the Overhill Towns by English colonists, who traveled over the Appalachian Mountains from the east to reach them. The two towns are grouped as a single listing on the National Register of Historic Places, although Tanasi was given its own site designation (40MR62) in 1972.</p><br>
<p>In the 1980s, the Tennessee Valley Authority placed a monument on the shoreline above the submerged site of Tanasi that commemorates its history and its legacy as the origin of the name Tennessee. This monument is approximately 12 mi south of Vonore, just off Highway 455 (Citico Road). The site is managed by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.</p><br>
<h2>Geographical setting</h2><br>
<p>The Little Tennessee River flows northwestward from its source in the Appalachian Mountains and traverses a 40 mi stretch of northern Monroe County before emptying into the Tennessee River near Lenoir City. In 1979, the construction of Tellico Dam at the mouth of the river created a reservoir that spans the lower 33 mi of the Little Tennessee and the lower 22 mi of its tributary, the Tellico River, flooding the former town sites. Tanasi is located along the west bank of the Little Tennessee 27 mi upstream from the rivers mouth. The site is opposite a sharp bend in the river known as Bacons Bend.</p><br>
<p>Tanasi was situated on a relatively flat terrace flanked by the river on one side and a series of high, steep hills on the other. These hills, noted on Timberlake&#39;s 1762 map, are part of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province, which spans much of the upper Tennessee Valley. The Appalachian Range proper rises a few miles south of the Chota-Tanasi site.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Tanasi first appears in the historical record in the early 18th century, at a time when the fur trade between the English and the Cherokee had grown to the extent that the colonists wanted to regulate it. Ethnologist James Mooney reported that the meaning of the town&#39;s name is unknown, but noted that it was used for other places among Cherokee lands in Tennessee and North Carolina. The Cherokee name for the river upon which Tanasi was situated was probably Callamaco, but early Euro-American explorers and traders renamed the river after Tanasi.</p><br>
<p>Among the earliest English agents to reside at Tanasi was Eleazar Wiggan&mdash; nicknamed "Old Rabbit" by the Cherokee&mdash; who operated out of Tanasi as early as 1711. He served as a guide for later colonial diplomats and emissaries. In 1725, South Carolina dispatched Colonel George Chicken to Tanasi to obtain Cherokee assistance in the colony&#39;s struggles with the Creek. Chicken indicated in his journals that the chief of Tanasi&mdash; known as the Tanasi Warrior or Head Warrior of Tanasi&mdash; ruled over the Cherokee Overhill, Middle, and Valley towns in the region. Chicken recorded a speech in which the Tanasi Warrior pledged support for the English. The two later engaged in a pipe-smoking session in which the Tanasi Warrior told Chicken of recent Creek hostilities in the area. Colonel John Herbert visited Tanasi on a similar mission in 1727, and reported meeting with the "King and Long Warriour" of Tanasi at the Cherokee townhouse.</p><br>
<p>In 1730, Sir Alexander Cuming, a trader claiming to be an emissary of King George II, journeyed to Tanasi and obtained the Tanasi Warrior&#39;s allegiance for England. As evidence of his success, Cuming sought an esteemed symbolic headdress known as the Crown of Tanasi&mdash; described as resembling a wig made of dyed possum hair&mdash; which he hoped to present to the king of England. To obtain this headdress, Cuming enlisted the aid of Moytoy, chief of Great Tellico. Cuming used his flamboyance to convince the Cherokee to crown Moytoy "Emperor of the Cherokee." In exchange, Moytoy obtained the headdress sought by Cuming. Cuming departed for England shortly thereafter, taking with him a party that included Eleazar Wiggan, future Cherokee leader Attakullakulla, and two Tanasi warriors named Clogoittah and Oukanaekah to present to the king.</p><br>
<p>The crowning of Moytoy in 1730 shifted the Cherokee center of power to Great Tellico, which was situated along the Tellico River roughly 16 mi southwest of Tanasi. After the death of Moytoy in 1741, however, Old Hop, the chief of Chota, began to consolidate power. The influence of Chota soon overshadowed that of Tanasi, and by the early 1750s, Chota had become the more dominant town. In 1765, Henry Timberlake, who had visited the Overhill towns as an emissary in 1761–1762, reported 12 dwellings and 21 warriors at Tanasi, and identified Old Hop as chief of both Chota and Tanasi. In 1775, the Tanasi Warrior was among the chiefs who signed a treaty with the Watauga Association of Carolina colonists.</p><br>
<h3>Tanasi's relationship with Chota</h3><br>
<p>Tanasi&#39;s relationship with Chota has long puzzled historians and archaeologists. Some have speculated that the two towns were a single community with two districts and two governments, not unlike the situation that reportedly existed in Great Tellico and Chatuga around the same time. Excavators in the early 1970s noted virtually no differences in the types of cultural materials and features uncovered at the two village sites. 18th-century traders and diplomats, however, clearly identified these as two separate towns.</p><br>
<p>Tanasi was reported by Euro-American traders from their first explorations in the region in the early 18th century, but Chota does not appear in the historical record until around 1745. The maps of John Herbert and George Hunter, drawn in 1727 and 1730, respectively, show Tanasi but not Chota. In 1746, English agent George Pawley met with Cherokee leaders at the Chota townhouse, indicating Chota had usurped Tanasi as the more dominant town. Missionary William Richardson visited the Overhill towns in the late 1750s and described Chota and Tanasi as being separated by a "small river." Richardsons description is supported by Timberlakes 1762 map, which recorded the two towns&#39; sites.</p><br>
<h2>Archaeological findings</h2><br>
<p>Cyrus Thomas, working for the Smithsonian Institution&#39;s Bureau of Ethnology, conducted a mound survey at the Chota-Tanasi site in the late 1880s. Thomas reported the discovery of 13 burials and several artifacts. In 1939, Thomas Lewis and Madeline Kneburg directed an excavation at the Chota-Tanasi site with the help of the Works Progress Administration. Lewis and Kneburg, who were searching for cultural data with which to compare their earlier finds at Hiwassee Island, uncovered 22 burials, 85 pit features, 982 postmolds, and one structure.</p><br>
<p>Between 1969 and 1974, University of Tennessee archaeologists conducted excavations at the Chota-Tanasi site in anticipation of the flooding of the site by the construction of Tellico Dam. Two excavations&mdash; one in 1970 and one in 1972&mdash; were focused specifically on Tanasi.</p><br>
<p>Although artifacts dating to the Archaic period (and even a fluted projectile point dating to the Paleo-Indian period) were uncovered at the Chota-Tanasi sites, excavations were mostly focused on the sites Cherokee occupation. Along with locating the two village sites, investigators hoped to find evidence that would shed light on the Cherokee peoples relationship to the region&#39;s Mississippian-era (c. 900–1600 A.D.) occupants.</p><br>
<p>The 1972 excavations uncovered 191 features, 22 burials, 1005 postmolds, and 6 structures at the Tanasi site alone. Two townhouses were uncovered at the Chota-Tanasi sites, one of which was slightly smaller and older than the other. The older of the two townhouses may have been the Tanasi townhouse, which traders and emissaries reported in the 1720s. But, it is also possible that the older townhouse was an earlier version of the Chota townhouse, and that excavators failed to uncover the Tanasi townhouse. The older townhouse had a diameter of just over 50 ft. In 1986, the remains of the 22 burials uncovered at Tanasi&mdash; along with those uncovered at Chota&mdash; were reinterred in a burial mound at the Sequoyah Museum near Vonore.</p><br>
<p>Vanatinai Island  is a volcanic island in the south-east of the Louisiade Archipelago within Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The reef fringed island is approximately 360 km south-east of New Guinea and 30 km south of Misima. With an area of 830 km&sup2, it is the largest island of the archipelago. Tagula town, the main settlement, is located on the north-west coast. The population was 3628. The principal export is copra.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The island is 63 km long, stretching from Cape Tagula to Cape Sudest, and up to 13 km wide. A wooded mountain range runs through the length of the island, with the summit, Mount Riu (806 m) near the center. The most important peaks of the range are, from west to east:</p><br>
<p>Mount Madau (269 m)</p><br>
<p>Mount Gangulua (439 m)</p><br>
<p>Mount Riu (formerly called Mount Rattlesnake) (806 m)</p><br>
<p>Mount Imau (485 m)</p><br>
<p>Mount Arumbi (350 m)</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Vanatinai Island was by the Spanish expedition of Luís Vaez de Torres on 14 July 1606.</p><br>
<p>The island was the site of a gold rush that peaked in 1889. Gold was found in nearly all of the island&#39;s water courses.</p><br>
<p>Rambuso Village is located on the north coast of the eastern part of the island, where Rambuso Creek flows into the Pacific Ocean. Entry through the reef to the harbour is deep and easy to see during daylight. Many visiting yachts and local trading boats use this protected anchorage. In 2010 the villagers and several visiting yachties rebuilt the wharf and causeway. The villagers new slogan is "Rambuso Creek the gateway to Sudest".</p><br>
<p>The new wharf helped Rambuso develop and now the busty town has some 500 citizens.</p><br>
<h2>Transportation</h2><br>
<p>The island has an airport, code (IATA-Code „TGL“) for public transport, near Tagula village.</p><br>
<h2>Biodiversity</h2><br>
<p>Several species are endemic to the island, including the aptly named Tagula white-eye, Tagula honeyeater and Tagula butcherbird. Among frogs, Cophixalus tagulensis is only known from Tagula.</p><br>
<p>Coconut Island, or Moku o Loe, is a 28-acre  island in Kāne&#39;ohe Bay off the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii, United States. It is a marine research facility of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology  of the University of Hawaii.</p><br>
<p>In 1934–1936, Chris Holmes II, an heir to the Fleischmann yeast fortune, doubled the original 12 acre island with coral rubble, sand, and earthen landfill. He established a residence with aquaria, kennels, and aviaries for his many pets. The island was converted to a rest and relaxation station for United States Navy flyers during World War II.</p><br>
<p>In 1946 a group of five Los Angeles businessmen, including Edwin W. Pauley, bought the island from the estate of Chris Holmes II with the idea of converting it to the exclusive Coconut Island Club International, 1946-7, and hired architects Paul Williams, A. Quincy Jones, and C.W. Lemmon of Belt Lemmon and Lo, Architects of Honolulu to design a community of cottages, tennis courts, a yacht club and other recreational facilities including remodeling the Holmes mansion and barracks. The Pauley group wanted to develop the island into a private, membership only resort. In 1949 this idea was dropped and a scaled-back Coconut Island Hotel with accommodation for 32 guests opened in February 1950.</p><br>
<p>In 1948, Pauley donated a portion of the island to the University of Hawaii to be used as a marine research facility From the 1950s to the 1980s, the Pauley family used the island for summer get-aways and hosted many notable guests. From the mid-80s to mid-90s Japanese real estate investor Katsuhiro Kawaguchi owned the island and permitted the University of Hawaii to use some of its areas for research. In 1995, the Edwin Pauley Foundation granted a gift of $9.6 million to the University of Hawaii Foundation to purchase the private half of the island and build new laboratories on it.</p><br>
<p>The island is now completely owned by the state and is the facility for the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, part of the University of Hawaii. It is the only USA laboratory built on a coral reef. (Heron Island, Lizard Island and a number of labs in the South Pacific are located outside of the USA)</p><br>
<p>Coconut Island was used for the opening sequence of the television program Gilligan&#39;s Island.</p><br>
<p>Lugnaquilla is a 925 m tall mountain in County Wicklow, Ireland.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The mountain is the highest peak of the Wicklow Mountains range and the highest in Ireland outside County Kerry. Informally referred to as one of the Irish Munros, it is classed as a Furth by the Scottish Mountaineering Club.</p><br>
<p>Lugnaquilla is a bulky mountain, with a large plateau-type summit, bounded on two sides by steep glacial corries called "North Prison" and "South Prison".</p><br>
<h2>Access to the summit</h2><br>
<p>Its proximity to Dublin ensures that Lugnaquilla is a frequently climbed mountain. The three popular approaches are from Fenton&#39;s Pub in the Glen of Imaal, Glenmalure and Aghavannagh with the shortest direct route from the Glen of Imaal via Camara Hill that skirts the military artillery range.</p><br>
<p>Views, on a clear day, extend east across the Irish Sea to the hills of the Llŷn Peninsula and mountains of Snowdonia in Wales, and west to the mountains of Munster.</p><br>
<p>Elliott Knob is one of the highest mountains in the northern portions of the USA state of Virginia. At 4,463 ft, the peak is located on the ridge known as Great North Mountain. A subpeak known simply as "Hogback"  is located.50 mi to the southwest. A small, naturally growing stand of red spruce trees are on the summit, and the upper slopes also have yellow birch and sugar maple, indicating that the altitude is just high enough to support tree species normally found hundreds of miles to the north. Otherwise oak and hickory trees are the most common types found on the mountain. The mountain is entirely within George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.</p><br>
<p>The area around the mountain is inhabited by a wide array of fauna including black bears, white-tailed deer and the elusive bobcat.</p><br>
<p>A primitive jeep trail ascends the mountain from the east but it is also closed to public vehicles. The jeep trail is used by the Forest Service to gain access to a (closed) fire lookout on the summit and is very steep, rising over 2,000 ft in less than 2.5 mi. Just 4 mi to the south of the mountain lies the town of Augusta Springs, Virginia, which is 2,800 ft below the summit. The only access for the public is on foot and along with the jeep trail, several other trails can be used to ascend to the top, each averaging 5 mi in length and climbing up to 2,400 ft from the trailheads. A small grassy cove is on the top and there is a spring.40 mi below the summit which flows year round as well as a small man made pond not far from the spring.</p><br>
<p>Right beside the base of the fire tower there is a National Geodetic Survey triangulation station disk. The entire firetower structure is enclosed within a fence with barbed wire at the top. However, there is evidence of people gaining entry in the form of holes under the fence and loose sections where the fence can be pulled up high enough for a person to crawl under, since the ground is only covered with grass in that area of the summit.</p><br>
<h2>Recreation</h2><br>
<p>Elliott Knob is a popular day hike of 14 mi for Boy Scouts who attend Camp Shenandoah. The route for the Grindstone 100 Miler ultramarathon includes the summit of Elliot Knob.</p><br>
<p>Elliott Knob.jpgElliott Knob in winter</p><br>
<p>Elliott Knob radio towers.JPGRadio towers below summit</p><br>
<p>Fort Motte  was built as Mt. Joseph Plantation; it was commandeered by the British and fortified as a temporary military outpost in what is now South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. It was significant for its military use as a depot for their convoys between Camden and Charleston, which they occupied. During the Patriot Siege of Fort Motte, the plantation mansion was set on fire. The British surrendered at this site.</p><br>
<p>After the war, this site was considered for the capital for the newly formed state of South Carolina, before Columbia was chosen. Today Fort Motte is the name of an unincorporated village at the nearby crossroads of SH 419 and State Road S-9-13.</p><br>
<p>The former area of the plantation house and grounds is known as the Fort Motte Battlefield Site. Privately owned, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The Cherokee Path is nearby, long used by indigenous peoples for trading and travel. The first Anglo-European colonists in the area were Scots and English traders, who established trading posts with various Native American tribes. Some were fortified as early forts in the colonial period. Amelia Town was established in this area about 1735.</p><br>
<p>Mt. Joseph Plantation was built in 1767 as an up-country estate by Miles Brewton of Charleston, near the confluence of the Congaree and Wateree rivers. A slave trader, he owned several ships and plantations, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the province.</p><br>
<p>His sister Rebecca Brewton Motte (1737-1815), widowed in 1780, moved with her children from Charleston to the relative safety of Mt. Joseph Plantation after the British occupied the city. They were living there when the British appropriated this property. After the military took over the mansion and fortified it, the Motte family moved to the overseer&#39;s house.</p><br>
<p>A British garrison of regular, Hessian and Provincial forces occupied the plantation, using it as a depot for their convoys running between Camden and Charleston. The Atlantic port city is about 95 miles away by current roadways but during the Revolution, waterways were more important. The site is near a strategic river crossing of the Congaree River, which gave the British access to an important chain of transport from Charleston to points north and west.</p><br>
<p>By May 1781 the British had constructed wood and earth fortifications at Mt. Joseph: palisades (9 tall) and ramparts (10-11 wide), were faced with a 6 deep ditch in front. 20-30 from the ditch was a row of abatis. Defending the fortified mansion were 184 British regulars, Hessians, and Provincials under the command of Capt. Lt. Donald McPherson. It became known as Fort Motte, because it was occupied by Rebecca Brewton Motte and her family; she later inherited it from her brother Miles Brewton after he died at sea in 1789.</p><br>
<p>General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion and Colonel Henry Lee laid siege to the fortified site. Rebecca Motte became known for giving him arrows from East India which would ignite on impact. His forces shot flaming arrows into the roof in order to drive the British from it, and shot artillery to prevent soldiers from putting out the fire. Captain Lt. McPherson surrendered. "The British surrender of the fort alarmed Lord Rawdon and hastened his retreat from Camden to Charleston."</p><br>
<p>Miles Brewton and his family died at sea in 1789 as he was en route to Philadelphia after being elected to the second Provincial Congress. His sister Rebecca Brewton Motte (1737-1815), widowed in 1780 when her husband Jacob died, later inherited her brother&#39;s estate and plantations, becoming more wealthy. She had also inherited Fairfield Plantation (Charleston County, South Carolina), which she and her husband had owned, and its more than 240 slaves, as well as their town house in Charleston.</p><br>
<p>The South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the South Carolina Library, and the University of South Carolina have the earliest extant maps for this area. When cultivation of short-staple cotton became profitable at the turn of the nineteenth century, after the invention of the cotton gin, this area was developed for cotton as a commodity crop. The battlefield site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, considered important because of the military and other history from 1750-1799.</p><br>
<p>Møllehøj is the highest natural point in Denmark at 170.86 m. It is in the Ejerbjerge hills in Skanderborg municipality, very close to Ejer Bavnehøj. The summit is marked with a millstone, a remnant of Ejer mill which was situated on the hill from 1838 to 1917. The mill had eight sides and had an onion-shaped roof.</p><br>
<p>New measurements made in February 2005 showed that Møllehøj was higher than both Yding Skovhøj (172.66 m including a Bronze Age burial mound on its summit, 170.77 m without) in Horsens municipality or Ejer Bavnehøj which had both been thought higher. These two high points natural heights are however respectively 9 and 51 cm lower than Møllehøj. It was officially recognised as Denmarks highest point in 2005.</p><br>
<p>The Cherokee Path  was the primary route from Charleston to Columbia, South Carolina in Colonial America, connecting all of the Cherokee territories.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In the 17th century the Cherokee Path was used by English and French fur traders.</p><br>
<p>The path was mapped in 1730 by George Hunter, the Surveyor-General of the Province of South Carolina. At that time it ran 130 mi from Charlestown to the colonial settlement of Ninety Six, then to Fort Prince George and the Cherokee village of Keowee, the principal town of the Cherokee Lower settlements (in present-day Oconee, Greenville, Pickens and Anderson counties).</p><br>
<p>From Keowee, the path branched out into the Unaka Mountains, usually following streams and valleys, to Clayton, Georgia and up to Franklin and Murphy in North Carolina (the Middle settlements) and across to the Cherokee towns in Tennessee (the Overhill settlements).</p><br>
<p>Fort Loudoun, constructed by South Carolina troops in 1756, was along the path. Cherokee Path was used as a military road during the American Revolution.</p><br>
<h2>Cherokee Path, Sterling Land Grant</h2><br>
<p>The Cherokee Path, Sterling Land Grant is a section of the historic path located near St. Matthews, Calhoun County, South Carolina. In 1704, George Sterling received a proprietary land grant for 570 acres of land along Ox Creek, later called Lyon’s Creek, and became one of the area’s first white settlers in what was to become Orangeburg District and later Calhoun County. His family&#39;s plantation was often a stopping place for Native Americans and other travelers along the Cherokee Path. Calhoun County is one of the few counties in South Carolina where portions of the original path remain visible. The site of the grant itself is a deserted, overgrown field dotted with scattered trees. Two acres, crossed by the Cherokee Path, is the portion of the Sterling land nominated to the listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.</p><br>
<h2>Present-day</h2><br>
<p>South Carolina Highway 11 (the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway) traces some of the original path.</p><br>
<p>Lake Laberge is a widening of the Yukon River north of Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada. It is fifty kilometres long and ranges from two to five kilometres wide. Its water is always very cold, and its weather often harsh and suddenly variable.</p><br>
<h2>History and description</h2><br>
<p>The local Southern Tutchone called it Tàaan Män, Tagish knew it as Kluk-tas-si, and the Tlingit as Tahini-wud. Its English name comes from 1870 commemorating Michel LaBerge (1836–1909) - born in Chateauguay, Quebec, the first French-Canadian to explore the Yukon in 1866. It was well-known to prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, as they would pass Lake Laberge on their way down the Yukon River to Dawson City. Jack Londons Grit of Women (1900) and The Call of the Wild (1903), and Robert W. Service&#39;s poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee" (1907) mention the lake.</p><br>
<p>During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, after-winter steamers carrying goods on Lake Laberge early on in the shipping season regarded the lake as trouble, since it was one of the last such passages to thaw its ice. At least two methods were employed to break the ice up:</p><br>
<p>A sign posted in 1999 at Lake Laberge&#39;s camping area issued strong cautions against eating the livers of burbot, and counseled against the consumption of lake trout more than twice a month per individual. Both warnings are due to toxaphene contamination, resulting from global pesticide use and overfishing in Lake Laberge which resulted in changes to its typical food chain.</p><br>
<p>In spring 2009, researchers found the A. J. Goddard, a Gold Rush sternwheeler that sunk in 1901, killing three of its crew. Underwater archaeologists are examining the ship. National Geographic has named it the top archeological find of 2009. The Yukon government has designated the shipwreck a historic site. A phonograph with three records was discovered, giving insight into songs being listened to during the Gold Rush.</p><br>
<p>Kent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay, and a historic place in Maryland. To the east, a narrow channel known as the Kent Narrows barely separates the island from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the other side, the island is separated from Sandy Point, an area near Annapolis, by roughly four miles  of water. At only four miles wide, the main waterway of the bay is at its narrowest at this point and is spanned here by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The Chester River runs to the north of the island and empties into the Chesapeake Bay at Kent Island&#39;s Love Point. To the south of the island lies Eastern Bay. The United States Census Bureau reports that the island has 31.62 square miles of land area.</p><br>
<p>Kent Island is part of Queen Annes County, Maryland, and Marylands Eastern Shore region. The first English establishment on the island, Kent Fort, was founded in 1631, making Kent Island the oldest English settlement within the present day state of Maryland and the third oldest permanent English settlement in what became the United States — after Jamestown, Virginia (1607) and Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620). The census-designated places of Stevensville, and Chester are located on the island, along with several other communities, including the fishing community of Kent Narrows, which is located partially on the island. Although all of Kent Islands communities are unincorporated, the census designated places of Stevensville and Chester on the island are both more populous than any of Queen Annes County&#39;s incorporated towns.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<h3>Early and Colonial</h3><br>
<p>Prior to European colonization, Kent Island was inhabited by Native Americans for nearly 12,000 years. The island was inhabited by the Matapeake tribe, members of the Algonquian nation who the Matapeake, area of Kent Island is named after. Other tribes that inhabited the area and often visited the island included the Ozinie and Monoponson tribes, the latter of which share their name with the Algonquian name for the island, Monoponson. During the 16th and 17th centuries, early explorers of the Chesapeake Bay, including Captain John Smith, were the first Europeans to see Kent Island; however, it wasnt until August 1631 that the island became an English settlement. At that time, William Claiborne, a resident of Jamestown, founded a settlement near the southern end of the island for the purpose of trading with Native Americans and named the island after his birthplace of Kent, England. The settlement burned down in the winter of 1631–32 but was quickly rebuilt, and in 1634 the settlement included a gristmill, courthouse, and trading station. Following the formation of the province of Maryland, Claiborne continued to recognize the island as part of his home colony of Virginia, while Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore recognized it as part of Maryland. Claiborne was forced from and returned to the island twice before leaving permanently in 1658, thus effectively ending the disputes. Virginias official claims to the island, however, continued until 1776.</p><br>
<h3>Industrial Revolution</h3><br>
<p>Until the early 19th century, Kent Island was used almost entirely for farming of tobacco and corn, however that ended due to the depletion of nutrient-rich soil as a result of the lack of crop rotation and poor farming practices. The islands economy went into decline while the soil recovered, with the exception of the port town of Broad Creek. This began to change around the time of the Industrial Revolution. In 1850, the town of Stevensville, was founded after the sale of farms owned by James and Charles Stevens and prospered as a major hub for steamboat travel across the Chesapeake Bay. Stevensville was also the home of a railroad station known as the Stevensville Train Depot that was located near the western end of a railroad that carried ferry passengers to other parts of the Eastern Shore. Also during this time, small resorts on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean were established in the area. Such a resort existed at Love Point, to the north of Stevensville. Farming returned to the economy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with farmers growing crops including corn, wheat, berries, and melons. Many of the islands inhabitants worked as watermen in the expanding seafood industry capitalizing on the Chesapeake&#39;s supply of Maryland Blue Crab, rockfish, and oysters.</p><br>
<h3>Twentieth century</h3><br>
<p>As roads replaced railroads and steamboats into the twentieth century, there was a growing need for a road bridge connecting the two shores of the Chesapeake Bay. In 1952 the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was completed, connecting the island directly to the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The bridge completely replaced the steamboat system and also led to further growth of Kent Island and the rest of the Eastern Shore. In 1973, in order to accommodate growing traffic across the bay, the bridge was expanded with an additional span built next to the existing one. Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s USA Route 50 was converted to a freeway across the island.</p><br>
<h3>Recent history</h3><br>
<p>In September 2003, Kent Island was one of the many places in the Chesapeake Bay Area affected by Hurricane Isabel. Local businesses and historic local landmarks were either damaged or destroyed in the storm and the storm surge caused by it. Much of the damage from the hurricane, mostly caused by flooding, took several months to repair.</p><br>
<p>Today, Kent Island is considered a suburb of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and was home to 16,812 residents at the time of the 2000 USA Census. The combined area of the Stevensville and Chester CDPs had 9,603 residents. Many have relocated from the Washington, D.C. or Baltimore metro areas and continue to commute back there. Stevensville and Chester are also among the most densely populated areas of the Eastern Shore, and the most densely populated in Queen Anne&#39;s County, making up 23.67% of its population and only 3.07% of its land area.</p><br>
<h3>Historic places</h3><br>
<p>As of 2006, many of the islands historic places have been preserved and are highlighted by the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway and the American Discovery Trail, both of which pass through the island. Several buildings on the island that are still left over from the 19th century and earlier include the Cray House, a rare remaining example of post and plank construction, the old Stevensville post office (left, yellow building in center), Christ Episcopal Church, and the Stevensville Train Depot (right). Stevensvilles historic district along with some of the buildings in the town are on the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Notable residents</h2><br>
<p>Listed are notable people who have lived on Kent Island.</p><br>
<p>Brock Adams – United States Secretary of Transportation and United States Senator from Washington</p><br>
<p>Elbert N. Carvel – Governor of Delaware</p><br>
<p>William Claiborne – Founder of Kent Island</p><br>
<p>James Earickson – former State Treasurer of Missouri</p><br>
<p>Henry R. Gibson – USA representative from Tennessee</p><br>
<p>Theodore N. Lerner – Principal owner of the Washington Nationals</p><br>
<h2>Transportation</h2><br>
<h3>Roads</h3><br>
<p>The main mode of transportation on Kent Island, as with most other suburban areas of the United States, is the automobile. Kent Island&#39;s main roads include the USA Route 50/USA Route 301 freeway, which connects the island to Central Maryland via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and to the Delmarva Peninsula via the Kent Narrows Bridge. The island is also served by Maryland Routes 8, 18, and 552.</p><br>
<h3>Trails</h3><br>
<p>The original section of the Cross Island Trail, a walking and biking trail on Kent Island, was built in the late 1990s, as part of Queen Annes Countys portion of the American Discovery Trail. The full trail was completed in 2001.</p><br>
<p>By the time the Cross Island Trail was completed, growing concern over the safety of pedestrians using the shoulder of Route 8 prompted the construction of a new trail paralleling the road. When completed, the trail, known as the Kent Island South Trail, will run from Romancoke Pier at the southern end of Route 8, heading north and crossing the road in Matapeake, near Matapeake Elementary and Middle schools. From there it will pass through Mobray Park, then over US 50, through Stevensville to end at the Cross Island Trail in or near Old Love Point Park.</p><br>
<p>Both the Cross Island and Kent Island South Trails are part of a planned trail system for Queen Anne&#39;s County; the entire Cross Island Trail and the existing section of the Kent Island South Trail represent the only completed portions of the system.</p><br>
<h3>Connections to the mainland</h3><br>
<p>The bridges that currently connect Kent Island to the mainland, or once did, are as follows:</p><br>
<p>The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, or Bay Bridge, spans the Chesapeake Bay and carries US 50/301 to Annapolis.</p><br>
<p>The Kent Narrows Bridge spans the Kent Narrows and carries US 50/301 to the Delmarva Peninsula.</p><br>
<p>The Old Kent Narrows Bridge, Kent Narrows Drawbridge, or Route 18 Kent Narrows Bridge is a drawbridge that carries Maryland 18 into Grasonville. It was the predecessor to the current Kent Narrows Bridge and now serves local traffic.</p><br>
<p>An even older automobile bridge once ran across the Kent Narrows and was replaced by the current Route 18 Kent Narrows Bridge. Also in the past, railroad bridges over the Kent Narrows connected the Kent Island portion of the Queen Anne&#39;s County Railroad to the mainland.</p><br>
<p>Access to Annapolis and Washington, D.C. is available via MTA Commuter Bus Service Route 950. Weekday service to the mainland begins at 4:50 am and the last bus to leave Washington departs at 8:58 pm.</p><br>
<p>Local airports on the island serve as another type of connection to the mainland. The largest is the Bay Bridge Airport, located near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Before the construction of the Bay Bridge, ferry services connected the island directly to Baltimore, Annapolis, and the small peninsula on which St. Michaels, is located. Some of the piers that were used as part of the ferry service are still used for fishing.</p><br>
<p>Cerro Azul , sometimes referred to as Quizapu, is an active stratovolcano in the Maule Region of central Chile, immediately south of Descabezado Grande. Part of the South Volcanic Zone of the Andes, its summit is 3,788 m above sea level, and is capped by a summit crater that is 500 m wide and opens to the north. Beneath the summit, the volcano features numerous scoria cones and flank vents.</p><br>
<p>Cerro Azul is responsible for several of South Americas largest recorded eruptions, in 1846 and 1932. In 1846, an effusive eruption formed the vent at the site of present-day Quizapu crater on the northern flank of Cerro Azul and sent lava flowing down the sides of the volcano, creating a lava field 8–9 square kilometres (3–3.5 square miles) in area. Phreatic and Strombolian volcanism between 1907 and 1932 excavated this crater. In 1932, one of the largest explosive eruptions of the 20th century occurred at Quizapu Crater and sent 9.5 km3 of ash into the atmosphere. The volcanos most recent eruption was in 1967.</p><br>
<p>The South Volcanic Zone has a long history of eruptions and poses a threat to the surrounding region. Any volcanic hazard—ranging from minor ashfalls to pyroclastic flows—could pose a significant risk to humans and wildlife. Despite its inactivity, Cerro Azul could again produce a major eruption; if this were to happen, relief efforts would probably be quickly organized. Teams such as the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) are prepared to effectively evacuate, assist, and rescue people threatened by volcanic eruptions.</p><br>
<h2>Geography and geology</h2><br>
<h3>Regional setting</h3><br>
<p>Volcanism in the Chilean Andes is caused by subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic tectonic plates under the South American Plate. Volcanoes in Chile occur in the Central (CVZ), South (SVZ), and Austral Volcanic Zones (AVZ). The gap that separates the Central and South Volcanic Zones is caused by shallow-angle subduction in the Pampean flat-slab segment where the more buoyant Juan Fernández Ridge subducts under the South American continent. This buoyant region prevents the slab (subducting tectonic plate) from diving deep into the mantle, The Patagonian Volcanic Gap, which separates the South and Austral Volcanic Zones, is caused by the subduction of the Chile Ridge, though it is less clear whether this gap also is due to flat-slab subduction; it may instead arise because melting of the subducting slab there produced felsic igneous rocks instead of volcanoes.</p><br>
<p>Offshore volcanism also occurs in Chile. Intraplate volcanism generated from the Easter and Juan Fernández hotspots has formed many Chilean islands, including Isla Salas y Gómez, Easter Island, and the Juan Fernández Islands. Underwater volcanism occurs due to seafloor spreading along the Chile Ridge.</p><br>
<p>Nearly 100 Quaternary (Pleistocene- or Holocene-age) independent volcanoes exist in the country, in addition to 60 volcanic complexes and caldera systems.</p><br>
<h3>Local setting</h3><br>
<p>Cerro Azul is part of the South Volcanic Zone, which runs through central and western Chile and extends south to Argentina. This range includes at least nine caldera complexes, more than 70 of Chiles stratovolcanoes and volcanic fields that have been active in the Quaternary, and hundreds of minor eruptive centres. The South Volcanic Zone is the most volcanically active region in Chile, and produces around one eruption per year. Its largest historical eruption was at Quizapu Crater, located on the north side of Cerro Azuls summit (see below), and its most active volcanoes are Llaima and Villarrica.</p><br>
<p>Cerro Azul, just 7 km south of Descabezado Grande volcano, is part of the Descabezado Grande–Cerro Azul eruptive system, a volcanic field which comprises its two large namesake volcanic edifices and several smaller vents, including 12 Holocene calderas. Both volcanoes lie on top of the Casitas Shield, a plateau built of over 100 lava flows that erupted in at least 12 volcanic episodes during the Quaternary period. The upper lava layers are dated at 340,000 years.</p><br>
<p>As with the majority of the Andean volcanoes, Cerro Azul is a stratovolcano, meaning that it consists of layers, or strata, of volcanic ash and lava flows. The cone of Cerro Azul has a total volume of about 11 km3, and is a young feature, formed in the Holocene. The cone has a few volcanic craters; the majority of its eruptions in recorded history have originated from Quizapu Crater on the northern flank of Cerro Azuls cone. Other craters lying on the flanks of the main cone are Caracol ("Snail"), Crater los Quillayes, Crater la Resolana, and Crater sin Nombre ("Nameless Crater"). All of the craters lie between 2,000 and in elevation, except Quizapu, which is 3,292 m up the volcano. The summit of Cerro Azul is crowned by an asymmetric crater about 500 m in diameter. Pleistocene glacial activity is evident in the form of 500 meter (1,640 ft) deep struts in the volcanoes sides. These deep cuts have revealed strata of older rock.</p><br>
<h3>Quizapu Crater</h3><br>
<p>Quizapu, which formed during the 1846 eruption, is the most prominent crater. Because of aerodynamic drag, a Plinian eruption excavates a circular crater. As the earlier eruptions had already formed an approximately circular caldera, the Plinian eruption was able to proceed efficiently, with minimal drag and minimal reshaping of the crater.</p><br>
<p>The Quizapu Crater is almost perfectly circular, and rises to a prominence of 150 to 250 m above the surrounding portions of the volcano.</p><br>
<h2>Climate and vegetation</h2><br>
<p>Cerro Azul is situated in a Mediterranean climate zone, characterized by hot and dry summers but mild and wet winters. The temperatures and precipitation are strongly dependent on topography. In the Andes the annual average maximum temperatures lie in the range 20 to 25 C, while minimum temperatures are below 0 &deg;C. Annual precipitation is up to 800 mm (31.5 inches).</p><br>
<p>Vegetation in the Andes varies with elevation. Above 1,600 meters (5,249 ft) the slopes of mountains are covered by Alpine-like steppe, while below there are zones of Nothofagus forest, Hygrophilous forest, Sclerophylous forest, and matorral. The number of plant species is likely to exceed 2,000, although no comprehensive study of the flora of Central Chile has been undertaken.</p><br>
<h2>Eruptive history</h2><br>
<p>Cerro Azul has a history of eruptions dating back to at least 1846. The known events include effusive eruptions (lava flows), which created the Quizapu vent, explosive eruptions, and phreatic eruptions. Pyroclastic flows have also been observed as a result of some of these explosive eruptions. The earliest recorded eruption began on November 26, 1846, while the volcano&#39;s last eruption began on August 9, 1967. The volcano has produced two of the largest eruptions in South America in recorded history, in 1846 and 1932. Both released 4 - of the dacitic magma.</p><br>
<h3>First record of activity, 1846</h3><br>
<p>On November 26, 1846, Cerro Azul erupted. This was the first report of activity at the volcano, and no trace of fumaroles, adjacent vents, or pre-eruptive activity exists. Most descriptions of the eruption come from the backcountry herdsmen (arrieros). One, who was camped in a valley approximately 7 km east of Quizapu, heard "a great noise and a cloud of ash" emanate from the mountain in the late afternoon. No precursor activity was reported, and the herdsman claimed that there were no earthquakes during the late afternoon eruption.</p><br>
<p>That night, two herdsmen near the site heard a continuous roar, punctuated by loud bangs and crackling sounds "like that of great rockslides". Lightning and thunder accompanied the spectacle. They saw many blue flames, and were choked by sulfurous gas. Observers in Talca 85 km away heard the eruption noises, and the sulfurous odors reached them the day after the eruption. None of the reports mention earthquakes or ash fall, though the crackling and banging sounds could be from block lavas (aā).</p><br>
<p>This first recorded eruption of Cerro Azul was effusive, and formed the volcanic vent at Quizapu. Hornblende–dacite lava erupted with small masses of tephra, which had been degassed shortly before the eruption.</p><br>
<h3>Early 20th century</h3><br>
<p>Cerro Azul was quiet from 1846 to the beginning of the 20th century. After a possible precursor explosive event in 1903, Cerro Azul once again erupted in 1907. Between 1907 and 1914, plumes and clouds of ash frequently rose out of the caldera, and at least a few of these events were explosive. On September 8, 1914, an explosive eruption sent a plume 6 or 7 kilometers (about 4 mi) into the air over 8 minutes. By 1916, these eruptions had produced a caldera nearly identical to the one in existence today.</p><br>
<p>The volcano also erupted phreatically several times, as recorded by Vogel in 1913 and 1920, with its activity increasing from 1916 to 1926. During these years, the eruptions grew more frequent and more violent. A major outburst on November 2, 1927 started a period of nearly continuous violent eruptions that lasted until 1929. During this period, Cerro Azul sometimes erupted daily, sending columns of ash as far as 6 or 7 kilometers (about 4 mi) into the air. Quizapu Crater grew slightly during this eruptive period.</p><br>
<p>Pre-1932 volcanism was largely phreatic or fumarolic, as evidenced by the lack of tephra generated by these eruptions. Photographs from 1912 show vapor plumes containing little ash, rising 1 - above the crater.</p><br>
<h3>Major eruption, 1932</h3><br>
<p>By 1932, Quizapu had produced many phreatic events and one effusive eruption, but no large Plinian eruptions. This frequency of minor eruptive activity proved to be a precursor for a major eruption. On 25 January 1932, observers in Malargue saw a large black cloud over the summit. By 9 April, the volcano emitted green gas and started to "bellow like a bull". On April 10, Cerro Azul finally erupted, releasing a towering column or plume of white gas. After 10 AM, the plume turned black with ash and began to form an umbrella shape. The ash was carried by wind into Puesto El Tristan in Argentina, about 47 km away, where beginning at 1 PM it rained down for hours. At 4 PM, coarser sandy material and some pumice lapilli began to fall.</p><br>
<p>Cerro Azul&#39;s April 1932 eruption was one of the largest of the 20th century. Releasing 9.5 km3 of lava, the volcano ejected primarily dacitic tephra, accompanied by rhyodacite, andesite, and minuscule amounts of andesitic and basaltic scoria. At least one eruptive period lasted for 18 hours, creating an "exceptionally uniform" deposit. Eruption columns, extending 27 - into the air, were sighted. Phenocrysts were similar to the effusive eruption in 1846. Soon after, both the Tinguiririca and Descabezado Grande volcanoes began erupting, sending clouds of ash 800 km into Argentina. The eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of at least 5.</p><br>
<p>Since the eruption of 1932 Quizapu has been quiet. In 1949 and 1967 small ash clouds were reported, while in the 1980s there were no signs of activity other than fumaroles.</p><br>
<h2>Threats and preparedness</h2><br>
<p>Cerro Azul is in the South Volcanic Zone, where many volcanoes pose a threat to human life. Among the other active volcanoes of the South Volcanic Zone are Mount Hudson, Llaima, and Villarrica. Villarrica and Llaima together have more than 80 reported episodes of volcanism since 1558, and at least 40 South Volcanic Zone volcanoes have had Holocene-age eruptions.</p><br>
<p>Every known type of eruption (Hawaiian, Strombolian, Plinian, subplinian, phreatic, phreatomagmatic, and Vulcanian) has occurred at some point in the range. Cerro Azul itself has experienced phreatic, Strombolian, and Plinian activity in human history. The type of eruption tends to correspond with lava composition. Strombolian eruptions at Llaima, Antuco, Villarrica, and elsewhere have been produced by basaltic to basaltic–andesitic activity. Dacitic to rhyolitic lavas have been linked to subplinian and Plinian eruptions, such as those at Quizapu (1932) and Hudson (1991). Because of this variability, volcanic hazards from Cerro Azul and the surrounding region could come in many different forms. Historical eruptions typically have produced lahars, lava flows, and ashfalls. Lava flows and lahars could wipe out entire cities or towns. Ashfall produced by explosive eruptions could interfere with air traffic. Most threatening of all is the risk of pyroclastic flows or avalanches, which have historically traversed as far as 100 km in the region.</p><br>
<p>Past eruptions of Quizapu Crater ejected enormous amounts of ash that traveled as far as Brazil. After the 1932 eruption, the local vegetation was devastated, and the area remained barren until the 1990s, though human life was not impacted. Despite the extent of its eruptions, the threat to humans from Quizapu is relatively small because of the remote location of Cerro Azul. Nevertheless, the size of past eruptions is large enough for scientists to be worried. Evidence of a potentially deadly threat lies in a lahar at Descabezado Grande. There is, however, a possibility that a large reservoir of rhyodacite magma may exist under the Azul–Descabezado complex. If this is the case, all previous eruptions in 1846–1967 were only preliminary, preclimactic leaks from the large magma chamber beneath, and a large caldera-forming eruption may be expected in the future.</p><br>
<p>If Cerro Azul were to erupt, relief efforts could be orchestrated. The Volcanic Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) formed in response to the famous eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia, and responded to the 1991 eruption of Mount Hudson in Chile.</p><br>
<p>Lake Vanda is a lake in Wright Valley, Victoria Land, Ross Dependency, Antarctica. The lake is 5 km long and has a maximum depth of 69 m. On its shore, New Zealand maintained Vanda Station from 1968 to 1995. Lake Vanda is a hypersaline lake with a salinity more than ten times that of seawater, more than the salinity of the Dead Sea, and perhaps even more than of Lake Assal , which is the worlds most saline lake outside of Antarctica. Lake Vanda is also meromictic, which means that the deeper waters of the lake dont mix with the shallower waters. There are three distinct layers of water ranging in temperature from 23 &deg;C on the bottom to the middle layer of 7 &deg;C and the upper layer ranges from 4 -. It is only one of the many saline lakes in the ice-free valleys of the Transantarctic Mountains. The longest river of Antarctica, Onyx River, flows West, inland, into Lake Vanda. There is a meteorological station at the mouth of the river.</p><br>
<p>The lake is covered by a transparent ice sheet 3.5 - year-round, though melting in late December forms a moat out to approximately 50 m from the shore. The surface of the ice is not covered with snow and is "deeply rutted with cracks and melt lines". During the colder months the moat refreezes.</p><br>
<p>While no species of fish live in Lake Vanda or the Onyx River, microscopic life such as cyanobacteria algal blooms have been recorded. Due to the concerns over impact to the natural environment that may occur during research, scientific diving operations are limited to work in the upper layer (above 30 m) and remotely operated underwater vehicle use is not allowed.</p><br>
<h2>Vanda Station</h2><br>
<p>Lake Vanda Station was well known for The Royal Lake Vanda Swim Club. Visitors to Lake Vanda Station could dip into the high salinity waters when the icecap edge melted out during summer to form a moat, and receive a Royal Lake Vanda Swim Club shoulder patch. Vanda staff would assist the melt by hacking out a pool. Many dignitaries and politicians were inducted into the club, The dip had to be naked (Rule 1), complete immersion (Rule 4), witnessed by a Vandal (Vanda Station staffer) and with no restrictions on photography (Rule 6) to qualify. Rule 10 allowed a natural figleaf, but it had to be natural and also naturally green without artificial aid.</p><br>
<p>Vanda Station was removed in 1995 as lake levels rose, and is replaced by a shelter, Lake Vanda Hut, that is periodically staffed by 2-8 stream researchers.</p><br>
<p>Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles  and the lake covers 65,530 acre at the maximum power pool elevation. The reservoir ranks 9th in the USA in size, with a capacity of 6,100,000 acre.ft of water, enough to cover the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky with 3 inches  of water. The main lake is 101 mi long and over one mile  across at its widest point.</p><br>
<p>The lake has become a major source of tourism and an economic engine for south-central Kentucky. As of September 2011 Lake Cumberland was approximately 43 ft below its normal level due to leakage in the earthen part of the dam, but repairs were completed in 2013 and officials estimated that lake levels would be back to normal by 2014-2015. As of 4-18-2015 the lake is back to full summer pool.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Lake Cumberland was impounded from the Cumberland River by the United States Army Corps of Engineers&#39; construction of the Wolf Creek Dam in 1952. Wolf Creek Dam is the 25th largest dam in the United States, and cost $15 million to construct originally, with an additional $65 million needed almost immediately to fix problems which soon became apparent. It is estimated that the dam has prevented more than $500 million in flood damage since its construction.</p><br>
<h3>Dam repairs</h3><br>
<p>In 1967 a leak was found at the Wolf Creek Dam. Repairs were made in the late seventies at a cost of over $96 million.</p><br>
<p>On January 22, 2007, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began lowering the water level in Lake Cumberland, fearing a possible breach in Wolf Creek Dam. Water seepage had eroded the limestone under the dam, creating the potential for a breach and subsequent flood that would cause damages into the billions of dollars in cities downstream.</p><br>
<p>By September 2011 Lake Cumberland was approximately 43 ft below its normal level. The drop in water level had a negative impact on the area&#39;s tourism industry as marinas and municipalities scrambled to adjust their facilities for the lower water level. The caverns beneath the structure complicated plans for repairs, but a $594 million project to construct a new wall inside the dam was completed by early 2013 and tourism officials were anticipating higher visitation numbers as the lake level was raised to 705 feet.</p><br>
<p>Since spring of 2014 Lake Cumberland water levels returned to normal operation and water levels.</p><br>
<h2>Uses</h2><br>
<h3>Power generation</h3><br>
<p>Wolf Creek Dams six turbines are capable of supplying the needs of an average city (population of 375,000) via 270 megawatts of electricity. The power generating capacity is considered "dead" when the lakes water level is below 673 feet (205 m).</p><br>
<h3>Recreation</h3><br>
<p>In 1999, approximately 4.75 million visitors added more than $152.4 million to the local economy. Of the 383 lakes controlled or maintained by the USA Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Cumberland ranks 4th in the nation for the number of visitor hours. Over 1,500 houseboats float on Lake Cumberland and numerous power boats play in its waters.</p><br>
<p>Lake Cumberland is home to two Kentucky state parks: Lake Cumberland State Resort Park on its shore and General Burnside State Park on an island in the middle of the lake.</p><br>
<p>Several of Kentucky&#39;s record fish have been taken in the waters of Lake Cumberland, including:</p><br>
<p>Brown trout (21 lb)</p><br>
<p>Lake trout (5 lb 5 oz)</p><br>
<p>Rainbow trout (14 lb 6 oz)</p><br>
<p>Sauger (7 lb 7 oz)</p><br>
<p>Striped bass (58 lb 4 oz)</p><br>
<p>Sturgeon (36 lb 8 oz)</p><br>
<p>Walleye (21 lb 8 oz)</p><br>
<h2>Statistics</h2><br>
<p>The normal summer pool is around 723 feet (220 m) above mean sea level.</p><br>
<p>The tree line is about 725 feet (221 m).</p><br>
<p>The maximum pool is 760 feet (232 m) at the top of dam floodgates</p><br>
<p>The top of Wolf Creek Dam is 773 feet (236 m).</p><br>
<p>Lake is considered at "flood control" level from 723 to 760 feet (220 to 232 m).</p><br>
<p>Normal power drawdown is between 723 and 673 feet (220 to 205 m).</p><br>
<p>At 760 feet (232 m) elevation, the shoreline of Lake Cumberland is 1,255 miles (2,020 km).</p><br>
<p>At maximum possible elevation of 760 feet (232 m), Lake Cumberland is considered to be 101 miles (163 km) long, with a total surface area of 65,530 acre.</p><br>
<p>Surface area at 723 feet (220 m) is 50,250 acre.</p><br>
<p>At minimum power pool of 673 feet (205 m), the surface area is 35,820 acre.</p><br>
<p>Average depth of lake at summer pool of 723 feet (220 m) above sea level: 90 feet (27 m)</p><br>
<p>Deepest point in lake: original river channel adjacent to Wolf Creek Dam: 200 feet (60 m)</p><br>
<p>Depth of river channel upstream of dam to Wolf Creek: generally 160 feet (50 m)</p><br>
<p>Depth of river channel upstream of Wolf Creek to one mile (2 km) downstream of Burnside: 280 feet</p><br>
<p>The lowest water level recorded (since construction) was 675.10 feet (205.77 m) above mean sea level on January 27, 1981. The highest water level recorded was 751.70 feet (229.12 m) above mean sea level at 2:00AM, May 13, 1984.</p><br>
<p>Lake Trasimeno , also referred to as Trasimene or Thrasimene in English, is a lake in the province of Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy. The lake is south of the river Po and north of the nearby river Tiber, has a surface area of 128 km&sup2; and is the fourth for surface area in Italy.  Only two minor streams flow directly into the Lake and none flows out. The water level of the lake fluctuates significantly according to rainfall levels and the seasonal demands from the towns, villages and farms near the shore.</p><br>
<h2>The lake</h2><br>
<p>Trasimeno is shallow, muddy, and rich in fish, including pike, carp, and tench. During the last 10 years it has been 5 meters deep, on average. Lake Trasimeno is an endorheic body of water; it is an impounded lake that receives water but has no outlet. Other endorheic bodies of water include the Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Utah&#39;s Great Salt Lake, and the Dead Sea. Evaporation can lead to a buildup of minerals in the water, resulting in saline conditions, making these lakes sensitive to pressures from pollution.</p><br>
<p>The shallow waters meant that malarial mosquitoes prospered. To combat malaria, some mosquito larvae-eating fish were imported from USA during the 1950s. These fish are widely scattered, and some live in the lakes near Trasimeno. Although billions of larvae are eaten, there are still many mosquitoes and other insects.</p><br>
<p>The lake&#39;s water quality is still very good, as a study by conservation group Italia Nostra showed in 2005. This is believed to be largely due to the small population and a lack of large farms in the area.</p><br>
<p>A proposal to drain the lake to solve the problems of malaria and depth changes was rejected. At the end of the 19th century, the level changes were solved by building a channel near San Feliciano. This also lessened the malaria problem.</p><br>
<h3>Origins and early history</h3><br>
<p>Three million years ago, there was a shallow sea in this part of Umbria. A depression formed by geologic fractures allowed the present-day Lake Trasimeno to form.</p><br>
<p>Historically, Trasimeno was known as the Lake of Perugia, being important for northwestern Umbria and for the Tuscan Chiana district. In prehistoric times, this lake extended almost to Perugia. Trasimeno is a mythological figure, joined with Agilla, a nymph born in Agello, now a hill midway between Perugia and Trasimeno, formerly an island in the lake.</p><br>
<p>The first civilization to inhabit this area was the Etruscans; three of the main Etruscan cities - Perugia, Chiusi, and Cortona - are within 20 km of the lake. Little physical evidence remains from the period of Etruscan or later Roman settlement. Castiglione del Lago, has some Roman ruins and its main streets are structured like a chessboard in the Roman style.</p><br>
<p>The Battle of Lake Trasimeno occurred on the northern shore of the lake in April 217 B.C. during the Second Punic War. The exact location of the battle is unknown because the lake then extended further north; the battle could have been fought between Cortona and Tuoro. Near Cortona, there is a place called Ossaia, in Italian meaning ossuary. Another place with reference to the battle is the place named Sanguineto, whose name is connected with the Italian term "sangue" meaning blood or, probably, bloody place.</p><br>
<h3>Local climate</h3><br>
<p>The Trasimeno climate is fairly warm, with moderate winters. Summers can be very warm and humid, but in general the lake moderates the climate both in cold and warm conditions because even shallow water gives a moderate thermic inertia. From May to September, the temperature is high enough to allow swimming. In 1929, a cold winter froze the whole of the lake&#39;s surface, and cars could be driven over the ice. Cold winters in 1957, 1985 and 2002 caused heavy damage to the olive trees nearby. A less severe freeze happened in 1991. Given the latitude of the lake freezing remains a rare occurrence.</p><br>
<h3>Water level</h3><br>
<p>The water level of the lake is very dependent on the amount of seasonal rain and can change significantly from one year to the other. The water level is usually at its minimum level after summer (in September or October) and at its highest during spring (in April or May).</p><br>
<p>Trasimeno has high hills to the east, which help to capture rain and partially protect the lake from cold eastern winds. Most of the water in the lake comes from the network of streams on the western side of the lake.</p><br>
<p>The reference water level of the lake is set at 257.33 AMSL. This level corresponds to a maximum depth of around 6m. Actions are planned to reduce the water level only when this one is bigger than 257.60 AMSL, but since the maximum level has been set only occasionally the lake has been that high.</p><br>
<p>After World War II, the lake&#39;s shores retreated a kilometre in the west (the eastern shore is deeper and more steeply sloped). In 1958 the water of the lake reached the lowest recorded level, at -2.63m vs reference level. Since 1958 the level increased again to reach reference level in June 1989. After the water level started again to fall, and in 2003 the shore retreated over 100 m and the level fell in October 2003 to -1.85m vs reference.</p><br>
<p>From 2004 to the summer of 2006, there was plenty of rain. 150 mm of rain fell during the last 20 days of August 2005 and over 700 mm during the remeaning part of the year. Unfortunately during the following five years rain was insufficient (especially in 2006 and 2007 winters were very dry and summers hot) so by October 2012 the water level was -1.51m vs reference. Fortunately, since 2012 winters have been very rainy so the level of the lake has progressively increased to reach in February 2014 the reference level. In April 2014 the water level increased further to reach 0.30m above reference.</p><br>
<p>A channel from the reservoir at Montedoglio in Tuscany to supply agriculture and lakeside towns (and thereby eliminate the need to draw water from the lake) was opened in 2012.</p><br>
<h3>Conservation</h3><br>
<p>The inhabitants of the communes around Trasimeno and the Umbrian people have successfully protected their lake, whose waters are fit for swimming and whose valleys and islands are intact environments.</p><br>
<p>In 1995 a natural park was established over the entire surface and the shores. A 50 km bicycle path was opened in 2003 around the lake that allows tourists to explore it. There are also cross-country paths, especially over the hills on the eastern side.</p><br>
<p>During the last twenty years several aliens species (Louisiana crawfish, black bullhead, stone moroko and goldfish) have been introduced in the lake, putting under threat the autochthonous water life. The goldfish has been the first alien species to be introduced in the lake and today accounts for about 50% of the total fish presence.</p><br>
<h2>The lake’s environs</h2><br>
<p>Half of Trasimeno is surrounded by hills, rich in olives that are an important agricultural resource. On the western shore, near Tuscany, there are vineyards, and fruit and vegetables are grown. The hills are much lower and the climate is warmer. Monte Subasio near Assisi, about 70 km to the east, and Monte Amiata, about 70 km to the west, can be seen. The vegetation includes pines, willows and poplars around the shores, many over 30 m tall.</p><br>
<p>The main towns are Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro, Monte del Lago, Torricella, San Feliciano, San Arcangelo, Castiglione del Lago, and Borghetto. Castiglione del Lago has the longest shore, being on the only significant peninsula of the lake. This may have been an island that was joined to the shore by the Romans.</p><br>
<p>Surrounding the lake are old small towns, and isolated castles, like Zocco castle and a tower near Passignano. Monte del Lago was originally built to control the road from Trasimeno to Perugia.</p><br>
<h3>Aviation</h3><br>
<p>The local airport, the Eleuteri, near Castiglione del Lago, was once one of the main aviation schools in Italy, with elegant buildings that were destroyed by retreating German troops in the summer of 1944. This airport was once almost as big as Castiglione. The mild climate and perfect visibility still allow the use of this airport for air meetings.</p><br>
<p>A social center exists in the former airport. A major watercourse, the Paganico torrent, separated the airport from the town.</p><br>
<p>Before this airport was constructed, there was a hydroscale in Castiglione del Lago. On the opposite shore, in Passignano, around 10 km away, there was an aircraft factory, the SAI Ambrosini. This is now abandoned as an industrial center, but is still used as an association center. It was founded around 80 years ago and the buildings still exist near the Passignano sul Trasimeno railway station. This company made several types of aircraft, designed by eng. Sergio Stefanutti. Aircraft were tested at Eleuteri airport, only few kilometers away from this factory. SAI was involved mainly with Macchi during World War II. Eleuteri was also used as test center for the Ambrosini SS.4, advanced canard aircraft, which crashed in the second flight and the project was abandoned.</p><br>
<h3>Communications</h3><br>
<p>Trasimeno is relatively far from every major Italian city, the nearest of which is Perugia. There was an historic railway built over 100 years ago, with the main rail station in Terontola. Smaller railway stations are in Passignano and Castiglione del Lago.</p><br>
<p>Because of increased traffic, about 30 years ago a highway was built over the Passignano&#39;s road to Perugia. This highway passes near the north and the east shores of Trasimeno and goes to Perugia and Assisi. Many smaller roads, such as the statal 75, are also present, especially on the western side of the lake. The A1 Autostrada passes five kilometers (5 km) to the west of the Lake.</p><br>
<h3>Navigation</h3><br>
<p>Strict regulations apply for the navigation on the Lake. A protected strip is established for the entire perimeter of Lake Trasimeno for a distance of 150 meters from the shore of the lake and the shore of the islands. In the protected strip navigation is only permitted for craft having a maximum length of 9 meters at the waterline, propelled by oars or by sail, at a maximum speed of two knots. Exceptions apply to authorised boats propelled by motor only in the water in front of port areas or authorized landing places.</p><br>
<p>There are ferryboats, 3 small, 2 medium, and two big (two decks) called Perusia and Agilla II, based in Passignano Port, also two dredges. There are ports in Castiglione del Lago (recently totally rebuilt), S. Arcangelo, S. Feliciano, Tuoro, and several minor anchorages.</p><br>
<h2>Islands</h2><br>
<p>There are three islands in the lake. The largest of these islands is Isola Polvese, almost 1 km. The second largest, Isola Maggiore, is the only inhabited one. The small fishing village, which reached its height in the 14th century, today has only around thirty residents. Most of the buildings, including the ruins of a Franciscan monastery, date from the 14th century.</p><br>
<p>Maggiore is a hill, whereas Polvese is a more complex structure with plains and hills, and Minore resembles a sloped table. Minore is now uninhabited, but in the past had a village with over 500 residents. Many centuries ago, a castle with a pentagonal structure stood near the shore, near an Olivetan monastery. The castle still remains, and the ruins of the church and the monastery are almost totally preserved, despite the abandonment in the 17th century due to malaria. The malaria was eradicated only in the 1950s. There were other problems, since Trasimeno was fought over by Chiusi, Panicale, Perugia, and Florence.</p><br>
<p>Florentine troops demolished Polvese in the 17th century, beginning its decline, until by the 19th century there was only a caretaker. Of the many houses, nothing remains.</p><br>
<p>Minore Isle, near Maggiore, is now uninhabited, totally covered by local vegetation except for a small anchorage. In ancient times, there was a separation between the two communities, because Polvese was far away from Maggiore-Minore. According to local stories, the two communities fought against each other but the real problems were from the regional powers that fought over this lake for centuries.</p><br>
<p>A fishing technique, called Tuoro or pesca da tuori, was used locally. This complex system consisted of a wooden trap in the water and a circular structure to hold the net around it. The nets trapped the fish that were then taken to the village to be dried. This system worked with a high water level, but was abandoned when the level dropped. A mock up of this system was built several years ago near Polvese Isle&#39;s port.</p><br>
<h2>Trasimeno's Castles</h2><br>
<p>There are castles all around Trasimeno, many in the center of small towns while others are isolated and in ruins. Castiglione del Lago, Passignano, Magione, Maggiore, and Polvese islands all have castles, while Zocco castle, Montali castle, and others are on hilltops.</p><br>
<p>The Guglielmi castle in Maggiore Isle was built in the late 19th century on the foundation of an old Franciscan church, and for many years was a popular place in the Trasimeno area. Until 1998 it was still visitable, then it was closed because the structure became dangerously unstable. It is now being restored by a new proprietor, but the work is far from completed.</p><br>
<p>Between Monte del Lago and S.Feliciano is Zocco castle, ruined for decades. It is privately owned but unmaintained. It is one of the biggest castles of the area and the only one that, inside its sandstone walls, has a still untouched medieval keep. Some years ago it was probably inhabited, as there is a building fitted with a TV antenna, but now its only entry is closed. The best-preserved parts are the eastern and the southern walls, increasingly endangered because the wall&#39;s faults are enlarging. The rest of the walls are mostly demolished or have fallen down. One of the southern towers has two enormous cracks in the middle.</p><br>
<p>The Vernazzano leaning tower (N43 13.210 E12 06.084), around 20 m in height, leans like the famous leaning tower of Pisa. This unique remnant of an ancient castle was built before 1089, when the Marchiones family donated the whole castle to the monastery of Città di Castello. In 1202, it fell under control of Perugia and this city gained control of Northern Trasimeno. It was built on M.te Castiglione, near two rivers. The castle and the surrounding settlement at Vernazzano, were damaged by wars in 15th century and two centuries later, by a strong earthquake and after-shocks. Erosion of the foundations by water caused the tower to lean in the 18th century. Vernazzano was rebuilt in the valley, away from this site, which had been effective for territorial control but was less well-suited for living in. The Leaning Tower has therefore been abandoned for almost 300 years. To avoid its collapse, a steel reinforcement was recently added, with plates and wires as thick as 2 to 3 cm. The Tower is not well known, being located away from the main streets. It is visible from far away, but not easily accessible.</p><br>
<h2>Image gallery</h2><br>
