Where in the World,Wednesday

Posted on May. 23, 2007 at 1:50 PM in Where In the World Wednesday

Country: Bolivia, South America

Bolivia, officially the Republic of Bolivia named after Simón Bolívar, is a landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil on the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina on the south, and Chile and Peru on the west. Bolivia is the second poorest country in Latin America, after Haiti.

The territory now known as Bolivia was called "Upper Peru" or "Charcas" and was under the authority of the Viceroy of Lima. Independence was proclaimed in 1809, but sixteen years of struggle followed before the establishment of the republic, named for Simón Bolívar, on August 6, 1825.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. This has been attributed to high levels of corruption and the imperialist role of foreign powers in the country since the colonization. The country is rich in natural resources, and has been called a "donkey sitting on a goldmine" because of this. Apart from famous mines, which were known by the Incas and later exploited by the Spaniards, Bolivia owns the second largest natural-gas-field in South America after Venezuela. Furthermore, El Mutún in the Santa Cruz department represents 70% of the world's iron and magnesium.

Bolivian culture has been heavily influenced by the Quechua, the Aymara, as well as by the popular cultures of Latin America as a whole. The best known of the various festivals found in the country is the "Carnaval de Oruro", which was among the first 19 "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity," as proclaimed by the UNESCO in May of 2001. Entertainment includes fútbol (soccer), which is the national sport, as well as foosball, which is played on street-corners by both children and adults. Zoos are a popular attraction, with a diverse population of interesting creatures, but with lack of proper funding.

-Julia

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Where in the World,Wednesday!

Posted on May. 16, 2007 at 3:47 PM in Where In the World Wednesday

Country: Montenegro

Montenegro officially the Republic of Montenegro , is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south, and borders Croatia on the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the northwest, Serbia on the northeast and Albania on the southeast.

The culture of Montenegro has been shaped by a variety of influences throughout history. The influence of Orthodox South Slavic, Central European, and seafaring Adriatic cultures (notably parts of Italy) have been the most important in recent centuries.

Montenegro has many significant cultural and historical sites, including heritage sites from the pre-Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque periods. The Montenegrin coastal region is especially well known for its religious monuments, including the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, the basilica of St. Luke (over 800 years), Our Lady of the Rock (Škrpjela), the Savina Monastery and others. Montenegro's medieval monasteries contain thousands of square metres of frescos on their walls.

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Where in the World,Wednesday!

Posted on May. 8, 2007 at 8:27 PM in Where In the World Wednesday

^{So today is Tuesday,but yet tomorrow I will be busy I am posting this a day early!}

Today I am doing a well known country.. Scotland! I decided to do Scotland because I am reading a book series, Scottish Crown by Carol Umberger (see in right hand column half a page down),and they are really good books.. They talk about the English-Scottish war back in the 1300's.. So since I am Scottish and I am reading about Scotland I thought it was fitting :D (You will find that I am very enthusiastic about my heritage and love learing about it lol) So here ya go:

History:

The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union (despite widespread protest across Scotland) resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of England to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. Scotland's legal system continues to be separate from those of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and Scotland still constitutes a discrete jurisdiction in public and in private international law. The continued independence of Scots law the Scottish education system, and the Church of Scotland have been three factors contributing to the continuation of Scottish culture and Scottish national identity since the Union. However, Scotland is no longer a separate sovereign state and does not have independent membership of either the United Nations or the European Union.

Language: Scottish (Gaelic)

Religion:

Since her distinctive Protestant reformation, the Church of Scotland, also sometimes popularly known as The Kirk, has been Scotland's national church. Unlike the Church of England, the Kirk has a Presbyterian system of church government, and enjoys independence from the state. Scotland also has a very significant Roman Catholic population, particularly in the west. Roman Catholicism survived the Reformation, on islands like Uist and Barra, and was strengthened, during the 19th century by immigration from Ireland. Other Christian denominations in Scotland include the Free Church of Scotland, and the Scottish Episcopal Church. Islam is the largest non-Christian religion (estimated population, 50,000), and there are also significant Jewish and Sikh communities, especially in Glasgow, as well as those professing 'no religion' whatsoever.

Here is the pictures.. there was a video I was going to post but yet again the codes aren't working :/

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Where in the World,Wednesday!

Posted on May. 2, 2007 at 4:59 PM in Where In the World Wednesday

Nepal is one of the most spectacular countries on earth, inhabited by the most friendly and endearing people. For a country that lies 800 kilometres from the sea, it has a scenic and altitudinal variety that is quite unrivalled. It contains the highest mountains in the world, thundering rivers, magical montane forests and dense lowland jungles. The Kathmandu Valley - once the bed of a large and ancient lake - is now a colourful mosaic of rice paddies and quaint farmhouses surrounded by high forested hills supporting a fabulous range of exotic bird and mammal species including monkeys, Muntjac, Jungle Cat, Leopard and even Tiger. The bustling capital city combines medieval and modern in unique fashion. The Himalayan moutain range contains eight of the world's highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest.

Nepali culture is very similar to the cultures of Tibet, and India, which borders to the south. There are similarities in clothing, language and food. A typical Nepali meal is dal-bhat - boiled dal served with rice and vegetables, and some spicy relish. This is consumed twice daily, once in the morning and again after sunset. Between these main meals, snacks such as chiura (beaten rice) and tea are consumed. Meat, eggs, and fish are considered a treat. In the mountainous region the staple diet is based on wheat, maize, millet and potatoes.

Hindu is the main religion followed closely by Buddhism and then Islam..

I put pictures of the people of Nepal because I don't give enough credit to those who live in the coutrys I choose to highlight.. So from now on I will be throwing in pictures of the people there because 'People Make the Country'..

Info courtesy of:  Wikipedia and Naturetrek

Pictures courtesy of: Google

-Julia

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Where In the World,Wednesday!

Posted on Apr. 24, 2007 at 10:27 PM in Where In the World Wednesday

WHOO! HOO!!
Country: Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; French, German, and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked 175th in size of all the 194 independent countries of the world; the country is about 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi) in size, and measures 51 miles long and  35 miles wide. To the east, Luxembourg borders the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and, to the south, it borders the French région of Lorraine. The Grand Duchy borders the Belgian Walloon Region, in particular the latter's provinces of Luxembourg and Liège to the west and to the north respectively.

Luxembourg has been overshadowed by the culture of its neighbours, although, having been for much of its history a profoundly rural country, it retains a number of folk traditions.

Luxembourg is the first European city to be named "Capital of Culture" for the second time. The first time was in 1995. In 2007, the European Capital of Culture will be a cross-border area consisting of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland in Germany, the Walloon Region and the German-speaking part of Belgium, and the Lorraine area in France. The event will promote mobility and the exchange of ideas, crossing borders in all areas, physical, phsycological, artistic and emotional.

Some pictures have names in the corner so courtesy of : Bradya.ru

-Julia

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