Grenada - the spice island (Travel Video)

We travelled through Grenada and Carriacou for two and a half weeks mainly by bus. We stayed at a couple of great places and really enjoyed our stay on Carriacou. Luckily the tropical storm Bret lost power and only a bit of rain reached us.

2025/02/06

Waitangi Day New Zealand

New Zealand, Māori Aotearoa, island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the southwesternmost part of Polynesia. New Zealand is a remote land—one of the last sizable territories suitable for habitation to be populated and settled—and lies more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Australia, its nearest neighbour. The country comprises two main islands—the North and the South Island—and a number of small islands, some of them hundreds of miles from the main group. The capital city is Wellington and the largest urban area Auckland; both are located on the North Island. New Zealand administers the South Pacific island group of Tokelau and claims a section of the Antarctic continent. Niue and the Cook Islands are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand. New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. Active volcanoes, spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, verdant valleys, dazzling fjords, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana on the South Island—all contribute to New Zealand’s scenic beauty. New Zealand also has a unique array of vegetation and animal life, much of which developed during the country’s prolonged isolation. It is the sole home, for example, of the long-beaked, flightless kiwi, the ubiquitous nickname for New Zealanders. New Zealand was the largest country in Polynesia when it was annexed by Great Britain in 1840. Thereafter it was successively a crown colony, a self-governing colony (1856), and a dominion (1907). By the 1920s it controlled almost all of its internal and external policies, although it did not become fully independent until 1947, when it adopted the Statute of Westminster. It is a member of the Commonwealth. The ascent of Mount Everest by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953 was one of the defining moments of the 20th century. “In some ways,” Hillary suggested, “I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander: I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination, and I rather like to succeed.” Despite New Zealand’s isolation, the country has been fully engaged in international affairs since the early 20th century, being an active member of a number of intergovernmental institutions, including the United Nations. It has also participated in several wars, including World Wars I and II. Economically the country was dependent on the export of agricultural products, especially to Great Britain. The entry of Britain into the European Community in the early 1970s, however, forced New Zealand to expand its trade relations with other countries. It also began to develop a much more extensive and varied industrial sector. Tourism has played an increasingly important role in the economy, though this sector has been vulnerable to global financial instability. The social and cultural gap between New Zealand’s two main groups—the indigenous Māori of Polynesian heritage and the colonizers and later immigrants from the British Isles and their descendants—has decreased since the 1970s, though educational and economic differences between the two groups remain. Immigration from other areas—Asia, Africa, and eastern Europe—has also made a mark, and New Zealand culture today reflects these many influences. Minority rights and race-related issues continue to play an important role in New Zealand politics. Land New Zealand is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long (north-south) and about 280 miles (450 km) across at its widest point. The country has slightly less surface area than the U.S. state of Colorado and a little more than the United Kingdom. About two-thirds of the land is economically useful, the remainder being mountainous. Because of its numerous harbours and fjords, the country has an extremely long coastline relative to its area. Relief of New Zealand Although New Zealand is small, its geologic history is complex. Land has existed in the vicinity of New Zealand for most of the past 500 million years. The earliest known rocks originated as sedimentary deposits some 545 million to 540 million years ago, at the close of Precambrian time (4.6 billion to 541 million years ago) and the beginning of the Cambrian Period (541 million to 485 million years ago); their source area was probably the continental forelands of Australia and Antarctica, then part of a nearby single supercontinent. Continental drift (the movement of large plates of Earth’s crust) created a distinct island arc and oceanic trench structure by the Carboniferous Period (about 359 to 299 million years ago), when deposition began in the downwarps (trenches) of the sedimentary rocks that today make up some three-fourths of New Zealand. This environment lasted about 250 million years and is typified by both downwarped oceanic sedimentary rocks and terrestrial volcanic rocks. This period was terminated in the west at the beginning of the Cretaceous Period (about 145 million years ago) by the Rangitata Orogeny (mountain-building episode), although downwarp deposition continued in the east. These mountains were slowly worn down by erosion, and the sea transgressed, eventually covering almost all of the land. At the end of the Oligocene Epoch (about 23 million years ago), the Kaikōura Orogeny began, raising land above the sea again, including the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana of the South Island. Many of the great earth movements associated with this final orogeny took place (and take place today) along faults, which divide the landscape into great blocks, chief of which is the Alpine Fault of the South Island. The erosion and continued movement of these faulted blocks, together with the continuing volcanism of the North Island, define to a large extent the landscape of the country. New Zealand is part of the Ring of Fire—the circum-Pacific seismic belt marked by frequent earthquakes and considerable volcanic activity. The North Island and the western part of the South Island are on the Indian-Australian Plate, and the remainder of the South Island is on the Pacific Plate. Their collision creates violent seismic activity in subduction zones and along faults. Numerous earthquakes occur annually, including hundreds that can be felt by New Zealanders. A number of these temblors have been disastrous, such as one that devastated the towns of Napier and Hastings in 1931 and a series of quakes that did likewise in Christchurch in 2010–11. Both the North and the South islands are roughly bisected by mountains. Swift snow-fed rivers drain from the hills, although only in the east of the South Island have extensive alluvial plains been built up. The alluvial Canterbury Plains contrast sharply with the precipitous slopes and narrow coastal strip of the Westland region on the west coast of the South Island. The Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana are a 300-mile- (480-km-) long chain of fold mountains containing New Zealand’s highest mountain—Aoraki/Mount Cook at 12,316 feet (3,754 metres)—and some 20 other peaks that rise above 10,000 feet (3,000 metres), as well as an extensive glacier system with associated lakes. There are more than 360 glaciers in the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. The Tasman Glacier, the largest in New Zealand, with a length of 18 miles (29 km) and a width of more than 0.5 mile (0.8 km), flows down the eastern slopes of Aoraki/Mount Cook. Other important glaciers on the eastern slopes of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana are the Murchison, Mueller, and Godley; the Fox and Franz Josef are the largest on the western slopes. The North Island has seven small glaciers on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. In the north of the South Island, the Alps break up into steep upswelling ridges. On their western face there are mineral deposits, and to the east they continue into two parallel ranges, terminating in a series of sounds. To the south the Alps break up into rugged, dissected country of difficult access and magnificent scenery, particularly toward the western tip of the island (called Fiordland). On its eastern boundary this wilderness borders a high central plateau called Central Otago, which has an almost continental climate. The terrain of the North Island is much less precipitous than that of the South and has a more benign climate and greater economic potential. In the centre of the island, the Volcanic Plateau rises abruptly from the southern shores of Lake Taupō, New Zealand’s largest natural lake, itself an ancient volcanic crater. To the east, ranges form a backdrop to rolling country in which pockets of highly fertile land are associated with the river systems. To the south, more ranges run to the sea. On the western and eastern slopes of these ranges, the land is generally poor, although the western downland region is fertile until it fades into a coastal plain dominated by sand dunes. To the west of the Volcanic Plateau, fairly mountainous country merges into the undulating farmlands of the Taranaki region, where the mild climate favours dairy farming even on the slopes of Mount Taranaki (Mount Egmont), a volcano that has been dormant since the 17th century. North of Mount Taranaki are the spectacular Waitomo caves, where stalactites and stalagmites are illuminated by thousands of glowworms. The northern shores of Lake Taupō bound a large area of high economic activity, including forestry. Even farther north there are river terraces sufficiently fertile for widespread dairy and mixed farming. The hub of this area is Auckland, which is situated astride an isthmus with a deep harbour on the east and a shallow harbour on the west. The peninsular region north of Auckland, called Northland, becomes gradually subtropical in character, marked generally by numerous deep-encroaching inlets of the sea bordered by mangrove swamps. More … Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand

2025/02/06

New Zealand Promotion

For more canoe, kayak and paddle sport news visit http://www.sportscene.tv

2025/02/05

Independence Day of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, island country lying in the Indian Ocean and separated from peninsular India by the Palk Strait. It is located between latitudes 5°55′ and 9°51′ N and longitudes 79°41′ and 81°53′ E and has a maximum length of 268 miles (432 km) and a maximum width of 139 miles (224 km). Proximity to the Indian subcontinent has facilitated close cultural interaction between Sri Lanka and India from ancient times. At a crossroads of maritime routes traversing the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has also been exposed to cultural influences from other Asian civilizations. Ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane. Arabs referred to it as Serendib. Later European mapmakers called it Ceylon, a name still used occasionally for trade purposes. It officially became Sri Lanka in 1972. The distinctive civilization of Sri Lanka, with roots that can be traced back to the 6th century bce, is characterized by two factors: the preservation of Theravada Buddhism (the orthodox school of Buddhism having its literary traditions in the Pali language) and the development over two millennia of a sophisticated system of irrigation in the drier parts of the country. This civilization was further enriched by the influences of Hinduism and Islam. In 1948, after nearly 150 years of British rule, Sri Lanka became an independent country, and it was admitted to the United Nations seven years later. The country is a member of the Commonwealth and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Colombo, which emerged as the main urban centre during British rule, remains the executive and judicial capital of Sri Lanka; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, a Colombo suburb, is the legislative capital. For administrative purposes, the country has been divided into nine provinces and subdivided into 25 districts. Sri Lanka is densely populated. The majority of its people are poor, live in rural areas, and depend on agriculture for their livelihood. A physical environment of wide-ranging diversity makes Sri Lanka one of the world’s most scenic countries. As the home of several ethnic groups, each with its own cultural heritage, Sri Lanka also has a highly varied cultural landscape. Land of Sri Lanka – Relief A roughly triangular mountainous area known as the Central Highlands occupies the south-central region of Sri Lanka and is the heart of the country. This highland mass is surrounded by a diverse plain, the general elevation of which ranges from sea level to about 1,000 feet (300 metres). This plain accounts for about five-sixths of the country’s total area. The Central Highlands have a highly dissected terrain consisting of a unique arrangement of plateaus, ridges, escarpments, intermontane basins, and valleys. Sri Lanka’s highest mountains—Pidurutalagala at 8,281 feet (2,524 metres), Kirigalpotta at 7,858 feet, and Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) at 7,559 feet—are found in this area. The highlands, except on their western and southwestern flanks, are sharply defined by a series of escarpments, the most spectacular being the so-called World’s End, a near-vertical precipice of about 4,000 feet. The plain that surrounds the Central Highlands does not have an entirely flat and featureless terrain. To the north and northeast of the highlands, the plain is traversed by low ridges that decrease in altitude as they approach the coast. The western and southwestern parts of the plain feature alternating ridges and valleys running parallel to the coast and increasing in elevation toward the interior to merge imperceptibly with the highland mass. Elsewhere the flatness of the plain is sporadically interrupted by rocky buttes and mounds, some of which reach elevations of more than 1,000 feet. The plain is fringed by a coast consisting mostly of sandy beaches, spits, and lagoons. Over a few stretches of the coast there are rocky promontories and cliffs, deep-water bays, and offshore islets. Geologically, the island of Sri Lanka is considered a southerly extension of peninsular India (the Deccan), with which it shares a continental shelf and some of its basic lithologic and geomorphic characteristics. Hard, crystalline rock formations, such as granite, gneisses, khondalite (a type of metamorphic rock), and quartzite, make up about nine-tenths of the island’s surface and subsurface. Drainage The surface drainage of Sri Lanka is made up of about 100 “rivers,” most of which are mere wet-season rivulets. Twelve major rivers account for about 75 percent of the mean annual river discharge of the country, with those that flow entirely through the Wet Zone (the highlands and the southwestern part of the country; see below) carrying about half the total discharge. With the exception of the 208-mile-long Mahaweli River, all major rivers flow radially from the Central Highlands to the sea. The Mahaweli, which originates on the western slopes of the highest areas of the highlands, follows a circuitous route in its upper reaches before it enters the plain to the east of the highlands and then flows toward the northeast coast. Because a part of its catchment is well within the Wet Zone, this river has a larger and less seasonally varied flow than the other Dry Zone rivers and so is a major asset for irrigation in the drier parts of the country (the Dry Zone includes the northern part of the country and much of the east and southeast; see below). Soils Variations of soil within Sri Lanka reflect the effects of climate, lithology, and terrain on the soil-forming processes. The climatic influences are reflected in the dominance of red-yellow podzolic soils (leached lateritic soils) in the Wet Zone and of reddish brown earths (nonlateritic loamy soils) in the Dry Zone. In parts of the Central Highlands there are reddish brown latosolic soils (partially laterized soils) or immature brown loams (clayey loams). Among the other important soil types are the alluvials that occur along the lower courses of rivers and the regosols (sandy soils) of the coastal tracts. Most of the soils of Sri Lanka are potentially suitable for some kind of agricultural use. However, depletion of the natural fertility of the soil has occurred extensively, especially on the rugged terrain of the highlands, owing to poor soil conservation. Climate Sri Lanka’s tropical location ensures perennially high temperatures, with monthly averages between 72 °F (22 °C) and 92 °F (33 °C) in the lowlands. In the Central Highlands, higher altitudes account for lower temperatures, with monthly averages between 44 °F (7 °C) and 71 °F (21.6 °C). Rainfall is the conspicuous factor in the seasonal and diurnal variations of the climate of Sri Lanka. Most parts of the country receive an average annual rainfall of more than 50 inches (1,270 mm). However, regional differences in the amount of rain, its seasonality, and its variability and effectiveness have formed the basis of a distinction in Sri Lanka between a Wet Zone and a Dry Zone. In the former area, which covers the southwestern quadrant of the island (including the highlands), the rainfall is heavy (annual averages range from 98 inches along the coast to more than 150 inches in the highlands) and seasonally well distributed (although a greater part of the rain comes from the southwest monsoon from May to September). Rainfall deviates relatively little each year from the annual averages and is effective enough to maintain soil moisture and surface drainage throughout the year. Over the rest of the island—the Dry Zone—annual totals of rain range from 30 to 70 inches in the different areas (much of it being received during the northeast monsoon season from November to January). Droughts that persist for more than three months are common. Plant and animal life Sri Lanka’s natural vegetation covers about one-third of the total land area. The climax vegetation (i.e., natural vegetation permitted to develop uninterrupted) in most parts of the country is forest. In the Wet Zone, tropical wet evergreen forest dominates in the lowlands, and submontane and montane evergreen forests prevail in the highlands. The Dry Zone has a climax vegetation of dry evergreen forest and moist deciduous forest, with forests giving way to a stunted, shrubby, xerophytic (drought-tolerant) vegetation in its driest parts. In the highest areas of the Central Highlands, forests tend to be sparse and interspersed with grasslands. Most of Sri Lanka’s climax vegetation cover has been heavily depleted by extensive clearing of forests for settlements, extraction of timber, and agriculture. Only the Sinharaja forest and the Peak Wilderness of the southwestern interior remain as significant remnants of the Wet Zone’s original evergreen forests. The forests found in most parts of the Dry Zone are secondary vegetation, which probably developed after hundreds of years of repeated clearing and cultivation. More … Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka    

2025/02/04

Welcome to Sri Lanka

2025/02/03

Tourism In Nauru | Nauru Airlines

Tourism In Nauru - Explore the dramatic landscape fo Nauru Island, one of the smallest countries in the world. While planning your visit to Nauru Island be ...

2025/02/02

Independence Day of the Republic of Nauru

Nauru, island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of a raised coral island located in southeastern Micronesia, 25 miles (40 km) south of the Equator. The island is about 800 miles (1,300 km) northeast of the Solomon Islands; its closest neighbour is the island of Banaba, in Kiribati, some 200 miles (300 km) to the east. Nauru has no official capital, but government offices are located in the district of Yaren. Land Most of Nauru rises somewhat abruptly from the ocean, and there are no harbours or protected anchorages. A fairly fertile but relatively narrow belt encircles the island and surrounds the shallow inland Buada Lagoon. Farther inland, coral cliffs rise to a plateau 100 feet (30 metres) above sea level, with the highest point at about 213 feet (65 metres). The plateau is largely composed of rock phosphate, leached from guano, or bird droppings. The mineral deposit covers more than two-thirds of the island, and its extraction has left irregular, pinnacle-shaped outcrops of limestone that give the landscape a forbidding, otherworldly appearance. Nauru’s climate is tropical, with daytime temperatures in the low 80s F (about 28 °C), tempered by ocean breezes. Rainfall, averaging about 80 inches (2,000 mm) annually, is extremely variable, and prolonged droughts occur. The only locally available water is collected from roof catchment systems, and water is imported as ballast on ships returning to Nauru for loads of phosphate. There are no rivers or streams. Soils are generally poor and highly porous, and the irregular rainfall limits cultivation to the coastal belt and the lagoon’s fringe. Phosphate mining has ravaged the interior of the island, leaving about four-fifths of it uninhabitable and uncultivable. Subsistence crops, consisting mainly of coconut palms, pandanus, bananas, pineapple, and some vegetables, are not adequate to support the population; the land does yield a great variety of plants and trees, however. Nauru is a favourite stopover point for migratory birds, and chickens have been introduced. There was an absence of mammals until rats, mice, cats, dogs, and pigs were also imported. People Most of the island’s residents are indigenous Nauruans. There are small numbers of I-Kiribati (Gilbertese), Australians, New Zealanders, Chinese, and Tuvaluans; many members of the latter two groups were recruited as workers by the phosphate industry. Nauruan is the national language. No adequate written grammar of the language has been compiled, and its relationships to other Micronesian languages are not well understood. English is widely spoken. Nauru is considered one of the most Westernized countries in the South Pacific. Missionization came later to Nauru than to many other Pacific islands. The first Protestant evangelist arrived in 1899 and was followed three years later by the first Roman Catholic missionary. Today more than four-fifths of Nauruans are Christians; more than half the total population is Protestant (mostly members of the Nauru Congregational Church), and one-third is Roman Catholic. The settlement pattern on the island is dispersed. People are scattered along the coastal zone, and there is one small village, Buada, inland near the lagoon. Economy Agriculture (with the exception of coffee and copra plantations along the coastal and lagoon perimeters), fishing, manufacturing, and tourism are of minor value to the overall economy. However, Nauru has an exclusive economic zone extending 200 miles (320 km) offshore. The sale of commercial fishing licenses began to bring in a steady revenue during the 1990s. Phosphate has been mined on Nauru since 1907. For decades it was Nauru’s main resource and sole export, dominating the island’s economy, and its quality was the highest in the world. The phosphate industry and government services together provided almost all of the island’s salaried employment. For much of the 20th century the phosphate industry was owned and operated by a corporation jointly managed by the British, Australian, and New Zealand governments. The government of independent Nauru gained control of phosphate operations in 1970, and in the 1980s Nauru was for a time one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of gross domestic product per capita. Landowners received royalties from the phosphate earnings, and many Nauruans were unemployed by choice. By the late 20th century, however, the phosphate deposits were quickly becoming exhausted, and Nauru experienced a severe drop-off in earnings, leading to the country’s near bankruptcy by the early years of the 21st century. Nauru struggled to develop other resources and find alternative sources of income. However, the country experienced some economic respite late in the first decade of the 2000s when repairs and improvements to mining-related infrastructure expedited the extraction and export of the remaining primary phosphate deposits and allowed the more difficult extraction of secondary phosphate deposits. In the early 21st century Nauru agreed to temporarily house hundreds of Australia-bound asylum seekers while they awaited the processing of their applications. In exchange, the Australian government provided millions of dollars in aid to Nauru. Virtually all food, water, and manufactured goods are imported. Australia supplies nine-tenths of Nauru’s imports; far smaller amounts come from New Zealand, Fiji, and Japan. Nigeria receives almost half of Nauru’s exports, and South Korea and Australia combined take another one-third. With the exception of those levied on alcohol and tobacco, there are no import duties. There is no income tax. Nauru has its own banking system; the Bank of Nauru is wholly owned and operated by the government. The financial sector grew in importance after the 1980s as the island became known as an offshore banking centre and tax haven. Beginning in 1999, amid allegations that it was a money-laundering conduit for organized crime and terrorist organizations, the financial sector underwent a series of reforms to increase its transparency. As one consequence of its colonial history, Nauru is within the Australian monetary system, and Australian currency is the country’s legal tender. Transportation on the island is good. A paved road system links all villages. Surface transportation to other destinations is difficult. Because there are no wharves or natural harbours, passengers and cargo are shuttled by barge between oceangoing vessels and a small artificial anchorage. Most regional and international travel is by air. Nauru’s sole airport is located in Yaren district. In 1970 the country launched its national airline, control of which was transferred in 1996 to a government-owned corporation. Government and society Nauru’s constitution, implemented with independence in 1968, calls for broadly phrased fundamental rights and freedoms for individuals and a government that combines parliamentary and presidential systems. The parliament, whose members are elected by Nauruan citizens age 20 and older, has a tenure of three years unless dissolved by a vote of no confidence. It elects the president, who is both head of state and head of government. The president appoints a cabinet from the parliament. In 1999 Nauru became a full member of both the Commonwealth and the United Nations. The tripartite judicial system comprises a Supreme Court, a District Court, and a Family Court. The Supreme Court, presided over by a chief justice, has both original and appellate jurisdiction. At Nauru’s request, final appeals may be taken to the High Court of Australia. Basic services in education and health are provided free to all citizens, though services have been reduced as a result of the country’s changing economic fortunes. There is no government social security system. Education is compulsory between ages 6 and 16. The government provides several kindergartens and elementary and secondary schools. The Roman Catholic mission has its own school system at the same three levels. Traditionally, students have gone abroad, mainly to Australia, for higher education. More …. Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Nauru  

2025/01/31

Nauru │ Most interesting facts about Nauru

Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia, a subregion of Oceania, in the Central Pacific. It has an area of 21 square km. Yaren is its capital and Denigomodu is its largest city. Nauruan is the official language of the nation.

2025/01/30

Incredible India | English

India is a remarkable tourist destination that offers a plethora of experiences to travellers. From the grandiose Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world ...

2025/01/28