Trivia Facts Regarding places in the USA

California consumes more bottled water than any other product.

» California has issued 6 drivers licenses to people named "Jesus Christ."

» The world's shortest river is the "D" river in Oregon. It's only 120 feet (37 m). It connects Devil's lake to the nearby Pacific Ocean.

» In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital suspended workers for betting on when patients would die.

» Nevada is the driest state in the U.S.. Each year it averages 7.5 inches (19 cm) of rain.

» In December 1997, the state of Nevada became the first state to pass legislation categorizing Y2K data disasters as "acts of God" protecting the state from lawsuits that may potentially be brought against it by residents in the year 2000.

» In Utah, it is illegal to swear in front of a dead person.

» Salt Lake City, Utah has a law against carrying an unwrapped ukulele on the street.

» Arizona was the last of the 48 adjoining continental states to enter the Union.

» It is illegal to hunt camels in the state of Arizona.

» The meteorite that hit/made The Barringer crater in Arizona weighed more than 50,000 tons.

» The amount of concrete used in the building of the Hoover Dam is equal to that of paving a 4-foot (1.2 m) wide footpath around the equator.

» Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote in 1869.

» Denver, Colorado lays claim to the invention of the cheeseburger.

» Denver, Colorado consumes less prune juice per capita than any other city in the United States.

» The first license plate on a car in the United States was issued in Denver, Colorado in 1908.

» In Fruita, Colorado the town folk celebrate "Mike the Headless Chicken Day." Seems that a farmer named L.A. Olsen cut off Mike's head on September 10, 1945 in anticipation of a chicken dinner - and Mike lived for another 4 years without a head. Mike died from choking on a corn kernel.

» The state of Maryland has no natural Lakes.

» Illinois has the highest number of personalized license plates than any other state.

» Austin, Texas has the highest percentage of college graduates, 31 percent. Newark, New Jersey has the lowest, 6 percent.

» Residents of Houston, Texas lead the U.S. in eating out - approximately 4.6 times per week.

» The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

» Laredo, Texas is the U.S.'s farthest inland port.

» There is a town in Texas called "Ding Dong."

» Rugby, North Dakota is the geographical center of North America.

» Butte County, South Dakota is the geographical center of the U.S.

» "Home on the Range" is the state song for Kansas.

» It is illegal to get fish drunk in Oklahoma.

» The world's largest McDonalds is located on I-44 at Vinita, Oklahoma. It goes from one side of the interstate to the other, passing over the interstate.

» Louisiana's capital building is the tallest one of any U.S. state.

» Louisiana is the only state not to have counties. They are called Parishes.

» Mississippi is the poorest state.

» Hawaii is the only coffee producing state.

» New Jersey has a spoon museum.

» One in seven workers in Boston, Massachusetts walks to work.

» The Boston University Bridge on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the few places in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.

» The "Dull Men's Hall of Fame" is located in Carroll, Wisconsin.

» Gary, Indiana is the murder capital of the U.S. - probably the world.

» Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday.

» The largest NFL stadium is the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan.

» Michigan was the first state to have roadside picnic tables.

» No matter where you stand in Michigan, you are never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.

» Marshall almost became the state capital of Michigan but lost by one vote in 1848.

» In 1997, Michigan became the 16th state to allow the blind to hunt.

» The official beverage of Ohio is tomato juice.

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10 Interesting Trivia Facts About Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada

* Monty Hall, the television celebrity, who began and hosted the well known game show "Let's Make a Deal" from 1963 to 1977, came from chilly Winnipeg.

* The 2005 Academy Award winning film "Capote", starring Philip Seymore Hoffman was filmed on location in Winnipeg. Winnipeg is a seemingly unlikely center for movies, but many have been, and are in the process of filming in the Northern city in the center of Canada.

* The Manitoba Legislative Building, seat to the Manitoba government, is topped by a 17 foot golden statue known as "The Golden Boy". He has been standing suspended on top of the legislative dome since 1920. The choice of a fully nude statue in a city known for its long cold winters, seems a somewhat humorous choice to crown the governmental seat.

* Neil Young of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young rock group fame, reportedly lived in Winnipeg, although he was born in Toronto, in Ontario. The story goes that Neil Young was thrown out of Kelvin High School on Kingsway Ave, in the south school district of Winnipeg, for playing his guitar in the school halls.

* Winnie the Pooh was named after the city of Winnipeg, by a Canadian Lieutenant in the Fort Garry Horse Militia who purchased Winnipeg Bear, shortened to Winnie the Pooh, from a hunter in 1914.

* Winnipeg is the Slurpee capital of the world. The citizens of the city frozen 6 months of the year, consume an estimated 400,000 Slurpees per month in Winnipeg. This includes the frigid winter months. The author and family have contributed to this statistic many times, even in the winter.

* Crash Test Dummies, the band that came into the public eye in the late 1980's originated in, you guessed it, Winnipeg.

* Canada is supposedly the car theft capital of North America. Winnipeg is known as the car theft capital of Canada. When the authors car was stolen in Winnipeg, she and hubby were told by the police in Winnipeg, that they have to chase down approximately 1,000 cars per month in Winnipeg from car thieves. Many are stolen for joy rides. Luckily the recovery rate is over 90% for stolen cars. $2,000 dollars worth of damage, tow, storage, repair fees and a couple weeks of anxiety later, she found out they do indeed get cars back.

* Terry Fox the runner and national hero, a true symbol of courage and dignity in the face of adversity, was born in Winnipeg. Terry Fox began a log run across part of Canada after losing part of a leg to cancer. He ran with a prosthetic limb. He was featured on a special edition of the Canadian dollar coin, which is know as the Loonie.

* The city of Winnipeg, located in the province of Manitoba has close to 700,000 residents. Their drinking water supply comes primarily from Ontario, their provincial neighbour to the east. The lake is mostlyin Ontario, with a small part in Manitoba. The water has to be sent from Shoal Lake, via pipes across 155 kilometres, about 96 miles, to get to the city of Winnipeg.

There is more to Winnipeg than you know, and many people have never even heard of the main city of the province of Manitoba, in Canada.

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Fun Facts and Trivia about Vietnam

Planning a Cambodia tour? Here are some things you might not have known about the nation - and will enhance your visit.
Cambodia has seen name changes with the instalment of new governments. It has been known as the Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, the people's republic of Kampuchea, and is currently called the Kingdom of Cambodia. The nation is currently a constitutional monarchy - the king is Norodom Sihamoni.

During the four year rule under the Khmer Rouge, twenty percent of the population of Cambodia was murdered - those killed were predominantly monks, priests, and educated citizens. Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, sought to kill all educated or intellectual persons in the entire country in order to silence any dissenting voices within the population.

Currently, fifty percent of the population in Cambodia is under the age of fifteen.

Cambodia's largest source of income is the textile industry, followed by tourism.

It is taboo in this country to ever touch the head of another.

When sitting, it is customary to tuck the feet in, as pointing one's feet or soles at another (even an inanimate object) is considered to be disrespectful.

It is common in this country to have extended family groups living together under one roof - parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles.

Cambodia's national animal is the kouprey, a wild forest cow with long and curved horns. It is one of the world's rarest mammals.

A popular national festival is Bonn Om Teuk, or the Water Festival. It is celebrated each November when the wet monsoon season ends and the Mekong River begins to recede. Rowing races are a fun part of the festival.

The ancient city of Angkor Thom sustained a population of one hundred and fifty thousand people.

Cambodian cuisine is eclectic. Spiders are a local delicacy; fish is cooked using fruit; fermented fish is a staple in the diet; kaffir lime and fresh spices are used abundantly; and Cambodian cuisine is a melding of Thai, French, and Vietnamese influences.

The official language of Cambodia is Khmer; other languages spoke are Vietnamese, French, and English.

The Cambodian population are ninety percent ethnic Khmer or Theravada Buddhist. Five percent are Vietnamese, one percent is Chinese, and the remainder are comprised of many other nationalities.

The river Tonle Sap is the only river in the world to reverse its direction of flow annually.

Cambodia is a remarkable nation of rich history, filled with ancient sites of majestic empires and modern sites of extreme bloodshed and tragedy, interspersed in a picturesque and unique country. A guided Cambodia tour is a wonderful and safe way to experience this place for yourself, and can be a great stepping stone to other surrounding countries within the region.

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Fascinating Facts about Peru

Peruvian people are proud of their history.

The most amazing fact about Peru hat the country counts 28 climates. So, the perplexing question arises what to wear while you travel to Peru. Have you ever drunk aPisco Sour? If not, undoubtedly you should visit Peru. It is the best cocktail in the country. Another fascinating drink is Peruvian coffee that has a wonderful taste.

Fun facts about Peruvian food:
· -Macho picchu is a masterpiece
· -Incans will never being married until they exchanged sandals
· -the Incans usually put peanuts in caskets in order to help in the afterlife
· -the average lifespan of a woman in Peru is 71 years old
· -Inca made pots in the shape of peanuts that were highly appraised
· -the potato is originally from Peru
· -Peru is a home for tomato
· -Peru's corn includes the biggest kernels over the world
· -the avocado is also from Peru
· -there are 468 typical Peruvian dishes, so you will never eat the same food

Another fun fact on cotton and trees:
Have you ever heard the fact that the finest cottons are found in Peru? Moreover, you may find the trees which produce tannins for dyes. In fact, a weeping willow produces the base to make aspirin. The Peruvian root Maca is used for making Viagra from and has been around for hundred of years.

Birds:
· -you may find 1701 species of birds in Peru

Speaking of rocks:
· -Peru is a rich country and considered as the biggest producer in Latin America for gold, zinc and gold

Here's a truly fun fact:
· -While you are in the centre of Peru, you will find brass statue-that is devoted to a child-hood and endearing bear called "Winnie-The-Pooh".

A Spanish conquistador named Francisco Pavarro conquered Peru and in the conquest he died. His body is preserved in the main square in Lima to this day in a glass casket and the public can view it. So, Peru has a lot of amazing and fun facts facts that we must know.

Interesting facts about Peru:
· The largest ethnic group is the Amerindian in Peru
· Soccer is the most popular sport in Peru
· It is a home to the famous Lake Titicaca
· Peru has many World Heritages Sites such as Machu Picchu
· Peru is covered by jungle and rainforests
· Peru's political system is now extremely stable
· Peru is also known for its great fishing industry
· Cuzco was the capital of the Incan people.

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Amazing Facts To know About Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the best hill in African-american at 5,895 measures / 19,341 ft above the sea stage. It has three volcanic cones - Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira and is an less active stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzaina. Mount Kilimanjaro is as well the best free standing hill as well as the 4th most popular hill in the globe, rishing an amazing 5,882 measures / 19,298 ft from the platform.

A German missionary by the name of Johannes Rebmann is regarded to be the discoverer of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1848 when he researched the reduced scopes and sent the Noble Regional Community his conclusions, with a information of a snow-capped peak. The professionals of those periods questioned the actual probability of a snow-capped hill located near the equator. In 1889, the very first effective peak took place and it took about six several times in evaluation to nowadays when a typical climber can do it in five or six times.

The snow fill tops are quickly reducing. In evaluation to 1912, it misses over 80% of its stature mostly because of the environmental changes (global warming). By 2020, it is approximated that they will be entirely gone. Many of the camp on the hill commercialize alcohol. The hill extends 5,895 measures into the sky, making it the best free-standing hill and at the same time, the best point in all Africa.

The mountain is actually a large strato-volcano, established by recurring lava circulation. It has three volcanic cones, two of them being vanished while the third one, Kibo, is the best factor on the hill and is inactive. The first individual to go up the hill in a motorized wheel chair is Southern African Bernard Goosen. He did it twice; first in 2003 and it took him nine times and the second period in 2007 when it took him only six times.

On May 29, 2009, eight sightless climbers made it to the top of the hill in difficulty to increase money for 52 sightless kids in State of Arizona ( az ). Writer of the renowned Hitchhiker's Information to the Universe sequence, popular humorist Douglas Adams, ran up to the hill wearing a rhinoceros fit. There are six different environmental techniques on the hill, as follows: developed area, forest, heath, moorland, downhill leave and arctic peak.

Justin Timberlake, Kenna and Lupe Problems are preparing to Climb Kilimanjaro to increase attention for the globally water turmoil. On the reduced scopes java is produced and is regarded a significant move. Climbers can take up the hill by following one of the six founded tracks. Marangu Path is regarded to be the most well-known one. Each season, almost 10 individuals die trying to go up the hill.

Kilimanjaro offers fascinating experience taking you to the best point in African-american. It is available to all but the hill requirements to be handled with regard. Try to go up with a company that holds reasonable trade methods and accountable tourist. Practice in the months major for your journey and appreciate so as to savor this exclusive experience in the special establishing.

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Unique Trivia and Tantalising Thailand

Introduction
The 'Land of Smiles' is truly as exotic and different as anything I could ever imagine, not least the immaculate attention to hygiene and cleanliness exhibited by even the most humble of roadside eateries. As I sat eating in a Vietnamese Restaurant located adjacent to the Mekong River in the village of Non Khai, north-east Thailand I watched restaurant staff preparing vegetables, fish and meat for cooking fresh in the restaurant kitchens. Each and every one of the staff had a face mask covering nose and mouth and every person's hair was caught up in an all-encompassing net hat.

I found similar standards wherever I went, whether I was eating in Bangkok, Non Khai, Ban Phue or Udon Thani. The visitor to Thailand need not worry too much about 'Bangkok Belly' or 'Thailand Trots'. I am not saying it won't happen because you can pick up a tummy bug anywhere. No matter how tumble-down or basic the eatery, you can safely ignore your surroundings and tuck into the food in Thailand.

Watch out for Motor Cycles
When it comes to Thailand and tourism there are lots of little quirks that make this country unique. If you come from the UK, or countries that drive on the left, then relax: in Thailand vehicles are driven on the left as well. However, be careful of motorbikes: they are akin to mosquitoes - you just don't see them coming and they dive in from everywhere! The majority of Thais ride their motorbikes without crash helmets, although they can, and often do, get fined if caught.

As a tourist, driving in Thailand just be wary in order to avoid them. Now, when you come to a red traffic light, if you are turning left, you ignore the red light. Obviously, you need to watch for traffic turning into the street you want to go along, but you really can turn left, despite the red traffic light. Driving in Bangkok can be quite hair-raising but, once you leave the city behind, the main roads are excellent, generally dual-carriageways often with minimal traffic.

Thailand Temperature
Temperatures can probably be described as hot, getting hotter, wet and hot, and hot again. During the monsoons the deluge has to be seen to be believed but, if you can imagine it, the rain comes down hot so flip-flops work well, even in the wet. The hottest time of the year is April just prior to the beginning of the monsoon. The heat can be unbearable but, just when you think you can't stand it anymore, you have the Songkhran festival to help you cool off!

Thai New Year: Songkhran
This is when you get wet: you can't avoid it unless you lock yourself away. Certainly, April is the right time for getting soaked but when you get iced water thrown at you in volume - frequently - it can get a bit wearing!

Songkhran is officially celebrated from 13th to 15th April although some villages manage to drag out the festivities for as long as a fortnight. Commercialism, of course, rears its lucrative head, selling water bazookas and plastic backpacks that children can fill with water.

Specialist shops sell ready-produced ice cubes in large sacks and there are 'water stations' where 4 x 4 trucks can re-fill their 40 gallon drums of water in order to continue the next onslaught of water fights. There is much goodwill and great fun and, overall both adults and children enjoy a chance to let off steam and cool off at the same time.

Loy Krathong
This 700 year old festival originated as a Brahmin celebration that became dedicated to Buddha, realised in releasing little baskets made from banana leaves that are beautifully decorated. Young Thai girls can be seen dressed in traditional Thai costume, lending a stunningly beautiful aura to this decorous event. Those little lanterns, called kom loys, are lit and released to float gently upwards on the breeze accompanied by the fizzing, popping and cracking of innumerable fireworks.

Thailand and tourism is practically synonymous with festivals and, depending where you go in Thailand, you can practically catch a different festival every month of the year. This is especially the case if you move around the country, as each area is quite distinct from another as well as the different temples generating their own individual round of thanksgiving and celebrations. Clearly, the Thai people have plenty to smile about in this lovely land of smiles.

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Interesting Facts & Trivia about Thousand Islands

If you are planning a tour to Canada this summer, it's important to know that there is much more to experience in Canada besides the stunning Niagara Falls. There are several beautiful sites that add to the charm of Ontario, Canada in addition to the famous Niagara Falls. One such breathtaking site is Thousand Islands, a cluster of over 1000 breathtaking islands that straddle across the US and Canada border along the St. Lawrence River. Wouldn't it be a dream to cruise through these spectacular islands and wonder in amazement about the history of their formation? Your dream can come true if you take The Thousand Islands cruise during your Niagara Falls Tour that takes you on a journey amidst this amazing archipelago. Here are some interesting facts about these islands that will increase your excitement about discovering them when you tour Niagara Falls!

* Thousand Islands were formed during the retreat of the last ice age, which exposed the hard granite and gneiss characteristic of the Canadian Shield. Covered with vegetation, the islands often appear to pop out of the water, resembling mushroom caps.
* Although the region is called Thousand Islands, in reality they are 1,864 islands.

* Boldt Castle located on one of the islands called Heart Island in the Thousand Islands region, was built in the 1890's by millionaire George Boldt for his beloved wife Louise. It is a popular landmark and a tourist attraction. George Boldt altered the shape of the island into a 'heart-shape', and changed its name from 'Hart Island' to 'Heart Island'.

* Louise passed away at a young age. Boldt was heartbroken and stopped the construction of the partly erected castle. It stands to this day unfinished, although in recent years some of its rooms have been improved.

* Heart Island has been host to some spectacular fireworks displays over the years. In August of 1938, almost 20,000 people gathered to witness the $2,500 display of fireworks celebrating the dedication of the Thousand Island Bridge. Almost a year later, on August 6, 1939 another fireworks display.

* The male deer, or stags, which can be seen throughout the Heart Island known as 'harts'.

* The Thousand Islands Bridge is an international bridge over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada.

* The famous "Shortest International Bridge" that joins two equally tiny islands lies is in reality entirely within Canada, contrary to the popular belief that one of the islands is situated in Canada and the other in United States. However, local tour guides for decades touted the bridge as the shortest span between Canada and United States and that's why it got its name as "Shortest International Bridge".

* The popular Thousand Island dressing originated in the Thousand Island Region. It's made from ketchup, mayonnaise and pickle relish.

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Rainforest Facts for Kids

The Layers of the Rain Forest
The trees of the emergent layer spread out very thinly with only one or two emergent trees in every acre of forest and are bathed in direct sunlight. When these big trees fall they create a wide clearing, known as a tree fall gap, allowing the sunlight to reach the smaller trees below them. This new area of light (the forest floor is usually pretty dark) cause many new plants to grow and race to reach the canopy first. These smaller trees will grow taller and eventually replace the emergent layer.

The canopy of the tree forest is made up of the limbs and leaves of trees which form a dense platform of vegetation more than 100 feet off the ground. The canopy offers such an abundance of shelter that many of the animals living in this layer never need to descend from it. The trees of the understory layer grow slowly, just waiting for an emergent tree to fall down to give them sunlight to grow larger. Most remain in the shadows, growing tall pointed crowns as they grow upwards seeking light. Others, such as woody vines called lianas, attach themselves to young trees. As the young trees grow, the vines ride towards the light and once they reach the canopy they will spread out among the trees.

Plant life is quite sparse in on the forest floor. The leaves, limbs of trees and remains of animals that fall to the forest floor break down quickly because of the high temperature, humidity, and the activity of termites, earthworms and fungi. This organic material, recycled into nutrients stays on the surface of the soil where it is quickly absorbed by the shallow roots of the many rainforest trees.

Green Iguana
Iguanas are active during the day, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruit. They live high in the tree canopy. Youngsters establish areas lower in the canopies while older iguanas reside higher up.

No matter where they inhabit, Iguanas prefer to have water around as they are excellent swimmers and will dive beneath the water to avoid predators. They are also tough enough to land on solid ground from as high as 40 feet and survive.

Most disputes between iguanas take place over sun basking sites. Basking is important for increasing body temperature and aiding digestion.

When frightened, an iguana will usually freeze or hide. Like many other lizards, iguanas can drop of part of their tail. This gives them a chance to escape before their predator figures out what is going on.
Their average lifespan is 20 years and they can grow to almost 7 feet in length.

Keel Billed Toucan
The Keel Billed Toucan travels in flocks of 6 to 12 adults. The flocks roost in holes of tree trunks, sometimes with several birds crowding into one hole.

In flight, the Keel-billed Toucan displays a period of rapid flapping and then a glide. It cannot travel long distances, and it is much more agile when hopping around from branch to branch in the trees. Its call is a "creek, creek", which sounds similar to the croak of a tree frog.

Its' diet consists primarily of fruit, but it will also consume the eggs or fledglings of other birds, insects, small lizards and tree frogs. Although the function of the long bill of the Keel Billed Toucan is not fully understood, it does make a very good tool for plucking fruit off branches that are too small to bear the weight of the bird.

Spider Monkey
These Spider Monkeys, are the brown headed variety, and are found in the rainforests of Central and South America. The population of Spider Monkeys has been declining in due to deforestation, which means that forests that once served as their habitat have been cleared of trees.

The majority of the Spider Monkey's time is spent in the uppermost branches of trees, looking for food. Spider Monkeys prefer ripe fruits and leaves, but will eat nuts, seeds, insects, and sometimes eggs.

Spider monkeys are active during the day, sleep at night. They move through the forest using both their hands and feet to swing between trees, and walk in an upright position along branches. They can leap more than 30 feet from branch to branch.

Three Toed Sloth
The three-toed sloth defends itself from predators like jaguars with its long arms, sharp claws, and sharp teeth. The sloth does not leave the forest and moves very, very slowly. It would take nearly a month for this animal to travel a single mile. The sloth sleeps 19 hours a day, hanging upside down from the branches. It also eats, mates, and gives birth in the canopy.

During the rare times (every week or so) it drops to the ground to poop, moving by dragging itself by its hands. The sloth can stand on its feet, but cannot walk on them. Surprisingly though, the three-toed sloth is an excellent swimmer.

The three toed sloth is has almost no tail or external ears, and its head is slightly rounded with a blunt nose. The body is covered with long and course hair.

Blue Morpho Butterfly
You might be surprised to learn that the wings are not actually blue. Their color comes from overlapping iridescent, diamond shaped scales that act like mirrors covering the tops of their wings. The scales reflect the blue spectrum of sunlight and enable them to shimmer. The underside of the Blue Morpho's wings are brown, which provides it with camouflage when seen from below.

As a mature butterfly, the Morpho drinks it food, using its proboscis, which is a tube like structure connected to the Morpho's head, that enables it to suck nectar from fruit and flowers .

Red Eyed Tree Frog
How do the red eyes of this Tree Frog protect it from predators?
Some scientists believe that the bright, red eyes and feet are a form of self defense known as startle coloration. Red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal, which means they rest during the day and look for food at night. If a predator were to happen upon the frog when sleeping its eyes would pop open abruptly. The sudden brightness of their red eyes and feet might startle the predator enough to allow the frog to jump to safety.

The Red Eyed Tree Frog feeds primarily at night on a diet of insects or other small animals to come their way. Their green color allows them to stay hidden in the leaves waiting for food to come their way and their suction-cup toes allow them to attach themselves to the underside of leaves.

Margay
The Margay, also known as the Long Tail Spotted Cat, is an unusual animal and very much at home in the trees where it can live its entire life.

Margays have unique claws and ankle joints which can move through 180 degrees, enabling them to scamper down the trunks of trees head first and run upside down beneath branches. They move almost like monkeys among the tree tops, jumping easily from branch to branch. The Margay generally hunts at night and its prey includes birds, small monkeys, tree frogs and insects which inhabit the forest canopy, however it will also take prey from the ground and has been know to supplement its diet with fruit. At maturity, they are approximately 2 and half feet long and weigh about 8 lbs.

Tamandua Anteaters

Food for these long snouted animals consists mainly of termites, which it obtains by opening nests with its powerful sharp front claws.

The Anteater uses its long, flexible, rapidly moving tongue covered with small spikes and sticky saliva to sweep up the fast moving termites. Their tongue can be flicked up to 150-160 times or more per minute.

Tamandua anteaters have no teeth. Their physical digestion is aided by the sand and gravel that they consume when they are eating their protein-packed meal. Tamanduas are quite clumsy on the ground and amble along. In the rainforest it is typical to see them surrounded during the day by a cloud of flies and mosquitoes and is often seen wiping these insects from its eyes.

Strangler Fig Tree
As you have learned, the life of a Strangler Fig Tree is an amazing story. It begins with a tiny seed deposited on crevice of a tree in the canopy. The seed becomes a vine, and the vine eventually surrounds and overtakes the original tree upon which it began its life. When the host tree dies, the fig tree is left behind with a lattice like hollow trunk that serves an important role in the rainforest.

The hollow trunk with its many nooks and crevices provides a home for bugs, bats, reptiles, frogs and birds. It is also a welcome source of food because of its production of sweet tasting figs.

Protecting Rain Forests
Efforts are underway by governments, non-profit organizations and educators around the world to save rainforests. Six important ways they working to save rainforests are:

1) Establishing new parks and promoting tourism to rainforest locations.

2) Purchasing rainforest land and placing it into conservation areas to protect it from development or farming.

3) Restoring forests (also known as reforestation) by planting new trees where forests have been cut down or cleared.

4) Educating kids and adults about the importance of rainforests to the earth's ecology, climate regulation and plant and animal diversity.

5) Showing support for products and companies that operate their businesses in ways that are respectful of the importance of rainforests and believe in sustaining them.

6) Conducting scientific research on the plant and animal life of rainforests and educating people about their findings.

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Trivia About Asia That You Might Not Have Heard Of

Asia is actually a continent wherein a lot of people living away from it aren't aware of the many interesting things that are unique to it. If you aren't from Asia, you may not understand a lot of the interesting information about Asia as they may well not be discussed in your community news, or even presented at your own educational facility. In the event that you happen to end up being from Europe or even North America, you may hear a lot about these locations, but not so much regarding Asian countries. Right now, there are a wide number of issues that you may not necessarily be aware about this region.

To begin with, over fifty percent of the earth's populace actually resides in Asia. There is a recent study that demonstrates that if you average each and every face in the whole world, it would appear to be an Asian man because this would likely end up being the most common look. A few people forget the fact that China and india have more than a billion persons living in each region .

Asia offers some of the most ancient background. Numerous people think that the cradle of civilization originated from Asian countries. It also has some of the most ancient structures and artifacts. You ought to see some pbs documentaries and get up to date on some history and locations that you might have missed out on. This ought to provide you with additional information letting you study a number of the famous sights, while studying some history.

Asia has not only the largest nation throughout the planet in China, but it additionally has got the largest country as regards to land size in Russia. Not one other country comes even near whatsoever in relation to populace or even the size of a country.

You might not have ever guessed it, but right now, there are generally much more than 2000 languages spoken in Asia. This is often a much higher number as compared to what a lot of people might speculate. This signifies that whenever you are visiting the location, you might need something like an english to filipino translation so that you will be able to correspond with other people efficiently.

Asia's natural geography features the highest mountains in the planet. The highest level in the world and several of the highest ten mountain tops happen to be in the Asian continent.

A few of the most powerful financial systems within the planet are within Asia. The second, third, and also the fourth most robust financial systems are China, India, and Japan. In a couple of years, China will be the largest economy on the planet, surpassing the united states for the first time.

There are plenty of far more fascinating facts about Asia which you may have never thought about or even observed before. You might want to do some reading as well as some investigation on this intriguing subject matter to be able to become more informed and so that you will discover a little more about just what Asia really offers.

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The Ancient Asia Footwear Trivia

The Japanese Zori has been worn in many parts of Asia which includes Vietnam. This footwear was worn by Japanese soldiers in World War 2 and the Vietnamese insurgents as well. This footwear has been responsible for the mass production of the modern Zori. Footwear in Asia has had a long history and the oldest is found in India, the one worn by temple priests. It also followed some quaint traditions in the past centuries where the Chinese women underwent painful procedure to have smaller feet as it was believed that smaller feet were a sign of prosperity and prestige.

Sandals have traditionally been the most common footwear in the Asian countries for a long time. The Encyclopedia of the History of Japanese Manners and Customs informs us that "Zori" was widely used in Japan as early as the beginning of the 8th century. A Zori is a sandal with a thong held between the toes. The modern Zori is fairly popular amongst Japanese workers and comprises of a wooden straw attached to bicycle tire sole which is usually covered with a cotton rope thong.

Cultural studies in Asia will reveal that the Asia became a mass producer of footwear after the Second World War, and one of the key reasons attributed to this mass rise in production is the influence of the Japanese Zori which was initially made of straw soles and a leather thong that is held between the first and the second toes. This was the footwear of the Vietnamese insurgents later on.

Tourists or serious gap year travelers to Asia might come across several interesting footwear specimens in museums. One of the oldest footwear was found in India, especially in temples of Hindu deities and used by devout Hindus. Mentioned in the Indian scriptures and seen on temple sculptures this footwear is made of wood. It has one wooden block that is held between the toes. Wooden shoes were considered as sacred over leather footwear (animal remains) among devout followers of Hinduism. This footwear is also one of the oldest known in the region.

No China travel is complete without experiences of some quaint traditions which may be still found in rural areas. One such tradition relating to footwear would be the Chinese art of foot binding. A painful procedure this practiced by young girls to contain the foot from growing in size. This was a practice prevalent amongst the high class and the wealthy. The logic behind the practice was that women with small sized feet cannotwork in fields and from here the craze of having small feet started amongst women from wealthy families and soon the procedure became a custom. Woman with small feet size was considered to be a part of affluent society. The ideal length of a bound shoe was three inches; this size was called the Golden Lily. Four inches length was called the Silver Lily.

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Flooding Facts

Natural disasters take all shapes and sizes. From ground sundering quakes to the raw power of a tornado, these terrifying forces of nature can have devastating effects. While lacking the raw sex appeal of the other disasters, flooding can be one of the most dangerous and damaging of the disasters. Flooding is common across the entire world (even in some deserts) and is one of the most damaging of the disasters and comes in all shapes and sizes.

While most of us here in the States do not need to worry about giant walls of water spawned from an offshore quake bearing down on us, we do have to deal with the horrors of the Spring thaw and rainy seasons! However, flooding causes an immense amount of damage and has an incredible effect on communities and people. We are going to address some history and facts about flooding. Let's start with the very basic facts.

Fact: regular insurance will not save you Homeowners insurance does NOT cover flooding. Your house can get burnt to ashes, torn apart by tornadoes, or devoured by the earth itself and you are more likely to get some money back than if you have a leaky pipe. However, you can get flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.

Fact: floods are the most damaging and common natural disasters in the U.S. No state is immune to flooding, not even the arid deserts of Arizona. In the U.S. on average, floods do $6 billion in damage each year. This fact is not exclusive to knee-deep floods but also to those obnoxious floods that cause your carpet to squish when you step on it. In case you are thinking that the destructive power of water cannot possibly be that intense, we urge you to consider the fact that two feet of flowing water is enough to pick your car up and carry the both of you to your new home amongst the fishes.

Fact: you cannot beat the flood. So, in case the previous bit about your car being carried off was not enough, here is some more information about the destructive power of water and how helpless we humans are. Six inches of water is enough to knock a person over if it is moving quickly. According to weather.com, one-third of flooded roads and bridges get so damaged by the water flooding them that crossing vehicles stand a 50 percent chance to make it across. Statistically speaking, if you were to make it across, both the car in front of you and the car behind you would have been carried off by the current.

Fact: floods are diverse Floods come in all shapes, sizes, strengths, and are triggered by a variety of causes. The word flood conjures up images of cities underwater and two of each animal on a giant boat. These cataclysmic floods do happen. Right now in 2011 Memphis has been seeing absolutely enormous flooding. In 1993, the Mississippi river flooded and covered an area of 100,000 square miles (that is 2.5 percent of the entire U.S.). 50,000 homes were damaged in this flood along with an immense amount of farmland and wildlife. However, floods also come in the form of an inch of water in your basement. These floods cause hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in damage and, while they pale in comparison to the mighty super-flood, they still are responsible for millions of dollars in damage each year. Floods of all sizes are cause by many factors. It could be a spring thaw melting the snow and overflowing rivers; or that same thaw could seep into the ground and flood your basement. Large rain seasons also cause flooding of all types. Some other, more dramatic, causes of flooding are: Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Coastal Issues (like wind), Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, and extremely bad leaky pipes.

Fact: removing the water does not stop the damage There is a common misconception about flooding: remove the water and the damage will stop. This is totally false. The fact is that the damage caused by water will continue to get worse even if the water is gone. There are two reasons for this. The first is that water damage harms the structural integrity of a building. It weakens wood, destroys stone, and can generally mess things up. Over time, the pressure put on your house by its own weight will continue to weaken your home even after the water is dried out. The second reason is mold. Black mold is known to grow quickly in damp homes and will persist even after the water is gone. In fact, once the mold dries out it breaks off into tiny particles and becomes even more spreadable by air. The mildew will continue to grow and stink up the place and, should you have more water in your house, you will quickly find that it grows back worse than before. In case you doubt the sheer horror of mold illness, here are some more facts.

 * The stage two symptoms include: vomiting, coughing blood, sexual dysfunction, open sores, neurological disorders, and diarrhea. These effects occur from on and off mold exposure over a few months.

* The stage three symptoms of mold exposure are: blindness, brain damage, memory loss, lung bleeding, cancer and death 

* Mold is one of the most misdiagnosed health issues. A Mayo Clinic study found that 93 percent of all sinus infections were actually mold caused.

The power of flooding is undeniable. The key in keeping yourself safe is to not underestimate the power of water. From cataclysmic floods to a soppy carpet, floods can cause immense damage. If you are careful, understand the danger and react quickly, you will most likely be able to escape most of the damage done by the almighty flood.

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The Longest Rivers in South America

South America is one wealthy continent, relating to resources (if gold, tin silver, copper and iron ore deposits are any indication) continent. It is also where Angel Falls can be seen, the world's highest waterfall. The Andes, the longest mountain range is in addition located there, and so will be the Atacama Desert, touted as the driest put on earth. It can be culturally rich too, as evidenced by the ruins of Aztec and Incan civilization, and also the colorful festivals that its folks frequently participate in. It also is home to the Amazon River, that is by far the biggest river, accounting for a fifth of the entire planet's river flow. Now, whilst all those trivia are astonishing, it is in reality the Amazon, as well as the other four rivers that created it to the Longest Rivers in South the USA list, is what this is just about.

1. Amazon

The Amazon River, which spans approximately 6,800 km and 4,200 miles, owes its name to Francisco de Orellana, who mistakenly thought that the natives who attacked them are female warriors. The Holy Roman Emperor right at that moment recalled that the Amazons of Greek mythology fought with such ferocity also, and so, river was baptized. And oh, it is in addition house to piranhas and Che Guevara reportedly swam across it to get to a leper colony. The Amazon was water discharge rates that are bigger than all of the next 6 largest rivers in the world, combined. Obviously, Amazon also has the largest drainage basin, although it is only second to Nile when considering total river system length. This river's source may be traced as far as the Andes Mountains but almost all of the river courses by way of tropical rainforests. The river meanders by way of Peru, Brazil and Colombia and discharges into the Atlantic Ocean in a estuary that reaches up to 150 miles wide.

2. Paraná

The Paraná River spans 4,880 km (3,032 miles) and runs through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The word is an abbreviation of a Tupi phrase which means "as big as the sea". The river source is situated in Southern Brazil - the Paranaiba and Grande rivers. The tributaries merge with the Paraguay River and the Uruguay River, building Rio de la Plata and draining into the Atlantic Ocean. This river and its tributaries provide watershed services to two of the biggest cities in South the US - Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.

3. Orinoco

The Orinico spans 2,140 km (1,330 miles) and is acknowledged for its role in the transporation method for some Venezuelan and Colombian Regions. It begins inside the headwaters of Cerro Delgado-Chalbaud, near Brazil and Venezuela and flows into the Delta Amacuro within the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to the Orinoco Crocodile, an endangered specie in addition to the Caribe Piranha.

4. Tocantins

The length of the Tocantins River is disputed; some geographers say it is actually around three,650 km or 2,270 miles while a few say it's around 2,640 km. Even so, this river is widely considered the third longest river in South the US. It is found in Brazil, rising from the Pireneus, a mountainous district in the land. The facts are, it truly is part of the Amazon River program; nevertheless, its waters flow into the Atlantic Ocean alongside those of the Amazon River's (which isn't surprising, looking at that the estuary of Amazon River spans more than a hundred miles).

5. Madeira

The Madeira River, spanning 3,250 km (2,019 mi) is a primary tributary to the Amazon river, and it really is one by the real sense of the word; its sources are the Madre de Dios and Mamore rivers and it drains into the Amazon river. It is situated in Bolivia and Brazil and a roadmap dated 1747 was produced about this major waterway.

Do you enjoy reading this? If yes, you may also visit famouswonders.com to read more about top 10 longest rivers in the world and have a look at 10 longest rivers.

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The Sun and Solar Power Trivia

Solar power truly seemed to be the solution to our ever increasing demand for energy that sees more and more fossil fuels burned every day. The sun’s energy has been proven to be the strongest in our galaxy and dwarfs even the strongest nuclear power plants combined! It is thanks to ever improving solar technology that we are able to harness its clean renewable power potential and turn it to multiple alternative energy applications. Below are some interesting facts about solar…

Solar applications are ancient

The use of solar solarenergy dates back in the earliest human civilizations. Though the use was not as complex as it is today, ancient people depended on the sun for life & so worshipped as their God, the most powerful source they knew. Ancient civilizations had already used the sun’s heat for comfort during cold days; ancient engineering has shown that people were trying maximizing the sun’s ray patterns to heat and light their homes.

Leonardo Da Vinci, the father of solar hot water systems

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the first to use solar power in a complex manner; Da Vince used concave mirrors to amplify the heat of the sun to boil water. Thus the idea of solar hot water system was born.

Earliest Solar Panels

Aleksandr Grigorievich Stoletov invented the very first solar cells based on the phenomena called the Photoelectric Effect by Heinrich Hertz but efficiency was still an issue back then. The modern solar panels that you are using today are owed to Russell Shoemaker Ohl who patented the technology in 1946, and solar cells continued to evolve up to this day, though more progress has been made in the last couple of years than in all that time previously.

Largest Solar Farm

The title for the largest solar farm in the world belongs to the Germans; the Bavaria Solar Park in Germany provides a maximum system output of 12 MW and powers about 3500 homes.

The Green Figure

A typical home solar panel (1KW) can save about 170 lbs of coal emitting 300 lbs of greenhouse gases. Do the math… and you’ll see how much carbon we can reduce.

The Sahara Dessert

If we could layout solar panels in the entire stretch of the Sahara desert, they would be capable of generate a mind bugling 450 terawatts of energy; that is enough to power the entire Earth for 35 years!

The Colossal Sun

The normal temperature of the sun is 5700c and the Earth is at 20c. About a million Earths can fit inside the sun and still have room to move freely.. The sun is estimated to be at its 4 billionth birthday and is expected to last for another 4 billion years.

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Interesting Facts & Trivia About Thousand Islands

If you are planning a tour to Canada this summer, it's important to know that there is much more to experience in Canada besides the stunning Niagara Falls. There are several beautiful sites that add to the charm of Ontario, Canada in addition to the famous Niagara Falls. One such breathtaking site is Thousand Islands, a cluster of over 1000 breathtaking islands that straddle across the US and Canada border along the St. Lawrence River. Wouldn't it be a dream to cruise through these spectacular islands and wonder in amazement about the history of their formation? Your dream can come true if you take The Thousand Islands cruise during your Niagara Falls Tour that takes you on a journey amidst this amazing archipelago. Here are some interesting facts about these islands that will increase your excitement about discovering them when you tour Niagara Falls!

* Thousand Islands were formed during the retreat of the last ice age, which exposed the hard granite and gneiss characteristic of the Canadian Shield. Covered with vegetation, the islands often appear to pop out of the water, resembling mushroom caps. * Although the region is called Thousand Islands, in reality they are 1,864 islands.
* Boldt Castle located on one of the islands called Heart Island in the Thousand Islands region, was built in the 1890's by millionaire George Boldt for his beloved wife Louise. It is a popular landmark and a tourist attraction. George Boldt altered the shape of the island into a 'heart-shape', and changed its name from 'Hart Island' to 'Heart Island'.
* Louise passed away at a young age. Boldt was heartbroken and stopped the construction of the partly erected castle. It stands to this day unfinished, although in recent years some of its rooms have been improved.
* Heart Island has been host to some spectacular fireworks displays over the years. In August of 1938, almost 20,000 people gathered to witness the $2,500 display of fireworks celebrating the dedication of the Thousand Island Bridge. Almost a year later, on August 6, 1939 another fireworks display.
* The male deer, or stags, which can be seen throughout the Heart Island known as 'harts'.
* The Thousand Islands Bridge is an international bridge over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada.
* The famous "Shortest International Bridge" that joins two equally tiny islands lies is in reality entirely within Canada, contrary to the popular belief that one of the islands is situated in Canada and the other in United States. However, local tour guides for decades touted the bridge as the shortest span between Canada and United States and that's why it got its name as "Shortest International Bridge".
* The popular Thousand Island dressing originated in the Thousand Island Region. It's made from ketchup, mayonnaise and pickle relish.

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Shocking Facts of DUI

Seattle DUI lawyers, like any other state DUI lawyers put in as much effort as possible to defend their DUI convicted clients. Since drinking is a very common practice in USA, hundreds of DUI cases are filed everyday throughout the country. Seattle, Washington is no exception in having such cases. However, before learning about the fines and costs of Seattle DUI or Washington DUI attorney offenses, people should first understand what DUI is and how it affects human life.

Here, is a precise list of DUI facts compiled by an eminent Seattle DUI attorney, which I believe will give readers a perfect understanding of this offense and its seriousness. DUI or Driving under Influence of alcohol and drugs is not only dangerous, but is considered to be a serious crime, which can cause the accused serious hazards for life and property. But unfortunately, most people do not realize the seriousness of the issue or how severe its consequences can be. Instead they feel that getting charged with DUI is nothing but an inconvenience or simply an embarrassment for an individual.

Agreeing to the facts listed here by the Seattle DUI attorney, every DUI attorney across the U.S. believe these facts would come as a shock to most of the citizens. Following are some of such shocking facts about DUI and the social impact of this punishable crime:

1. Accidents stimulated by DUI causes one death every half an hour and injure a person in every couple of minutes somewhere across the country.
2. In USA, DUI or Driving under Influence is actually the biggest reason behind the criminal deaths.
3. It has been estimated that more than 17,000 people become victims of individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics and die every year. And shockingly, out of these 17,000 victims nearly 2000 of them are children.
4. Nearly 1.5 million individuals are arrested for DUI every year across USA.
5. Shockingly this figure is less than 1% of the actual DUI instances that occurs in a year across the country. In reality, more than 160 million DUI incidents take place each year.
6. Over 400 children die every year for riding on vehicles driven by drunk drivers.
7. Over 40% of deaths caused by motor accidents in USA are someway or the other associated with driving under influence of alcohol and or drugs.
8. Nearly 50 children pedestrians are killed every year by individuals driving under the influence.
9. It has been surveyed that over 75% of the DUI accused individuals are male.
10. More than 50% of DUI related accidents and deaths occur during the weekends, especially on Saturdays. Most accidents and fatalities take place between midnight and 4 in the morning.
11. Individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs cause an estimated loss of more than $60 billion property every year.

As the Seattle DUI lawyer suggests, U.S. citizens should become more aware of the fatality that is being caused due to their negligence and unawareness. Driving under the influence is an extremely offensive act causing serious damage and even death to both the driver and the victim.

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Interesting Facts About Alabama

Alabama is not only famous for its resident's warm and friendly nature but also popular because of the many historical and natural significance it has brought to the US. There are many interesting things to know about Alabama.

Alabama is a state well loved for the friendly and hospitable nature of its residents. Here are some trivia and facts about it to get you acquainted on this fabulous state. It will make your visit more interesting.

The Mardi Gras was introduced by Alabama to the Western World. This celebration is held every Shrove Tuesday, a day prior to the start of Lent.

It is the workers of Alabama who built the 1st rocket ship that made it possible for humans to finally set foot on the moon.

In the year 1886, in Montgomery, the 1st Electric Trolley System in the world was introduced.

Alabama is regarded as the only state having all the major natural resources required for making steel and iron. In fact, it is considered as the largest supplier of steel and cast iron pipe products.

Montgomery is noted as the birthplace and capital of the Confederated States of America.

In the year 1861, in Alabama, the Confederate flag was initially flown and designed.

Last December 14, 1819, Alabama was declared as the 22nd state.

To encourage farmers to grow crops besides cotton, the town of Enterprise housed the Boll Weevil Monument so as to acknowledge the role of such destructive insect.

Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron, the famous baseball player, was born in the year 1934 in Mobile, Alabama.

Joe Louis, the famous boxer, was born in the year 1914 in Lexington, Alabama. He died in the year 1981.

Their official state song is entitled "Alabama."

Willie Howard Mays, the famous baseball player was born in the year 1931 in Westfield, Alabama.

In Russell Cave, they discovered a skeleton of a pre-historic man.

The world's rocket capital is Huntsville, Alabama.

The oldest archival state-funded agency in the entire nation is the Alabama Department of Archives.

In the year 1937, the state sales tax was instituted to help fund the education system in Alabama.

In Mobile, the schools established include the Huntsville Green Academy and the Washington Academy. This was founded in the year 1812 and 1811 respectively.

Alabama's first territorial capital is Old Saint Stephens established between the years 1817and 1819.

The Army Ballistic Missile Agency was reportedly established in the year 1956 at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

Governor George C. Wallace was said to have served about 4 terms in office.

Heather Whitestone served as the 1st Miss America having a disability, in the year 1995.

The word "Alabama," in Creek Indian Language, means "tribal town."

In Bessemer's Hall of History, you will find an exhibit of the typewriter of Hitler from his noted mountain retreat.

Mobile was named after the "Mauvilla Indians."

The 1st psychiatrist of the state is Peter Bryce, born in the year 1834 and died in the year 1892.

The official state mineral of Alabama is hematite, an oxide of iron or Fe2O3.

The official insect of the state is the Monarch Butterfly or the Danaus Pleipuss.

The official gemstone of the state is the star blue quartz.

The official fair of Alabama is the Florence Renaissance Fair.

Alabama became the 4th state to have seceded from the Union last January 11, 1861.

In the year 1919, famous entertainer and singer Nathaniel Adams or Nat King Cole was born in Montgomery. He is regarded as "the man with the velvet voice". He died in the year 1965.

In the year 1931, the Birmingham Airport was opened. At this time, each flight from Birmingham to Los Angeles takes about 19 hours.

Alabama's oldest county is Washington County.

In the year 1814, General Andrew Jackson was able to defeat the Creek Indians. Subsequent to this event, Native Americans were able to cede almost half of the present state to the US.

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Important Facts To Know About Astronomy

When man first landed on the moon, a large number of people still remained skeptic on the genuineness and authenticity of that particular human feat. In fact, in the then Russia, rumors were spread that the footage being shown about Neil Armstrong's "giant leap for mankind" was just a Hollywood-made clip done to show that the United States is ahead in the race for the last frontier - space. But the accomplishment turned to be true and real, and space expeditions continued on. Man's fascination of space has been on since time not remembered. In fact, if you ask kids on what they want they want to be when they grow up, on the top three of their list would be becoming an astronaut. But before you can be one, lay down that telescope and let us review some important facts about astronomy.

The word "astronomy" was coined by the combination of two Greek words, astron which means star and nomos which denotes law. There are two types of astronomy, observational - which pertains to observing, acquiring information, assessing these data and forming hypothesis based on standard Physics principle. The other type which is theoretical astronomy is concerned more on the production and development of analytical computer reproductions inputting basic Physics principle to rationalize and explain further the way celestial bodies move. Because of these two astronomy categories, facts about the heavens above were formulated and reached. Take these examples.

• It takes 8 minutes before sunlight reaches the Earth. The sun is also the cause of the ever-changing world weather and the size of the ocean's currents.

• The sun, though massive in area, is just an average-sized star.

• How about this important fact to know about astronomy, the lightning is more than twice blistering than the sun.

• Some important facts to know about astronomy, specifically the moon - each year, the moon moves away from the earth by 3 centimeters.

• The moon is the only other moving body in the universe that man has set foot on.

• As far as sailing and directions and astronomy is concerned, the north star, which is also known as Polaris, is the only star that does not move every night, and that is the sole reason why it is an invaluable tool in nautical transports.

• Venus, in contrast with the other planets, is the only one that rotates in reverse, from east to west.

• The planet Neptune has not completed an orbit around the sun since its discovery 150 years ago.

These are some important facts to know about astronomy and there are a lot more to discover since outer space is so vast.

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10 Interesting Facts About Barcelona, Spain

You certainly are a tourer of amazing tastes, if you’re visiting the city of Barcelona in Spain. Definitely, Barcelona is the city having plenty of excellence, elegance, and exquisiteness. It’s the city known for its telling history, impressive culture, aesthetic opulence, fabulous monuments, fantastic modernist architectural works, marvelous museums & art galleries, and above all, interesting people. Surely, you can really find loads of interesting things in Barcelona, but here are the 10 most interesting fact about Barcelona for you.

There are two Spanish legends on the founding of Barcelona. One legend says that Barcelona was founded by Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome, but according to the other legend, the city was founded by the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, in the 3rd century BC, and it has got its name from the great Barca family of Carthage. Barcelona is the capital of Spain’s autonomous region, Catalonia. Located in the comarca of Barcelonès, the city has always been the focus of Catalan separatism and striving for its independence. Today’s Barcelona is one of the most cosmopolitan and economically most active cities of the world.

Barcelona is the center of Modernist architecture. It is particularly known for Antoní Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces. Some of the major works of Gaudí include Casa Vicens, Palau Güell, College of the Teresianas, Church of Colònia Güell, Casa Calvet, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Park Güell, and Sagrada Família.

La Sagrada Família, one of the major works of Antoní Gaudí, is still under construction in Barcelona. The construction of the monumental Roman Catholic basilica began in 1882, and Gaudí worked on the architectural gem for over 40 years and devoted the last 15 years of his life solely to the this project.

St. George's Day is the National Feast in Catalonia. It is known as “Diada de Sant Jordi” in Catalan. In Barcelona, St. George's Day, 23 April, is traditionally celebrated by gifting roses and books to loved ones. Inspired from the custom, UNESCO declared the day as the International Day of Books.

La Rambla is the major center of activities in Barcelona. It is an iconic & busy street in central Barcelona. It is the place where you can enjoy delicious Spanish foods at many restaurants, and find the finest places for shopping. It’s an extremely popular place, with an average of about 150,000 people walk along it every day. Interesting!

Barna Centre – Barri Gòtic is the center of the old city of Barcelona. It has many buildings dating from medieval times, and some even from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. It’s a popular tourist attraction that attracts over one million visitors every week.

Portal de l'Àngel is one of the most popular pedestrian streets in Spain. It is located in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona by Plaça Catalunya. The thoroughfare is so popular that around 3,500 people walk through it every hour. It’s really amazing!

FC Barcelona is a famous sports club based in Barcelona. The club is best known for its football team. With the seating capacity for 100,000 people, FC Barcelona is the biggest privately owned stadium in the world. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions of Barcelona.

Barcelona Wax Museum, officially known as Museu de Cera, is the Spain’s answer to the Madame Tussaud’s in London. Located at the port end of the Ramblas in a rather old-fashioned 19th century building, the museum features world’s most famous sports personalities, musicians and statesmen.

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Global Warming Facts - Planet Earth's Biggest Threat

Perhaps the question that first comes in your mind is: How? How might global warming could threaten life on planet earth?

Global warming Facts 1: Melting ice in the polar north & south

Global warming has a direct impact on the continued melting of ice in the Polar Regions north and south poles. Ice in Greenland has melted nearly 19 million tons! And the volume of ice in the Arctic in the summer of 2007 only a half of from 4 years earlier!

The melting ice is currently running much faster than forecast models ever invented by scientists. Some early predictions have been made previously estimated that the polar ice caps will disappear in the years 2040 to 2100. But the annual ice data were recorded until the year 2007 to make them think again about the predictive models that have been made previously.

By using the latest ice data and models is more accurate prediction, Dr. H. J. Zwally, a NASA climate expert to make a new prediction astonishing:

Almost all of North Polar Ice caps will disappear in late summer 2012!

Recently, a natural phenomenon again indicates how serious this condition. On March 6, 2008, a chunk of ice covering 414 square kilometers (almost 1.5 times the size of the city of Liverpool) in Antarctica collapsed.

According to the researchers; slab-shaped ice a very large permanent floating around 1609 kilometers south of South America, south-west Antarctic Peninsula. Actually, ice is believed to be there since 1500 years ago. "This is a result of global warming," said lead researcher Ted Scambos (NSIDC). According to him, the slab of ice called Wilkins Ice Shelf is very rare to collapse.

Now, after the separation, the remaining ices only 1950 square kilometers, 5.6 kilometers plus the adjacent slab of ice and connect the two islands. "A little more, the last ice will be drowned, and a half from the total area of ice would disappear in the next few years, "said Scambos.

"Some recent events are the trigger point of the system change," said Sarah Das, a researcher from the Marine Woods Hole Institute. Changes in Antarctica are more complicated and more isolated from the whole part of the world.

Antarctica at the South Pole is a continent with the territory mountains and lakes covered by ice which surrounded by sea. This continent much colder than the Arctic, very rare the ice melts there, even there is no coating has been melts in the history. The average temperature is minus 49 degrees Celsius, but never reached almost minus 90 degrees Celsius in July 1983. No wonder if the phenomenon of melting ice in the continent which contains nearly 90 percent of the ice in the world have a serious attention from researchers.

Global warming Facts 2: The increase of the sea surface level

Melting of ice in the polar north and south poles have a direct impact on rising sea levels (graph at right shows the measurement results in sea level over the last few years). Experts estimate if the entire Greenland melts, sea level will rise up to 7 meters, enough to sink the entire beach, harbor, and the lowlands around the world.

Global warming Facts 3: Climate Change / weather getting extreme

NASA states that the global warming impact on the more extreme changes in weather or climate change of the earth. Rainfall patterns change can be predicted without causing flooding in one place, but the drought in other places. Typhoons and tropical storms will emerge with a tendency more and stronger.

Without strengthened by NASA statement on the above you can even see the effect on the environment around us. Do you realize how hot the temperature around you lately?. You can also see how it cannot be predicted arrival of the rainy season or drought season which resulted in losses for farmers due to the planting season which should be done in the dry season but raining. You can also look at cases of extreme storms. In recent years, we more often affected by storms that disrupt transportation via sea or air.

Typhoons in Japan and the United States continue to break new records from year to year. You can look at this information through the mass media and the internet.

Global warming Facts 4: Heat Waves become more extreme

Global warming affect heat waves become more frequent and more intense. Year 2007 is the year as the new record-breaking for the temperature reached by the usual heat wave struck in the United States.

St. George, Utah held the highest record with the highest temperature reached 48 degree Celsius, Las-Vegas, Nevada that reaches 47 degree Celsius and several other cities in the United States with the average temperature above 40 degree Celsius, Death Valley in California even reach the record with temperature of 53 degree Celsius.

The attack of heat wave even forced the government in several states to declare emergency status mode 1. This attack causes some of victims died (due to heat wave), turn out hundreds of freshwater fish, damaging crops, triggering a great forest fire, and killed cattle.

In 2003, the South European region also ever had a great heat wave attacks which causes no less than 35,000 people died with the victims of most of France (14,802 inhabitants). France is country with the biggest victims died due to the unprepared residents and local governments from the phenomenon of heat wave attacks. Other casualties spread from England, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the other European countries. This heat wave also caused severe drought and crop failures prevalent in European regions.

Global warming Facts 5: End of Glacier- source of Clean Water for the World

The melting of glaciers threaten world water supply, and in the long term will contribute increasing sea water level of the world, and unfortunately that is what happened recently.

NASA notes that since 1960 to 2005, the number of glaciers in various parts of the world who lost no less than 8,000 cubic meters! NASA scientists have now realized that the melting of glaciers, melting ice at both poles of the earth, the earth temperature increases globally, and the increase of sea water level are evidence that the planet Earth continuously getting heat, and ensure that humans who are responsible for all of this. These are some facts about global warming, do you still in doubt that global warming is really happening?

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General Knowledge Quiz Questions From Fun Trivia

Question: Who were ziggurats?

Answer: Stepped towers or temple towers

Interesting Fact: A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.

Question: Who wrote Bambi?

Answer: Siegmund Salzmann aka Felix Salten

Interesting Fact: Bambi, ein Leben im Walde (Bambi, A Life in the Woods) is a book by Felix Salten, first printed in 1923. Bambi is the name of the main character, a male roe deer beginning life as a fawn, then an adolescent spike, and finally a buck. Felix Salten was the pen-name of Siegmund Salzmann, who was born in Budapest, Hungary but grew up in Vienna, Austria. The book was translated from German into English by Whittaker Chambers, who needed to supplement his income while working at a Communist newspaper. Felix Salten wrote a sequel, entitled Bambi's Children.

Question: What percent of its life does an albatross spend gliding?

Answer: 90 percent

Interesting Fact: Albatrosses are among the most spectacular gliders of all birds; in windy weather they can stay aloft for hours without flapping their wings. They drink seawater and usually eat squid. Albatrosses come ashore only to breed, in colonies typically established on remote oceanic islands. Adults of common species attain wingspans of 7 – 11 feet. Albatrosses live long and may be among the few birds to die of old age. They were once held in awe by seamen, who held that killing one would bring bad luck.

Question: What is the world?s smallest primate?

Answer: lesser mouse lemur

Interesting Fact: These are 1 ounce in size and are nocturnal, with correspondingly large eyes, and essentially arboreal, with relatively long tails. The tarsal bones in the heel region of the foot are mildly elongated. The fur is dense and woolly in all species. As a general rule, species inhabiting the eastern rainforest tend to be rufous (reddish brown) in dorsal coloration, while those living in the dryer forests in the west are grayer. In all species, the ventral fur is considerably lighter and varies from white through cream to yellowish brown. The external ears (pinnae) are relatively large and, in some species, very conspicuous.

Question: In September 1925 what safety feature was added to London streets?

Answer: White lines to mark the center of the road

Interesting Fact: The idea of painting a centre white line was first experimented in 1921 in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. Following complaints by residents over reckless driving and several collisions, the Sutton Coldfield Corporation decided to paint the line on Maney Corner in the area of Maney.

Question: How many different kinds of animals are represented in animal crackers?

Answer: 37

Interesting Fact: Animal shaped crackers, first produced in 1902 by National Biscuit Co. as Barnum's animal crackers.

Find more interesting facts and free trivia questions and answers at http://trivialtopics.net/

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